Shortage of Professional Staff in Afghanistan; Theologians are Graduates Of Darul Uloom Haqqania, Pakistan
New
Age Islam News Bureau
15
January 2022
Representative
Image
-----
• China
Claims Support from Gulf Cooperation Council on Uyghur Treatment
• ‘Business
Head At Federal Bank’ Calls For Massacre Of Muslims, Booked
• African
American Muslims Among Those Targeted By Anti-Muslim Group: Council On American
Islamic Relations
• UN
Sounds Alarm Over Hate Crimes In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Serbia
South Asia
• Death
Of Democracy In Afghanistan, We Inherited Ethnic Conflicts: Islamic Emirate Of
Afghanistan Spokesman
• Washington
Must Listen To UN And Release Afghan Funds: Taliban
• Pakistani
ambassador to Kabul meets Afghan alumni
• With
Thousands Of Qualified Afghans Unemployed, Pakistan Intends To Send Manpower To
Afghanistan
--------
Southeast Asia
• Court
Documents Amended To State That Student Accused Of Posting Anti-Islam Remarks
Is A Chinese National
• Unifor:
Non-Islamic houses of worship in Sarawak allowed to open until midnight on CNY
• Adoptive
mother’s love conquers race and religion
--------
India
• Muslims
'Most Secure And Happy' Under BJP Rule, Says RSS Muslim Body, Muslim Rashtriya
Manch, Lists Achievements, Appeals For Votes
• Political,
Religious Groups Condemn J&K Govt’s Order On ‘Surya Namaskar’
• Mosque
Loudspeaker Reunites Victim Of Bengal Train Derailment With Family In Assam
• Muzaffarnagar
Riots Case: Local Court Acquits Four Accused Due to Lack of Evidence
--------
North America
• Bodies
of Bronx fire victims taken to Islamic funeral home
• Washington
must listen to UN and release Afghan funds: Taliban
• US
lawmaker offers condolences for death of elderly Palestinian after Israeli raid
• Muslim
community in New York mobilizes to support victims of deadly Bronx fire
--------
Europe
• UK
‘hitman’ went to blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya’s home, purchased knife, jury told
• Moscow
Offers to Facilitate Talks for Islamic Emirate
• Turkish
president, UK premier discuss Ukraine, Syria in phone call
• EU
welcomes German court’s conviction of ex-Syrian intelligence officer
• Closure
of another mosque in France condemned
--------
Pakistan
• Chief
Justice Of Pakistan Slams Imran Khan Govt For Poor Governance
• Terrorist
killed, 2 others arrested during IBO in North Waziristan: ISPR
• Pakistan
to seek peace, economic connectivity under new security policy
• Govt
to give Pakistani nationality to foreign investors
• FM
Qureshi urges importance of debt restructuring as Pakistan assumes G77 chair
• Security
policy places economy front and centre
• Talks
between Jamaat-i-Islami, PPP finally begin
• SBP
urged to allow trade in cash with Afghanistan
--------
Arab World
• Arab
Coalition Strikes Kill 150 Houthis, Destroy 22 Military Vehicles In Yemen
• After
A Hiatus Of Two Years, The Prophet’s Mosque Will Allow Iftar Sofras Under
Strict Protocols
• US
tells Lebanon not to fear sanctions over energy supply plans, PM’s office says
• Attacks
on Iraq political party’s HQ, Green Zone raise security fears
--------
Mideast
• 8
Hamas, 'Islamic Jihad' Leaders Leave Gaza to Live Abroad
• Thousands
Of Palestinians Attend Friday Prayers At Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Muslims
in Russia value brotherly ties with Iran: cleric
• Iranian,
Chinese FMs Vow to Broaden Bilateral Ties
• Senior
Cleric Blasts West for Hatching Plots in Vienna Talks
• Iran’s
Khomenei’s website shows animated video of drone strike killing Trump
• Many
injured as police break up protests in Israel's Negev region
--------
Africa
• Ennahda
Movement Accuses Tunisian Authorities Of Controlling Media
• Tunisia's
Ennahda Calls For Jan 14 To Be Marked As 2011 Revolution Anniversary
• New
US-Africa envoy to visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Ethiopia: State department
• Tunisian
court sentences nine to death for killing army official: State media
• At
least 108 civilians killed this year in Tigray airstrikes: UN
• Ghana
‘delighted’ following removal from EU money laundering list
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Shortage
of Professional Staff in Afghanistan; Theologians Graduates Of Darul Uloom
Haqqania Pakistan
Representative
Image
-----
Jan
15, 2022
The
Islamic Emirate is facing a shortage of professional staff, the New York Times
reported, saying that many of the officials in government posts lack
professional skills.
The
report said that “many of the selected theologians are graduates of Darul Uloom
Haqqania madrasa, one of Pakistan’s oldest and largest Islamic seminaries.”
“Government
jobs are given as patronage to ex-fighters and exiles living quietly in
Pakistan. But not all possess the technical skills required for the job,” the
report read.
However,
the Islamic Emirate denied the report.
“We
deny the report of the New York Times that says the Islamic Emirate is faced with
a shortage of staff...” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic
Emirate.
Wahidullah
Hashimi, a senior member of the Islamic Emirate's council for training and
educating soldiers, relates the staffing problems to the corruption in the former
government, as well as to the plot of foreigner’s to drain Afghanistan of
talent.
“Foreigners
intentionally evacuated Afghans, most importantly, the educated and
professional ones, to weaken the Islamic Emirates and undermine our
administration,” Hashimi said as quoted by the New York Times. “We are in touch
with some Afghans in different parts of the world and are encouraging them to
return to Afghanistan because we desperately need their help and expertise to
help their people and government.”
Political
analysts say that professional individuals should be appointed to senior
government positions.
“The
Islamic Emirate should trust the professional individuals and appoint them to
senior government posts and include them in decision-making. This helps with
professionalism and recognition,” said Toreq Farhadi, a political analyst.
After
the fall of the former government, many high-profile and talented youth left
the country.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-176308
--------
China
Claims Support from Gulf Cooperation Council on Uyghur Treatment
FILE
- Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council,
wears a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus as he speaks at a
press conference during the 41st GCC meeting being held in Al Ula, Saudi
Arabia, Jan. 5, 2021.
----
January
14, 2022
Beijing
says an organization of several oil-rich Arab monarchies has dismissed the
Chinese government’s controversial treatment of Uyghur Muslims as “an internal
matter.”
During
meetings with Chinese Communist Party officials this week in China, Nayef Falah
Al-Hajraf, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, expressed strong
support for China’s “legitimate positions on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang
and human rights,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told
reporters Friday.
Al-Hajraf
did not speak to reporters directly, but China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson
said he supported the position that human rights issues should not be
politicized and “expressed opposition to interference in China’s internal
affairs.”
Headquartered
in Riyadh, the GCC is composed of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar
and the United Arab Emirates.
Al-Hajraf’s
visit to China is aimed at enhancing economic and security relations between
GCC members and Beijing, the Saudi Gazette reported.
China’s
government has been widely criticized for its repressive treatment of Uyghur
Muslims in the autonomous Xinjiang territory in northwest China, which the
United States has labelled a genocide.
“The
Chinese government has committed — and continues to commit — crimes against
humanity against the Turkic Muslim population,” Human Rights Watch said in a
recent report. “In Xinjiang, Turkic Muslims continue to be arbitrarily detained
on the basis of their identity, while others are subjected to forced labor,
mass surveillance and political indoctrination.”
Similar
wording
When
they face accusations of human rights abuses, GCC member monarchies like Saudi
Arabia and United Arab Emirates have often used the same “internal affairs”
justification as China. Human rights groups criticize the Gulf Arab states for
using broadly worded and vague counterterrorism laws to prosecute activists
charged with undermining stability and national cohesion.
The
world’s two largest economies, the U.S. and China, are intensely competing for
greater influence in the Middle East for oil, gas and strategic interests.
In
addition to improving trade and economic ties, China has pledged support for
the GCC monarchies in resolving disputes and conflicts in the Middle East,
analysts say.
“China
is slowly but steadily working its way into the Middle East as a powerful and
strategic actor,” Nicholas Heras, senior analyst at the Newlines Institute,
told VOA’s Mandarin Service.
Beijing
appears to have altered its behind-the-scenes approach to the region and is now
vigorously promoting its interests, according to Michael Rubin, a senior fellow
at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute.
“That
said, the Gulf is not like the rest of the world. They will welcome partnership
with China, but they will not welcome China's dominance,” Rubin told VOA
Mandarin.
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.voanews.com/a/china-claims-support-from-arab-states-on-muslim-treatment/6397593.html?
--------
‘Business
Head At Federal Bank’ Calls For Massacre Of Muslims, Booked
Vishnu
Prasad Niddaje (Image | Facebook
-----
14th
January 2022
By
Divya Cutinho
MANGALURU:
A man who uploaded objectionable posts on social media calling for the massacre
of Muslims has been booked by Vitla police.
According
to the reports, the person, identified as Vishnu Prasad Niddaje, while
commenting on the recent controversy of alleged imitation of Koragajja deity in
Vitla during a wedding-related function had asked “Don’t you remember when the
last riot happened in Gujarat?”
Vishnu
Prasad Niddaje, claimed to be a Business head at Federal Bank on his Facebook
profile.
He
also allegedly called 'to burn the car, shop, and house of the groom' who
donned the attire similar to Koragajja deity. Following Vishnu Prasad's
'genocide' call, activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) lodged a
complaint with the Vitla police.
Nagaraj
H E, Vitla police inspector told The New Indian Express that a complaint has
been lodged against Vishnuprasad over objectionable posts.
"The
accused has been booked under section 505 (making statements conducing to
public mischief). We have started an investigation in this case," he said.
The
police are investigating whether Vishnuprasad himself made those posts or it
was uploaded from fake accounts.
After
the complaint was lodged against the accused, the Facebook account in his name
has been deleted now. Meanwhile, the authorities of the Federal Bank have also
clarified on Twitter that corrective measures will be taken in this regard.
“Federal
Bank as a responsible organization never encourages or promotes any indecent,
violent, undesirable or questionable acts on the part of our employees. We would
like to make it clear that we have a zero-tolerance policy towards any such
acts. We disassociate ourselves from the alleged aggressions and the same is
being examined for suitable corrective measures,” the bank said after
Twitterati demanded the bank to act.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
African
American Muslims Among Those Targeted By Anti-Muslim Group: Council On American
Islamic Relations
Logos
for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), left, and the
Investigative Project on Terrorism, right. Courtesy images
-----
January
14, 2022
By
Joseph Hammond
(RNS)
— A Muslim American civil rights advocacy group is claiming the Investigative
Project on Terrorism targeted African American Muslims and the organizations
that worked with them in a multi-year effort.
