Senior Cleric of Tehreek-e- Labbaik Pakistan Calls to Attack Ahmadi Pregnant Women to “Make Sure No New Ahmadis Are Born”
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 October 2022
Tehreek-e-Labbaik_Pakistan Flag
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• Forcible Entry and Puja in 15th-Century Mahmud Gawan
Madrasa, an ASI-Protected Heritage That No Longer Functions As an Islamic
Seminary
• Global Protests against the Hazara ‘Genocide’ to
Take Place in 91 Cities of the World
• Sheikhs Deconstruct Extremists’ Interpretations of
Sharia, Jihad at a Workshop in Yola, Adamawa State
• Canada
To Deny Entry To 10,000 Members Of ‘Murderous’ Iran Regime: Trudeau
Pakistan
• Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board
Contemplating Erecting a Memorial to Saka (Massacre) Panja Sahib
• Swat residents warn of vigilantism if terror
activities not reined in
• COAS Bajwa stresses regional peace, warns ‘price of status
quo will be devastating’ for all
• UNGA agrees to support Pakistan’s reconstruction
• Peshawar police book 13 teacher leaders for rioting,
unlawful gathering
• Four individuals want me assassinated, alleges
former Pakistan PM Imran Khan
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India
• Forcible Entry and Puja in 15th-Century Mahmud Gawan
Madrasa, an ASI-Protected Heritage That No Longer Functions As an Islamic
Seminary
• Muslim Organisations Plan Marches, Agitations In TN
Against ‘Misuse’ Of UAPA
• Court Asks Gyanvapi Mosque Management to File Reply
on Plea for Carbon-Dating Of Structure Found Inside Shrine
• Human rights must be respected: India after skipping
Xinjiang vote
• Mumbai: Shiv Sena banking on Marathi-Muslim bloc for
bypoll
• Centre Appoints Commission To Examine Possibility Of
SC Status To Dalit Converts: A Change Of Heart?
--------
South
Asia
• Political Change Deteriorates Life in Afghanistan
despite Humanitarian Aid
• Afghan heroin worth Rs 1,200 Crore seized from
Iranian vessel, 6 held
• Afghanistan needs dams on Kabul River for better
water management: Report
• Idol destroyed at colonial-era Hindu temple in
Bangladesh
• Afghan musician wins Aga Khan Award for music 2022
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Africa
• Kenyan leader, US special envoy hold talks amid
Tigray peace push
• Africa Union welcomes commitment of Tigrayan,
Ethiopian forces to peace talks
--------
North
America
• US pushing ahead with diplomatic efforts to resolve
Lebanon-Israel border dispute
• US lawmakers fume at Saudi Arabia for OPEC+ move to
cut oil output
• Sanders calls for US troop withdrawal from Saudi
Arabia, end of selling weapons
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Arab
World
• Qatar, Indonesia, UAE, Pakistan Vote against UN
Debate on China's Oppression of Uyghurs
• Car explosion in northern Iraq kills one, injures
four others
• Banks in Lebanon close again as citizens’ resort to
holdups
• US military tankers smuggle crude oil from Syria’s
Hasakah to bases in Iraq: Report
• Hamas delegation to visit Syria later this month to
restore relations with Syrian government
--------
Mideast
• Iran Says Mahsa Amini Died Of Illness Rather Than
'Blows'
• Palestinian shot dead by Israeli forces in West
Bank: Health ministry
• Iran summons Danish ambassador to protest Copenhagen
embassy threat: Media
• Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in West Bank:
Health ministry
--------
Europe
• ‘We May Suddenly Arrive One Night’: Erdogan
Threatens Greece, ‘Annoying’ Countries
• Erdogan and Putin discuss improving ties, ending
Ukraine war: Erdogan’s office
• ‘EU should feel ashamed of its treatment of Turkish
Cypriots’
• Türkiye remembers diplomat killed by terrorist in
Greece
• Greek premier lacks knowledge of protocol rules,
Türkiye's president says
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Budget 2023: Kafa Teachers, Imam, Bilal, Siak to
Receive Special One-Off RM500
• PAS adamant on pushing for Muslim unity with Umno,
Bersatu
• DAP will find GE15 tough going as anti-Malay attacks
mount, say analysts
• Nazir welcomes Halim Saad’s ‘differing recollection’
of the past
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/cleric-tehreek-labbaik-pakistan-ahmadi-pregnant/d/128135
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Senior Cleric of Tehreek-e- Labbaik Pakistan Calls to
Attack Ahmadi Pregnant Women to “Make Sure No New Ahmadis Are Born”
Tehreek-e-Labbaik_Pakistan Flag
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10/08/2022
A YouTube video is circulating on social media with a
speech by Muhammad Naeem Chattha Qadri, a senior cleric of Tehreek-e- Labbaik
Pakistan (TLP). Bitter winter devoted a series to TLP, a violent Pakistani
political party born within the Barelvi movement and notorious for its attacks
against religious minorities, including Christians and Ahmadis.
In the video, Qadri calls on his supporters to carry
out attacks against pregnant Ahmadi mothers to “make sure that no new Ahmadis
are born.” In a crescendo of hate, the preacher insisted that “there is but one
punishment for blasphemers, decapitation.” He also said that, should the attacks
on Ahmadi pregnant women not be successful, “those babies who are being born,
should be killed.”
Qadri also threatened the police, should they attempt
to interfere with TLP’s religious cleansing of the Ahmadis. “Those of you who
are from the Police agencies, he said, or if there is any D.P.O (District
Police Officer) or D.C (Deputy Commissioner) or S.H.O. (Police Station house
officer) must understand that we cannot be stopped.”
On August 12, 2022, Naseer Ahmad, a 62-year-old Ahmadi
father of 3, was stabbed to death at the main bus stop in Rabwah, a city with
an Ahmadi majority, by a TLP activist who went there to “create an incident”
with the Ahmadis.
The TLP has also targeted Pakistani Sunni Muslim
politicians accused of being “soft on the Ahmadis.” Court cases disclosed that
the TLP is only able to operate in Pakistan because of secret agreements its
leaders passed with different Pakistani governments and the intelligence
service ISI.
The Ahmadis are a persecuted religious minority
founded within Islam by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908). Conservative Muslims
accuse Ahmad of having considered himself a “prophet,” in breach of the Islamic
doctrine of the Finality of Prophethood, which maintains that there can be no
prophet after Muhammad.
The Ahmadi formula for Ahmad, “at the same time a
prophet and a follower of the Holy Prophet [ Muhammad],” is not enough to
establish their orthodoxy in the eyes of Muslim clerics. For them, the Ahmadis
deny the Finality of Prophethood and are non-Muslim heretics. They are severely
persecuted in Pakistan through specific laws that make them second class
citizens prevented from voting and holding office.
Source: Bitter
Winter
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://bitterwinter.org/pakistan-cleric-attack-ahmadi-pregnant-women/
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Forcible
Entry and Puja in 15th-Century Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, an ASI-Protected Heritage
That No Longer Functions As an Islamic Seminary
At
least nine people have been booked on charges including rioting and outraging
religious feelings, and four had been arrested by Friday evening.
-----
K.M.
Rakesh | Bangalore
08.10.22
People
from a Hindu religious procession broke a lock and barged into a 15th-century
madrasa in Karnataka’s Bidar town at 2am on Thursday, chanted slogans,
sprinkled vermilion and apparently performed some sort of puja before leaving.
The
incident at the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa -– an ASI-protected heritage structure
that no longer functions as an Islamic seminary -– comes after years of attacks
by Hindutva zealots on churches and Christian prayer halls in BJP-ruled
Karnataka.
State
home minister Araga Jnanendra and local BJP leaders said Hindus performed puja
at the madrasa each Dasara --- a claim denied by Mohammed Shafiuddin, local
resident and secretary of the small mosque on the madrasa premises.
Asked
why Hindus would worship at a madrasa, local BJP leader Babu Wali claimed that
“in every Muslim structure in Bidar, you will find some element of Hindu
culture” – a remark that appeared to carry sinister implications in the era of
the Ayodhya and Gyanvapi controversies.
At
least nine people have been booked on charges including rioting and outraging
religious feelings, and four had been arrested by Friday evening. Police in
Bidar, 690km from Bangalore, said they were trying to identify, book and arrest
more suspects.
A
video circulating on social media suggests the intruders were part of a Dasara
procession --- a ritual march with the idol on the 10th day after nine days of
worshipping a goddess, locally called Bhavani Devi.
A large
number of men are seen barging into the madrasa, chanting “Vande mataram” and
“Hindu dharm ki jai (Victory to the Hindu religion)”. Strains of a bhajan can
be heard from the procession, which has stopped in front of the structure,
located in Jawahar Bazar in the old city of Bidar.
Shafiuddin,
who had lodged the police complaint, said the incident happened around 2am on
Thursday.
“The
Bhavani Devi procession was passing in front of the madrasa when some men broke
open the lock of the gate and entered the compound. Some people living in the
area witnessed the incident,” he told The Telegraph.
“This
has been a peaceful area with no communal tensions. I don’t know what these
people were trying to gain. But luckily the area is peaceful even today as we
gear up for the Friday namaz.”
Home
minister Jnanendra blamed the controversy on a misunderstanding. “They perform
puja at the madrasa every year (on Dasara). There were more people this time,
hence the misunderstanding,” he told reporters on Friday.
BJP
leader Wali echoed the minister. “Four or five people used to enter the
premises on Dasara to do the puja. The confusion has arisen because the gates
were locked this time, so more people ended up entering the premises,” he told
a Kannada channel.
Wali
seemed to be suggesting the locked gates had angered the Bhavani Devi devotees,
thus implying the local Muslims were to blame for the controversy.
On
the BJP leaders’ claim about puja at the site every Dasara, Shafiuddin said: “I
am a local resident but have never seen anything like what they are claiming.”
Local
Archaeological Survey of India officials could not be contacted.
The
VHP and Bajrang Dal had in May this year performed religious rituals after a
column with features of temple architecture was found during the renovation of
a mosque in Dakshina Kannada district.
The
mosque authorities had explained that local architectural styles were often
used to build mosques in earlier days. The district administration called for
peace with the promise of studying the matter, and the issue cooled off after
that.
In
Bidar, the accused have been booked under penal sections 143 (unlawful
assembly), 147 (rioting), 149 (common object in assembling unlawfully), 153
(wanton provocation for rioting), 447 (criminal trespass) and 295A (deliberate
and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings).
A
large police contingent remained deployed in the area for the second day on
Friday. “The situation is under control,” additional superintendent of police
Mahesh Meghannavar said.
A
Persian trader named Mahmud Galwan, who had settled down in Bidar after being
exiled from Persia, had built the madrasa in the 1460s during the reign of the
Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar. The Bidar district administration’s website says
the madrasa “functioned like a residential university”.
For
centuries, the university attracted students from several parts of West Asia
and Southeast Asia before gradually losing out to more modern institutions over
the decades. The ASI has been maintaining it since 2005.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/forcible-entry-and-puja-in-centuries-old-madrasa/cid/1890750
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Global
Protests against the Hazara ‘Genocide’ to Take Place in 91 Cities of the World
Photo:
The Khaama Press
----
By
Saqalain Eqbal
08
Oct 2022
Plans
and preparations have reportedly been made to hold global protests against the
Hazara “genocide” in at least 91 cities worldwide following the bloody Friday
that claimed the lives of innocent students.
A
week has passed since the blood-soaked Friday in Kabul when 57 students—mostly
girls—were killed and 114 others were wounded. After a week had passed, the
street demonstrations inside and outside the nation continued with the same
message and demand to “stop Hazara genocide.”
Following
the deadly attack on the Kaaj education center in the west of Kabul, the Afghan
capital, many Afghan people began protesting in Sweden, France, Germany,
Austria, the US, Canada, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
These
protests overseas will follow the widespread protests in Afghanistan, which
were also primarily led by women and youth.
Students
and women were seen protesting in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kapisa, Baghlan, Bamyan,
Daikundi, Ghazni, Nangarhar, Panjshir, and some other provinces of Afghanistan,
receiving the attention of domestic media.
The
World Council of Hazaras has now called for protests in 91 cities across the
world, coordinated to take place on Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 October.
At
the same time, a global Twitter campaign with the same hashtag,
“#StopHazaraGenocide” also has attracted worldwide attention, joined by
prominent figures in politics, art, literature, and human rights. The hashtag
has received over 6 million tweets.
