Sunni Muslim Groups Deobandi Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Barelvi Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Incite Sectarian Violence: International Crisis Group
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 September 2022
Photo: Crisis Group,
Brussel
-----
• Calls By a Number of UK Lawmakers and Islamic Bodies
Mount for Banning Anti-Muslim Hindu Nationalist from UK Visit
• Afghan Insurgent Leader, Ahmad Massoud, Calls for
New Anti-Taliban 'Political' Front
• Shahi Eidgah Mosque and Krishna Janmabhoomi: Mosque
Committee Objects to Creation of Special Court for Hearing Cases
• UAE Foreign Minister Meets with Israel’s Netanyahu,
Other Politicians
Pakistan
• Pakistan Faces TTP, JeM Hurdle in Exiting FATF Grey
List
• Peace Talks with TTP Not Halted Despite Surge In
Terrorist Attacks In KPK: Pak Official
• 16m children hit by ‘super floods’ in Pakistan, says
UNICEF
• Ex-GB judge Rana Shamim disowns ‘controversial’
affidavit
--------
Europe
• How Arb’aeen Fosters a Common Identity between
Iraqis and British Shia Muslims
• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman set to attend
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
• SCO summit: Putin, Xi call for new intl. order as
Iran’s full membership confirmed
--------
South
Asia
• 90 Pc Afghans in Online Poll Supports Reopening
Girls’ Schools As Taliban Blames Parents For Closure
• US Establishes Trust with $3.5B in Frozen Afghan
Funds to Skirt Taliban: Report
• SCO Samarkand Declaration: Inclusive Government
‘Critical’ for Afghanistan
• Amnesty says six from minority Shia family killed by
Taliban in Afghanistan
• Rohingya teenager killed in Bangladesh by mortar
fired from Myanmar
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India
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to Draw Up Unified
List of Terrorists, Terror Outfits to Counter the Menace of Terrorism
--------
Arab
World
• Israel attacks Damascus airport, five soldiers
killed: Syria ministry
• Head of Lebanon’s victorious Mayyas dance troupe
chides politicians
• Bank holdups snowball in Lebanon as depositors
demand their frozen money
• Saudi Arabia’s FM discusses bilateral ties in call
with new UK FM
• Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian project in Yemen clears
1,030 mines in one week
• Türkiye ‘neutralizes’ 2 YPG/PKK terrorists in
northern Syria
--------
Mideast
• Iran's Accession to Permanent Membership of SCO
Becomes Official
• Hamas Hails Chilean President's Rejection Of Israeli
Envoy's Credentials Over Gaza Killings
• President Rayeesi Calls for Muslims' Unity against
Enemies' Plots
• President Rayeesi Urges SCO to Condemn, Confront US
Unilateralism
• President Rayeesi: Iran to Continue Resistance
against US Bullying
• Iran’s supreme leader undergoes surgery after
falling ‘gravely ill’: Report
• Byzantine mosaics discovered under farm in Gaza
--------
Africa
• Muslims Commemorate Arba’een in Nigeria
• IPOB denies killing Ebonyi-born Muslim cleric
• Tunisian president makes new changes to electoral
law
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Stop the Damaging ‘Infidel’ Narrative, Says Anwar
• At Malaysia Day celebration, PM says national
identity must be defended towards building united Keluarga Malaysia
• Santubong identified as Muslim-friendly tourism spot
--------
North
America
• Proposing ‘More Benign’ World Order, Famed Harvard
Scholars Cite Iran’s ‘Measured’ Responses to US ‘Escalation’
• Venezuela welcomes home seized crew from seized
plane linked to Iran
• US House speaker heading to Armenia following
Azerbaijan clashes: Report
• Venezuela seeks to strengthen technological
cooperation with Türkiye
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sunni-muslim-deobandi-tehreek-barelvi-labbaik/d/127971
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Sunni Muslim Groups Deobandi Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan, Barelvi Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Incite Sectarian Violence:
International Crisis Group
Photo: Crisis Group,
Brussel
-----
September 17, 2022
Sunni Muslim groups, the Deobandi Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), and the rival Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) that represents
the Barelvis, are fomenting sectarian violence across Pakistan.
A just-published study by the Brussels-based
International Crisis Group (ICG) on September 5 said that this could grow with
the current political acrimony and economic stress which threatens the vast
region around Pakistan, reported Islam Khabar.
Titled "A New Era of Sectarian Violence in
Pakistan Asia Report" it predicts that the TLP, recognized by the Election
Commission of Pakistan as a political party despite its record of violence,
could consolidate its political clout and threaten the mainstream political
discourse during the elections, as of now due in the summer of 2023.
The report reinforces the conclusion reached by
security experts earlier that the TTP, TLP, and other militant groups have
become affiliates of the Islamic State Province of Khorasan (ISPK) that have
grown out of the tribal belt that straddles Afghanistan and Pakistan to other
provinces.
"These two groups are very different and
responsible for some of the country's worst inter-communal bloodshed. Sectarian
militancy thus extends across the spectrum of Sunni Islamist groups. Muslim
minorities, particularly Shias, are deeply vulnerable. Vigilantism is a danger
as hardliners mobilise around allegations of blasphemy to gain political
clout," said the report.
Sectarian violence is rising and spreading across
Pakistan, feeding domestic terrorism and hatred in the region around and the
report holds all state institutions responsible for the competitive activities
of the Sunni Muslim groups, reported Islam Khabar.
Of the two, the TTP, responsible for 83,000 deaths
since 2008, has been defying the Pakistani state and operating with impunity
from the Afghan territory with tacit help from the Taliban, the new rulers and
ideological comrades.
"The rise of a local Islamic State franchise and
the growing influence of a hardline and violent protest movement known as
"Labaik" that draws support mostly from Pakistan's Barelvi majority,
open a new chapter in the country's sectarian violence, which until recently
was driven largely by Deobandi groups," the report says.
While the Pakistan government is struggling to tame
the TTP, it has been mollycoddling the TLP, also using it to fight the
'nationalist' groups who demand justice and jobs.
The study seriously faults the Pakistani
counter-terrorism approach as mostly reactive, when it should be proactive,
because all institutions, from the politicians and the army to the police and
the judiciary, are compromised, reported Islam Khabar.
"Pakistan's counter-terrorism approach has
achieved short-term successes but neglected long-term strategies to deny civic
space to violent sectarian outfits. Government policy has often amplified
rather than tamped down sectarian rhetoric. Several senior serving and retired
counter-terrorism, intelligence and regular law enforcement officials rightly
contend that, in the past, the state has prematurely declared victory over such
groups," added the report.
Moreover, the ICG study names mainstream political
parties that have covert links with and support from the sectarian bodies whose
storm-troopers are used to settle rival political scores and spread fear and
mayhem, especially during elections.
From time to time, public forums and even the floors
of National and provincial assemblies, are used to spew venom against religious
and ethnic minorities, reported Islam Khabar.
Source:
Business Standard
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Calls By a Number of UK Lawmakers and Islamic Bodies
Mount for Banning Anti-Muslim Hindu Nationalist from UK Visit
Photo: Press TV/ Modi
meets Rithambhara on April 10, 2013. (File photo by narendramodi.in)
----
16 September 2022
A number of UK lawmakers and Islamic bodies have
called on the British government to ban Sadhvi Nisha Rithambara, a Hindu
nationalist figure, from entering the country on a speaking tour due to her
Islamophobic rhetoric.
Rithambara heads the Durga Vahini organization which
is the woman’s wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). A Hindu nationalist
movement, VHP is among the close allies of Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under whose rule India has witnessed a
sharp increase in anti-Muslim violence and hatred.
According to reports, Rithambara is set to pay visits
to temples in Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Nottingham, and London from
September 20 to 24.
International rights groups have warned that
anti-Muslim air in India could even escalate further.
They have accused Modi’s governing party of looking
the other way and sometimes enabling hate speech against Muslims, who comprise
a 14% minority in India’s 1.4 billion population but are still numerous enough
to be the second-largest Muslim population of any nation.
UK MPs urge ban on Rithambara
Two labor lawmaker Sam Tarry and Yasmin Qureshi have
voiced their opposition to Rithambara’s tour in the UK.
“Sadhvi Rithambara is a hugely divisive figure, known
for her xenophobic speeches and rhetoric, in particular against the Muslim
community in India,” Tarry wrote in a letter cited by the Middle East Eye.
Noting that Islamophobic rhetoric has no place in
Ilford, one of the planned destinations of the Hindu figure, Terry said he was
“deeply worried about the potential stoking of communal tensions, should her
visit be allowed to progress.”
A report suggests that her visit to Ilford Hindu
Centre has been already canceled but she could still plan to speak at a
different venue.
Qureshi also cited academics as describing Rithambara
as “the single most powerful instrument for whipping up anti-Muslim violence in
India.”
Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), a Muslim
advocacy group, expressed concern over the Hindu figure’s imminent visit.
“We are deeply concerned that Sadvhi Rithambara will
jeopardize the present harmony in the UK between Hindu and Muslim populations
and believe that her hateful and Islamophobic rhetoric has no place within our
multicultural and diverse communities,” said Aman Ali, a spokesperson with
MEND.
History of inciting violence against Muslims
Rithambara was arrested by Indian police over
accusations that she had incited communal violence that led to the demolition
of the historic Babri Masjid in 1992 and the death of 2,000 Muslims in India’s
northern Uttar Pradesh state.
According to a 17-year investigation commissioned by
the Indian government into the Babri Mosque demolition, Rithambhara had been
named in 2009 among several people guilty of leading the country “to the brink
of communal discord.”
However, a special court in 2020 acquitted all those
accused of the destruction of the mosque, citing a lack of evidence.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Afghan Insurgent Leader, Ahmad Massoud, Calls for New
Anti-Taliban 'Political' Front
Ahmad Massoud, leader of
the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, and Aliya Yilmaz, Afghan women's
rights activist, speak to journalists at Concordia Press Club, on the occasion
of the intra-Afghanistan conference, in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 16, 2022.
-----
September 16, 2022
Afghan insurgent group leader Ahmad Massoud on Friday
urged the diaspora to unite to find a “political” solution to end Taliban rule,
describing his appeal as the beginning of a “new phase”.
Massoud, who heads the National Resistance Front
(NRF), an armed group waging an insurgency in Afghanistan's northern Panjshir
Valley, said it was time to try to bring the Taliban back to the negotiating
table.
“We want to unify the diaspora... and slowly expand
the dialogue and reach to the point where we have a roadmap for the future of
Afghanistan,” he told a conference in Vienna.
“We are in the very beginning of a new phase,” he
said.
The Vienna conference brought together some 30 Taliban
opponents, mostly living in exile.
Many groups recently formed outside Afghanistan were
“not happy” with the current state of affairs inside the country, Massoud said,
adding it was time to overcome differences and “heal the wounds”.
The Taliban's takeover after US-led forces withdrew
last year has set back women's rights and created fertile ground for terrorist
groups, he said.
Massoud is the son of legendary anti-Soviet and
anti-Taliban fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud.
The elder Massoud, known as the Lion of Panjshir, was
assassinated in 2001 by Al-Qaeda, two days before the September 11 attacks in
the United States.
His son has since picked up the mantle against Taliban
forces, repeatedly denouncing the Islamist regime as “illegitimate”.
NRF forces announced an offensive against the Taliban
in May, and fighting has flared up again this month.