The
Council on American Islamic Relations, the country’s largest Muslim civil
rights group, is currently conducting an ongoing internal investigation over
claims it was spied on by the D.C.-based Investigative Project on Terrorism.
Last month, CAIR said its longtime officer of a Ohio chapter of the
organization, Romin Iqbal, had admitted to providing information to IPT in an
incident that CAIR described as “spying.”
In a
press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 12), CAIR revealed a second IPT informant,
Tariq Nelson of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia, one
of the D.C. region’s largest mosques.
In a
Jan. 11 statement, Nelson said he accepted $3,000 a month from IPT to provide
information on Muslim Americans from 2008 to 2012. Nelson admitted he agreed to
undertake the work for largely financial reasons, having personally been hit by
the 2008 economic recession. Nelson, an African American Muslim, said he was
approached directly by Steve Emerson, the founder of IPT, to provide
information on CAIR activities.
Although
not in an official leadership position, Nelson was a volunteer at Dar
Al-Hijrah, working with youth and publicly promoting Islam, according to The
Washington Post. Nelson came forward after CAIR after feeling guilty about his
past activities.
CAIR
said Keith Ellison, one of America’s most prominent African American Muslims,
was a “main target” of IPT efforts. Nelson said he provided IPT with an audio
recording of then-Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) in 2010. That recording
later emerged during Ellison’s campaign to become the chair of the Democratic
National Committee in 2016.
In
the controversial recording, Ellison voices skepticism of U.S. foreign policy
in the Middle East, saying it “is governed by what is good or bad through a
country of 7 million people,” in reference to the state of Israel.
Ellison,
who was the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress, is now the
attorney general of Minnesota. Ellison dismissed the recording at the time,
stating it was accurate but had been taken out of context.
CAIR
also shared screenshots of what it said was a leaked internal email that showed
an interest in efforts to discredit the Muslim Alliance of North America, a
leading African American Muslim organization. The authenticity of those
screenshots could not be verified.
“I
would like to take this opportunity to call on the Justice Department, the FBI,
on the U.S. Treasury to hold Steven Emerson and the investigative project
accountable,” said Nihad Awad, the executive director of CAIR, during the press
conference.
During
the press conference, CAIR accused IPT of working in league with Israeli
officials during some of their activities. CAIR provided alleged email
screenshots, which appear to show Israeli officials asking for information
about the views of various groups toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and
the parties involved. One email pertains to Boko Haram, a Nigerian terrorist
organization, and another to Students for Justice in Palestine, an NGO active
on multiple American college campuses. The organization was founded at the
University of California, Berkeley in 1993.
IPT
has maintained it is a public organization and has denied that it “accepted any
money from the United States government or any foreign source.”
Some
of the information CAIR provided is allegedly from a former member of IPT who
has asked to remain anonymous.
During
the press conference, CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said it was
for “law enforcement to determine” if any laws had been broken through IPT’s
action. Mitchell recalled previous efforts by foreign entities to spy on
American Muslims, in particular efforts by China to spy on Muslim American
voices critical of China’s policy toward Uyghurs and other Muslim groups.
Last
year, the FBI announced that Chinese espionage efforts targeting “U.S. based
Uyghurs and other Chinese diaspora members” was a violation of U.S. law.
Source:
Religion News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
UN Sounds
Alarm Over Hate Crimes In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Serbia
Peter
Kenny
14.01.2022
GENEVA
The
UN on Friday said it is "deeply concerned" by recent incidents in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia that saw individuals glorifying war crimes
and convicted war criminals, triggering anxiety and tensions in communities.
Liz
Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said
at a UN news conference that the incidents target specific communities with
hate speech and, in some cases, directly incite violence coming in a year both
countries have elections scheduled.
“These
acts, which happened amid religious holidays last weekend, included large
groups of people chanting the name of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
during torchlight processions or singing nationalistic songs,” said the UN
official.
Throssell
said the songs call for the takeover of some locations in the former
Yugoslavia, and in one incident, individuals fired shots into the air as they
drove past a mosque.
The
acts took place in several locations in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, including Bijeljina, Prijedor, Foca, Gacko, Visegrad, as well
as in the Brcko District, and Priboj and Novi Pazar in Serbia.
“This
is a year when elections are due in Serbia in April, and then in October in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the political environment is already extremely
tense,” said Throssell.
The
UN rights office official said some of the incidents were in locations that saw
large-scale atrocity crimes during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as
Prijedor and Foca.
Fueling
anxiety
Throssell
said the failure to prevent and sanction such acts, which fuel extreme anxiety,
fear, and insecurity in some communities, is a significant obstacle to
trust-building and reconciliation.
“The
rise in hate speech, the denial of genocide and other atrocity crimes, and the
glorification of war criminals in the Western Balkans highlight the failure to
address the past comprehensively,” she said.
The
UN rights office stressed that the authorities in Serbia and Bosnia and
Herzegovina must abide by their international human rights obligations to
ensure the rights to truth, justice, and reparation.
“We
call on them to condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial, or
religious hatred,” said Throssell.
Serbia's
President Aleksandar Vucic had said Wednesday the country would show no mercy
to those who violate peace, alluding to a recent nationalist incident in the
southwestern Serbian town of Priboj that he visited following some anti-Bosniak
incidents.
“All
those responsible for causing trouble will be sanctioned, and we must teach our
children how to live together,” said Vucic.
“Priboj
is a test whether we are humans or not, and it must not happen that children
sing to someone about shooting at mosques,” Vucic said, adding: "As we
respect our churches, icons, and monasteries, we must respect our Muslim
neighbors.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Death
Of Democracy In Afghanistan, We Inherited Ethnic Conflicts: Islamic Emirate Of
Afghanistan Spokesman
14
Jan 2022
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan reacted to the recent so-called intra-Taliban conflict in
the northern Faryab province and added that ethnic conflicts have been
inherited from the previous Afghan government.
A
spokesman of the IEA Inamullah Samangani in a Twitter post said that escalating
and strengthening ethnic conflicts in Afghanistan was the biggest achievement
of democracy in the country.
Inamullah
Samangani said that democracy is now dead in Afghanistan.
“After
the death of democracy in Afghanistan, the pro-democracy people are still
striving to cause chaos in Afghanistan.” Reads the Twitter post.
He
said that the pro-democracy figures now attribute the Taliban to a single
ethnicity in Afghanistan so that they create divergence among Afghans.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Washington
must listen to UN and release Afghan funds: Taliban
January
15, 2022
KABUL:
The Taliban on Friday urged Washington to heed a call by the United Nations
chief to unlock Afghan funds frozen in the United States, as a humanitarian
crisis deepens.
US
authorities froze billions of dollars in Afghan assets after the Taliban seized
power in August following the withdrawal of foreign forces. On Thursday, UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Washington to take the lead and
prevent “the nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan” by releasing capital.
“The
United States must respond positively to the international voice and release
Afghan capital,” the Taliban government’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on
Twitter.
Washington
has taken control of nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan
central bank.
The
International Monetary Fund and World Bank have suspended activities in
Afghanistan, withholding aid as well as $340 million in new reserves issued by
the IMF in August.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1669511/washington-must-listen-to-un-and-release-afghan-funds-taliban
--------
Pakistani
ambassador to Kabul meets Afghan alumni
15
Jan 2022
Pakistan’s
ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan on Friday, January 14, 2022, met with
Afghan graduates who studied in Pakistan and are now working in different
public and private sectors.
Mansoor
Ahmad Khan said that Pakistan’s Allama Iqbal scholarship scheme for Afghan
students is the largest scheme available for Afghanistan anywhere in the world.
Pakistan
admits 1,000 male and female students every year who are earning degrees in the
fields of Medical, Engineering, IT, Business Studies, Banking, and other
professional fields.
The
scheme that also covers Masters and PhDs was first launched in 2010.
The
Pakistani envoy vowed that his country will continue to do its part in providing
education and professional studies to Afghan students.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistani-ambassador-to-kabul-meets-afghan-alumni-78767/
--------
With
thousands of qualified Afghans unemployed, Pakistan intends to send manpower to
Afghanistan
15
Jan 2022
The
Pakistani government has announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan is willing to
send to Afghanistan professional and trained manpower.
PM
Imran Khan has directed relevant government authorities to explore bilateral
cooperation with Afghanistan by sending qualified and trained manpower
especially in medical, IT, Finance, and accounting.
It
comes as thousands of trained, qualified, and university graduates in
Afghanistan are unemployed and seek jobs whether in the government or private
sector.
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan has not reacted to the willingness of Imran Khan yet.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Court
Documents Amended To State That Student Accused Of Posting Anti-Islam Remarks
Is A Chinese National
Shaffiq
Alkhatib
JAN
14, 2022
SINGAPORE
- A polytechnic student accused of posting anti-Islam and misogynistic remarks
about a rape victim on social media platform Instagram has had his court
documents amended to say that he is a Chinese national.
The
latest documents also state that Sun Sicong, 21, is a Singapore permanent
resident.
Earlier
court documents had identified him as a Singaporean.
Sun,
from Temasek Polytechnic (TP), appeared in a district court on Friday (Jan 14)
and his case has been adjourned to Feb 8.
He is
accused of one count each of harassment, uploading online remarks with the
deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of others and being in
possession of obscene films.
Some
time between 2018 and 2019, he allegedly created posts on Instagram that
contained remarks against Islam.
On
June 7, 2020, Sun allegedly caused harassment by creating posts on Instagram
containing remarks about a rape victim's recount of the ordeal.
Details
about the remarks and recount were not disclosed in court documents.
He is
also said to have downloaded two obscene films in April and May that year.
These were allegedly found in his mobile phone.
In an
earlier statement, the police said that in June 2020, they received "many
reports regarding an Instagram user who had posted insensitive comments and
threats that could incite violence against the Muslim community".
The
police added that the posts contained hate comments that could wound religious
feelings.
Officers
from Jurong Police Division arrested Sun on June 8 that year and seized items
including a computer and a mobile phone.
The
police said in their statement that they take a serious view of acts that have
the potential to damage racial and religious harmony in Singapore.
TP
earlier told The Straits Times that Sun is its student and that he was
suspended for two consecutive semesters following investigations in June 2020.
