Sirajuddin Haqqani, Home Minister of Afghanistan under Taliban Praised the Sacrifices of ‘Martyrs and Suicide Bombers’, Vows Cash, Land, To Bombers’ Kin
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 October 2021
Sirajuddin Haqqani. Photo
Credit: Haqqani Network (HN)
------
• Islamic Jihad Chief: Attempts To Promote
Normalization with Israel among West’s Anti-Muslim Moves
• Tameer-e-Millat Hyderabad Condemns Islamophobia, Mob
Lynching Incidents and Delhi Riots at Its Annual Milad Meet
• Pakistan PM Vows to Turn Pakistan into Welfare State
Modelled On Riyasat e Madina
• Racist Zionist Ideology Biggest Threat To Muslim
World: Algeria’s High Islamic Council
South
Asia
• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Orders Tough Action
against Communal Rioters
• Bangladesh Attacks Trigger Protests with Civil
Society Members Criticising Govt
• Taliban recognition not on agenda, Moscow hosting
conference on Afghanistan
• Taliban satisfied of negotiations with Zalmay
Khalilzad
• Grenade targets Taliban vehicle in Afghan capital:
Officials
• 2 Taliban fighters, 4 school children wounded in
Kabul grenade attack
• Taliban agree to new polio vaccination across
Afghanistan
--------
Mideast
• EU Says Turkey Still ‘Backsliding’ On Reforms,
Gloomy On Membership Chances
• Spokesman: Brussels Meeting Aimed at Discussing
Grounds for Vienna Talks
• President Rayeesi: Iran Determined to Further
Broaden Cooperation with Latin America
--------
India
• VHP to Hold Nationwide Protest against Attacks on
Hindus and Vandalisation of Temples and Durga Puja Marquees in Bangladesh
• Muslim Marriage Doesn’t Negate Maintenance:
Karnataka HC
• Karnataka: Muslim Man, Whose Shop Was Vandalised,
Injured In an Allegedly Hit-And-Run Incident
• NIA to investigate 4 cases of civilian killings in
J&K
• Won’t tolerate moral policing, says Karnataka home
minister
--------
Pakistan
• PPP squanders away public money on party’s
programmes, say PTI leaders
• President Alvi Urges Nation to Follow in Footsteps of
Holy Prophet As Country Celebrates Eid Milad un Nabi
• Imran Khan at Loggerheads with Army on New Spy
Chief, Opposition Comes Together To Oust Pak PM
--------
Africa
• Mali asks Muslim body to negotiate with al
Qaeda-affiliate
• Tunisia’s new government sworn in without
parliamentary approval
• 'Turkey aims to boost cooperation in defense
industry with Nigeria'
• Ethiopia launches airstrikes on Tigray capital,
rebels claim 3 civilians killed
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Xinjiang’s ‘Architecture of Repression’ Targets Muslim
Uighurs
• Jakim tells Muslims to be mindful when delivering Dawah
on social media
• Floating mosque to be built in Pulau Besar, says
Melaka Islamic Dept chief
--------
Arab
World
• Iraq Captures Mastermind of 2016 Islamic State Terror
Attack That Killed Hundreds
• Arab coalition says 48 Yemen Houthis killed near
Marib
• 10 civilians killed, 35 injured by Assad regime
attack in Idlib, NW Syria
• Ministry of Islamic Affairs to Continue To Apply
Social Distancing In Mosques
• Five civilians among eight killed in shelling of
Syria’s Idlib
• Syria explosion targeting army bus kills 13, wounds
three in Damascus
• Lebanese parliament confirms election date as March
27
--------
Europe
• ‘Wave of Terrorism in Europe Moving Toward UK’:
Ex-Counterterror Chief
• Taliban get aid promise but not recognition on eve
of Moscow talks
• Greek, Egyptian, Greek Cypriot leaders reiterate
their commitment to tripartite alliance
• Illegal claims by Greece, Greek Cypriots behind East
Med tensions: Turkey
--------
North
America
• Biden Nominates Middle East Expert Donald Blome as
New US Ambassador To Pakistan
• Top US official in Lebanon to discuss energy crisis,
border dispute with Israel
• Parties to Syrian constitutional talks begin
drafting process
• US again denies unfreezing assets of Afghanistan
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sirajuddin-haqqani-martyrs-suicide-bombers/d/125611
--------
Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting HM Praised the Sacrifices
of ‘Martyrs and Suicide Bombers’, Vows Cash, Land, To Bombers’ Kin
Oct 20, 2021
Sirajuddin Haqqani. Photo
Credit: Haqqani Network (HN)
------
KABUL: The Taliban have promised plots of land to
relatives of suicide bombers who attacked US and Afghan soldiers, in a
provocative gesture that seems to run counter to their efforts to court
international support. The Taliban’s acting interior minister, Sirajuddin
Haqqani, offered the reward to family members of bombers gathered at a Kabul
hotel, interior ministry spokesman Saeed Khosty tweeted on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering Monday, Haqqani praised the
sacrifices of “martyrs and fidayeen”, referring to fighters killed in suicide
attacks, Khosty tweeted. Haqqani called them “heroes of Islam and the country,”
according to the spokesman. At the end of the meeting, he distributed 10,000
afghanis ($112) per family and promised each a plot of land.
The event comes as the Taliban attempt to open
diplomatic channels with an international community largely reluctant to
formally recognise their rule in Afghanistan. The promise of rewards for
suicide bombings signals conflicting approaches within the Taliban leadership.
They are trying to position themselves as responsible rulers, who promise
security for all and have condemned suicide attacks by rivals, the militant
Islamic State-Khorasan. On the other hand, they praise such tactics when it
comes to their followers. The Taliban cannot afford to alienate the US, which
froze billions of dollars in Afghan assets in US accounts.
At the same time, the Taliban cannot afford to lose
their hardline base, especially in the wake of a growing IS-K threat. Suicide
bombings and roadside explosives were tactics used by the Taliban to wear down
Afghan and US forces throughout 20-year insurgency.
Source: Times of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Islamic Jihad Chief: Attempts To Promote Normalization
with Israel among West’s Anti-Muslim Moves
October 20, 2021
The secretary general of
the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said one of the West’s moves against Muslims
is promoting normalization deals with the Zionist regime of Israel.
-----
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 35th
International Islamic Unity Conference here in Tehran on Tuesday, Ziyad
al-Nakhalah said Western colonization has targeted Muslims with numerous
challenges such as imposing economic blockades, waging wars and fomenting
conflicts in the Muslim world.
He added that such moves are in line with Judaization
of Jerusalem al-Quds and the Zionists’ attempts to take control of Al-Aqsa
Mosque.
Nakhalah warned against disunity in the Islamic world
and said discord and disputes among Muslims are the result of plots hatched by
the West’s spy agencies in collaboration with regimes supported by the West.
He also referred to the issue of Palestine as the main
issue in the Muslim world and said liberation Palestine is a task upon all
Muslims.
The Islamic Jihad chief thanked the Islamic Republic
of Iran for its constant support for the Palestinian nation since the victory
of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and stressed that it has played a main role in
the continuation of Palestinian resistance against the Tel Aviv regime.
Source: ABNA24
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Tameer-e-Millat Hyderabad Condemns Islamophobia, Mob
Lynching Incidents and Delhi Riots at Its Annual Milad Meet
By Sumaya Junaid Ahmed
19th October 2021
Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat (AIMTM)
condemned Islamophobia and expressed its concern for the growing menace in the
name of Islam and the role of certain media houses for their biased,
provocative and inflammatory propaganda against the Muslim community during the
72nd annual Milad public meeting held today at exhibition grounds Nampally.
The AIMTM extended their support to the ongoing farmer
agitation and urged the central government to accept the demands of farmers who
are protesting for the last year. A resolution was passed demanding the same
from the central government.
The organisation passed two more resolutions in which
it condemned the mob lynching incidents, Delhi riots of 2020, arresting of
innocent Muslim youth as well as eminent Islamic scholars with “baseless”
allegations of forced religious conversions.
The 72nd annual Milad public meeting was held to mark
the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammed.
Islamic scholar and former Rajya Sabha member Maulana
Obaidullah Khan Azmi was the chief guest of the annual public meeting. In his
address, he said, “Prophet Muhammed is the all-time great reformist whose teachings of equality, rights for human
and women, and even all living beings brought a revolution of thoughts,
strategies and concepts.”
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, All India
Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) acting general secretary Maulana Khalid
Saifullah Rahmani said that societal reforms begin from home and urged Muslims
to give due time to their family members.
“Women rights must be honoured,” he added. “people
spend exorbitant money on dowry and extravagant weddings but they do not give
female members of the family their due share as decreed by the Shariah (Islamic
jurisprudence),” Maulana Rahmani said.
Speaking on the occasion, AIMPLB Secretary Maulana
Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani urged Muslims to “work for the rights of their spouses,
oppressed members of the society, the working labour and other deprived pockets
of the community in line with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed.”
Delivering the presidential address, Tameer-e-Millat
president Ziauddin Nayyar reiterated the importance of Tameer e Millat’s Milad
programs, “especially in contemporary times which are challenging for Indian
Muslims”.
Earlier, chairman of Reception Committee Syed
Aneesuddin welcomed the gathering while Tameer-e-Millat secretary Omer Ahmed
Shafeeq presented the annual report of the organisation. The former president
of the American Federation of Muslims of India Dr Khutbuddin Mohammed was also
present on this occasion. Every year, the Tameer e Millat organizes grand
public meetings on the occasion of Milad un Nabi.
Source: Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Pakistan PM Vows to Turn Pakistan into Welfare State
Modelled On Riyasat e Madina
October 19, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday vowed to continue
the struggle for turning Pakistan into a welfare state on the model of Riyasat
Madina to take care of poor people, uphold justice, raise moral standards, stop
corruption and preserve the family system.
Speaking at the Rahmatul lil Aalameen Conference here
on the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi, he said “We can rise as a nation by
following the guiding principles of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).”
The Prime minister said Pakistan had everything but
people needed to change their path to achieve success and change Pakistan
according to the model of Riyasat e Madina.
About 25 years back, Pakistan Tehreek I Insaf (PTI)
was founded to struggle for a welfare state, he recalled.
He said Rahmatul lil Aalameen Authority was formed to
make youth familiar about the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The authority will be headed by an experienced scholar
well versed in Islamic thinking and life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he
informed.
Courses on Seerat e Nabi were started in schools and
the authority will monitor the curriculum, he added. “We will produce cartoons
according to our culture.”
Scholars in the authority will monitor the media and
an international cell would be formed to stop Islamophobia and convey the world
about feelings of Muslims and their love for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he told.
Research would be done in universities on the rise of
Muslim society while through special projects, citizens would be taught about
eminent Muslim personalities who emphasized upon love for humanity and peace,
he explained.
