Supreme Court Issues Notice to NHRC, NCW and NCM on Plea to Ban Polygamy and Some Forms of Temporary Marriage
New Age Islam News Bureau
31 August 2022
Supreme Court (Photo | EPS)
----
• An Example of Religious Unity: Muslim Youth Distribute
Ganesha Idols in Fort City of Vizianagaram
• Turkish Association in Germany Receives Racist Death
Threat Letter Signed With a Swastika and ‘NSU 2.0’
• One Year of Taliban Rule, Afghan Envoy in UN Calls
Country’s Future ‘Bleak and Opaque’
• Fighting In Iraqi Capital Leaves 30 Sadr Supporters
Dead As Shiite Rivalry Escalates
India
• Supreme Court Closes All Proceedings Pertaining To
Babri Mosque Demolition
• Karnataka High Court Allows Ganesh Puja at Hubbali
Idgah Maidan
• Muslim Organisations to Protest in Surathkal on
September 9 for Not Handing Over the Investigation of the Murder of Two Muslim
Boys
• Why BJP Chose Muslim-Dominated Seemanchal to Kick
Off Bihar Campaign
• Supreme Court asks Centre for its stand on SC status
for Dalit Christians, Muslims
• 'Namaz At Home': UP Cops Drop FIR against 26, Say
Video 'Fudged'
• Religion has become prosecuting factor in India,
alleges PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti
• 2 LeT terrorists neutralised in encounter in J-K's
Shopian
• Hyderabad: ‘Don’t Want Muslim Delivery Person’,
Writes Swiggy Customer
-----
Europe
• France’s Top Court Green-lights Prominent Imam
Iquioussen’s Deportation for Hate Speech
• UK Home Secretary Asks Landlords to Take In Afghan
Refugees
• French more accepting of far-right ideology: Survey
• Türkiye's experience sharing in counter-terrorism
game-changer for many: President
• UN warns 6 million Afghans at risk of famine as
crises grow
--------
South
Asia
• Bangladesh Families Demand UN Probe into Disappeared
Relatives
• PM Sheikh Hasina dispels possibility of Sri
Lanka-like economic crisis in Bangladesh
• Taliban Requests Recognition Based on Its
Territorial Control Says Markus Potzel
• Amnesty accuses Iran, Turkey of illegal Afghan
migrant pushbacks
• Taliban celebrate anniversary of foreign troop
withdrawal
--------
Arab
World
• Saudi Activist Muhammad al-Jedaei, Handed 18-Year
Prison Sentence for Social Media Activism on Twitter
• Iraqi protesters withdraw after Shia cleric al-Sadr
demands end to protests
• Saudi Arabia seeks extradition of man who threatened
embassy in Lebanon: Ambassador
• Iraq can redirect more crude exports to Europe if
needed: SOMO source
• Iran closes its borders with Iraq, halts flights
amid violence: State television
• Saudi Arabia urges Iraq’s political parties to peacefully
address people’s demands
• Iraq’s top court postpones session to dissolve
parliament amid unrest
• Iraq’s PM threatens to quit if political stalemate
drags on
--------
North
America
• US College in the US State of Arizona Launches
Centre To Highlight Contributions of Muslims in the Country
• Taliban set off fireworks to celebrate anniversary
of US withdrawal from Afghanistan
• Pentagon chief marks anniversary of US retreat from
Afghanistan
• Iranian drones already experiencing failures in Ukraine:
US State Department
• Iran seized, then released US Navy drone vessel:
Pentagon
--------
Pakistan
• Shehbaz Wants To Work With Imran ‘For Crisis Sake’
• Imran Khan Raises Rs 5 Billion for Pak Flood Victims
through International Telethon
• ‘Faysal Bank to Be Sharia-Compliant By End of 2022’
• No let-up in cases of enforced disappearance in
Pakistan
• Govt to allow onion, tomato imports from Iran,
Afghanistan
• Pakistani diaspora groups and UK charities raise up
to £1m for flood relief
--------
Mideast
• AEOI Spokesperson Blames IAEA for Raising Excessive
Demands from Iran
• President: Restoration of Iran-Saudi Arabia Ties
Beneficial to Region
• Judiciary Official: Iran Biggest Victim of Terrorism
• Iran Reopens All Land Borders with Iraq as Calm Returns
to Baghdad
• Iran Condemns US Continued Occupation of
Northeastern Syria
• Israeli court rejects petition to release
Palestinian hunger striker
• Israeli forces raid house, injure dozens of
Palestinians in West Bank town
--------
Africa
• Churches, Mosques House Stolen Nigerian Fuel in
Pervasive Oil Theft, Says NNPC Head
• 2023 Budget: How borrowing has become main source of
funding Buhari’s budgets
• Airstrike hits capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region
• Jordanian security forces foil cross-border drug
smuggling racket
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Malaysia’s National Day Comes at Special Time in
Türkiye Relations
• Former Malaysian PM Mahathir in hospital after
testing positive for Covid-19
• PAS against working with PH, says Takiyuddin
• Umno Youth defends Azalina over remarks on AG
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/supreme-nhrc-ncw-ncm-polygamy-marriage/d/127847
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Supreme Court Issues Notice to NHRC, NCW and NCM on
Plea to Ban Polygamy and Some Forms of Temporary Marriage
Supreme Court (Photo | EPS)
----
R. Balaji
| New Delhi
31.08.22
A five-judge constitution bench on Tuesday issued
notices to the National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women
and the National Commission for Minorities on a batch of petitions filed mostly
by Muslim women seeking a ban on polygamy and some forms of temporary marriage.
A bench of Justices Indira Banerjee, Hemant Gupta,
Surya Kant, M.M. Sundresh and Sudharshan Dhulia said it would hear the matter
again in the second week of October after the Dussera holidays, by which time
the respondents are expected to come up with their replies.
The matter was referred to the five-judge constitution
bench on March 26, 2018, by a three-judge bench in view of questions related to
the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21, besides
the right to equality (Article 14) and religious freedom under Articles 25 and
26.
A Muslim man is allowed to have up to four wives.
Under nikah halala, a Muslim woman wanting to remarry her former husband has to
first marry another man, consummate the marriage and divorce him. Nikah mutah
and nikah misyar refer to temporary contractual marriages ranging from three
days to three months, following which the woman is paid a certain amount by the
man and the marriage is deemed to have ended.
In March 2018, a bench of then Chief Justice Dipak
Misra and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar (since retired) and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud
had issued a notice to the Centre on a batch of petitions challenging polygamy
and the three other practices as unconstitutional. It referred the matter to a
five-judge bench for an authoritative pronouncement.
While the main petition has been filed by advocate
Ashwini Upadhyay, Sameera Begum, Nafeesa Begum and Mohsin Bin Hussain Bin Abdad
Al Kathiri have submitted intervention applications.
Upadhyay has challenged Section 2 of the Muslim
Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act as being unconstitutional and violative
of Articles 14 (equality), 15 (non-discrimination) and 21 (life and liberty) of
the Constitution.
Polygamy, nikah halala, nikah mutah and nikah misyar
are recognised by the personal law.
According to Upadhyay, nikah halala can be viewed as
rape under Section 375 of the IPC, and polygamy is an offence under Section 494
of the IPC which deals with bigamy.
Al Kathiri, who hails from Hyderabad, has said in her petition:
“The Constitution neither grants any absolute protection to any personal law of
any community that is unjust, nor exempts personal laws from the jurisdiction
of the Legislature or Judiciary.”
Sameera Begum said she was moving the apex court since
thousands of Muslim women like her were either victims of polygamy or other
such practices like nikah halala, nikah mutah and nikah misyar.
“…Polygamy, and nikah halala are arbitrary and
violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution and injurious to public
order, morality and health also. Thus, these can be superseded by the state
just as it prohibited human sacrifice or practice of sati…. Polygamy and nikah
halala (should be declared) an offence under Sections 498A (harassment of woman
by husband), 375 (rape) and 494 (bigamy) of the IPC,” her petition pleaded.
Nafeesa Khan submitted that she was forced to approach
the court as there was no law for a Muslim woman to file a case of bigamy or
rape against men indulging in such activities.
The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed an intervention
application opposing any judicial intervention in the Islamic practices, saying
the top court had earlier conclusively ruled that courts cannot interfere with
the personal laws of a religion.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/supreme-court-issues-notice-on-plea-to-ban-polygamy/cid/1883554
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An
Example of Religious Unity: Muslim Youth Distribute Ganesha Idols in Fort City
of Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram
Youth Foundation president Shaik Iltamash and his group distributing clay idols
of Lord Ganesha among devotees in Vizianagaram on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: The
Hindu
------
K
Srinivasa Rao
AUGUST
31, 2022
Vinayaka
Chavithi celebrations begin in Vizianagaram
Setting
an example of religious unity, several Muslim youths distributed clay idols of
Lord Ganesha among devotees on the eve of the Vinayaka Chavithi festival in
Vizianagaram on Tuesday.
Shaik
Iltamash, president of Vizianagaram Youth Foundation, distributed around 1,500
clay idols to devotees at Fort Junction on Tuesday. “Mutual respect and joint
celebrations of festivals will further strengthen the bond between people of
different faiths,” Mr. Iltamash said.
Foundation
members Shaik Sameer, Shaik Imran, A. Ashok, and Sai Kumar said that the
foundation was working for the welfare of all sections of the society.
Vizianagaram Rotary Club central president Krishna Gopal Agarwal and secretary
Kolla Manoj Kumar also distributed Ganesha idols at Rotary Health Centre near
Simhachalam Meda junction. Vizianagaram Legal Metrology Deputy Commissioner N.
Janardhana Rao and Mother Teresa Seva Sangham president S. Shivaji jointly
distributed 300 idols at Bobbadipeta in Vizianagaram.
Mr.
Janardhana Rao urged people not to use idols made of chemicals and heavy
colours as they pose a threat to the environment. Tilak Foundation president
and senior advocate S.S.S.S .Raju and foundation secretary K. Saibaba
distributed 500 idols to the devotees at R&B Junction.
Vizianagaram
Deputy Mayor Kolagatla Sravani and YSRCP leader S.V. Krishna Reddy handed over
600 idols to students at Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple located at Ring Road.
SITAM College director Majji Sasibushana Rao and principal D.V. Ramana Murthy
distributed the idols to college students while asking them to highlight the
benefits for the society by celebrating the festival in an eco-friendly manner.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Turkish
Association in Germany Receives Racist Death Threat Letter Signed With a
Swastika and ‘NSU 2.0’
Photo:
aa.com
----
Mesut
Zeyrek
31.08.2022
COLOGNE,
Germany
A
Turkish cultural centre in the German town of Neuss received a racist letter
with death threats, the head of the centre said Tuesday.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Tansel Ciftci said the Neuss Turkish Cultural Centre was the
target of racists for the second time in two weeks.
"A
letter came in the mail today. It was signed with a swastika and ‘NSU 2.0’ and
included racist statements like 'We will burn down your mosques and kill you
Turks,’" said Ciftci, noting that members of the cultural center as well
as locals of Turkish descent in Neuss are in fear and anxiety over the recent
incidents.
NSU
2.0 refers to the National Socialist Underground, a neo-Nazi extremist group
uncovered in 2011 that murdered 10 people and planted three bombs.
"Two
weeks ago, the windows of our building were broken in an attack on our
association. Due to the frequency of these events, our members and those living
here began to feel uneasy. We want the authorities to arrest those responsible
and impose the necessary punishment," Ciftci added.
He
further emphasized that they are living in the middle of Europe with death
threats and called it "unacceptable."
Ciftci
also noted that the police, to whom they filed a criminal complaint, had begun
an investigation into the incidents.
Germany
has witnessed growing racism and Islamophobia in recent years, fueled by the
propaganda of neo-Nazi groups and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
With
a population of over 84 million people, the country has the second-largest
Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Among the country’s nearly
5.3 million Muslims, 3 million are of Turkish origin.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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One
Year of Taliban Rule, Afghan Envoy in UN Calls Country’s Future ‘Bleak and
Opaque’
Naseer
Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the United
Nations
-----
By
Saqalain Eqbal
Aug
30, 2022
While
discussing the situation in Afghanistan one year after Taliban rule at the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of
Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the United Nations, stated that the prospects
for a prosperous and secure Afghanistan are “bleak and opaque.”
The
Afghan official expressed concern about Afghanistan’s outlook during a UNSC
session on August 29 that focused on the social and economic situation in
Afghanistan.
Faiq
said that the Afghan people have been affected by the combined effects of
several natural disasters and “man-made catastrophes,” which have led to
Afghanistan experiencing the worst social, political, and humanitarian crisis.
He
also discussed the “systematic erasure” of women and girls from society and
public life, pointing out that during the Taliban regime, Afghan women and
girls are denied access to their basic rights.
In
addition to conceding a substantial decline in corruption and a reduction in
civilian casualties, Faiq maintained that the Taliban’s one-year
accomplishments include the rise in poverty, mass migration, and unemployment.
The
assassination of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul and recent ISIS
operations in various parts of Afghanistan have raised concerns about
Afghanistan being a “safe haven” for both international and regional terrorist
organizations, he voiced concern.
Faiq
urged the Taliban to uphold all citizens’ human rights and to fulfill its
pledges and international duties without discrimination based on gender or
religious identity.
This
comes as Markus Potzel, the acting head of the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan stated that the Taliban seek international recognition
based on their territorial control rather than complying with the international
community’s norms.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Fighting
In Iraqi Capital Leaves 30 Sadr Supporters Dead As Shiite Rivalry Escalates
Iraqi
security forces fire tear gas on the followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr
inside the government Palace, Baghdad (AP)
-----
Aug
30, 2022
BAGHDAD:
Fighting between rival Iraqi forces raged for a second day Tuesday with rocket
fire echoing from Baghdad's Green Zone where 23 supporters of powerful Shiite
leader Moqtada Sadr have been shot dead, medics said.
Tensions
have soared in Iraq amid a political crisis that has left the country without a
new government, prime minister or president for months.
They
escalated sharply after Sadr's supporters on Monday afternoon stormed the
government palace inside the high-security Green Zone following their leader's
announcement that he was quitting politics.
The
violence pitches backers of Sadr against rival Shiite factions backed by neighbouring
Iran, with the sides exchanging gunfire across barricades -- violence the
United Nations warns risks tipping the war-ravaged country deeper into chaos.
Overnight,
shelling targeted the Green Zone that houses government buildings and
diplomatic missions, a security source said, amid angry protests after Sadr's
surprise announcement.
Sadr,
a grey-bearded preacher with millions of devoted followers who once led a
militia against American and Iraqi government forces after the 2003 US-led
overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein, announced Monday his "definitive
retirement" and said he had "decided not to meddle in political
affairs".
On
Tuesday morning, fresh clashes broke out between Sadr's supporters and the army
and men of the Hashed al-Shaabi, former Tehran-backed paramilitaries integrated
into the Iraqi forces.
The
rattle of automatic gunfire and heavier explosions of rocket-propelled grenades
could be heard from the Green Zone.
The
United Nations mission in Iraq warned of "an extremely dangerous escalation"
and called on all sides to "refrain from acts that could lead to an
unstoppable chain of events".