Its
spokesman said: "TP does not condone any action or behaviour that incites
hatred and violence. As the case is before the courts, we are unable to comment
further."
Source:
Straits Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Unifor:
Non-Islamic houses of worship in Sarawak allowed to open until midnight on CNY
15
Jan 2022
KUCHING,
Jan 15 ― Non-Islamic houses of worship including temples and churches will be
allowed to open on Chinese New Year Eve until midnight according to schedules
fixed by their management, said Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) director
Richard Lon.
“Despite
so, the management of various temples and churches must ensure that their
devotees strictly comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by
the authorities including maintaining physical distancing and not violating the
maximum capacity allowed,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post’s sister
paper See Hua Daily News today.
Richard
said even though temples are allowed to offer vegetarian food to devotees, they
must make proper arrangements for the distribution of the food items.
He
added that it would be ideal for the temple management to prepare packed food
for their devotees, advising them to strictly adhere to the SOPs set by the
authorities.
He
reiterated that they must maintain physical distancing and limit the number of
devotees for dine-ins.
The
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and Unifor jointly announced
yesterday that this year’s Chinese New Year celebration is again limited to the
first day only, which is on Feb 1.
Only
close family members will be allowed for the Chinese New Year Eve reunion
dinner, and the capacity allowed is only 50 per cent, subject to the size of
the residence.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Adoptive
mother’s love conquers race and religion
January
14, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Though single, kindergarten teacher Chee Hoi Lan had a heart big enough
to take on the task of bringing up an Indonesian woman’s abandoned baby 20
years ago, and ensure the child would have the proper religious upbringing.
Rohana
Abdullah was only two months old when she was left behind by her mother, a
domestic worker at the kindergarten where Chee worked.
Chee
was not married, but that did not stop her from taking care of Rohana like a
daughter.
Her
story and that of Rohana was reported by Harian Metro today.
Rohana,
22, said her mother, who was married to a Malaysian, had returned to visit her
a few times when she was under Chee’s care.
“But
now, I have a citizenship problem, because my mother is Indonesian and my
father disappeared when I was little. I’ve tried applying for citizenship since
2016 and until now, I’ve yet to receive any reply,” Rohana said.
Chee
said that, in bringing up Rohana, she realised that the problem of race and
religion would crop up and she worked hard to ensure that Rohana would never
lack in terms of being raised as a Muslim.
She
enrolled Rohana for Kelas Asas Fardu Ain (Kafa) at her own expense and made
sure she got all the basic religious education she needed in school as well as
guidance from acquaintances.
“I
took the responsibility as a mother, educated her and raised her as she should
be. The only thing that differentiates us is our culture and religion.
“I
love her like a daughter. Since she was young, I always made sure she ate halal
food and fulfilled her daily prayers as a Muslim,” said Chee, now 83.
Her
only wish now was to see Rohana tie the knot before she passes on. “I only want
to see her getting married, successful and happy before I die. I am relieved
that throughout my life I was able to make sure that she has everything she
needs as a Muslim,” she said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Muslims
'Most Secure And Happy' Under BJP Rule, Says RSS Muslim Body, Muslim Rashtriya
Manch, Lists Achievements, Appeals For Votes
Jan
14, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The RSS' Muslim wing on Friday appealed to the minority community to
vote for the BJP in the assembly polls in five states, saying Muslims are
"most secure and happy" under the BJP rule whereas the Congress, SP
and the BSP considered them just as vote bank.
The
Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) listed various schemes implemented by the BJP
governments at the Centre and in states for the welfare of the community and
said the party is "the biggest well-wisher" of Muslims in the
country.
The
opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), have only considered Muslims as their vote bank and
after coming to power, they gave the community members poverty, illiteracy,
backwardness and "atrocities like instant triple talaq", the MRM
charged.
The
MRM's 'Nivedan Patra (letter of appeal), printed in the form of leaflet for
distribution in the poll-bound states, was released at a meeting here presided
over by its founder and chief patron Indresh Kumar, the outfit's national
convenor and in-charge of media Sayed Sayeed told PTI.
He
said that leaflets will be distributed among the minority community members
seeking vote for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and
Punjab.
It
noted, "The Narendra Modi government has started as many as 36 schemes,
including Nai Roshni, Naya Savera, Nai Udaan, Seekho Aur Kamao, Ustaad and Nai
Manjil, for the welfare of the minority communities since 2014."
The
minority community members also benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,
Mudra Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Startup
India and other schemes launched by the Modi government, it said.
"Opposition
parties, including Congress, SP and BSP, have been running propaganda against
the RSS and the BJP for long saying that Muslims will be thrown out of the
country if BJP comes to power... How many Muslims have been expelled from the
country in the past seven years?" it asked.
"Congress
and other opposition parties have considered Muslims only as their vote
bank...Muslims got poverty, illiteracy, hatred against Hindus, backwardness,
and anti-Islamic atrocities like (instant) triple talaq during the regimes of
Congress and so-called sympathisers of Muslims," it added.
The
MRM claimed that the incidents of "communal riots and atrocities" on
Muslims have come down "drastically" since 2014.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Political,
religious groups condemn J&K govt’s order on ‘surya namaskar’
14th
January 2022
Srinagar:
Various political and religious groups on Friday criticised the Jammu and
Kashmir administration’s order directing college heads in the union territory
to organise large-scale ‘surya namaskar’ on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
The
event was to be held online on Friday as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
celebrations and officials of the Higher Education department did not respond
to queries about it.
The
Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of several religious organisations,
took strong exception to the order and said the authorities were well aware
that Jammu and Kashmir is Muslim-majority and like people from other religions,
Muslims will not participate in religious practices of other religions.
“To
deliberately force them to do so by issuing directives is mischievous,” it
said.
“The
Muslims of J-K are respectful of all religions and believe in harmonious
coexistence, but will never yield to any pressure, if and when there is any
interference in matters related to their faith, it said in a statement.
“The
recent open call to genocide of Muslims of India at a religious conference in
Haridwar and the silence of the state in this regard is a shocking case of
bigotedness and discrimination against Muslims, which has become the order of
the day, it alleged.
The
amalgam asked the administration to desist from issuing such orders in the
future.
Former
chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — and various political
parties also criticised the order.
“Why
should Muslim students be forced to do anything, including yoga, to celebrate
Makar Sankranti? Makar Sankranti is a festival & to celebrate it or not
must be a personal choice. Would the BJP be happy if a similar order was issued
to order non-Muslim students to celebrate Eid?” Abdullah, the National
Conference vice president, wrote on Twitter.
Mehbooba,
who is also the PDP president, said the Centre’s misadventures aim to
collectively humiliate Kashmiris.
GOIs
PR misadventures aim to demean & collectively humiliate Kashmiris. Forcing
students & staff to perform surya namaskars by issuing orders despite their
obvious discomfort with imposition of something laden with religious
connotations gives an insight into their communal mindset, Mehbooba said in a
tweet.
Peoples
Conference (PC) president Sajad Gani Lone also criticised the directive, saying
the administration was undoing what liberal Muslims had earned.
In a
series of tweets, Lone said the government will not succeed and the will of the
people will eventually prevail.
Why
is the govt so insensitive. Now comes the surya namaskar episode. I wish the
govt of the day understands that along many bloody battles fought in Kashmir —
of immense importance was the war between liberal and radicals, Lone wrote on
Twitter.
“And
these were not verbose battles. The blood of the Kashmir liberal Muslim was
spilled on the streets. The liberals fought to keep the secular liberal
traditions of Kashmir alive. They fought the violence. They fought the bullets.
The liberals rendered sacrifices, he said.
Lone
said with the ‘surya namaskar’ directive, the government was emulating the
radicals .
We
have seen the brute power of the radicals all through nineties. U will not
succeed. The will of the people will eventually prevail, he said.
Apni
Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also took strong exception to the
order and said the educational institutions must be kept aloof from political
maneuvering and emphasis should be laid on providing quality education to the
students.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/political-religious-groups-condemn-jk-govts-order-on-surya-namaskar-2258293/
--------
Mosque
loudspeaker reunites victim of Bengal train derailment with family in Assam
14th
January 2022
GUWAHATI:
A man, injured in the train derailment in West Bengal, was reunited with his
family in Assam on Friday with the help of the loudspeakers at a mosque that
are used for Namaz.
Safikul
Ali, a resident of Dhula in Assam's Darrang district, was among those injured
in the Bikaner-Guwahati Express train derailment in the neighbouring state's
Jalpaiguri district on Thursday.
Having
narrowly escaped the accident that claimed nine lives, Ali was undergoing
treatment at the Super Specialty Hospital in Jalpaiguri, where Railway Minister
Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the injured on Friday.
"While
enquiring about Ali's wellbeing, the minister learnt that he was unable to
contact his family as neither does he nor his family members has a mobile
phone," a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official told PTI.
Ali
said he had the phone number of a neighbour, and Vaishnaw immediately got him
connected with that person, the official said.
But,
the neighbour could not find Ali's family at home, nor did a postman arranged
by the minister could track them down, he added.
After
efforts to contact the family failed, an announcement was made from the village
mosque through the loudspeakers used for Namaz, the official said.
Following
this, the family learnt about Ali's condition and got in touch with the railway
authorities.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muzaffarnagar
Riots Case: Local Court Acquits Four Accused Due to Lack of Evidence
JANUARY
14, 2022
Alocal
court has acquitted the four accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots case due to
lack of evidence.
On
September 28, 2013, the victims, Naeem and his two brothers, Nadeem and
Shaukat, residents of Phugana village, had filed a case at Phugana police
station alleging that the accused “Yogendra, Nitin Guddu and Vishal, along with
dozens of other people" had attacked their house on September 8.
Naeem
stated in his complaint that the attackers were equipped with firearms and
sharp-edged weapons, and that they assaulted him and his family.
He
also said that they “ransacked our house and looted more than Rs 3 lakh, which
they set on fire".
Defence
lawyer Sohrab Singh said: “The complainant and his two brothers, who were
witnesses in the case, became hostile. Therefore, judge Babu Ram’s court
(additional district and sessions judge court-6) has acquitted the
accused."
This
is not the first time that a court has released those accused of violence in
the riots.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Bodies
of Bronx fire victims taken to Islamic funeral home
January
14, 2022
By
Emily Crane
The
bodies of those killed in the horrific Bronx fire were taken to an Islamic
funeral home on Friday ahead of a mass funeral scheduled for this weekend.
At
least 14 of the 17 victims — many of whom were Muslim immigrants — were wheeled
into the Paak funeral home in Queens to be cleansed and wrapped according to
Islamic tradition.