“Our aim has never been to strengthen the war but to
end the war,” Massoud said, calling for international support at a time where
global attention is focused on Ukraine.
On Tuesday the Taliban said their forces had killed at
least 40 NRF fighters.
A day later, the Islamist group said they were
“looking into” a video circulating on social media that the NRF says shows some
of its fighters being executed.
“This is unacceptable, and this is against all
international laws,” Massoud said.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710418/afghan-insurgent-leader-calls-for-new-anti-taliban-political-front
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Shahi Eidgah Mosque and Krishna Janmabhoomi: Mosque
Committee Objects to Creation of Special Court for Hearing Cases
There are different
petitioners in various cases filed on issue of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in
Mathura courts. (HT file)
----
Sep 16, 2022
The Shahi Eidgah mosque management committee on Friday
filed its objection in the court of the district judge, Mathura, against the
application moved by Hindu petitioners to transfer all the cases related to Sri
Krishna Janmabhoomi issue in Mathura to a special court after clubbing them.
The court fixed October 7 for reply to be filed by Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central
Waqf Board—another respondent in the case which is yet to appear in the court.
Hindu petitioners in one of the cases related to the
Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi issue had earlier moved a transfer application on July
15, 2022 in the court of the district judge, Mathura, seeking the formation of
a special court to hear all the cases related to Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi and
Shahi Eidgah mosque— similar to the one created for cases related to Ayodhya.
Around 12 cases have been filed over this issue in the Mathura court since
September 2020.
“There is a provision under section 24 of the Civil
Procedure Code where a case can be transferred from a court which, because of
excess work, is unable to hear the matters pending before it. There are a dozen
cases related to the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi matter in the Mathura court. These
cases need speedy disposal but it has not been possible due to excess work,”
said Rajendra Maheshwari, petitioner and counsel in case no 950 of 2020.
“There had been orders from the high court of
Allahabad and district judge court in Mathura for expediting the hearing of
cases but still almost all the cases are in preliminary stages despite being filed
since September 2020 and thus some steps need to be taken,” Maheshwari added.
“There has been a precedent of constituting a special
court dedicated to an important issue like Ayodhya and a similar arrangement
could be done for disposal of dozen cases filed over the Sri Krishna
Janmabhoomi issue in the Mathura court,” he said.
“The transfer application filed by petitioners is not
legally maintainable and is liable to be dismissed. The court of civil judge
(senior division) is conducting speedy and proper hearing for battery of the
cases filed on issue and it is rather petitioners themselves who are filing
baseless applications and adjournments to delay disposal of cases” said Tanveer
Ahmed, the counsel and secretary, Intezamia Committee, Shahi Eidgah Mosque in
Mathura, while appearing in the court on Friday.
“On July 21, 2022, the court of civil judge (senior
division), Mathura, had ordered day to day hearing on application under Order 7
Rule 11 filed from July 25, 2022 while categorically stating that no
adjournments will be allowed in the case till the hearing is completed. It was
the petitioners who moved the adjournment application on July 25, 2022 to
hinder the hearing and did not comply with the orders of the court,” Ahmed
added.
“Besides, there are different petitioners in various
cases filed on issue of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura courts and none has
expressed consent to such clubbing of cases or for hearing in special court.
Rather, one of the Hindu petitioners has objected to the idea which, in fact,
is another delaying tactics by Hindu petitioners not interested in arguing on
the application filed under order 7 Rule 11 of Civil Procedure Code,” he said.
Source: Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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UAE Foreign Minister Meets With Israel’s Netanyahu,
Other Politicians
UAE Foreign Minister
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(WAM)
-----
16 September, 2022
The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed met
with Israeli politicians, including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
during a visit to Tel Aviv, state press agency WAM reported on Friday.
Sheikh Abdullah’s visit comes just days after the
countries celebrated two years since their signing of the US-led Abraham
Accords which marked a turning point in bilateral relations between Israel and
the UAE.
During his meeting with Netanyahu, the politicians
reportedly discussed the growing cooperation between the two countries since
the signing of the accords in 2020.
The UAE top diplomat said that over the course of two
years the countries provided “a model to be emulated for constructive and
fruitful cooperation at all levels,” WAM reported.
Netanyahu said that the “UAE-Israel cooperation has
witnessed a remarkable development over the past two years in several fields,”
WAM added.
The UAE foreign minister also met with Minister of
Finance of Israel Avigdor Lieberman during his visit to Tel Aviv and Minister
of the Interior Ayelet Shaked.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Pakistan
Pakistan faces TTP, JeM hurdle in exiting FATF grey
list
16 September, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], September 16 (ANI): The UN’s
anti-terrorism watchdog – the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – will meet
next month to evaluate not just enacting of laws and their enforcement, but
also individuals and terror groups suspected to be the beneficiaries in
Pakistan, reported local media.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is scrambling to play down the
rebellious Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s marauding of innocent civilians
in the Swat Valley, but also convince the FATF that Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM)
chief, Masood Azhar, is absconding and is not being sheltered on Pakistan territory,
reported Islam Khabar.
Pakistan’s record on the flow of funds into terrorist
activities has been under sustained scrutiny by FATF which has placed it on the
‘grey’ list since 2018.
Pakistan has to explain not only Azhar but also the
role of his chief aide, Sajid Mir, besides others who conduct their activities
in and out of Pakistan in a shadowy manner.
For form’s sake, Islamabad has sent a formal letter to
Kabul, ruled by an intransigent Taliban group, to locate Azhar. But it can
expect no cooperation for a simple reason: Kabul is not obliged to help
Islamabad and it is not affected by the FATF scrutiny, reported Islam Khabar.
Indeed, the entire Afghanistan-Pakistan region is a
hotbed of terrorist activity and its massive financing, partly from the huge
quantities of narcotics that Afghanistan produces year after year, irrespective
of who rules in Kabul.
Of course, both nations deny the presence of any
terrorist group, when affiliates of Al Qaida and Islamic State – Province of
Khorasan (ISPK) are having a field day.
As for the TTP, it has claimed responsibility for
nearly 13 attacks in the tribal areas since September 2, leaving nobody in
doubt of its growing clout, continued defiance of the government and tacit
support it enjoys from the Kabul regime.
On the TTP’s role, Dawn newspaper (September 14, 2022)
referred to a debate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly when lawmakers
“pointed to the rising incidents of gun attacks, targeted killings and
extortion in the sensitive area, while it was also said that militants were
roaming around freely in parts of the province.”
The FATF sent a team this month to see on-the-ground
enforcement of the measures against money laundering. On return from the visit,
it reported that Pakistan’s capability to enforce the anti-terror measures
remains ‘low,’ Pakistani newspapers reported last week, reported Islam Khabar.
In an editorial (September 14, 2022), Dawn newspaper
linked FATF and militancy and noted that Pakistan’s level of effectiveness is
“low” on 10 of 11 anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terror
goals, even though the country is compliant with 38 out of 40 technical
recommendations.”
With Pakistan facing multiple crises, the newspaper
demanded transparency on dealing with the FATF as it “simply cannot afford to
ignore this matter, as being put back on the grey list will impact the
country’s ability to attract foreign investment and trade freely with the
world.”
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-faces-ttp-jem-hurdle-in-exiting-fatf-grey-list/1130728/
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Peace talks with TTP not halted despite surge in
terrorist attacks in KPK: Pak official
16 September, 2022
Peshawar, Sep 16 (PTI) The Pakistan government’s peace
talks with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terror outfit have not been
stopped despite a rise in terrorist attacks in the militancy-hit Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province, a senior official said on Friday.
Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
for information and Public Relations barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said members
of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) resorted to terror activities during
the ceasefire period, prompting the provincial government to initiate action
against the banned outfit.
The Pakistani government and the TTP agreed in June to
extend a ceasefire indefinitely while continuing negotiations to find an end to
the nearly two decades of militancy.
Though the outlawed militant outfit agreed to a
ceasefire, it had said that it would not back down from its demand for the
reversal of the merger of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas with
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
Saif said the law enforcement agencies are working
against complaints pertaining to growing incidents of kidnapping for ransom
that have been reported in the province in the recent past.
According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department, as
many as 113 incidents of terrorism, including 15 grenade attacks and seven
target killings, have been reported in the province in the last three months.
A total of 44 people have been killed while 67
terrorists were eliminated in counterterrorism operations in the last three
months in the restive province.
The incidents of money extortion have also seen a
surge with 39 cases reported recently in the province while the number of
unreported incidents is much higher.
The TTP Swat chapter has warned of launching more
attacks in the Swat district against rich people, local politicians, security
forces and members of the peace committees.
Meanwhile, scores of representatives of Swat have
moved along with their families to Islamabad and Peshawar due to fear of money
extortion calls.
The local people in Swat, Buner and Dir districts of
the Malakand division have also conducted demonstrations in the wake of the
re-emergence of the TTP in their districts.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set
up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to
impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan.
The group, which is believed to be close to Al-Qaeda,
has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack
on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases and the 2008 bombing
of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.
Pakistan has been fencing the 2,600-km border with
Afghanistan since 2017 to end terrorist infiltration and smuggling, despite
intense opposition from the neighbouring country.
Besides the erection of a fence, the project also
includes the construction of border posts and forts, and the raising of new
wings of the Frontier Corps, the paramilitary force that guards the border.
When the Taliban returned to power last year, Pakistan
hoped that the new dispensation would deal with these terrorist groups. Despite
promises, the Taliban have not yet taken decisive action to fulfil their
commitments, which has frustrated the Pakistani government.
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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16m children hit by ‘super floods’ in Pakistan, says
Unicef
Amin Ahmed
September 17, 2022
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund (Unicef) representative in Pakistan has said that an estimated
16 million children have been impacted by ‘super floods’ and at least 3.4 million
girls and boys remain in need of immediate, lifesaving support.
In a statement issued here on Friday, Abdullah Fadil,
who recently concluded a two-day visit to the flood-affected areas of Sindh,
said the situation was extremely grim in flood-hit areas with malnourished
children battling diarrohea, dengue fever and several painful skin diseases.
Mr Fadil said floods had now claimed the lives of at
least 528 children and each and every one of these deaths was a tragedy which
could have been averted.
As the magnitude of flood disaster continues to
unfold, international aid continues to trickle in. The Japanese government on
Friday announced US$7 million while the Canadian government pledged $3m
Canadian dollars for the flood-hit people.
Japan announces $7m, Ottawa pledges $3m Canadian
dollars for flood-hit people
“The sad reality is that without a massive increase in
support and aid, many more children will lose their lives,” the Unicef
representative said.
In pictures: Devastating floods affect millions in
Pakistan
“A lot of the mothers are anemic and malnourished
themselves and have very low-weight babies. Mothers are exhausted or ill and
they are unable to breastfeed. Millions of families have been forced from their
homes, now living with little more than rags to protect themselves from the
scorching sun as temperatures in some areas pass 40 degrees Celsius.
“Many families have been forced to seek shelter on
slivers of higher ground, often alongside roads putting children at risk, as
lower land is covered by huge expanses of stagnant water, extending as far as
the eye can see. The additional threats of snakes, scorpions and mosquitoes are
ever-present in the area,” Mr Fadil said.
“Whilst the number of children lost in these floods
continues to grow, Unicef is doing everything it can to support children and
families affected and protect them from the ongoing dangers of water-borne
diseases, malnutrition and other risks,” he added.
Japanese, Canadian aid
The Japanese government decided on Friday to extend emergency
grant aid of $7 million to Pakistan in response to damages caused by flood
disaster.