"The
very survival of the state is at stake," it warned.
But
amid an army-imposed nationwide curfew that continued Tuesday, Baghdad was
otherwise quiet, with shops shuttered and few cars venturing out on the
streets.
On
Tuesday morning, medics updated the toll of Sadr supporters killed to 23, with
some 380 others injured -- some with bullet wounds and others suffering tear
gas inhalation.
A
mass funeral was held Tuesday in the Shiite holy city of Najaf for some of the
protesters killed in Baghdad.
Witnesses
said earlier that Sadr loyalists and supporters of a rival Shiite bloc, the
pro-Iran Coordination Framework, had exchanged fire.
The
Framework condemned an "attack on state institutions", urging the
Sadrists to engage in dialogue.
Caretaker
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi said "security or military forces, or
armed men" were prohibited from opening fire on protesters.
The
United States also urged calm amid the "disturbing" reports, while
France called on "the parties to exercise the utmost restraint".
Shortly
after Sadr made his announcement to step down, his followers burst into the
Republican Palace in Baghdad -- where cabinet meetings are usually held -- and
initially celebrated including by cooling off in a swimming pool in the garden.
Sadr
-- a longtime player in the war-torn country's political scene, though he
himself has never directly been in government -- announced he was quiting
politics two days after he said "all parties" including his own
should give up government positions in order to help resolve the political
crisis.
His
bloc emerged from last year's election as the biggest in the legislature, with
73 seats, but short of a majority.
In
June, his lawmakers quit in a bid to break the logjam, which led to the
Coordination Framework becoming the largest bloc.
Hamzeh
Hadad, from the European Council on Foreign Relations, said it was "not
clear" what Sadr's strategy was.
"Whatever
it does mean, in typical Sadrist fashion, there is always backtracking
expected," Hadad said.
"The
second, and more terrifying thought on this is that he is giving his followers
the green light to do whatever they like."
Iraq
has been mired in political deadlock since legislative elections in October
last year due to disagreement between Shiite factions over forming a coalition.
Sadr's
supporters have for weeks been staging a sit-in outside Iraq's parliament,
after storming the legislature's interior on July 30, demanding fresh elections
be held.
The
Coordination Framework wants a new head of government to be appointed before
any new polls are held.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
India
Supreme Court closes all proceedings pertaining to Babri mosque demolition
Aug
30, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed all the proceedings arising out of
the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992.
The
top court said that the contempt petition should have been listed earlier, but
the issue does not survive with the November 9, 2019 judgment deciding the
Ayodhya land dispute between Hindus and Muslims.
Muhammad
Aslam Bhure - who had filed the petition in 1991 followed by contempt petition
in 1992, died in 2010. The Supreme Court also rejected advocate M M Kashyap's
plea for substituting the petitioner with an amicus curiae.
The
final judgement in the Ayodhya dispute was declared by the Supreme Court of
India on 9 November 2019. The Supreme Court had also ordered the Centre to set
up a trust to build a temple, while alloting alternative five acres of land for
constructing a mosque.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Karnataka
High Court allows Ganesh puja at Hubbali Idgah Maidan
30.08.22
In
a late-night hearing on Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court upheld an order of
the Dharwad municipal commissioner allowing the Ganesh Chaturthi festival to be
held at the Hubballi Idgah maidan.
Justice
Ashok S Kinagi held that the property belonged to the Dharwad municipality and
Anjuman-e-Islam was only a lease holder for a period of 999 years at a fee of
Re 1 per year.
The
court had heard the issue earlier in the day. The municipal commissioner's
order was challenged in the court by Anjuman-e-Islam. The court had allowed the
commissioner's order but at the same time, the Supreme Court was hearing the
issue of the festival being allowed at the Chamrajpet Idgah maidan in
Bengaluru.
Anjuman-e-Islam
had claimed that the property in question was protected under the Places of
Worship Act, 1991, which says no religious place of worship can be converted.
The high court said in the case of the property in question, it was not a
religious place of worship and was allowed for prayers only during Bakrid and
Ramzan. During other times, it was used for purposes like a marketplace and a
parking lot.
The
Supreme Court order of status quo in the Bengaluru Chamrajpet ground was also
not applicable to this case, the high court said.
The
Chamrajpet issue involves a dispute about the ownership of the property,
whereas the Hubballi ground belongs to the municipality, which Anjuman-e-Islam
has also acknowledged, the court pointed out.
It
had said if there was a Supreme Court order on the Benglauru Idgah issue, the
same could be mentioned before it.
The
apex court ordered for status quo in the Bengaluru issue and the Ganesh
Chaturthi festival set to be celebrated by the state government had to be
withheld.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Organisations to Protest in Surathkal on September 9 for Not Handing Over the
Investigation of the Murder of Two Muslim Boys
AUGUST
31, 2022
The
protest is against the Karnataka govt. for not handing over the investigation
of murders of Mohammed Masood and Mohammed Fazil to the NIA
The
Muslim Aikyata Vedike, Surathkal, will hold a protest in Surathkal on September
9 against Karnataka government for not handing over the investigation of
murders of 19-year-old Mohammed Masood and 22-year-old Mohammed Fazil to the
National Investigation Agency.
Talking
to reporters here on Tuesday, August 30, Umar Farooq, legal advisor of the
vedike, said the State government has so far not handed over to the NIA the
investigation of murders of Masood and Fazil though it is said to be linked
with murder of BJP Yuva Morcha leader 34-year-old Praveen Nettaru. Praveen’s
murder is being investigated by the NIA. The police have so far not invoked
provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the two murders, he said.
Mr.
Farooq said the State government has not given any compensation to family
members of Masood and Fazil. Though Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Home
Minister Araga Jnanendra had said they will call on their family members, but
have not done it yet. “We are really hurt by this discrimination against
Muslims. Hence, to express our anguish, we will hold a protest meeting at
Surathkal,” he said.
Mr.
Farooq said Vedike is contemplating to approach the High Court. “We have
approached experts with related documents. A decision on filing a writ petition
demanding NIA investigation will be taken shortly,” he said.
He
asked Dakshina Kannada district administration to enable Vedike members submit
memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 2.
Fazil’s
father Farooq and Vedike President Mohammed Ashraf Badriya were present.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Why
BJP Chose Muslim-Dominated Seemanchal to Kick Off Bihar Campaign
DIPAK
MISHRA
31
August, 2022
Patna:
In the run-up to the 2015 Bihar assembly elections, when Rashtriya Janata Dal
leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) had joined
hands, Amit Shah, then national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
had chosen the Gandhi Maidan in Patna to kick-start his party’s poll campaign.
The
Nitish-Lalu led RJD-JD(U)-Congress grand alliance swept the polls, while the
BJP and its allies managed to win just 58 of the 243 seats.
Seven
years on, as the JD(U) once again joined hands with the RJD and Congress after
severing ties with BJP, the party in power at the centre has not just chosen a
different venue to start off its campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but
also a set of issues on which it plans to take on the grand alliance.
Next
month, now Union home minister Shah will kick off the BJP’s poll campaign for
2024 in Bihar from the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal area, which comprises the
four districts of Katihar, Purnea, Araria and Kishanganj. Shah is scheduled to
first address a gathering in Purnea on 23 September, and then one in Kishanganj
the next day.
“It
will be our shankhnad (clarion call) for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. We will
reinstate our vows to provide a crime-free and corruption-free government in
Bihar,” former speaker and now leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly,
Vijay Kumar Sinha, told The Print.
The
Muslim population of Seemanchal ranges from around 70 per cent (in Kishanganj)
to 35 per cent (in Purnea).
In
the past, BJP has done well in this region by polarising Hindu votes. In the
2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won three of the four seats here, including
one won by JD(U) in Katihar, for which it had fielded a former BJP leader on
its ticket. The NDA won 39 of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in 2019.
The
JD(U) meanwhile seems unperturbed by the BJP’s outreach in Seemanchal.
“It
is obvious why the BJP has picked up Seemanchal to kick-start its campaign. But
it will not succeed because our social base there is much larger and our voters
are more aware of the motive of the BJP’s communal agenda. The BJP’s tally in
Bihar will be in single digits,” claimed Upendra Kushwaha, chairman of the
JD(U)’s national parliamentary board.
Meanwhile,
Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is scheduled to visit Patna on 31
August and is expected to meet CM Nitish Kumar and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav
over lunch.
While
KCR will be in town to distribute compensation money to families of Bihar
labourers killed in Telangana in a fire accident and families of soldiers from
Bihar killed in the Galwan valley, discussion on an anti-BJP front is also
likely. In January, Tejashwi had flown to Hyderabad to meet KCR for the same.
Consolidation
of Hindu votes
The
BJP has its job in Seemanchal cut out.
“The
Seemanchal region is a sensitive area. It is a hub of Islamic terrorism,
infiltration from Bangladesh and IS (Islamic State) activities,” state BJP
spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel told ThePrint.
Schools
in the area had been a bone of contention between the JD(U) and BJP since even
before they severed ties. Last month, then Bihar education minister Vijay
Choudhary had asked for a “status report” on government schools in the
Seemanchal area which remain closed on Fridays instead of Sundays, to allow
teachers and students from the Muslim community to attend the jumma ka namaz or
Friday prayers.
The
issue had cropped up in Bihar after it was raised in neighbouring Jharkhand the
same month. While the Jharkhand government has changed the holiday to Sunday in
schools which had earlier remained closed Friday, the BJP wanted the same to be
done in Bihar.
Consolidation
of Hindu votes in Seemanchal will not only send a message to other parts of
Bihar, but also to adjoining West Bengal districts which also have a high
percentage of Muslim population, said a senior BJP leader on condition of
anonymity.
“This
time, the onus will be on the grand alliance partners to save their vote
banks,” said BJP leader and Bihar legislative council member Samrat Chaudhary.
Claiming that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be all about Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, Chaudhary recalled how the NDA had 27 per cent more votes than
the grand alliance in Bihar in the 2019 elections.
The
JD(U) had been a part of the NDA then.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Supreme
Court asks Centre for its stand on SC status for Dalit Christians, Muslims
Aug
30, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to take a stand within
three weeks on the contentious issue of extending scheduled caste tag to Dalit
Christians and Muslims and said that the day has come to take a call on issues
having social ramifications.
Under
the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, only Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs are
recognized as scheduled castes.
Dealing
with a public interest litigation filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest
Litigation (CPIL) which flagged the issue for consideration by the court in
2004 and to which the Centre did not file any response during the long gap of
18 years, a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, AS Oka and Vikram Nath said,
“All these old matters are pending in this court because of its social
ramifications. A day has come when we have to take a call on this.”
The
court gave the Centre three weeks’ time to place on record its stand on the
issue of reservation for Dalit communities of other religions other than those
prescribed under the 1950 Order and posted the matter for consideration on
October 11.
Appearing
for the Centre, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said, “This matter is engaging
the attention of the central government and we request for some time to bring
the decision on record.”
Advocate
Prashant Bhushan who appeared for CPIL told the court that the issue involves a
short question whether the 1950 Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order
discriminates against Dalit Muslims and Christians. Christian and Muslim
organizations too had approached the Supreme Court and their petitions were
bunched together with CPIL petition.
The
petition sought a direction from the top court to declare paragraph (3) of the
Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 as unconstitutional as it stated,
“…no person who professes a religion different from Hinduism, Sikhism and
Buddhism shall be deemed to be a member of a scheduled caste.” The petitioners
ought delinking of religion from consideration of scheduled caste status.
In
2007, former Supreme Court judge, justice Ranganath Misra headed the panel on
the issue of granting SC status to religious communities besides Hindus, Sikhs
and Buddhists and recommended that the 1950 Order was discriminatory.
Tushar
Mehta said the government does not accept the recommendation. “We do not accept
the Ranganath Misra Commission report as it ignored many aspects,” SG Mehta
said. But the court asked him why no affidavit was filed rejecting the Misra
commission findings.
The
2011 census has total population figures for Christians and Muslims at 2.4
crore and 13.8 crore but there is no data on Dalit converts in these religions.
In 2008, a study by the National Commission for Minorities recommended SC
status for Dalit Christians and Muslims. This report too was not accepted.
Source:
Hindustan Time
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Namaz
at home': UP cops drop FIR against 26, say video 'fudged'
Aug
31, 2022
BAREILLY:
Days after 26 people were booked for "an unauthorised mass gathering to
offer namaz" at the houses of two Moradabad residents, UP Police withdrew
the FIR on Tuesday after they found the complaint to be "incorrect"
and the "video" provided by the main complainant, Chandra Pal Singh,
and other villagers to be "fudged".
The
group namaz was not offered on the said date, August 24, as claimed by the
complainants, police said, adding that a "thorough probe" was
conducted in the matter.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Religion
has become prosecuting factor in India, alleges PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti
Aug
30, 2022
SRINAGAR:
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday alleged that religion had become a
prosecuting factor in the country's "warped idea of justice".
The
former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was reacting to reports that a Lingayat
Mutt seer in Karnataka, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment, has not
been arrested.
"Bilkis
Bano's rapists walked free & now no action taken against Lingayat Mutt Seer
despite serious rape charges. Religion has become the prosecuting factor in
India's warped idea of justice. New Rashtra as envisioned by BJP is underway,”
Mehbooba tweeted.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2
LeT terrorists neutralised in encounter in J-K's Shopian
Aug
30, 2022,
SRINAGAR:
Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were gunned down by security forces in
Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, police said.
Security
forces launched a cordon and search operation in Nagbal area of Shopian following
information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.
An
encounter broke out during the operation in which two ultras were gunned down.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hyderabad:
‘Don’t want Muslim delivery person’, writes Swiggy customer
31st
August 2022
Hyderabad:
An instruction mentioned by a Swiggy customer in Hyderabad once again raises
the question, ‘does food have a religion?’.
Recently,
the food aggregator customer mentioned that his order should not be delivered
by a Muslim delivery boy.
Following
the incident, Shaik Salauddin, chairman of Telangana State Taxi and Drivers JAC
shared the screengrab of the instruction mentioned by the customer and
requested Swiggy to take a stand against such request.
The
food aggregator is yet to respond to the incident.
Similar
situation faced by delivery boy in Hyderabad
It
is not the first incident, earlier too a Swiggy customer in Hyderabad had
refused to accept food delivered by a Muslim delivery boy.
In
the instruction he had mentioned, ‘Very less spicy. And, please select Hindu
delivery person. All ratings will be based on this.’
Not
only Swiggy, but another food delivery company Zomato had also faced a similar
customer.
At
that time, CEO and founder of Zomato Deepinder Goyal had tweeted, “We are proud
of the idea of India – and the diversity of our esteemed customers and
partners. We aren’t sorry to lose any business that comes in the way of our
values.”
Swiggy,
Zomato in Hyderabad
Both
Swiggy and Zomato are famous food aggregators in Hyderabad. Thousands of people
especially techies who hail from other districts depend on these aggregators
for their meals.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-dont-want-muslim-delivery-person-writes-swiggy-customer-2402169/
--------
Europe
France’s
Top Court Green-lights Prominent Imam Iquioussen’s Deportation for Hate Speech
Shweta
Desai
30.08.2022
PARIS
France’s
top court has green-lighted the expulsion of prominent imam Hassan Iquioussen,
the country's interior minister announced Tuesday.