The PM said Rahmatul lil Aalameen scholarships would
be given to students who would be doing research life of Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH).
The prime minister said in the year 622 AD, Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) reached Madina and in ten years he changed the map of Arabia,
tens of thousands of persons converted to Islam and prevailed upon the empires
of Byzantine and Persia.
He said the Holy Quran stressed on Muslims to learn
from the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Our youth would be made aware about the life and
teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the new authority, he added.
He said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) raised the level of
morality in society and created distinction between good and evil. Muslims of
Riyasat e Madina had high moral standards and were endowed with values of
justice, equity and rule of law.
The countries which moved ahead in the world had high
moral standards, justice and equality, he maintained.
“Our struggle is for justice and creating a society
where right prevailed and poor received justice.”
Tribesmen in Afghanistan always remained free due to
their justice system and they fought all the super powers of the world, he
noted.
So prevalence of justice kept the people free, he said
adding system of merit was an important ingredient for a successful society.
He said Riyasat e Madina was the first welfare state
which took care of the poor people and vulnerable sections of society. Muslims
brought a revolution not through sword but through change of thought, he
observed. Baba Farid Ganj Shakar, Data Sahib, Khawaja Moeenuddin Chishti and
others followed the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and earned love of the
people, he asserted.
The PM said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) created leaders
who were truthful, trust worthy and brave. He said Allah created humans as the
best of creatures, adding Muslims gave rights of property to women, made slaves
part of society and treated them as their family members.
He said our Prophet (PBUH) stressed on the importance
of education and Islamic countries became centers of learning.
Our Prophet (PBUH) was a blessing for the whole
humanity not just for the Muslims, he stressed.
Imran Khan said in the Panama case, people were lying
in the Supreme Court, if they had done so in a British Court they would have
been sent to jail.
He said nobody think in Britain to buy votes and steal
the public money. “When I look at our political system, I think that our
country cannot strengthen democracy and make progress without moral standards.”
The nations got destroyed when they had different
rules for the rich and poor, he noted. On the occasion, a documentary was shown
on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It described the events which led to
the creation of Riyasat Madina which protected rights of women, slaves and
minorities.
The prime minister said the documentary showed the
reasons why Muslims loved their Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who brought a
revolution in human society and made Muslims a great nation. He said nine
million Pakistanis living abroad had money but they could not adjust in
Pakistan due to a failed system.
“If few thousand overseas Pakistanis make investment
in Pakistan, we will get rid of International Monetary Fund (IMF).” Morality
could not be destroyed by bombs as was evident from Germany and Japan which
rose back after world war due to high moral standards, he reminisced.
According to the experts of FACTI Panel of the United
Nations, he said $ 1000 billion looted through corrupt practices every year
were sent from the poor to rich countries. He assured that people would be
provided subsidy on food items, loans for houses and opening of businesses
besides health cards of citizens would take care of their medical needs.
He expressed concern at the increasing sex crimes in
society, adding obscenity destroyed family system in Britain. “We have to
protect our children, youth and family from the obscene culture.” He
appreciated all those who decorated and illuminated the cities especially
Islamabad for celebrating Eid e Miladun Nabi.
Federal ministers, parliamentarians, religious
scholars and people from all walks of life attended the conference. Earlier,
the prime minister gave away awards to best writers for their books on the
Seerat of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and for reciting Naat.
Source: The Nation Pakistan
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Racist Zionist Ideology Biggest Threat To Muslim
World: Algeria’s High Islamic Council
October 20, 2021
The president of Algeria’s High Islamic Council said
the biggest danger threatening the Muslim Ummah (community) is the racist
Zionist ideology advocated by some Christian denominations.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the 35th
International Islamic Unity Conference, Bu Abdullah Al-Ghulam Allah said this
ideology has been growing in some Christian communities, including in the
United States.
He referred to former US president Donald Trump as one
of those who supports this ideology, adding that he was the one that relocated
the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.
The scholar said one of the manifestations of this
ideology is that its advocates praise certain Muslim countries’ close ties with
the Zionist regime but seek to undermine close friendship among Islamic nations
like Iran and Algeria.
He called on Muslims to stay away from this ideology
that seeks to “Zionize” Islam as it has “Zionized” some Christians.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Al-Ghulam Allah stressed the
need for Islamic Ummah’s vigilance and awakening and make the most of its
human, economic and geographical capabilities and assets.
The 35th International Conference on Islamic Unity got
under way on Tuesday morning in Tehran with the participation of Iranian
President Ebrahim Raeisi and a number of Iranian and foreign Muslim scholars.
This edition of the event is being held both virtually
and in person with a limited number of guests due to concerns over the
coronavirus pandemic.
“Islamic Empathy and Sympathy and Avoidance of
Tensions and Conflicts” is one of the main themes of the conference which will
continue for five days in Tehran.
Just war and just peace, Palestine and Islamic
resistance, Islamic fraternity and countering terrorism; mutual respect among
Islamic schools of thought; and Ummah Wahida (united community) and a union of
Islamic countries will be among the subjects of discussion, according to
Shahriari.
230 guests including 52 scholars from 16 foreign
countries have taken part in the conference, he said, adding that scholars will
give a total of 514 speeches as 360 addresses will be made through
video-conference.
The meetings of the conference will be held with
maintaining health protocols. The event will wrap up on Saturday with
participation of guests and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher
Ghalibaf.
Source: ABNA24
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
South
Asia
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina orders tough action
against communal rioters
Oct 20, 2021
DHAKA: Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday
instructed her home minister to initiate immediate strict action against those
who incited violence using religion as she asked the people not to trust
anything on social media without fact-checking. The foreign ministry said in a
statement that domestic elements that opposed Bangladesh’s independence from
Pakistan 50 years ago were still propagating their “toxic narratives to
instigate violence, hatred and bigotry”. Attacks on Hindu temples have
intensified in Bangladesh since last Wednesday after an alleged blasphemous
post surfaced on social media during the Durga Puja celebrations in Cumilla.
During the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, PM
Hasina instructed home minister Asaduzzaman Khan to initiate immediate action
against those who incited violence using religion, cabinet secretary Khandker
Anwarul Islam was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. “The Cumilla
incident is being investigated. What really happened will be known soon,” he
said, adding, Hasina has announced to provide all possible aid to the affected
families. Local media reported that six Hindus were killed in separate attacks,
but the figures could not be confirmed independently.
Source: Times of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Bangladesh attacks trigger protests with civil society
members criticising govt
By Tanmay Chatterjee
Oct 20, 2021
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh since the Durga puja
festival have triggered protests with prominent civil society members
criticising the Sheikh Hasina government for failing to protect the religious
minority. Hundreds of Dhaka University students on Monday held a protest at
Shahbag Square in the heart of the Bangladesh capital and demanded protection
for Hindu citizens. Most of these students were Muslims, said media reports.
They were joined by monks of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness, whose temples were vandalised in the attacks.
The Shahbag Square emerged as a symbol of resistance
against fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh in 2013 when thousands took part in
an agitation, demanding capital punishment for 1971 war criminal Abdul Quader
Mollah and a ban on electoral activities by his organisation, the
Jamaat-e-Islami.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, a former Bangladesh cricket
captain and member of the parliament of the ruling Awami League, expressed his
anguish over the violence on Twitter. “I witnessed two defeats yesterday. One
was that of the Bangladesh cricket team, which pained me, while the other was
the defeat of the entire nation that crushed my heart. This is not the red and
green (the national bicolour) we wanted. All the dreams and our hard-earned
struggle died in seconds. May Allah offer us wisdom,” Mortaza tweeted on
Monday.
The communal violence coincided with Scotland’s
victory over Bangladesh by six runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Mortaza
wrote in Bengali, the official language of Bangladesh.
Hours later, noted Indian lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar
tweeted: “What is happening in Bangladesh is a matter of great shame. Those who
are trying to crush a vulnerable minority are bullies, cowards and sick
communalists. How can Sheikh Hasina who is known for secular values let this
happen under her watch?”
Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki wrote on
Tuesday: “I do not believe there can be anything that police cannot achieve.
Nobody can commit a crime and disappear in thin air. Bangladesh is waiting to
know who committed these crimes and waiting to watch them face trial.”
Over a dozen organisations in West Bengal have held
protests against the violence since Monday. Over three dozen, actors, writers,
poets and painters have taken part in the demonstrations.
The West Bengal Imams Association said those involved
in the violence were insulting Islam and the Quran. “Those who carried out
random attacks across Bangladesh, saying the Quran was insulted at one of the
Durga pujas, not only showed disrespect for Islam and the Quran but insulted
both. Nobody has to study rocket science to understand that the alleged act of
insult to the Quran was a well-planned conspiracy to create communal tension,”
said Muhammad Yahiya, the chairman of the association representing Muslim
clerics.
National award-winning director Srijit Mukherji, who
is married to Bangladeshi actress Rashid Mithila, condemned the violence.
“Strongly, strongly condemn. A barbaric act,” Mukherji tweeted.
Source: Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Taliban recognition not on agenda, Moscow hosting
conference on Afghanistan
20 Oct 2021
It was hoped that the Moscow conference on Afghanistan
that comes off Wednesday, October 20 will be focused on recognition of the
Taliban along with other issues, but Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov
said that the recognition is not on their agenda.
Sergey Lavrov said that the Taliban must live up to
the promises they made when they came to power which was the inclusivity of the
government.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is now struggling
with the recognition and Afghanistan’s foreign assets frozen by the US.
It has been more than two months since the Taliban
took over Afghanistan but no country has recognized them yet.
In the meantime, India which is one of the attendees
of the Moscow Format said that they will put the recognition of the Taliban
along with terrorism, and humanitarian assistance on the agenda.
The Indian delegation is expected to be meeting with
the Taliban’s delegation in a face-to-face meeting on Wednesday. October 20.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Taliban satisfied of negotiations with Zalmay
Khalilzad
19 Oct 2021
Afghanistan’s ministry of foreign affairs said that
they had progress in their negotiations with the US’s special envoy to
Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad.
Spokesperson of the ministry Abdul Qahar Balkhi in a
Twitter post said that the Taliban’s negotiations with two administrations of
the US, led by Zalmay Khalilzad were fruitful.
The spokesperson in the post added that they are
optimistic about moving forward with the new special representative of the US
to Afghanistan, Thomas West.
The post further reads that the full administration of
the Doha agreement will normalize relations between the US and Afghanistan.
The Taliban praise their relations with former US
special representative to Afghanistan as he failed to ensure an agreement
between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
Unlike the Taliban, former Afghan officials and Afghan
people are not quite happy with a nearly three-year mission of Khalilzad to
Afghanistan.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-satisfied-of-negotiations-with-zalmay-khalilzad-45747545/
--------
Grenade targets Taliban vehicle in Afghan capital:
Officials
20 October ,2021
A grenade was thrown at a Taliban vehicle in the
Afghan capital on Wednesday morning, wounding two fighters and four nearby
school children, government officials said.