Of the $7m, World Food Programme will get $2.5m for
food; IOM $1.5m for shelter and non-food items; Unicef $1m for water,
sanitation and hygiene; UNHCR $1m for protection, non-food items; and
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies $1m for health
and medical care, the statement said.
The Canadian government has announced to match
individual donations up to a total of 3m Canadian dollars through the
Humanitarian Coalition of 12 charitable organisations collecting funds and
donations in Canada in response to flooding in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, over 90,000 people were treated for
infectious and water-borne diseases in a day in flood-hit areas of Sindh,
government data showed on Friday, as the total death toll from the inundations
surpassed 1,500.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710501/16m-children-hit-by-super-floods-in-pakistan-says-unicef
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Ex-GB judge Rana Shamim disowns ‘controversial’
affidavit
Malik Asad
September 17, 2022
ISLAMABAD: In a major turn of events, former
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) chief judge Rana Muhammad Shamim has completely disowned
his controversial affidavit that accused former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP)
Saqib Nisar of manipulating judicial proceeding to delay the release of Nawaz
Sharif and Maryam Nawaz through a judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Earlier on Sept 12, Mr Shamim had partially
backtracked from the contents of his affidavit executed in Nov 10 last year,
stating that not a single sitting judge of the IHC was involved in the
controversy and submitted an unconditional apology to the high court. He had
however stood by his allegations against former CJP Nisar.
He submitted an unconditional apology in an affidavit
submitted on Friday in response to the contempt of court proceedings initiated
against him following publication of his earlier affidavit in an English daily
in Nov 2021.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had on Sept 12
directed Mr Shamim to submit an unconditional apology in an affidavit.
Rana Shamim files fresh affidavit withdrawing from
contents of ‘incorrect’ document of Nov 2021; submits unconditional apology to
IHC
In the document filed on Friday, Mr Shamim again
apologised, disowned his own ‘controversial’ affidavit and withdrew from its
contents.
It may be mentioned that in the earlier affidavit, Mr
Shamim had stated that Justice Nisar made a phone call to a judge of the IHC,
asking him to delay the release of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz until the July
2018 general elections.
The affidavit filed on Friday stated: “I tender
unconditional apology for an affidavit which was neither correct nor required…
I regret rather apologise for an incorrect affidavit where the name of an
honorable judge was mistakenly and unintentionally mentioned. I further regret
and apologize for my grave mistake which should never have happened.”
It further said: “The wrong and incorrect mention of a
judge of this honorable court in affidavit dated 10th Nov 2021 was due to my
glaring misunderstanding and unintentional mistake. Hence, I withdraw from the
contents of the said affidavit. I profusely apologize for the wrong [and]
unnecessary affidavit.”
The ex-GB chief judge placed himself at the mercy of
the IHC.
However, in the apology tendered on Sept 12, the
former GB chief judge stated: “The contents of the affidavit emanate from the
sitting in which myself, my late wife, former CJP Justice Saqib Nisar along
with his wife were present at my official residence when I was Chief Judge of
Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court... former CJP on the first day of
their stay while taking tea in the lawn of my residence, was trying to get
connected with someone time and again but when the said person could not be connected
he directed his registrar to go and see him at his residence and tell him that
Mian Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif should not come out on bail.”
He had further said: “Since he could not be connected,
therefore he directed the registrar to call him on WhatsApp as soon as
possible. After some time, the then CJP was connected to the person, he talked
for [a] few minutes; thereafter he felt relaxed and said that he has spoken to
the senior puisne judge and demanded another cup of tea.”
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710532/ex-gb-judge-rana-shamim-disowns-controversial-affidavit
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Europe
How Arb’aeen Fosters a Common Identity between Iraqis
and British Shia Muslims
By Zahra Ladha
16 September 2022
In early September, against the backdrop of deadlocked attempts to form a government and
periodic civil unrest in Iraq, British Shia Muslims travelled to the southern
Iraqi cities of Najaf, Karbala and Samarra, joining millions of others from
around the world to commemorate Arbaeen.
The religious occasion marks the fortieth day of
mourning of the anniversary of Ashura, the day on which Hussein ibn Ali, the
third Shia imam and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed at the
Battle of Karbala, nearly 1400 years ago.
Hussein had refused to pay allegiance to the new
Umayyad caliph, Yazid ibn Muawiyah, who he believed was acting against the
ideals of Islam. As Hussein and his family attempted to travel towards Kufa in
modern day Iraq, they were surrounded by the Umayyad army.
Hussein’s camp was cut off from water supplies and
almost all of the 72 male friends and family members who had accompanied him on
his journey to Kufa were killed, while the women and children were taken
captive.
The event played a formative role in the creation of
the Shia identity, in which opposing injustice and oppression has become a key
ideal.
Since the fall of former Iraqi president Saddam
Hussein in 2003, there has been a resurgence of previously restricted Shia
mourning rituals. Karbala, Najaf and Samarra have drawn a steadily increasing
number of visitors, and now play host to Islam’s largest annual pilgrimage,
known in Arabic as the ziyara.
In 2019, the number of pilgrims taking part in Arabeen
commemorations reportedly exceeded 14 million. Even more are expected this
year, despite the volatile political situation in Iraq.
Braving the risks
Since the escalation of the ongoing protest movement
in Iraq, the UK has advised its citizens against all but essential travel to
the country.
Even before the current unrest, however, British
Muslims, alongside pilgrims from elsewhere, have travelled to Iraq despite the
political instability and the threat posed by organisations like the Islamic
State (IS) group, which targeted Shia Muslims in bomb attacks.
Nabeela Zaman, a British Shia of Bengali heritage,
travelled to the southern shrine cities during Ashura in 2022.
“It’s not something I even looked at,” she said when
asked whether the political situation made her reconsider her travel plans.
What drives her, and others, is the feeling that by
visiting the shrines, they are serving a higher purpose.
Zaman said: “The ziyara is not like Hajj, it’s not an
obligation. But I feel – and I think many feel – that when we go for ziyara,
we’ve been called there by a higher power.
“For many, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and
that is why we don’t let anything stop us.”
That’s a sentiment echoed by British Indian Muslim,
Mohsen, who spoke of an incident 2007, in which his tour group narrowly escaped
an explosion.
“People were scared, but it didn’t stop us from coming
back,” he said. “We have love for Imam Hussein. Nothing will stop us from
coming back.”
The targeting of Shia pilgrims by IS and al-Qaeda
members has in some cases made pilgrims more resolved to continue.
Discussing her experience of visiting the Hassan
al-Askari shrine in Samarra in 2009, after it had been desecrated by al-Qaeda
insurgents in 2006 and 2007, Nabeela Zaman said: “I remember how it felt,
seeing the shrine like that. It makes you more determined to come back.”
“In 2017, there was no change in the number of
pilgrims we took to Karbala,” said Romana, a volunteer with the UK branch of
Spiritual Guides, a tour company organising pilgrimage trips to Iraq, adding:
“Daesh [IS] was at the height of its power, and pilgrims were still committed
to coming to Iraq”.
Historic dangers
The pilgrimage to Shia shrines in Iraq has long been
fraught with risk for both locals and foreigners.
Under Saddam’s rule, foreign pilgrims were heavily
monitored by the state. Fearing a Shia political revolution in Iraq that would
mirror that of Iran’s, the Baathist government kept a watchful eye on all
pilgrims to the shrine cities.
Yasmin, who travelled to Iraq extensively during the
1990s, recalled her experience in Karbala and Najaf, saying: “You were never
allowed to be in the shrines alone. Two government guards were always watching
you. You felt monitored. Even prayer books which contained pictures of the
Marja (spiritual guides) were banned.”
British nationals who were not of Iraqi origin were
also detained by Saddam’s government.
Mulla Asghar, a prominent figure in the global Khoja
community, was arrested on one of his ziyara trips, where he was held in a
Baghdad jail for three months, until international pressure forced his release.
Despite this, both under Baathist rule and post-Saddam
Iraq, foreign pilgrims have remained comparatively insulated from the political
and security threats faced by Iraqi citizens.
For Iraqis, the risks were much greater. Mulla Asghar spoke
of meeting Iraqi prisoners who had been held at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison
for over 10 months, charged with the crime of frequent visitation to the
shrines.
Since the fall of the Baathist government, pilgrimages
have grown in scale as fear around repercussions for Shia religious observance
has melted away.
Given the religious and cultural significance of the
shrines in Iraq, and the vital role religious tourism plays in Iraq’s national
economy, significant measures have been taken to protect the pilgrimage routes,
particularly for foreign visitors.
Many foreign pilgrims fly directly into Najaf, and
those who fly to Baghdad are often provided with security until they reach the
south of Iraq.
According to the British ziyara tour guides that spoke
to Middle East Eye, the Office of Ayatollah Sistani will frequently provide
private security for pilgrims who travel to Samarra, and the shrines themselves
are protected by armed wings of various political groups in the country.
In a similar vein, Iraq’s energy crisis - in which
widespread power cuts spark frequent protests in the summer months - has had a
minimal impact on foreign pilgrims. Equipped with expensive private generators,
local hotels do not experience the frequent power cuts that plague wider Iraqi
society.
Connecting with Iraqis
The relative insulation from the Iraqi political
climate enjoyed by foreign pilgrims has not precluded the development of strong
ties between Iraqi citizens and non-Iraqi British Shia pilgrims.
The British Shia population, a significant proportion
of which has South Asian origins, and remains ethnically and linguistically
distinct from Iraq, finds itself increasingly connected to Iraq in more than
just a religious capacity.
The Arbaeen commemorations carried out in the south of
Iraq include an 80km walk from the shrine of the first Shia Imam Ali ibn Abi
Talib in Najaf to the shrine of Hussein in Karbala.
Iraqis living on the road towards Karbala will open
their homes to pilgrims, inviting them to rest in their houses.
Yasmin, who has attended the Arbaeen walk annually for
the last decade, told Middle East Eye: “I’ve never experienced anything else
like it. Whenever I go, it feels like I am coming home.”
The growing centrality of the Arbaeen walk, and Iraqi
culture, in the commemoration of Hussein’s death is highlighted by the
replication of the walk by communities in Britain.
This year, Hyderi Islamic Centre, a Shia mosque in
London, recreated the Arbaeen walk in its neighbourhood, depicting the
trajectory of the walk for those who
were unable to travel to Iraq.
Walkers encountered different Mawkibs present on the
route - these are stations that provide food, medical services and shelter to
pilgrims on the route to Karbala, as well as traditional Iraqi food that is
often served to pilgrims on the walk.
The effect of these experiences on the visiting
populations is demonstrated by the extent to which fundraising for charitable
organisations in Iraq has become a mainstay of the British Shia experience.
During Ramadan and Muharram, British Shia communities,
most of which are non-Iraqi in origin, will fundraise to aid programmes in
Iraq.
Particularly among the British South Asian Shia
diaspora, fundraising for aid groups in Iraq will often take precedence over fundraising
campaigns for aid in their countries of origin.
These funds are not channelled exclusively towards
Iraq’s Shia community.
British charities such as the Zahra Trust have worked
across Iraq, distributing food, heaters, and clothing to vulnerable communities,
as well as supporting the building of water wells in remote locations.
Other British Shia Muslims have travelled frequently
to Iraq in times of unrest to provide medical aid in the southern governorates
during Ashura and Arbaeen.