“The
Council of State validates the expulsion of Mr. Iquioussen who holds and
propagates in particular anti-Semitic remarks and contrary to equality between
women and men," Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet.
The
court overturned an earlier ruling which stated that his expulsion would
constitute a “disproportionate attack” toward his “private and family life.”
Iquioussen
is now likely to be deported to Morocco.
Iquioussen’s
lawyer Lucie Simon in a series of tweets, indicated the interior minister who
had ordered the deportation, pressured the judiciary into giving the ruling.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UK
home secretary asks landlords to take in Afghan refugees
August
30, 2022
LONDON:
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked landlords to house thousands of Afghan
refugees stuck in temporary accommodation over a year since fleeing their
homeland.
The
Home Office says of the 21,450 people evacuated to the UK following the fall of
Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, 9,667 are still living in hotels at a
total cost of over £1 million ($1.17 million) per day to the taxpayer.
In
addition to Afghan refugees, there are 30,000 asylum seekers of other
nationalities being put up in hotels across the UK, at an additional daily cost
of around £4 million. The UK’s total annual bill for asylum seekers is
currently around £2 billion.
Just
7,385 Afghan evacuees have found permanent homes, with authorities citing the
large sizes of many refugee families — seven people on average, as opposed to
an average of three people per UK household — as a particular issue in
rehousing them.
Patel
wrote in The Times: “I urge landlords and local authorities to come forward
with suitable homes. The government will continue to do everything possible to
expedite moving those still in hotels into sustainable accommodation, while
delivering value for money for the taxpayer.”
The
UK’s housing shortage is also playing a part in the crisis, with local
authorities struggling to find enough dwellings despite receiving £20,500 per
refugee resettled in their area.
Despite
this, the UK has pledged to take in another 3,500 Afghans trying to escape the
Taliban, and Patel is readying plans to stop councils blocking refugees from
being moved to their areas.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2153126/world
--------
French
more accepting of far-right ideology: Survey
Shweta
Desai
31.08.2022
PARIS
France's
recently concluded presidential and legislative elections reveal that the
French are increasingly embracing a far-right-wing ideology that was once
considered taboo, according to the latest survey by the Foundation for
Political Innovation think-tank.
The
survey, titled “Political changes and government majority in a right-wing
France,” was published Monday by the Le Figaro daily newspaper. It points to
the shift of an increasing proportion of French people to the right
politically, based on the analysis of the election results and three opinion
polls with a sample of more than 9,000 people carried out parallel to the voting
cycles.
The
survey claims that large-scale abstention, blank votes, and protest votes, or
votes cast in an election to demonstrate dissatisfaction with the choice of
candidates or current political system, led to the marked success of far-right
candidate Marine Le Pen and her National Rally (RN) party.
“This
success is visible not only at the polls but also in public opinion. The ideas
of the RN are increasingly widely accepted,” it said.
It
also demonstrates the shift towards the right through voting data. During the
2022 presidential election, the right-wing protest vote won 32.3% of the vote
compared with 27.1% during the 2017 presidential election.
“Between
2017 and 2022, the protest vote in the presidential election is dominated by
the right, while progressing more strongly on the right (+5.2 points) than on
the left (+2 points),” the survey said.
After
the RN bagged 89 seats, forming the largest opposition group in the National
Assembly, nearly 47% of the respondents considered the development “a good
thing.” An overwhelming 59% of respondents who position themselves on the right
consider the RN capable of governing, and 57% believe the party advocates a
society in which they would like to live.
Public
opinion-wise too, 39% of the respondents said they “completely agree” or “tend
to agree” with the party’s ideas. Besides the RN, Europe Ecology – The Greens
(EELV) is the other popular party that has wide acceptance (39%) in terms of
ideology.
The
majority of the voters of far-right parties RN (91%) and Reconquest! (94%) are
worried about the immigration of foreigners. More than half of the respondents
(63%) think that “most immigrants do not share the values of our country and
this poses problems of cohabitation.” This opinion is in the minority among the
voters (38%) of the left-wing coalition NUPES.
Le
Pen’s RN party remains the most popular sociologically and is expanding its
electorate sharply in smaller cities, the survey analyzes.
The
survey paints a “worrying” picture politically, as the parties that were deemed
capable of governing like the Socialist Party (PS) on the left or Les
Républicains (LR) on the right no longer have the means to rely on their own
forces.
President
Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble party also “suffered a limited but real disappointment
with regard to the clear re-election.”
The
RN too will eventually face challenges after Le Pen ceases to be its leader, it
said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/french-more-accepting-of-far-right-ideology-survey/2673107
--------
Türkiye's
experience sharing in counter-terrorism game-changer for many: President
Merve
Aydogan
30.08.2022
Türkiye's
benevolence of experience sharing with its friends in the fight against
terrorism and advancement in the defense industry has acted as a
"game-changer," the country's president said on Tuesday.
Speaking
at the Turkish Military Academy's graduation ceremony on the centenary of
Victory Day, in Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "Türkiye has become a
country that preempts instead of lagging behind, by adopting a strategy of
preventing threats at its root."
He
added that Türkiye weighs in the pros and cons of its existing relationships,
but do not feel shy to establish new partnerships.
Erdogan
also said Ankara made the "first big and serious blow" to Daesh
terrorist group, which was a major regional threat, via its Operation Euphrates
Shield in northern Syria.
"Followed
with the Operations Olive Branch, Peace Spring and Spring Shield, we showed the
entire world the power of Turkish Armed Forces to protect the interests of our
country and to ensure peace in its region," he said.
The
Turkish president also criticized "the hostile attitudes of our so-called
allies against Türkiye, or the support they give to those who display such
attitudes."
On
Türkiye's military education and training system, Erdogan said the country has
now "completely abandoned" the system "damaged by the putschist
mentality for 70 years."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
warns 6 million Afghans at risk of famine as crises grow
August
31, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: Warning that Afghanistan faces deepening poverty with 6 million people
at risk of famine, the UN humanitarian chief on Monday urged donors to restore
funding for economic development and immediately provide $770 million to help
Afghans get through the winter as the United States argued with Russia and
China over who should pay.
Martin
Griffiths told the UN Security Council that Afghanistan faces multiple crises —
humanitarian, economic, climate, hunger and financial.
Conflict,
poverty, climate shocks and food insecurity “have long been a sad reality” in
Afghanistan, but he said what makes the current situation “so critical” is the
halt to large-scale development aid since the Taliban takeover a year ago.
More
than half the Afghan population — some 24 million people — need assistance and
close to 19 million are facing acute levels of food insecurity, Griffiths said.
And “we worry” that the figures will soon become worse because winter weather
will send already high fuel and food prices skyrocketing.
Despite
the challenges, he said UN agencies and their NGO partners have mounted “an
unprecedented response” over the past year, reaching almost 23 million people.
But
he said $614 million is urgently required to prepare for winter including
repairing and upgrading shelters and providing warm clothes and blankets — and
an additional $154 million is needed to preposition food and other supplies
before the weather cuts access to certain areas.
Griffiths
stressed, however, that “humanitarian aid will never be able to replace the
provision of system-wide services to 40 million people across the country.”
The
Taliban “have no budget to invest in their own future,” he said, and “it’s
clear that some development support needs to be started.”
With
more than 70 percent of Afghan’s living in rural areas, Griffiths warned that
if agriculture and livestock production aren’t protected “millions of lives and
livelihoods will be risked, and the country’s capacity to produce food
imperiled.”
He
said the country’s banking and liquidity crisis, and the extreme difficulty of
international financial transactions must also be tackled.
“The
consequences of inaction on both the humanitarian and development fronts will
be catastrophic and difficult to reverse,” Griffiths warned.
Russia
called the UN Security Council meeting on the eve of the first anniversary of
the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and its ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia,
sharply criticized the “ignominious 20-year campaign” by the United States and
its NATO allies.
He
claimed they did nothing to build up the Afghan economy and their presence only
strengthened the country’s status “as a hotbed of terrorism” and narcotics
production and distribution.
Nebenzia
also accused the US and its allies of abandoning Afghans to face “ruin,
poverty, terrorism, hunger and other challenges.”
“Instead
of acknowledging their own mistakes and supporting the reconstruction of the
destroyed country,” he said, they blocked Afghan financial resources and
disconnected its central bank from SWIFT, the dominant system for global
financial transactions.
China’s
UN Ambassador Zhang Jun also accused the US and its allies of “evading
responsibility and abandoning the Afghan people” by cutting off development
aid, freezing Afghan assets and imposing “political isolation and blockade.”
US
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused the Taliban of imposing policies
that “repress and starve the Afghan people instead of protecting them” and of
increasing taxes on critically needed assistance.
She
asked how the Taliban — which has not be recognized by a single country —
expect to build a relationship with the rest of the world when it provided a
safe haven for the leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, in downtown Kabul. He
was killed by a US drone strike on July 31.
Nonetheless,
Thomas-Greenfield said, the United States is the world’s leading donor in
Afghanistan, providing more than $775 million in humanitarian aid to Afghans in
the country and the region in the last year.
As
for Afghan frozen assets, President Joe Biden announced in February that the $7
billion in the US was being divided — $3.5 billion for a UN trust fund to
provide aid to Afghans and $3.5 billion for families of American victims of the
9/11 terror attacks in the United States.
“No
country that is serious about containing terrorism in Afghanistan would
advocate to give the Taliban instantaneous, unconditional access to billions in
assets that belong to the Afghan people,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
To
Russia’s claims that Afghanistan’s problems are the fault of the West and not
the Taliban, Thomas-Greenfield asked, “What are you doing to help other than
rehash the past and criticize others?”
She
said Russia has contributed only $2 million to the UN humanitarian appeal for
Afghanistan and China’s contributions “have been similarly underwhelming.”
“If
you want to talk about how Afghanistan needs help, that’s fine. But we humbly
suggest you put your money where your mouth is,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
Russia’s
Nebenzia took the floor again, calling the suggestion “stunning.”
“We
are being asked to pay for the reconstruction of a country whose economy was
essentially destroyed by 20 years of US and NATO occupation?” he asked. “You
are the ones who need to pay for your mistakes. But first of all, you need to
return to the Afghan people the money that has been stolen from them.”
Thomas-Greenfield,
the US ambassador, had the last word.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2153521/world
--------
South
Asia
Bangladesh
families demand UN probe into disappeared relatives
Aug
30, 2022
DHAKA:
Bangladesh's government is in "denial" about systematic abductions
carried out by security forces, families of missing relatives said Tuesday,
during a protest demanding a United Nations probe into enforced disappearances.
Rights
groups accuse security forces of unlawfully killing around 2,500 people since
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, many of whom were prominent
opposition figures.
Hundreds
more have been declared missing, with Sweden-based news portal Netra News this
month reporting that some have been secretly detained for years in a previously
unknown prison near a military base.
"We
want immediate release of the detainees from secret detention cells," said
Sanijda Islam, a member of the local Maayer Daak civil society group which
represents families of the missing.
"The
authorities should stop their denial," Islam told AFP.
Outgoing
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet visited Bangladesh this month and urged
the government to create an independent agency to investigate claims of
enforced disappearances.
But
at a rally in the capital Dhaka, hundreds of people carrying photos of their
missing relatives urged the UN to conduct its own inquiry.
"We
want a strong investigation committee led by the UN," said Khondoker
Ayesha Khatun, whose son was allegedly abducted by security forces in 2016 and
has been unseen since.
There
was "overwhelming" evidence that authorities were involved in
enforced disappearances and Bangladesh should allow a UN investigation,
Meenakshi Ganguly of Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.
"The
Bangladesh government should stop feigning ignorance and work with the UN to
provide urgent answers and effective accountability," she added.
Last
year the United States imposed sanctions on the elite Rapid Action Battalion
police unit, along with seven top security officers, over human rights
violations.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Sheikh Hasina dispels possibility of Sri Lanka-like economic crisis in
Bangladesh
Aug
30, 2022
DHAKA:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Tuesday that Bangladesh would never plunge
into a Sri Lanka-like economic crisis as her government was steering the
country's development in a planned way.
Addressing
an event of her ruling Awami League here, Hasina said her government took every
development project considering their economic return and the national budgets
were prepared in a planned way as well to evade economic disasters and
facilitate smooth development.
"Bangladesh
will never become Sri Lanka, it won't be," Hasina said. "We think in
a pragmatic way before taking any development project (and so) the country will
continue to move ahead overcoming all global challenges."
The
premier, however, said as Bangladesh started overcoming the COVID-19, the
impact of the Russia-Ukraine war aggravated the situation which prompted her
government to categorise the development projects in four segments in terms of
budget allocations considering their economic returns.
"We
don't eat ghee by borrowing money," which could lead the country to any
debt trap, Hasina said, adding Bangladesh was repaying all loans on time very
carefully.
Sri
Lanka has been witnessing one of the worst economic crises since its
Independence in 1948. They have defaulted on international loans as well.
In
an apparent reference to China, she said the amount of "our debts is not
so high that we would fall into the any debt trap of anyone".
Her
comments came days after the global rating agency Standard & Poor's
(S&P) cautioned Bangladesh that further depreciation of its currency would
mount domestic inflation pressures, and make more expensive external debt
servicing costs.
Financial
analysts also predict the inflationary pressure to continue hurting people in
days ahead while main opposition outside parliament Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP) of ex-premier Khaleda Zia feared the government's
"inefficiency" could create the Sri Lanka type crisis.
Bangladesh
liberalised further its trading mechanism in June 2022 and since then nominal
exchange rate of Taka, the local currency, has depreciated by about 10 per cent
against the US dollar, marking a notable shift in the country's foreign
exchange dynamics.
The
S&P said the measure weakened Bangladesh's external profile following a
marked rise in its current account deficit, driven by surging domestic demand
and higher commodity prices.
"These
trends have driven net outflows of foreign exchange from the economy, resulting
in declining reserves and depreciatory pressure against the taka," it
said.
"Bad
times are looming large as the general point-to-point inflation may hit 10 per
cent in the coming months,” financial think-tank Policy Research Institute
(PRI) executive director Dr Ahsan H Mansur said earlier this week adding that
the monetary policy was not working well to contain the inflationary pressure.
The
S&P, however, said Bangladesh's economy accelerated in 2022 and underlying
momentum remains sound and added that the normalisation of the global economy
continued to drive a strong pick-up in the country's garment sector,
contributing to a 12.3 per cent expansion in manufacturing activity in the
outgoing fiscal year.
"The
sector's recovery has also underpinned a durable recovery in the condition of
Bangladesh's labour market, supporting robust domestic demand conditions,"
the rating agency said.
"The
outlook remains stable (and) the stable outlook reflects our expectation that
Bangladesh's solid growth prospects and policy adjustments will manage the
risks associated with a challenging external landscape over the next 12
months," it noted.
The
agency also said Bangladesh's economic recovery remains on a sound footing, and
"we project real GDP growth to average 7.0 per year over the next three
years."
Bangladesh
Bank's Chief Economist Dr Habibur Rahman said the central bank took various
steps to contain inflation stabilising the exchange rate while “efforts are on
to control inflation through improving the supply side without raising the
interest rate".