“This morning a grenade was thrown at a mujahideen
vehicle in Deh Mazang, wounding two mujahideen,” Taliban interior ministry
spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti told AFP.
Another official said: “Our initial information shows
four school students wounded.”
The explosion happened just before 8am (0330 GMT)
during rush hour in the Deh Mazang district in the west of the capital, a
witness told AFP.
“I was on my way to work, it was 7.55am and I heard
this very big explosion on the road. I managed to escape,” said Amin Amani.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
2 Taliban fighters, 4 school children wounded in Kabul
grenade attack
October 20, 2021
A grenade was thrown at a Taliban vehicle in the
Afghan capital on Wednesday morning, wounding two fighters and four nearby
school children, government officials said.
“This morning a grenade was thrown at a mujahideen
vehicle in Deh Mazang, wounding two mujahideen,” Taliban interior ministry
spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti told AFP.
Another official said: “Our initial information shows
four school students wounded.” The explosion happened just before 8am (0330 GMT)
during rush hour in the Deh Mazang district in the west of the capital, a
witness told AFP.
“I was on my way to work, it was 7.55am and I heard
this very big explosion on the road. I managed to escape,” said Amin Amani.
“I saw a lot of smoke in the mirror of the car and I
saw people running,” the 35-year-old translator said. Images shared on social
media showed plumes of smoke and dust rising into the air on the streets of the
capital.
On Oct 3, at least five civilians were killed in a
bomb blast at the entrance of a mosque in Kabul.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Taliban agree to new polio vaccination across
Afghanistan
20 October ,2021
UN agencies are gearing up to vaccinate all of
Afghanistan’s children under 5 against polio for the first time since 2018,
after the Taliban agreed to the campaign, the World Health Organization says.
For the past three years, the Taliban barred
UN-organized vaccination teams from doing door-to-door campaigns in parts of
Afghanistan under their control, apparently out of suspicion they could be
spies for the government or the West. Because of the ban and ongoing fighting,
some 3.3 million children over the past three years have not been vaccinated.
The Taliban’s reported agreement now, after becoming
the rulers of Afghanistan, appeared aimed at showing they are willing to
cooperate with international agencies. The longtime militant insurgent force
has been trying to win the world’s recognition of its new government and
re-open the door for international aid to rescue the crumbling economy.
The Taliban leadership did not confirm its agreement,
and Taliban officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
But WHO and the UN children’s agency UNICEF said in a
statement Monday that they welcomed the decision by the Taliban leadership
supporting the resumption of house-to-house polio vaccinations across the
country.
Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan are the only
countries in the world where polio remains endemic. The disease can cause
partial paralysis in children. Since 2010, the country has been carrying out
regular inoculation campaigns in which workers go door to door, giving the
vaccine to children. Most of the workers are women, since they can get better
access to mothers and children.
But large sections of the country have been out of
their reach in recent years. In parts of the south, particularly, the ban by
the Taliban was in effect. In other areas, door-to-door campaigns were
impossible because of fighting between the government and the insurgents, or
because of fears of kidnappings or roadside bombs. In some places, hard-line
clerics spoke out against vaccinations, calling them un-Islamic or a Western
plot.
WHO said a new nationwide vaccination campaign will
begin on Nov. 8, followed by another synchronized with Pakistan’s polio
vaccination campaign in December.
The estimated target population is Afghanistan’s 10
million children under 5, including the more than 3.3 million who could not be
reached since 2018, Dr. Hamid Jafari, WHO’s director of polio eradication for
the Eastern Mediterranean region, told The Associated Press.
“Restarting polio vaccination in all areas of
Afghanistan now will prevent a major resurgence of polio outbreaks within the
country and ensure there is no international spread,” Jafari said.
In this photo taken on March 20, 2019, an Afghan
health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child as people look on in
Kandahar province's Arghandab district. (AFP)
“This is an extremely important step in the right
direction,” said Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Afghanistan. He said it was
a good sign that multiple campaigns are planned. “Sustained access to all
children is essential to end polio for good.”
On March 30, three women were gunned down in two separate
attacks as they carried out door-to-door vaccinations in the eastern city of
Jalalabad. It was the first time vaccination workers have been killed in a
decade of door-to-door inoculations against the disease in Afghanistan.
Such attacks have been more common in Pakistan, where
at least 70 vaccinators and security personnel connected to vaccination
campaigns have been killed since 2011.
Jafari said the Taliban’s previous ban in its areas
was “mainly for security reasons,” not out of opposition to vaccinations
themselves. The Taliban, he said, have committed to “the absolute protection
and security of all health workers and all frontline workers” in the campaign.
In Pakistan, officials have struggled to overcome deep
public suspicion over vaccines particularly since the US used a fake
vaccination campaign to unearth the hideout of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Hard-line clerics and militants have stoked the fears by depicting polio
vaccinations as a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have seen an increase in
cases. In Afghanistan, 56 new polio cases were reported in 2020, the highest
number since 2011, when 80 cases were registered. Only one case of the wild
virus has been reported in 2021 in Afghanistan.
“This decision will allow us to make a giant stride in
the efforts to eradicate polio,” said Hervé Ludovic De Lys, UNICEF
Representative in Afghanistan. “To eliminate polio completely, every child in
every household across Afghanistan must be vaccinated, and with our partners,
this is what we are setting out to do,” he said.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Mideast
EU
says Turkey still ‘backsliding’ on reforms, gloomy on membership chances
19
October ,2021
The
European Union’s executive said on Tuesday that Turkey’s bid to join the bloc
had “come to a standstill” amid serious democratic shortfalls, in its most
critical annual report since Ankara began membership talks 16 years ago.
The
European Commission said President Tayyip Erdogan’s government had overseen a
continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law and had ignored the EU’s
recommendations last year.
The
report also suggested for the first time that Ankara was no longer serious
about delivering on EU-backed reforms, even though Erdogan recommited in April
to the goal of full EU membership as both sides tried to improve relations.
“The
EU’s serious concerns on the continued deterioration of democracy, the rule of
law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary have not been
addressed. There was further backsliding in many areas,” the Commission said.
“Under
the current circumstances, Turkey’s accession negotiations have effectively
come to a standstill,” it said.
Turkey’s
foreign ministry said the report showed a “double-standard approach” by the EU
and rejected the “unfair criticisms and baseless claims”. It accused the bloc
of failing to keep its promises to Turkey and of not fulfilling its
responsibilities.
“Turkey
maintains in the strongest terms its strategic choice of full EU membership,”
the ministry said in a statement.
“It
would be in everyone’s interest if the EU, taking into account our common
general interests, sees Turkey as a candidate country that is negotiating, not
as a partner with whom to have daily give-take relations.”
A
NATO ally, Turkey has been negotiating its EU membership since 2005 after
economic and political reforms that made it an important emerging market
economy and trade partner.
But
since Erdogan’s hardline response to an attempted coup in July 2016, the paths
of EU and Turkey have diverged sharply, despite better diplomatic relations
since the start of 2021.
A
purge of opponents launched in mid-2016 continues, the report said, noting
“broad-scale restrictions imposed on the activities of journalists, writers,
lawyers, academics, human rights defenders and critical voices”.
Ankara
says its security measures are necessary, given the severity of the threats
facing Turkey, which shares land borders with Iraq and Syria.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Spokesman:
Brussels Meeting Aimed at Discussing Grounds for Vienna Talks
2021-October-19
Khatibzadeh's
remarks came following some misunderstandings from the remarks of Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Sunday's closed session of the
parliament regarding the start of negotiations between Iran and the Group 4+1
(Russia, China, France and the UK plus Germany).
"As
previously announced, the visit of Deputy Foreign Minister for Political
Affairs Ali Baqeri Kani to Brussels will be solely for the purpose of
continuing talks with Deputy EU Foreign Policy Chief Enrique Mora based on the
agreement reached in Tehran," the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said.
The
visit to Brussels by Baqeri Kani is aimed at exchanging the views of the new
Iranian administration with the EU on the conditions and issues pertaining to
the Vienna talks on removal of sanctions against Iran and revival of the nuclear
deal.
In
a relevant development on Sunday, Baqeri Kani in a meeting with
Secretary-General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal
strongly criticized the passive approach by the three European countries
(France, the UK and Germany) in fulfilling their obligations under the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"After
the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, Europe failed to comply with its
obligations," Baqer Kani said during the meeting.
The
fifth round of political talks between Islamic Republic of Iran and Austria was
held in Tehran co-chaired by Baqeri Kani and Launsky-Tieffentha.
During
the meeting, Baqeri Kani pointed to the age-old history of relations between
the two countries of Iran and Ausutria and termed it as a valuable asset.
Emphasizing
Iran’s adherence to its obligations under the JCPOA, the Iranian deputy foreign
minister said, “Although Europe did not withdraw from Iran’s nuclear deal,
after withdrawal of the United States from this important international
agreement, it (Europe) did not take effective and practical action within the
framework of its obligations under JCPOA."
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
President
Rayeesi: Iran Determined to Further Broaden Cooperation with Latin America
2021-October-19
"Latin
American countries, Venezuela in particular, are prioritized in the Islamic
Republic of Iran's economic diplomacy, and we are determined to develop our
relations with these countries," President Rayeesi said during the meeting
in the Iranian capital.
The
Iranian president pointed out that with a long-term cooperation program between
the two countries, there is a clear prospect for expanding and deepening
relations.
Welcoming
the upcoming visit of the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to Tehran in the
near future, President Rayeesi said that during this visit new steps will be
taken for long-term cooperation between the two countries.
The
Venezuelan foreign minister, for his part, said that the two friendly countries
of Iran and Venezuela are united against the hegemonic powers and those who
want to harm the independence of these two countries.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
India
VHP
to Hold Nationwide Protest against Attacks on Hindus and Vandalisation of
Temples and Durga Puja Marquees in Bangladesh
Oct
19, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The VHP will hold a nationwide protest on Wednesday against attacks on
Hindus and vandalisation of temples and Durga puja marquees in Bangladesh.
In
Delhi, the protest will be held in front of the Bangladesh High Commission,
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) joint general secretary Surendra Jain said at a
press conference here on Tuesday.
"The
incidents of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh have broken all
records. While thousands of Hindus have been injured, 10 Hindus have been
reported dead till now. The Hindu society will not tolerate these inhuman
atrocities.
"A
massive protest and demonstration will be held on October 20 in front of the
Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi at 11 am. Along with this, protests and
demonstrations will be held in every district across the country," he
said.
Attacks
on Hindu temples have intensified in Bangladesh since last Wednesday after an
alleged blasphemous post surfaced on social media during Durga puja
celebrations.
On
late Sunday night, a mob damaged 66 houses and set at least 20 homes of Hindus
ablaze in Bangladesh.