Romana has travelled to Iraq annually since 2004 in
order to provide medical assistance to those in need. Addressing the motivation
behind her decision to offer such help in Iraq, Romana said: “We are connected
to Iraq through our love for Imam Hussein, but it is also wider than that. Our
love for Imam Hussein also connects us to this community.”
She emphasised that her support of the Iraqi
population was not limited to one community but also extended to others that
make up the social fabric of the country.
During the defence of Najaf and other shrine cities,
members of other religious communities had fought alongside Shia fighters
against Islamic State group.
Referencing the 2016 IS advance towards Najaf, she
said: “I have worked with a lot of orphanages in Iraq. The parents of these
children, who were not only Shia but from a range of faiths, fought IS, they
defended Iraq, and they defended the shrines, because Ayatollah Sistani asked
them to. Irrespective of their religious denomination, it is their right to expect
support from us.”
Others who have participated in Arbaeen in the south
of Iraq spoke of the unifying power of the ziyara.
“It’s incredible. You meet people from every part of
the world. China, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Middle East… and you’re all connected,”
said Yasmin. “You are connected because you are walking to the same place with
the same objective”.
Source: Middle East Eye
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https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/iraq-uk-arbaeen-how-fosters-common-shia-indentity
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman set to attend
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
16 September 2022
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is set to
travel to the UK to participate in the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II
and deliver his condolences to the Royal Family.
The details of MBS’s visit remain unknown but
according to a Friday report by The Guardian, his attendance at the funeral
might “represent an unacceptable security threat” due to the protests his
presence may provoke.
It will be the Saudi crown prince’s first visit to the
UK since the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who
was brutally murdered at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul almost four years
ago.
At the time, the UK government imposed travel bans on
a group of courtiers close to the crown prince due to their involvement in the
assassination.
However, the prince himself did not go under any
sanctions by the British government, in spite of a US intelligence report,
which concluded that bin Salman was directly responsible for Khashoggi’s
murder.
UK bans Chinese officials from attending Queen’s
funeral
The reports about the infamous Saudi crown prince’s
visit to the UK come as the Chinese delegation has been banned from seeing the
queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall in London.
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle has
refused a request from the delegation to attend the funeral ceremony due to
sanctions China has imposed on British citizens.
Relations between Beijing and London are at odds, with
a group of UK MPs expressing concerns that Chinese President Xi Jinping has
been invited to the state funeral on Monday.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning
monarch, died at the age of 96, and her son Charles III proclaimed the throne.
Her passing led to an outpouring of grief in the West.
It also revived the British monarchy’s colonial legacy, with people across the
world seeing her as a symbol of an institution that thrived through violence,
oppression, and theft.
The anti-monarchy chorus is growing louder in the
United Kingdom with a spate of arrests by security agencies in recent days drawing
condemnation from the country’s civil liberties campaigners.
Source: Press TV
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SCO summit: Putin, Xi call for new intl. order as
Iran’s full membership confirmed
16 September 2022
Russian and Chinese presidents have urged for
re-shaping the international order at the latest Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) summit which also saw the full-fledged accession of Iran to
the organization signed by members.
Addressing the event on Friday in the Uzbek city of
Samarkand, Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded the increasing influence of
countries outside the West.
“Our integration is of a non-bloc nature, and we offer
assistance in solving energy and food problems that emerge in the world,
arising from a number of systemic mistakes in leading global economies in the
area of finance and energy,” TASS quoted him as saying.
“Hopefully, other participants in economic cooperation
will build their policy on the same principles as well, and stop using the
tools of protectionism, illegal sanctions and economic egoism
opportunistically,” the Russian president added.
“The growing role of new centers of power who cooperate
with each other... is becoming more and more clear,” Putin added.
The summit marked the first face-to-face meeting
between Putin and Xi since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, and also the
Chinese leader’s first trip abroad since the early days of the coronavirus
pandemic.
President Xi also urged regional countries to reshape
the international system and “abandon zero-sum games and bloc politics.”
He noted that leaders should “work together to promote
the development of the international order in a more just and rational
direction.”
The SCO – made up of China, India, Pakistan, Russia,
and the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan – was set up in 2001 as a political, economic and security
organization to rival Western institutions.
SCO declaration and Iran’s accession
At the end of the summit, member states released a
declaration saying a memorandum of Iran’s commitments was signed for the
purpose of the country’s accession to the SCO as a full-fledged member-state.
Iran and the organization started a formal process for
Tehran’s accession to the bloc in March. Iran’s membership in the body was
later approved by the Iranian administration.
At its 21st summit in Tajikistan’s capital city of
Dushanbe in September 2021, the SCO approved documents for Iran’s full
membership in the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced that he had signed a memorandum of
commitment to join the organization.
SCO expansion to boost regional security
The declaration also noted that the expansion of the
SCO will contribute to ensuring security and stability in the region.
“The member-states emphasized the idea that the
expansion of the SCO and the further deepening of cooperation with the observer
states, the SCO’s dialogue partners and international associations will build
up the organization’s potential and contribute to further enhancing its role in
the international scene as a multilateral mechanism for solving urgent problems
of our time, ensuring security, stability and sustainable development in the
region,” reads the declaration.
The declaration welcomed the decision to grant the
status of SCO dialogue partners to Bahrain, Maldives, Kuwait, the UAE, and
Myanmar while also announcing that documents for giving the same status to
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have been signed.
Source: Press TV
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South
Asia
90 pc Afghans in online poll supports reopening girls’
schools as Taliban blames parents for closure
17 September, 202
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 17 (ANI): About ninety
per cent of voters in Afghanistan supported the reopening of schools for girls
beyond grade six, and 10 per cent opposed the decision, as per an online poll
conducted by Afghanistan’s local media outlet TOLO news.
This comes as the Taliban-led education minister said
that girls’ schools have remained closed due to cultural reasons and that
families themselves do not agree to send their daughters to schools.
These comments by the Taliban leader have invoked
strong reactions. This 24-hour poll on the reopening of girls’ schools across
Afghanistan was launched on TOLOnews’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
More than 34,100 people voted on Facebook. To be
precise 89.7 per cent supported the opening of girls’ schools, and 10.3 per
cent were against it, reported Tolo News.
On the other hand, on Instagram, 9,820 (92 pc) users
participated with 8,998 (92 pc) voting for girls’ schooling, 452 (5 pc) not
supporting, and 371 (3 pc) saying they had no opinion.
“None of the Afghan citizens is against the rights of
education and girls’ taking part in schools, the small number of votes
negatively in the poll have some considerations and concerns which can be
solved,” said Maryam Maarof Arwin, a women’s rights activist.
It is not just the activists who are raising their
voices against the diktat. A number of students have said that the closure of
schools is no longer tolerable and called for clarification regarding the
schools. “We need our schools to be opened. Afghan society needs to have an
education,” said Abeda, a student.
Earlier, drawing flak over the decision to close
girls’ schools in Afghanistan, the Taliban shifted the blame on Afghan parents
and said that people do not want their girls to attend school in the current
situation.
Acting education minister Noorullah Munir while
visiting Uruzgan province said, “You wouldn’t need to ask me the same question
if you ask how many people in this mosque are willing to send their 16-year-old
daughter to school. You and I both grew up in the same Afghan society, and the
culture is clear to everyone.”
However, some Uruzgan residents stated that they are
ready to send their daughters to school if the Taliban allows them, reported
Tolo News. They asked the current government to reopen girls’ schools as soon
as possible.
“I think that the minister came from Kabul and he
cannot represent our people, because he came from Kabul. People in Uruzgan want
their daughters to go back to school, and they used to go to school before,”
said Javid Khpolwak, civil society activist.
“Those schools which are closed should be reopened as
soon as possible because it is the demand of the people,” said Mohammad Wali
Samsor, a resident of Uruzgan.
According to Munir, schools are closed to students
above the sixth grade due to cultural constraints, but he emphasized that if a
better environment is created, girls’ schools above the sixth grade will be
opened, reported Tolo News.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah
Mujahid, has previously stated that girls’ schools were closed due to religious
issues. Notably, The Taliban were publicly criticized globally after closing
Paktia girls’ schools after a brief opening. It sparked serious reactions
inside and outside of Afghanistan. On Saturday, dozens of girls took to the
streets in the centre of Paktia to protest the closing of their schools,
reported Tolo News.
The videos of the protests went viral on social media
and triggered strong reactions by the Afghan public as well as famous
politicians and human rights defenders.
Several human rights and education activists had urged
world leaders in an open letter recently to mount diplomatic pressure on the
Taliban to reopen secondary schools for girls in the war-torn country as the
Taliban’s brutal regime in Afghanistan will soon complete a year in August.
Young girls and women have been compromising with
their aspirations as it has been almost 300 days since their development has
been distorted, the activists said adding, that if this situation persists,
their aims and hopes will suffer greatly, reported Khaama Press.
Source: The Print
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US Establishes Trust with $3.5B in Frozen Afghan Funds
to Skirt Taliban: Report
By Arif Ahmadi
16 Sep 2022
KABUL, Afghanistan – The Biden administration moved
Wednesday to establish a foundation for managing $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan
funds, according to sources, skirting Taliban in their efforts to having hands
on what is known to be the last shot to stabilize country’s economy.
This came a month after, United States President Joe
Biden’s administration said it will press ahead with talks on releasing
billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s foreign-held assets, after continued
pressures by the international community.
With Several international partners, the US government
announced the creation of a foundation based in Switzerland that will use the
money help address the unfolding economic and humanitarian crisis in
Afghanistan, where more than half of the population are starving.
“Pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14064, President
Biden set a policy of enabling $3.5 billion of Afghan central bank reserves to
be used for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan while keeping them out of
the hands of the Taliban and other malign actors,” said US Treasury department
in statement.
“The Afghan Fund will protect, preserve, and make
targeted disbursements of that $3.5 billion to help provide greater stability
to the Afghan economy,” the statement further said.
Anwar ul-Haq Ahady, former Minister of Commerce and
Industry of Afghanistan, Shah Mohammad Mehrabi, a member of the Supreme Council
of Da Afghanistan Bank, and Scott C. Miller, the US Ambassador to Switzerland,
as well as a person from the Swiss Foreign Ministry, are the trustees of this
fund and will decide on the assets of Afghanistan, as TOLOnews wrote.
“We will help the people of Afghanistan as the economy
of Afghanistan faces serious structural issues that no amount of external
support can resolve of its own, and the US has made clear to the Taliban that
the onus is on them to make key reforms,” said US State Department spokesperson
Ned Price.
“This fund will protect and preserve the Afghan
Central Bank reserves while making targeted disbursements to help stabilize
their economy and, ultimately, support its people and work to alleviate the
worst effects of the humanitarian crisis,” Price further stated.
But the Afghan Ministry of Economy asked the US
government to hand over the frozen assets of Afghanistan to the Da Afghanistan
Bank (Central Bank). This way, they will be able to prioritize best for what is
needed in the country.
“No one has the right to place conditions on how and
by whom these funds should be used,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy of the ministry,
as local media quoted.
The decision to pursue the initiative to help
stabilize Afghanistan’s collapsed economy underscores growing concern in
Washington over a humanitarian crisis, as the United Nations warns that nearly
half the country’s 40 million people face “acute hunger”.
Afghanistan’s economic and humanitarian crises
deepened when Washington and other donors halted aid that funded 70% of the
government budget following the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021.