Elif
Shafak, a well-known Turkish-British author; Paulo Coelho, a prominent
Brazilian author; Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Richard
Ojeda, a former US senator, and politician; Fateme Ekhtesari, a famous Iranian
poet; and a number of actors are among those who have called for an
investigation and action by the UN and other pertinent international
organizations.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Sheikhs
Deconstruct Extremists’ Interpretations of Sharia, Jihad at a Workshop in Yola,
Adamawa State
Photo:
The Daily Post
-----
October
7, 2022
By
Jim Ochetenwu
Resource
persons at a workshop in Yola, Adamawa State, have deconstructed interpretations
of Islamic law (Sharia) which extremist groups quote to back their violent
acts.
The
resource persons said at the workshop which ended Friday afternoon that,
contrary to interpretations by extremist groups, the killing of anyone is a sin
and is thus forbidden in Islam.
“It
is an offence in Islam to kill anyone even if by mistake,” one of the resource
persons, Sheikh Mansur Isa, said, adding, that the killer may only be forgiven
if the act of killing is by mistake.
Sheikh
Mansur spoke on the topic, ‘Alternative Narratives’ at a three-day workshop on
‘Sharia Intelligence, Constructive Alternatives and the Role of Journalism in
the Prevention of Extremism and Violence’, organised by a conflict resolution
and peace building group, Dar Al Andalus Centre, which ended in Yola Friday.
Mansur
who said the only killing that can be condoned is when done in self-defence;
expressed regret that extremist groups rush to kill, ignoring healthy options
for achieving their aims.
He
explained that extremists are quick to kill because they believe the only
relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is constant warfare till every
non-Muslim accepts Islam or is killed, but that this contrasts sharply with the
example of Prophet Muhammed who lived peacefully with non-Muslims and converted
many by peaceful preaching.
Explaining
why extremist groups such as Boko Haram kill fellow Muslims, Mansur said
extremist Muslims see Muslims who do not toe their line as being worse than
non-Muslims and so, do not deserve to live.
Another
Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Nuru Lemu who delivered a paper on Alternative
Narrative with a focus on Jihad, emphasised that Jihad is not the forceful
conversion of people into a movement as often portrayed.
He
said no single verse (in the Qur’an) indicates Jihad as something to convert
non-Muslims or kill them, but that the objective of Jihad is limited to
removing oppression, protecting Muslims and safeguarding freedom of religion.
He
added that violence is never the initial route but becomes an option in ideally
rare cases for the purpose of attaining peace, justice and equality as applies
in regular life situations.
During
the workshop at which other resource persons made presentations, the
Adamawa-based media executives and journalists in attendance were taught to
take elements like Boko Haram as people who apply superficial knowledge of
Islam and must not be seen as representing the voice of Islam.
“The
person to interpret the Qur’an is not the one who memorises it but does not
know the meaning. It is not Boko Haram to speak for Islam. Before Boko Haram
were scholars we turned to for interpretations. It is such scholars we must
still look up to,” the resource persons said.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Canada
to deny entry to 10,000 members of ‘murderous’ Iran regime: Trudeau
Canadian
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (REUTERS/Blair Gable)
-----
07
October, 2022
Canada
announced Friday it will permanently deny entry to more than 10,000 members of
Iran’s “murderous” regime, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that
Ottawa blames for “heinous” acts against the Iranian people.
Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau said he would list Iran under “the most powerful
provision” of Canada’s immigration and refugee act to make “over 10,000 (IRGC)
officers and senior members most responsible for this heinous state behavior
inadmissible to Canada.”
“This
is the strongest measure we have to go after states and state entities,” he
said, noting it was previously applied only against regimes for war crimes or
genocide.
Those
listed “will be inadmissible to Canada forever” and will be prevented from
holding assets or having any financial dealings in this country, he said.
Thousands
of Canadians have marched in the streets in recent weeks in solidarity with
protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s
notorious morality police.
At
least 92 people have been killed in Iran since September 16, according to the
Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights, while an official report puts the number at
around 60 dead, including 12 members of the security forces.
A
strict dress code obliges women to wear the Islamic veil in particular. In
recent days, schoolgirls have joined in the protests by removing their hijab or
shouting anti-government slogans.
Ottawa
has already applied sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program, and Trudeau
announced a new round last week against dozens of Iranian officials, including
its morality police.
Canada
also has pressed Tehran to compensate the families of victims of flight PS752
shot down in January 2020, leaving 176 dead, including 85 Canadian citizens and
permanent residents.
“The
Iranian regime is a state sponsor of terrorism. It is repressive, theocratic
and misogynist,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told the news
conference.
“We
are formally recognizing that fact and acting accordingly,” she said.
Trudeau
and Freeland also said Ottawa would “massively expand targeted (economic)
sanctions” against individuals and entities in Iran, and move to prevent any
money laundering by them in this country.
Any
of those listed with existing ties to Canada would see their visas or permanent
residency status canceled, they added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Pakistan
Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board Contemplating Erecting a Memorial to Saka (Massacre) Panja Sahib
Oct
7, 2022
AMRITSAR:
One hundred years after Saka (massacre) Panja Sahib, Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust
Property Board (ETPB) is contemplating erecting a memorial.
ETPB
is a parent body that looks after the management of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) as well as the Project Management Unit (PMU), an
exclusive department erected by the Pakistan government for the management of
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib.
The
centenary of the heroic event is jointly observed by Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), PSGPC and the ETPB.
For
long, various Sikh bodies had been demanding the Pakistan government to erect a
memorial to the Saka but to no avail.
Hasan
Abadal, an ancient hill city, is situated about 45 kilometers from Rawalpindi.
During Guru ka Bagh morcha in October, 1922, one of the jathas of the Sikh was
brutally beaten by the British administrators and the wounded were being carried
on motor vehicles to Amritsar. They stayed hungry for before being dispatched
to Attock jail by rail. When Sangat at Panja Sahib received the intimation that
hungry Sikhs were being taken to Attock jail, they requested the station master
to stop the train so they could serve langar but he refused.
The
manager of Gurdwara Panja Sahib Bhai Karam Singh and Bhai Partap Singh then lay
on the rail track, sacrificing their lives while six Sikhs sustained injuries.
The train stopped for one and a half hours and the langar was then served to
the hungry Singhs.
When
contacted, ETPB Chairman, Habib ur Rehman said, "There is an idea and it
will be considered by ETPB, the decision will be made by the Board”.
In
the recent past, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had led a five member
delegation to Pakistan to contemplate over centenary functions of Saka Panja
Sahib. The Indian delegation also visited the venue where Gurbani Kirtan
Samagam would be held at Hassan Abdal railway station where the tragic massacre
had taken place in October 1922.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Swat
residents warn of vigilantism if terror activities not reined in
Fazal
Khaliq
October
7, 2022
A
large number of people took to the streets in Swat on Friday demanding of the
government to take decisive action against “anti-peace elements” in the valley
while warning that they might take up arms to tackle terrorists if the
authorities failed to play their due role.
The
demonstrators gathered at Matta Chowk in the Khwazakhela tehsil of Swat this
afternoon. It was the sixth protest by the locals since the resurfacing of the
terror activities in the month of August.
The
protest was jointly organised by two local organisations — Swat Olasi Pasoon
and Swat Quami Jirga. A large number of people, including the youth and elders,
with leaders of different political parties excepting the PTI took part in the
protest.
The
protesters said they would no longer tolerate terror activities as well as the
presence of terrorists in the valley. They also called out the government for
allegedly blocking internet in most parts of Swat.
“The
law enforcement agencies and the state institutions must keep in their minds
that the people of Swat are peace loving and they will never tolerate terrorism
on their land in any form and by anyone,” said PkMAP leader, Sher Bahadar, as
he addressed the protesters.
They
claimed that the state institutions had blocked internet in the major parts of
Swat, causing hardships to thousands of students.
Some
protesters warned the authorities of acting as vigilantes if they spotted any
terrorist in the valley.
“We
also want the law enforcement agencies to vacate all educational institutes in
Swat so that our youth can properly get education,” said Dr. Amjad, one of the
protesters.
“If
someone thinks the people of Swat would flee their land and allow terrorists to
settle in the valley, it is their misconception. It’s a united call from each
one of us when we say no to terrorism,” said Vice President of Swat Traders
Federation, Dr Khalid Mehmood.
Similarly,
Swat Qaumi Jirga member Sher Shah Khan said that the people of Swat were
surprised that the terrorists allegedly wanted to enforce Islam in the valley,
despite the fact that people in Swat were strict followers of the religion.
“Islam
can never be imposed through terrorism,” he said, adding that the people of
Swat would not step back until all militants were eliminated from the valley.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1713943
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COAS
Bajwa stresses regional peace, warns ‘price of status quo will be devastating’
for all
October
8, 2022
Chief
of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa stressed on Saturday the need
for regional peace and developing a mechanism for resolving all bilateral
issues peacefully, as he warned that the “price of status quo will be
devastating for all of us”.
“We
must give peace a chance by developing a mechanism to resolve all our bilateral
issues peacefully. Moreover, as opposed to fighting each other, we should
collectively fight hunger, poverty, illiteracy, population explosion, climate
change and disease,” he emphasised during his address at a ceremony held to
mark the passing-out parade of 146th PMA Long Course at Pakistan Military
Academy in Kakul.
“The
world has changed, so should we as the price of status quo will be devastating
for all of us,” warned the army chief.
However,
he added: “I must highlight here that our desire for peace must not be construed
as our weakness. No one should make any mistake about our collective resolve to
defend our core interests and every inch of our motherland.”
The
army chief also highlighted that “in our quest for peace, we have extended
sincere and all-out efforts to evolve good neighbourly relations with all our
neighbours and regional countries.
“We
are trying our best to break the political logjam which has denied the
countries of South Asia to move forward and resolve all regional and bilateral
issues in a peaceful and dignified manner.”
He
asserted that the people of South Asia, like the rest of the world, deserved
prosperity and better living conditions.
“This
can only happen with sustained economic growth, development and above all,
lasting peace. Therefore, we must strive hard to keep the flames of war away
from the region,” he stressed.
‘Don’t
get distracted by fake news’
During
his speech, Gen Bajwa urged the passing-out cadets not to get “distracted by
fake news and political wrangling” in the country.
“Respect
the democratic institution and be always ready to defend the territorial
integrity, sovereignty and constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
with your life,” he said, adding that they should “always remain alert and
prepared to respond to and defeat all intrigues and conspiracies hatched
against our country with [an] iron fist”.
’The
message is clear: The armed forces with the support of our citizens will never
allow any country, group or force to politically or economically destabilise Pakistan,“
he said.
At
the outset of his address, the COAS congratulated the passing-out cadets,
highlighting that they were about to begin their careers in a “professionally
distinguished and a battle-hardened army, which has a long list of successful
campaigns to its credits, both in conventional and sub-conventional domains”.
In
this regard, he underlined that the Pakistan Army, with the full support and
confidence of the nation, had “successfully turned the tide of the menace of
terrorism in the last two decades and has ensured that organised terrorism is
decisively rooted out from Pakistan.
“This
is indeed a unique accomplishment that not many countries or armies can claim.”
The
army chief told the cadets that the day held “nostalgic significance” for him
as he was in their position 42 years ago and never thought that one day, he
would have the honour of commanding this remarkable army.
He
said they were set to tread a path that he trod for more than four decades.
“A
part of selfless devotion to duty, patriotism, sacrifice and a unique privilege
to lead the best offer in men both in peace and war.”
COAS
outlines cardinals of military leadership
Wishing
the cadets luck and godspeed for their future endeavours, he outlined what he
described as “some universally accepted cardinals and traits of military
leadership”.
“Frankly
speaking, even without possessing these traits, you may still become an officer
but surely you can’t command and become a successful leader of men in combat,”
the army chief said.
“First,
remember that no one is born with professional knowledge. It has to be acquired
through constant pursuit. Without it, you cannot achieve professional
competence which is the hallmark of successful military leadership,” he began.
He
told the cadets that the duty that awaited them was challenging as it was
exciting.
“The
demands of professional military service will be much high as you go into
service. You need to equip yourself with the lofty attributes of leadership
with a sense of purpose to gain the respect and trust of your subordinates.
“It
is only through the development of your unwavering trust and confidence that
you can instil a spirit in your under command which will hold you together in
times of crisis,” he said.
Moreover,
he said, “the persona of a just and impartial commander who exhibits merit and
dispensation of reward and punishment is the one who will earn unconditional
loyalty and obedience of his under command.
“As
a leader, you need to have courage and [the] ability to take difficult decisions
and then accept full responsibility. Correct decision-making requires
competence and confidence which can only be acquired through high-class
military education, rigorous training and continuous study of military history.