Condemning
the violence, the VHP reiterated its demand that the Bangladeshi government
must stop the violence against Hindus and ensure their safety.
It
also appealed to the United Nations to play "a proactive role" and
send a peacekeeping force to Bangladesh "to prevent atrocities on Hindu
minorities" in the country.
Source:
Times of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Marriage Doesn’t Negate Maintenance: Karnataka HC
Oct
20, 2021
BENGALURU:
“A Muslim marriage is not a sacrament, (and) does not repel certain rights and
obligations arising from its dissolution,” the Karnataka high court has said,
rejecting a man’s plea and coming to the rescue of his ex-wife, who has been
battling for enforcement of the trial court’s maintenance decree for the past
decade.
Contracting
another marriage after pronouncing Talaq upon his first wife, a Muslim man
cannot say he has to maintain the new wife and their child, and cite the same
as a ground for not discharging maintenance, Justice Krishna S Dixit said.
Man
ought to have known responsibility towards ex-wife: HC
The
petitioner, Ezazur Rehman, had pleaded that he could not pay maintenance to his
ex-wife, Saira Banu, as he had remarried and had to provide for his wife and
their child. The judge said Rehman ought to have known his responsibility
towards his ex-wife, who does not have anything to fall back on. The
responsibility of paying maintenance arises from his own act of talaq, and
prior to marrying another woman, the court said.
Quoting
the Quran and Hadith, the judge said the right of a divorced woman for
maintenance is conditioned on three cumulative factors — insignificant mehr
amount, inability of the woman to sustain herself, and if she does not remarry.
A Muslim marriage “dissolved by divorce, per se does not annihilate all the
duties and obligations of parties by lock, stock and barrel”, the judge noted
in the order passed on October 7. “In law, new obligations too may arise, one
of them being the circumstantial duty of a person to provide sustenance to his
ex-wife who is destituted by divorce.”
The
judge observed that marriage amongst Muslims begins with the contract and
graduates to the status as it ordinarily does in any other community and this
very status gives rise to certain justiciable obligations that are ex contractu
(from a contract).
The
judge also said Rehman’s contention is repugnant to law, morality and ethics
and that if such a contention is countenanced, it would only encourage talaq
which the law shuns. Citing various conventions on human and particularly
women’s rights, the judge pointed out that divorce brings hardship to women,
and more so to divorced Muslim women.
Source:
Times of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Karnataka:
Muslim Man, Whose Shop Was Vandalised, Injured In an Allegedly Hit-And-Run
Incident
By
Kiran Parashar
October
20, 2021
A
chicken shop owner was injured in a hit-and-run incident after his scooter was
rammed from behind by a two-wheeler on Tuesday evening. This comes days after
his shop was vandalised by a Hindu right-wing group on the outskirts of
Belagavi city in Karnataka.
His
wife, who was riding pillion, alleged the accident was “pre-planned”. The
couple, Hasan Sab and Afsana Hasan Sab Khureshi, was returning to their home in
Yamanpur at the time of the accident.
Speaking
to indianexpress.com, Afsana said, “It was around 7.45 pm, I and my husband
were heading back from Belagavi to Yamanapur on our scooter. A bike with
probably two persons came from behind and rammed into our vehicle and fled from
the spot. They did not even turn back to look and it all happened in the blink
of an eye. My husband Hasan has been injured severely in the incident. With the
help of locals, we shifted him to the hospital where he is undergoing
treatment.”
On
October 8, the chicken shop owned by the couple was attacked by a Hindu
right-wing group who had previously asked them to close it owing to a temple
opening nearby. Though the family had closed the shop, they sent two of their
workers to clean it. The group vandalised when they found it open, according to
Afsana.
The
issue came to light only on Monday when a video of the attack went viral. Prior
to that, Afsana said they had approached local police who held a ‘compromise’
meeting. “The police told us that they had settled the matter and would not
intervene in our business and told us that there was no need to file a
complaint,” she said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
NIA
to investigate 4 cases of civilian killings in J&K
Bharti
Jain
Oct
20, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe four cases relating
to recent civilian killings by terrorists in J&K, the victims being
Srinagar pharmacist M L Bindroo, Sikh school principal Supinder Kaur and
teacher Deepak Chand, Bihari vendor Virendra Paswan, and two Bihari labourers —
Raja Reshi Dev and Joginder Reshi Dev — killed in Kulgam.
NIA
has been roped in to probe the larger conspiracy behind the killings,
purportedly at the behest of groups like LeT & its arm The Resistance Front
that get Pakistan support.
Targeted
hits seen as attack on ‘positive’ J&K narrative
The
home ministry will hand over four relevant cases to NIA for probing the origins
of the attacks, seen as a move by ISI-backed terrorist groups to attack a
“positive” narrative in J&K which has lately focused on normalcy and
development. The attacks on minorities and migrants are intended, feel security
forces, to instil fear in the mind of “outsiders” that they are not safe in the
Valley. The victims included workers who were catering to local labour needs as
well as the influx of tourists.
According
to the UT administration there were over million tourists visiting Jammu &
Kashmir in July, 1.1 million in August and 1.3 million in September. The
seeming peace and normalcy, along with measures to rehabilitate Kashmiri
Pandits, ran contrary to the terror script and led to the provocative targeted
killings.
Source:
Times of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Won’t
tolerate moral policing, says Karnataka home minister
Oct
20, 2021
Karnataka’s
home minister Araga Jnanendra on Tuesday said that instances of moral policing
and other communal violence in the state will not be tolerated even as the
number of such crimes appear to be on the rise in the southern state.
“Such
incidents will not be tolerated,” Jnanendra said, adding that such matters will
be investigated without any consideration for the perpetrators’ religious
identity.
“When
the police take stricter action, a message will go to such people,” he added.
The
statements come after at least dozen instances of moral policing and communal
hatred surfaced in the border district of Belagavi, about 500 kms from
Bengaluru.
In
one incident, a boy was assaulted by a group of Muslim men for talking to a
girl from their community in a bus stop. The accused were seen assaulting the
boy and pulling the veil off the girl and demanding to know her name and
address.
In
another incident, which happened on October 8, a group of villagers teared down
board of a chicken shop for keeping it open despite a Hindu festival being
celebrated in the nearby temple.
A
third incident, that happened on October 14, was of an auto driver who took an
inter-faith couple to a remote location, called his associates and assaulted
the boy for being with a Muslim girl. In this incident, the assaulters even
robbed the couple of their valuables.
The
police in the district have said that they will register a complaint if the
victims come and register a complaint.
A
person aware of the developments said that the police have tried to strike a
compromise between the assaulters and the victims, leading to delays in filing
of cases that was further emboldening other groups to resort to such crimes.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
PPP
squanders away public money on party’s programmes, say PTI leaders
Imran
Ayub
October
19, 2021
KARACHI:
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders on Monday called the Pakistan Peoples
Party’s rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah a complete failure in terms of participation of
people and criticised the ruling party of the province for squandering away
public money on the party’s programmes and putting all government resources at
its disposal.
The
PPP had brought their supporters on dozens of buses from rural parts of the
province to make its show a success but it completely failed to attract
Karachiites who rejected the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s claims of
enjoying widespread support in the metropolis, said Leader of the Opposition in
the Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, and PTI Karachi president and MPA
Khurram Sher Zaman at separate press conferences here.
‘Oct
17 rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah complete failure’
“The
PPP is responsible for growing poverty and increasing sense of deprivation
among people of Sindh,” said Sheikh at his office.
“I
call them [PPP leaders] economic terrorists who are not worthy of inheriting
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s party. The PPP rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah ground was not a
public meeting but an exclusive gathering of Sindh government employees, who
were threatened to ensure their participation in the meet or face
consequences,” he said.
He
said that despite liberally using government resources on the Oct 17 rally,
most of the Bagh-i-Jinnah remained empty hence dozens of buses and other
vehicles were parked along the main road to hoodwink people into thinking that
the ground must be filled with people.
“There
was no participation of people from Korangi, Orangi, West, East, South, Keamari
and Lyari in the rally,” said Sheikh who was flanked by Sindh Assembly member
Saeed Afridi and other PTI leaders.
“The
PPP workers are angry with their party as the families of those who were killed
in Karsaz twin blasts tragedy were neglected by the party and most of them are
now facing hunger and poverty. Instead of paying tribute to martyrs, Bilawal
and his men were dancing to the tunes of music,” he said.
MPA
Khurram Sher Zaman said at a separate press conference at party headquarters
Insaf House that PPP leaders should stop making fool of people in the name of
democracy and lie about their checkered past.
He
held the party, which had been ruling the province for the past 13 years,
responsible for the chronic issues of price hike, poverty, social injustice and
deteriorating condition of government departments.
He
said the Sindh government had failed on every front and only the party
leadership, not the province, had attained prosperity. The PPP, he said, after
having realised reputation of Asif Ali Zardari and his front-men among masses
had been trying to project Bialwal Bhutto-Zardari as a future leader but he had
failed miserably to create any impact on people.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
President
Alvi Urges Nation to Follow in Footsteps of Holy Prophet As Country Celebrates
Eid Milad un Nabi
October
19, 2021
President
Dr Arif Alvi has congratulated Pakistan on the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi and
urged the nation to follow in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him) as the country marked the day with traditional zeal and fervour on Tuesday.
The
day's celebrations began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute
in all the provincial capitals.
Special
prayers were offered in mosques across the country, following Mehfil-i-Naat and
conferences held last night.
In
his message, President Alvi said that following Prophet Muhammad's example was
the key to success in both the world and the hereafter.
"The
only solution to the problems being faced by the Muslim ummah, including chaos,
oppression and injustice is following the seerat," he said.
The
president also appreciated the government's "exemplary efforts to make
Pakistan a welfare state in line with Riyasat-e-Madina".
"We
need to gain knowledge of seerat in order to understand the true concept of
Islam," he added.
Prime
Minister Imran Khan said Prophet Muhammad's birth brought a revolution in every
aspect of human society, broke the system of oppression in the world and opened
the doors of welfare.
"Rabiul
Awwal is a month when the creator of the universe sent Prophet Muhammad as a
guide for the success of humanity in this world and hereafter."
The
premier said it was the effect of the Prophet's arrival that the Arab tribes
who were victims of internal chaos for centuries emerged as a nation. The
rights of women were protected, slaves were given respect in society, and
orphans and needy people got protection, he added.
He
said Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation of Riyasat-e-Madina which emerged as
an example for others in terms of humanity, justice, and rule of law.
In
that state system, minorities were protected, poor and needy were taken care of
and rights and obligations of the state and citizens were determined, the
premier noted.
He
said the government had formed the Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen Authority to apprise
the people and the world about the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
The
authority will research the individual and collective aspects of the life of
Prophet Muhammad and make the world familiar with the Islamic revolution, he
said.