In February, President Biden signed an executive order
to free $7 billion in Afghan assets now frozen in the US, splitting the money
between humanitarian aid for poverty-stricken Afghanistan and a fund for
families of 9/11 victims still seeking relief for the attacks that killed thousands.
Source: Khaama Press
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SCO Samarkand Declaration: Inclusive Government
‘Critical’ for Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal
17 Sep 2022
An inclusive government for Afghanistan was deemed
“critical” at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State
Council summit, which did not invite the Taliban.
During their three-day meeting, the heads of state of
China, Russia, Turkey, and other SCO members issued a joint declaration
stressing the imperative of establishing an inclusive administration in
Afghanistan.
According to their declaration, the SCO Member States
consider a comprehensive settlement of the Afghanistan situation to be one of
the most crucial elements in preserving and strengthening peace and stability
in the SCO region.
The declaration also stated that the SCO members are
in favor of Afghanistan becoming an independent, unified, democratic, and
peaceful nation free from terrorism, conflict, and drugs.
The three-day SCO summit concluded that Afghanistan
should have a comprehensive and inclusive government with representatives from
all ethnic, religious, political, and other societal groups.
The Taliban leadership was not invited to the
conference despite Afghanistan being one of the key subjects of discussion.
According to reports, the Taliban’s exclusion from the
summit was due to the issue of the Taliban’s international recognition as
Afghanistan’s controlling authority.
Source: Khaama Press
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Amnesty says six from minority Shia family killed by
Taliban in Afghanistan
16 September, 2022
A leading international rights group released a
harrowing report Friday about six members of an extended minority Shia family in
Afghanistan who were brutally killed by the Taliban earlier this summer. It
accused Afghanistan's new rulers of blatant disregard of human rights and abuse
of minorities.
Amnesty International said the slain Hazaras included
a 12-year-old child in what the rights group said was a deliberate attack on
the ethnic minority. The killings took place in Ghor province on June 26 and
represent evidence of how the Taliban have failed to establish an inclusive
government since seizing power just over a year ago, Amnesty said.
The Taliban swept into Kabul, the Afghan capital, and
captured most of the rest of the country in a blitz in August 2021, as US and
NATO troops were in the final weeks of their exit from Afghanistan after 20
years of war. The country's Western-backed government and military crumbled in
the face of the Taliban assault.
According to Amnesty, on the night of June 26, Taliban
forces raided the home of Mohamad Muradi, a Hazara and a former security
official in Ghor. Muradi had also led a local militia that fought the Taliban
in 2020 and 2021.
After the Taliban takeover, Muradi had attempted to
escape to Iran but failed and recently returned home to the Lal-wa Sarjangal
district in Ghor, where he was in hiding.
Amnesty's report cited witnesses as saying that the
Taliban attack began at night, with rocket-propelled grenades thrown at
Muradi’s home that instantly killed his 22-year-old daughter, Taj Gul Muradi.
Muradi himself, and two other children, a son and a daughter, 12, were
initially wounded. The girl died of her wounds the following day, Amnesty said.
A wounded Muradi surrendered to the Taliban through
mediation by local elders, but was dragged out of the house and killed.
Three other men — Muradi's nephew, Ghulam Haider
Mohammadi, and two other relatives, both former anti-Taliban militiamen — who
were visiting the family were also killed, Amnesty said.
According to witnesses, the two relatives — Asif
Rezayee and Arif Sangaree — were taken by the Taliban and driven away. Their
bodies were later found more than a 30 minutes’ drive from Muradi's home.
Amnesty said its report was based on eight separate
interviews, done remotely and with witnesses of the attack, and also on
analysis of photos and video footage taken in the aftermath of the killings.
It was not clear from the report what happened to
Muradi's wounded son, other members of his immediate family and other relatives
who may have been at the house during the attack.
The London-based watchdog urged the Taliban to
investigate the killings and “ensure that those responsible are prosecuted in
accordance with international human rights obligations and standards.” It
suggested that if Afghanistan's new rulers cannot provide justice, the
prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should open a full
investigation.
“The Taliban must immediately end this cruel pattern
of targeted killings and, as the de facto authorities, ensure the protection of
all Afghans,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general.
The international community, wary of the Taliban’s
harsh rule when they were last in power in the late 1990s, has withheld
official recognition of their new administration. It has also demanded that the
Taliban uphold women’s rights, allow girls to go to school beyond sixth grade,
and revoke their ban on women’s full access to society and the right to work in
all fields.
There are also other demands, such as rights for
ethnic minorities and the establishment of an inclusive government — all points
on which the Taliban have not responded despite their initial promises to the
contrary.
Source: The New Arab
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https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/amnesty-says-six-shia-family-killed-taliban
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Rohingya teenager killed in Bangladesh by mortar fired
from Myanmar
Sep 17, 2022
DHAKA: A 15-year old Rohingya boy was killed and at
least six people were injured when mortar shells fired from Myanmar exploded in
Bangladesh, the latest in a series of violent incidents, officials and a
Rohingya leader said.
More than a million Rohingya are living in camps in
southern Bangladesh that comprise the world's largest refugee settlement, the
vast majority having fled from Myanmar during a military crackdown in 2017.
The Rohingya have been caught in the crossfire between
Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army, an armed group fighting for
self-determination for ethnic minorities in Rakhine state.
The teenager was killed late on Friday, said Dil
Mohammed, a Rohingya leader in no-man's land, a strip of land along the
Myanmar-Bangladesh border where an estimated 4,000 Rohingya live.
"We are living here in constant fear. Anytime any
catastrophe can happen," Mohammed told Reuters by phone.
Strong protests would be lodged with Myanmar over the
incident, a Bangladesh government official and border guard official said.
Bangladesh this month issued a statement expressing
"deep concern over falling mortar shells inside Bangladesh territory,
indiscriminate aerial firing from Myanmar in the bordering areas, and air space
violation from Myanmar".
Source: Times Of India
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India
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to Draw Up Unified
List of Terrorists, Terror Outfits to Counter the Menace of Terrorism
Sep 17, 2022
In a decision at the SCO summit meant to counter the
menace of terrorism, the member-states, in accordance with their national
legislation and based on consensus, decided to develop “common principles and
approaches’’ to form a unified list of terrorist, separatist and extremist
organisations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the SCO
countries.
Referring to the announcement, which was made in the
Samarkand Declaration, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said each of the
member-states was clear in recognising the threat posed by terrorism to the
region. Like in the past, India was again the only country to not endorse
China’s BRI initiative in the declaration.
In his intervention in the restricted session of the
summit, Modi also sought greater cooperation among the SCO countries to deal
with terrorism and stressed the role that SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure
(RATS) can play in this. India has not allowed its differences with Pakistan to
come in the way of cooperation with SCO countries on the issue of terrorism. It
has hosted delegations from Pakistan under the SCO banner for counter-terror
drills and not shied away from sending its own officials to Pakistan. In his
intervention, Modi also shared India’s perspectives on regional security with
focus on Afghanistan, highlighting the “human-centric nature’’ of India’s
association with Afghanistan.
“The SCO member states believe one of the most
important factors in preserving and strengthening security and stability in the
SCO region is the speedy settlement of the situation in Afghanistan. They
support the establishment of Afghanistan as an independent, neutral, united,
democratic and peaceful state, free of terrorism, war, drugs,’’ said the
declaration on Afghanistan. “Member states believe it is critical to have an
inclusive government in Afghanistan, with representatives from all ethnic,
religious and political groups of Afghan society,’’ it said.
Source: Times Of India
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Arab
World
Israel attacks Damascus airport, five soldiers killed:
Syria ministry
17 September, 2022
Israel carried out an airstrike on Syria's Damascus
International airport and other positions south of the capital, killing five
soldiers and causing material damages, the ministry of defense said early on
Saturday.
Syrian air defenses intercepted the attack and managed
to down most of the missiles, a ministry statement said.
There was no immediate confirmation if the strike has
affected airport operations.
Israel has intensified strikes on Syrian airports to
disrupt Tehran's increasing use of aerial supply lines to deliver arms too
allies in Syria and Lebanon including Hezbollah, regional diplomatic and
intelligence sources told Reuters.
Tehran has adopted air transport as a more reliable
means of ferrying military equipment to its forces and allied fighters in
Syria, following disrupt ions to ground transfers.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Head of Lebanon’s victorious Mayyas dance troupe
chides politicians
17 September, 2022
The choreographer leading a Lebanese dance troupe that
shot to fame by winning the ‘America’s Got Talent’ TV contest castigated
Lebanese politicians and called for revolution upon landing back in Beirut
Friday.
Dozens of relatives offered the Mayyas flowers at
Beirut airport while thousands of Lebanese were glued to their televisions to
catch a glimpse of the performers who filled them with pride and joy in a
country wrecked by nearly three years of economic crisis.
“We don’t need you (politicians), Mayyas made Lebanon
proud without your help” choreographer Nadim Cherfan told AFP in Beirut’s
airport, echoing the frustration of many Lebanese who blame the political class
for the country’s woes.
Amid Lebanon’s worst-ever economic crisis, the
national currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black
market since 2019 while poverty and unemployment have soared.
In a reflection of deep popular discontent, five banks
were stormed Friday by depositors seeking to unlock savings frozen in the
banking system after the economy crumbled.
“People should break all the banks, shake up the
country and turn the table over politicians’ heads,” Cherfan said.
Mayyas this week snatched a $1 million prize and the
chance to headline a Las Vegas show for their extravagant performance featuring
belly dancing, feather fans and white orbs of light.
Judges and viewers hailed the troupe for their
hypnotic and mesmerizing performances -- despite enduring hardships at home
that include long daily power cuts.
Lebanese authorities can barely provide citizens and
residents with bare necessities.
Lebanon suffers from electricity cuts that last up to
22 hours as the cash-strapped state can no longer afford fuel.
“Your job is to feed the hungry people and bring
electricity,” Cherfan said, addressing the politicians.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Bank
holdups snowball in Lebanon as depositors demand their frozen money
16 September,
2022
Five
Lebanese banks were held up by depositors seeking access to their own money
frozen in the banking system on Friday in a spiraling spate of holdups this
week spurred by frustration over a financial implosion with no end in sight.
A
total of seven banks have been held up since Wednesday in Lebanon, where
commercial banks have locked most depositors out of their savings since an
economic crisis took hold three years ago, leaving much of the population
unable to pay for basics.
On
Friday morning, an armed man identified as Abed Soubra entered BLOM Bank in the
capital’s Tariq Jdideh neighborhood demanding his deposit, the bank told
Reuters.
He
was still locked in the branch hours later, telling Reuters by phone that he
had handed over his gun to security forces and just wanted his money.
“I’ll
stay here three, four, five days - I won’t move until I get my deposit,” he
said.
Soubra
said he had a refused an offer by the bank to take a portion of his $300,000 in
savings with a significant haircut and in the deteriorating local Lebanese
currency.
“I
deposited by money in dollars, I want them back in dollars,” he said.
Soubra
was cheered on by a large crowd of people gathered outside, including Bassam
al-Sheikh Hussein, who carried out the very first hold-up in August to get his
own deposits from his bank, which dropped charged against him.
“We’re
going to keep seeing this happen as long as people have money inside. What do
you want them to do? They don’t have another solution,” said Hussein, who got
around $30,000 from his savings of $200,000.
Banks
are ‘worth my shoe’
Lebanon’s
banks association announced a three-day closure next week over mounting
security concerns and called on the government to pass necessary laws to deal
with the crisis.