“In
the words of Sir Basil Liddell Hart, ‘An officer who has not studied military
history as a science is of little use beyond the rank of a captain.’”
The
army chief also underscored the value of “keeping up a brave face in front of
your men when you’re as shattered and frightened inside as all of them in a
life-and-death situation”.
“The
contagious energy that you will instil in your men when you lead them by
example and not merely by words — remember when a lot of lead is flying in the
air in the battlefield, an officer never says advance, he always says follow
me,” Gen Bajwa added.
The
COAS also highlighted that keeping the “wellbeing of your troops ahead of your
own is the hallmark of a successful military leader.
“The
essence of the last point cannot be better articulated than what was said by
Field Marshal Philip Walhouse Chetwode who said and I quote, ‘The safety,
honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The
honour, welfare comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease,
comfort and safety come last always and every time.’”
He
reminded the cadets that these “eternal words are boldly etched even today on
the walls of Brigadier Francis Ingle Memorial Hall of Pakistan Military Academy
to remind every cadet and officer of these essential cardinals of military
leadership”.
The
COAS further reminded the cadets that “we have paid both in blood and kind to
safeguard our sovereignty and our territory.
“Thousands
of valiant sons have sacrificed their lives to enable us to reach the place
where we stand today.”
He
continued: “My dear cadets, you’re entering the service at a time when the
challenges facing the country are complex and multifaceted. Hence, your
responsibilities are far greater and more demanding than that of your
predecessors.
“You
have chosen to serve and protect your motherland which demands the highest
level of dedication, sense of purpose and sacrifice. This pledge must never be
undermined as you have been amply equipped and prepared to immediately
overpower future challenges and emerge victorious.”
Concluding
his speech, Gen Bajwa said he was “highly optimistic” and assured by the
cadets’ exemplary display of discipline and professionalism that the prestige,
security and safety of the country were in safe hands.
“Once
again, I congratulate you on your hard-earned and well-deserved commission in
the army. My special felicitations to the champion company and those cadets who
have earned distinctions for their outstanding performances.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UNGA
agrees to support Pakistan’s reconstruction
Anwar
Iqbal
October
8, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday unanimously adopted a
resolution urging donor nations and institutions to provide full support to
rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Pakistan.
“The
scaling calamities in Pakistan can linger for years. Massive guidance and
support to the government of Pakistan are absolutely essential,” said UN
Secretary General António Guterres, while speaking in favour of the
resolution.
The
resolution, co-sponsored by 159 countries, urges the international community,
“in particular donor countries, international financial institutions and
relevant international organisations, as well as the private sector and civil
society, to extend full support and assistance to Pakistan in its efforts to
mitigate the adverse impacts of the floods and to meet the medium- and
long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction needs”.
In
pictures: Devastating floods affect millions in Pakistan
“Countries,
like Pakistan, which confront such climate-induced disasters, should not be
left to fend for themselves,” said Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram in his
address to the General Assembly. “We must construct global mechanisms that can
enable climate-struck countries to access resources to mitigate the impacts of
the ever more frequent and more intense climate disasters and to recover
quickly from such disasters,” he said.
Recalling
his recent visit to Pakistan, the UN chief said he did not only see the
devastations caused by the floods. “I saw the best of humanity. I saw the
immense generosity and solidarity of neighbours and strangers helping one
another,” he said. “So, people themselves have risked and lost all their
worldly possessions to rescue others.”
The
secretary general recalled that on Oct 4, the UN launched a revised plan for
collecting $816 million to help the flood victims in Pakistan. “I urge donor
countries, international financial institutions, and other relevant
international organisations, along with the private sector and civil society,
to fully support these efforts,” Mr Guterres said.
During
an earlier UNGA debate on the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and
climate-inducted disasters, Pakistan called for an early solution to the debt
distress of nearly 60 developing countries through effective operation of
international agreements and bilateral arrangements.
Pakistan
specifically called for implementing the G-20 Common Framework, which addresses
the problem of unsustainable debts faced by many developing nations.
Recent
reports by various financial institutions acknowledge that about 60 per cent of
low-income countries are at high risk or already in debt distress. The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently published a list of 73 countries
that face debt-related vulnerabilities.
At
Thursday’s debate, Pakistan warned that more than 50 developing countries faced
debt distress, and many may be obliged to default, as climate change continues
to take its heavy toll. Pakistan, speaking for the Group of 77 (developing
countries) and China, also called for a clear roadmap to overcome the recent
series of “shocks” to the world economy.
“The
unequal impacts have been accompanied by a deficit in solidarity — as visible
on vaccine availability and the liquidity support — $17 trillion generated in
the richer, less than $100 billion for the developing world,” Ambassador Aamir
Khan, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the General
Assembly Second Committee, which deals with economic and financial matters.
Pakistan
is the current chairman of G-77 and China, which now has 134 members and is the
United Nations’ biggest intergovernmental group of emerging countries.
As
a consequence, Ambassador Khan said, poverty has enlarged — over 100 million
pushed back into extreme poverty, with the developing countries now facing the
triple challenge of meeting their needs for food, fuel and finance.
The
resolution adopted on Friday recognised that “enhanced access to international
climate finance is important to support mitigation and adaptation efforts in
developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the
adverse effects of climate change”.
It
emphasised the need for the international community to maintain its focus
beyond the present emergency relief, in order to sustain the political will to
support the medium- and long-term rehabilitation, reconstruction and risk
reduction efforts as well as the adaptation plan led by Pakistan.
It
welcomed the proposed convening of a pledging conference to generate assistance
and commitments for the long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction phases in
the disaster-stricken areas, to be held at the earliest opportunity, and called
upon all UN member states to participate at the highest level.
The
resolution requested the secretary general and the entities of the United
Nations system to continue to support Pakistan in the preparation of a
climate-resilient reconstruction plan.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1714048/unga-agrees-to-support-pakistans-reconstruction
--------
Peshawar
police book 13 teacher leaders for rioting, unlawful gathering
October
8, 2022
PESHAWAR:
Teachers of the government’s primary schools from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
protested here on Friday for the second consecutive day with the police
arresting more than 100 protesters and booking their 13 leaders for rioting,
attempt to murder, and other offences.
On
Thursday, the police had baton-charged hundreds of protesting primary
schoolteachers and fired teargas on them after the latter blocked the Khyber
Road near the provincial assembly’s building to demand upgradation of their
posts, restoration of allowances, and promotion.
The
All Primary Teachers Association (APTA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had announced the
closure of all primary schools in the province to protest the baton-charge and
teargas shelling by the police against protesting teachers. It had also said a
protest would be staged outside the provincial assembly’s building.
On
Friday, the police deployed scores of personnel in the nearby schools,
including Higher Secondary Schools No 1, where the protesting teachers usually
gather before marching on the Khyber Road.
Schoolteachers
continue protest for upgradation of posts, promotion
In
the afternoon, schoolteachers staged a sit-in at the Jinnah Park near the
assembly’s building. The sit-in continued until night.
Talking
to reporters, APTA president Azizullah Khan said the teachers held talks with
the government’s representatives, who promised the early resolution of their
issues.
He,
however, said the government’s members asked protesters to end the sit-in.
“We’d
reservations as the government’s commitments were verbal and not written,” he
said.
Mr
Azizullah said the authorities were reluctant to sign an agreement with
teachers on the latter’s demands.
“After
discussion with our district presidents, we [association] have decided to
continue with the Jinnah Park sit-in,” he said.
The
APTA leader said no progress was seen on the demand of the release of teachers.
The
East Cantonment police station registered an FIR against 13 protesters,
including Azizullah, Syed Miraj Ali, Bacha Mahmood, Khalid Kamal, Shafiq Ahmed
Khan, Qazi Habibullah, Ali Rehman, Kamran Khurram, Rafaqatullah, Attiqur Rehman
Mughal and Umer Sher Khan for allegedly leading hundreds of protesting teachers
to block the Khyber Road and shout slogans against the government.
The
FIR said the protesters refused to talk to the authorities and pelted police
with stones and opened fire which forced the police personnel to use teargas
and baton- charge them. It added that eight police officials, including the SSP
(operations), suffered injuries after the stones thrown by protesters hit him.
The
FIR registered under sections 324, 353, 341, 148, 149, 186 and 187 of the
Pakistan Penal Code for assault or criminal force to deter public servants from
discharge of their duty, attempt to murder, wrongful restraint, rioting,
unlawful assembly, obstruction of public servants in discharge of duties, and
mischief.
An
official at the East Cantonment police station toldDawnthat 116 teachers were
taken into custody after they clashed with the police.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Four
individuals want me assassinated, alleges former Pakistan PM Imran Khan
OCTOBER
08, 2022
Imran
Khan announced that a video containing names of the ‘conspirators’ will be
released if anything happened to him
Former
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday alleged that four individuals were
conspiring to assassinate him on charges of blasphemy, warning that the names
of these schemers will be revealed to the nation if anything untoward happens
to him.
Addressing
a rally in Mianwali in Pakistan’s Punjab province, Mr. Khan, the chairman of
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
leaders were accusing him of committing blasphemy in a bid to incite religious
hatred against him.
“What
was the game behind this [allegation]… four individuals sitting behind closed
doors decided to get me killed over blasphemy allegations,” Mr. Khan alleged.
He
announced that a video containing names of the ‘conspirators’ will be released
if anything happened to him.
“If
I get killed then they will say a religious fanatic killed him [Imran] because
he had committed blasphemy,” he said.
“The
nation will not forgive these conspirators,” he warned.
This
is not the first instance that Mr. Khan has claimed that his life is in peril.
Over
250 personnel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Frontier
Constabulary and Pakistan Rangers are deployed to ensure Mr. Khan’s security,
Islamabad IG Akbar Nasir Khan had said in September.
Mr.
Khan’s latest revelations come when a third alleged audio of Mr. Khan surfaced
on Friday, featuring him trying to buy the loyalties of lawmakers and also
justifying his action before he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in
Parliament in April.
The
two other audio clips, leaked last month, have three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) leaders talking about the American cypher with Mr. Khan, the party
chairman.
The
former premier asked his party workers to prepare for the Azadi March, adding
that his planning for the protest was well-thought.
Source:
The Hindu
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
India
Muslim
organisations plan marches, agitations in TN against ‘misuse’ of UAPA
8th
October 2022
Chennai:
Shocked by the early morning swoop by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)
and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 22 against the radical
Islamist outfit Popular Front of India and foisting of Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act (UAPA) against its leaders, many Muslim outfits are planning a
regrouping and protests across the state.
The
Mainathaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) of Jawaharullah MLA conducted protest marches
at Chennai and Madurai against the UAPA “misuse” by the Central government and
said that the act has no place in a democratic country.
The
Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the Popular Front
of India which is not banned, is also planning demonstrations across the state.
The Islamist organisations are also planning seminars and discussions
throughout Tamil Nadu under the guise of Human rights organisations, a trick
they have employed in Kerala after the ban on the Student Islamic Movement of
India (SIMI).
In
Coimbatore, a few days ago an Islamic NGO was formed, Islamic Federation of
Tamil Nadu with members drawn from the SDPI, Islamic Law Research Council, and
a few other organisations.
The
office bearers of the organisation informed media persons that the NGO was
formed to work for the socio-economic development of the Muslim community in
Coimbatore. Coimbatore had witnessed major communal clashes between Islamist
organisations and Hindu movements and the February 1998 serial bomb blasts took
place in Coimbatore. The bomb blasts were aimed at the then Deputy Prime
Minister of the country, L.K. Advani. While Advani escaped unhurt, 58 people
were killed and more than 200 grievously injured in the blasts.
Sources
in the central agencies told IANS that such organisations would erupt in many
parts of Tamil Nadu in the days to come and would conduct media seminars,
discussions on human rights violations, and other activities which SIMI used to
conduct earlier.
The
protest march conducted by the Manithaneeya Makkal Katchi (MMK), the CPI, CPI-M
and the VCK participated giving it a semblance of respect.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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--------
Court
Asks Gyanvapi Mosque Management To File Reply On Plea For Carbon-Dating Of
Structure Found Inside Shrine
07
OCT 2022
A
court here asked the Gyanvapi mosque management on Friday to file its reply to
a petitioners' plea for carbon-dating of a structure, claimed to be a
"Shivling", inside the complex on the next date of hearing on October
11.