"The
authority will make the world aware of the respect that Muslims give to Prophet
Muhammad and will take steps for stopping Islamophobia.
"On
this auspicious day, I want to appeal especially to the parents to tell their
children about the different aspects of the moral values espoused by Prophet
Muhammad during education and character building.
"We
are determined that together, we will make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state on
the lines of Riyasat-e-Madina and will continue to make efforts to live our
lives in light of the golden principles of the Prophet Muhammad," the
prime minister added.
Later,
while addressing the 46th National Rehmatul-lil-Aalameen Conference in
Islamabad, the prime minister stressed the need for raising the standards of
morals in society and ensuring rule of law in the country by following in the
footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He
explained that it was the only way for Pakistan to progress. "I
particularly want to convey this to our youth," he said, adding that the
only thing needed for the country to prosper was that the people corrected
their ways.
The
prime minister said when he founded his party, he had envisioned transforming
Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state.
"And
the only way to achieve that and become a great nation is to adopt the
principles [taught] by the Prophet," he added.
Interior
Minister Sheikh Rashid extended his congratulations to the entire Muslim world
on the auspicious occasion and said he was "proud" to be a follower
of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He
said the Prophet had laid the basis for a society free of "religious,
linguistic, social and economic prejudices" and only by following his
example could a better society be built.
"[Only]
by learning from the life of the greatest leader in history and following his
teachings can we improve our individual and collective lives as well as the
hereafter," Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar tweeted.
Other
PTI ministers and figures also congratulated Pakistanis on the occasion.
PML-N
President Shehbaz Sharif said proof of "true love" for the Prophet
was in proper obedience to him.
Noting
that the Prophet's life was a role model for Muslims, PPP Chairperson Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari said Muslims should let go of all conflicts and become one
ummah.
"We
will have to prove to the world through our deeds and actions that we are true
ummatis of Prophet Muhammad," he added.
Chinese
Ambassador Nong Rong also congratulated Pakistanis on Eid Miladun Nabi, wishing
them harmony, prosperity, peace and good health.
PM
calls for 'unprecedented' celebrations
Prime
Minister Imran had on Saturday urged the nation to celebrate the birth
anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a befitting and unprecedented manner.
He
said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a great leader in the history of the world.
"The great quality of a leader is that he brings together humans and does
not spread hate," he added.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan At Loggerheads With Army On New Spy Chief, Opposition Comes Together To
Oust Pak PM
Seema
Guha
19
Oct 2021
Lt
General Faiz Hameed, Pakistan’s powerful spy chief is in the eye of a storm. In
an unprecedented move the opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement,
demanded the resignation of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief at a
public rally in Punjab’s Faisalabad town.
Slogans
were raised for his resignation at the meeting, something unheard of in
Pakistan where the men in uniform have invariably called the shots. They have
dismissed elected governments, replaced them with those they see as more
inclined to do their bidding.
Is
Imran Khan - the chosen and installed in power by the army - now at loggerheads
with General Headquarters of Pakistan? The opposition stands convinced as it
plans to come together to oust Khan. There is much churning going on in
political circles in Pakistan as the opposition scents a possible victory.
Nothing is clear at the moment.
Leader
of Pakistan’s Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif dared to take on the army. His
initial political career began under military dictator Zia-Ul Haq.
Subsequently, Nawaz Sharif became his own man and had staunchly opposed army
interference in civilian matters. Sharif was never allowed by Rawalpindi to
finish a term in office. It is well-known that the army had a major role in
removing Nawaz Sharif from office and getting Imran Khan elected as prime
minister in the 2018 parliamentary elections. Sharif and his daughter Maryam
have always maintained that the army plotted with Imran Khan to get Nawaz
Sharif out of office.
The
current complications date back to a series of high-level military transfers
announced by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on October 6. Among
other developments, ISI top boss Faiz Hameed was to be replaced by Lt Gen
Nadeem Ahmad Anjum. The general practice in Pakistan has that the country’s
Prime Minister gets to choose among three names put forth by the Army chief.
This is per a common tradition and not an institutional procedure. It is for
the first time that a civilian government (spearheaded by Imran Khan) and the
military leadership are not on the same page. Khan has suddenly woken up to the
fact that he is a democratically elected leader and the choice of Director
General is his prerogative. There were statements from ruling party ministers
that the Prime Minister has the last word on the appointment of the spy chief.
There
was a flurry of meetings between army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the
PM over the issue. Yet so far Imran Khan has refused to notify the transfers
leading to speculations about a tug of war between the civilian government and
the GHQ. In the past, all such cases were adjudged in favour of the army.
Imran
Khan’s insistence that Faiz Hameed remains as spy chief is not surprising,
considering that he was ISI’s top gun who helped Khan achieve his prime
ministerial ambitions. Hameed stayed mostly behind the scenes. He played a
major role in getting Sharif out of office. The idea here would be to help
Hameed remain in office so Khan can navigate the political quagmire triggered
by rising prices, bad governance and more vocal opposition. Publicly the excuse
for retaining Hameed is the crisis in Afghanistan.
Source:
Outlook India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Africa
Mali
asks Muslim body to negotiate with al Qaeda-affiliate
James
Tasamba
19.10.2021
KIGALI,
Rwanda
Mali’s
transition government said Tuesday it asked the High Islamic Council to open peace
talks with leaders of the al Qaeda-linked Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin
(JNIM) group to end a decade of conflict.
“This
is a popular demand, not a question of procrastinating. The overwhelming
majority of the Malian population asked for it even before the transition,”
Religious Affairs Minister Mamadou Kone told reporters.
Kone
last week met the Council to inform them of the government's desire to
negotiate with all radical Malian groups, including Iyad Ag Ghali and Amadou
Koufa.
Authorities
previously endorsed the idea of talks by backing local peace initiatives with
militants.
But
the latest move by the transition government is seen by analysts as the most
concrete step toward negotiations with militant leaders, though not in tandem
with the wishes of Mali's chief military ally, France.
France
sent troops to Mali in 2013 after unrest broke out in the north.
French
President Emmanuel Macron has said French troops would not conduct joint
operations with countries having talks with Islamist militants.
Ag
Ghali is JNIM's chief and Amadou Koufa leads JNIM's most active affiliate in
central Mali.
The
pair has been the target of French bombing campaigns.
Moufa
Haidara, in charge of negotiations within the Council confirmed his group had
been tasked with negotiations, explaining that the mission is to “find a
compromise, between Malians, so that the war stops throughout the country.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/mali-asks-muslim-body-to-negotiate-with-al-qaeda-affiliate/2397028
--------
Tunisia’s
new government sworn in without parliamentary approval
Hanen
Jebli
October
19, 2021
TUNIS
— The moderate Islamist Ennahda party, Tunisia’s largest party in parliament,
issued a statement Oct. 14 rejecting the new government headed by Najla Bouden.
“It’s a de facto government of the unconstitutional Decree 117,” in reference
to the order issued by President Kais Saied on Sept. 22, which put the
executive and legislative powers in his hands.
Twenty-four
members of the new government, which includes 10 women and is headed by a
female prime minister for the first time in the history of Tunisia, took the
constitutional oath before President Saied on Oct. 11 at the Carthage Palace.
Former
Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said in a Facebook post on Oct. 14 that the
new government was illegitimate because it did not gain the vote of confidence
in parliament since it was suspended by Saied on July 25, in an explicit
violation of the constitution.
Political
activist Jaouhar Ben M’barek said on Facebook on Oct. 11 that Bouden’s
government is an illegal “coup body,” adding, “We will confront it the same way
we would a coup, and it will face the same fate.”
Issam
Chebbi, the secretary-general of the Republican Party, told Al-Monitor that the
new Tunisian government is a clear coup against the constitution, considering
Decree 117 to be lacking legitimacy because it puts all powers in the hands of
the president.
Chebbi,
while praising the appointment of a woman to lead the government, said Saied
chose its members and can dismiss whoever he wants. He added that the new
government is only tasked with implementing the president’s policies, which
will set back Tunisia decades.
On
Oct. 11, the Workers’ Party said in a statement that the new government is a
“government of coup” and that what Bouden said during her oath were empty
promises that Tunisians have repeatedly heard from previous governments and
from Saied himself.
However,
Hafez al-Sawari, a member of the People's Movement politburo, told Al-Monitor
that the new government reflects the will of the people who revolted on July 25
and demanded the overthrow of the current political system, which has been
controlled by Ennahda and its allies since the fall of the Zine El Abidine Ben
Ali regime in 2011.
Sawari
said Saied is building a new system, and that the new government will derive
its legitimacy from its ability to resolve outstanding issues, respond to the
demands of the Tunisians, and give the country back to its people.
Saied
issued exceptional measures on Sept. 22 by presidential decree, according to
which the government would answer to him, while he would issue legislation by
decree instead of parliament. He also decided to lift the immunity of
parliament members and suspend their salaries.
On
Sept. 29, Saied appointed Bouden to form the government, a move welcomed by
women's rights activists in Tunisia. The head of the National Union of Tunisian
Women, Radhia Jerbi, told radio Mosaique on Sept. 29 that Tunisian women
deserve the position of prime minister. Jerbi added that Bouden's appointment
is the culmination of Tunisian women's struggles over decades for full
citizenship and equality.
In
a Sept. 29 Facebook post, Frawes Yosra, the head of the Tunisian Association of
the Democratic Women, expressed her happiness at the appointment, although she
wished it had happened under different circumstances.
Lamia
al-Majri, a member of the Association of Tunisian Judges, told the state-run
Assabah News website on Sept. 29, “As a national human rights association
within the progressive human rights fabric of the national forces in Tunisia,
we believe having a woman head the government is a positive thing.”
Saied’s
recent moves have received the backing of the People's Movement, the Tunisia
Forward movement and the Tunisian Popular Current, in addition to the Alliance
for Tunisia, the Tunisian Ba’ath Movement, and the Socialist Party, all of
which are leftist parties.
Source:
Al Monitor
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
'Turkey
aims to boost cooperation in defense industry with Nigeria'
Adam
Abu Bashar
19.10.2021
ABUJA,
Nigeria
Turkey
aims to further its trade and cooperation in the defense industry, along with
dialogue on energy and political issues with Nigeria, the Turkish envoy in
Abuja said.
The
two countries enjoy positive and multidimensional relations, Hidayet Bayraktar
told Anadolu Agency.
Turkey
is in cooperation with Nigeria on many different areas spanning from economy to
defense industry, from energy to humanitarian affairs, in addition to political
issues Bayraktar said.
Citing
trade figures for 2020, Bayraktar said Nigeria is Turkey's largest trading
partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, adding: "However, considering the potential
of the two countries, we do not see these achievements sufficient."
He
said the relations between Turkey and Nigeria date back to the Ottoman Empire,
and Kanem-Bornu Empire that was once existed in the areas which are now part of
Niger, Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
"A
treaty of friendship and trade was signed between the two states in 1555-1556.