Authorities
have been slow to pass reforms that would grant them access to $3 billion from
the International Monetary Fund to ease the crisis.
Among
the laws-in-waiting is a capital controls law, still being debated by
parliament. In its absence, banks have imposed unilateral limits on most
depositors, allowing them to retrieve limited amounts each week in US dollars
or Lebanese pounds.
Withdrawals
in Lebanese pounds are worth less and less, as the lira has lost more than 95
percent of its value since 2019 and edged toward a new low of around 38,000 to
the dollar this week.
Banks
say they allow exceptional withdrawals for humanitarian cases including
healthcare payments but depositors say the banks have not stuck to their word.
In
Friday’s first case, a man was able to retrieve a portion of his funds from the
Ghazieh branch of Byblos Bank before being arrested, the source said, adding
that the weapon in his possession was believed to be a toy.
Byblos
Bank could not immediately be reached for comment.
Another
incident saw a man with a pellet gun enter a branch of LGB Bank in Beirut’s
Ramlet al-Bayda area seeking to withdraw some $50,000 dollars in savings, a
bank employee said.
Then,
Mohammad al-Moussawi threatened the Banque Libano-Francaise bank with a fake
gun and managed to get $20,000 in cash out of his account, he said by phone.
“This
banking system is tricking us and it's worth my shoe,” he said, telling Reuters
he would be going into hiding.
BLF
Bank told Reuters the incident “took five minutes” and that no employees were
harmed.
The
fifth incident on Friday afternoon saw a man fire shots inside a branch of
BankMed as he sought access to his own savings, an industry source told Reuters.
The
source said the man was a member of Lebanon’s security forces and that there
were no immediate reports of injuries.
Friday’s
incidents followed two others in the capital of Beirut and in the town of Aley
on Wednesday in which depositors were able to access a portion of their funds
by force, using toy pistols mistaken for real weapons.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia’s FM discusses bilateral ties in call with new UK FM
17 September,
2022
Saudi
Arabia’s foreign minister discussed bilateral relations and issues of common
interest in a call with his UK counterpart.
Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that Prince Faisal bin
Farhan offered his condolences on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II during his
call with James Cleverly.
Cleverly
was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Affairs on September 6.
The
latest conversation between the two countries follows an earlier call between
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Britain’s King Charles III on
Thursday.
The
Saudi King offered his condolences and sympathies for the death of Queen
Elizabeth and congratulated King Charles on the accession to the throne.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia’s humanitarian project in Yemen clears 1,030 mines in one week
16
September, 2022
A
Saudi Arabian led humanitarian project has dismantled 1,030 mines in Yemen in
the second week of September, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on
Thursday.
The
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) project’s latest push
adds to over 357,788 mines cleared since its inception.
Of
the cleared devices, there were 26 anti-personnel mines, 123 anti-tank mines,
880 unexploded ordnance and one explosive device, according to the SPA report.
These
mines, widely believed to be placed by the Iran-backed Houthis in war-torn
Yemen, are endangering civilian lives.
In
June, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Liz Throssell said in
a statement that “children are especially at risk.”
The
toll recorded between April 2 and June 1 “underscores the threat these devices
pose to civilians, often over long periods of time, causing death or serious
injury,” said the UN spokesperson.
“Three
children were reported to have been killed and another 12 injured in this
manner,” she added at the time.
Saudi
Arabia has taken significant efforts to clear mines, primarily through
KSrelief’s Project Masam.
The
Kingdom’s project has saved “hundreds of thousands of people” in Yemen by
removing mines that were placed in residential areas, roads, schools, and
farms, according to an older SPA report.
Yemen’s
warring parties have been observing a ceasefire since April, bringing a drastic
reduction in hostilities although small-scale fighting has continued.
The
UN-mediated ceasefire started in April for 60 days and was renewed twice for
the same period. The current truce is set to expire on October 2, and the
Houthis have refused to support a six-month deal.
The
Taiz blockade continues to be of concern since it impedes the flow of essential
goods and aid delivery inside Yemen’s third largest city that has been under
siege since 2015.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Türkiye
‘neutralizes’ 2 YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria
Merve
Aydogan
16.09.2022
Turkish
security forces “neutralized” two YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria,
Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry said on Friday.
The
terrorists were planning an attack on the Operation Peace Spring zone,
Türkiye’s cross-border anti-terror push, according to the ministry.
Turkish
authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question
surrendered or were killed or captured.
Since
2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across
its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and
enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive
Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Mideast
Iran's
Accession to Permanent Membership of SCO Becomes Official
2022-September-16
Uzbekistan
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev whose country hosts the 22nd SCO summit officially
announced Iran’s status as a permanent member of the organization, which
received the attendee’s applause.
The
22nd SCO is ongoing in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and is attended by heads of
member states, SCO Secretary-General Jang Ming, and Director of the SCO RATS
Executive Committee Ruslan Mirzayev.
Iranian
President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi has taken part in the summit at the invitation
of the Uzbek Presidenr Mirziyoyev. He is in Uzbekistan since Wednesday and has
met Mirziyoyev and several participating heads of states.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010625000303/Iran's-Accessin-Permanen-Membership-Becmes-Official
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Hamas
hails Chilean president's rejection of Israeli envoy's credentials over Gaza
killings
16
September 2022
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has commended Chilean President Gabriel
Boric's refusal to accept the credentials of the Israeli regime's new ambassador
to the Latin American country.
Boric,
a vociferous critic of Israel, refused to receive on Thursday the credentials
of new Israeli Ambassador Gil Artzyeli because of "Israel's killing of
children in Gaza" and the occupying regime's atrocities across the
Palestinian territories.
Israeli
media reported that "Artzyeli was to present his credentials to President
Boric as a formality, but the Chilean government told him to cancel the meeting
because of Israel's killing of children in Gaza."
Reports
said the new ambassador had already arrived at the residence of the Chilean
president to attend the credential presentation ceremony before he was informed
of the cancelation of the meeting and returned to its place.
In
a press statement on Friday, Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha expressed
appreciation for the Chilean president's move.
Taha
called on Chile and all countries around the world to sever their ties with the
Israeli regime in support of Palestine's liberation as well as humanitarian
justice issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause.
Boric's
move came against the backdrop of the killing of a 17-year-old Palestinian at
the hands of the regime forces during overnight clashes in the occupied West
Bank.
According
to local sources, Uday Trad Salah was shot by the Israeli forces in the head
during their storming of the town of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin on Thursday at
daybreak.
The
sources said the young Palestinian boy later succumbed to his injuries at a
hospital in Jenin.
Israeli
forces continue their near-daily raid-and-arrest operations in various parts of
the West Bank, wounding or killing Palestinians. Such raids are carried out
while Israeli settlers also conduct acts of violence against Palestinians and
their property.
Source:
Press TV
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President
Rayeesi Calls for Muslims' Unity against Enemies' Plots
2022-September-16
The
Iranian president made the remarks addressing worshippers at the Ahl al-Bayt
Rasoolullah (PBUH) Mosque in Samarkand city on Thursday evening.
President
Rayeesi called on Muslims to unite against enemies and their plots
"Iran-Uzbekistan
relations are based on historical relations and common beliefs of the two
nations, and the two countries have planned to develop relations as much as
possible," the President stated in this ceremony.
Raeisi
spoke about the necessity of unity among Muslims in today's global situation,
and noted, "Muslims, like Ahl al-Bayt (AS) who themselves were a symbol of
unity and cohesion, should be sympathetic and united, and confront those who
stand against Islam and Muslims".
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010625000150/Presiden-Rayeesi-Calls-fr-Mslims
--------
President
Rayeesi Urges SCO to Condemn, Confront US Unilateralism
2022-September-16
Speaking
at the 22nd meeting of the council of heads of the SCO member states in
Samarkand on Friday, President Rayeesi said that the US administration seeks to
impose its intentions and internal laws on the international system and
independent states.
“There
is no doubt that the US is after blocking these countries on their path to
development,” he said.
He
called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to “adopt special measures to
confront the United States’ unilateralism and cruel sanctions".
The
full text of President Rayeesi's speech at the SCO Summit is as follows:
First
of all, I would like to express my pleasure to be in the beautiful and
historical city of Samarkand.
I
would like to express my gratitude to Mr Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the honourable
President of Uzbekistan, the government and the people of this country for
their warm welcome and sincere hospitality and for holding this meeting well.
Samarkand,
Bukhara and Khwarazm have been magnificent and culture-creating cities that
always shine like shining stars in Persian civilisation and poetry. Our
greatest capacity for peace-making is our civilisational capacity. Now that
this old continent has risen again, it must once again become a civilisation.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is the symbol of this "great
civilisation family", now stands in a position that can build new horizons
of regional integration and security-building cooperation based on
characteristics such as justice, spirituality and respect for human dignity.
"Maximum
interaction and unity" with the countries of the region, including the
member countries of the Shanghai Organisation, and effective presence in
regional and international arrangements, are the focus of the foreign policy of
the Islamic Republic of Iran. In addition to playing a role in ensuring
stability and security in the region, especially in dealing with takfiri
terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and other forms of international
organised crime, as well as hosting millions of refugees from neighbouring
countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran's strategy has "deepening economic
multilateralism" on its agenda.
The
attention of the Islamic Republic of Iran to important arrangements such as the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS shows our interest in participating
in the efforts of aligned countries to establish a just, transcendent and
partnership-based international system. These approaches, along with the broad
capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, speed up and facilitate the future
movement of the Shanghai Organisation.
In
recent years, economic and political multilateralism has been seriously
threatened, and the American government is trying to impose its internal
demands and laws on the international community and countries with sovereignty
and independence with all its bullying and has put extensive use of
"coercion" on its agenda. Undoubtedly, American unilateralism seeks
to hold countries back from their independent development path.
In
dealing with unilateralism and oppressive sanctions, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation needs to adopt new solutions and special measures; One of them is
the formation of sustainable trade among the members of this Organisation,
which itself requires the joint development of infrastructure in the field of
financial exchanges, commodity exchanges and data exchange between countries.
Following
international developments, member countries have turned to trade with each
other more than in the past. This opportunity has arisen in a situation where infrastructural
weaknesses can prevent the rapid development of trade between members. To
overcome this challenge, in the field of financial infrastructure, it is
necessary to prioritise the financing of logistics and trade facilitation
projects.
In
this regard, the mechanism of "Interbank Exchanges" and
"Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Financing" can play an important
role. In addition, acceleration in concluding free trade agreements and customs
cooperation will play an important role in facilitating trade in the region.
Along
with financial-banking cooperation, I would like to highlight the important
areas of transportation and energy security as two key and important areas for
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Despite the impressive potential, infrastructural
connections in the field of transit between the members of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation are not so extensive. Iran gives special priority to
the development of the North-South Corridor and has made huge investments.
In
addition, the China-Central Asia-West Asia-Mediterranean Sea Corridor, which
has high potential, is currently described as an "important part of the
solution" for the development of trade between East and West Eurasia. With
the cooperation of the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, it is
possible to provide the necessary grounds for the implementation of this
corridor and for the members to benefit from its advantages.
Shaping
"sustainable transit" requires multilateral cooperation of members in
the development of hard and soft infrastructure. The joint financing of the
infrastructure of the North-South Corridor, as well as the China-West
Asia-Mediterranean Sea Corridor and its joint role in their implementation and
management, can be proposed as a solution in the form of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation.