Covered
by white sheets, the stretchers carrying the bodies were moved one-by-one into
an elevator inside the funeral home and then lowered to the basement level.
The
communal funeral for the victims, who all had ties to Gambia, is set to be held
at the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx on Sunday — exactly a week after
the tragedy occurred.
Funerals
for at least two of the victims — sisters Seydou Toure, 12, and Haouwa
Mahamadou, 5 — were already held Wednesday at a mosque in Harlem.
Among
those who are still yet to be laid to rest include a 2-year-old boy, a mother
who died with three of her children, and a husband and wife whose four kids are
now orphans.
The
medical examiner’s office said all 17 victims who died suffocated from the
thick smoke that poured out of a third-floor apartment where officials say a
malfunctioning electrical space heater sparked the fire.
Nearly
a week after the tragedy, some of the victim’s families are still torn about
whether to bury the dead in their West African homeland or in the US.
“There’s
lots of emotion — lots of emotion — as we go back and forth about where to bury
them, here or taking them back home,” Haji Dukuray, the uncle of Haja Dukuray,
who died with her husband and three children, told the Associated Press.
Dukuray’s
family decided to bury their loved one in the US.
“This
is unprecedented. There’s a lot of emotion in those conversations, whether it’s
amongst us here, or it’s among the families in the Gambia,” Dukuray said.
Meanwhile,
the family of 27-year-old student, Sera Janneh, are planning to take her
remains back to Gambia.
Source:
New York Post
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Washington
must listen to UN and release Afghan funds: Taliban
Jan
14, 2022
KABUL:
The Taliban on Friday urged Washington to heed a call by the United Nations
chief to unlock Afghan funds frozen in the United States, as a humanitarian
crisis deepens.
US
authorities froze billions of dollars in Afghan assets after the hardline
Islamists seized power in August following the withdrawal of foreign forces.
On
Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Washington to take
the lead and prevent "the nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan" by
releasing capital.
"The
United States must respond positively to the international voice and release
Afghan capital," the Taliban government's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
said on Twitter.
Washington
has taken control of nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan
central bank.
The
International Monetary Fund and World Bank have suspended activities in
Afghanistan, withholding aid as well as $340 million in new reserves issued by
the IMF in August.
Many
Western nations have also largely suspended their assistance to Afghanistan,
one of the world's poorest countries.
Aid
agencies and the UN have estimated that more than half of the nation's 38
million population is expected to face hunger this winter.
"We
must rapidly inject liquidity into the economy and avoid a meltdown that would
lead to poverty, hunger and destitution for millions," Guterres told
reporters in New York.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
lawmaker offers condolences for death of elderly Palestinian after Israeli raid
Servet
Günerigök
15.01.2022
WASHINGTON
US
congresswoman Betty McCollum from the state of Minnesota offered condolences
Friday for the death of an elderly Palestinian-American who was detained by
Israel during a raid in the occupied West Bank.
"This
week 80-year old Omar Abdulmajeed Asaad, a Palestinian-American living in the
West Bank, was pulled from his car, beaten by Israeli soldiers, and left to die
on the side of the road. My condolences to Mr. Asaad’s family. He is now
another victim of this cruel occupation," the Democratic lawmaker wrote on
Twitter.
Fuad
Fattoum, the head of the municipal council in the village of Jaljulia, told
Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that Asaad, who is from the village, died after
being held and assaulted by the Israeli army.
He
said soldiers stormed the village and detained Asaad after beating and
handcuffing him. Soldiers withdrew, leaving the elderly man lying on the ground
inside a house under construction, where he died.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
community in New York mobilizes to support victims of deadly Bronx fire
DINA
SAYEDAHMED AND ALI YOUNES
January
15, 2022
NEW
YORK: Members of the Muslim-American community in the Bronx area of New York
where many Muslim-Americans died in an apartment building fire on January 9
mobilized their efforts to help the residents with support and donations.
At
least 17 Muslim Americans of West African origin died in the fire. Eight of the
victims were under the age of 18. Their Islamic funeral service will be held on
January 16 at the Islamic Cultural Center of the Bronx.
“The
smoke alarms were going off but nobody really took it seriously because they go
off all the time, so nobody knows when it’s an actual emergency,” Bintou
Kamara, 14, told Arab News.
Kamara,
who studies at Harlem Prep High School, has lived at the building, 333 East
181st Street, with her family since an early age.
Kamara
and her family initially thought the fire was coming from an adjacent apartment
building, until they started hearing cries for help and sirens.
“We
heard people yelling for help. We’d seen firefighters, so we realized it was
our house,” Kamara said.
“We took
a scarf and we were waving outside and yelling, ‘help, help.’ It took them like
an hour or two to get to us. We were on the 12th floor.”
Fire
officials said that a malfunctioning electric space heater had started the
fire.
“The
heat sometimes is on, sometimes is off. That’s why everybody in this building
has a heater. Everybody in this building has a heater,” Kamara told Arab News.
“People
don’t wanna freeze. It’s winter. It’s cold. I have a heater in my room. My mom
has a heater. Everybody has a heater. If the building was just providing heat,
none of this would've happened — if they were just doing what they were
supposed to do.”
According
to New York fire officials, the flames themselves did not spread through the
entire building. Instead, thick black smoke engulfed the stairways and seeped
into apartments, blocking the only fire escape and causing several deaths and
hospitalizations.
Fire
Commissioner Daniel Nigro told local media that an apparent malfunction of the
doors in front of the building and on the 15th floor caused the smoke to spread
quickly throughout the building.
Nigro
said the apartment’s front door and a door on the 15th floor should have been
self-closing and blunted the spread of smoke, but the doors stayed fully open.
It was not clear if the doors failed mechanically or if they had been manually
disabled.
But
malfunctions within the apartment building are not uncommon, residents told
Arab News. Fatoumatta Kamara, Bintou’s older sister, said that among the issues
they faced were leaky sinks, peeling paint, and pests.
“Usually
when you tell the landlord something, it’s either not fixed properly or it
damages quickly or they don’t come until a while so you have to repeatedly
continue to file for the same complaint on certain issues of the household,”
Fatoumatta, a 19-year-old student at Fordham University, said. Eventually,
after tiring of long waits, the family would make repairs themselves, she said.
Nearly
a week after the fire, many families are still living in a hotel or with other
family members, with little communication from the building’s landlord. Lawyers
for the families of the victims filed a class action lawsuit seeking $1 billion
in compensation from the building owners, city and state officials.
Despite
having several issues in the apartment where the fire took place, Bintou and
Fatoumatta expressed fondness for the community they’d built over the years.
The
120-unit building is occupied by predominantly low-income communities of
various background, some of whom are Muslim immigrants with West African roots.
The building sits within a 15-mile radius of several mosques which began
mobilizing immediately to help the residents of the building.
Directly
outside Masjid ar-Rahman, a nearby mosque, several cars double parked late into
Thursday night. Inside, several volunteers huddled over hundreds of donated
items, sorting them into different bags: toiletries, snacks, men’s shoes and
women’s shoes, men’s shirts and women’s shirts, baby’s clothes, boys’ clothes,
and girls’ clothes.
“After
we sort through them, we either have family members of people who live in the
building come in to pick up any new items immediately and we’ve also been
sending some to the hotels,” 24-year-old Jenabu Simaha said.
Masjid
al-Taqwa, another mosque in the area, collected monetary donations for the
families and Masjid al-Fawzaan also assigned a drop off location for donations.
Many of the items are new.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2004761/world
--------
Europe
UK
‘hitman’ went to blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya’s home, purchased knife, jury told
Atika
Rehman
January
15, 2022
LONDON:
Muhammad Gohir Khan made multiple attempts to reach Rotterdam, and even bought
a paring knife during his visit to the Netherlands as he scouted the home and
location of exiled blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya.
Khan
also repeatedly asked a middleman in Pakistan — said to be the individual who
allegedly hired the defendant for the murder plot — for more information on the
identity and whereabouts of the blogger.
On
the second day of the trial in which Khan has been charged with conspiracy to
murder, the prosecution again made its case to the jury that the defendant
intended to kill Goraya. Khan has pleaded not guilty and said he wanted to take
the cash — about GBP 80,000 of which an advance of GBP 5,000 was paid — but
that he did not intend to kill the blogger.
Covid
curbs in Europe created hurdles in free movement of defendant
The
trial has revealed chilling details of Khan’s discussions with a Pakistan-based
middleman identified through phone messages as Mudz, Zed or Papa. Evidence
provided by the prosecution shows Khan expressing frustration at only having a
mugshot and an address and demanding more money. Mudz does not give more
information, and insists that “R&D is 75% of the job”.
At
one point when he is in Rotterdam, Khan suggests staging a robbery at the
blogger’s address after his two stake-outs at the location did not yield
information. “If it’s a Paki family how do we know who it is?” the defendant
asked Mudz at another instance, when the two discussed talking to neighbours or
ringing the doorbell of the victim.
Mudz
told Khan he would meet his contact, an unidentified individual who appears to
be the one with more information on Goraya, but said not to expect more
information.
The
prosecution’s case also demonstrated how Covid-19 restrictions in Europe,
particularly the Netherlands, thwarted the defendant’s travel plans. Khan
obtained bogus PCR tests and a bogus invitation letter purporting to be from a
fictitious individual Zubair Khan who the defendant said was his relative.
When
he arrived at Schipol airport in Amsterdam, immigration authorities who
contacted the so-called Zubair Khan became suspicious when the person
telephoned hung up when asked if they knew how old Khan was. Khan was then
denied entry, and returned to the UK. He later travelled to Paris by train, and
then took a bus from there to Rotterdam, where the intended victim lives.
The
prosecution also demonstrated to the jury that Mudz and the defendant discussed
the need for a weapon. Though Mudz said no tool was required as the target was
“a baby not a shark”, Khan said the tool would be purchased in the Netherlands.
Mudz
said it was impossible to travel with a ‘tool’ from the UK to the Netherlands.
“You’ve been watching too many action movies,” he told the defendant. Mudz
emphasised that as far as he understood, a weapon of that size is not required
to take out this particular target.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Moscow
Offers to Facilitate Talks for Islamic Emirate
Jan
15, 2022
The
Russian Federation’s foreign ministry expressed readiness to mediate between
the Islamic Emirate and its "opponents."
The
remarks were made by the Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Maria
Zakharova, in a press conference in Moscow.
“There
have been no contacts with Russia in this regard. But it we were asked based on
regulations, we will be ready to facilitate the negotiations between the new
Afghan authorities and their opponent forces,” she told a press
conference.