The
petitioners contended that the "Shivling" found in the
"wazookhana" reservoir of the mosque during survey work on May 16 was
part of the case property. The
petitioners in the case involving the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri dispute put
forward their arguments in favour of carbon-dating of the structure, according
to district government advocate Mahendra Pandey.
The
petitioners' lawyer, Vishnu Shankar Jain, told reporters that the court wanted
to know if the "Shivling" was a part of the case property and whether
it could appoint a commission for the purpose of carbon-dating and a scientific
investigation of the structure.
"We
had raised two points. Firstly we had demanded the right to worship 'pratyaksh'
(visible) and 'apratyaksh' (invisible) god. The Shivling, which was under the
water in the wazookhana, became 'pratyaksh devta' from 'apratyaksh devta' after
the water was removed. Hence, that is a part of the suit.
"Secondly,
we sought the attention of the court towards Order 26 Rule 10 of the Civil
Procedure Code (CPC) under which the court can appoint a commission for
scientific investigation," he said.
The
petitioners also told the court that the mosque management has said on an
affidavit that the structure is a fountain and it wants it to be ascertained
whether it is a fountain or a "Shivling", Jain said. "The best
method is that it should be examined by the Archaeological Survey of India, for
which the court can appoint a commission," he added.
The
court has fixed October 11 as the next date of hearing in the matter and asked
the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee to file its reply. Another lawyer
representing the petitioners, Hari Shankar Jain, said some people are trying to
spread rumours that carbon-dating will damage the "Shivling".
Source:
Outlook India
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--------
Human
rights must be respected: India after skipping Xinjiang vote
Oct
8, 2022
NEW
DELHI: A day after it abstained from voting on a UNHRC proposal for a debate on
the abuses reported in Xinjiang, India said the human rights of the people of
the Chinese province should be respected and guaranteed. The government also
expressed hope that the relevant party will address the situation “objectively
and properly”.
This
is the first time India has publicly spoken about the need to ensure that the
rights of China’s Uighur population are not violated. The remarks are intended
to forestall any possible criticism by western countries that India had been
soft on China by abstaining. India was among the 11 countries that abstained
from voting on the proposal. It, however, had the option of voting against,
which it did not use.
“India
remains committed to upholding all human rights. India’s vote is in line with
its long held position that country specific resolutions are never helpful.
India favours a dialogue to deal with such issues,” said MEA spokesperson
Arindam Bagchi.
India
had earlier too taken note of the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights) report but refrained from publicly expressing solidarity with the
Uighurs. The China-specific draft resolution was brought at a time India’s ties
with China remain strained because of the ongoing border strife and also
Beijing’s refusal to allow a UN ban on Pakistan-based terrorists.
China
has been facing serious criticism over its treatment of Uighur Muslims in
Xinjiang province. Human rights groups believe China has arbitrarily detained
close to a million Uighurs in camps in the name of combating religious
extremism.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mumbai:
Shiv Sena banking on Marathi-Muslim bloc for bypoll
Oct
7, 2022
MUMBAI:
With the Congress announcing its support for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv
Sena's candidate Rutuja Latke, the Sena is banking on its conventional shakha
network and door-to-door campaign for its straight fight with the BJP for the
Andheri (East) by-election slated for November 3. Sena leaders said that with
the Congress's decision, the party was banking on a combination of Marathi and
Muslim votes to win the seat.
"Instead
of rallies, we are going to get the Latke family, our candidate Rutuja Latke,
wife of deceased legislator Ramesh Latke, and her son for door-to-door
campaigning. Ramesh Latke was hugely popular as he had a personal connection
with voters and there is tremendous sympathy for his wife. We will revive the
network and connections. It will be a more conventional campaign where we will
ensure that our core voters come out to vote," said a senior Sena functionary.
The
Sena functionary said the party will coordinate with Congress leaders like
former minister Suresh Shetty who have represented the constituency in the
past.
Political
observers said Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's appeal to the Muslim community
at Wednesday's Dussehra rally is likely to play a role too. "With Congress
not fielding a candidate, Sena has an edge unless AIMIM or Vanchit Bahujan
Aghadi contest the seat. The BJP may have an uphill task and have to rely on
the firepower of senior leaders. The Marathi-Muslim combine can take Sena
home," said a political observer.
Sena
leader and vibhag pramukh (zonal head) for the area Anil Parab held a meeting
with Sena office-bearers on Thursday and kicked off the campaign.
Latke
died in May this year after a heart attack. Before becoming an MLA, Latke was a
three-time corporator in the BMC. He first became an MLA in 2014 when he
defeated Congress's Shetty. In 2019, he defeated BJP rebel-turned independent
candidate Murji Patel. In the 2019 polls, Congress's Amin Kutty had polled
close to 28,000 votes, while Patel had polled 45,000 votes as an independent.
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Centre
Appoints Commission To Examine Possibility Of SC Status To Dalit Converts: A
Change Of Heart?
07
OCT 2022
Ending
the speculations over the reservations for Dalit converts to Islam and
Christianity the Central Government on Thursday appointed a commission headed
by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan to examine the matter of
giving Scheduled Caste status to the people who despite being historically
belonging to SC communities couldn’t find themselves enlisted due to their
conversion to religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
According
to a gazette notification issued by Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry the
three-member team also includes retired IAS officer Dr Ravinder Kumar Jain and
UGC member Prof Sushma Yadav.
The
commission will examine the matter in line with the Presidential Orders issued
from time to time under article 341 of the Constitution. Under this article the
president has the power to identify ‘race, tribes, castes or other groups’ who
could be considered as SCs.
The
very first order under this provision came in 1950 to include Dalit Hindus
followed by 1956 and 1990 when Dalits of Sikh and Buddhist community had been
accommodated.
The
commission will also look into the implications of such reservation on the
existing scheduled caste communities. To understand whether the discriminations
go on even after the conversions, the panel will examine the changes in
customs, traditions, and the status of social deprivation post-conversion.
The
progress came following a hearing in Supreme Court on August 30 where solicitor
general Tushar Mehta promised to submit the stand of the Government within
three weeks on the possibilities of extending reservations to the Dalit
converts to Islam and Christianity. The top court was hearing a bunch of petitions
that asked for the delinking of caste reservation from the religion.
Commissions
formed by Earlier Governments
There
have been consecutive efforts by different governments to examine the life
conditions of the religious minorities in the country. UPA I Government under
the Prime Ministership of Dr. Manmohan Singh formed two panels – first,
National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, known as Ranganath
Mishra commission after the name of its chairperson and second, a high-level
committee under the former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar.
Sachar
committee found despicable socio-economic condition of the Muslims in the
country and said in some cases the conditions of Muslims are even worse than
Dalits. The reports couldn’t find any formidable improvements among Dalit
converts to Islam as well.
On
the other, Ranganath Mishra Commission recommended 10% reservation for Muslims
and 5% for other minorities in the government jobs. One of the prominent
suggestions of Mishra commission was the delinking of Scheduled Castes from
religion. It recommended the abrogation of 1950 Scheduled Caste order that
excludes ‘Christians, Muslims, Jains and Parsis from the SC net’. However,
citing the inadequate data, the recommendations were not adopted.
In
2008, however, National Commission of Minorities commissioned a study under the
renowned sociologist Satish Deshpande to look into three domains- the economic
situation of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians, a comparison with their Hindu,
Sikh and Buddhist brethren and an examination of their continuation of caste
baggage.
On
several grounds ranging from inter-caste marriage to spatial segregation, this
commission found formidable discrimination against the Dalit converts. However,
these reports also couldn’t lead to any prolific development.
A
Certain Change in BJP’s voice
While
the BJP has always attacked Congress-led Governments with the
Muslim-appeasement jibes, the political observers say it is now BJP’s turn to
prove otherwise for themselves. Politically known as Muslim-baiter, the
far-right organisation historically never supported such steps of extending the
reservation to the Dalit converts to Islam and Christianity.
During
the debates on Ranganath Mishra commission, BJP leader Nitin Gadkari slammed
the then Government for appeasement and called for throwing the reports to the
dustbin. Interestingly, BJP has always been against such reservations to any
religious group that they consider ‘alien’.
Their
ideological forefather V D Savarkar’s idea of conflating of ‘holy land’ and
‘father land’ as determining ground to be ‘Indian’ doesn’t allow Muslims and
Christians to be ‘fully Indians’ despite their centuries of belonging.
However,
the recent softening in the stance of the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat following his
meeting with a few Muslim intellectuals may have encouraged the transition.
Source:
Outlook India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South
Asia
Political
Change Deteriorates Life in Afghanistan Despite Humanitarian Aid
By
Arif Ahmadi
07
Oct 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – The political change after the US troop withdrew last August
pushed the country into a humanitarian and economic crisis, according to new
report by UNDP, deteriorating lives of over 40 million population despite
coordinated aids from international communities.
The
sudden stop of international aid suspended development services and support in
Afghanistan, which constituted 70% of the total expenditure and contributed
nearly 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Last
year, UNDP estimated the GDP could fall by 20% within a year and the ensuing
inflation, lack of liquidity, disruption in the banking sectors, and a
significant fall in aggregate demand could result in almost universal poverty
by mid-2022 – Afghanistan is at this point.
Since
the Taliban marked one year rule in the country, the situation remains
precarious and uncertain and the impact of the multiple crises continue to
reverberate across Afghanistan.
“Two
decades of heavy dependence on international aid and imports, a lack of
industrialization and competitiveness, and limited mobility and connectivity
among regions, among other factors, have hindered Afghanistan’s forward
momentum,” the report says.
UNDP
analysis forecast that restricting women from working can result in an economic
loss of up to US$1 billion – or up to five percent of the country’s GDP.
“The
rights of women and girls are critical for the future of Afghanistan,” said
UNDP Asia-Pacific Director Kanni Wignaraja. “It starts with education and
continues with equal opportunity when it comes to employment and pay.”
UNDP
has launched, as part of the overall UN response to the crisis in Afghanistan,
an area-based approach to development emergency initiatives, known as ABADEI.
This means working directly with Afghans in need at the community level through
cash-for-work projects, local market stimulation, and livelihood schemes to
improve food security.
UNDP
will also support a series of programmes that facilitate the rebound of private
sector and financial services, technical and vocational education, solar power
generation, and health systems management and service delivery.
“We
are grateful for the $300 million in funding provided for our work on
livelihoods as part of the overall crisis response in Afghanistan, but much
more is needed for economic recovery,” UNDP Resident Representative Abdallah Al
Dardari said.
“Afghans
are running out of time and resources. Afghanistan needs support from the
international community to bring back to life local markets and small
businesses which are the backbone of Afghanistan’s economy,” he added.
Key
findings in the report, “One Year in Review: Afghanistan Since August 2021”:
The
price of a food basket, with the minimum calories to escape food poverty, has
surged 35 percent since August 2021.
Nearly
700,000 jobs were lost by mid-2022.
Among
jobs women have lost in government ministries and entities, more than 14,000 or
82 percent were in the Ministry of Education, following restrictions on girls’
education.
A
shrinking licit economy has increased the share of the illicit economy to 12-18
percent of GDP, from about 9-14 percent a year ago.
A
severe liquidity crisis has affected financial services; the microfinance
sector has nearly collapsed, hitting poor and female borrowers hardest.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/political-change-deteriorates-life-in-afghanistan-despite-humanitarian-aid/
--------
Afghan
heroin worth Rs 1,200 crore seized from Iranian vessel, 6 held
07.10.22
An
Iranian fishing vessel with around 200 kg of heroin worth over Rs 1,200 crore
has been seized in a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and
the Indian Navy, the NCB said on Friday.
Sanjay
Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (operations) of the NCB, who met reporters
here, said the agency has arrested six Iran nationals and the boat, along with
the heroin, was brought to Mattancherry wharf here.
"The
NCB has now seized the vessel and 200 kg of heroin. The six Iranian crew
members have also been arrested under relevant sections of the NDPS Act,
1985," Singh said, adding that interrogation was on.
He
said the drug was found in 200 packets each of which has markings and packing
specialties unique to Afghanistan- and Pakistan-based drug cartels.
"While
some of the drug packets had 'Scorpion' seal markings, the others had 'dragon'
seal markings. The drug was also packed in a waterproof seven-layered packing.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the seized drug was sourced from
Afghanistan and was transported to Pakistan. This consignment was then loaded
into the now-seized vessel off Pakistan coast in a mid-sea exchange," NCB
said.
The
agency said the vessel then set sail to Indian waters for further delivery of
the consignment to a Sri Lankan vessel.
It
said efforts were made to identify and intercept this Sri Lankan vessel but it
couldn't be traced.