I
would like to announce that the transport and transit network of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, as well as our port capacities in the Caspian Sea, the
Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea, and the Indian Ocean, serve to strengthen
transportation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Also,
considering the importance of health in today's world and the place of health
diplomacy in the synergy of governments in serving the nations, the Islamic
Republic announces its readiness to host the Shanghai Health Sector Cooperation
Secretariat and hereby it invites the ministers of the member countries to hold
the first meeting of the Shanghai health sector in December of this year.
The
owners of the world's largest energy reserves are present in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation along with the major energy-consuming economies. Other
member countries also have great advantages of energy transit between
production centres and consumption centres. This combination is prone to the
formation of diverse and effective cooperation in the field of energy.
Cooperation in areas such as the establishment of the electricity markets of
the Shanghai Organisation and their connection with other electricity networks
of the electricity market region being established in the ECO Organisation, as
well as cooperation in meeting the oil and gas needs of the member countries,
are among the notable cases.
Undoubtedly,
convergence in the field of energy in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
will contribute significantly to further economic development and ultimately to
the reduction of security and economic costs and stability in the region and
beyond. The Islamic Republic of Iran, benefiting from its unique capacities
such as 1) proximity to the world's two largest oil and hydrocarbon fields,
that is the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, 2) the oil and gas transportation
network and a suitable transit location, and 3) expert manpower, is ready to
play an effective role in this area and in order to solve the concerns of the
members in ensuring the security of energy supply.
During
the past few decades, our region has tasted the bitter taste of foreign
intervention and the result has been nothing but the creation of terrorism and
the spread of insecurity. The result is the situation we are currently facing
in Afghanistan. Not only has America not learned from its failure in
Afghanistan, but it continues to spread the policy of spreading insecurity and
intervention to other regions of Asia.
The
new security model in Asia should be formed on the basis of "joint
development and deepening of multilateralism without the interference of
foreign powers" so that collective measures can be implemented to deal
with the challenges facing peace and development.
The
Islamic Republic, as a country that has rich ideological and cultural
foundations against extremism and takfiri terrorism, and has also successfully
proven its capability and efficiency in this direction, believes that the
production of international norms and regulations in the fight against
terrorism should not be done by countries that breed terrorism themselves. The
Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the only solution for sustainable peace
in Afghanistan is the formation of an inclusive government that is the result
of authentic intra-Afghan dialogues with the participation of all groups,
ethnicities and religions.
Experiences
like Afghanistan and Syria should be a lesson and should be avoided. Pursuing
NATO policies in any way poses a threat to different regions. The establishment
of peace, stability and security in the Caucasus region is very important for
the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have always emphasised respecting territorial
integrity, and national sovereignty and rejecting any change in the recognised
borders between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. The
parties should resolve their differences through dialogue and peacefully based
on international law.
As
the Islamic Republic of Iran protects its national interests and security and
the region, it also declares its readiness to help resolve the disagreements
between these two neighbouring countries.
Signing
the memorandum of commitments of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this meeting
and becoming a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an important
step in the field of regional and international politics of the Islamic
Republic of Iran. Certainly, with the active and effective presence of the
Islamic Republic of Iran in the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation, this membership will be recorded as one of the most important
developments in the history of this Organisation.
I
ask God for success for this important meeting and prosperity and well-being
for the nations of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation.
At
the end of my speech, I feel it necessary to once again express my and my
nation's sympathy with the people and government of Pakistan regarding the
recent flood in this country.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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President
Rayeesi: Iran to Continue Resistance against US Bullying
2022-September-16
President
Rayeesi made the remarks in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping
on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Friday.
"The
Islamic Republic of Iran has never been stopped despite all the enmities, and
has been able to continue its progress and development," President Rayeesi
said.
During
the meeting, the two sides discussed and decided on the most important issues
related to bilateral relations to promote economic cooperation.
The
Iranian president pointed out that the American and European parties have
failed to fulfill their commitments to lift the sanctions, and emphasized,
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not surrender to the bullying of the
United States in any way."
President
Rayeesi, meantime, congratulated the Chinese president and people on the
National Day of that country, and appreciated the constructive positions of
China in the process of Iran's membership in the Shanghai Pact, and welcomed
China's role in Iran's membership in the BRICS organization.
He
described the comprehensive strategic cooperation program between Iran and
China as a sign and symbol of the determination of the two countries for the
comprehensive development of relations, saying, "The vast capacities in
the fields of oil and energy, transit, agriculture, trade, and investment are a
very suitable platform for deepening and development of economic relations
between the two countries."
Chinese
President Xi Jinping, for his part, praised the independent positions of the
Islamic Republic of Iran on international issues, and said, "Iran-China relations
are strategic relations and will continue to develop regardless of any
international development."
The
Chinese president officially invited President Rayeesi to visit China in the
near future.
President
Rayeesi has taken part in the summit at the invitation of the Uzbek President
Mirziyoyev. He is in Uzbekistan since Wednesday and has met President
Mirziyoyev and several participating heads of states.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Iran’s
supreme leader undergoes surgery after falling ‘gravely ill’: Report
16
September, 2022
Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei underwent surgery last week after falling “gravely
ill” and is currently on bed rest under observation by a medical team, the New
York Times reported on Friday, citing four people familiar with Khamenei’s
health condition.
Khamenei
“had surgery some time last week for bowel obstruction after suffering extreme
stomach pains and high fever,” the NYT reported, citing one of the people.
Khamenei
is currently being monitored “around the clock” by a team of doctors after
undergoing the surgery, according to the report.
Khamenei’s
condition was considered “critical last week, but has improved, and he is
currently resting,” the report added. “His doctors are monitoring him around
the clock and remain concerned that he is still too weak to even sit up in
bed.”
Khamenei’s
office canceled all meetings last week, including an annual meeting with the
Assembly of Experts on September 6 because he was “too ill to sit up,” the
report said.
The
assembly is a clerical body that supervises, appoints and in theory, can sack
the Supreme Leader.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Byzantine
mosaics discovered under farm in Gaza
16
September, 2022
Byzantine
mosaics dating from the 5th to 7th centuries were unveiled in the central Gaza
Strip on Friday, after being uncovered by a farmer ploughing his land.
Found
in an area less than a kilometer (half a mile) from the often tense border with
Israel, the mosaics are "in a perfect state of conservation", said
French archaeologist Rene Elter, a researcher associated with the French
Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem whose team examined the finds.
“It's
work of excellent quality, they used materials that were certainly relatively
expensive,” Elter said.
He
said the mosaics may have adorned the floor of a church or private villa.
The
mosaics are the latest in a series of Byzantine archaeological finds in Gaza in
recent years.
In
January, the remains of a fifth-century church were unveiled in Jabaliya in the
northern Gaza Strip following a three-year restoration project.
The
Byzantine era was a time of wealth and artistic patronage in Palestine, with
the construction of many new churches and other monuments. It ended with the
Muslim conquest of the late 630s.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Africa
Muslims
commemorate Arba’een in Nigeria
17
September 2022
Hundreds
of Shia Muslims took to roads trekking and chanting to mark forty days since
the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and scores of members of his
family and his companions in Karbala in present day Iraq.
The
trekkers condemned Yazid and his army for the gruesome killing of the third
Shia Imam. Men, women, and children joined millions of other Shia Muslims to
participate in the symbolic trek, which was organized by Nigeria’s Islamic
movement.
The
trek is held around the globe every year as part of mourning rituals for Imam
Hussein.
They
praised the leadership qualities of Imam Hussein.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/09/17/689353/Muslims-Arbaeen-Nigeria-Shia-Iraq-
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IPOB
denies killing Ebonyi-born Muslim cleric
September
16, 2022
By
Joe Chukindi
The
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied involvement in the recent killing
of an Islamic cleric in Ebonyi State.
A
Muslim cleric, who hails from Ebonyi State and converted to the Muslim faith,
Sheikh Ibrahim Iyiorji, was recently murdered in the state by unidentified
gunmen.
Speculations
were that the IPOB might be responsible for the murder, but the group said
killing Muslims was not part of its mandate.
In
a press release by the spokesperson of the group, Mr Emma Powerful, he said
killing a Muslim will add nothing to its quest for the Biafra Republic.
Part
of the release read: “IPOB does not engage in such barbaric killings and cannot
be part of such heinous crime against humanity. IPOB does not kill flies talk
of human beings and an Igbo man for that matter, irrespective of his religious
belief.
“Important
questions to ask are: why will IPOB kill this Igbo Islamic cleric? Is he a
threat to Biafra movement? How many of our known enemies have we killed?”
The
group stated that Nigerian security agencies were fond of stage-managing
confessions from criminals with the hope of indicting them.
They
added that criminals tagged as unknown gunmen were not part of IPOB, stating
that their activities are in the open and cannot be described as unknown.
“Some
unscrupulous elements and petty thieves are constantly stage-managed by
security agents to lie against IPOB members and ESN operatives.
“IPOB
and ESN never killed any Army officer, Police officer, or DSS agent despite all
provocations in the name of unknown gunmen since we started pursuing Biafra
freedom.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/09/16/ipob-denies-killing-ebonyi-born-muslim-cleric/
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Tunisian
president makes new changes to electoral law
September
17, 2022
TUNIS:
Tunisian President Kais Saied has made new changes to electoral law that
diminish the role of political parties, three months ahead of legislative
elections.
A
new electoral law reduces the number of members of the lower house of
parliament from 217 to 161, and says candidates will now be elected directly
instead of via party lists. Voters will elect a new legislature Dec. 17.
“In
the past, the parliament deputy drew his legitimacy from his party. Today, he
must assume his responsibilities, above all, before his constituents,” Saied
said at a Cabinet meeting.
According
to the new rules, parliament members “who do not fulfill their roles” can be
removed if 10 percent of constituents who voted for them lodge a formal request
with parliament.
Several
opposition parties, including the Ennahdha movement, have said they will
boycott the December elections and say the new electoral law is aimed at
muffling them.
Saied
froze parliament in 2021 after years of political deadlock and economic crisis,
and then dissolved it in March. A constitution approved in a July referendum
hands broad executive powers to the president and weakens the influence of
Tunisia’s parliament and judiciary.
While
opposition members and Western critics warned the moves threaten hard-won
democratic gains, many Tunisians welcomed Saied’s actions after years of
exasperation with the country’s political elites.
The
president insisted at a Cabinet meeting Thursday that he had no intention of
excluding any party from the parliamentary elections.
He
argued that the new law was based on a study of systems in other countries, and
“will allow the people to freely express their will and to vote for the person
of their choice.”
His
critics accuse him of authoritarian drift and endangering the democratic
process initiated in Tunisia in 2011.
Tunisia
is struggling to revive its public finances as discontent grows over inflation
running at nearly 9 percent and a
shortage of many food items in stores because the country can’t afford to pay
for some imports.
The
International Monetary Fund and major foreign donors want Tunisia to push ahead
with cuts in subsidies and the restructuring of state-owned companies as well
as steps to bring the public sector wage bill under control.
The
government’s spokesperson said on Friday that Tunisia hopes to reach an
agreement with the IMF by the end of October after a wage deal agreed on with unions was seen as a key step toward
getting IMF support.
The
government and the powerful UGTT union on Thursday signed a deal to boost
public sector wages by 5 percent, a step that may ease social tensions. But
they did not announce any further agreement on reforms needed for an IMF
bailout.