Hopefully,
he said, the exchange rate of the US dollar against Taka would come down soon
and there would be improvement in other sectors as well.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
Requests Recognition Based on Its Territorial Control Says Markus Potzel
By
Saqalain Eqbal
30
Aug 2022
Markus
Potzel, the Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for
Afghanistan, stated that the Taliban seek legitimacy and recognition based on
their territorial domination rather than by upholding the norms and standards
of the international community.
Potzel
stated in his briefing to the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the lack of
recognition of the Taliban by any country to this point is due to several
obvious reasons, including a failure to uphold international norms.
The
UNSC held a session on Afghanistan on August 29, focusing on the social and
economic situation in Afghanistan.
The
Acting United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) head, Potzel,
said, “Afghanistan is part of this international system and the Taliban need to
adhere to their international obligations.”
The
UN official enumerated the standards set by the international community for
representative government, collective international security, and women’s and
girls’ rights, all of which the Taliban government appears to violate and
struggle with.
Noting
that the provision of humanitarian aid to the impoverished people of
Afghanistan is not a “long-term solution”, Potzel stated that measures should
be put in place to allow the Afghan economy “breathe”, including efforts to
facilitate access to the held reserves.
The
Taliban government, according to Potzel, is dealing with more and more
challenges with governance as they portray themselves as a unified, integrated
governing body, yet with rumours of internal tensions.
He
also pointed at the curtailed fundamental human rights, especially the suspension
of the schools for girls and the draconian policies in place for Afghan women,
noting that “Afghanistan is the only country in the world that denies girls the
full right to education.”
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Amnesty
accuses Iran, Turkey of illegal Afghan migrant pushbacks
31 August,
2022
Iran
and Turkey are preventing entry of Afghan refugees or forcibly returning them
to face life-threatening risks under the Taliban regime, in violation of
international law, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.
Hundreds
of thousands fled Afghanistan in August 2021 after the US left the country in a
chaotic military pullout, allowing the hardline Taliban to retake control.
But
while many who assisted US forces in particular were airlifted out, the vast
majority have had to flee by land, in particular towards Iran and eventually
Turkey.
Many
are poor and lack passports or other valid travel documents, making them
especially vulnerable to border police who use threats or outright violence to
keep them out or push them back, Amnesty said.
“Iranian
and Turkish security forces have unlawfully used firearms against Afghans
trying to cross the border irregularly as a deterrent and a pushback method,
sometimes resulting in deaths or injuries,” the report said.
Amnesty
said it based its findings on interviews with dozens of Afghans, including 74
who were forcibly returned, sometimes with children or other family members.
The
NGO cited numerous cases of “unlawful killings, pushbacks by shooting and other
unlawful returns, arbitrary detention, and torture and other ill-treatment of
Afghans at the hands of both Iranian and Turkish officials.”
In
particular, it documented killings of 11 Afghans by Iranian security forces and
three Afghans by Turkish forces over the past year.
Under
international law, countries are obliged to ensure a right to seek asylum and
the principle of non-refoulement, or the forced return of refugees to countries
where they would face persecution or other human rights violations.
“It
is Amnesty International's position, in line with UNHCR [United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees], that no Afghan should be returned, because of the
risk of serious human rights violations they could face in Afghanistan,” it
said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
celebrate anniversary of foreign troop withdrawal
August
31, 2022
KABUL:
The Taliban declared Wednesday a national holiday and decorated the capital
with colored lights to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of
US-led troops from Afghanistan.
The
country’s new rulers — not formally recognized by any other nation — have
reimposed their harsh version of Islamic law on the impoverished country, with
women squeezed out of public life.
But
despite the restrictions, and a deepening humanitarian crisis, many Afghans say
they are glad the foreign force that prompted the Taliban insurgency left after
a brutal 20-year war.
“We
are happy that Allah got rid of the infidels from our country, and the Islamic
Emirate has been established,” said Zalmai, a resident of Kabul.
“Happy
Independence Day,” tweeted government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
In
a separate statement, the government said the day marked “the country’s freedom
from American occupation.”
“So
many mujhahideen have been wounded (over the years), so many children became
orphans and so many women become widows.”
The
authorities held an official celebration at Bagram air base, which US forces
used to launch air strikes against the Taliban.
Foreign
media outlets were not allowed to attend the event.
Kabul
was quiet on Wednesday morning with a few Taliban fighters driving around the
city and most residents staying indoors after the government declared a
national holiday.
The
plane carrying the last US troops took off from Kabul just a minute before
midnight on August 31 last year.
That
departure ended America’s longest war, which began in the wake of the September
11, 2001 attacks in New York.
Some
66,000 Afghan troops and 48,000 civilians were killed in the conflict, but it
was the deaths of US service members — 2,461 in total — that became too much
for the American public to bear.
“The
burden of the war in Afghanistan, however, went beyond Americans,” the US
military said Tuesday.
More
than 3,500 troops from other NATO countries were also killed.
Two
weeks before the end of last year’s withdrawal, the Taliban seized power
following a lightning offensive against government forces.
Banners
celebrating victories against three empires — the former Soviet Union and
Britain also lost wars in Afghanistan — flew in Kabul on Wednesday.
Hundreds
of white Taliban flags bearing the Islamic proclamation of faith flew from
lamposts and government buildings, while squares in the capital were decorated
with lights.
On
Tuesday night, the skies above Kabul were lit up with fireworks and celebratory
gunfire from crowds of Taliban fighters.
In
Massoud Square, near the former US embassy, armed fighters carrying Taliban
flags chanted “Death to America.” Others drove around the city honking their
horns.
Taliban
social media accounts posted videos and pictures of newly trained troops — many
flaunting equipment the US military left behind during its chaotic withdrawal.
“This
is how you troll a superpower after humiliating them and forcing them to
withdraw from your country,” read a tweet with a photo of a giant Taliban flag
now painted on the wall of the former US embassy.
Despite
the Taliban’s pride in taking over, Afghanistan’s 38 million people face a
desperate humanitarian crisis — aggravated after billions of dollars in assets
were frozen and foreign aid dried up.
Hardships
for ordinary Afghans, especially women, have increased.
The
Taliban have shut secondary girls’ schools in many provinces and barred women
from many government jobs.
They
have also ordered women to fully cover up in public — ideally with an
all-encompassing burqa.
“Women
are mentally disturbed because they have no career, no education, and no basic
rights,” said Zulal, a former government employee in the city of Herat who lost
her job after the arrival of the Taliban.
“Girls
are particularly distressed after their schools were closed. You can see it on
their faces.”
Taliban
spokesman Mujahid last week claimed there had been “major achievements” in the
past year.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2153696/world
--------
Arab
World
Saudi
Activist Muhammad al-Jedaei, Handed 18-Year Prison Sentence for Social Media
Activism on Twitter
31
August 2022
A
court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced a social media activist to more than a
dozen years in prison, amid an intensified crackdown led by Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman against pro-democracy campaigners, Muslim preachers, and
intellectuals in the kingdom.
Democracy
for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a US-based rights group created by murdered
Saudi dissident and the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi to promote
democracy, human rights and the rule of law for the Arab world, announced that
the so-called Saudi Court of Appeals slapped an 18-yaer jail term against
social and cultural activist, Muhammad al-Jedaei, better known as Jaddo,
earlier this week.
Jedaei
was detained nearly two and a half years ago as part of an arrest campaign,
which targeted dozens of political activists, democracy advocates as well as
social media activists.
The
news comes as the Saudi Specialized Criminal Court has sentenced a woman to 45
years in prison for her social media posts, marking the second such case in
weeks.
Nourah
al-Qahtani received the heavy sentence on appeal after she was convicted of
“using the internet to tear the (country's) social fabric” and “violating
public order” via social media, DAWN said.
The
Washington-based group added that she was convicted under the kingdom's
so-called Counter-Terrorism and Anti-Cyber Crime Law, and shared a copy of the
court document.
Earlier
this month, Saudi officials sentenced women's rights activist Salma al-Shehab
to 34 years in prison.
The
United Nations Human Rights Council said in a statement that the jail term
handed down to Shehab, a mother of two young children and a doctoral student at
the United Kingdom’s Leeds University, is the longest sentence ever given to a
women's rights defender in Saudi Arabia.
The
UN rights council noted that Saudi authorities have taken advantage of the
return to the international fold following the savage killing of Khashoggi
inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018 to deepen
crackdown on political opponents.
Shehab
was initially sentenced to six years in prison for using an internet website to
“cause public unrest and destabilize civil and national security,” the UN human
Rights Council said, but after a public prosecutor asked for other alleged
crimes to be taken into consideration, but an appeals court recently increased
the sentence to 34 years along with a 34-year travel ban.
She
was on holiday in Saudi Arabia in January 2021 and had planned to return to the
United Kingdom when she was detained, according to the Freedom Initiative, a
Washington-based human rights organization.
Several
human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Foundation, the Freedom
Initiative, the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) and ALQST
for Human Rights, have condemned the ruling against the Saudi women's rights
activist, and called for her release.
Ever
since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader in 2017, the kingdom has
arrested hundreds of activists, bloggers, intellectuals and others for their
political activism, showing almost zero tolerance for dissent even in the face
of international condemnation of the crackdown.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraqi
protesters withdraw after Shia cleric al-Sadr demands end to protests
30 August,
2022
Supporters
of Iraq’s Shia cleric Muqatda al-Sadr started to withdraw from Baghdad’s Green
Zone on Tuesday after he urged them to end a protest following violence that
killed 23 of them.
Sadr
gave followers “60 minutes” to withdraw from the high-security Green Zone,
after which he would threatened to “disavow” those who remained.
“I
apologize to the Iraqi people, the only ones affected by the events,” al-Sadr
told reporters from his base in the central Iraqi city of Najaf.
Moments
after al-Sadr’s speech, broadcast live on television, his supporters were seen
beginning to leave the Green Zone, and minutes after that, the army lifted a
nation-wide curfew imposed since violence erupted on Monday.
Tensions
have soared in Iraq amid a political crisis that has left the country without a
new government, prime minister or president for months.
They
escalated sharply after al-Sadr’s supporters on Monday afternoon stormed the
government palace inside the Green Zone following their leader’s announcement
that he was quitting politics.
Al-Sadr,
a grey-bearded preacher with millions of devoted followers who once led a
militia against American and Iraqi government forces after the 2003 US-led
overthrow of President Saddam Hussein, announced Monday his “definitive
retirement” and said he had “decided not to meddle in political affairs.”
Overnight
Monday and on Tuesday morning, clashes raged between al-Sadr’s supporters and
the army and men of the Hashed al-Shaabi, former Tehran-backed paramilitaries
integrated into the Iraqi forces.
On
Tuesday morning, medics updated the toll of al-Sadr supporters killed to 23,
with some 380 others injured - some with bullet wounds and others suffering
tear gas inhalation.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia seeks extradition of man who threatened embassy in Lebanon: Ambassador
30
August, 2022
Saudi
Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon Walid al-Bukhari said the Kingdom is seeking the
arrest and extradition from Lebanon of a Saudi man who threatened the Kingdom’s
embassy in Beirut last week.
“We
call upon the competent Lebanese authorities to undertake the necessary legal
procedures regarding the terrorist threats,” al-Bukhari said following a
meeting with Lebanon’s interior minister.
Lebanese
and Saudi authorities say the person behind the recorded threats was a Saudi
man named Ali Hashem. Reuters could not independently confirm the information
and was not able to contact the man.
Lebanese
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi last week asked security forces to probe the
recorded death threats out of “concern for Lebanon’s interest and security and
good relations with brotherly nations, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Some
Lebanese officials have tried to improve ties with Saudi Arabia, once a major
donor, after years of tension over the growing influence in Lebanon of
Hezbollah, which is classified by both Riyadh and the US as a terrorist group.
Relations
hit a low last year when Saudi Arabia banned imports of Lebanese goods over
drug smuggling concerns and then recalled its ambassador after critical
comments by a pro-Hezbollah minister. The ambassador has since returned.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraq
can redirect more crude exports to Europe if needed: SOMO source
30
August, 2022
Iraq’s
state-owned marketer SOMO can redirect more crude oil exports to Europe if
required, a company source told Reuters on Tuesday.
SOMO
began increasing exports to Europe in June, the source said, adding that Iraq
has adjusted export flows as a result of increased competition in Asian
markets.
India
and China have stepped up Russian oil purchases as western oil importers shun
trade with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February, which it calls
a “special military operation.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
closes its borders with Iraq, halts flights amid violence: State television
30
August, 2022
Iran
has closed its borders with Iraq and urged its citizens to avoid traveling
there, a senior official said on Tuesday, amid an eruption of violence after
Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said he would quit politics.
Heavy
clashes in Baghdad killed at least 20 people on Monday, after al-Sadr’s
announcement prompted his loyalists to storm a government palace and fight with
rival groups.
Millions
of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala every year for the ritual of
Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of
the Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein. Arbaeen falls on September 16-17 this year.
“The
border with Iraq has been closed. Due to safety concerns, it is necessary for
Iranians to refrain from travelling to Iraq until further notice,” state
television quoted Iran’s deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi as saying.
State
television said Iran had halted all flights to Iraq “until further notice
because of the ongoing unrest.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia urges Iraq’s political parties to peacefully address people’s demands
30
August, 2022
Saudi
Arabia urged all political parties in Iraq to resort to peaceful solutions to
address the demands of the Iraqi people after clashes in Baghdad killed at
least 23 people, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
“The
Kingdom calls on all political parties in Iraq to stand [united] to protect the
country and its people… and it supports all efforts that aim to spare the
country of internal conflict,” SPA reported citing a statement by the foreign
ministry.
It
also said that the Kingdom was following up on recent developments in Iraq
“with great concern,” and voiced its regret over the recent clashes that killed
and injured dozens.
Tensions
have soared in Iraq amid a political crisis that has left the country without a
new government, prime minister or president for months.
They
escalated sharply after Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s supporters on Monday
afternoon stormed the government palace inside the Green Zone following their
leader’s announcement that he was quitting politics.
Overnight
Monday and on Tuesday morning, clashes raged between al-Sadr’s supporters and
the army and men of the Hashed al-Shaabi, former Tehran-backed paramilitaries
integrated into the Iraqi forces.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraq’s
top court postpones session to dissolve parliament amid unrest
Raed
al-Hamed
30.08.2022
BAGHDAD
Iraq’s
Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed a session to discuss a lawsuit
demanding the dissolution of parliament.
“All
the courts, including the Federal Court, did not consider the cases presented
before them today due to the curfew and the disruption of the work of all state
institutions,” the Supreme Judicial Council, Iraq’s top judicial body, said in
a statement.
The
Judicial Council earlier said that it does not have the authority to dissolve
the assembly.
Iraqi
authorities on Monday declared a nationwide curfew after supporters of
influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the Republican Palace where the
government is seated in Baghdad.
The
situation escalated shortly after al-Sadr said he was stepping down from
politics amid a months-long political crisis in Iraq.
At
least 13 protesters were killed and hundreds injured in the unrest, according
to local media.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraq’s
PM threatens to quit if political stalemate drags on
31
August 2022
Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has threatened to step down if the country
remained inside the political imbroglio that has left the country incapable of
forming a new government since last October’s parliamentary elections.