But
the Islamic Emirate downplays its political opponents, calling them “not
serious,” and saying that the chance for negotiations with those who fled the
country have been squandered.
“We
don’t have any political opponents. Those who left the country and fled, they
have also lost the chance for negotiations because we were ready for
negotiations in the first place,” said Islamic Emirate spokesman, Zabiullah
Mujahid, speaking to TOLOnews.
This
comes as earlier a delegation of the Islamic Emirate, led by acting Minister of
Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with Ahmad Massoud, leader of the
Resistant Front, and Ismail Khan, the former Herat governor, in Iran.
Muttaqi
confirmed his meeting with Ahmad Massoud and Ismail Khan and said that he
assured them that they can come back and live in Afghanistan “without any
worries."
But
will such a meeting be effective for the ongoing situation in Afghanistan?
“The
current Afghan problems cannot be solved without negotiations. We are hopeful
that such meetings be held, so the Afghan issues can be solved via (talks),’
said Moeen Samkani, leader of Hezb-e-Haq Wa Adalat.
“The
Islamic Emirate should talk with its opposition groups and reach a good
decision,” said Sayed Hashim, a political analyst.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-176304
--------
Turkish
president, UK premier discuss Ukraine, Syria in phone call
Berk
Ozkan, Mustafa Hatipoglu
14.01.2022
Turkey's
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday held a phone call with British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson and discussed developments in Syria and Ukraine.
According
to a statement by Turkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdogan and Johnson
also discussed climate and refugee issues.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
welcomes German court’s conviction of ex-Syrian intelligence officer
Burak
Bir
14.01.2022
The
EU on Friday welcomed the German court’s conviction of a former Syrian
intelligence officer.
In a
written statement, European Union External Action Service (EEAS) called it a
"landmark decision" which found Anwar Raslan guilty of crimes against
humanity.
Anwar
Raslan, 58, was convicted of committing crimes against humanity, murders,
torture, and sexual assault while serving as the head of the investigation unit
at Damascus’ al-Khatib prison between 2011 and 2012.
"This
verdict is part of the first trial worldwide on state-sponsored torture in
Syria and an important step towards the fight against impunity and to secure
justice and accountability in Syria," it added.
The
EEAS also reiterated the EU’s call to have the situation in Syria referred to
the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
The
Higher Regional Court of Koblenz said Raslan was a co-perpetrator in at least
27 murders, 25 cases of dangerous physical injury, many cases of torture, and
individual cases of sexual assault and rape.
He
was arrested in Germany in 2019 after Syrian torture survivors and witnesses
informed the authorities.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Closure
of another mosque in France condemned
January
15, 2022
LAHORE:Tanzim
Islami (TI) ameer Shujauddin Sheikh condemned the closing down of another
mosque by the French govt in Cannes, France, terming it the worst form of state
Islamophobic terrorism. Addressing a gathering on Friday, he said the closure
of another mosque in France had once again proved that the Western world had
become morally bankrupt and cannot allow Muslim minority to worship and
practice its religion. The fact is that the so-called champions of democratic
values, religious freedom and equality in the West, had been committing willful
blasphemy under govt patronage and restricting Muslims from living according to
Islamic teachings.
Source:
The News Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/925245-closure-of-another-mosque-in-france-condemned
--------
Pakistan
Chief
Justice of Pakistan slams Imran Khan govt for poor governance
January
15, 2022
Chief
Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed on Thursday slammed the Imran Khan
government for trying to place Islam in the constitutional dispensation and the
governance paradigm, adding that the court is burdened by petty issues in the
shape of petitions.
"The
capacity to enforce rights of the citizens is not growing [and] as a result the
hapless people of this country are facing typical problems and their
fundamental rights are being violated with impunity," regretted the CJP.
CJP
was speaking at the book launching ceremony of "Reading The Constitution
of Pakistan -- Article wise discussion, fair comments on the case, law and the
history" when he rebuked the government for not handling the public
concerns in the true spirit.
He
said small matters like cleaning of roads; lifting of garbage, maintaining
parks and open spaces, provision of playgrounds and ensuring construction in
accordance with bylaws are being brought up in the court of law.
Furthermore,
he severely criticised the government and said that these are prime and basic
functions of the government, but these basic issues were not being attended to.
Additionally,
he urged the government to take heed of the situation around them and make sure
that the constitution is enforced in all facets of public life.
Moreover,
Justice Khosa enlisted five issues confronting the nation and said unless these
were identified and a solution was discovered, the country would continue to
face insecurity. "For this, we have to catch the bull by the horn."
Justice
Khosa said they had to decide forever what was the role of the state in Islamic
dispensation and where they had to place Islam in the constitutional
dispensation and the governance paradigm, The dawn reported.
He
said the biggest hurdle that was obstructing development was the mindset since
"our loyalty was towards our clan or tribe than the state. Such tendencies
are now even creeping up in different institutions including the legal
fraternity which often goes on strike every now and then. Likewise, we also
have to take care about our economic sovereignty.
Under
the constitution, Chief Justice of Pakistan said, the judiciary had been
bestowed upon the task to ensure that the constitution was applied and enforced
in true spirit.
He
showed his disappointment in the Pakistani government and said, "The capacity
to enforce rights of the citizens is not growing and as a result, the hapless
people of this country are facing typical problems and their fundamental rights
are being violated with impunity"
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Terrorist
killed, 2 others arrested during IBO in North Waziristan: ISPR
January
14, 2022
One
terrorist was killed while two others were arrested during an intelligence-based
operation (IBO) by security forces in Miranshah, North Waziristan, the
military’s media affairs wing revealed in a statement on Friday.
“Weapons
and ammunition [were] also recovered from [the] terrorists. Area clearance
operation in progress to hunt down any other terrorist in the area,” the ISPR
said.
The
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the security forces
conducted the IBO on the reported presence of terrorists.
Separately,
a Pakistan Army soldier embraced martyrdom after terrorists attacked a military
post in Bannu’s Janikhel.
In a
statement, the ISPR said that terrorists fired on a military post on the night
of January 13-14.
“Army
troops initiated a prompt response and effectively engaged the terrorists’
location,” the statement said. It added that during the intense exchange of
fire, 26-year-old Sepoy Sarfaraz Ali embraced martyrdom.
It is
pertinent to note that last week, two soldiers were martyred and many
terrorists killed in two separate IBOs conducted by security forces in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
During
intense exchanges of fire, two terrorists were killed and three others
apprehended, while one surrendered to security forces, the ISPR said, adding
that weapons and a huge cache of ammunition, including improvised explosive
devices and rockets, were found in the terrorists’ possession.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
to seek peace, economic connectivity under new security policy
Reuters
/ Jan 14, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Friday launched its first-ever comprehensive National Security
Policy that it said was centred on regional peace and economic connectivity,
and stressed that it wanted improved relations with arch-rival neighbouring
India.
The
National Security Policy, seven years in the making, is meant to act as a
comprehensive framework tying together policies in different sectors. Economic
security is listed as the top priority.
"I
am confident that effective implementation of this policy will contribute
immensely to our country's economic security," Prime Minister Imran Khan
said, speaking at an event to launch the public version of the policy in
Islamabad.
Officials
say the details of the policy, prepared by a department jointly headed by civil
and military leaders, will remain confidential.
The
policy revolves around seeking peace with neighbours and exploring
opportunities to make Pakistan a trade and investment hub.
"Pakistan
is poised to take advantage of its geo-economically pivotal location to operate
as a production, trade and investment, and connectivity hub for our wider
region to strengthen our economic security," the policy document stated.
It
also sought peace and better relations with rival India but warned that
policies being pursued by its eastern neighbour could lead to conflict.
"The
political exploitation of a policy of belligerence towards Pakistan by India's
leadership has led to the threat of military adventurism and non-contact
warfare to our immediate east," it said.
Pakistan
and India, both of which have nuclear weapons, have fought three wars since
1947 and had a number of military skirmishes - most recently a limited
engagement between their air forces in 2019.
Pakistan
has long been considered by analysts as a security state, where military policy
has always trumped other considerations.
Aside
from three wars with India, Pakistan has been entangled in two wars in
neighbouring Afghanistan, and also dealt with violent Islamist militancy and
separatist movements.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Govt
to give Pakistani nationality to foreign investors
January
15, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The government has decided to offer Pakistani nationality to foreign investors,
especially to fetch heavy investments from wealthy Afghans and Chinese.
Information
Minister Fawad Chaudhry through a late-night tweet on Friday confirmed the
plan.
The
government believes it will fetch billions of dollars of foreign investment by
giving Pakistani nationality and proprietary rights to the foreign investors.
“In
line with new National Security Policy, through which Pakistan declared
geo-economics as core of its national security doctrine, the government has
decided to allow permanent residency scheme for foreign nationals, new policy
allows foreigners to get permanent resident status in lieu of investment,” the
tweet said.
A
source privy to this development told Dawn that the government wanted to
attract heavy investments from the wealthy Afghan nationals who were presently
investing in countries such as Iran, Turkey and Malaysia.
They
said the government also hoped that US-based Sikh nationals would be happy to
make investment in different sectors in Pakistan due to their affection with
Sikh religious sites in the country.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1669503/govt-to-give-pakistani-nationality-to-foreign-investors
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FM
Qureshi urges importance of debt restructuring as Pakistan assumes G77 chair
Anwar
Iqbal
January
15, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: As Pakistan assumed the chair of the Group of 77 on Friday, Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the international community to help
developing countries recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Developing
countries cannot recover if their budgets are further constrained by austerity
packages, imposed increases in energy prices, and weakening of their
currencies. No country must be prevented from serving its people,” he said in
his virtual address to the annual meeting.
The
Group of 77 (G77) is a coalition of 134 developing countries in the United
Nations, designed to promote their collective economic interests. Pakistan will
chair the group for the year 2022.
Pakistan
is one of the founding members of the Group and has had the privilege of
serving as its chair in New York on three occasions in the past.
Mr
Qureshi presided over the proceedings of the opening segment of the handover
ceremony held in a virtual format, and also attended by the outgoing Chair
(Guinea), UN Secretary-General, and President of the UN General Assembly. The
foreign minister pointed out that more than 20 developing countries were in
debt distress, and some had already defaulted. “Over 20 countries are food
insecure. Famine stalks some, especially in conflict zones in Africa and in
Afghanistan,” he warned.
Mr
Qureshi identified the triple crisis — the Covid-19 pandemic; the related
economic downturn; and the threat posed by climate change” — the world was
facing today.