“The
Tunisian negotiating team was in contact yesterday with (the) IMF regarding the
last terms of the agreement with the Fund,” said Nasreddine Nsibi, the
government spokesperson.
“We
seek to reach a deal with the IMF before the end of October, which would make
Tunisia able to fulfill all its commitments, including providing foods and
energy products, paying wages and debt service,” he added.
Fitch
Ratings said on Friday that Tunisia’s wage agreement raises the likelihood of
an IMF deal.
Tunisian
officials have said that Tunis aims for a $3 billion loan.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2164111/middle-east
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Southeast
Asia
Stop
the damaging ‘infidel’ narrative, says Anwar
September
17, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has called for political parties to stop
perpetuating the “infidel” narrative following recent remarks made by Pejuang
chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad against PAS.
“Let
me be clear on this. We must stop this damaging narrative,” he told reporters
after attending the annual general assembly of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia
(Abim) in Kajang.
“Focus
on policy issues and stop attacking other parties (with such descriptions). It
will create a ‘chaotic’ situation that could become impossible to control.”
He
criticised such discourse, saying it was “unhealthy”.
Anwar
also advised Pakatan Harapan leaders not to entertain those who use such a
narrative, and instead to always voice out against it.
Yesterday,
Mahathir was reported to have said that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang used to
call Umno members infidels because the party worked with non-Muslim parties in
Barisan Nasional, but was now “allowing PAS members to become infidels” themselves
by partnering with Umno in Muafakat Nasional.
“PAS
is opportunistic. When they see an opportunity, they put aside their
principles.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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At
Malaysia Day celebration, PM says national identity must be defended towards
building united Keluarga Malaysia
16
Sep 2022
MELAKA,
Sept 16 — The process of building a united Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian
Family), one that carries the national identity must continue to be preserved
in order to guarantee continuity of the country’s sovereignty, Datuk Seri
Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
The
prime minister said as the nation ages, challenges and threats become more
complexed, with enemies constantly making attempts to cause divisions through
economic, political and social issues, adding there were also external forces
trying to disrupt peace and stability.
There
is real concern that these elements, if allowed to prevail and dominate, will
prove to be a menace that could threaten Keluarga Malaysia (the Malaysian
Family) unity, he said.
He
said like sparks that ignite a bonfire, if not stopped, is capable of fanning
the flames of enmity and cause racial and religious strife that will weaken
Keluarga Malaysia and eventually, destroy the country.
The
prime minister went on to cite the Malay idiom, “kukur apa kepada kukur, nyiur
juga yang binasa”, which carries the meaning that while it is always easy to
instruct someone, those who execute the task are the ones who face
difficulties.
“Uniting
all the states with diverse backgrounds, what more when there are geographical
challenges and the South China Sea dividing us, is no easy task.
“Therefore,
the values instilled in Keluarga Malaysia, which are based on inclusiveness,
togetherness and gratitude are important ingredients in building its strength —
from Perlis to Sabah, so that it remains firmly united, strong and resistant to
challenges in the face globalisation,” he said.
The
prime minister said this in his speech at the 2022 Malaysia Day celebration at
the Independence Declaration Memorial Square in Banda Hilir here tonight.
He
said despite having a diverse background, these values when combined with the
concept of Tasamuh (tolerance) outlined by Islam, are guarantees for Malaysia’s
survival and for it to remain a peaceful, stable, harmonious and prosperous
country.
Ismail
Sabri said fostering unity among Keluarga Malaysia, comprising various
religious, racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, is an extremely
important government agenda.
“Malaysia
was formed and developed based on a guarantee of justice, protection and rights
given to every Malaysian family. All members of Keluarga Malaysia are free to
practise their culture and religion and master various languages,” he said.
The
prime minister, meanwhile, said the national-level Malaysia Day celebration
this year was the first to be held outside Sabah and Sarawak, adding that the
venue, namely the Independence Declaration Memorial Square, would certainly
evoke memories of one of the country’s most important historical events.
He
said Melaka’s Banda Hilir witnessed the declaration of independence on February
20, 1956 and also the lowering of the Union Jack at 6.30pm on August 30, 1957.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Santubong
identified as Muslim-friendly tourism spot
September
15, 2022
KUCHING:
The tourism, arts and culture ministry will promote Santubong as one of the
Muslim-friendly tourism destinations to visit in the country.
Minister
Nancy Shukri said based on research, Sarawak was the second oldest Malay state
in the world with the mausoleum of Sarawak’s first and only sultan, Sultan
Tengah, also located in Santubong.
“(Santubong)
is also an attraction because of its archaeological sites. Prehistoric burial
grounds in Tanjong Kubor, prehistoric iron industry in Sungai Jaong, and stone
carvings from previous civilisations – all these provide an interesting
narrative for Muslim tourists,” she said when opening the Islamic Tourism
Entrepreneurship and Leadership Seminar (ITELS) here.
In
an effort to develop the Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality sector, Nancy
said the ministry has made it easier for the registration of homestay operators
to enable them to benefit from the Malaysian Homestay Experience Programme.
“This
is one of the efforts by the government to generate more income for the local
community through community-based tourism in rural areas,” she added.
At
the sidelines of the event, Nancy said the ministry has also identified several
longhouses in Sarawak to be used as Muslim-friendly homestays.
“We
want to show that in a longhouse, there are Muslims and non-Muslims staying
together under the same roof.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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North
America
Proposing
‘more benign’ world order, famed Harvard scholars cite Iran’s ‘measured’
responses to US ‘escalation’
17
September 2022
Seeing
an America increasingly in decline, two famed scholars have proposed a “more
benign” world order, and have praised Iran’s “measured” responses to acts of
“escalation” by the United States as evocative of the world they envision.
American
Stephen M. Walt and Turkish Dani Rodrik, both of them acclaimed scholars at
Harvard University, wrote in a joint article for Foreign Affairs’
September/October 2022 issue that despite global upheavals, “one can… envision
a more benign order in which the United States, China, and other world powers
compete in some areas, cooperate in others, and observe new and more flexible
rules of the road.”
“The
global order is deteriorating before our eyes,” they wrote. “It is increasingly
clear that the existing, Western-oriented approach is no longer adequate to
address the many forces governing international power relations.”
They
offered a “four-part framework” in which “all actions and issues would be
grouped into four general categories: those that are prohibited, those in which
mutual adjustments by two or more states could benefit all parties, those
undertaken by a single state, and those that require multilateral involvement.”
They
said that approach “would do much to increase trust and reduce the possibility of
conflict,” including when states, even “hardened adversaries,” refuse to
escalate or to respond to escalation with equally unruly behavior.
In
a section subtitled “Acting, Not Escalating,” Walt and Rodrik cited Iran’s
behavior in responding to massively escalatory acts by the United States under
former President Donald Trump, including the “the shortsighted U.S. withdrawal”
from the 2015 Iran deal (known as the JCPOA) and the “‘maximum-pressure’
campaign.”
“When
the United States left the JCPOA in 2018, for example, Iran did not respond by
immediately restarting its full nuclear program. Instead, it adhered to the
original agreement for months afterward,” they said. Even later, and as other
signatories failed to uphold their end of the bargain, Iran reduced its
commitment “in an incremental and visibly reversible fashion, signaling its
willingness to return to full compliance if the United States also did so.”
Trump
unilaterally withdrew from the Iran deal in 2018, and launched what he called a
campaign of “maximum pressure” on Iran in the hopes that the country would cave
in and agree to a new agreement on American terms.
“Iran’s
reaction to the Trump administration’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign was also
measured,” Walt and Rodrik said, citing the US assassination of revered Iranian
General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in 2020, an act of provocation that led many
to believe the US was provoking war. That act, the US scholars said, “did not
lead Iran to escalate.”
General
Soleimani was assassinated by the US military in Baghdad. In a statement, the
Pentagon claimed responsibility for the act of terror. Iran promised revenge,
but also initially responded by firing missiles at a base hosting US soldiers
in Iraq. At least 109 American soldiers received brain injuries in that attack,
according to the Pentagon.
Source:
Press TV
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Venezuela
welcomes home seized crew from seized plane linked to Iran
17
September, 2022
Venezuela
on Friday welcomed home a dozen flight crew members detained in Argentina since
June after their plane was held for suspected terrorism ties, according to
state television.
“We
are celebrating (their) arrival,” Venezuelan Transportation Minister Ramon
Velasquez told Telesur from Maiquetia Airport, near the capital of Caracas,
praising the crew as “an example of revolutionary struggle.”
An
Argentine judicial chamber on Tuesday authorized the departure of 12 of 19 crew
members.
The
Emtrasur cargo plane, sold to Venezuela by Iran's Mahan Air, arrived in Buenos
Aires in early June, according to flight tracking data, with both Venezuelan
and Iranian crew members.
Its
arrival caused a diplomatic stir for Argentina. The country was accused of
supporting Iran and Venezuela, which are both under US sanctions. Argentina
grounded the plane then seized it in August after a request from a US court.
Of
the 12 released crew members, 11 are Venezuelan and one Iranian. A further
three Venezuelan and four Iranian crew are still not allowed to leave
Argentina.
Velazquez
said this was “illegal” detention.
The
detentions sparked protests in Venezuela, with several marches in Caracas
urging the crew's return.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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US
House speaker heading to Armenia following Azerbaijan clashes: Report
Michael
Hernandez
16.09.2022
WASHINGTON
US
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will travel to Armenia in what is being is billed as
support for the Caucasus nation following clashes with neighboring Azerbaijan
that left more than 170 dead, according to a report published Thursday.
Pelosi
is slated to make the visit alongside congresswoman Jackie Speier, who is
Armenian-American, following a summit in Berlin, the Politico news website
reported.
Pelosi's
office declined to confirm or deny the travel in advance when contacted by
Anadolu Agency. It adopted the same position ahead of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
While
in Armenia, Pelosi will meet Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, as well
as other government officials, according to Politico.
The
recent fighting claimed lives on both sides with Azerbaijan reporting 71
soldiers killed and two civilians wounded. Armenia said 105 of its soldiers
were killed and six civilians were wounded. A cease-fire was declared
Wednesday.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Venezuela
seeks to strengthen technological cooperation with Türkiye
Laura
Gamba Fadul
16.09.2022
BOGOTA,
Colombia
Venezuela
aims to increase trade relations with Türkiye, President Nicolas Maduro said
Thursday.
Maduro
made the remarks at the Iran-Venezuela Scientific, Technological and Industrial
ExpoFair being held from Sept. 14-18 in the capital Caracas.
“We
have to build our own technological model. We have to learn from the
technological model of the rebirth of China, of Russia, of Iran, of India, of
our brothers in Türkiye, the rebirth of the powers and superpowers and of the
emerging powers, of the emerging world,” he said.
In
June, the Venezuelan president visited Türkiye as part of an 11-day
international tour. Maduro and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed
eight cooperation agreements in science and technology, agriculture and land,
transportation and tourism.
Since
the US imposed sanctions that have aggravated the economic crisis the South
American country is experiencing, Maduro has sought to find new international
partners.
On
Thursday, Maduro dismissed the Biden administration’s warning that it will
intensify sanctions against his country if negotiations with the opposition are
not resumed soon.
"They
will shout threats, the US empire, but they should know that their threats are
lost at the bottom of the sea of contempt and oblivion and their arrogance
remains as a sad fable of what they were and will never be again -- a unique
empire," said the president at the ExpoFair.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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