Speaking
on Tuesday, Kadhimi said he could “vacate his post” in protest at the political
uncertainty, asserting, "Enough of the duplicity of state and non-state
[actors]."
Violence
erupted in the capital Baghdad after the country’s prominent Shia cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr on Monday said he was resigning from politics and closing his
movement’s offices.
Sadr's
supporters pulled down the barriers outside the government palace and breached
its gates on Monday. The Iraqi Army announced a nationwide curfew, but armed
clashes raged overnight.
At
least 30 people were killed and 700 others wounded in the two days of unrest,
which came after three years of relative stability in Baghdad.
Kadhimi
said a commission of inquiry had been formed to probe the origin of the weapons
that was used in recent clashes.
On
Tuesday, Iraqi protesters, however, withdrew from the high-security Green Zone
in the capital after Sadr called on his followers to end the violence within an
hour.
“It
saddens me a lot what happens in Iraq; I apologize to the Iraqi people, the
only ones affected by the events,” Sadr told reporters. “We had hoped that
there would be peaceful protests, not weapons.”
Kadhimi
warmly welcomed the move by the cleric.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/08/30/688329/Iraq-prime-minister-threatens-resignation
--------
North
America
US
College in the US State of Arizona Launches Centre To Highlight Contributions
of Muslims in the Country
30
August 2022
A
college in the US state of Arizona has launched a new centre that focuses on
the experience and contributions of Muslims in the country.
The
Center of Muslim Experience in the United States by Arizona State University
"will facilitate belonging for Muslim students" and "work to
build mutually beneficial partnerships between Muslim communities across the
country and university", the university said in a press release on Monday.
"The
Muslim contribution to world history and culture would be difficult to
overstate - and the Muslim experience in the United States has helped to shape
the nation," Jeffrey Cohen, ASU's dean of humanities, said in a statement.
The
university, which boasts a total enrollment of more than 70,000, is also home
to more than 8,000 Muslim students, faculty and staff.
The
centre will host a variety of events including poetry readings and musical
performances and will invite inspirational speakers and writers to ASU for
public events.
“By
creating a space for students to share their own stories, both Muslim and
non-Muslim students will benefit from knowing one another and learning to
appreciate that socio-cultural differences can benefit improved
community-building locally,” said Chad Haines, co-director of the new centre.
It
will also host a years-long, student-run academic study to document the Muslim
experience specific to the city of Phoenix, the capital of Arizona.
The
exact population of Arizona's Muslim community is unclear, and various reports
from local news outlets have pinned the number at anywhere from 50,000 to
120,000.
One
of the main goals of the new initiative is also to highlight the scholarship of
Muslim women and their contributions to society.
"At
the heart of the many misconceptions of Islam are Muslim women," said
Yasmin Saikia, the other co-director of the new centre.
"This
needs addressing and discussing so we can transform the skewed image and show
the reality of how Muslim women in America are contributing to multiple facets
of American community life and well-being.”
The
ASU's new centre would build on a few different educational initiatives across
the country that are aimed at sharing the story of America's Muslim
populations.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-college-launches-centre-highlight-muslim-american-experience
--------
Taliban
set off fireworks to celebrate anniversary of US withdrawal from Afghanistan
31 August,
2022
Celebratory
fireworks lit up the Kabul sky on Tuesday night on the first anniversary of the
withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which the Taliban are marking as
‘Freedom Day.’
The
withdrawal, completed a minute before midnight local time on Aug. 30, came as
the war-torn country was taken over by the Taliban, who had waged a 20-year
insurgency against US-led forces that invaded Afghanistan in October 2001
following the Sept. 11 attacks in New York.
“Fireworks
with various and beautiful colors are going to be held to mark Freedom Day,”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had said earlier on Tuesday.
The
fireworks were accompanied by intense celebratory aerial firing in many areas
of Kabul.
The
de-facto Taliban government has also declared Wednesday a public holiday to
mark the day, the labor ministry said.
The
head of the US Central Command had said back then that there was “a lot of
heartbreak” associated with the departure. Having failed to anticipate the
Taliban would prevail so quickly, Washington and its NATO allies were forced
into a hasty exit.
The
United States completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan after a huge
but chaotic airlift that cost the lives of 13 US service members and left
behind thousands of Afghans and hundreds of Americans still seeking an escape
from Taliban rule.
Some
have since been able to leave, but many others remain in Afghanistan, where the
Taliban are looking to establish a fully-functional government that is
recognized by the international community.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pentagon
chief marks anniversary of US retreat from Afghanistan
30
August 2022
The
United States top brass has commemorated the first anniversary of American
forces humiliating retreat from Afghanistan, claiming that Washington still had
unfinished business in the country.
In
a memorandum to mark the event addressed to all Department of Defense (DoD)
personnel on Tuesday, Secretary Lloyd Austin said America’s work in the country
“is not done”.
"[W]e
know this work is not done," the letter by Austin to the DoD's personnel
across the world emphasized.
Tuesday
marked one year since defeated US soldiers left Afghanistan, ending America’s
longest war.
After
20 years of war and US occupation, the Americans exit led to Afghanistan
suddenly falling back into the Taliban's control.
US
President Joe Biden has been criticized for the chaotic exit of the military
from Afghanistan, and his failure to provide a safe passage for US citizens and
some Afghans from Kabul.
Biden,
who acknowledged that he was stunned by the swift collapse of Kabul, said,
"I don't think it was a failure.”
“The
idea that somehow there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I
don't know how that happens,” he added.
Many
top politicians have criticized Biden for allowing the Taliban forces' swift
take back of Kabul.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/08/30/688322/US-Afghanistan-Exit-Anniversary-Austin-
--------
Iranian
drones already experiencing failures in Ukraine: US State Department
30
August, 2022
Iranian
drones provided to Russia earlier this month have already experienced failures,
the US State Department said on Tuesday.
Washington
previously disclosed that Iran was preparing to supply Russia with drones as
Moscow struggled to achieve its military goals in Ukraine.
Russian
transport aircraft loaded UAV equipment at an airfield in Iraq before flying to
Russia, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said.
“In
fact, our information indicates that UAVs associated with this transfer have
already experienced numerous failures,” Patel told reporters during a call.
Russia
is likely to import hundreds of various Iranian UAVs, Patel said. He added:
“The Russian military is suffering from major supply shortages in Ukraine, in
part because of sanctions and export controls, forcing Russia to rely on
unreliable countries like Iran for supplies and equipment.”
The
US warned China against providing Russia with military support shortly after it
further invaded Ukraine in February. So far, US officials have not reported seeing
any Chinese military support.
But
it has turned to Tehran in recent weeks, and Russians continue to receive
training in Iran on how to use different UAV systems, Patel said on Tuesday.
According
to the State Department official, the Iranian drones are expected to be used
for air-disturbance attacks, electronic warfare and other targeting on the
battlefield in Ukraine.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
seized, then released US Navy drone vessel: Pentagon
August
31, 2022
WASHINGTON:
An Iranian ship seized an American military unmanned research vessel in the
Gulf but released it after a US Navy patrol boat and helicopter were deployed
to the location, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The
US Central Command’s 5th Fleet said a support ship from Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, the Shahid Baziar, was spotted towing the
seven-meter (23-foot) Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel (USV) late on
Monday.
The
US naval drone, equipped with an array of sensors, radars and cameras, was in
international waters collecting navigation and other unspecified data, the 5th
Fleet said in a statement.
When
the Iranian vessel was seen towing the unmanned boat, US forces sent the USS
Thunderbolt coastal patrol ship, which was operating nearby, to the scene. In
addition, an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter based in Bahrain flew to the location.
Those
actions “resulted in the IRGCN vessel disconnecting the towing line to the USV
and departing the area approximately four hours later” without further
incident, the 5th Fleet said.
“IRGCN’s
actions were flagrant, unwarranted and inconsistent with the behavior of a
professional maritime force,” said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US
Naval Forces Central Command, in a statement.
“US
naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate
anywhere international law allows while promoting rules-based international
order throughout the region,” he added.
With
solar panels and a sail wing five meters tall, the Saildrone Explorer is driven
by solar and wind energy and can be deployed on missions on the ocean for up to
one year, monitored remotely by a human pilot.
It
can collect a broad range of oceanic, navigational and meteorological data, as
well as strategic intelligence.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1707652/iran-seized-then-released-us-navy-drone-vessel-pentagon
--------
Pakistan
Shehbaz
wants to work with Imran ‘for crisis sake’
Baqir
Sajjad Syed | Syed Irfan Raza
August
31, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday extended an olive branch to Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, urging him to set aside his acrimony,
for now, and work together for providing relief to fellow countrymen affected
by unrelenting rains and floods.
Speaking
to the international media at the PM House, the premier said he wished to ask
Mr Khan to sit with him and move forward on relief efforts and bring the
country out of this crisis. “Let’s put together a united effort, let’s move
with unity of thought and action, let’s move in unison,” Mr Sharif said in an
unprecedented appeal to his predecessor, at a time when both the government and
the former ruling PTI are at daggers drawn following Mr Khan’s alleged threats
to the police, judiciary and the army and the subsequent cases against him.
Besides
this interaction, the PM had a busy Tuesday, as he reached out to several world
leaders and expressed his gratitude for extending moral and financial aid to
Pakistan to mitigate the sufferings of the flood-hit people
Denying
apprehensions that the rescue effort may have got delayed because the media was
preoccupied with the wrangling between politicians, Mr Sharif said he had on
multiple occasions offered to form a ‘charter of economy’, but was not taken
seriously by Mr Khan.
The
PM also virtually ruled out the possibility of vegetable imports from India to
overcome shortages caused by devastating floods, saying the two sides needed to
talk about the human rights situation in India-held Kashmir. He added he was ready
to sit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and talk over the issue.
Mr
Sharif, however, said a committee had been constituted to explore the
possibility of importing vegetables and other food items, revealing the
government was in talks with Russia for import of wheat.
After
the meeting, he also tweeted: “If it is us today, it can be somebody else
tomorrow. Threat of climate change is real, potent and staring us in the face.”
PM
thanks world leaders
In
another tweet, PM Sharif said in line with his commitment, Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was leading a humanitarian aid drive for the
flood-affected people of Pakistan. “[Six] flights have landed so far; 2 more
will arrive tomorrow. Train carrying relief goods left Ankara for Pakistan,” he
tweeted.
He
also expressed gratitude to the Chinese leadership and people. “This flood is
like no other in terms of its intensity and spread. China has been there for us
at the most difficult times & we greatly value its support,” the PM
tweeted.
Earlier,
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang expressed solidarity with
the government and people of Pakistan over the human and financial loss in the
recent floods that have devastated huge parts of Pakistan.
The
first batch of relief aid from China containing 300 tents would reach Karachi
on Wednesday (today) that the Chinese envoy would hand over to the Pakistani
authorities.
PM-IMF:
Later, the PM also stressed upon breaking the “economic straitjacket” through
structural reforms. “Revival of IMF program, though critical to our economy, is
not an end in itself. It offers a pathway to reorient our economy. We will have
to work hard to make it self-sufficient. Pakistan must break out of economic
straitjacket, which is only possible through structural reforms,” he tweeted.
PM-EU
Council: While talking to PM Sharif over the phone, EU Council President
Charles Michel offered his condolences over the loss of precious lives and the
material damage as a result of devastating floods in Pakistan.
The
PM thanked the EU president and appreciated their support of 2.15 million euros
for flood-affected people in Pakistan.
Call
to UAE ruler: Later, Mr Sharif also called Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, president
of the UAE, and briefed him about the latest flood situation. The PM lauded the
work being carried out by the Emirates Red Crescent and Khalifa bin Zayed
Foundation in the flood-hit areas. Sheikh Mohamed expressed solidarity with the
people of Pakistan and offered all-possible assistance to the affected people.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1707670/shehbaz-wants-to-work-with-imran-for-crisis-sake
--------
Imran
Khan raises Rs 5 billion for Pak flood victims through international telethon
Aug
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has raised Rs 5 billion through an
international telethon for the people affected by the devastating floods in the
country, according to a media report on Tuesday.
Khan,
the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said during the
telethon held on Monday that the objective was to raise funds for the flood
victims as no government alone could deal with such a catastrophe.
Earlier,
the Pakistan government had launched an international appeal seeking funds for
relief and rehabilitation for flood-hit people and restoration of damaged
infrastructure.
“The
entire country has been affected by this [flood]. As per the initial
assessment, losses of over Rs1,000 billion were incurred due to floods and over
1,000 people have died so far,” Khan was quoted as saying by The Express
Tribune newspaper.
He
said he received a lot of calls from Pakistanis, including expats who wanted to
help the flood victims.
The
former premier said people can donate to two bank accounts opened by the Punjab
and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments. The funds will be spent to help the
flood-hit people across the country, he assured.
The
country-wide death toll has touched 1,136 as of Monday, with over 1,634 injured
and 33 million displaced, according to the latest data issued by the National
Disaster Management Authority.
The
Federal Minister of Planning and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal also said that
the initial economic losses from floods in Pakistan could reach at least USD 10
billion, adding that the unprecedented floods caused by abnormal monsoon rains
have washed away roads, crops, infrastructure, and bridges, affecting over 33
million people.
The
monsoon season runs from July to September in Pakistan. This year monsoon and
pre-monsoon rains broke the 30-year record in Pakistan and the NDMA data shows
that the 30-year average rain was 130.8 millimeters but the rainfall in the
2022 season was 375.4 mm.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
‘Faysal
Bank to be Sharia-compliant by end of 2022’
Kazim
Alam
August
31, 2022
KARACHI:
Faysal Bank Ltd will become a full-fledged Islamic lender by the end of 2022
after ring-fencing its residual conventional loan portfolio, said Chief
Financial Officer Syed Majid Ali on Tuesday.
Speaking
at a press briefing at the bank’s head office, Mr Ali said the commercial
lender will surrender its conventional banking mandate once the regulator
grants it the licence for Islamic banking. Faysal Bank will formally apply for
an Islamic banking licence in September, he added.
Five
Islamic banks and 17 conventional banks with Islamic banking branches currently
operate in Pakistan. The share of Islamic banking assets in the overall banking
industry is 18.6 per cent while the share of Sharia-compliant deposits stands
at 19.4pc.
“There’s
never been a conversion of a conventional bank to an Islamic bank at such a
massive scale. What we’ve done here is going to be taught as a case study
worldwide,” said Mr Ali.
Faysal
Bank decided to convert its entire business from conventional to
Sharia-compliant five years ago. It adopted the “asset-led conversion” model,
which prioritised the conversion of banking assets such as investments and
financings over that of liabilities like deposits.
Besides
making all new branches Sharia-compliant from day one, the bank started
converting its conventional business into Islamic one branch at a time. As a
result, only one of the 639 branches remains conventional as of today. Even
that branch will become Sharia-compliant by the end of this year, the CFO said.
The
size of Faysal Bank’s balance sheet was Rs997 billion at the end of June. Its
unconsolidated quarterly profit increased 17.3pc year-on-year to Rs2.25bn for
the latest three-month period.
The
bank currently holds treasury bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds —
conventional investment avenues forbidden under Islamic banking regulations —
worth roughly Rs70 billion. “We’ll soon dispose of these holdings,” said Mr
Ali.