The
foreign minister pointed out that this public health crisis had affected the
developing countries disproportionately.
“Both
because of weak health systems and meager resources, millions in our countries
have suffered enormously and mostly in silence. Apart from lost lives, over 150
million have been pushed into extreme poverty,” he said.
Mr
Qureshi called for universal distribution of vaccines as the best response to
the mutating virus.
The
foreign minister reminded the international community that while rich nations
had injected over $17 trillion to revive their economies, “most developing
countries are still in the grip of the most severe recession in a century”.
He
underscored the need for debt restructuring; fulfillment of the 0.7 per cent
ODA target; redistribution of the $650 billion new SDRs; and larger
concessional finance from the IMF and the multilateral development banks. He
also stressed the need to curb the illicit outflow of trillions of dollars from
developing countries.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Security
policy places economy front and centre
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
January
15, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Amid spiralling inflation and a significant rise in the cost of living for
nearly all Pakistanis, it is perhaps fitting that the country’s first-ever
national security policy acknowledges economic stability as a key component of
national security.
“Pakistan’s
vital national security interests are best served by placing economic security
as the core element of national security. The country’s security imperatives in
the next decade will be driven by the need to realise its economic potential
while ensuring national cohesion, territorial integrity, internal security, and
citizen welfare,” states the National Security Policy (NSP) 2022-2026.
Approved
by the federal cabinet last week, a public version of the policy was unveiled
by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday
While
the policy puts economic security at the core of its comprehensive national
security vision, other elements covered in the document include national
cohesion, defence and territorial integrity, internal security, foreign policy,
and human security.
The
policy, which is being described as an umbrella document for various sectoral
policies, provides strategic guidance for action in these priority areas, while
identifying opportunities and challenges.
PM
admits going to IMF tantamount to compromising country’s security
The
policy makes a rare distinction between traditional security that focuses on
defence, territorial integrity, internal security, and diplomacy; and
non-traditional security, which consists of broader elements that impinge on a
country’s economic health and citizens’ well-being.
In
accordance with its emphasis on strengthening economy, the policy urges putting
geo-economic priorities on a par with geo-strategic imperatives. The strategy
proposed is one of “sustainable and inclusive economic growth” to expand the
national resource pie, so that more resources can be provided to meet the
requirements of defence and other sectors, without having to alter the spending
pattern.
Addressing
a ceremony held to mark the launch of the report, Prime Minister Imran Khan
also echoed this sentiment. “Unless we grow together (as a nation) we will
always remain insecure. Security can only be achieved through inclusive
development and growth,” he said.
Moreover,
PM Khan was quick to underscore that a country cannot be secure without having
a sound economy. “When we go to IMF – the lender of the last resort – and
accept their conditions, our security is compromised,” he said.
He
regretted that the country never had a plan to secure itself economically,
adding that Pakistan would remain insecure if the rich kept getting richer with
no measures in place to protect the downtrodden and vulnerable segments.
The
report also suggests stepping up economic diplomacy by building new economic
partnerships that could also support Pakistan’s political and strategic
interests.
Defence
and internal security
The
NSP puts forward the concept of ‘comprehensive national security’ encompassing
economic, human, and traditional security for the “safety, security, dignity,
and prosperity” of the people.
PM
Khan hailed the policy as “all-encompassing and multi-dimensional” as he vowed
to align all government agencies towards realization of its objectives. The
prime minister linked the military dominance of the national security vision so
far to the “insecure environment” in which the country found itself since its
creation because of the security threats from India.
Citing
the example of USSR, he said, that such one-dimensional approaches cannot
ensure unity and integrity for any country.
“Pakistan’s
future lies in embracing change and breaking the inertia of status-quo in a
world that is undergoing fundamental transformation,” the document states,
urging a refocusing of diplomatic efforts for engagement with the outside world
under “new realities”.
In
the defense sector, the NSP notes that “lingering border disputes” continue to
pose security threats and calls for capitalising on “opportunities” afforded by
newly-instituted border management initiatives and the fencing of the border
with Afghanistan and the merger of the erstwhile tribal areas alongside
securing gains made in the fight against terrorism.
However,
it says that the use of force by India cannot be ruled out. It attributes this
risk to the prevalence of the extremist Hindutva ideology that is dominating
nearly all institutions.
“Pakistan
is committed to defending its territorial integrity in response to any military
misadventure. Requisite conventional capabilities will be ensured through
astute investment in constant modernization of our armed forces without
embroiling in any arms race,” the policy notes.
It
also calls for enhanced indigenous of defence production and prioritisation of
network centricity, battlefield awareness and electronic warfare capabilities.
As per the policy document, these will be paid for through the gains of an
improved economy.
On
space security, it states that Pakistan continues to maintain a policy against
the militarization of space at international forums, but in view of the
developments in the neighbourhood, there will be continued investment in the
national space program.
The
NSP also says that information and cyber-warfare pose a whole new dimension of
security challenges and it was important to put in place robust mechanisms to
protect cyberspace from malicious use, recommending investment in the cyber
security of critical infrastructure.
Touching
upon hybrid warfare, the policy says, “Pakistan will adopt a holistic,
interconnected whole-of-nation approach to neutralise attempts to undermine
Pakistan’s security and stability through hybrid warfare.”
“The
foremost aim of our foreign policy and military capability will remain peace
and stability in the region and beyond, based on mutual respect and sovereign
equality,” NSP states.
Regional
security
The
Indian Ocean, the policy says, is fast becoming a contested space and the
Indian role there is negatively impacting regional security and economic
interests. The NSP recommends a renewed focus on strengthening Pakistan’s
maritime capabilities to meet emerging challenges by protecting its Exclusive
Economic Zone, ensuring the freedom of navigation, and protection against
piracy.
Noting
that the expansion of India’s nuclear triad, open-ended statements on nuclear
policy, and investments in and introduction of de-stabilising technologies were
disturbing the strategic balance in the region, NSP declares that Pakistan’s
deterrence regime is vital for, and aimed at, securing regional peace.
Regarding
India, the national security policy linked problematic ties between Islamabad
and Delhi to the Kashmir dispute and the Modi government’s hegemonic designs.
“Pakistan
remains committed to normalisation of relations with its neighbours based on
mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a collective effort to find pathways
for conflict resolution with the belief that shared economic opportunities are
cornerstones for achieving prosperity in Pakistan and the region,” it said.
Continued
cooperation with the United States, the document says, will remain critical for
regional peace and stability and expresses a desire for diversifying this
relationship through “mutually beneficial” engagements.
“Communicating
Pakistan’s concerns to policy makers in Washington while seeking to broaden our
partnership beyond a narrow counter-terrorism focus will be a priority.
Pakistan will continue to seek areas of convergence with the United States in
trade, investment, connectivity, energy, counter-terrorism, security, and
intelligence cooperation,” it adds.
Internal
security
According
to the policy document, the threat of terrorism still exists, despite progress
in counter-terrorism operations, as it is used by hostile actors for disrupting
peace and development projects. Under the policy, the counter-terrorism
strategy would continue the capacity building of law-enforcement agencies,
efforts to choke terror-financing, conducting intelligence-based operations,
undertaking development projects, and promoting an anti-terror narrative.
Violent
sub-nationalist activities have also been exploited by hostile foreign
intelligence agencies, the policy said and proposed a four-pronged strategy in
this regard, which included separating reconcilables from irreconcilables;
cutting off recruitment; constricting financial sources; and pursuing targeted
socio-economic policies.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1669494/security-policy-places-economy-front-and-centre
--------
Talks
between Jamaat-i-Islami, PPP finally begin
January
15, 2022
KARACHI:
The Jamaat-i-Islami and the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) on Friday held first round of talks over the controversial Sindh Local
Government Act 2021.
The
two sides agreed to continue the process with a clear announcement from the
right-wing party that it was not going to end its ongoing protest sit-in
outside the Sindh Assembly.
JI-Karachi
chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman announced the Karachi Huqooq March on Sunday on main
Sharea Faisal that would end at the sit-in venue.
He
said the Sindh government team led by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah held
talks with the JI team comprising Advocate Saifuddin, Dr Osama Razi, MPA Abdul
Rasheed and Muslim Pervez at the minister’s office in the Sindh Assembly.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1669463/talks-between-jamaat-i-islami-ppp-finally-begin
--------
SBP
urged to allow trade in cash with Afghanistan
January
15, 2022
QUETTA:
President of the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Fida
Hussain Dashti on Friday urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to allow trade
with Afghanistan in cash until a proper banking system is made functional on
both sides of the border.
He
said in a statement that if this facility was not extended to the business
community, they would not only face bankruptcy but thousands of people would
also become jobless.
Mr
Dashti said that the economic development of any country, province or region
depended on good and stable trade relations with its neighbours and other
countries.
He
said promotion of legal trade was top priority of the BCCI and it wanted to
strengthen relations with Iran and Afghanistan. However, he said that the
conditions set by the SBP for trade with neighbouring countries, especially
with Afghanistan, were creating hurdles in smooth trade and business relations.
“We
want that the SBP should allow trade with Afghanistan in cash until the banking
channel with Afghanistan is made functional,” Mr Dashti said.
He
said the government should seriously consider the demand of Balochistan’s
traders, otherwise thousands of people would lose jobs, and the trade deficit
of Pakistan would further widen.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1669497/sbp-urged-to-allow-trade-in-cash-with-afghanistan
--------
Arab World
Arab
Coalition strikes kill 150 Houthis, destroy 22 military vehicles in Yemen
14
January ,2022
The
Arab Coalition carried out targetted military strikes against the Iran-backed
Houthi militia in the Yemeni city of Marib, killing 250 “terrorists” and
destroying 22 military vehicles, the coalition said in a statement carried by
the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Friday.
The
attack took place over 24 hours and involved 36 different targets, SPA added.
Simultaneously,
the Arab Coalition also held military operations on 12 targets in the Yemeni
town of al-Bayda, eliminating “80 terrorist elements” and seven military
vehicles.
Yemen’s
Iran-backed Houthis launched dozens of cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia throughout
2021.
In
September 2021, the Houthis intensified their efforts to take Marib, a
provincial capital which is the government’s last northern stronghold.
As
hostilities escalated, the Houthis on January 3 seized a United Arab
Emirates-flagged ship that the coalition said was carrying medical supplies.
The
Iran-backed militia targeted civilian areas and energy facilities in the
Kingdom with explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles.