Singh
said the accused tried to escape by jumping into the sea and also tried to dump
the consignment into the waters.
The
NCB said trafficking Afghan heroin into India through Arabian Sea and Indian
Ocean into India has exponentially increased over the last few years.
"The
southern route for trafficking of heroin from Afghanistan i.e. from Afghanistan
to Makran coast of Iran and Pakistan and then onwards to various countries in
the Indian Ocean Region including India has gained prominence over the last few
years," Singh said.
Source:
Telegraph India
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--------
Afghanistan
needs dams on Kabul river for better water management: Report
Oct
7, 2022
KABUL:
Water is one of the main wheels for developing Afghanistan's economy and
bringing the nation out of poverty.
Its
free flow must be managed through a proper water management system and approach
that can be done by building dams on River Kabul, reported The Khaama Press.
The
Kabul River rises in the Hindu Kush mountains and receives substantial flows
from several rivers which measures 700 kilometres long, it flows 460 kilometres
inside Afghanistan and 240 kilometres in Pakistan.
The
river passes through Kabul and is augmented with the Logar river in Shina, the
Panjshir river magnifies it in Sorobi, and then it joins Alingar and Kunar
rivers in Jalalabad. In Pakistan, it flows through Peshawar, Charsada, and
Nowshera cities which finally drain into the Sindh river in Punjab's Attock
district.
Afghanistan
has abundant water resources. 80 per cent of such resources come from surface
water that flows from snowfields and glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Himalayan
mountains.
Afghanistan
as an agro-economic oriented country can reach self-sufficiency in food
security by managing and utilizing these water resources which flow to its
neighbouring countries for free, reported Khaama Press.
Despite
ample water resources, Afghanistan has been categorized among the high-risk
country in the Water Stress Index which shows that the country is incapable to
consume its annual water supplies generated from precipitation, rivers, and
groundwater.
In
fact, the construction of Dams along the rivers is one of the sustainable
approaches to water management in the country, reported Khaama Press.
Years
of internal conflicts in the country wasted the opportunity to draw a water
management system in Afghanistan in which almost 12 billion cubic meters of the
Kabul river flow into Pakistan free of cost every year.
Pakistan
benefits from the water flow more than Afghanistan; Pakistan already
constructed a number of barrages, irrigation canals, and other infrastructure
on its section of the Kabul River. Warsak Dam is a clear example in the
Peshawar valley, 20 kms on the northwest of the city, reported Khaama Press.
The
international charges for every cubic meter of water start from 0.5 cents to 2
dollars, if we take 1 dollar as an average price, Afghanistan's water which is
worth around 12 billion dollars, irrigates Pakistan's agricultural land
annually without receiving anything in return.
On
the other hand, four-fifths of Afghanistan's population of 38 million depend on
farming and horticulture. The recent drought and climate changes have badly
damaged the sector, reducing the cultivated area from 10.8 million acres in
1978 to 4.6 million acres in 2002 with further reduction in the recent decade,
reported Khaama Press.
More
importantly, around six million residents of Kabul and Jalalabad depend on the
Kabul river for all their water needs. Indeed, such water can be used for
hydropower plants to produce energy as well.
Afghanistan
suffers from a severe shortage of electricity which imports 80 per cent of its
electricity from its neighbours.
Constructing
barrages on the Kabul River is associated with many supremacies, it stores
water when precipitation is at its peak, suppresses flood, waters agriculture,
and produces competitive, and clean energy reported Khaama Press.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Idol
destroyed at colonial-era Hindu temple in Bangladesh
7th
October 2022
Dhaka:
Unidentified persons destroyed the idol of a deity at a colonial-era Hindu
temple in western Bangladesh, prompting police to launch a massive manhunt,
officials said on Friday.
Authorities
of the Kali temple in Dautiya village in Bangladesh’s Jhenaidah district found
the idol smashed into pieces on Friday and dumped the idol’s head on a road
half a kilometre from the temple’s premises, news portal bdnews24.com quoted
Sukumar Kunda, president of the temple committee as saying.
The
Kali temple was a place of worship for the Hindus since the colonial era, Kunda
said.
The
incident comes to the fore a little more than 24 hours after the 10-day annual
Durga Puja festivities in Bangladesh came to an end with the immersion of idols
on the auspicious Vijayadashami’ at various river ghats across the country.
The
incident took place at night at the temple in Jhenaidah, general secretary of
Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council Chandanath Poddar told PTI.
Poddar,
a mathematics professor of premier Dhaka University, however called it an
isolated but unfortunate incident since the ten-day festival was held across
the country without any disruption.
A
case has been lodged and an investigation and manhunts for the suspects are
underway, Jhenaidah police assistant superintendent Amit Kumar Burman said.
Barring
this incident, Durga Puja festivities were celebrated peacefully across
Bangladesh this year.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/idol-destroyed-at-colonial-era-hindu-temple-in-bangladesh-2429581/
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Afghan
musician wins Aga Khan award for music 2022
07
Oct 2022
The
winners of Aga Khan music award 2022 was announced in Switzerland on Wednesday,
featuring all 10 laureates with diverse identities and backgrounds including
one from Afghanistan.
According
to a press release published by the Aga Khan Development Network, the awardees
receive $5,000 cash prize plus professional development opportunities including
commissions for creation of new works, contracts for recordings and artist
management, support for pilot education initiatives, and technical or curatorial
consultancies for music archiving, preservation and dissemination projects.
Daud
Khan Sadozai, an Afghan musician who plays Rubab, a popular musical instrument
is among the laureates of the 2022 Aga Khan music award.
Daud
Khan entered into the music world when he was only 17 and was following Ustad
Mohammad Omar, the “Sultan of Rubab” of Afghanistan.
According
to his biography, after the death of his teacher, Daud Khan Sadozai emigrated
to Germany, where he studied engineering. Later he travelled to India to study
the sarod, an adaptation of the Afghan rubab, with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. He
presently lives in Cologne, Germany, and though he has never returned to
Afghanistan, his impact on the preservation, development, and dissemination of
Afghan music worldwide has been pronounced and sustained. He has trained many
young musicians of both Afghan and non-Afghan origin in the unique Kabuli style
of Hindustani raga performed on the Afghan rubab as well as in instrumental
music from Afghanistan’s regional folk traditions. Along with frequent
appearances as a solo concert artist, he regularly participates in workshops
and masterclasses devoted to intercultural music-making, where he is known as
an inspiring and generous teacher.
The
awardees names and short biographies are as following:
Zakir
Hussain (India)
Special
prize for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of his highly visible model of
enlightened cross-cultural musicianship that has elevated the status of the
tabla both in India and around the world through countless artistic
collaborations, concert tours, commissions, recordings and film scores.
Afel
Bocoum (Mali)
Singer
and guitar player from Niafunké, Mali whose music combines acoustic guitar with
local instruments to echo the sound of “desert blues” in an earthier,
tradition-based style.
Asin
Khan Langa (India)
Sarangi
player, singer, composer and community activist from Rajasthan’s hereditary
Langa musical community, who performs Sufi poetry set to traditional and newly
composed melodies.
Coumbane
Mint Ely Warakane (Mauritania)
Singer
and ardin (harp) player from Trarza, in southwest Mauritania, who performs the
music of Mauritanian griots in a deeply traditional style.
Daud
Khan Sadozai (Afghanistan)
Leading
exponent of the Afghan rubab who has had a major impact on the preservation,
development and dissemination of Afghan music worldwide.
Peni
Candra Rini (Indonesia)
Indonesian
composer, improviser, vocalist and educator whose knowledge of traditional
Indonesian performing arts informs her creation of new works produced
worldwide.
Soumik
Datta (UK)
Sarod
player who fuses his training in Hindustani classical music with pop, rock,
electronica and film soundtracks to raise awareness about urgent social issues
including climate change, refugees and mental health.
Yahya
Hussein Abdallah (Tanzania)
Singer
and composer of devotional songs and reciter of the Qur’an from Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania who composes and sings in Swahili as well as some of Tanzania’s 126
local languages.
Yasamin
Shahhosseini (Iran)
Leading
young master of the oud who is reimagining the place of this instrument in
Iranian music through her innovative compositions and improvisations.
Zarsanga
(Pakistan)
Singer
from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, known as the Queen of Pashtun Folklore for
her career-long devotion to the orally transmitted traditional music of tribal
Pashtuns.
According
to the AKDN press release, the triennial Awards, established by His Highness
the Aga Khan in 2018, recognise exceptional creativity, promise and enterprise
in music in societies across the world in which Muslims have a significant
presence.
The
Aga Khan Music Awards reflect the conviction of His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th
hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, that music can serve as a cultural
anchor, deepening a sense of community, identity and heritage, while
simultaneously reaching out in powerful ways to people of different
backgrounds.
This
comes as performance of any sort of music and playing musician instruments are
prohibited in Afghanistan since the take over of the country by the Taliban
last year. According to the latest reports from Afghanistan, musical
instruments were broken and put on fire and the majority of musicians have left
the country in the last 14 months of Taliban’s governance.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-musician-wins-aga-khan-award-for-music-2022/
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Africa
Kenyan
leader, US special envoy hold talks amid Tigray peace push
Andrew
Wasike
07.10.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Regional
security was the main point of focus as Kenya’s president met the top American
diplomat for the Horn of Africa on Friday.
Talks
between President William Ruto and Mike Hammer, the US special envoy for the
Horn of Africa, in the capital Nairobi were held in the backdrop of the Tigray
conflict in neighboring Ethiopia.
Ruto
said in a statement that the American diplomat reiterated the US’ commitment to
efforts for peace and security, particularly in Ethiopia and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
He
also “thanked Kenya for its continued pivotal role in anchoring stability in
the region,” the statement said.
Ruto
emphasized the need for peace and stability for regional prosperity, while
conveying Kenya’s appreciation for US efforts in the Horn of Africa, it added.
Hammer’s
visit to Kenya comes amid renewed hope for peace talks between the Ethiopian
government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Both
sides expressed willingness this week to take part in peace talks in South
Africa that will be mediated by the African Union.
The
Tigray conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions more since November
2020.
There
has been intense fighting after a months-long truce was shattered in late
August, with reports of mass casualties and other rights violations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Union welcomes commitment of Tigrayan, Ethiopian forces to peace talks
Andrew
Wasike
07.10.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
African
Union (AU) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomed Thursday a commitment by
the government of Ethiopia and Tigray rebels to hold peace talks on the
Ethiopian conflict.
The
government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) both agreed on
Wednesday to an invitation to peace talks in South Africa by the African Union
for the restoration of peace and stability in Ethiopia.
Mahamat
noted that the peace talks will be conducted through a high-level panel of
eminent Africans established purposefully for the Ethiopian peace process.
“The
panel is led by H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, AU High Representative for the Horn of
Africa and former President of Nigeria, along with H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, former
President of Kenya, and H.E. Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy
President of South Africa and member of the AU Panel of the Wise,” the AU
statement noted, adding the talks aim at bringing lasting peace in Ethiopia.
After
close to two years of war between the rival forces, Ethiopian Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed through his national security adviser Redwan Hussein agreed to the
AU-led peace talks.
Ethiopia
noted that the invitation to the peace talks is in line with the county’s
principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflicts.
In
a letter to the AU chairperson, TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda said the
government of Tigray is ready to participate in the proposed peace talks in
South Africa, asserting its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the current
conflict.
Thousands
of people have been killed in Ethiopia as government forces have been fighting
Tigrayan rebels since November 2020.
The
conflict has also impacted other areas of the country, forcing at least 2
million people from their homes and leaving multitudes of civilians without
access to critical humanitarian assistance and facing acute food insecurity.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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North
America
US
pushing ahead with diplomatic efforts to resolve Lebanon-Israel border dispute
07 October,
2022
US
officials believe reaching a maritime border deal between Lebanon and Israel is
within reach despite reports that negotiations could come to a sudden halt over
last-minute demands.
The
yearslong dispute between the two neighboring countries has been a focus of the
Biden administration in recent months as it tries to push a deal over the
finish line.
Waters
claimed by both sides have potential natural gas reserves. Israel currently
pumps gas from offshore fields, while Lebanon has not found commercial gas
reserves after one round of drilling north of the capital Beirut.
However,
reports out of Israel on Thursday suggested that the Israeli government
completely rejected Lebanon’s requested amendments to the US-circulated draft
agreement.
Israeli
officials struck a pessimistic tone after Beirut reportedly wanted to alter the
formal recognition of buoys placed at sea by Israel years ago. Lebanese
officials have voiced concerns that accepting this would impact the land border
between the two countries, which is currently separated by a UN-demarcated Blue
Line.