In this respect, Turkey-Nigeria relations have a friendly and historical
background dating back many years," he added.
Turkey-Nigeria
relations
Recalling
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Nigeria in 2016, Bayraktar said that
it was very exciting that a high-level visit will take place again after five
years.
The
Turkish president on Sunday started a four-day tour of three African countries,
including Angola, Togo, and Nigeria.
He
stressed that there is a close friendship between Erdogan and his Nigerian
counterpart Mohammed Buhari, and said that the two leaders spoke over the phone
three times this year.
Erdogan
will discuss international issues as well as bilateral issues during his visit
to Nigeria, the envoy said, adding that the Turkish president will also attend
the Turkey-Nigeria Business Forum and open Turkey's Yunus Emre Institute in the
capital Abuja.
"It
is extremely important that the win-win understanding that we are trying to
establish with Nigeria is adopted by the brotherly and friendly Nigerian
authorities and people," Bayraktar stressed.
Nigeria
is Turkey's top trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa with a trading volume of
$754 million in 2020, which is expected to rise to more than $1 billion.
Nigeria,
Africa's largest oil producer, is among Turkey's oil and gas suppliers.
Besides,
the fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind
the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, is expected to be discussed during the
Turkish president's visit.
There
is an expectation from the Nigerian government to show more solidarity in the
fight against FETO, Bayraktar underlined.
He
observed that Nigerian authorities have been more knowledgeable and conscious
about this treacherous structure, and said this is an important development.
Turkey's
efforts against the FETO terror group will continue.
Positive
image in Nigeria
Turkey
has a positive image in Africa, especially in Nigeria, Bayraktar said,
stressing the importance of the view in Nigeria that Turkish products are of
good quality.
He
said the presence and activities of Turkish Airlines in Nigeria and Turkey’s
win-win- understanding with Africa also played an important role in this
positive view towards Turkey.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Ethiopia
launches airstrikes on Tigray capital, rebels claim 3 civilians killed
Andrew
Wasike and Addis Getachew
19.10.2021
The
Ethiopian government launched airstrikes on the capital of the troubled Tigray
region on Monday, witnesses and state media confirmed.
The
rebel group Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) claimed three civilians
were killed in the attack on a market in Mekelle.
However,
there was no mention of any fatalities in a report by the state-run Ethiopian
Press Agency, which said the airstrikes targeted a TPLF communication facility
“with the utmost precision to prevent civilian casualties.”
Other
local news outlets said a busy Mekelle market, located next to a hotel that
housed international aid workers, was hit in the air raid.
Getachew
Reda, a senior TPLF official, accused the Ethiopian government of targeting
innocent civilians in its bid to wrest control of territory taken by the TPLF.
“[Prime
Minister] Abiy Ahmed’s ‘Air Force’ sent its bomber jet to attack civilian
targets in and outside Mekelle. Monday is market day in Mekelle and the
intention is all too palpable,” he said on Twitter.
“While
they are losing big in what they dubbed a final offensive against Tigray, they
will obviously continue to target civilians in a desperate move to exact
revenge on the people of Tigray.”
Getachew,
a former Ethiopian communications minister, alleged that one of the targets in
Monday’s strikes was “the Planet Hotel where a dozen or so humanitarian
agencies used to have their employees.”
“Our
people won’t be cowed into submission by a desperate move by a desperate regime
teetering on the brink of collapse,” he asserted.
A
doctor in Mekelle, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity,
also confirmed the attack.
“There
were a lot of people shopping [at the market], people have shared photos of the
destruction on social media too. Over a dozen people were injured but not all
were seriously hurt,” he said.
Other
witnesses told Anadolu Agency that the targeted area was littered with debris
and there were bloodstains splattered on walls and pavements.
Human
wave warfare
The
Ethiopian government accused the TPLF of putting civilians on the frontline of
the Tigray conflict by relying on “human wave” tactics.
A
spokesman warned that the government would be forced to adopt a similar
strategy against the rebels.
“TPLF
forces have been deploying human waves to fight their war … and human waves can
be defeated by human waves, though primitive,” Legesse Tulu, head of Ethiopia’s
Government Communication Service, said at a news conference.
He
said the TPLF sends “a swarm of civilians with light weapons and sickles …
followed by groups with medium weapons and trailed by mechanized forces.”
Legesse
admitted that the rebels have captured more areas in Amhara’s South Wollo region,
including the historic Wuchale city, and are now eyeing the commercial towns of
Dessie and Kombolcha.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Southeast
Asia
Xinjiang’s
‘architecture of repression’ targets Muslim Uighurs
20
Oct 2021
In
November of 2018, Anayit Abliz, a Muslim Uighur from China’s far western region
of Xinjiang, was sentenced to three years in prison for using a file-sharing
application called Zapya and a virtual private network (VPN) to communicate
online the previous year.
During
the months of detention leading to his conviction, the teenager’s family was
subjected to intrusive surveillance, with their daily activities chronicled in
a series of reports filed under the heading, ‘Situation regarding persons who
are detained or going through re-education’.
In
one incident, a neighbourhood watcher entered Abliz’s family home and reported
they had found his father, mother and sister all watching television. Another
time, the government-assigned monitor noted that the family members were just
“going about their business” inside their house.
It
is thought that in Xinjiang, the discovery by authorities of the widespread use
of the Zapya application “prompted millions of investigations at the grassroots
level” similar to the intrusions faced by Abliz’s family, according to a new
report published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) based in
Canberra.
Between
July 2016 and June 2017, government monitors assigned by Beijing flagged at
least 1,869,310 Uighurs and other citizens in Xinjiang for using Zapya, the
report revealed. ASPI’s latest report is based on thousands of documents leaked
to the think tank.
Since
early 2017, vast numbers of Uighur men and women, as well as other Muslim
ethnic minorities, have been arbitrarily detained or imprisoned according to
the United Nations and human rights groups.
They
include hundreds of thousands who have been sent to prisons, in addition to the
one million the UN estimates to have been sent to internment camps.
The
detentions and alleged abuses inside enclosed government facilities have been
described by the United States and international human rights groups as a form
of genocide constituting “crimes against humanity”. Last month, Amnesty
International accused China of creating a “dystopian hellscape” in Xinjiang.
China
has rejected the allegations, saying its policies towards the Uighurs and other
Muslim minorities living in Xinjiang are necessary to “fight extremism” and
promote upward economic mobility for the impoverished ethnic group.
But
the latest report detailing how China’s “vast system of coercive state control
works” only bolsters the allegations of the existence of an “architecture of
repression” in Xinjiang targeting Uighurs and other Muslim minorities,
according to ASPI.
Publicly-available
data
The
82-page report also draws on previously unpublished material from thousands of
Chinese-language sources, including police records and budget documents
obtained by scraping through publicly available Chinese government websites.
Using
the data, ASPI pieced together evidence showing “five key sets of Xinjiang’s
repressive policies” from mass internment, forced labour and mass at-home
surveillance to “coercive birth control and ubiquitous propaganda”.
In
Xinjiang’s capital city of Urumqi, for example, the Beijing-controlled
government has deployed “neighbourhood committees” and the police to monitor
the community, sending “micro clues … when someone does something irregular”.
That
might include families having an unexpected visitor at home, individuals
driving a car that belongs to someone else, receiving an overseas phone call,
or even using a file-sharing application as Anayit Abliz did.
ASPI
said its latest report provides crucial insights into policy-making and those
responsible for making and enforcing the decisions.
“There
is little knowledge of the government processes or actual perpetrators of these
now well-known atrocities, and only a small number of entities or individuals
have been identified for their involvement,” ASPI said.
“This
project exposes these activities, and those responsible, to further public
scrutiny,” according to the ASPI.
“Amid
international debates about whether recent events in Xinjiang constitute genocide,
and while Chinese officials are actively scrubbing relevant evidence and
seeking to silence those who speak out, it is important to carry out a timely
and detailed investigation into Xinjiang’s governance now.”
China’s
Foreign Ministry has previously accused ASPI of “spreading lies and slanderous
rumours” against Beijing.
Foreign
ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday that residents of Xinjiang enjoy
“social stability, economic development, solidarity among ethnic groups and
harmony among religions”.
“The
so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang are an outright political
conspiracy.”
‘Mao-era
type of campaigns’
Documents
obtained by ASPI suggest that “the crackdown against the Uighurs has a striking
resemblance to Mao-era mass political campaigns”.
For
instance, it details how Xinjiang’s “Trinity” mechanism grants the so-called
“neighbourhood committees extraordinary powers to police the movements and
emotions of residents, subjecting many to ‘management and control’ orders akin
to house arrest”.
In
one specific case, Ekrem Imin, a Uighur man, was detained because his
“neighbourhood police officer was trying to fill quotas”. As a result of his
incarceration, he later contracted hepatitis B as well as syphilis and was left
untreated inside a Xinjiang detention facility.
In
addition to mass internment and “coercive labour assignments”, Xinjiang
residents are required to join in “acts of political theatre” such as show
trials, public denunciation sessions of other Uighurs as well as loyalty
pledges, among others, the report said.
Two
of the people who oversee administration in Xinjiang are officials who spent
time as visiting fellows at Harvard University, namely Yao Ning and Erken
Tuniyaz, who was appointed Xinjiang’s new acting governor in late September,
ASPI added.
“Highly
destructive mass political campaigns are not artefacts of a bygone era. Rather,
they are occurring at a time when Chinese society is more closely connected
with the world than ever.”
Source:
Al Jazeera
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/20/xinjiang-aspi-report-uighurs
--------
Jakim
tells Muslims to be mindful when delivering Dawah on social media
19
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Speakers who use social media platforms to deliver religious
talks or dakwah (Islamic propagation) have been reminded to exercise
mindfulness and have disciplinary knowledge.
Malaysian
Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Abdul Aziz Jusoh
said although the existence of various mediums, especially social media
platforms, has brought a positive impact on the approach of dakwah and
knowledge sharing, talking about sensitive issues that could result in
controversy should always be avoided.
He
said the speakers needed to take into account the current reality the
intellectual capacity of the community when delivering religious talks to avoid
prolonged polemics.
“This
is to avoid slanderous remarks that can tarnish the sanctity of the religion
and the Muslims themselves.
The
speakers are also urged to obtain credentials from religious authorities in
their respective states to enable them to deliver talks. All parties are reminded
to abide by the conditions and rules set for the benefit of all,” he said in
statement today.
Abdul
Aziz also advised Muslims to acquire knowledge from scholars who have the right
qualifications in the field of knowledge they talk about.
“If
you have any doubts, do refer to an authoritative source such as state Islamic
religious departments or the office of a state Mufti.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Floating
mosque to be built in Pulau Besar, says Melaka Islamic Dept chief
19
Oct 2021
MELAKA,
Oct 19 — A project to build a shell-shaped floating mosque in Pulau Besar
costing about RM30 million is expected to begin early next year, says Melaka
Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) director Datuk Che Sukri Che Mat.