Responding
to a question about the paucity of Sharia-compliant investment avenues for the
deployment of liquidity, Mr Ali said the conversion wouldn’t be possible had
the bank stayed overly focused on the ifs-and-buts of the process. “So what if
we’ll have fewer investment avenues?” he said while emphasising the need for
following the letter of the religious injunctions against interest-based
banking.
Replying
to a comment about the similarity of the rates of return offered by
conventional and Islamic banks despite the proclaimed differences between the
two types, Faysal Bank’s head of Islamic banking Muhammad Faisal Shaikh said
its reason is the Karachi interbank offered rate (Kibor), a reference rate at
which banks borrow overnight funds from each other in the money market.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1707649/faysal-bank-to-be-sharia-compliant-by-end-of-2022
--------
No
let-up in cases of enforced disappearance in Pakistan
30
August, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], August 30 (ANI): To mark the International Day of the victims of
enforced disappearance, the Rights Group highlights Pakistan’s cases of
horrible disappearances which continue with impunity, thus putting people at
risk of torture or death.
Successive
Pakistan governments have pledged to end the practice of enforced
disappearances, however, the practice continued during their tenures.
Former
Prime Minister Imran Khan, who lost a vote of no confidence held against him on
April 9, 2022, had even campaigned with families of the disappeared prior to
becoming Prime Minister.
Similarly,
Maryam Nawaz, vice-president of the political party Pakistan Muslim League
(Nawaz) currently in power, had previously campaigned with families of the
disappeared and called for the end of the practice. However, enforced
disappearances continue.
“Victim
families who have exhausted all legal avenues are forced to publicly campaign
in search of the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones,” rights group
Amnesty International South Asia said on Tuesday.
Earlier
this month, Amnesty International documented how the protests by families of
the disappeared are cracked down on.
Under
the title, “Braving the Storm-Enforced disappearances and the right to protest
in Pakistan”, it explored how the right to protest of families of the
disappeared and activists campaigning against enforced disappearances are
repressed by the state, a practice that is longstanding and that continues to
date.
Families
and activists have described being harassed, arbitrarily arrested and detained,
and subject to violence for simply exercising their right to peaceful protest –
a right protected by
international
human rights law and domestic law.
It
further draws on previous research on the issue of enforced disappearances
carried out by Amnesty International and additional desk research. Desk
research includes a review of documents published by UN agencies, media
articles, data from government websites, judgments by Pakistani courts and
Twitter.
Enforced
disappearance is a violation of international human rights law and a crime
under international law. It also violates the fundamental rights enshrined in
the Constitution of Pakistan.
It
is the “arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of
liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with
the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal
to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or
whereabouts of the disappeared person, which places such a person outside the
protection of the law.”
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/no-let-up-in-cases-of-enforced-disappearance-in-pakistan/1108666/
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Govt
to allow onion, tomato imports from Iran, Afghanistan
Amin
Ahmed
August
31, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The food ministry would issue permits within 24 hours to facilitate onion and
tomato imports from Iran and Afghanistan, the government decided on Tuesday as
it tries to stabilise food prices.
The
decision was made in a meeting held in Islamabad on Tuesday. The food ministry
has asked the Federal Board of Revenue to waive taxes and levies on onion and
tomato imports for the next three months and expects that this will be made
effective immediately.
The
measures aimed to ensure the supply of essential commodities in the market and
stabilise prices, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said in a
statement.
Calamitous
monsoon floods have sent food prices skyrocketing, putting many staples out of
the reach of the poor. Onions and tomatoes have been affected the most.
PTI
lashes out at govt for trying to resume trade with India ‘on pretext of floods’
Finance
Minister Miftah Ismail said earlier this week the price of onions had shot up
by more than five times, and that the government was trying to quickly
implement policies to stabilise food prices — including importing from India.
The
food ministry said it had taken all stakeholders on board to ensure a smooth
supply of essential commodities and had directed the Department of Plant
Protection to remove barriers for importers.
During
the meeting, it was observed that imports from Iran and Afghanistan would have
minimal impact on the foreign exchange reserves because of special trade
arrangements with these countries.
The
participants agreed that the country would face a shortage of tomatoes and
onions over the next three months, as recent floods have badly damaged crops.
A
contact group has also been created, where importers will be able to share
their problems. Besides, a team of the food ministry will monitor the
situation and take necessary action for redressal.
Pakistan’s
embassies in Iran, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and other countries
have also been requested to assist imports.
Meanwhile,
an assessment report of the ministry estimates that the onion crop in Sindh was
partially damaged. Some 42,268 acres under onion cultivation were affected,
leading to a financial loss of Rs10.14 billion and yield losses of 120 maunds
(around 4,500kg) per acre on average.
Besides,
the Sindh Agriculture Department estimates that 12,101 acres of tomato crop
have been damaged due to heavy rains and the resultant floods. The damaged area
is about 20pc of the total cultivation area, and the financial loss has been
estimated at a little over Rs2.7bn.
Meanwhile,
the agriculture department of Balochistan is seeking Rs30.9bn in compensation
for the losses and damages and subsidising affected farmers in the coming
sowing season.
It
said Rs19.8bn was needed for compensation and Rs11.07bn for the subsidy on
account of fertiliser sand Zaid, kharif and rabi seasonal crops like pulses,
sorghum, wheat and oilseeds.
The
commerce ministry is also in contact with foreign governments to make the
arrangements as soon as possible through commercial counsellors and trade
attaches.
PTI
slams govt on ‘trade with India’
Meanwhile,
the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lashed out at the government on Tuesday for
allegedly trying to resume trade with India on the pretext of floods.
In
a Twitter post, party leader Fawad Chaudhry wondered how the government could
start trade with India ignoring the atrocities on the people of occupied
Kashmir.
He
said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s steps were not only against Muslims
but also against humankind and trade could not be started unless such policies
were reversed.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1707665/govt-to-allow-onion-tomato-imports-from-iran-afghanistan
--------
Pakistani
diaspora groups and UK charities raise up to £1m for flood relief
Aina
J Khan
30
Aug 2022
British
charities and Pakistani diaspora groups have raised at least £1m after
devastating floods in the south Asian country have killed more than 1,000
people, and affected about 30 million.
Pakistan
is the eighth most at-risk country globally from the impacts of climate change.
In the last decade, it has suffered an estimated $18bn in damages due to
disasters, including the deadliest floods in the country’s history in 2010,
which left more than 2,000 people dead and millions homeless.
Now
as people struggle once again to access necessities such as food and medical
care, Pakistan’s government has appealed for financial help from international
donors and aid agencies.
Aleena
Khan, a Pakistani living in London who has family living in north-western
Pakistan, where flooding from the Swat River has affected tens of thousands of
people, began fundraising on Instagram.
“The
devastation is just unimaginable,” Khan said. “The entire infrastructure of
roads, bridges, has collapsed. There’s people literally of all ages, genders,
people in all their diversity, that are being swallowed by water.”
Early
on when international charities were not reaching far-flung areas in Pakistan,
Khan planned to raise funds to send to her family still in a flood-stricken
area of Swat, so that they could work on relief efforts directly or pass them
on to organisations working in Pakistan.
What
started as a small appeal on Instagram aimed at friends and family exploded
into donations pouring in from all over the world.
“We
have had an overwhelming response,” Khan said, her voice heavy with emotion.
“Literally just over this weekend, we’ve collected over £7,000 [in the UK].
“We’re
receiving donations from Australia, America, the UK, [and from] across Europe,”
Khan added. “It’s really touching how people trust us.”
The
donations have gone on to support volunteer-led efforts with Pakistan’s Red
Crescent Society, who have distributed food rations, menstrual hygiene kits,
water, and bedding in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa’s DI Khan district.
British
Muslims (43% who are of Pakistani origin) reported to be among the most
charitable in the country and British Muslim charities have began raising funds
for emergency relief.
Mariam
Kadodia, the national fundraising manager for Islamic Relief, confirmed that
the charity had raised at least £700,000.
“There’s
a significant diaspora community in the UK. They feel it because it’s their
country, it’s their ancestors’ country and they want to respond,” Kadodia said,
adding the wider British Muslim community had also been donating.
Yasrab
Shah, the director of fundraising for another British charity, Muslim Hands,
confirmed the charity had raised at least £200,000 in emergency relief funds.
Other charities including Khalsa Aid are working with local journalists and
women in Pakistan, to assess how they can provide women with menstrual products
and specialised clothing.
In
a letter addressed to Boris Johnson, Yasmin Qureshi, the Labour MP for Bolton
South East and chair of the all party parliamentary group on Pakistan, said
about £1.5m of financial aid pledged by the UK government to assist with the
immediate aftermath of the floods was “insufficient”.
Source:
The Guardian
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
AEOI
Spokesperson Blames IAEA for Raising Excessive Demands from Iran
2022-August-30
In
a radio interview on Tuesday, Kamalvandi noted the IAEA’s current “demands are
considered to be excessive since they cannot be fulfilled to the
sanctions", which the US imposed on Iran after exiting the 2015 nuclear
deal.
“Of
course, if the Westerners remove the sanctions and return to their obligations,
Iran will likewise return to its commitments under the nuclear deal,” he added.
Kamalvandi
explained that the Safeguards agreement revolves around nuclear materials, and
under that agreement, Iran is required to inform the IAEA of the amount of the
nuclear materials it has, where they are located and how they are put to use.
As
part of the Additional Protocol, countries, including Iran, place their uranium
enrichment equipment under the nuclear agency’s monitoring, he continued.
Besides,
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — which has been in trouble due to the US’s
withdrawal — allows the IAEA to conduct further inspections of Tehran’s nuclear
work, the official noted.
However,
Kamalvandi added, Tehran’s cooperation with the agency is currently restricted
to the Safeguards agreement due to several issues, as part of a law adopted by
the Iranian Parliament in December 2020, in response to Washington’s exit from
the Iran nuclear deal and the European signatories’ failure to fulfill their
contractual commitments to Iran.
Referring
to Iran's measure to remove 27 surveillance cameras at different nuclear sites,
he noted that "if the other parties return to their commitments, it would
be possible for these devices and cameras to start working again".
Back
in July, Head of the AEOI Mohammad Eslami stated that Tehran will keep the IAEA
cameras, which had been installed beyond the country's undertakings under the
safeguards agreement, switched off until the nuclear deal is fully restored.
“Those
cameras are related to the nuclear deal," he reminded.
The
official added that when the Western parties to the 2015 accord return to the
agreement, and "Tehran is assured that they will not commit any acts of
mischief, AEOI will make a decision on the cameras".
Iran
has always had full cooperation with the IAEA and allowed it to visit the
country’s nuclear sites, but calls the nuclear agency's approach unconstructive
and destructive.
In
early June, the IAEA's Board of Governors adopted a resolution, accusing Iran
of not cooperating with the nuclear agency.
Iranian
officials criticized the US and the European trio for pushing a resolution
against the country at the UN atomic body’s board of governors, calling the
move irresponsible. Tehran stressed that the IAEA is directly influenced by the
Israeli regime, and the measure has undermined the country's constructive
cooperation with the nuclear watchdog.
Back
in June, Eslami said that heightened propaganda against Tehran's peaceful
nuclear program, including the recent resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog, is
part of the Western states' maximum pressure policy against the Iranian nation.
Iran
has 3 percent of the world's nuclear capacity, but more than 25 percent of
inspections have been carried out in Iran, he added.
The
Iranian nuclear chief referred to the recent resolution proposed by the US and
E3 to the IAEA Board of Governors, stressing that it was the last test by the
enemies.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President:
Restoration of Iran-Saudi Arabia Ties Beneficial to Region
2022-August-30
Rayeesi
made the remark in a Monday meeting with the visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister
Fuad Hussein in Tehran.
Iran’s
chief executive lauded Iraq’s positive role in regional developments, stating,
“The initiatives offered and measures taken by Iraq to improve cooperation
among regional countries free from foreign meddling play an effective role in
bolstering regional collaboration.”
Rayeesi
noted that five rounds of talks between Tehran and Riyadh, which were mediated
by Iraq, were positive and useful, emphasizing that implementation of
agreements reached in those talks would pave the way for further promotion of
the two sides’ interactions.
“Reestablishment
and further bolstering of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will be in
the interest of the regional security,” Iran’s president added.
Rayeesi
also emphasized that establishment of security and stability in Iraq would be
only possible through dialogue among all political groups on the basis of the
country's constitution and with the goal of forming a new government.
Hussein,
for his part, commended Iran’s uninterrupted support for the establishment of
stability and security in Iraq, saying his country will continue efforts to
improve Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia.
Iraq
has hosted five rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran at the level of
intelligence and security heads since last April, Iraqi diplomat continued.
In
late July, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Saudi Arabia
has shown readiness to advance the ongoing talks from security to the political
sphere, after progress in the previous five rounds hosted by the Iraqi
government.
He
stated the two sides have reached some agreements, including on re-opening
embassies in their respective countries.
The
foreign minister added Tehran has received a message from Baghdad saying that
the Saudi side is ready to move the phase of talks from "a security one to
a political and public one".
"We
also expressed our readiness to continue talks at the political level so that
it leads to the return of Iran-Saudi Arabia ties to the normal level,"
Amir Abdollahian continued.
Riyadh
decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran back in January 2016 after
protestors who were enraged by the Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric
Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr threw stones at its consultae in Mashhad in
Northeastern Iran.
There
was no change in Riyadh's confrontational policy towards Tehran until 2021 when
it signaled an inclination to mend fractured ties with Iran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Judiciary
Official: Iran Biggest Victim of Terrorism
2022-August-30
Qaribabadi
made the remarks in a Monday meeting with President of the Organization of
Islamic Countries' Ombudsman Association (OIOCA) Seref Malkoc in Tehran.
Describing
unilateral sanctions imposed on countries as “crime against humanity” and a
form of “economic war”, the Iranian rights official lauded the Turkish
government’s firm opposition to such bans.
He
added, “Such sanctions are illegal and contravene [the principles of] human rights
and affect Iran’s neighbors as well.”
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Qaribabadi touched on the issue of terrorism, describing Iran
as the biggest victim of terrorism.
“It
is necessary for those countries who are faced with the phenomenon of terrorism
to engage in serious cooperation in order to fight this ominous scourge. Due to
common terrorist threats posed to Iran and Turkey, the two countries need to
bolster cooperation in fighting terrorism,” he noted.
Gharibabadi
also criticized Western countries' double standards in dealing with terrorism,
stressing, “On the one hand, they accuse Iran of violating human rights, but on
the other, they martyr 17,000 innocent Iranian citizens through terrorism or
violate the rights of millions of Iranians through imposition of unilateral
sanctions and jeopardize their right to life.”
Iran
calls terrorism and extremism as result of the inefficiency of the current
international situation, and stresses it wants a world free from violence and
extremism. Iranian officials say Tehran has lost more people than any other
country in the fight against terrorism. Iran has been the target of terrorist
attacks in the past few decades and thousands of its citizens have been
martyred by the terrorist groups.
After
the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the anti-Tehran Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization
(MKO) terrorist group began its enmity against Iran by killing thousands of
Iranians and terrorist activities. Several members of the terrorist group and
its leaders are living in European countries now, freely conducting terrorist
activities.
The
MKO terrorist group has martyred 17,161 Iranian citizens and officials,
including late president Mohammad Ali Rajayee, former Prime Minister Mohammad
Javad Bahonar, late Head of Supreme Judicial Council Ayatollah Mohammad
Beheshti, late Deputy Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff Ali
Sayyad Shirazi, and 27 legislators, as well as four nuclear scientists, some on
itself and some others through collusion with Israeli Mossad and other
notorious spy agencies like CIA.
The
MKO terrorist group has publicly specified targets as martyred Lieutenant
General Qassem Soleimani, who commanded the Quds Force of the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi.
The
terrorist organization said it would “welcome” their assassination, adding that
it desired for the ranking officials to “join” Asadollah Lajevardi, Tehran’s
former chief prosecutor, and Ali Sayyad-Shirazi, a former commander of the
Iranian Army’s Ground Forces during Iraq’s 1980-88 war against Iran, who have
both been assassinated by the terror outfit.
The
MKO is currently based in Albania, where it enjoys freedom of activity after
being delisted by the European Union and the United States in 2009 and 2012,
respectively.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010608000380/Jdiciary-Official-Iran-Bigges-Vicim-f-Terrrism
--------
Iran
Reopens All Land Borders with Iraq as Calm Returns to Baghdad
2022-August-30
The
Mehran, Khosravi, Shalamcheh and Chazabeh border crossings resumed operations,
a day after they were shut down due to the bloody clashes between supporters of
Al-Sadr and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad.
Tehran
closed its borders and halted flights amid the eruption of violence on Monday.
Millions
of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala every year for the ritual of
Arbaeen, which marks 40 days after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein
(AS), the third Shia Imam.
Tensions
escalated in the Iraqi capital on Monday after Al-Sadr announced his decision
to distance himself from political life amid a constitutional crisis in the
Arab country. His supporters responded by flocking to the city center. They
clashed with people backing his rivals and the Iraqi security forces.
At
least 20 people were reportedly killed in the fighting and hundreds of others
were injured.
On
Tuesday, Al-Sadr apologised to the Iraqi people, and ordered his supporters to
leave Baghdad’s Green Zone. He threatened to disown members of his Sadrist
movement unless they vacate the parliament building and move away from the
government area within an hour. Many of his supporters reportedly heeded the
cleric's call immediately.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Condemns US Continued Occupation of Northeastern Syria
2022-August-30
Ershadi
made the remarks at a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation
in the Middle East (Syria) in New York on Monday.
"The
United States' presence in Northeastern Syria under the pretext of combating
terrorism is a clear violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," the Iranian envoy said.
The
full text of the Iranian envoy’s speech at the Security Council meeting is as
follows:
Mr.
President,
I
thank the UN Special Envoy and the Under-Secretary-General for their briefings.
The
humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire, and the country's economic crisis
continues to affect the people across the country.
The
provision of humanitarian aid is essential, and political circumstances should
not be allowed to prevent humanitarian aid to reach the people in need. This
must, however, be done with full respect for Syria's sovereignty, territorial
integrity, and national unity.
We
welcome the adoption of Resolution 2642 (2022) and consider it an important
step toward addressing Syria's urgent needs.
The
resolution expressly calls for early recovery projects and greater transparency
in relief efforts. Furthermore, it emphasizes the critical importance of
increasing cross-line delivery throughout Syria.
The
UN’s first report on the implementation of the resolution emphasizes the
importance of early recovery projects and claims that the lack of electricity
has made it more difficult to access necessary basic services. According to the
report, limited access to electricity has also hampered the provision of
essential humanitarian services and other response activities, including the
provision of hospital and clinic services, food production, and water
distribution.
Given
the severity of the situation, early recovery projects such as electricity
projects are critical in re-establishing access to essential services and must
not be affected by unilateral sanctions.
In
this regard, the resolution's provisions and content are explicit, leaving no
room for arbitrary interpretation or self-reading. We demand that the
resolution be fully and effectively implemented.
We
also demand that unilateral sanctions against Syria be lifted, as they are
impeding the resolution's implementation.
We
trust that the special report of the Secretary-General, requested by Resolution
2642, will include general trends regarding unimpeded and secure United Nations
cross-line operations, which should reach all of Syria, as well as early
recovery projects, and accurate information on the humanitarian assistance
provided through the United Nations humanitarian cross-border operations,
including their transparency and the distribution mechanism.
Furthermore,
an Informal Interactive Dialogue of the Security Council, as set out in the resolution,
to review and monitor the implementation of this resolution, on a regular
basis, could be an appropriate mechanism to allow the Council to keep track of
how the resolution is being implemented effectively and fairly.
Regarding
the political process, we would like to reiterate our steadfast position that
the Syrian crisis must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the
principles of international law, particularly the full respect for national
sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. In order to achieve this goal,
the occupation must end, and Syria's full sovereignty must be restored.
We
emphasize the Constitutional Committee's crucial role in the political
resolution of the Syrian crisis, and we commend and support the UN Special Envoy's
efforts to interact with the Syrian parties in order to facilitate the work of
the Committee's ninth session.
In
this regard, we highlight the tripartite summit within the framework of the
Astana format held in Tehran on 19 July 2022, where the Presidents of the
Astana format guarantors emphasized their unwavering commitments to the Syrian
Arab Republic's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity and
the advancement of a sustainable political process led and owned by the Syrian
people in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. They also
emphasized the Constitutional Committee's critical role and reaffirmed their
willingness to support ongoing interactions between its members and the Special
Envoy for Syria as a facilitator in order to ensure long-term stability and
effective work of the next sessions of the Committee.
The
Israeli regime continues to violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial
integrity, as well as carry out terrorist attacks on civilians and civilian
infrastructure within Syrian territory. According to the UN report, the
Damascus international airport was forced to close due to the damage caused by
the Israeli terrorist attack on 10 June. All flights for the United Nations
Humanitarian Air Service, which is run by the World Food Program and is the
primary enabler of access for humanitarian operations in the country, have been
canceled as a result of this criminal act.
We
strongly condemn the continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria including on
civilian infrastructures and recognize Syria's legitimate right to self-defense
under international law and the United Nations Charter.
The
continuation of such criminal acts will destabilize and exacerbate tensions in
the region.
The
Security Council must abandon its double standard and condemn unequivocally
Israel’s aggression and terrorist attacks on Syria’s territory, which are being
pursued in flagrant violations of the UN Charter and international law,
particularly the principle of a sovereign state’s territorial integrity and
independence.
And
finally, Mr. President, my delegation categorically rejects the unfounded
accusations made by the representative of the United States against my country
at this meeting.
Indeed,
the United States’ presence in the northeast of Syria under the pretext of
combating terrorism is a clear violation of the UN Charter, international law,
and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.
It
is the United States that is working with the terrorist groups in Syria and
destabilizing the peace and security in the region,
The
United States must seize its violation of international law and the UN charter,
by ending its continuing support of terrorist groups and occupation of the
northeast part of Syria.
The
Security Council should live up to its charter mandate and demand the US honor
its international obligations.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010608000379/Iran-Cndemns-US-Cnined-Occpain-f-Nrheasern-Syria
--------
Israeli
court rejects petition to release Palestinian hunger striker
Ahmed
Asmar
30.08.2022
Israel’s
High Court rejected a second petition on Tuesday to release a Palestinian
detainee on hunger strike for nearly six months to protest his indefinite
detention without trial or charge.
Khalil
Awawdeh, 40, was detained by Israeli forces in December and placed in custody
under Israel’s policy of administrative detention.
His
defense lawyer Ahlam Haddad said the court rejected a petition to set him free.
“The
court said the defense team did not provide any new evidence to change an
earlier decision from freezing the detention to release,” Haddad said in
statements cited by the Palestinian Prisoner Society NGO.
On
Aug. 19, an Israeli military court temporarily suspended Awawdeh’s detention to
allow him to receive medical care.
On
Sunday, pictures emerged of Awawdeh showing a serious deterioration in his
health, as he appeared with a slender body resembling a skeleton as a result of
his strike.
As
part of an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire that brought a recent Israeli offensive
on Gaza to a halt, Cairo said it will seek to ensure the release of Awawdeh and
Islamic Jihad leader Bassam al-Saadi.
Israeli
authorities transferred Awawdeh to hospital earlier this month as his health
deteriorated.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
forces raid house, injure dozens of Palestinians in West Bank town
30
August 2022
More
than two dozen Palestinians have been injured in the town of Rujeib, near the
occupied West Bank city of Nablus, as clashes erupted after Israeli forces
raided a house.
Skirmishes
started after the Israeli forces encircled a house in the early hours of
Tuesday looking for two people who were said to be inside.
Heavy
gunfire rang out in the town following an hours-long siege on the home. Local
sources said that soldiers exchanged fire with armed Palestinians inside and
outside the house and clashed with angry local youths in the area.
The
Israeli military forces fired several anti-tank missiles at the house.
The
Israelis said the two Palestinians were suspected of shooting at an armored
vehicle in the occupied West Bank over the weekend. They were eventually
arrested.
The
Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medics had treated four people for
gunshot wounds. Ahmad Jibril, the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent
Emergency and Ambulance Department, said 21 other people were injured by bullet
shrapnel and rubber-coated bullets.
Dozens
suffered breathing difficulties from tear gas fired by the Israeli forces.
Jibril
confirmed that the soldiers prevented ambulances and medical teams from
reaching the injured and even used them as human shields.
The
soldiers, he added, opened fire toward a Palestinian Medical Relief Society
(PMRS) ambulance, causing damage to it.
The
situation in the city remains tense hours after the event. A number of people
were also arrested by undercover Israeli agents in the area.
In
separate raids across the West Bank, Israeli forces took into custody another
10 Palestinians.
The
Israeli military frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across
the West Bank under the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.
Source:
Press TV
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Africa
Churches,
mosques house stolen Nigerian fuel in pervasive oil theft, says NNPC head
By
Libby George
August
30, 2022
LAGOS,
Aug 30 (Reuters) - Every section of Nigerian society is complicit in the theft
of millions of barrels, the head of state oil company NNPC Ltd said on Tuesday,
adding that make-shift pipelines and stolen fuel had even been found in
churches and mosques.
Large-scale
theft from the nation's pipelines has throttled exports, forced some companies
to shut in production and crippled the country's finances.
NNPC
chief Mele Kyari said he was not accusing institutions, including government,
but at virtually every level of Nigerian society, individuals were siphoning
off a total of around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from what is typically
Africa's largest exporter.
"Some
of the pipelines and some of the products that we found are actually in
churches and in mosques," Kyari said, adding this meant those complicit
included "members of the communities, members of the religious leadership
and also, most likely, government officials".
It
was not immediately clear if the government had found crude oil, in addition to
fuel, in those places.
The
impact on exports is a reduction of 700,000 bpd, Kyari said, because theft had
forced at least 700 "lock-ins" of oil production.
"No-one
produces oil so that the next person can take it," he said. "The wise
thing to do is to stop production."
Kyari
said some of the pipeline taps were so sophisticated that they ran for 3-4
kilometres and would have involved cranes, industrial equipment and at least 40
workers.
NNPC
has engaged companies, including those owned by ex-militants, to stem theft,
and Kyari said the nation's anti-graft agency was also following the cash and
would prosecute those involved.
Kyari
said Nigeria was building a "national reserve company" that would run
the pipelines on a commercial basis and would be able to manage theft and other
issues differently.
Source:
Reuters
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2023
Budget: How borrowing has become main source of funding Buhari’s budgets
August
30, 2022
By
Abdul Seye
The
federal government is proposing a N19.49 trillion budget for the year 2023.
More than half of the money is to be borrowed.
To
finance the budget, the federal government plans to borrow N11.03 trillion and
privatize several assets to raise the capital.
The
government plans to generate only N8.5 trillion, out of the N19.47 trillion
budget.
Buhari’s
administration plans to finance the huge budget by borrowing N7.4 trillion from
the domestic market and N1.8 trillion from foreign entities. In addition, FG is
expecting N206.1 billion from privatization proceeds and N1.7 trillion
multilateral project-tied loans.
This
borrowing plan is far above the recommended threshold stipulated by the fiscal
responsibility Act. The law provides that the deficit should not exceed 3% of
GDP. However, this plan is 5.01% of the GDP.
Section
12 (1) of the FRA states: “Aggregate expenditure and the aggregate amount
appropriated by the National Assembly for each financial year shall not be more
than the estimated aggregate revenue plus a deficit, not exceeding three per
cent of the estimated Gross Domestic Product or any sustainable percentage as
may be determined by the National Assembly for each financial year.”
However,
the law gives the President power to cross the threshold based on the approval
of the National Assembly if the president believes that there is a reason to
cross.
But
the president has steadily crossed the deficit with different justifications.
In 2021, it was 3.5% with the argument that there is a need to finance COVID-19
recovery. In the past, the administration premised its argument on funding the
defence sector due to insecurity.
This
time, the government is making petroleum subsidy the central argument for the
huge deficit. However, it’s worth noting that, in this current proposal,
subsidy will only be paid for 6 months.
While
the government is using subsidy as an excuse, there is a part of being unable
to generate revenue. In 2014, government daily oil production was 2.33 barrels
per day, but the government is projecting to produce 1.69 BPD in 2023.
On
Monday, when the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed appeared before the House or
Reps Committee on Finance, she lamented that oil theft has reduced the capacity
of the government to fund the budget.
She
said the inability to produce sufficient oil has made it impossible to meet the
crude oil for PMS swap deal as the government is now paying cash instead of
crude oil.
“We
need the crude to undertake the DSDP arrangement where crude is swapped for
PMS. It means we have to pay for PMS ourselves,” she said.
Furthermore,
Nigeria is unable to meet its OPEC quota of 1.86 million barrels per day.
It
would be recalled that the federal government recently signed a N4 billion
monthly pipeline surveillance agreement with Government Ekpemupolo, better
known as Tompolo.
It
is a reversal of the initial stance which saw the cancellation of the contract
months after President Buhari assumed office.
According
to the Debt Management Office (DMO), as at the first quarter of the year, the
debt of the country stood at N41.6 trillion.
Before
the year runs out, Nigeria is expected to have added to it and by 2023, FG
alone is expected to add N11.03 trillion to the profile.
Dr
Adesanya Moses, an Economist at the Nigerian Army University, Biu, said any
borrowing that is not going into financing the capital component of the budget
is not sustainable.
“If
they keep borrowing not for capital projects, then it is not sustainable
because part of it will go into recurrent expenditures and debt servicing. It
will be more efficient if the investment can repay the loans— it is what we
call derived demand. When you spend money on capital projects, it will help the
economy to grow.
“The
problem is that borrowing to finance subsidy is not sustainable because the
vast majority of the subsidy goes to the high and middle income earners. It is
not creating jobs or improving the life of the people. Borrowing to finance
subsidy is not sustainable,” he said.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Airstrike
hits capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region
31
August, 2022
An
airstrike hit the neighborhood near a hospital in the capital of Ethiopia’s
northern Tigray region late on Tuesday, said the head of another hospital which
received casualties, less than a week after fighting shattered a four-month old
ceasefire.
Kibrom
Gebreselassie, chief executive of Ayder General Hospital, said on Twitter that
an area near Mekelle General Hospital had been hit. The extent of the damage
and casualties was unclear.
Ethiopian
government spokesman Legesse Tulu, military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane and
the prime minister’s spokeswoman Billene Seyoum did not respond to requests for
comment on the airstrike.
Getachew
Reda, spokesman for the Tigray regional government, said on Twitter that at
least three bombs had been dropped and that the Mekelle Hospital was among the
targets.
Another
doctor at Ayder confirmed to Reuters he had heard three explosions late at
night.
Reuters
was unable to reach people in Mekelle for confirmation because the region has
not had phone communication since Ethiopian troops pulled out more than a year
ago.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Jordanian
security forces foil cross-border drug smuggling racket
August
31, 2022
DUBAI:
Officers at Jordan’s Jaber Post on the country’s northern border, foiled an
attempt to smuggle 10 kilograms of crystal meth into the country, state news
agency Petra reported
Working
with security services, on Tuesday, the drugs were found in a vehicle coming
into the country, concealed in an armored plate inside the vehicle’s body,
created for smuggling, the report added.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2153676/middle-east
--------
Southeast
Asia
Malaysia’s
National Day comes at special time in Türkiye relations
AUG
31, 2022
As
Malaysia celebrates its 65th National Day on Aug. 31, this year’s celebration
comes at a very special time in the history of diplomacy between Malaysia and
the Republic of Türkiye.
On
Oct. 29, 2023, Türkiye will be commemorating the centennial of the formation of
the republic. This will be the day when Turks of all walks of life will look
back on their nation’s history and take stock of all her achievements. At the
same time, the younger generation will peek into the future with the fervent
hope of progress in this historic 83 million modern nation-state.
Nation-states
have been the bedrock of political-economic entities since 1648 after the Peace
of Westphalia. Ever since then, communities in Europe to Asia have embraced
this form of government with geographically defined areas and borders that have
promulgated into 193 nations across the globe. These political entities are the
dominant political structure for the foreseeable future.
In
2024, Malaysia and Türkiye will be celebrating their 60th year of diplomatic
relations. Both are two modern and progressive nations among the community of
nations that have definitive culture, values and geographical locations that
epitomize a progressive Muslim country. Both countries have strong political
linkages and economic exchanges with increasing people-to-people contacts.
This
year is marked by many new developments. The official visit by Malaysian Prime
Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in July and the state visit by his majesty Sultan
Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and her majesty Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah, the
king and queen of Malaysia, to Türkiye in August are symbols of the
ever-growing political, economic and cultural relations between Malaysia and
the Republic of Türkiye.
Our
leaders have exchanged their highest national awards in recognition of the
leadership of the two countries and also conducted discussions to identify new
fields of cooperation. In fact, relations with Türkiye have been elevated to
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) which signifies monumental progress
in bilateral relations.
The
elevation of relations to CSP opens doors to newer and more extensive
government-to-government, corporation-to-corporation and people-to-people
connections that both nations should endeavor to explore.
Islamic
finance
There
is much both countries can explore in the field of Islamic finance. Malaysia
has been focusing on developing Islamic finance as the country sees potential
in providing financial services to complement conventional banking and finance.
Today, Islamic finance is an integral component of the Malaysian financial
system as banks offer all sorts of services within this scope. Its importance
cannot be understated. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) views
Islamic finance as an innovative financing modality to assist developing
countries in funding development projects to achieve the 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals.
At
the same time, Malaysia and Türkiye are members of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) and both nations have vibrant and strong economies that can
be leveraged in providing the Islamic world with suitable finances for the
progress of the Muslim ummah. Malaysia’s competitive advantage in the halal
economy allows Islamic finance players to expand their footprint across Asia
and OIC countries through halal trade and investment facilitation, including
market expansion and the offering of ancillary services.
Islamic
finance has the potential to provide much-needed sustainable financing for the
OIC world that needs an estimated $1 trillion to $2 trillion to implement
various projects under the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
Trade
and economic ties
Malaysia
and Türkiye have extensive trade and economic relations. Both countries
continue to explore stronger trade and economic ties to reach the targeted $5
billion in trade volume.
Both
countries signed the Malaysia-Türkiye Free Trade Agreement (MTFTA) in 2014 and
are in negotiations to expand the MTFTA to include newer fields such as
services, investment and e-commerce. These fields would further strengthen
economic cooperation in both countries.
Being
part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCE), Malaysia
continues to achieve trade growth reaching a total of $60 billion in trade in
June 2022. The growth shows that Malaysia is seen as a hub and doorway into the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asian market of 2.2 billion
people.
Notwithstanding,
Türkiye has also seen a surge in export growth. In June, Türkiye reached new
heights in exports exceeding $250 billion for 2022. This increase did not go
unnoticed, in fact, it is a factor that many countries see and are attracted
to, including Malaysia. Similarly, Malaysian companies also see Türkiye as the
gateway to Europe, North Africa and the Balkans. Malaysia also has been
supporting Türkiye’s manufacturers in increasing their exports by supplying
intermediate goods such as palm oil, oleochemicals and rubber products.
Seeing
the ever-growing potential in trade and economic cooperation, both countries
are in talks to introduce currency swaps as a mechanism to entice more
businesses and corporate engagements. With these mechanisms in place, trade,
economy and investment are expected to grow as both countries venture deeper
into the digital economy including lucrative e-commerce.
Cooperation
in defense
While
Malaysia continues to register growth in trade and investment, it has also
invited Turkish companies to explore the potential of developing defense and
security equipment and technology. This field is an important one that Malaysia
is looking at as it supports its national defense in maintaining its
territorial sovereignty and in the protection of its people in a world where
regional and international security is becoming ever more important.
Malaysia
has been an important user of Turkish defense equipment. Today, the Malaysian
Army parades an array of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting
vehicles, such as the Adnan and Gempita, that are sourced from Türkiye. Turkish
developed night vision equipment that turns the darkness of night into day has
been used by the Malaysian Army since the 1990s.
Such
cooperation would benefit both parties as Malaysia intends to develop and
manufacture defense equipment and share such technology with its partners. This
win-win formula would be even more worthwhile when Malaysian and Turkish
companies collaborate and are able to market their products in the Asia-Pacific
region.
Tourism
and education
Bilateral
visits and people-to-people contact are the most important elements in
strengthening relations between two countries. The strengthening of relations
should not just be limited to the government, it must also be in the interest
of its people as well. In this effort, Turkish Airlines has an extensive number
of flights to Malaysia. The airline flies daily to Malaysia, carrying many
interested parties back and forth.
While
many people don’t see it, without a doubt tourism is the catalyst of political,
economic and educational interactions between nations. The peoples of Malaysia
and Türkiye are not excluded.
It
is through people-to-people exchanges and visits that friendships are forged
and discoveries are made. Türkiye continues to be one of the most popular
destinations for many Malaysians. If you ask a Malaysian a destination to
visit, make no mistake, Türkiye would be one of the countries that will be
mentioned.
History
cannot be written without people-to-people contacts and exchanges. Within this
context, Malaysia is also an important tourist destination. In 2019, the
country received 26.1 million foreign tourists. The Asian country has many
attractive destinations such as the white sandy beaches of Langkawi, the
crystal-clear waters off the coast of Mabul Island in Sabah popular for scuba
diving and the deep green jungles of the Mulu National Park in Sarawak for the
adventurer to explore. While the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected this
industry tremendously, Malaysia is on the road to recovery.
Tourism
and education go hand in hand. One field certainly affects the other and
vice-versa. There are 284 Malaysians who are studying in Türkiye, while the
number is slightly lower when it comes to Turkish students, with 148 studying at
various higher institutions of education in Malaysia. The number of students is
important as both nations work towards strengthening relations and enhancing
cultural understanding.
There
are many Malaysian universities that are looking for partners to collaborate
with in scientific research and social studies. There should be more ventures
in the fields of study that can be institutionalized and forged. History,
economics, Islamic finance and the sciences of medicine and engineering are
just a few of the fields worth looking into.
The
Malaysian government took the initiative to recognize 208 Turkish universities
as announced by Prime Minister Ismail during his official visit in July.
Malaysian students in Türkiye have welcomed this announcement as it will
provide more opportunities in the education sector and spur more collaborations
between universities from both countries.
I
would encourage both countries to solidify their work on this. The 21st century
is called the "Asian Century" for good reason. Malaysia and Türkiye
are both Asian nations that have strong historical connections that can serve
as the mold for greater cooperation by inculcating interest in people from both
sides.
In
conclusion, what has been illustrated in this article is just the tip of the
iceberg. The potential for stronger relations between Malaysia and Türkiye can
be seen in many fields. The challenge now is for the current generation of
leaders and people to be curious enough to dare to explore and discover.
Source:
Daily Sabah
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Former
Malaysian PM Mahathir in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19
Hazlin
Hassan
Aug
30, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR - Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 97, has tested
positive for Covid-19, his office said on Wednesday (Aug 31).
He
has been admitted to the National Heart Institute for observation for the next
few days as advised by the medical team, it added.
Dr
Mahathir, who has a history of heart problems, underwent an elective medical
procedure on Jan 8 this year and was readmitted to the hospital later that
month for treatment. He was discharged in February.
He
revealed in March that he thought he was not going to make it.
“To
me, it is a miracle. I didn’t expect to live, I expected that I would die
because I am old and also suffering from serious diseases affecting... my
heart.
“When
the heart is weak, it affects the lungs and when the lungs are weak, this
affects the kidney and so on.”
“But
somehow, the doctors turned me around and eventually I was discharged and am
quite well - not 100 per cent, but enough for me to continue with the little
work that I have to do,” he said during an appreciation ceremony for the
medical experts and staff who had treated him.
The
country’s longest-serving prime minister, who held the top post for a total of
24 years, is still an active MP and has hurled potshots at jailed former
premier Najib Razak.
He
criticised Najib, who began serving a 12-year jail sentence on Aug 23 for graft
linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal, for not
accepting that he had been found guilty by the Malaysian courts.
“Dozens
of witnesses gave information about Najib’s wrongdoing. Documents and other
evidence were exhibited. The judge wrote 800 pages about information revealed
by witnesses, the evidence, and the results of the investigation,” Dr Mahathir
said in a statement on Aug 30.
“The
only truth is the denial made by Najib, by his children and his lawyer. Nine
judges, three courts, four years of trial were all wrong,” he added
sarcastically.
Najib
has been jailed for embezzling RM42 million (S$13 million) belonging to 1MDB
subsidiary SRC International and faces four other trials.
Having
served two stints as premier, Dr Mahathir has said in the past that he is not
interested in becoming prime minister for a third time.
He
has had several coronary bypass operations, suffered three heart attacks and
had a pacemaker implanted.
Earlier
this year, he told reporters he would not contest again due to poor health and
age.
“These
people get very upset if I say I’m not contesting,” he said, referring to his
party.
“So
if I’m healthy enough - if they still want me - I cannot deny them, even if it
kills me.”
On Aug
4, he announced at a news conference the formation of a new coalition
comprising Malay-based parties, non-governmental organisations, academics and
professionals.
Source:
Straits Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/former-malaysian-pm-mahathir-tests-positive-for-covid-19
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PAS
against working with PH, says Takiyuddin
August
30, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: PAS insists it will not collaborate with Pakatan Harapan or any of its
component parties ahead of the next general election (GE15).
In
a statement, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the Islamic party is
open to forming alliances with Malay-Muslim based parties and will continue to
focus on its “ummah unification” concept.
“PAS
is firm that it will not cooperate with Pakatan Harapan or any of its component
parties to face GE15, including in the ‘big tent’ concept,” he said.
“PAS
is very optimistic that the unification of the ummah approach can be achieved
through the collaboration of the main parties in the country based on Malay
Muslim and Bumiputera unity.
“This
is the most effective formula and is accepted by the majority of Malaysians.”
He
said these were among the decisions made at a PAS central committee meeting
yesterday.
At
the Perikatan Nasional (PN) convention on Saturday, PN chairman Muhyiddin
Yassin said the coalition was open to the idea of teaming up with other parties
to face Barisan Nasional (BN) in GE15 as it would be difficult to defeat “the
main enemy” in multi-cornered fights.
PAS
is one of the five component parties in PN.
PKR
deputy president Rafizi Ramli has since said that PH would not cooperate with
PN in GE15, adding that this was a decision reached by the PH presidential
council.
The
“big tent” approach that Takiyuddin refers to in his statement describes PH
chairman Anwar Ibrahim’s preference for uniting all opposition parties against
BN ahead of GE15.
In
his statement, Takiyuddin also said PAS was open to finding the “best formula”
for political cooperation with parties that prioritise “unity and harmony”
ahead of GE15.
This
would ensure the stability and well-being of the country’s various races and
religions, he added.
Takiyuddin
added that the state governments which the party controls – Kelantan, Kedah and
Terengganu – would not dissolve their legislative assemblies earlier than March
2023 in a bid to focus on economic recovery.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Umno
Youth defends Azalina over remarks on AG
August
29, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has defended party colleague Azalina
Othman Said after she drew criticism over her veiled dig at the prime minister
for retaining Idrus Harun as the attorney-general (AG).
Asyraf
said Pakatan Harapan (PH) had also appointed its own attorney-general, Tommy
Thomas, when it came to power in May 2018.
In
a Facebook post, he said PH even appointed a former PKR leader, Latheefa Koya,
to head the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Asyraf
also pointed out that shortly after PH came into power, then prime minister Dr
Mahathir Mohamad had reportedly “called in” the chief justice at the time,
Mohamed Raus Sharif, for a meeting.
He
said the head of the now-defunct Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), Daim
Zainuddin, had met Raus and then Court of Appeal president Zulkefli Ahmad
Makinudin.
Raus
and Zulkefli resigned from their posts on June 7, 2018.
Asyraf
said DAP had lobbied for Richard Malanjun to be appointed chief justice in
2018, which was criticised by another former CJ, Abdul Hamid Mohamad.
“(Malanjun)
later retired (in April 2019) and campaigned for PH and Warisan in the Sabah
state election in 2020, and had even gone on stage with Lim Guan Eng for a
political ceramah,” he said.
“So,
do PH and Bersih still dare to call on others to respect the attorney-general’s
position and the judiciary?”
On
Saturday, Azalina, a former law minister, said whoever became prime minister
would usually appoint “one of their own” to become the AG, a post which came
with wide-ranging powers.
Idrus
was appointed AG after Muhyiddin Yassin took office as the eighth prime
minister.
Bersatu
vice-president Radzi Jidin said Azalina’s remarks were proof that Umno and
Barisan Nasional had made civil servants follow their wishes while they were in
power.
Meanwhile,
Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said he was puzzled and disappointed with Azalina’s
remarks yesterday about appointing an attorney-general.
Fann
said Azalina had apparently changed her stance from her previous position of
wishing to separate the roles of the attorney-general as legal adviser to the
government and his concurrent role as the public prosecutor. She had also
spoken previously about not interfering with matters of the court.
DAP’s
Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham also expressed shock over Azalina’s comments, construing
it to mean that the prime minister should appoint an AG who would act according
to his wishes.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
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