This
threatened to torpedo the diplomatic efforts of Washington, which have been
spearheaded by Amos Hochstein, special presidential coordinator for Joe Biden.
Biden
administration officials have repeatedly stated that resolving the dispute was
a key priority and could bring about increased stability and economic security
in the region.
Officials
said that the White House is equally as interested as the State Department and
other US agencies in finalizing a deal.
Asked
about the negative reports on Thursday, the State Department said Hochstein
would continue his “robust engagement” with both sides to bring the talks to a
close.
“We
are at a critical stage in these negotiations, and the gaps have certainly
narrowed, and we remain committed to reaching a solution, and we believe a
lasting compromise is possible,” State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel
told reporters.
White
House officials also said that US diplomatic efforts would continue to move
forward, signaling the seriousness of how important a deal is for the
administration.
Iran-backed
Hezbollah has vowed to prevent Israel from benefiting from the Karish gas rig
if Lebanon cannot begin exploration in the waters it secures in a potential
deal.
On
Thursday, Israeli officials hit back and said the rig would be activated when
it becomes possible, playing down Hezbollah’s threats.
But
two key developments could impact the fate of the negotiations, which is
another reason the US hopes to conclude a deal soon.
The
term of Lebanon’s president ends at the end of the month, and all signs point
to another presidential vacuum in a country that is already on the verge of an
all-out socio-economic collapse.
And
an increase in political mudslinging has been witnessed in Israel ahead of the
Nov. 1 elections. Political opponents of Yair Lapid’s government, specifically
Benjamin Netanyahu, have criticized a potential maritime border deal as
benefitting Hezbollah.
“Both
parties remain incentivized to get the deal done, but electoral timetables in
both Israel and Lebanon are making concession-making by either side on
outstanding points of disagreement challenging,” said Randa Slim, a program
director at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.
Years
of US diplomacy
At
least three different US envoys, including Hochstein, have spent significant
time trying to help resolve the maritime border dispute.
In
2012, Frederic Hof, most notably, proposed dividing the disputed waters along
what became the “Hof Line.”
This
would have seen Lebanon take 500 sq. km. out of the 842 sq. km.
Hochstein
tried to mediate while the State Department’s special envoy for international
energy affairs from 2014-2017.
US
diplomats David Satterfield and David Hale also shuttled between the Lebanese
and Israeli capitals, hoping to bring the sides closer to agreeing on a
framework for future discussions.
Under
the Trump administration, then-top State Department official for the Middle
East, David Schenker, was able to get Lebanese and Israeli officials in the
same room for indirect talks.
After
a few rounds of talks at the end of 2020, the US stopped the discussions when
Lebanon suddenly demanded an extra 1,430 square kilometers (550 sq. miles).
Israel proceeded to put forth maximalist demands as well.
In
came the Biden administration, which dispatched Hochstein last year to resume
the stalled talks.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
lawmakers fume at Saudi Arabia for OPEC+ move to cut oil output
Servet
Günerigök
07.10.2022
WASHINGTON
The
decision by OPEC+ to reduce oil production this week has angered several US
lawmakers, with some calling for halting Washington’s alliance with Saudi
Arabia.
OPEC+
agreed Wednesday to cut production by 2 million barrels per day from the August
2022 required production levels, starting in November. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi
threw their weight behind the decision.
The
decision is a "clear" sign that the bloc is siding with Russia amid a
growing power rivalry with the West, the White House said Wednesday.
American
lawmakers had a strong reaction to the move, with mostly Democrats making their
views known.
Senator
Chris Murphy of Connecticut said there must be a reevaluation of the alliance
between the US and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"I
think it is a mistake on their part. And I think it’s time for a wholesale
re-evaluation of the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia," the Democrat
senator told CNBC.
Democratic
congressman Ro Khanna from California urged the White House to retaliate
against Saudi Arabia in response to the "outrageous" move.
"This
is beyond the pale," Khanna told CNN. saying the Saudis "are actively
fleecing the American people and destabilizing the economy. That’s just
outrageous. Who do they think they are?"
"The
Saudis need to be dealt with harshly. They are a third-rate power," he
said.
Senator
Dick Durbin of Illinois called for "a world without" a
Saudi-Washington alliance.
"From
unanswered questions about 9/11 & the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, to
conspiring w/ Putin to punish the US w/ higher oil prices, the royal Saudi
family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation. It’s time for our
foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance," the Democrat
senator wrote on Twitter.
Senator
Bernie Sanders said OPEC's decision to cut production is "a blatant
attempt to increase gas prices at the pump that cannot stand."
"We
must end OPEC's illegal price-fixing cartel, eliminate military assistance to
Saudi Arabia, and move aggressively to renewable energy," said the
two-time Democratic presidential candidate from the state of Vermont.
Tennessee
Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn said combined OPEC countries are one of
the largest holders of US debt, adding that "we have no leverage, and yet
Biden is begging them for oil."
"Turn
off the spending spigot and open our oil and gas spigots to become energy
independent again," she said.
Senator
Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, called for consequences for
Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of siding with Russia.
"Saudis
siding with Russia—a deeply offensive blunder. Unconscionable at this moment in
world history. There must be consequences," he wrote on Twitter.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sanders
calls for US troop withdrawal from Saudi Arabia, end of selling weapons
08
October 2022
Independent
US Senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has
called for the withdrawal of American troops from Saudi Arabia and an end to
military aid to the conservative kingdom for lowering oil production.
“If
Saudi Arabia, one of the worst violators of human rights in the world, wants to
partner with Russia to jack up US gas prices, it can get Putin to defend its
monarchy,” the Vermont senator tweeted Friday after the OPEC+ bloc announced a
cut in daily oil production.
“We
must pull all US troops out of Saudi Arabia, stop selling them weapons &
end its price-fixing oil cartel,” he added.
In
August, the United States approved massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates worth more than $5 billion, amid criticism of their
ongoing military aggression in Yemen which has inflicted heavy civilian
casualties.
The
State Department said Saudi Arabia would buy 300 Patriot MIM-104E missile
systems and related equipment for an estimated $3.05 billion. The missile
systems can be used to shoot down long-range incoming ballistic and cruise
missiles, as well as fighter jets.
Separately,
the United States will sell Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System
Missiles and related equipment to the UAE for $2.25 billion.
Saudi
Arabia and other members of OPEC-PLUS, which groups up the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers including Russia, announced
this week it would cut oil production to prop up falling prices.
"Saudi
Arabia's crown prince ordered the murder of a Washington Post columnist with a
bone saw. Its disastrous war in Yemen has led to the deaths of 377,000 people
and a humanitarian crisis. It’s now siding with Russia to damage our economy.
Our support for Saudi Arabia must end," Sanders tweeted on Friday.
Sanders
also expressed similar feelings on Wednesday when he said the US “must end
OPEC’s illegal price-fixing cartel, eliminate military assistance to Saudi
Arabia, and move aggressively to renewable energy.”
The
No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2021, or the NOPEC bill prohibits
a foreign state from engaging in collective action impacting the market.
The
NOPEC bill allows the US Attorney General to sue companies such as Saudi Aramco
in federal court.
In
a related move, a group of lawmakers has introduced a new bill that aims to end
the US' military support to Saudi Arabia.
House
Representatives Tom Malinowski, Sean Casten and Susan Wild launched the motion
on Wednesday.
“We
see no reason why American troops and contractors should continue to provide
this service to countries that are actively working against us,” they said.
Several
congressional Democrats have had similar remarks on the announcement, which is
poised to counter sanctions on Russian oil and potentially drive up gas prices
ahead of the midterm US elections.
US
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer rebuked Saudi Arabia. The senior
Democratic senator from New York threatened Saudi Arabia, saying Riyadh will
pay the price for what he called its “deeply cynical action” of supporting a 2
million-barrel cut in oil supplies, which will put more pressure on the
American economy.
“What
Saudi Arabia did to help Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war
against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans. We are looking at all the
legislative tools to best deal with this appalling and deeply cynical action,
including the NOPEC bill,” Schumer tweeted on Friday.
Legislation
introduced in the House by Representatives Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Tom Malinowski
(D-N.J.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.) would remove American troops and military
hardware from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The
number two Democrat in the Senate, Senator Dick Durbin, also demanded the
passage of the legislation this week, and voiced support for a broader
reevaluation of the Washington-Riyadh relationship, specifically seeking
“unanswered questions” about the role of the Saudi state in the 9/11 attacks.
“The
Saudi royal family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation,” Durbin
said Thursday. “It’s time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without
this alliance with these royal backstabbers.”
Families
of victims of the attacks have for years pushed the US government to declassify
and make public more information about 9/11, which was a series of strikes that
killed nearly 3,000 people and caused about $10 billion worth of property and
infrastructure damage in the United States.
US
officials assert that the attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists but
many experts and independent researchers have raised questions about the
official account.
They
believe that rogue elements within the US government, such as former Vice
President Dick Cheney, orchestrated or at least encouraged the 9/11 attacks in
order to accelerate the US war machine and advance the Zionist agenda.
Certain
documents related to the FBI's investigation of 9/11 reportedly contain
evidence of Saudi involvement in the strikes.
Successive
US administrations have refused to release the classified documents because
they reportedly could expose a potential link between Saudi Arabia and the 9/11
attacks. Fifteen out of 19 alleged 9/11 attackers were Saudi nationals.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Qatar,
Indonesia, UAE, Pakistan vote against UN debate on China's oppression of
Uyghurs
Oct
07, 2022
The
West-led motion to hold a debate about alleged human rights abuses by China
against Uyghurs and other Muslims in the Xinjiang province in UN rights council
was rejected by vote on Thursday with Muslim majority nations like Qatar,
Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan casting votes against the
motion and pre-empting the discussion.
The
defeat saw 19 votes polled against, 17 for and 11 abstentions in the voting.
The United States, Canada and Britain were among the countries that had brought
the motion.
India
was one of the countries which abstained from vote, besides Brazil, Mexico, and
Ukraine.
This
was only the second instance of a motion being rejected in the council's
16-year history. Experts are looking at it as a setback to both accountability
efforts, the West's moral authority on human rights and the credibility of the
United Nations itself.
Also
Read | China invites Turkey to visit Xinjiang, the ground zero of Uyghur
Muslims genocide
"This
is a disaster. This is really disappointing," said Dolkun Isa, president
of the World Uyghur Congress, whose mother died in a camp and whose two
brothers are missing.
"We
will never give up but we are really disappointed by the reaction of Muslim
countries," he added.
Qatar,
Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan were among those who rejected
the motion. Pakistan said the vote risked alienating China. Phil Lynch,
director of the International Service for Human Rights, called the voting
record "shameful" on Twitter.
China's
foreign ministry issued a statement late Thursday, saying,
"Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but issues of
counter-terrorism, de-radicalisation and anti-separatism."
The
post further said that the motion was an attempt by the United States and some
Western countries to "use the UN human rights body to interfere in China's
internal affairs".
China's
envoy had warned before the vote that the motion would create a precedent for
examining other countries' human rights records.
"Today
China is targeted. Tomorrow any other developing country will be
targeted," said Chen Xu, adding that a debate would lead to "new
confrontations".
The
UN rights office had released a long-delayed report on August 31 that found
serious human rights violations in Xinjiang that may constitute crimes against
humanity.
Source:
WIO News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Car
explosion in northern Iraq kills one, injures four others
07
October, 2022
One
person was killed and four others, two women and two children, were injured
when a bomb exploded Friday in the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan
region, counter-terrorism forces said.
“An
explosive device planted in a car detonated, leading to the death of the driver
and the injury of... two women and two children,” a statement said, without
elaborating on the victims’ identities or a motive for the attack.
The
driver who was killed was an officer in the Kurdish counter-terrorism services
in the city of Sulaimaniyah, southeast of the Kurdish capital Irbil, a security
official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The
Kurdistan region in northern Iraq has long been viewed as a haven of stability
in the war-ravaged country, but it has not been completely spared from attacks
and strikes from neighboring states.
The
autonomous region is home to several international NGOs and has developed its
infrastructure and projects at a faster pace than the rest of Iraq.
But
it has often been caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical conflict among
neighboring countries, having recently been the target of strikes by both Iran
and Turkey.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Banks
in Lebanon close again as citizens’ resort to holdups
Idiris
Okuduci
07.10.2022
BEIRUT
Banks
in Lebanon were closed on Friday amid a rising number of holdups by people
desperate to withdraw money from accounts frozen due to the country’s crippling
financial crisis.