He
said the mosque to be built using aluminium, would be able to accommodate about
1,500 worshipers at a time.
“We
are still in the discussions stage at this point, and the construction process
will start after obtaining a certain amount of funds from the Federal
government.
“The
unique design of the mosque located on the island would indirectly make it a
new attraction for tourists, and most importantly, help spread the Islamic
message in the state,” he said.
He
was speaking to reporters after the launching ceremony of the Pulau Besar
Mosque Construction Wakaf Fund in conjunction with the state-level Maulidur
Rasul celebration at the Al-Azim Mosque Auditorium in Bukit Palah here today.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Iraq
captures mastermind of 2016 Islamic State terror attack that killed hundreds
Hassan
Ali Ahmed
October
19, 2021
BAGHDAD
— Al-Qaeda militant Ghazwan al-Zawbaee, who carried out attacks throughout Iraq
on behalf of the Islamic State (IS), was captured by Iraqi security forces.
In
a tweet, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi confirmed Ghazwan’s capture:
"Five years after the terrorist bombing of Karrada, our brave forces
succeeded in capturing the terrorist Ghazwan [al-]Zawbaee in a complex
intelligence operation outside the country. He is the primary culprit behind
the Karrada atrocity and many others.”
The
young IS militant, alongside suicide bomber Abu Maha al-Iraqi, coordinated a
suicide truck packed with explosives to target late-night shoppers in the
Karrada district during Ramadan in 2016. The bombing was one of the deadliest
attacks in the world since 9/11 and left at least 346 dead.
IS
later took credit for the bombing while it controlled large swaths of Iraqi and
Syrian territory. At the time, IS was losing battles to Iraqi security forces
who were liberating Fallujah. Many viewed the Karrada bombing by the jihadist group
as retribution and an attempt to divert attention from Iraq’s victory in
Fallujah.
In
an interview with an Iraqi security official who spoke with Al-Monitor on the
condition of anonymity, he revealed many details about Zawbaee, including that
the operation to capture him took months and involved chasing him in foreign
countries that the source did not name.
Born
in Baghdad, Zawbaee began a career of terrorizing his people back in May 2007.
He was only 15 years old when he first pledged his allegiance to IS and took up
arms against American troops as part of the Iraqi insurgency against the 2003
US invasion. Later that year, he was arrested and detained in Cropper Prison
located near Baghdad International Airport. He was released in 2008.
Iraqi
army spokesperson Yehia Rasool described him as “one of the most wanted persons
by the Iraqi judiciary." He added, "This terrorist carried out many
criminal operations against the Iraqi people and the Iraqi security forces.”
The
notorious terrorist, nicknamed Abu Obaida, returned to the terrorist
organization in early 2010 and plotted attacks on security forces through
assassinations, sticky bombs, targeting and theft of goldsmiths, until he was
arrested again in mid-2011 in the Dora district by the Directorate of Combatting
Crime.
He
was detained in Abu Ghraib Prison until mid-2013, when he escaped toward the
Anbar desert and joined other fugitive terrorists; there, he received military
training and religious studies. Then he and a group of trained militants were transferred
to the Hamrin Mountains to resume their terrorist activities in Kirkuk and
Ninevah provinces.
Prior
to the fall of Mosul, Zawbaee and his group received orders by IS to enter the
city with light weapons to engage in espionage against security forces and
provide information on the forces’ daily operations. This ultimately resulted
in the fall of Mosul, where more than 20,000 Iraqi forces failed to defend the
city against an approximately thousand-strong IS army.
He
later joined IS's Army of al-Usra, which, according to late Iraqi analyst
Hisham al-Hashimi, is responsible for ethnic cleansing and the major
destruction of Iraq’s religious and heritage sites. He had direct contacts with
the emir of Baghdad's Wilayat and was the logistics mind in the organization,
where he prepared and transported booby-trapped vehicles, terrorist elements,
explosive belts and explosive materials throughout the so-called caliphate.
Source:
Al Monitor
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Arab
coalition says 48 Yemen Houthis killed near Marib
19
October ,2021
The
Arab coalition in Yemen said Tuesday it killed 48 Houthis in air strikes on two
districts near the strategic city of Marib, during intense fighting this week.
This
is the ninth consecutive day that the coalition has announced strikes around
Marib, reporting a total of more than 1,200 Houthi fatalities.
The
previously announced bombings were in Abdiya about 100 kilometers (60 miles)
from Marib -- the internationally-recognized government’s last bastion in
oil-rich northern Yemen.
The
strikes reported Tuesday were closer to Marib.
“Operations
targeted six military vehicles and killed 48 terrorist elements” in the past 24
hours in the districts of al-Jawba and al-Kassara, the coalition said in a
statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Al-Jawba
lies about 50 kilometers from the city and al-Kassara is about 30 kilometers
northwest.
According
to a government military official on Tuesday, fighting between the two sides
“continues on a number of fronts but there are no major advances or changes on
the ground in recent hours.”
The
Houthis began a major push to seize Marib in February and have renewed their
offensive since September after a lull.
The
Yemeni civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, 120
kilometers (75 miles) west of Marib, prompting Arab coalition forces to
intervene to prop up the government the following year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/10/19/Arab-coalition-says-48-Yemen-Houthis-k
--------
10
civilians killed, 35 injured by Assad regime attack in Idlib, NW Syria
Ahmet
Karaahmet
20.10.2021
At
least 10 civilians were killed and another 35 injured on Wednesday by an Assad
regime attack in Idlib, northwestern Syria, according to medical sources.
Artillery
of regime forces and Iranian-backed foreign terrorist groups targeted a
marketplace in the center of the town of Ariha in rural southern Idlib, an area
under opposition control.
Medical
sources in the town told Anadolu Agency that 10 civilians lost their lives and
35 civilians were injured in the attack.
The
casualties are feared to rise.
Syria
has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked
down on pro-democracy protesters.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Ministry
of Islamic Affairs to Continue To Apply Social Distancing In Mosques
October
19, 2021
RIYADH
— The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, in accordance to the
Public Health Authority "Weqaya" recommendations, has confirmed on
Tuesday that it is necessary to continue to apply social distance protocols
between worshipers in mosques.
The
statement came according to the ministry in order to preserve peoples' health,
as all ages and people with different health conditions enter mosques.
The
ministry also noted that there is no place or any person in mosques to check
the health status through the “Tawakalna” application, which may require a
great effort to preserve the health of worshipers.
"We
are constantly following up with the concerned authorities regarding
instructions for precautionary measures as we ensure the safety of worshipers
in mosques," the ministry said.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Five
civilians among eight killed in shelling of Syria’s Idlib
20
October ,2021
Shelling
by the Syrian army killed eight people, five of them civilians, Wednesday in
the northwestern region of Idlib controlled by opposition forces, a war monitor
reported.
Rockets
struck a busy area of the town of Ariha, the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said, adding that at least two children were among those killed.
The
shelling, which hit the war-ravaged town at a time when children were heading
to school, also wounded at least 26 people, the Britain-based monitoring group
said.
An
AFP reporter on the scene saw at least five dead bodies as first responders
were treating the wounded and scenes of chaos filled the streets of Ariha.
Wednesday’s
bombardment was one of the deadliest to rattle an Idlib truce deal that was
reached in March 2020 and brokered by Turkey and Russia, the two main foreign
brokers in the conflict.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Syria
explosion targeting army bus kills 13, wounds three in Damascus
20
October ,2021
At
least 13 Syrian military personnel were killed in a roadside bomb attack, as
their bus crossed a bridge in central Damascus during early morning rush hour
on Wednesday, state television reported.
Syrian
state TV posted on its Telegram account images of the charred cabin of the bus,
and rescue workers could be seen removing body parts. The channel reported at
least 13 people were killed and three wounded.
Two
explosive devices went off as the bus was on the Hafez al-Assad bridge, it
said, adding a third device was defused by an army engineering unit in what
officials said was a “terrorist” blast.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/10/20/Explosion-targets-bus-in-Damascus-Report
--------
Lebanese
parliament confirms election date as March 27
19
October ,2021
Lebanon’s
parliament on Tuesday voted to hold legislative elections on March 27,
parliamentary sources told Reuters.
The
earlier than usual date - elections were originally expected to be held in May
- was being debated in order not to clash with the holy Islamic fasting month
of Ramadan.
It
means Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government has just a few months left in
office as it tries to agree a financial recovery plan with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) amidst a deepening economic meltdown.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Europe
‘Wave
of terrorism in Europe moving toward UK’: Ex-counterterror chief
October
19, 2021
LONDON:
The former head of Britain’s counterterrorism operations has warned that a
“wave of terrorism” was heading from Europe to the UK and that Britain should
raise its terror threat level accordingly.
Nick
Aldworth, the UK’s ex-counterterrorism national coordinator, also told Sky News
that individuals carrying out “lone wolf” attacks after being radicalized in
their bedrooms were becoming the new norm.
His
comments came just days after Ali Harbi Ali, believed to be an Islamist
extremist radicalized online, murdered Conservative Party MP David Amess.
Authorities
faced an “enormous challenge” in identifying potential attackers such as Ali
that had been radicalized at home, Aldworth said.
“It’s
become the new norm within terrorism: People self-radicalizing and then
deciding to do something about it.
“We
live in a democratic society, we don’t live in a surveillance society where the
authorities can, without cause, tap your phone and monitor your internet usage.
It’s an enormous challenge and an enormously resource-intensive challenge.
“My
view, from what we’re seeing, is there are similarities this year with what we
saw in 2016 and 2017 of a slowly developing wave of terrorism in Europe that’s
starting to move toward the UK.
“My
belief is we must be quite close to moving up a threat level back to severe (meaning
an attack was highly likely),” he added.
During
2016 and 2017, five deadly terror attacks took place in Britain, including the
Manchester Arena bombing which killed dozens of people, many of them children,
and the murder of MP Jo Cox.
Amess’
killing has prompted renewed scrutiny on the effectiveness of Britain’s
counter-radicalization program, Prevent, because Ali had previously been
referred to it.
British
Home Office figures show there were more than 6,200 referrals to the Prevent
scheme in England and Wales in the year up to March 2020.
Aldworth
said that the Prevent program was currently not receiving enough referrals from
friends and family, who were best placed to notice changes in people’s
behavior.
“Typically,
about 30 percent of referrals come from education … about 30 percent come from
the police, and about 30 percent come from a disparate number of places
including health.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1951071/world
--------
Taliban
get aid promise but not recognition on eve of Moscow talks
19
October ,2021
Russia,
China and Pakistan are willing to provide aid to Afghanistan, the Russian foreign
ministry said on Tuesday, but Moscow said it was not yet ready to recognize the
Taliban government.