The
Arab Coalition has been carrying out attacks against legitimate military Houthi
targets in Yemen in recent months, warning civilians to not approach or gather
around the targeted sites beforehand.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
After
a hiatus of two years, the Prophet’s Mosque will allow iftar sofras under
strict protocols
January
14, 2022
MADINAH
— The Agency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah announced on
Thursday a plan to resume mass iftar (breaking fast) program at the mosque
during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan after a hiatus of two years.
The
iftar program has been suspended as part of precautionary measures following
the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic since Ramadan 1441, which started on April
24, 2020.
The
agency said the resumption of iftar meal at the Prophet’s Mosque will be under
strict health protocols to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Only those
people who are licensed to spread iftar sofra (spread on which food is laid) will
be allowed to do so at their previously designated places. The exact number of
worshipers allowed at each sofra will be informed later after reviewing the
pandemic situation.
The
agency stressed that the iftar meal providers have to conclude contracts with
approved catering companies to prepare meals, and to restrict the number of
people on one sofra to 5 in the event of implementing regulations to maintain
social distancing, and 12 people in the event of not applying social distancing
measures.
The
regulations also include seating on one side of the sofra, facing the qiblah.
Those licensed to provide iftar meal service shall update their data effective
from the beginning of the month of Rajab (Feb. 2, 2022), the agency added.
The
General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques had suspended
spreading iftar sofras and performing i’tikaaf (the practice of staying at a
mosque for worship for a certain period of time) at the Grand Mosque in Makkah
and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah during the last two seasons of Ramadan as
part of the coronavirus protocols.
However,
the presidency made arrangements to distribute individual ready-made iftar
meals for those visiting the Holy Mosques under strict measures. Only bottled
water and packets of dates were allowed to serve within the precincts of the
Holy Mosques.
Before
the outbreak of the pandemic, mass iftar at the Prophet’s Mosque during Ramadan
used to provide a unique spiritual experience not only for the people of
Madinah but also for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors who
come to the holy city from different corners of the world.
The
iftar sofras at the Prophet’s Mosque are considered as the longest food table
in the world. Dates, bread, yogurt, Arabian coffee, and water bottles are supplied
in abundance to meet the requirements of the increasing number of worshippers
who break their fast at the mosque.
Heavy
dishes such as kabsa, mandi, meat, rice, as well as fruits and juices were
served in the shaded courtyards around the mosque where there were separate
sections for women. Massive and elaborate arrangements for iftar were made
inside and outside the mosque with worshippers filling all its corners.
According
to sources, there were around 30,000 sofras spread out in the mosque and 63,000
sofras at its shaded courtyards during the holy month before the outbreak of
the pandemic.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
tells Lebanon not to fear sanctions over energy supply plans, PM’s office says
14
January ,2022
The
US ambassador to Lebanon told the Lebanese government it should not fear a US
sanctions law over its plans to receive energy supplies from the region, the
office of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday.
Lebanon,
which is grappling with a deep financial crisis, is seeking to import energy
from fellow Arab states to ease an acute power shortage.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
However,
supplies would have to transit Syria, which is subject to a US sanctions law.
US
Ambassador Dorothy Shea handed Mikati a letter from the US Treasury Department
“to answer some of the concerns the Lebanese authorities had regarding regional
energy agreements that the United States helped facilitate between Lebanon,
Jordan and Egypt,” the statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Under
a plan agreed between Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Syria in September, Egyptian
gas would be piped to Lebanon via Jordan and Syria to help boost Lebanon’s
power output, which now delivers a few hours a day of electricity at best.
The
plan, which has US backing, aims to pump the gas through an Arab pipeline
established about 20 years ago.
However,
the plan has been complicated by US sanctions on the Syrian government, under
President Bashar al-Assad, prompting Lebanese officials to ask Washington to
grant an exemption. Damascus has said it was ready to cooperate.
Senior
Republican lawmakers and former US officials quickly hit out at the Biden
administration.
“Exceptionally
poor advice. Lebanon should absolutely worry about violating US sanctions. So
should every other country involved,” Senator Ted Cruz tweeted.
He
added: “Congress isn’t going to allow Team Biden to enrich Iran’s proxies,
especially not bloody tyrants like Assad. US sanctions will be enforced.”
Congressman
Joe Wilson echoed Cruz’s sentiment. “The Caesar Act is clear. Congress will
hold Biden accountable for any sanctions relief provided to Assad. Lebanon’s
energy and economic crisis will not be solved by enriching mass murderer Assad
and Iran’s proxies,” he said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Attacks
on Iraq political party’s HQ, Green Zone raise security fears
January
15, 2022
BAGHDAD:
An explosion from a hand grenade hit the headquarters of Iraqi parliament
speaker Mohammed Halbousi’s Taqaddum party in Baghdad early on Friday wounding
two guards, police sources said.
The
blast caused damage to the building’s doors and windows, police said. No group
claimed responsibility and there was no comment from Halbousi or the Iraqi
government immediately for the incident.
A
similar incident hours later targeted the Baghdad headquarters of the Azm party
of another Sunni politician, Khamis Al-Khanjar, police said, but caused only
light damage.
There
was no claim of responsibility for the second incident.
Iraq’s
parliament, newly elected after an Oct. 10 general election in which the
populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr was the biggest winner, voted to
reinstate Halbousi for his second term as speaker on Sunday.
Shiite
parties aligned with Iran and which rival Al-Sadr, opposed the selection of
Halbousi.
On
Thursday, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, the country’s highest tribunal,
provisionally suspended Halbousi, after two fellow deputies lodged a complaint
claiming his re-election was unconstitutional.
This
will affect the work of parliament whose first task is to elect the country’s
president, who then must name a prime minister tasked with forming a new
government following October elections.
But
the court said suspending the speaker should not affect a 30- day deadline to
elect Iraq’s new president.
Separately,
three people including two children were wounded in rocket attacks on Thursday
in Baghdad’s Green Zone, with one hitting a school and two smashing into the US
Embassy grounds, Iraqi security sources said.
“Three
rockets were fired toward the Green Zone,” a high-ranking Iraqi official said,
preferring anonymity. “Two of those fell on the grounds of the American
Embassy, and the other on a school nearby, injuring a woman, a girl and a young
boy.”
In
recent months, dozens of rocket assaults or drone bomb attacks have targeted
American troops and interests in Iraq.
The
attacks are rarely claimed, but are routinely pinned on pro-Iran factions.
These
factions in Iraq are calling for the departure of all US forces stationed in
the country.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2004726/middle-east
--------
Mideast
8
Hamas, 'Islamic Jihad' Leaders Leave Gaza to Live Abroad
14
January, 2022
Senior
leaders of Palestinian factions have left their homes in Gaza Strip and are
currently living in luxury hotels in rich countries, together with their
families, said intelligence sources in Israel.
According
to a report by Yedioth Ahronoth, "From refugee camps to 5-star hotels,"
at least eight top figures from the Hamas movement and the "Islamic
Jihad" left the enclave over the past year.
The
first to take part in this exodus was Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader
abroad, who left his home in the Al-Shati Refugee Camp for the extravagant
hotels in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Haniyeh
justified his departure due to his candidacy for the leadership of Hamas - but
the election ended a few months ago. He pressured Egyptian authorities to allow
his wife and children to leave the Strip through the Rafah crossing, and they
are currently living with him in opulence in Qatar, said the report.
Another
key figure is Khalil al-Hayya, who until very recently served as the deputy of
Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. He left the enclave several months ago
after receiving a promotion as the group’s "head of Relations for Arab and
Muslim Countries."
Just
like Haniyeh, Hayyah managed to get his family out of Gaza and move to Doha.
Others
on the list include Salah al-Bardawil, a senior member of the group who
obtained permission to leave Gaza with his family for one year; Hamas'
spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri and veteran diplomatic advisor and Haniyeh’s
personal deputy Taher al-Nunu.
Doha
is not the only destination, with Turkey becoming the new home of Hamas top
figure Fathi Hamad.
Source:
Aawsat
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3414056/8-hamas-islamic-jihad-leaders-leave-gaza-live-abroad
--------
Thousands
of Palestinians attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque
January
15, 2022
Despite
tight security conditions imposed by the Israeli regime and the rainy weather,
thousands of Palestinian people held Friday prayers today at the Al-Aqsa Mosque
Compound.
Sources
estimate the number of participants at around 30,000, according to a report by
Palestine Today.
This
is while Israeli security forces imposed tight security around the old
Jerusalem al-Quds and areas leading to the holy mosque.
According
to the report, Israeli forces prevented the entry of some Palestinians to the
al-Aqsa Mosque while also searching citizens’ personal data-x-items and checking
identity cards.
The
al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses
both the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source:
ABNA24
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--------
Muslims
in Russia value brotherly ties with Iran: cleric
January
14, 2022
He
made the remarks in a meeting with the Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem
Jalali, noting that officials of the two countries have consolidated trustable
ties in years before.
“Russian
Muftis Shura Council and the Religious Administration of Muslims in Russia
expanded amicable ties with Iranian religious communities in line with a good
relationship between the two nations,” he noted.
Pointing
to cultural commonalities between Russian and Iranian Muslims, he argued that
Russia’s Tatars are keen to maintain and expand cultural and religious ties
especially due to their interest in Persian culture and language.
He
also urged the Iranian ambassador to convey warm greetings from Russian Muslims
to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President
Ebrahim Raisi.
Jalali,
for his part, said that the Iranian diplomatic mission in Moscow will do its
best to maintain good cooperation with Russians in particular in the religious
arena.
He
further referred to the fact that Sheikh Rawi Ainuddin enjoys a special
position in religious circles in Iran because of his efforts to enhance
constructive dialogue.
Source:
Tehran Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/469056/Muslims-in-Russia-value-brotherly-ties-with-Iran-cleric
--------
Iranian,
Chinese FMs Vow to Broaden Bilateral Ties
2022-January-14
During
the meeting in the Chinese capital today, the Iranian and Chinese foreign
ministers explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral
relations in various areas.
Amir
Abdollahian departed Tehran for Beijing on Thursday to hold meetings and talks
with high-ranking Chinese officials on bilateral ties, as well as regional and
international issues.
During
his visit, bilateral relations in the political, economic and cultural fields,
as well as international and regional issues will be discussed.
Speaking
in a press conference on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang
Wenbin announced that Iran's foreign minister will visit his Chinese
counterpart on Friday.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001024000371/Iranian-Chinese-FMs-Vw-Braden-Bilaeral-Ties
--------
Senior
Cleric Blasts West for Hatching Plots in Vienna Talks
2022-January-14
Addressing
a congregation of people at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla
(congregational prayers site), Hojjatoleslam Hajaliakbari said, "The
negotiators in the Vienna talks should courageously neutralize the enemy's
plots on the removal of the US sanctions."
"We
are in no hurry in the negotiations, but we will not allow the negotiations to
last too long," he added.
The
senior negotiator called on the negotiators to thwart the enemy's plots with
wisdom, rationality, trust in God and the workable plans.
Iran
and the G4+1 group of countries – Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China –
resumed talks in Vienna on January 3 after the parties took a three-day break
for the New Year. The US is not allowed to directly attend the talks due to its
pullout in 2018 from the landmark deal with Iran.
The
eighth round of the Vienna talks began on December 27 with a focus on the
removal of all sanctions that the US imposed on Iran.
During
the previous round of the talks, the first under Iran’s new President Seyed
Ebrahim Rayeesi, Iran presented new proposals at the negotiating table to help
the talks move forward and later criticized the European signatories of the
JCPOA for failing to follow suit and remaining passive.
One
year after Washington’s exit from the deal and the failure of the European
signatories to uphold their commitments under pressure from the US, Iran took a
set of retaliatory steps away from the deal in several stages in line with its
legal contractual rights.
With
a new administration in office in the US, Washington says it wants to rejoin
the deal, but it has been dragging its feet in removing the sanctions on Iran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iran’s
Khomenei’s website shows animated video of drone strike killing Trump
14
January ,2022
The
website of Iran’s supreme leader has showcased an animated video that appears
to show a robot calling in a drone strike to assassinate former US President
Donald Trump.
The
animated video was part of a contest to mark the January 3, 2020 killing of
former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani,
who was slain in an American drone strike in Baghdad.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
video, posted Wednesday on the website of Khamenei’s office, appears to show
Trump, on the golf course at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, being targeted in a drone
strike.
It
was shared by many on social media.
The
video mirrored a propaganda poster last year also showing Trump on a golf
course, calling for revenge for Soleimani’s slaying.
Earlier
this month, Iran’s extremist President Ebrahim Raisi demanded Trump be
“prosecuted and killed.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Many
injured as police break up protests in Israel's Negev region
Abdelraouf
Arnaout
14.01.2022
JERUSALEM
Several
protesters were injured as the Israeli police used brutal force to suppress a
demonstration in the Negev region in southern Israel, an Arab human rights
center in Israel said.
On
Thursday, hundreds of local Arabs in Negev staged protests against their land
confiscation by the Jewish National Fund.
In a
statement, Adalah, the legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel, said
that the Israeli police, disguised in Arab clothes, also arrested a large
number of demonstrators.
The
police used sound bombs, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse people,
causing several injuries, according to the statement.
It
said that Arabs in the Negev had obtained prior permission from the police to
organize the demonstration.
The
police dispersed Thursday's demonstration before it could start, the statement
added.
For
its part, the Israeli police said in a statement that their forces tried to
control riots in the Shaqib al-Salam and Tel el-Saba' areas.
The
Israeli police did not reveal the exact number of demonstrators detained.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Africa
Ennahda
Movement accuses Tunisian authorities of controlling media
Adel
al-Thabti
14.01.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia’s
Renaissance Party, or Ennahda Movement, has accused the country’s authorities
of "striving to put a political and security hand on the public
media."
"The
suppression of rights and freedoms was manifested in the deprivation of
political parties from appearing in public media and the blow against
syndicates’ right to stage strikes, protest, and negotiate in order to improve
the deteriorating conditions of this sector," Ennahda said in a statement
released on Thursday.
The
authority, according to Ennahda, "seeks to put a political and security
hand on the public media, whose liberation through the revolution was the
greatest gain."
On
July 25, President Kais Saied deposed the government, suspended parliament, and
assumed executive authority.
He
insisted that the "exceptional measures" were intended to
"save" the country, but critics accuse him of planning a
"coup."
Ennahda,
which was founded in 1981 and is the largest party in the now-suspended
Tunisian parliament, called the accusations "politicized" and
demanded that the suspension be lifted immediately.
The
head of the Journalists Syndicate, Mahdi al-Jelassi, said in a media statement
Tuesday that "there is a political decision to prevent all parties from
entering public television and participating in its programs, which represents
a major setback for press freedom in the country."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Tunisia's
Ennahda calls for Jan 14 to be marked as 2011 revolution anniversary
Yamena
Salemi
14.01.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
The
Tunisian Ennahda party on Friday made a public call to mark the anniversary of
the country's 2011 revolution on Friday amid calls by various groups to rally
against a power grab last year by President Kais Saied.
"We
call upon the Tunisian people to celebrate the glorious revolution anniversary
and to express with all legal and peaceful means the commitment to the
revolution's values and goals," said a statement by the political party.
Ennahda,
the largest party in the now-suspended Tunisian parliament, called on people in
the country to condemn Saied's "coup path that aims to restore the
authoritarian autocracy rule" in Tunisia.
Meanwhile,
a movement named Citizens Against Coup, which spearheads protests against
Saied's power seizure, said on Friday that security forces had arrested a
number of demonstrators in the capital Tunis without specifying the exact
number of detainees.
Authorities
are yet to comment on the arrests.
Jan.
14 marks the anniversary of the Tunisian revolution that toppled Ben Ali.
Saied, however, changed the date to Dec. 17, when fruit seller Mohammed
Bouazizi set himself ablaze after an altercation with police, the incident
which ignited the uprising.
Saied
ousted the government on July 25, 2021, suspended parliament and assumed
executive authority, insisting that the "exceptional measures" were
meant to "save" the country.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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New
US-Africa envoy to visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Ethiopia: State department
15
January ,2022
The
US special envoy for the Horn of Africa will visit Saudi Arabia, Sudan and
Ethiopia next week amid ongoing crises in the two African nations, the State
Department announced Friday.
David
Satterfield and Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee will travel to Riyadh,
Khartoum and Addis Ababa from January 17 to January 20.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
In
Riyadh, the pair will meet with the Friends of Sudan, a group calling for the
restoration of the country’s transitional government following a military coup
in October.
The
meeting aims to “marshal international support” for the UN mission to
“facilitate a renewed civilian-led transition to democracy” in Sudan, according
to the statement.
Satterfield
and Phee will then travel to Khartoum, where they will meet with pro-democracy
activists, women’s and youth groups, civil organizations and military and
political figures.
“Their
message will be clear: the United States is committed to freedom, peace, and
justice for the Sudanese people,” the statement read.
In
Ethiopia, the pair will talk with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a
resolution to the deepening civil war.
“They
will encourage government officials to seize the current opening for peace by
ending the air strikes and other hostilities,” the statement read.
They
will also ask for the establishment of a ceasefire, the release of political
prisoners and the restoration of humanitarian access.
Satterfield,
the former US ambassador to Turkey, was appointed to replace Jeffrey Feltman as
special envoy on January 6.
Feltman
quit just as he visited Ethiopia in a bid to encourage peace talks to end more
than a year of war following the withdrawal of Tigrayan rebels.
The
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which last year threatened to march on
Addis Ababa, by December had withdrawn to its stronghold, and the government
has not pursued the rebels further on the ground.
Feltman
had also sought to tackle the crisis in Sudan, but he was treated
unceremoniously in October when Sudan’s military ruler, General Abdel Fattah
al-Burhan, carried out a coup just after the US envoy had left the country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Tunisian
court sentences nine to death for killing army official: State media
15
January ,2022
A
Tunisian court specialized in terrorism sentenced nine defendants to death in
the case of killing Said Ghozlani, a first sergeant in the Tunisian national
army, the state news agency TAP reported on Friday.
At
least 15 others were ordered imprisonment from 32 to 44 years.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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At
least 108 civilians killed this year in Tigray airstrikes: UN
14
January ,2022
At
least 108 civilians have been killed this month in a series of airstrikes in
the war-torn northern Tigray region of Ethiopia, the United Nations said
Friday.
The
UN also warned of a looming humanitarian disaster in the region, with its food
distribution operations on the verge of grinding to a halt.
The
UN human rights office urged the Ethiopian authorities to ensure the protection
of civilians, saying disproportionate attacks hitting non-military targets
could amount to war crimes.
Northern
Ethiopia has been beset by conflict since November 2020 when Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray after accusing the region’s ruling party, the
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), of attacks on federal army camps.
“We
are alarmed by the multiple, deeply disturbing reports we continue to receive
of civilian casualties and destruction of civilian objects resulting from
airstrikes in Ethiopia’s Tigray region,” rights office spokeswoman Liz
Throssell told reporters in Geneva
“At
least 108 civilians have reportedly been killed and 75 others injured since the
year began, as a result of air strikes allegedly carried out by the Ethiopian
air force.”
She
detailed a series of airstrikes, including the January 7 attack on the Dedebit
camp for internally displaced persons, which left at least 56 dead and 30
others wounded, of which three later died in hospital.
On
Monday, 17 civilians were reportedly killed and 21 injured after an airstrike
hit a flour mill, and on Tuesday, the state-owned Technical Vocational
Education and Training institute was hit, reportedly killing three men, said
Throssell.
Numerous
other airstrikes were reported last week, she added.
“We
call on the Ethiopian authorities and their allies to ensure the protection of
civilians and civilian objects, in line with their obligations under
international law,” said Throssell.
“Failure
to respect the principles of distinction and proportionality could amount to
war crimes.”
Meanwhile
the UN’s World Food Program said its distributions were at an all-time low,
with the escalation of the conflict meaning that no WFP convoy has reached the
Tigrayan capital Mekele since mid-December.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Ghana
‘delighted’ following removal from EU money laundering list
Enoch
Fiifi Forson
14.01.2022
ACCRA,
Ghana
Ghanaian
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Friday announced that his country has been removed
from the EU gray list of high-risk third countries in money laundering
activities.
“We
are delighted that, on 7th January 2022, we received a notification from the
European Commission, through the intermediary of the Commissioner for Financial
Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, Mairead McGuinness,
that Ghana, after the pursuit of some rigorous reforms, has now, formally, been
removed from the Grey List of high-risk third countries in money laundering activities,”
Akufo-Addo said.
He
was speaking at a joint news conference with Hungarian President Janos Ader,
who is on a state visit to Ghana.
In
May 2020, the European Commission listed Ghana and 11 other countries as having
loopholes in their anti-money laundering and countering the financing of
terrorism regimes, posing a threat to the EU's financial system.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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