There
has been a series of incidents at banks across Lebanon, including some where
armed customers took people hostage at branches.
Banks
were also closed for more than a week last month.
Since
they reopened on Sept. 26, several incidents have taken place in various parts
of the country.
On
Wednesday, Lebanese lawmaker Cynthia Zarazir staged a protest at a private bank
in Beirut to demand a portion of her frozen funds to pay for surgery.
Due
to the rising insecurity, bank operations will be suspended throughout the
country for one day, the Association of Banks in Lebanon said.
Since
2019, Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic crisis that, according
to the World Bank, is one of the worst globally since the mid-19th century.
More
than half of the population has been pushed below the poverty line as the
Lebanese pound has lost more than 95% of its value, while unemployment is
soaring and inflation rates remain in triple digits.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
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US
military tankers smuggle crude oil from Syria’s Hasakah to bases in Iraq:
Report
08
October 2022
The
US military has reportedly used dozens of tanker trucks to smuggle crude oil
from Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah to bases in neighboring Iraq,
where American forces and trainers are stationed, as Washington continues to
loot energy resources in the war-ravaged country.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA, citing local sources in al-Ya'rubiyah town, reported
that a convoy of 50 tankers, laden with oil from the energy-rich Jazira region,
left Syria through the illegal Mahmoudiya border crossing on Friday, and headed
towards Iraqi territories.
SANA
noted that US forces have intensified their theft of Syrian crude oil over the
past few weeks with the help of US-sponsored and Kurdish-led militants
affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The
development came a week after the US military smuggled a consignment of stolen
Syrian oil into northern Iraqi regions.
SANA
reported that American occupation forces, under the protection of armored
vehicles, used 14 tankers to plunder the natural resources of the Arab country
through the illegal al-Waleed border crossing.
It
added that 85 US military tankers had smuggled thousands of liters of Syrian
crude oil into northern Iraq through the illegal Mahmoudiya crossing a day
earlier.
The
US military has for long stationed its forces and equipment in northeastern
Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing
the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.
Damascus,
however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country’s natural
resources. Former US president Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that
American forces were in the Arab country for its oil wealth.
On
September 21, China called on the United States to stop plundering Syria’s national
resources and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Arab
country.
“We
call on the United States to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity, unilaterally lift sanctions, and end the theft of Syria’s national
resources,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news
briefing.
Wang
said, “this is not the first time that the United States military has stolen
oil from Syria and they seem to be becoming more and more uncontrollable.”
Source:
Press TV
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Hamas
delegation to visit Syria later this month to restore relations with Syrian
government
07
October 2022
A
delegation of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement will visit Syria later
this month to restore relations with the Syrian government after more than a
decade of estrangement.
A
senior Hamas official said on Thursday that the visit would take place after
delegates from the Gaza-based group conclude an October 10 trip to Algeria to
discuss reconciliation with the rival Fatah movement, which is chaired by
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
A
second source, a Palestinian official familiar with the matter, confirmed
details of the Syria trip.
The
new comes as the Hamas leadership announced last month that it was restoring
ties with the Damascus government.
In
an official statement condemning repeated Israeli airstrikes against various
areas in Syria at the time, Hamas said they appreciated “the Syrian leadership
and people for supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause.”
“Hamas
confirms that it goes ahead with its decision to restore ties with the Syrian
Arab Republic to serve the interest of the Arab and Muslim Ummah, above all the
Palestinian cause, especially in light of the escalating regional and
international developments concerning the Palestinian cause,” the statement
read.
“We
look forward to the day when Syria restores its leading position in the Arab and
Muslim Ummah. Hamas supports all sincere efforts aimed at restorations of
peace, stability and prosperity in Syria,” it noted.
Relations
between Hamas and the Syrian government were downgraded in 2011 following the
outbreak of foreign-sponsored conflict in the Arab country.
The
Palestinian Hamas resistance movement vacated its headquarters in Damascus the
following year, and moved it to the Qatari capital city of Doha.
Back
in June, Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas political bureau and the deputy
chief in the Gaza Strip, confirmed to the Lebanese al-Akhbar newspaper that a
decision had been taken to “restore the relationship with Damascus” after “an
internal and external discussion” involving leaders, cadres, influencers, “and
even detainees inside Israeli prisons.”
Hayya
said “the circumstances, timing and form were discussed” and “a plan was drawn
up that will be implemented with the help of allies.”
The
senior Hamas official added that “there is a trend towards the broader
environment, which includes stakeholders, thinkers and scholars, and then the
broader popular frameworks”
Source:
Press TV
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Mideast
Iran
says Mahsa Amini died of illness rather than 'blows'
Oct
7, 2022
PARIS:
Iran said Friday an investigation into the death in custody of Mahsa Amini
found she lost her life to illness rather than reported beatings that sparked
three weeks of bloody protests.
Amini,
22, died on September 16, three days after falling into a coma following her
arrest in Tehran by the morality police for allegedly breaching the Islamic
republic's strict dress code for women.
Anger
over her death has sparked the biggest wave of protests to rock Iran in almost
three years and a crackdown that has killed dozens of protesters and seen
scores arrested.
Despite
the security forces' use of lethal force, the women-led protests have continued
for 21 consecutive nights, according to online videos verified by AFP.
Iran's
Forensic Organization said Friday that "Mahsa Amini's death was not caused
by blows to the head and vital organs and limbs of the body".
The
death of Amini, whose Kurdish first name is Jhina, was related to "surgery
for a brain tumour at the age of eight," it said in a statement.
Amini's
bereaved parents have filed a complaint against the officers involved, and one
of her cousins living in Iraq has told AFP she died of "a violent blow to
the head".
Other
young girls have lost their lives at the protests, but Amnesty International
says Iran has been forcing televised confessions out of their families to
"absolve themselves of responsibility for their deaths".
The
mother of 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami, who died after going missing on September
20, insisted on Thursday she was killed by the state after joining an
anti-hijab protest in Tehran.
Nasrin
Shahkarami also accused the authorities of threatening her to make a forced
confession over the death of her daughter Nika.
"I
saw my daughter's body myself... The back of her head showed she had suffered a
very severe blow as her skull had caved in. That's how she was killed,"
she said in a video posted online by Radio Farda, a US-funded Persian station
based in Prague.
Iran's
judiciary has since denied reports the security forces killed another teenage
girl, Sarina Esmailzadeh, at a rally in Karaj, west of Tehran.
Its
website quoted a prosecutor as saying an investigation showed Esmailzadeh, also
16, had "committed suicide" by jumping from a building.
In
a widening crackdown, Iran has blocked access to social media, including
Instagram and WhatsApp and launched a campaign of mass arrests.
Protesters
have sought ways to avoid detection, with schoolgirls hiding or blurring their
faces while shouting "Death to the dictator" and defacing images of
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in verified videos.
Other
footage has shown people chanting the protest catchcry "Woman, Life,
Freedom" from their apartment windows under the cover of night.
Another
form of protest emerged on Friday morning, with fountains in Tehran appearing
to pour blood after an artist turned their waters red to reflect the deadly
crackdown.
The
street violence that ensued across Iran, dubbed "riots" by the
authorities, has led to dozens of deaths -- mostly of protesters but also of
members of the security forces.
Oslo-based
group Iran Human Rights says at least 92 protesters have been killed so far.
Security
forces have rounded up high profile supporters of the movement, including
activists, journalists and pop stars.
Despite
such measures, the demonstrations have continued in towns and cities
nationwide.
"Death
to the dictator," a group of young women can be heard chanting in the
northern city of Rasht in a video posted online Thursday and verified by AFP.
Other
verified footage shows women shouting "Azadi", Persian for freedom,
and clapping loudly as they march through the city of Qods, west of the
capital.
Amnesty
has verified the deaths of 52 people killed by the security forces, but says it
believes the "real death toll is far higher".
The
London-based rights group says it has documented "widespread patterns of
torture" and sexual assault.
In
a statement issued a week ago, it said Iran was intentionally using lethal
force to crush the women-led protests.
It
said it had obtained a leaked documents issued to armed forces commanders in
all provinces on September 21 ordering them to "severely confront"
protesters.
Source:
Times Of India
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Palestinian
shot dead by Israeli forces in West Bank: Health ministry
08
October, 2022
A
Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of
Jenin on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said.
In
a statement, the ministry announced the killing of “a citizen by occupation
(Israeli) bullets in Jenin,” a flashpoint in the northern West Bank.
The
announcement came shortly after the Palestinian Red Crescent said its medics
had transferred a man with gunshots wounds to hospital in Jenin.
The
Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request by AFP to comment on
the death or reports of a raid by soldiers underway in the area.
The
violence comes a day after two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were
shot dead by Israeli forces, according to the health ministry.
The
child was killed in Qalqilya, in the northern West Bank, while the second
Palestinian was killed near the city of Ramallah.
The
Israeli military said its soldiers fired at a suspect who threw Molotov
cocktails at troops in Qalqilya and responded to a “violent riot” outside
Ramallah.
The
Palestinian foreign ministry described the deaths on Friday as “executions.”
The
army has launched frequent and often deadly raids in Jenin and other parts of
the West Bank in recent months, often targeting Palestinian militants.
Dozens
of Palestinians have been killed, including fighters and civilians.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran
summons Danish ambassador to protest Copenhagen embassy threat: Media
07
October, 2022
Iran
summoned the Danish ambassador on Friday to protest an incident at its embassy
in Copenhagen in which its ambassador was threatened, Iran’s foreign ministry
said in state media.
Danish
police said they had arrested a 32-year-old man earlier on Friday after he had
entered the grounds of the embassy carrying a knife.
The
man, an Iranian citizen, was stopped by an employee before entering the embassy
building, the police said in a statement.
Iran's
foreign ministry said the ambassador, Afsaneh Nadipour, had been threatened, a
local employee injured, and embassy vehicles damaged.
The
man will have a court hearing on Saturday and will be charged with two counts
of vandalism, for violence, and for breaching a section of the penal code that
deals with crimes against people with diplomatic status, the Danish police
said.
No
further details on the attacker or motive were provided.
Iran’s
government has faced more than two weeks of protests at home and overseas over
the death of a young women while in detention by the country’s morality police.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Israeli
forces kill two Palestinians in West Bank: Health ministry
07
October, 2022
Israeli
forces on Friday shot dead two Palestinians including a 14-year-old in separate
incidents in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Fourteen-year-old
Adel Dawoud “succumbed to a critical wound sustained by live occupation
(Israeli) fire to the head” in Qalqilya, in the northern West Bank, the health
ministry said.
Another
Palestinian was shot dead near the city of Ramallah, the ministry said in a
statement.
The
Israeli military said soldiers in Qalqilya fired at “a suspect who hurled
Molotov cocktails at them.”
“A
hit was identified,” the army told AFP, without immediately commenting on the
second death.
Palestinians
gather each Friday in parts of the West Bank to protest Israel’s occupation of
the territory since the 1967 Six-Day War.
Dozens
of Palestinians have also been killed in recent months during Israeli military
raids in the West Bank.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Europe
‘We
may suddenly arrive one night’: Erdogan threatens Greece, ‘annoying’ countries
October
07, 2022
PRAGUE:
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Greece, and other countries that
“annoyed” him, understood Ankara's message when Turkish officials said “we may
suddenly arrive one night” — a comment that Greek and some other Western
officials have condemned as a threat to a neighboring state.
Erdogan
added there was nothing worth discussing with Greece at the moment and, at the
inaugural meeting of the European Political Community, he accused Athens of
basing its policies on “lies.”
He
continued, at a press conference in Prague: “They are not where they are
supposed to be, their entire policy is based on lies, they are not honest. We
have nothing to discuss with Greece.”
He
said Greece should take his warnings about Turkey’s response to any threats
seriously, and also told the summit that he expects the EU “to call on Greece
for dialogue on a bilateral basis instead of supporting illegal initiatives
masquerading as unity or solidarity.”
In
return, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said his country was
open to dialogue with any neighboring country.
“Greece
never provokes, and it always responds with confidence when provoked,”
Mitsotakis said ahead of Friday’s meetings.
“It
does not make sense to accuse Greece of raising the tension in the Aegean when
Turkey even raises issues of the sovereignty of the islands.
“Greece
is not closing the door to dialogue, we are sure that we have international law
on our side,” he added.
Leaders
from across Europe started meeting Thursday in Prague for the inaugural summit.
The first gathering at the grand Prague Castle complex brought together a
disparate grouping of 44 nations from the Caucasus in the southeast to Iceland
in the northwest.
Source:
Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2177101/world
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Erdogan
and Putin discuss improving ties, ending Ukraine war: Erdogan’s office
07
October, 2022
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin about improving bilateral ties and he repeated Ankara’s
willingness to do its part to peacefully resolve the war in Ukraine, Erdogan’s
office said on Friday.
The
latest developments in Ukraine, which Russia invaded earlier this year, were
also discussed in the call, according to Turkey’s Directorate of
Communications.
NATO
member Turkey has close relations with both Ukraine and Russia and has sought
to balance ties during the war, rejecting Western sanctions on Moscow while
criticizing the Russian invasion and supplying Kyiv with armed drones.
Along
with the United Nations, Turkey brokered the July deal to unlock Ukrainian
grain exports from its Black Sea ports, in what remains the only significant
diplomatic breakthrough in the seven-month-old conflict.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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‘EU
should feel ashamed of its treatment of Turkish Cypriots’
Muhammed
Ikbal Arslan
07.10.2022
The
EU should be “ashamed” of its mistreatment of Turkish Cypriots, said the
president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday.
Ersin
Tatar, in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, stressed how some 18
years ago, Turkish Cypriots’ desire for a federal settlement safeguarded by
Türkiye was rejected by Greek Cypriots in an April 2004 referendum, while the
Turkish Cypriots approved it.
“We
said yes to the Annan plan, they said no. They were rewarded with EU membership
(in May 2004). The EU should feel ashamed of its treatment of Turkish
Cypriots,” he said.
Against
this long-term backdrop, he added, the partial opening of the fenced-off town
of Maras on Oct. 8, 2020 marked the beginning of a new era in Cyprus politics,
one that was in harmony with the Turkish Cypriot side’s two-state policy.
“The
reopening of Maras was a decision long overdue for Turkish Cypriots, who have
suffered greatly under embargoes and from international isolation. We needed to
take a step in response to our unjust treatment by the international community.
The Maras initiative and the two-state solution policy are part of the same
step,” he explained.
Tatar
also said the town’s former residents should apply to the Immovable Property
Commission (IPC) which is recognized as a domestic legal remedy by the European
Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding their property there.
“The
IPC has currently received 500 applications from Greek Cypriots. The Cyprus
Turkish Foundations Administration has also applied to the commission seeking
its property rights, which date back to Ottoman times,” he added.
Separately,
Tatar issued a statement calling on the Greek Cypriot administration to give up
attempts to politicize the issue of irregular migrant flows to the island.
He
said he already proposed concrete measures to the Greek Cypriot administration
that would enable the sides to work together on the problem of irregular
migration, which concerns both sides of the island.
Tatar
said his proposal also included cooperation in other fields, including
co-exploitation of natural resources around the island, adding that so far they
have gotten no response.
Decades-long
dispute
Cyprus
has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish
Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the UN to achieve a
comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic
attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into
enclaves for their safety.
In
1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to
Turkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish
Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in
1983.
It
has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017
initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkiye,
Greece, and the UK.
The
Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year
Greek Cypriots thwarted a UN plan to end the longstanding dispute.
Status
of Maras
Maras,
or Varosha in Greek, had become a virtual ghost town, as it was cut off from
the world for 47 years. A portion of the region – some 3.5% of its total area –
was reopened in October 2020.
Maras
was abandoned after a 1984 UN Security Council resolution that said only
original inhabitants could resettle in the town.
Entry
was forbidden except for Turkish army personnel stationed in the TRNC.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Türkiye
remembers diplomat killed by terrorist in Greece
Merve
Aydogan
07.10.2022
Türkiye
on Friday commemorated Cetin Gorgu, the press attaché at the Turkish Embassy in
Athens, who 31 years ago was gunned down in front of his home.
"We
remember with respect our martyr Cetin Gorgu, Press Attaché of the Turkish
Embassy in Athens, assassinated in the heinous attack by the terrorist
organization November 17 on 7 October 1991," the Turkish Foreign Ministry
said on Twitter.
Türkiye's
Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, also on Twitter, remembered the
Turkish diplomat and posted a video about the terrorist attack.
Dimitris
Koufodinas was the perpetrator of the assassination of Gorgu, as well as Omer
Haluk Sipahioglu, a counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, who was killed
in 1994.
Koufodinas
used to be the leader of the now-disbanded November 17 terror group, which was
held responsible for the assassination of a long series of officials.
In
2003, Koufodinas was convicted of belonging to November 17.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Greek
premier lacks knowledge of protocol rules, Türkiye's president says
Merve
Aydogan
07.10.2022
Asked
about an alleged heated exchange with the Greek premier during an official
dinner at a Prague summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kyriakos
Mitsotakis lacks knowledge of proper diplomatic protocol.
"Do
you think the president of the Republic of Türkiye would lower himself to such
a level?" Erdogan told reporters after prayers in Istanbul on Friday, the
day after the dinner, which came at the end of the leaders’ dinner at the
European Political Community in the Czech Republic.
"He
(Mitsotakis) is a man who doesn’t know the rules of protocol. Although he
wasn’t supposed to deliver a speech at the program, I don’t know who he got
permission from, he tried to respond to me," Erdogan added.
The
incident comes amid persistent tensions between Greece and Türkiye over such
issues as maritime boundaries and Athens arming Aegean islands in violation of
longstanding treaties.
In
May, after Mitsotakis complained about Türkiye to the US Congress, Erdogan said
the premier had broken his word to work for solutions as the bilateral level,
and cut off communication with him.
Turning
to his latest phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said:
"He thanked us for our mediation in particular and said, 'I congratulate
(Türkiye) on this successful mediation'."
Saying
that a detailed meeting with Putin in the next three or four days would be
beneficial, Erdogan said "there could be a meeting at the upcoming Asia
Platform," referring to the sixth Conference on Interaction and Confidence
Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit on Oct. 12-13 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
During
the call, he also congratulated Putin on his 70th birthday.
Asked
about the talks to get upgraded F-16s from the US, Erdogan said: "If the
US doesn’t meet our needs on the F-16s, there are plenty of other countries in
the world that will give us what we need."
Ankara
requested the F-16s and modernization kits last October. The $6 billion deal
would include the sale of 40 F-16 jets and modernization kits for 79 warplanes
that the Turkish Air Force has in its inventory.
In
July, however, the US House of Representatives approved legislation creating a
new hurdle to the sale.
It
prohibits the sale unless President Joe Biden certifies that the transfer is in
US national interests and guarantees to Congress that in the 120 days prior to
the transfer, the Turkish government has not "violated the sovereignty of
Greece, including through territorial overflights."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Southeast
Asia
Budget
2023: Kafa teachers, imam, bilal, siak to receive special one-off RM500
07-10-
2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The government has agreed to give a special one-off payment of RM500 to
imams, bilals (muezzins), Quran and Fardu Ain (KAFA) teachers, takmir (religious)
teachers, siak (mosque caretakers) noja and marbut (mosque assistants).
Finance
Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, said that the assistance
would benefit 72,000 individuals, with an allocation of RM36 million.
“Every
year the government provides almost RM700 million as a monthly allowance
payment to imams, KAFA and takmir teachers.
“They
play a big role in educating our children and spreading Islam at the community
level,” he said when tabling the Supply Bill 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Tengku
Zafrul said that the agenda to elevate Islamic teachings will continue to be
prioritised, with a total of RM1.5 billion provided under the Prime Minister’s
Department for the management and development of Islamic affairs.
He
said that for next year, the government will provide RM150 million to maintain
educational facilities under the supervision of the Department of Islamic
Development Malaysia (Jakim), including public religious schools, tahfiz
schools and registered pondok institutions.
In
order to boost the development of the halal industry, a total of RM92 million
has been allocated to, among others, continue the Tanjung Manis Halal Hub
Development project in Sarawak, which is expected to be completed next year
with an allocation of RM59 million.
Source:
The Sun Daily
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PAS
adamant on pushing for Muslim unity with Umno, Bersatu
Mohamad
Fadli
October
8, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: PAS has announced that it will stay the course in pushing for Muslim
unity, with the hope for some “flexibility” on the part of Umno and Bersatu.
The
Islamic party said this after a much-anticipated meeting which was meant to
determine if it will stand by its Perikatan Nasional (PN) ally or cooperate
with Umno ahead of the next general election (GE15).
In
a brief statement following the two-hour meeting, PAS president Abdul Hadi
Awang said Muslim unity was needed to guarantee political stability after GE15.
“There
needs to be some flexibility in negotiations with Umno and Bersatu, including
on the requirements set and the current seat negotiations.”
The
decision comes days after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi issued an ultimatum
to the Islamic party.
Zahid
had set three conditions for PAS if the latter wanted to maintain its alliance
with Umno under Muafakat Nasional (MN) in facing GE15, including cutting ties
with PN.
PAS
and Umno formed MN in September 2019, when both parties were part of the
federal opposition. Following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in
February 2020, PAS joined Bersatu in forming the PN coalition.
Separately,
Hadi also reiterated that the three states led by the Islamic party – Kelantan,
Terengganu and Kedah – would not dissolve their state assemblies if GE15 is
held this year.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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DAP
will find GE15 tough going as anti-Malay attacks mount, say analysts
K.
Parkaran
October
8, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: After having it good in the past three general elections, DAP is expected
to find the going tough at the next polls (GE15) as the political equation has
changed, according to analysts.
They
say the party’s toughest challenge will be to win the Malay votes in the
semi-urban and rural areas because the narrative by Umno and PAS, that DAP is
anti-Islam and anti-Malay, has traction with a large number of Malays.
And
if the post-GE15 scenario is one that requires forming coalitions, they expect
DAP to be the biggest loser since the Malay parties would most likely get
together in the name of racial and religious unity.
James
Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said DAP had never been
able to shed its negative image among the rural Malays, who decide in at least
40% of the 222 parliamentary contests.
“The
party should field more Malay candidates in Chinese majority or DAP
strongholds,” he told FMT. “There is no point in putting Malay candidates in
areas where they are going to struggle and are likely to lose.
“At
the end of the day, DAP needs to increase the number of its Malay YBs. This is
the only sure way of showing it is sincere in its claim that it is building to
be truly multiracial.”
Chin
said this would be an effective way of forcing the Chinese community to revise
its view of political representation. “In Malaysia, there is this crazy idea
that a community can be represented only by someone from the same ethnic
group.”
Azmi
Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said DAP benefited from Malay votes to some extent
in the last general election because Pakatan Harapan had Dr Mahathir Mohamad
and Muhyiddin Yassin campaigning for it.
“They
made a lot of difference in attracting the Malay votes for PH,” he told FMT.
“Now that they are in different camps, it will be hard for DAP to attract Malay
votes.
“With
Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional, PAS and Gerakan Tanah Air all depending
on Malay votes to win, 80% to 90% of the Malay votes are expected to be shared
by these parties.”
Azmi
said the only consolation for DAP might be that the new urban and semi-rural
Malay voters aged between 18 and 30 would give it an advantage. He said many of
these voters did not appear to be influenced enough by racial and religious
rhetoric.
“But
it will still be a challenge for DAP as it has to share these votes with new
entrants Muda and Warisan. By extension, PH will be negatively affected by this
as a whole.”
However,
Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said he believed that any
extensive attack on DAP using race and religion would only make it difficult
for its rivals to win non-Malay support.
“The
more educated voters tend to be less influenced by campaigns using religion and
ethnicity,” he said. “They are more concerned with the rising cost of living,
corruption and the weakening ringgit.”
He
told FMT he expected DAP to retain most of its seats regardless of who its
candidates would be.
As
for the new voters, Sivamurugan said, their voting pattern would depend on the
influence of family members and peer groups.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Nazir
welcomes Halim Saad’s ‘differing recollection’ of the past
October
7, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Former CIMB group chairman Nazir Razak has welcomed tycoon Halim Saad’s
open letter to him over claims he made in his memoir, “What’s in a Name”.
Halim
had in his letter published yesterday sought to set the record straight on
Nazir’s claims, which among others implied that his purchase of Renong Bhd and
UEM was funded by Umno.
Halim
in his reply to Nazir had given a detailed account of what happened and said he
had the documents to support them.
He
disputed Nazir’s insinuation that he was not financially capable of completing
a put option for UEM shares in 2001, and Nazir’s reference to Renong’s
restructuring as a “rescue”.
Nazir
told FMT in a text message: “I welcome his additional insights as well as his
differing recollection and views about some episodes and issues that involved
him and the Renong Group.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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