The
promise of humanitarian aid and economic support came after talks between
Russian, Chinese and Pakistani officials, who will be joined by representatives
of Afghanistan’s Islamist rulers at a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.
But
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was withholding recognition
from the Taliban while waiting for them to fulfil promises they made when they
took power, including on the political and ethnic inclusivity of the new
government.
Critics
say the former rebel movement is backtracking on pledges not to sideline women
and minorities, or persecute foes.
“Official
recognition of the Taliban is not under discussion for now,” Lavrov told
reporters. “Like most of other influential countries in the region, we are in
contact with them. We are prodding them to fulfil the promises they made when
they came to power.”
Russia
seeks leadership
In
mid-August, the Afghan government collapsed as the United States and allies
withdrew troops after 20 years on the ground, leading the Taliban to seize
power in a lightning offensive.
Russia,
which fought its own disastrous war in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, is trying
to seize the diplomatic initiative to avoid instability in the wider region
that could damage its interests. In particular it is worried by the possibility
of Islamist militants seeping into the former Soviet republics of Central Asia,
a region Moscow views as a defensive buffer.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Greek,
Egyptian, Greek Cypriot leaders reiterate their commitment to tripartite
alliance
Ahmet
Gençtürk
20.10.2021
Convened
in the Greek capital Athens, leaders of Greece, Egypt and the Greek Cypriot
administration reiterated their commitment to a tripartite alliance.
In
a joint declaration released following the 9th Trilateral Summit on Cooperation
and Coordination, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek Cypriot
administration leader Nicos Anastasiades, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi underlined their countries’ support to each other’s positions in
various essential issues -- including the Cyprus issue, Libya, maritime zones
in the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Palestine-Israel dispute, irregular
immigration, cooperation in the energy sector, and the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam (GERD) that caused serious problems between Egypt and Ethiopia.
Reiterating
the Greek-Greek Cypriot narrative on the Cyprus issue, countries pointed out
that a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation with a single sovereignty, single
international entity, and single citizenship is the only solution.
Referring
to the maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean, the countries accused
Turkey of violating maritime zones established by international law. The
countries also claimed that Economic Exclusive Zones off Cyprus island have
already been set and so drilling and seismic surveys carried out by Turkish
vessels are "illegal."
In
the declaration, it was also claimed that Turkey violates the Greek national
airspace and continental shelf in the Aegean Sea.
Turkey,
which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has
rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot
administration, stressing that the excessive claims violate the sovereign
rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Turkish
leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving all
outstanding problems in the region – including maritime disputes – through
international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue, and negotiations.
In
a closely related issue, the joint declaration maintained that the military and
security cooperation agreement inked between Turkey and Libya’s elected,
legitimate GNA government in November 2019 violated international law and
undermined regional stability.
Similarly,
the countries claimed that the memorandum of understanding between Libya and
Turkey on the delimitation of areas of maritime jurisdiction in the
Mediterranean cannot produce legal effects.
Greece
and the Greek Cypriot administration also strongly and openly reiterated their
support to Egypt regarding the GERD that caused a serious dispute between Egypt
and Ethiopia.
“We
recognise the existential threat that the GERD could pose to Egypt if it is
operated unilaterally,” the declaration added.
Despite
increasingly deepening strategic ties between Greece, the Greek Cypriot
administration, and Israel, the countries said they back the formation of an
independent and viable Palestinian state with secure and recognized borders in
the pre-1967 alignment, with East Jerusalem as the capital, adding that they
also recognize Israel's right to exist in peace and security.
Expressing
satisfaction for the level of cooperation, the countries unveiled a plan that
envisages the creation of a tripartite electricity interconnection that would
enable transmission of Egyptian electricity to Europe via Greece.
Parties
agreed that the next Trilateral Summit will take place in Egypt in the second
half of 2022.
In
a related development, the Greek leftist opposition party MeRA25 led by former
Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis released a statement on Tuesday evening and
strongly criticized the summit and joint declaration.
Mitsotakis
is trying to build a profile of a strong Greece that claims a role as a player
in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean, wishing to capitalize the
expensive military agreement with France and the equivalent with the US, the
party said.
No
bilateral or trilateral agreement will solve the problems of the Eastern
Mediterranean, it noted.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Illegal
claims by Greece, Greek Cypriots behind East Med tensions: Turkey
Ahmet
Gençtürk
20.10.2021
Maximalist
and illegal claims by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration which
overlook the presence of Turkish Cypriots are behind the tensions in the
Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said late Tuesday.
The
ministry was responding to a joint declaration released earlier in the day
following a tripartite summit between Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration
and Egypt in the Greek capital Athens.
Calling
the declaration a new manifestation of hostility by Greece and the Greek
Cypriot administration, the ministry said that Egypt’s participation in the
declaration indicates that the country “has not yet grasped the real address
that it can cooperate with in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Reiterating
Turkey’s determination to protect its own legitimate and legal rights and those
of Cypriot Turks in the region, the ministry underlined that Turkey already
proved that no initiative in the region can be successful without involving
Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
“Turkey
supports energy projects that will enhance cooperation among the countries in
the region. However, these projects should not ignore the rights and interests
of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots, and they should be inclusive,” the statement
said.
Referring
to a statement by the TRNC’s Foreign Ministry on the declaration, the ministry
stressed that an understanding which neglects the realities on the island
cannot contribute to the settlement of the Cyprus issue.
“We
remind once again that a new negotiation process will not be possible unless
the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot
people are reaffirmed,” the ministry said.
Turkey,
which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has
rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot
administration, stressing that the excessive claims violate the sovereign
rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Turkish
leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving all
outstanding problems in the region – including maritime disputes – through
international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiations.
The
ministry also responded to the baseless claims in the declaration on the
Turkish-Libya maritime jurisdiction and military cooperation agreements.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
North
America
Biden
nominates Middle East expert Donald Blome as new US ambassador to Pakistan
Anwar
Iqbal
October
20, 2021
United
States President Joe Biden is nominating Donald Armin Blome, an expert on
Middle East affairs, as his new 'Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan', the White House announced on Tuesday.
Donald
Armin Blome, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service belonging to the
class of minister-counselor, is currently the US ambassador to Tunisia.
Prior
to that, Ambassador Blome was chargé d’affaires at the Libya External Office in
Tunisia, consul general at the US Consulate in Jerusalem, and director of the
Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the US Department of State.
He
has also served as political counselor at the US Embassy in Kabul and
minister-counselor for economic and political affairs at the US Embassy in
Cairo. Earlier in his career, Ambassador Blome served as the civilian
co-director at the Multinational Force Strategic Engagement Cell, Baghdad,
political counselor at the US Embassy Kuwait, and as Israel desk officer,
deputy director and acting director at the Office of Israel and Palestinian
Affairs.
Ambassador
Blome earned a BA and a JD from the University of Michigan. He also speaks
Arabic.
His
nomination follows the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which caused
the collapse of the US-backed government in Kabul and forced Washington to move
its diplomatic mission to Doha, Qatar.
The
changes have given Pakistan a major diplomatic role in Taliban-ruled
Afghanistan and the United States wants Pakistan to use its influence to create
space for an inclusive government in Kabul. The United States is also seeking
air access to Afghanistan via Pakistan.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Top
US official in Lebanon to discuss energy crisis, border dispute with Israel
19
October ,2021
A
top US official landed in Beirut Tuesday in what the State Department said was
a trip to discuss “sustainable solutions” to Lebanon’s energy crisis.
On
his first trip to Lebanon since being appointed by Secretary of State Antony
Blinken, Senior Advisor for Global Energy Security Amos Hochstein will also
resume Washington’s role as a mediator between Lebanon and Israel over their
decadeslong maritime border dispute.
The
Israeli-born diplomat held a similar role under former US President Barack
Obama.
In
Lebanon, he will “underscore the Biden Administration’s willingness to help
Lebanon and Israel find a mutually agreeable solution to their shared maritime
boundary for the benefit of both peoples,” the State Department said.
Traditionally,
the US diplomat in this role shuttles back and forth between Beirut and Tel
Aviv to discuss the maritime border dispute. He is expected to fly to Israel
after Beirut, but no official announcements have been made.
Several
US diplomats have attempted to mediate, but the most success seems to have been
under the Trump administration, where Lebanese and Israeli officials sat in a
room for discussions on the matter.
After
a few rounds of talks, progress was stalled in what US officials have said was
the result of Lebanon reneging on initial boundary claims submitted to the
United Nations.
Hochstein
will now try to revive the stalled talks and build off his previous experience
in the Obama administration.
Lebanon
is experiencing an unprecedented economic and financial collapse, which has
resulted in a shortage of fuel needed to run power plants in the country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Parties
to Syrian constitutional talks begin drafting process
Peter
Kenny
20.10.2021
GENEVA
Representatives
of the Syrian Constitutional Committee have stated a commitment to presenting
"constitutional texts" and would begin to identify provisional areas
of agreement and disagreement, the office of the UN special envoy on Syria said
Tuesday on the second day of new talks.
Jenifer
Fenton, the spokeswoman for the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said
the current round of talks is scheduled to last until Friday.
Both
sides filed in for the negotiations and then left after the day.
A
new round of talks focusing on a new constitution for war-torn Syria began
Monday in Geneva, with the opposition side noting they will continue but said
the outcome is unclear at this stage.
"The
constitutional committee has now begun a process of drafting," said Fenton
at a UN briefing in Geneva.
"All
delegations have stated their commitment to presenting draft constitutional
texts and to begin to identify provisional areas of agreement and disagreement,
including by proposing amendments and submitting revisions."
Fenton
noted that for the special envoy, the constitutional process is
"important."
Pedersen
will "therefore also continue to work to facilitate a wider process to
progress the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254," which
outlines a process for an end to Syria's civil war.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
US
again denies unfreezing assets of Afghanistan
20
Oct 2021
United
States is still holding its previous stance on the Taliban and said that they
will not release nearly ten billion dollars of Afghanistan now frozen in US
banks.
US’s
deputy minister of Finance Wally Adeyemo on Tuesday, October 19 said that it is
important to keep pressure on the Taliban but added that the people of
Afghanistan should not be harmed.
Wally
Adeyemo said that new means must be sought in order to provide Afghan people
with humanitarian aid.
“We
will not let the Taliban access the money in an ongoing situation. We will
continue to assert our restrictions on Haqqani network and the Taliban but will
continue humanitarian aids to Afghan people.” Said Adeyemo to senators.
He
said that the US is committed to providing Afghans with humanitarian aids but
reiterated that the Taliban must facilitate the distribution process.
The
Taliban have used a number of diplomatic channels to release the frozen assets
but none has succeeded yet.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/us-again-denies-unfreezing-assets-of-afghanistan-457645745/
--------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sirajuddin-haqqani-martyrs-suicide-bombers/d/125611
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism