New
Age Islam News Bureau
12
October 2021
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan in
Kabul on September 14, 2021. (AFP)
-----
•
Algerian Muslim Scholars Refute Macron’s Claims on Ottomans
•
Algerian President Recalls French Massacre of Nearly 4,000 Worshipers At
Ottoman Mosque
•
Shariah High Court in Selangor Has Same Powers as Civil Court, Federal Court
Told
•
To Eliminate Noise Pollution Egypt Authorities Include More Mosques in the
Unified Adhan Project
South Asia
•
UN to aid relocated Rohingya Muslims in new deal with Bangladesh
•
EU envoys to meet Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister
•
Afghanistan’s interim cabinet makes key decisions
--------
Europe
•
World must prevent Afghanistan’s economic collapse: UN
•
Humanitarian crisis in focus as Italy hosts G20 Afghan summit
•
'Turkey wants voice of Non-Aligned Movement to become stronger'
--------
Africa
•
Ethiopia says it has duty to counter ‘terrorism’
•
Tunisia’s UGTT union welcomes govt formation, seeks dialogue with President
Saied
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Taliban assures safety of Malaysian humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, says
Wisma Putra’s adviser
•
Anwar’s Pandora Papers debate still under consideration
--------
Arab World
•
Cleric Sadr wins Iraq vote, former PM Maliki close behind
•
Saudi experts say Arab youths’ voices must be heard, GCC teens optimistic:
Survey
•
Islamic State leader held in cross-border operation: Iraq
•
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope Francis given trophies at Zayed Award for Human
Fraternity
•
Iraqi pro-Iranian politician Amiri rejects election results as ‘fabricated’
•
Car bomb kills four in Syria’s Afrin: Medical source
•
Arab youth cite the UAE as the top country to live in for the 10th year in a
row
•
UAE drafts new law on charity fundraising to combat money laundering
•
Fighting south of Yemen’s Marib results in 156 Houthi deaths: Arab coalition
--------
Pakistan
•
Have Spoken To China about Uyghur Issue: Pakistan PM Imran Khan
•
Imran Bats for Engaging Taliban, Warns Against Hardline Faction Gaining Upper
Hand
•
US has no other option but to support Taliban regime: Imran Khan
•
Church Of Pakistan Looks To Promote Interfaith Harmony through Christian-Muslim
Dialogue
•
Minorities Concerns Over Blocking Of Pakistan's Anti-Conversion Bill
•
Imran Khan: Macron’s Islamophobic Rhetoric Stoking 'Cycle of Violence' In
France
•
SOPs issued for events of Eid Miladun Nabi
--------
India
•
Pakistan-Based ‘Terrorist’, Living In India for Past 10-15 Years, Arrested By
Delhi Police
•
Karnataka: Muslim Students Attacked For Wearing Skull Cap In Tuition
•
Bhopal: Four Muslim Men Targeted by Bajrang Dal Outside College Garba Event,
Then Detained by Police
•
India condemns suicide attack on mosque in Afghanistan
•
Mehbooba Mufti bats for SRK’s son, accuses BJP of targeting Muslims to gain
votes
•
NIA conducts raids at 16 locations in J&K linked to over ground workers of
terrorist group
•
PM Modi at G20 expected to highlight India's willingness and commitment to help
Afghans with humanitarian aid
•
Three terrorists killed in J&K's Shopian district
•
PM Modi, Boris Johnson talk vaccine certification, Afghan situation
•
India closely following developments in Afghanistan: Jaishankar
-----
Mideast
•
Spokesman: Iran, Azerbaijan Pursuing Logical Path in Bilateral Ties
•
Health activists address stigma to raise breast cancer awareness in Gaza
•
Commander: Iran Possessing Largest Chopper Fleet in Region
•
Iran says ready to sign Russia strategic partnership, similar to one with China
--------
North America
•
Talks with Taliban candid and professional, says US
•
Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny team up to write novel ‘State of Terror’
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-girl-education-macron/d/125562
--------
Taliban
FM Calls For Good Ties with World But Avoided Making Firm Commitments On Girls’
Education
Oct
12, 2021
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan in
Kabul on September 14, 2021. (AFP)
-----
DOHA:
Afghanistan’s foreign minister appealed to the world for good relations on
Monday but avoided making firm commitments on girls’ education despite
international demands to allow all Afghan children to go back to school. Almost
two months after the insurgent forces swept into Kabul, the new Taliban
administration has pushed to build relations with other countries to help stave
off a catastrophic economic crisis. “The international community need to start
cooperating with us,” acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in Doha.
“With this we will be able to stop insecurity and at the same time with this
we’ll be able to engage positively with the world.”
But
the Taliban have so far refused to give ground on allowing girls to return to
high school, one of the key demands of the international community after a
decision last month that schools above the sixth grade would only reopen for
boys. Muttaqi said the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate government was moving
carefully but had only been in power for a few weeks and could not be expected
to complete reforms the international community had not been able to implement
in 20 years. “They had a lot of financial resources and they had a
international backing but you are asking us to do all the reforms in two
months?” he said.
The
new administration has come under sustained criticism for its approach to
girls’ education, considered one of the limited number of unambiguously
positive gains from the West’s two decades of involvement in Afghanistan. UN
secretary general Antonio Guterres said Taliban had broken promises on
guaranteeing rights for women and girls and there was no way the economy could
be fixed if women were barred from work.
Muttaqi
repeated calls for the US to lift a block on over $9 billion of Afghan central
bank reserves held outside the country. He said Taliban forces had full control
of the country and were able to control the threat from Islamic State militants
who have claimed a series of deadly attacks in recent weeks, including last
week’s bombing at a Shia mosque in the city of Kunduz. “The Daesh issue has
been controlled by the Islamic Emirate very well so far,” he said using a
derogatory term for the radical Sunni group but adding that international
pressure on the government was helping Islamic State’s morale.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Algerian Muslim Scholars Refute Macron’s Claims On Ottomans
AbdelRazzak
Abdallah
11.10.2021
French President Emmanuel Macron
-----
The
Association of Algerian Muslim Ulema on Monday rejected French President
Emmanuel Macron’s recent claims that the Ottoman presence in Algeria amounted
to colonization.
"The
Ottomans who came to Algeria did not come as colonial occupiers, rather (they came)
at the invitation of the Algerians … to help them defeat the Spanish Crusader
aggression," Abdul-Razzaq Qassoum, the association’s chairman, said in a
column by the Al-Basair newspaper. The newspaper is affiliated with the
association.
Tensions
have escalated between France and Algeria over remarks made by Macron on the
North African country’s colonial past.
In
a bid to palliate its atrocious colonial past, Macron claimed that “there was a
colonization before the French colonial rule” in Algeria, alluding to the
Ottoman presence in the country between 1514 and 1830.
According
to Qassoum, the Ottomans, unlike France, did not kill Algerians, destroy their
land or plunder their wealth.
Algerians
“possessed a lot of wealth (under the Ottomans),” the Algerian scholar said.
He
also noted that the Ottomans neither imposed their language on Algerians nor
fought their beliefs.
“They
(Ottomans) did not fight our belief, not even our Madhhab (Islamic school of
law)."
On
the contrary, Qassoum said the French colonial forces brought “tragedy” to
Algeria and “misery” to its people.
Macron’s
remarks in late September that the Algerian nation did not exist before the
French colonial rule and that another colonization preceded his country’s
sparked a storm of condemnations in Algeria.
Algerian
President Abdelmedjid Tebboune condemned Macron’s remarks as an “unacceptable
insult” to the martyrs, recalled his country’s Ambassador to France Antar Daoud
for consultations, and closed airspace to French military aircraft used by the
latter in its anti-terror operations in the Sahel.
In
a televised interview on Sunday, Tebboune narrated an official account of the
French massacre of nearly 4,000 worshippers during the 1830-1962 colonial era.
The
worshippers were killed as they staged a sit-in inside an Ottoman Mosque called
Ketchaoua in an effort to stop it from being converted into a church.
Algeria
represents the most recent and bloodiest example of France's colonial history
on the African continent.
Approximately
1.5 million Algerians were killed and millions more displaced in an eight-year
struggle for independence that started in 1954.
France
has also committed cultural genocide against Algeria since 1830, destroying
Algeria’s 300-year-old Ottoman history and its own local identity, and also
transforming many cultural and religious monuments in the country.
Paris
has never officially apologized to Algeria as a state for its colonial
policies.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/algerian-muslim-scholars-refute-macron-s-claims-on-ottomans/2389123
--------
Algerian
President Recalls French Massacre Of Nearly 4,000 Worshipers At Ottoman Mosque
Abdel
Razzaq bin Abdullah
11.10.2021
Algerian
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has narrated an official account of the French
massacre of nearly 4,000 worshipers during the 1830-1962 colonial era.
The
worshippers were killed as they staged a sit-in inside an Ottoman Mosque called
Ketchaoua in an effort to stop it from being converted into a church.
"France
has colonized us for 132 years during which there were heinous crimes that
cannot be erased with a sweet word. There are families and tribes that have
been completely erased such as Zaatcha (southeast of Algeria) and even the
infants were not spared,” Tebboune said in a televised interview on Sunday.
He
added: "(In Ketchaoua) they killed 4,000 worshipers who were martyred
after being surrounded by cannons and exterminated."
The
Ketchaoua Mosque was built by Khair al-Din Barbarossa, the Ottoman ruler of
Algeria at the time, in 1520 in the neighborhood of Casbah in the capital
Algiers.
Algerian
historical accounts show that the French ruler of Algeria at the time, Duke de
Rovigo, decided at the end of 1832 to storm the mosque to turn it into a
church.
Following
the objection of the move by the city's residents who camped inside it, he
demolished the mosque, massacred those inside, and burned copies of the Muslim
Holy Book, the Quran.
The
Ketchaoua Mosque on the Mediterranean coast, an important symbol of Algerian
independence, was first used as a military depot during the French occupation
and later as a residence for the archbishops of Algeria.
After
the mosque’s demolition in 1844, a large church was built and the building
remained a cathedral until Algeria gained independence in 1962.
The
mosque was closed in 2008 due to damage caused by a violent earthquake in the
country in 2003.
In
April 2018, the mosque was reopened following its restoration by the Turkish
Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in accordance to the original
Ottoman architectural plan studied by historians and researchers from both
Algeria and Turkey.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/algerian-president-recalls-french-massacre-at-ottoman-mosque/2388882
--------
Shariah
High Court in Selangor Has Same Powers As Civil Court, Federal Court Told
V
Anbalagan
October
12, 2021
PUTRAJAYA:
The Shariah High Court in Selangor has similar powers to that of the civil
court to hear judicial review cases involving Muslims and Muslim religious
authorities, the Federal Court heard today.
State
legal adviser Salim Soib said the religious court acted as check and balance
for aggrieved parties who were affected by a decision.
“Like
the civil court, the Shariah High Court is also there to dispense justice,”
Salim said in his submission before a nine-member bench chaired by Chief
Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
However,
he said, there was a slight difference as the shariah court only entertained
judicial review on matters that touched on Islam in the state.
“The
Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and various committees were set up to
advise the Sultan, who is head of the religion, and to protect the sanctity of
the faith,” he said.
He
said Mais and other committees must be classified as “artificial individuals”
who professed the Islamic faith, to appear in the religious court to seek
remedy by way of a judicial review.
Salim
was responding to SIS Forum Malaysia, a company registered and run by Muslims,
that is challenging the competency of the Selangor state assembly to pass a law
that allows the state Shariah High Court to review fatwa issued by the state
religious authorities.
Last
year, the apex court allowed leave to SIS to have its complaint heard as a
requirement under Article 4(3) of the Federal Constitution.
SIS
wants a declaration that the state legislature cannot pass Section 66A of the
Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003.
Section
66A states that the Shariah High Court in the state has the jurisdiction to
hear judicial reviews against the decisions of state religious councils or
committees.
SIS
argued that any judicial review of a law passed by Parliament and the state
assemblies can only be heard before a civil High Court.
The
application was filed early last year after the Kuala Lumpur High Court
dismissed SIS’s judicial review application against a Selangor religious
authority’s fatwa labelling the group as deviant in 2019.
The
High Court held that SIS had to appear before the religious court to report its
grievances since the court had the authority to entertain a judicial review
application.
Meanwhile,
lawyer Zainur Zakaria, who represented Mais in its capacity as an intervener,
submitted that the laws passed by Parliament did not give the civil court
exclusive jurisdiction to hear judicial review matters.
“Judicial
review is a procedural law. Mais and ‘artificial Muslims’ can go to the
religious court,” he said.
Lawyer
Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who appeared with Zainur, said Mais had referred
at least two cases for judicial review since Section 66A came into force in
2015.
Lawyer
Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who represented SIS, submitted that the shariah court
could only entertain individuals (Muslims) on complaints relating to personal
matters.
“Only
the civil court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear complaints of the
decision-making process by public authorities,” he said.
Malik,
who was assisted by A Surendra Ananth and Fahri Azzat, said the 9th Schedule of
the Federal Constitution vested the civil court jurisdiction over civil,
criminal and the administration of justice.
He
said the civil court has inherent power to hear judicial review applications as
decided by a number of Federal Court judgments.
Malik
said shariah courts had no constitutional safeguards unlike the civil court as
prescribed in the Constitution.
“It
is an irresistible conclusion that the Selangor state assembly cannot vest
judicial review power on the shariah court,” he said.
The
bench has reserved judgment.
Other
members on the bench were Court of Appeal president Rohana Yusuf, Chief Judge
of Malaya Azahar Mohamed, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang
Hashim and Federal Court judges Mohd Zawawi Salleh, Vernon Ong, Zaleha Yusof,
Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal and Rhodzariah Bujang.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
To
Eliminate Noise Pollution Egypt Authorities Include More Mosques In The Unified
Adhan Project
October
11, 2021
The
Egyptian Ministry of Endowments announced Saturday that it has included
hundreds of new mosques within the unified Adhan project in Greater Cairo.
The
project for unifying the Muslim call to prayer aims to eliminate noise
pollution caused by multiple mosques performing the call to prayer at differing
times.
The
head of the Central Department of Strategic Management at the Ministry of
Endowments, Amr Shoukry, confirmed that 426 new mosques were included during
the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
He
said that this brings the total unified Adhan mosques to 3,538.
The
Ministry of Endowments seeks to generalize the experience of the unified Adhan
in the rest of the governorates across Egypt, with an emphasis on taking into
account the time differences for each region.
The
former Religious Endowments Minister Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk was the first to
start implementing the project in Greater Cairo mosques.
At
the end of 2009, Zakzouk launched the initiative to start a unified call to
prayer in all mosques to address the problem of the call to prayer going off at
different times.
The
project initially targeted 4,000 mosques in the Governorates of Greater Cairo,
which includes Cairo, Giza and Qaliubiya.
However
the January 25, 2011 revolution plunged the Unified Adhan project faced a major
crisis, however, with the theft of devices for the project from mosques.
Religious
Endowments Minister Mohamad Mukhtar Gomaa revived the idea in 2014, but faced
technical problems.
In
2019, Gomaa announced that the project would finally be implemented.
However
due to ongoing technical issues, the experiment initially began in 115 mosques
as a pilot phase, later expanding to include hundreds of mosques.
The
project relies on the unified voice of one muezzin, according to the local time
for each governorate separately, and that is via the joint broadcast signal in
mosques through the wireless receiver.
The
broadcast system in the unified Adhan is characterized by the average volume of
the microphone.
In
order not to disturb the people of the area and the neighboring population, it
has been pre-set by the sound engineers, so that no one can manipulate the
broadcast and the volume level.
Mosque
workers are vital to the project, as they will open the receiver five minutes
before the Adhan and then close the receiver after it is finished. After the
receiver gets the signal it then broadcasts the Adhan.
The
receiver consists of two electronic pieces, and a concave metal unit to receive
the broadcast, which is installed at the top of the mosque.
Source:
Egypt Independent
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
UN
to aid relocated Rohingya Muslims in new deal with Bangladesh
OCT
11, 2021
The
United Nations and Bangladesh's government have signed an agreement to work
together to help Rohingya refugees on an island in the Bay of Bengal where
thousands have been relocated from crammed camps near the Myanmar border.
More
than 19,000 Rohingya have already been moved to the Bhasan Char island by the
government, and the U.N. said one of the key reasons to sign the agreement was
to start serving that population. Bangladesh plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya
to the island in phases from the crowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar district.
The
agreement came as a paradigm shift after the U.N. and humanitarian groups
criticized the relocation, saying the 30-year-old island regularly submerged by
monsoon rains was not fit for habitation. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's
government has spent more than $112 million on development, adding sea walls,
hospitals, schools and mosques, and insists it is no more a vulnerable area.
After
Saturday's agreement, authorities said another 81,000 refugees would be
relocated to the island over the next three months.
A
U.N. team's visit to the island in March preceded the world body's changed
view. In a statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
said the agreement was a further expression of Bangladesh’s "generosity
and support toward the Rohingya population until they can return safely and
sustainably to Myanmar.”
The
agreement allows for close cooperation between the government and the U.N. on
services and activities to benefit the island's residents. The U.N. also said
it had discussions with the Rohingyas living in Cox's Bazar, as well as those
already living on Bhasan Char island, prior to the signing of the agreement.
"These
cover key areas of protection, education, skills-training, livelihoods and
health, which will help support the refugees to lead decent lives on the island
and better prepare them for sustainable return to Myanmar in the future,”
according to the statement.
Johannes
Van Der Klaauw, a representative at the UNHCR, said the organization has seen
the island and believes Bangladesh's government has added "significant
infrastructure” to offset environmental hazards. The agreement also allows
refugees to move back and forth between the island and the main camps in Cox’s
Bazar, he said.
Refugees
will also have a chance to earn a living through odd jobs that will be
accessible once aid organizations are set up on the island. Klaauw also noted
that movement to Bhasan Char would be on an informed and voluntary basis. But
most Rohingya refugees say they don’t want to relocate.
A
woman who had moved to the island with her family earlier this year said many
escaped on boats back to the camp because life on the island is hard for the
refugees.
"If
people stay there for a couple of years, all of them might start having mental
issues,” she said, adding that medical and other aid facilities were not very
well set up on the island. She was unwilling to be named, fearing retribution.
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
envoys to meet Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister
12
Oct 2021
Afghanistan’s
acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi said that a delegation led by him will
meet with the representatives of the European Union on Tuesday, October 12.
Amir
Khan Motaqi has said that are willing to have positive and friendly relations
with the world.
The
meeting is due to take place in Doha.
The
acting minister has also said that they had meetings with representatives of
Germany and British MPs.
The
meeting with EU representatives will come on the same day as the Italian Prime
Minister is hosting a special summit of the group of 20 that will focus on
addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/eu-envoys-to-meet-afghanistans-acting-foreign-minister-87585/
--------
Afghanistan’s
interim cabinet makes key decisions
12
Oct 2021
Afghanistan’s
caretaker cabinet in a ministerial meeting in Presidential Palace on Monday,
October 11 made some key decisions in security and economic spheres.
A
statement released from Presidential Palace (ARG) reads that the meeting chaired
by Prime Minister Muhammad Hassan Akhund discussed political, economic, and
security issues and made some key decisions.
The
statement reads that the leadership ordered the expulsion of the Taliban
members who are not needed and ill-treat people.
In
the meeting, the cabinet pledged to be setting up a depot for humanitarian aids
provided by the international community and added to be distributed
transparently.
“The
security bodies were directed to ensure the security of ministries and
government administrations and for the Afghan traders and investors.” Reads the
statement.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-interim-cabinet-makes-key-decisions-8756875/
--------
Europe
World
must prevent Afghanistan’s economic collapse: UN
12
Oct 2021
United
Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, October 11 urged the
world to inject liquidity to the economy of Afghanistan and prevent its
collapse.
Antonio
Guterres who was talking to journalists at UN headquarter said that the
international community is too slow in this issue and added that they can
inject money without violating international law.
Secretary-General
also said that the world can even inject money through NGOs and the United
Nations.
He
made the statements a day before he is joining a special summit of the Group of
20 that is hosted by Italy online.
“The
United Nations is working to assist the 18 million Afghans in need of
humanitarian assistance, it will not be enough to prevent a bigger crisis if
the economic collapse.” Said Guterres.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/world-must-prevent-afghanistans-economic-collapse-un-747457/
--------
Humanitarian
crisis in focus as Italy hosts G20 Afghan summit
October
12, 2021
Italian
Prime Minister Mario Draghi will host a special summit of the Group of 20 major
economies on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan, as worries grow about a looming
humanitarian disaster following the Taliban's return to power.
Since
the Taliban took over Afghanistan on Aug 15, the country — already struggling
with drought and severe poverty after decades of war — has seen its economy all
but collapse, raising the spectre of an exodus of refugees.
The
video conference, which is due to start at 1pm (1100 GMT), will focus on aid
needs, concerns over security and ways of guaranteeing safe passage abroad for
thousands of Western-allied Afghans still in the country.
“Providing
humanitarian support is urgent for the most vulnerable groups, especially women
and children, with winter arriving,” said an official with knowledge of the G20
agenda.
The
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is due to join the summit, underlining
the central role given to the United Nations in tackling the crisis — in part
because many countries don't want to establish direct relations with the
Taliban.
Italy,
which holds the rotating presidency of the G20, has worked hard to set up the
meeting in the face of highly divergent views within the disparate group on how
to deal with Afghanistan after the chaotic US withdrawal from Kabul.
“The
main problem is that Western countries want to put their finger on the way the
Taliban run the country, how they treat women for example, while China and
Russia on the other hand have a non-interference foreign policy,” said a
diplomatic source close to the matter.
China
has publicly demanded that economic sanctions on Afghanistan be lifted and that
billions of dollars in Afghan international assets be unfrozen and handed back
to Kabul.
It
was not clear if this would even be discussed on Tuesday.
While
US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Europe's G20
leaders were expected to take part in the meeting, Chinese media reported that
President Xi Jinping would not participate.
It
was also not clear if Russian President Vladimir Putin would dial in.
Afghanistan's
neighbours Pakistan and Iran have not been invited to the virtual call, but
Qatar, which has played a key role as an interlocutor between the Taliban and
the West, will join the discussions, a diplomatic source said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1651588/humanitarian-crisis-in-focus-as-italy-hosts-g20-afghan-summit
--------
'Turkey
wants voice of Non-Aligned Movement to become stronger'
Talha
Ozturk
11.10.2021
BELGRADE,
Serbia
Turkey
supports the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and wants to see its voice become
stronger, the country’s foreign minister said on Monday.
At
a summit marking NAM’s 60th anniversary in Serbia's capital Belgrade, Mevlut
Cavusoglu hailed the movement as the “voice of a just and inclusive world.”
He
stressed that the guiding principles of the movement “remain relevant” despite
the significant changes in the world over the past six decades.
“Today’s
world is not that of 1961. The Cold War is over. A bipolar world has turned into
a multipolar one. The challenges have become more complex,” he said.
“However,
the main principles of the Belgrade Declaration remain relevant. We support the
voice of the Non-Aligned States of 2021 to become stronger.”
Cavusoglu
pointed out that the movement’s first declaration signed in Belgrade in 1961
“called for action on mainly three areas: economic inequalities, UN reform, and
a multilateral and inclusive approach on global issues.”
“Isn’t
it dramatic that we still discuss all these issues today? First, inequalities
are on the rise across the world. According to UN reports, rising inequalities
negatively impact more than 70% of the world population,” he said.
NAM
highlighted the development and technology gap between economically advanced
and less developed countries in 1961, he said, adding that the “divide is
deeper now as technological changes are much faster.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Ethiopia
says it has duty to counter ‘terrorism’
Addis
Getachew Tadesse
12.10.2021
ADDIS
ABABA, Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s
government said Monday it is duty bound to counter "acts of
terrorism" by Tigray rebels.
The
remarks follow a statement earlier in the day by the Tigray People's Liberation
Front (TPLF) that the government had launched multi-pronged attacks against it.
"The
government of Ethiopia has a responsibility to protect its citizens in all
parts of the country from any acts of terrorism," Billene Seyoum, a
spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, told Anadolu Agency.
"The
government of Ethiopia will continue to counter the TPLF’s destruction,
violence and killings in the Amhara region and elsewhere," she said.
There
have been reports over the past couple of days that the Ethiopian Defense
Forces have intensified attacks against TPLF targets in Amhara.
Following
a June 29 unilateral cease-fire declared by the government, TPLF forces
advanced to Amhara and Afar states adjoining the country's northernmost state
of Tigray.
The
TPLF claims it is an elected party in Tigray while the Ethiopian government has
rejected its authority in the state, saying it committed a mutinous act when it
attacked Ethiopian army bases stationed in Tigray on Nov. 3 last year.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/ethiopia-says-it-has-duty-to-counter-terrorism-/2389374
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Tunisia’s
UGTT union welcomes govt formation, seeks dialogue with President Saied
11
October ,2021
Tunisia’s
powerful UGTT labor union welcomed the formation of a new government and called
on President Kais Saied to start a participatory dialogue and set a time limit
on the emergency period, a UGTT official told Reuters.
Senior
UGTT official Sami Tahri said the union welcomed the formation of the
government, adding "public finances must be an urgent priority. As major
reforms must be the subject of broad agreement and need time... it cannot be
the task of a transitional government.".
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Any
IMF deal would likely require a political roadmap that included broad political
and social dialogue, and a plan forreforms to tackle subsidies, the high public
sector wage bill and loss-making state companies.
President
Saied had on Monday unveiled a new government, but gave no hint when he would
relinquish his near total control after seizing most powers in July, or start
reforms needed for a financial rescue package to avert economic disaster.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Southeast Asia
Taliban
assures safety of Malaysian humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, says Wisma
Putra’s adviser
11
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 11 — The Malaysian humanitarian team to Afghanistan has been given
security guarantees by the Taliban interim government to carry out aid work in
the country.
The
Foreign Minister’s Special Adviser on Afghan affairs Datuk Ahmad Azam Ab Rahman
said the Taliban government had also agreed to send escorts for safety.
“We
have received security guarantees from the Afghan government. When needed,
(make a) call and he will send troops to be with us especially in sensitive
areas.
“However,
we cannot rule out the possibility of bombs here and there. At least,
guarantees have been given and we have to be careful,” he told Bernama after a
visit to Wisma Bernama, today.
During
the visit, he also held discussions with Bernama’s Chief Executive Officer
Datuk Mokhtar Hussain, Editor-in-Chief Abdul Rahman Ahmad, and Deputy
Editor-in-Chief (International News Service) Jamaluddin Muhammad.
Ahmad
Azam said the security guarantee given by the Afghan government is also hoped
to convince more international NGOs to participate in providing humanitarian
aid to the people in Afghanistan.
Currently,
six people — from the Global Peace Mission Malaysia (GPM) and Muslim Volunteer
Malaysia (MVM) humanitarian mission team — have been in Kabul since September
24 to provide assistance to the affected Afghans.
Ahmad
Azam, who is also GPM chairman, said the body will also hold a briefing on
Wednesday at Anjung Rahmat Sungai Merab to provide information on the current
situation in the country to NGOs interested in conducting humanitarian missions
in Afghanistan.
The
Afghan people desperately need humanitarian aid to help them survive, and the
situation is expected to be more critical by winter in December, he added.
“We
encourage Malaysian NGOs to join forces to help the Afghan people. We hope the
assistance from Malaysia can ease the burden and establish goodwill with the
Afghan people.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Anwar’s
Pandora Papers debate still under consideration
Minderjeet
Kaur
October
12, 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR: A motion to debate the Pandora Papers leak is still under
consideration, said Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon, who confirmed
that he received the motion.
Opposition
leader Anwar Ibrahim (PH-Port Dickson) raised the matter in the Dewan, saying
that he had submitted another motion yesterday to the Speaker and was waiting
for a reply.
“I
have not received any reply,” Anwar told Rashid.
Anwar
said he submitted the motion after finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had said
Bank Negara was prepared to work with enforcement agencies on the leak that had
revelations about millions belonging to Malaysians in offshore accounts.
“However,
there has been no statement from the Inland Revenue Board, police – especially
the commercial crime department – and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission
(MACC),” he said.
He
said prominent figures have been shown to have offshore accounts in the Virgin
Islands and other tax havens, sometimes via Singapore.
He
said since there is a double taxation agreement between Malaysia and Singapore,
“why can’t we have a debate and urge MACC and the commercial crime department
to take the initiative and be proactive”?
Anwar
asked if the matter was not probed because the figures involved are political
elites who he said claim to be “defenders of the Malays and Islam”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab World
Cleric
Sadr wins Iraq vote, former PM Maliki close behind
11
October ,2021
Shia
Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s party was the biggest winner in an Iraqi
election on Monday, increasing the number of seats he holds in parliament,
according to initial results, officials and a spokesperson for the Sadrist
Movement.
Former
prime minister Nouri al-Maliki looked set to have the next largest win among
Shi’ite parties, the initial results showed.
Iraq’s
Shia groups have dominated governments and government formation since the
US-led invasion of 2003 that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein and
catapulted the Shi’ite majority and the Kurds to power.
Sunday’s
election was held several months early, in response to mass protests in 2019
that toppled a government and showed widespread anger against political leaders
whom many Iraqis say have enriched themselves at the expense of the country.
But
a record low turnout suggested that an election billed as an opportunity to
wrest control from the ruling elite would do little to dislodge sectarian
religious parties in power since 2003.
A
count based on initial results from several Iraqi provinces plus the capital
Baghdad, verified by local government officials, suggested Sadr had won more
than 70 seats, which if confirmed could give him considerable influence in
forming a government.
A
spokesperson for Sadr’s office said the number was 73 seats. Local news outlets
published the same figure.
An
official at Iraq’s electoral commission said Sadr had come first but did not
immediately confirm how many seats his party had won.
The
initial results also showed that pro-reform candidates who emerged from the
2019 protests had gained several seats in the 329-member parliament.
Iran-backed
parties with links to militia groups accused of killing some of the nearly 600
people who died in the protests took a blow, winning less seats than in the
last election in 2018, according to the initial results and local officials.
Sadr
has increased his power over the Iraqi state since coming first in the 2018
election where his coalition won 54 seats.
The
unpredictable populist cleric has been a dominant figure and often kingmaker in
Iraqi politics since the US invasion.
He
opposes all foreign interference in Iraq, whether by the US, against which he
fought an insurgency after 2003, or by neighboring Iran, which he has
criticized for its close involvement in Iraqi politics.
Sadr,
however, is regularly in Iran, according to officials close to him, and has
called for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, where Washington maintains a
force of around 2,500 in a continuing fight against Islamic State.
New
law, same big parties
Elections
in Iraq since 2003 have been followed by protracted negotiations that can last months
and serve to distribute government posts among the dominant parties.
The
result on Monday is not expected to dramatically alter the balance of power in
Iraq or in the wider region.
Sunday’s
vote was held under a new law billed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as a
way to loosen the grip of established political parties and pave the way for
independent, pro-reform candidates. Voting districts were made smaller, and the
practice of awarding seats to lists of candidates sponsored by parties was abandoned.
But
many Iraqis did not believe the system could be changed and chose not to vote.
The
official turnout figure of just 41 percent suggested the vote had failed to
capture the imagination of the public, especially younger Iraqis who
demonstrated in huge crowds two years ago.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
experts say Arab youths’ voices must be heard, GCC teens optimistic: Survey
12
October ,2021
Leading
experts in Saudi Arabia have said the voices of Arab youth must be heard and
decision-makers in the Middle East & North Africa must heed their
call-to-action to build the next generation a better future.
The
13th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey was released on Tuesday and found, despite
the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread economic turbulence,
and ongoing military conflicts in parts of the region, Arab youth in MENA
overall were surprisingly hopeful and optimistic about the future, with nearly
two-thirds (60 percent) saying their best days lay ahead of them.
Veteran
Saudi editor Khaled Almaeena highlighted the value of the data underpinning the
ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey.
“In
a region where accurate information is sometimes in short supply, these
findings offer a refreshing insight into the mindset of young Arabs,” he said.
“These
hopeful citizens, who live in a society that is part-tribal and
part-patriarchal, need an environment that will allow them to articulate, and
then strive towards, their own vision.”
Almaeena
added, “They want their voices to be heard because they are the future of this
region; they are stakeholders, not merely bystanders.”
Highlighting
the positivity of the findings, Dania Khaled al-Maeena, CEO of Aloula
Non-Profit Organization, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, added: “Arab youth’s hope for
the future is extremely refreshing.”
“They
are excited about the future, which is a sentiment we see on the ground in
Saudi Arabia. Youth are now more creative; many no longer want a steady
government job like their parents had. Instead, they want to do what they are
passionate about,” she added.
“But
we can’t take the optimism of our young people for granted. We must bridge the
gap between the education sector and the needs of the workplace. This will
involve creating new skill sets to ensure our youth are prepared for the new
economy.”
A
wide cross-section of Middle Eastern experts, including representatives from
government, multilateral institutions, civil society, media, academia and the
literary world, also commented on the survey.
Yousef
al-Otaiba, Ambassador of the UAE to the US and UAE Minister of State, said:
“The data reflected in the 13th ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey indicates a shift
is pulsating within the region; one that bends toward a more hopeful outlook
for our youth, yet confirms a series of profound changes currently underway.”
“A
rising spirit of nationalism is gaining resonance for Arab youth. This
generation is increasingly looking inward at their Arab brethren for
leadership,” he added.
“A
growing self-reliance on ourselves, especially model Arab nations like the UAE,
is fueling this pride. As the UAE celebrates the Expo 2020 Dubai and marks the
Golden Jubilee of our nation’s formation in December, we feel hope for the
future, which coincidentally is the title of this year’s Arab Youth Survey.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
State leader held in cross-border operation: Iraq
12.10.21
Iraq
said on Monday it has detained a top leader of the Islamic State group and a
longtime al Qaida operative in a cross-border operation.
Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted the news, identifying the man as Sami
Jassem, who oversees the IS group’s financial operations and served as the
deputy leader of IS under the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
He
described it as “one of the most difficult” cross border intelligence
operations ever conducted by Iraqi forces.
Iraqi
intelligence officials said that Jassem was detained in an identified foreign
country and transported to Iraq few days ago. They spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were not authorised to speak of the operation on the
record.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/is-leader-held-in-cross-border-operation-iraq/cid/1834290
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Grand
Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope Francis given trophies at Zayed Award for Human
Fraternity
Oct
11, 2021
Grand
Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Pope Francis have received their Zayed
Award for Human Fraternity trophies.
The
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an independent global award recognising
people and organisations who make profound contributions to human progress and
peaceful coexistence.
The
award was established in February 2019 to mark the meeting between Pope Francis
and Professor Al-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi, where the two religious leaders signed the
historic Document on Human Fraternity, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed
bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed
Forces, and patron of human fraternity – and became the first honorary
recipients of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
The
trophies were presented by Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso, meeting chairman of the
Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) and Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam,
secretary general of HCHF.
The
HCHF is an independent international committee established to promote human
fraternity values in communities around the world and to fulfil the aspirations
of the Document on Human Fraternity.
The
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is named in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founder of the UAE. The values the award celebrates
reflect Sheikh Zayed’s dedication to working closely with people from all
backgrounds, his moral legacy, humanitarianism and respect for others, and
helping them, regardless of their religion, gender, race or nationality
The
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is decided every year by an independent
judging committee, appointed by the HCHF. This week, members of the 2022
judging committee held meetings with Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of
Al-Azhar, in Vatican City and Rome, respectively.
Source:
The National News
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Iraqi
pro-Iranian politician Amiri rejects election results as ‘fabricated’
12
October ,2021
Hadi
al-Amiri, one of the most powerful pro-Iranian figures in Iraq, has rejected
the results of Iraq’s elections as “fabricated”, according to the Baghdad-based
pro-Iranian TV channel al-Aahd.
“We
will not accept these fabricated results, whatever the cost,” the channel cited
him as saying on Tuesday on its Telegram messaging account.
Iran-backed
parties with links to militia groups accused of killing some of the nearly 600
people who died in mass protests in 2019 took a blow in the election, winning
less seats than in the previous vote, in 2018.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Car
bomb kills four in Syria’s Afrin: Medical source
11
October ,2021
At
least four people were killed when a car bomb exploded in the Syrian city of
Afrin on Monday, a medical source said, the latest such attack in the
northwestern region that is controlled by Turkey and Syrian opposition forces
it supports.
The
blast wounded another six people, the source said.
Turkey
has blamed previous bomb attacks in Afrin on the Syrian Kurdish YPG group,
which held the Afrin area until Turkish forces seized the region in a
cross-border military operation in 2019.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
youth cite the UAE as the top country to live in for the 10th year in a row
12
October ,2021
Arab
youth have named the United Arab Emirates as the country in the world they
would most like to live in and the one they would most like their own nation to
emulate – for the tenth straight year.
This
was one of the main findings of the 13th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey
released on Tuesday.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
UAE has topped the list of most preferred countries every year since young Arab
men and women across the Middle East & Africa (MENA) were first asked the
question in 2012.
This
year’s study, conducted by global research and analytics company PSB Insights,
polled 3,400 young Arabs, 18 to 24-year-olds, in 50 cities and territories in
17 Arab states from June 6 to 30, 2021, with the cohort being equally split
between men and women.
Nearly
half of young Arabs (47 percent) selected the UAE as their favorite place to
live, more than double the number of votes the poll’s second-ranked country,
the US, received. Almost the same proportion (46 percent) said the UAE was the
country they most wanted their own to be like, followed by the US (28 percent),
Canada and Germany (each chosen by 12 percent of interviewees) and France (11
percent).
The
UAE’s growing economy and the wide range of opportunities it offers were cited
by nearly a third (28 percent) of the Arab youth, with the country’s clean
environment, safety and security, and generous salary packages also ranked
highly among the characteristics they most associate with the country.
“These
findings will be particularly gratifying as the UAE celebrates its
half-centennial this year and looks forward to the next 50 years of its
prosperity and success,” said Sunil John, President, MENA, BCW and Founder of
ASDA’A BCW.
“With
the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic now receding thanks to the leadership’s
proactive efforts, and Expo 2020 Dubai underway amidst huge fanfare, a spirit
of positivity and optimism is clearly detectable in this year’s findings, while
the trust of Emirati youth in their nation’s economic vision remains
universally high.”
Despite
the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread economic turbulence,
and ongoing military conflicts in parts of the region, Arab youth in MENA
overall were surprisingly hopeful and optimistic about the future, according to
the survey with nearly two-thirds (60 percent) saying their best days lay ahead
of them.
In
the UAE, 90 percent percent of Emirati youth said their “best days lie ahead,”
while
nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of Emirati youth said they expected to have a
better life than their parents, a staggering 99 per cent said their country’s
economy was heading in the right direction, up from 97 percent last year.
Moreover, all the young Emirati men and women polled this year said their voice
mattered to the country’s leadership, another inspiring finding to mark the
nation’s Jubilee year.
“National
pride is clearly a theme of our findings in the UAE, with 41 percent of Emirati
respondents saying their nationality is central to their identity, more than
double the regional average,” added John. “This shows just how powerfully the
message of national unity conveyed by the UAE’s leadership has resonated with
its young citizens.”
“They
also acknowledge the UAE’s efforts to promote gender equality, with more than
eight in 10 saying that men and women have the same rights and equal access to
employment; again, this is far above the regional average,” explained John.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UAE
drafts new law on charity fundraising to combat money laundering
12
October ,2021
The
UAE is developing a new law that will further regulate fundraising and
donations for charity in the country to tackle money laundering.
The
legislation – or the ‘Fundraising Regulatory Law’ – will apply to
non-government organizations soliciting funds in the country, according to a
senior government official.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Nasser
Ismail, assistant undersecretary of Social Welfare at the Ministry of Community
Development (MOCD), told state news agency WAM it is part of ongoing efforts to
combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
“We
must refer to a new federal law being formulated by the ministry… which will
stipulate a set of conditions and regulations for licensed charitable and
humanitarian authorities within the UAE,” Ismail said.
He
also said the MOCD will also announce soon “another series of awareness
programs” about the new law, which is intended to “ensure the safety, security
and stability of the community.”
“These
measures will support social development and encourage humanitarian giving,
based on the values and traditions of Emirati society,” he said.
There
are already strict measures in place for fundraising and donating money for
charity in the UAE.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Fighting
south of Yemen’s Marib results in 156 Houthi deaths: Arab coalition
11
October ,2021
Fighting
south of Yemen’s Marib has resulted in 156 members of the Iran-backed Houthi
militia being killed, according to an Arab coalition spokesperson.
The
operation also involved eight Houthi military vehicles being destroyed.
“We
are committed to supporting the Yemeni National Army and protecting Yemeni
citizens from the militia's brutality,” the coalition said in a statement
carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The
offensive was part of a wider strategy of preventing Houthi incursion into the
Abdiya district in Marib governate.
More
than 550 Houthis have been killed in the last 19 days, according to the Arab
coalition.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
Have
Spoken To China About Uyghur Issue: Pakistan PM Imran Khan
October
12, 2021
Islamabad:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said "selective pronouncements"
on human rights were "immoral", reacting to allegations against
Pakistan's all-weather ally China's human rights violations on its Uyghur
Muslim population in the restive province of Xinjiang.
In
a wide-ranging interview with London-based online news outlet Middle East Eye
(MEE), Khan denied pressure from Gulf countries to recognise Israel and said
that the international community's failure to engage with the Taliban in
Afghanistan could push the state back by 20 years, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn
reported.
Khan
described the 70-year-old relation between Pakistan and China as one that had
"stood the test of time".
In
the interview with, Mr Khan said "selective pronouncements on human
rights" were immoral, reacting to the allegation on China.
He
said Pakistan had spoken to China about the Uyghur issue and had been provided
with an explanation. "Our relationship with China is such that we have an
understanding between us. We will talk to each other, but behind closed doors
because that is their nature and culture," he said.
The
US and UK have criticised China for its alleged treatment of Uyghur Muslims in
Xinjiang, with some top officials going as far as calling it a
"genocide". Beijing is accused of imposing forced labour, systematic
forced birth control, torture, and separating children from incarcerated
parents of the minority Muslims in the resource-rich province.
Khan
said there was a need for the international community to engage with the
Taliban and that a failure to do so could push the group back 20 years.
Taliban
militants declared total control of Afghanistan on September 6 after the last
opposition post in Panjshir fell, since then the group has been seeking
international recognition of their "government".
"The
world must engage with Afghanistan," he said as he warned of the
consequences of not doing so.
"There
must be hardliners within the group [and] it can easily go back to the Taliban
of 20 years ago. And that would be a disaster."
He
said that if Afghanistan would once again descend into chaos, it would become a
fertile ground for terrorist groups like ISIS, which is a worry for all
countries in the region.
He
said that isolating and imposing sanctions on Afghanistan would result in a
massive humanitarian crisis.
"If
they are left like this, my worry is that [Afghanistan] could revert to 1989
when the Soviets and Americans left," he said, adding that over 200,000
Afghans died in that conflict.
Khan
added that the US had to "pull itself together" from the shock it had
suffered after the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan.
"I
don't think they have found their feet yet," he said, adding that Pakistan
would also suffer as a result of chaos in Afghanistan.
When
asked about Pakistan's point of view after the Taliban takeover, the prime
minister said, "We have been so relieved because we expected a bloodbath
[...] it was a peaceful transfer of power".
Similarly,
on the issue of women rights, he said the Taliban should be incentivised to
"walk the talk", pointing out that the group had said it would allow
women to work and get educated.
When
asked about the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) posing a threat to his
administration, Khan said Pakhtuns on the Pakistani side of the border had
started attacking the state when it allied itself with the US invasion of
Afghanistan.
Source:
ND TV
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Imran
bats for engaging Taliban, warns against hardline faction gaining upper hand
Oct
11, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Trepidation, consternation and some very cautious optimism- that has
been the general approach as nations of the world scramble to formulate an
Afghan policy in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover.
No
country, whether an US ally or not, has shown an eagerness to recognise the
Taliban government, or take its assurances at face value.
However
there is one exception- Pakistan.
Islamabad
was among the only three countries that recognised the previous Taliban
government. Once again, it is scurrying to buy legitimacy for the Taliban at a plethora
of international fora- from the UN to SCO.
Pakistani
ministers have tried to prevail upon the world leadership to engage with the
Taliban. In the latest, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that failure to
engage with the Taliban could "push the group back by 20 years."
In
an interview to London-based news outlet Middle East Eye that covers the
region, Khan said the gains will be lost if hardliners within the Taliban ranks
are allowed to gain an upper hand.
Warning
that Afghanistan could again descend into chaos and become a breeding ground
for terrorist groups like the Isis, Khan cautioned against isolating and
imposing sanctions on the country.
"What
will the US have to show after 20 years? Therefore, a stable Afghanistan
government which can then take on Isis, and the Taliban are the best bet to
take on Isis," Imran said.
In
a jibe at US, he said that the country had to "pull itself together"
from the shock it had suffered after the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan.
On
women rights, Khan said the Taliban should be incentivised to "walk the
talk," and reminded about their assurances on women's rights to work and
education.
Afghanistan's
new regime has shown little signs of having reformed and modernised from their
ultra-conservative Islamic ethos form the 1996-2001 days.
Source:
Times of India
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US
has no other option but to support Taliban regime: Imran Khan
11
Oct 2021
Pakistan’s
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the US must engage with the Taliban to
avert crisis and added that the country has no option but to support the
Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Imran
Khan said that the failure of the state in Afghanistan will result in a
humanitarian crisis in the country.
The
Pakistani Premier made these statements in his interview with Middle East Eye
on Monday, October 11.
Imran
Khan said that unless the Americans take the lead, Pakistan will be worried that
there will be chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be affected the most.
“The
world must engage with Afghanistan because if it pushes it away, within the
Taliban movement there are hardliners, and it could easily go back to the
Taliban of 2000 and that would be a disaster.” Said Khan.
Khan
also commented on potential sanctions on the Taliban saying that three-quarters
of the Afghan national budget depended on foreign aid which means the
imposition would result in a humanitarian crisis.
He
also warned of a civil war in Afghanistan in case abandoned.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/us-has-no-other-option-but-to-support-taliban-regime-imran-khan-57457457/
--------
Church
Of Pakistan Looks To Promote Interfaith Harmony through Christian-Muslim
Dialogue
OCTOBER
11, 2021
The
Church of Pakistan (CoP) has proposed to replicate the Christian-Muslim
dialogue between the Anglican church and leading scholars of Egypt’s Al-Azhar
University to foster interfaith harmony and peace in Pakistan.
According
to a statement issued by the office of the Church of Pakistan (CoP) Moderator/President
Dr Azad Marshall, the proposal was floated during a meeting between the
Anglican church leadership and the scholars of the prestigious University of
Islamic learning on the sidelines of a high-level event in Cairo where the
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby launched the new Anglican province of
Alexandria.
The
statement said that Archbishop Emeritus of the Anglican Province of Alexandria
Mounir Hanna shared the idea of setting up a research center in Egypt
comprising Muslim and Christian religious scholars based on their interactions
over the last two decades. Al-Azhar University’s Grand Imam Mohamed Ahmed
el-Tayeb welcomed the idea and assured his full cooperation, the statement
added.
“Since
the CoP has also been actively involved in interfaith peace-building
initiatives in Pakistan, we believe that under the able patronage of the
Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop Emeritus of Alexandria we can replicate
their experience of the Christian-Muslim dialogue in Pakistan to promote research
and academic studies of our faiths for better understanding and practical
resolution of religious conflicts,” Bishop Marshall stated.
He
added that during the meetings held with the Muslim religious leaders in Cairo,
the CoP delegation, headed by him and comprising Bishop Manu Ramal Shah and
Bishop of Sialkot Alvin Samuel, had projected a positive image of Pakistan by
sharing the initiatives taken by the government for the uplift of the religious
minorities and the latter’s contributions to national progress.
Source:
Daily Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Minorities
Concerns Over Blocking Of Pakistan's Anti-Conversion Bill
October
12, 2021
The
National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), a human rights arm of the Pakistan
Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has expressed deep concerns over the rejection of
a proposed bill to stop the forced conversion of religious minorities.
The
bill was drafted by the federal Ministry of Human Rights and aimed to protect
underage girls from being kidnapped and forced to marry and convert to Islam as
recommended by a special parliamentary committee formed by the prime minister
in 2019.
In
September 2021, the draft bill was rejected by the Ministry of Religious
Affairs and Interfaith Harmony and Council of Islamic Ideology (ICC) because
they felt it was against Islam.
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to UCA News with a small contribution of your choice
NCJP
chairman Bishop Samson Shukardin said the rejection of the bill is against the
right to religious freedom. It would encourage criminals to use religion as a
cover for the crime of abduction, rape and conversion of minority girls to
Islam with impunity.
In
a statement, the NCJP urged the ministry and ICC to reconsider their stance
over the issue of forced conversion of girls of religious minorities while
reminding the federal government of its international obligations and
constitutional provisions for the protection of the rights of minorities.
Under
Pakistan’s Child Marriage Restraint Act, marrying a girl under 16 or a boy
under 18 is an offense but the law is often ignored in the cases of forced
conversions and marriages of girls from religious minorities.
The
victims face extreme fear, separation from parents and physical, mental and
emotional exploitation. It is observed that parents of victims are threatened
to keep silent. In fact, the crime of forced conversion involves multiple
violations of human rights including freedom of religion and fundamental human
rights, the statement added.
NCJP
national director Father Emmanuel Yousaf (Mani) said the trend of forced
conversions and denial of their existence are merely supporting the violation
of fundamental human rights, particularly freedom of religion.
Source:
UCA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/concerns-over-blocking-of-pakistans-anti-conversion-bill/94500#
--------
Imran
Khan: Macron’s Islamophobic rhetoric stoking 'cycle of violence' in France
By
Peter Oborne, David Hearst
11
October 2021
Ten
years ago Imran Khan, an international cricket star but at the time only an
outfielder in politics, wrote this about the United States-led “war on terror”
in his book Pakistan: A Personal History.
“The
first phone call after 9/11 I received was from the ITN’s Martin Bashir. ‘As a
Muslim, aren’t you embarrassed by the attacks?’ was his immediate question. I
was shocked, then realised what others would be thinking too.
“Implying
all the world’s 1.3bn Muslims should feel in some way responsible for an act of
a handful of criminals is a bit like asking a Christian to feel responsible for
Hitler,” Khan wrote.
With
a personal history which straddled East and West, Khan expected a backlash
after 9/11 but had not anticipated its ferocity.
He
wrote: “The campaign to instil fear among Western populations about the threat
from what has at times been hysterically referred to as islamofascism has given
way to rising Islamophobia.
“The
ascent of rightwing, anti-immigration parties in Europe, the misleading and
sometimes downright sensationalist reporting against Muslims in the rightwing
Western media, France’s ban on the burka, Switzerland’s ban on minarets and the
furore over the Muslim community centre near New York’s ground zero have helped
the radical’s cause and alienated ordinary Muslims.”
Western
missteps
Today
Prime Minister Khan, surrounded by aides nervously eyeing the clock, feels
sadly vindicated. The list of western missteps has only lengthened in the
ensuing decade as has the mutual incomprehension.
When
Khan was a student at the University of Oxford in the 1970s, Britain’s South
Asian communities - which had put down roots in the 1950s and 1960s as
immigrants from India and Pakistan, and had arrived in the UK in response to
post-war labour shortages - were targeted by far-right skinheads.
Now,
according to Khan, heads of state are stoking the same prejudices.
French
President Emmanuel Macron’s deployment of anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies in
his fight with the extreme right for re-election continues to rile Khan.
“Does
he not understand that his statements and actions only power the vicious cycle
of violence in France?” Khan said in an interview with Middle East Eye in
Islamabad.
“I
feel that President Macron does not really understand how he is going to deal
with the Muslim community if he does not understand this vicious cycle.
“Someone
on the fringes will insult the Prophet. There will be a reaction, a stabbing.
This will outrage French society… saying freedom of expression is our religion.
Police will clamp down on the mosques. Muslims will be marginalised and someone
from those ranks will strike again.”
France
has been the target of a series of deadly Islamist militant attacks in recent
years.
In
January 2015, 12 people were killed in an attack on the offices of Charlie
Hebdo, a satirical magazine which in 2012 had published cartoons depicting the
Prophet Muhammad. The attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
In
November 2015, Islamic State gunmen and bombers killed 130 people in Paris. In
July 2016, 86 people were killed when an IS-inspired attacker drove a truck
into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice.
A
year ago this week, Samuel Paty, a teacher in a Paris suburb, was killed and
beheaded after showing Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons of the Prophet to his class.
In
the aftermath of Paty’s murder, the cartoons were beamed onto the sides of
public buildings in support of the principle of free speech.
French
interior minister Gerald Darmanin ordered the closure of the Grand Mosque de
Pantin after it had shared a video critical of the teacher on its Facebook page
in the days before the attack. He has since also closed two Islamic charities.
Macron
said: “Our compatriot was killed for teaching children freedom of speech.”
Since
then, Khan and his government have been conducting a public argument with
Macron. When the French president said that Paty was killed “because Islamists
want our future”, Khan said in a series of tweets that these remarks would only
sow division.
"This
is a time when Pres Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to
extremists rather than creating further polarisation & marginalisation that
inevitably leads to radicalisation," Khan wrote.
He
continued: "It is unfortunate that he has chosen to encourage Islamophobia
by attacking Islam rather than the terrorists who carry out violence, be it
Muslims, White Supremacists or Nazi ideologists."
Khan’s
human rights minister Shireen Mazari later deleted a tweet comparing Macron’s
treatment of Muslims to the Nazi’s treatment of the Jews.
'Code
of existence'
How
is this going to end?
Khan
sees two scenarios: either France finds a way of living with the biggest Muslim
community in western Europe - a “code of existence” is how he describes it - or
it will continue to alienate and exclude its Muslim citizens from public life.
Western
society refuses to understand the hurt caused to millions of Muslims when the
Prophet is insulted, Khan says.
“They
cannot understand the reverence we have for the Holy Prophet, peace be upon
him. People love him, more than anything, respect and love for him is paramount
in our religion.”
At
the heart of this dispute between two national leaders is profound disagreement
about the nature of free speech. For Macron and his many supporters, free
speech is a fundamental freedom which is a core republican value.
In
contrast, Khan believes that the right to free speech should not override
community cohesion and the need to protect communal relationships.
As
an example, he defends Pakistan’s bitterly criticised blasphemy law on the
grounds that it has protected religious communities.
“The
blasphemy law was made by the British when they were ruling India. What was the
blasphemy law? Three different human communities living in a village. Someone
would insult a sacred entity of the other community. There would be a riot.
People would be killed. So they then said this is not allowed. So instead of
there being a riot, they would go to the police saying the law has been
insulted.”
Khan
defends legislation against hate speech, including laws in 16 European
countries and Israel against Holocaust denial.
But
Khan presses this point: just as western society recognises that Holocaust
denial caused “a lot of pain to the Jewish community”, so it should also
recognise the pain caused to Muslims by orchestrated insults of the Prophet
Muhammad.
“No
one should be allowed to cause pain to human communities. If we have to live in
a global village, therefore we Muslims must make every human community define
what gives them pain. This [insulting the Prophet] is what gives us pain.”
But
for Khan it is not just the West that has failed. Muslim leaders kowtowing to
the wave of alienation have failed too.
They
too, he said, have allowed the West to conflate Islam and terrorism.
He
said that just as it was wrong to blame India for a deadly variant of Covid,
terrorism should not be associated with any religion.
“What
has Islam got to do with terrorism? Just now, this Indian variant of the
Covid-19 came across, devastating the world, but the Indians said, ‘Look, don't
call it Indian variant, call it Delta variant’. Because why should any virus be
associated with any nation? Similarly, why should terrorism be associated with
any religion?”
But
why, then, is Khan so silent about China’s well-documented mistreatment of
another Muslim minority, the Uighurs?
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
SOPs
issued for events of Eid Miladun Nabi
October
12, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
To reduce chances of Covid-19 transmission during the upcoming Eid Miladun Nabi
celebrations, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued
standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the occasion.
On
the other hand, more than 1,000 coronavirus cases surfaced after a gap of three
days.
The
NCOC, which met on Monday, issued guidelines to local authorities, organisers
and participants of Eid Miladun Nabi gatherings to minimise the risk of virus
spreading.
The
meeting suggested that the size of the congregations should be determined on
the basis of local safety regulations under the guidance of health authorities.
A
direct link and channels of communication between event organisers, health and
local authorities, religious leaders and relevant stakeholders should be
established.
It
was decided that all individuals with Covid-19 symptoms, contacts of positive
cases during their period of quarantine and those with high risk of mortality
(older individuals, persons with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and
chronic chest conditions) should be prohibited from attending Mehfil-i-Milad
and processions.
Seerat
conference and Mehfil-i-Milad
The
NCOC directed that outdoor Seerat conferences and Mehfil-i-Milad be
prioritised; however, if it is not possible, adequate ventilation in indoor
venues should be ensured.
Air
conditioners must not be used in closed halls, and if portable ventilation
equipment, like fans, is required, steps should be taken to direct air flow in
a way that it does not blow from one person to another to reduce the potential
spread of airborne or aerosolised viruses.
Religious
scholars (Ulema, Sana Khawan and Naat Khawan) must only be allowed to address
gatherings after they undertake a Covid-19 test with a subsequent negative
result.
Social
distancing should be ensured while making seating arrangements during
Mehfil-i-Milad, keeping a distance of six feet between each person.
Use
of loudspeakers would be allowed so that people are able to listen to the
religious scholars speak on the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him).
Electronic
media has been advised to carry out live transmissions so that people can watch
Eid Miladun Nabi events from their homes.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1651551/sops-issued-for-events-of-eid-miladun-nabi
--------
India
Pakistan-based
‘terrorist’, living in India for past 10-15 years, arrested by Delhi Police
October
12, 2021
The
Delhi Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested a Pakistan-based “terrorist”
who was planning an attack in the capital. The terror suspect was apprehended
from East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar where he was allegedly living under a fake name.
Police said they recovered an AK-47 rifle, a hand grenade, pistols and
ammunition from his hideouts in Delhi.
The
accused, identified as Mohd Ashraf Ali, has been booked under sections of the
UAPA Act, Explosives Act and Arms Act by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell.
According
to police officials, Ali hails from the Punjab province of Pakistan and has
been living in India for the last 10-15 years.
“We
received a tip that a terrorist was hiding in Laxmi Nagar and could be planning
something big in the coming days. Based on the inputs, raids were conducted and
Ali was apprehended from his house around 10 pm on Monday. We found an AK-47
along with several arms and ammunition from his house. We suspect he was
planning a major attack in the city,” said a senior police officer.
Police
said he was living in India under the name Ali Ahmed Noori. He obtained
identity cards through forged documents, they added.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Karnataka:
Muslim Students Attacked For Wearing Skull Cap In Tuition
By
Sameer
12th
October 2021
Bagalkote:
In yet communal incident, Muslim students have been attacked for wearing skull
cap in private tuition. This incident took place in Bagalkote, Karnataka.
It
is reported that Muslim students were beaten up by over 15 people. In the
attack, two students suffered from serious injuries.
After
the incident, the students were shifted to a hospital for treatment.
MS
Education Academy
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/karnataka-muslim-students-attacked-for-wearing-skull-cap-in-tuition-2206622/
--------
Bhopal:
Four Muslim Men Targeted by Bajrang Dal Outside College Garba Event, Then
Detained by Police
Oct
12, 2021
New
Delhi: Four young Muslim men, including two students, in Bhopal were taken into
police custody on Sunday night after members of the Hindu right-wing Bajrang
Dal decided to “catch them” and hand them over to the police, the Indian
Express reported. The men were outside a garba organised by Oxford College,
where two of the men – Adnan Shah and Kadir Mansoori – are students. The other
two – Umar Khalid and Sayyad Sakib – are their friends, according to the
newspaper.
The
Bajrang Dal members reportedly claimed that the garba event was being held in
violation of COVID-19 norms and also promoted “love jihad“. “Love jihad” is a
commonly-used bogey by the Sangh parivar in recent years, claiming without evidence
that Muslim men and luring Hindu women into marriage and forcing them to
convert. Despite the dubious nature of this theory, several Bharatiya Janata
Party-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh, have passed laws specifically
meant to tackle “love jihad”. Numerous reports have shown that these laws are
being used to target interfaith couples and Muslim men.
Superintendent
of Police, Indore West, Maheshchand Jain admitted to the Indian Express that
the action against the four young men was “unfair” and that he had recommended
that they not be detained. Malharganj SDM Parag Jain, however, said the four
had been charged for creating a “public nuisance”, and were sent to jail as
their families didn’t furnish bail bonds.
Bajrang
Dal and VHP district in-charge Tarun Devda wrote a complaint letter to the
police saying that though the college was given permission to hold a garba for
800 attendants, it sold 3,000 tickets. Devda continued that the college was
assembling “young women” and promoting “love jihad”, “distorting the purity of
the event”, Indian Express reported.
A
case under IPC Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public
servant) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against a member of the
college management, Akshay Tiwari, but he has not been arrested yet, News18
reported.
An
eyewitness told the Indian Express that the Bajrang Dal members targeted the
four because of their religious identity. “Ye unwala hai (He is one of
theirs),” BCom student Habib Noor quoted the Bajrang Dal members as saying.
Adnan
Shah’s uncle Sajid Shah said his nephew and his friends regularly participate
in college events, irrespective of their religion. “… Be it garba or Republic
Day, they participate in all college functions. What are they being punished
for?”
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thewire.in/communalism/bhopal-mp-bajrang-dal-garba-muslim-men-targeted
--------
India
condemns suicide attack on mosque in Afghanistan
Oct
11, 2021
India
on Monday strongly condemned a terrorist attack on a Shia mosque at Kunduz in
Afghanistan in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed and said the
perpetrators of the assault should be speedily brought to justice.
The
Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed the suicide bombing at the mosque on
October 8. Hundreds of Shia men gathered for Friday prayers when the bomber
struck. Dozens of people were injured in the deadly attack.
“India
strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a Shia mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan
in which more than 100 Afghans were reported to have lost [their] lives and
several others injured,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
“We
extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims during
their difficult time,” it said.
India
said the attack had once again highlighted the need to combat terrorism in
Afghanistan.
The
statement said, “India stands committed in the fight against the scourge of
terrorism and reiterates the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan.
We stand with the people of Afghanistan and hope that perpetrators of this
attack would be identified and brought to justice expeditiously.”
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mehbooba
Mufti bats for SRK’s son, accuses BJP of targeting Muslims to gain votes
Oct
12, 2021
SRINAGAR:
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti spoke out
on Monday in favour of filmstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, who had been
caught by the Narcotics Control Bureau, saying in a tweet that Aryan was being
targeted by central agencies because of his surname.
"Instead
of making an example out of a Union minister’s son accused of killing four
farmers, central agencies are after a 23-year-old simply because his surname
happens to be Khan. Travesty of justice that Muslims are targeted to satiate
the sadistic wishes of BJP’s core vote bank," Mehbooba tweeted.
Aryan
Khan was caught by the NCB during a drug bust on board a cruise ship off the
coast of Mumbai on October 2. He has been denied bail by a local court and
lodged in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail till October 13.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
NIA
conducts raids at 16 locations in J&K linked to over ground workers of
terrorist group
Oct
12, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at 16
locations in Jammu and Kashmir in a new case linked to the Over Ground Workers
(OGWs) of Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF).
The
agency also conducted raids at five locations in Delhi-NCR in the Mundra drug
seizure case.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Modi at G20 expected to highlight India's willingness and commitment to help
Afghans with humanitarian aid
Oct
12, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the extraordinary meet
on Afghanistan called by Italy, chair of G20. The world's richest economies
will discuss the humanitarian crisis and terror risks emanating from
Afghanistan.
India
has already shared its position that it stands with Afghans and is ready to
continue its assistance programme. India has indicated in the past that it
wants unimpeded, unrestricted access. New Delhi also called for impartial
distribution of assistance to all sections of society.
Being
one of the biggest donors, India has spent 3 billion dollars to rebuild the
war-torn country. There are small and big India-built community and
developmental projects in all provinces of Afganistan.
In
his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month, Prime Minister
Modi said, "The world must fulfil its duty by providing help to the people
in war-torn Afghanistan where women, children and minorities are in need."
In
Tuesday's meet, other than outlining India's willingness to provide
humanitarian support to Afghans, PM Modi is also expected to inform G20 nations
about the risks of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and how a neighbouring
country is aiding anti-India terror groups in Afghanistan.
At
a virtual meeting on Afghanistan organised by SCO last month, PM Modi
emphasised and warned that if "instability and fundamentalism"
persist in Afghanistan, it will encourage terrorist and extremist ideologies
all over the world.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
terrorists killed in J&K's Shopian district
Oct
12, 2021
SRINAGAR:
Three terrorists of The Resistance Front (TRF), including the one involved in
the recent killing of a non-local street hawker here, were killed in an
overnight encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and
Kashmir, police said on Tuesday.
The
security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Tulran, Imamsahab
area of Shopian, in South Kashmir on Monday evening, after receiving specific
inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.
He
said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired
upon the search party of the forces, who retaliated.
In
the ensuing gunfight, three militants were killed, the official said.
The
police said they belonged to TRF -- a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
"#ShopianEncounterUpdate:
03 #terrorists of LeT (TRF) killed. Identification being ascertained.
#Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. Search
going on. Further details shall follow," the Kashmir Zone Police wrote on
its Twitter handle.
Kashmir
IGP Vijay Kumar said one of the three militants was involved in the killing of
non-local street hawker Virendra Paswan.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Modi, Boris Johnson talk vaccine certification, Afghan situation
October
12, 2021
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Monday held
a telephone conversation during which they welcomed the UK’s recognition of
Indian vaccine certification and agreed on the need for a coordinated
international approach to engage with the Taliban, according to a statement by
the UK.
The
telephone conversation came four days after the UK announced that Indian
travellers fully vaccinated with both doses of Covishield or any other vaccine
approved by it will not need to undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine on
arrival from October 11.
In
a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the two leaders reviewed the
progress in bilateral relations since their virtual summit earlier this year,
and expressed satisfaction at the steps initiated under the Roadmap 2030
adopted during the virtual summit. They also reviewed the progress of the
Enhanced Trade Partnership and agreed on the potential of rapidly expanding
trade and investment linkages between both countries, it said.
It
said the leaders held discussion on issues related to climate change, in the
context of the coming UNFCCC COP-26 meeting in Glasgow in November. PM Modi
conveyed India’s commitment to climate action, as seen in its target for
expansion of renewable energy and the recently announced National Hydrogen
Mission.
The
leaders exchanged views on regional developments, especially the situation in
Afghanistan. In this context, they agreed on the need to develop a common
international perspective on issues regarding extremism and terrorism, as well
as human rights and rights of women and minorities.
The
British statement said the two prime ministers discussed the shared fight
against coronavirus and the importance of opening up travel. “They agreed the
UK’s recognition of Indian vaccine certification is a welcome development to
that end,” it said. According to the statement shared with journalists by the
British High Commission here, the two leaders discussed the strength of the
UK-India relationship and climate action in the context of the coming COP-26 in
Glasgow. “The leaders talked about the current situation in Afghanistan. They
agreed on the need for a coordinated international approach to engagement with
the Taliban, emphasising the importance of upholding human rights in the
country,” it said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
closely following developments in Afghanistan: Jaishankar
October
11, 2021
India
said on Monday that it was closely following the developments in Afghanistan
and underscored the importance of the Taliban regime meeting the expectations
of the international community as elaborated in a UN Security Council
resolution.
External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made the remarks during a joint press appearance
with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbaev after a “constructive” meeting
with him here.
Jaishankar
said that discussion on developments in Afghanistan and its implications for
the peace and security of the region occupied some time in his talks with
Kazakbaev.
“We
are closely following the developments in Afghanistan. It concerns all of us.
Any instability in Afghanistan will have an impact in the region. There are
expectations of the international community from the current regime in
Afghanistan, which are adequately elaborated in the UNSCR 2593,” he said.
The
UNSC resolution 2593 unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used
for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts; and
specifically refers to terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security
Council, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad
“India
and Kyrgyz Republic have a shared approach to developments in Afghanistan,” he
said in a tweet.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Spokesman:
Iran, Azerbaijan Pursuing Logical Path in Bilateral Ties
2021-October-11
"The
two countries have always pursued a logical procedure in their relations. It is
unnatural to disrupt relations between Iran and the Republic of
Azerbaijan," Khatibzadeh told reporters on Monday.
The
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, however, said Iran has told its concerns to
the Azeri side, and they have also said they will address those concerns.
"We
have never closed our airspace to Azerbaijan. The land route is also open
between the two countries and the two sides should not allow third parties to
affect relations," Khatibzadeh added.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman is response to a
question about Iran-Saudi Arabia talks in the Iraqi capital said, "Baghdad
has been a good host to date, and there is no need to change the location of
the talks as long as possible. The two countries are discussing more serious
issues."
"Iran
has always pursued its policy and believes that talks between regional actors
and Iran and Saudi Arabia can be one of the pillars of peace and stability in
the Persian Gulf region," he added.
Khatibzadeh
pointed out that Iran and Saudi Arabia have held four rounds of talks in
Baghdad and bilateral and regional issues, including the Persian Gulf and
Yemen.
"The
fate of Yemen will be determined by the Yemeni people and their will. What
Saudi Arabia has to do is stop the war and the cruel siege and the conditions
that have led to human tragedy," the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman
further said.
He
also expressed hope that Iran and Saudi Arabia relations will contribute to the
peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Health
activists address stigma to raise breast cancer awareness in Gaza
12
October ,2021
Health
authorities and charities in Gaza are stepping up efforts to persuade women to
be tested for breast cancer, hoping to overcome social stigma over dealing with
the disease.
As
part of a “There’s no shame in it” campaign launched by private charity Fares
Al-Arab in conjunction with the health ministry, Muslim preachers have been
promoting early detection and bakers have enclosed similar messages in bread
packages.
A
mobile testing van has taken to the road, providing scans for some 150 women a
day over the past week at the start of the annual international breast cancer
awareness month in October.
“‘There’s
no shame in it’ is a message of hope and safety for every women, telling them
to go ahead and check,” said Georgette Harb, the campaign’s leader.
“There
is a category in the community that deals with the issue as shameful, and they
deal with breast removal and the word breast as if it was obscene or shameful,”
said Harb.
Breast
cancer accounts for 32 percent of the cases of cancer among women in Gaza, the
health ministry said.
Cancer
patients there face multiple problems ranging from poverty, the lack of
medication in the territory’s hospitals and some difficulty going for treatment
to Israel, the West Bank and beyond due to permit restrictions.
During
the campaign, Gaza’s main telecommunications company PalTel bathed its
headquarters in pink lights, the color illustrating breast cancer awareness,
with more institutions due to follow.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Commander:
Iran Possessing Largest Chopper Fleet in Region
2021-October-11
“We
have the largest fleet of helicopters in the region. Today, our helicopters are
outfitted with the best night-vision cameras and precision missiles,” General
Kioumars Heidari said on Sunday.
“We
have also achieved important milestones in the field of UAVs. At present, we
have achieved self-sufficiency in the field of combat and reconnaissance
drones, he added.
In
a relevant development last month, Iran’s Defense Ministry declared
self-sufficiency in manufacturing military drones.
In
relevant remarks earlier this month, Commander of the Iranian Army Air Defense
Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard announced that the Iranian-made Air
Defense systems have been upgraded to confront enemies' harshest threats.
"We
build equipment inside the country such as the Hormuz radar and the Shams
simulator that is cutting edge science and technology and the enemies know this
because they are constantly keeping an eye on us and know what indigenous
capabilities have been added to the air defense force in recent years,"
General Sabahifard said.
"Building
a long-range simulator system is more difficult than other simulators, but this
capability has been achieved in Air Defense Force Research and Self Sufficiency
Organization," he added.
General
Sabahifard said that the purpose of designing and building a simulator is that
instead of using the main system to train the troops, it is possible to train
specialists, people and users by building a simulation system so that they do
not have any problems working with the main system.
"What
is good about indigenous systems is that because they are built inside the
country, we can upgrade or redesign them based on the new threats to make them
able to deal with the toughest threats," he said.
General
Sabahifard said that the country's Air Defense and the powerful defense force
of the army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, because of the capabilities it has
obtained in the construction of the equipment, is number one in the region and
has a say in the world.
In
relevant remarks earlier this month, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed
Forces and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali
Khamenei underlined that the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces comprising the
Army, the IRGC, the Police Force, and the Basij Force have established a strong
defense shield against possible threats of enemies.
Ayatollah
Khamenei made the remarks at the joint graduation ceremony for cadets of the
Islamic Republic of Iran's Armed Forces Academies at Imam Hossein (PBUH)
University on Sunday morning.
Ayatollah
Khamenie, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, attended the
ceremony through videoconference.
Due
to the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony was held with only a number of the
exemplary units from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army, IRGC and Police in
attendance.
"Our
armed forces are a strong wall and a shield of the country against the hard
threats. Today, Iran's Armed Forces including the Army, the IRGC, the police,
the Basij are literally a defensive shield against the hard threats of external
and internal enemies," Ayatollah Khamenei said during the ceremony.
"The
security of a country is the basic and necessary infrastructure for all
activities and progress," he added. "It is a great honor for a
country to be able to provide its own security with its own capable and
powerful forces, and those who, under the illusion of relying on others, think
that they can provide security of their own countries, should know that they
will be slapped soon," the Supreme Leader added.
Ayatollah
Khamenei pointed out that the presence of foreign armies in our own region,
including the US military, is destructive and provocative.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000719000336/Cmmander-Iran-Pssessing-Larges-Chpper-Flee-in-Regin
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Iran
says ready to sign Russia strategic partnership, similar to one with China
11
October ,2021
Iran
is ready to sign a strategic partnership with Russia, mirroring one concluded
early this year with China, the foreign ministry said Monday.
"The
initial arrangements of this document, entitled the Global Agreement for
Cooperation between Iran and Russia, have been concluded," said ministry
spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.
"We
are in the process of finalizing diverse clauses of the document and we will
send it to Moscow," he told reporters.
"In
recent years, it has become necessary to improve relations between Iran and Russia
and to concentrate on strategic partnerships," he added.
"Between
Iran, China and Russia, the eastern axis is emerging."
He
added that Tehran hopes the document will be signed in the coming months.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Talks
with Taliban candid and professional, says US
Anwar
Iqbal
October
12, 2021
WASHINGTON:
The United States said on Monday that the weekend talks with the Taliban were
candid and professional.
During
the weekend, the Biden administration held their first face-to-face meeting
with the Taliban in Doha since the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in
late August.
On
Monday, a State Department official told journalists in Washington that on Oct
9 and 10, an interagency US delegation travelled to the Qatari capital to meet
senior Taliban representatives.
“The
US delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for
US citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners,” the department’s
spokesperson Ned Price said.
Group
will be judged on actions, not words: Price
US
officials also focused on human rights, including the meaningful participation
of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society, he said.
“The
two sides also discussed the provision of robust US humanitarian assistance,
directly to the Afghan people,” Mr Price said.
“The
discussions were candid and professional with the US delegation reiterating
that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.”
Mr
Price did not specify if any agreements were made.
Although,
Taliban officials spoke to various media outlets after the talks, they too
offered few details.
A
previous statement from the Taliban’s leadership said the meeting “went well”
and acknowledged that the United States would continue to provide humanitarian
support to Afghanistan, but it would not formally recognise the Taliban.
In
another media engagement, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said
Afghanistan’s new leaders were committed to ensuring terrorism does not take
root in Afghanistan again.
Those
comments came just two days after the militant Islamic State (Khorasan) group
claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that left more than 100 people
dead during noon prayer at a mosque in Afghanistan.
On
Saturday, another State Department official described the US-Taliban meeting as
the continuation of Washington’s “pragmatic engagement” with the Taliban on
issues of vital national interest.
The
US official, however, made it clear that “this meeting (was) not about granting
recognition or conferring legitimacy. We remain clear that any legitimacy must
be earned through the Taliban’s own actions”.
The
official said the US delegation included officials from the Department of
State, USAID, and other government agencies who met senior Taliban
representatives in Doha. He did not specify which agencies, but media reports
from Doha claimed that the US delegation included intelligence officials.
“This
meeting (was) a continuation of the pragmatic engagements with the Taliban on
issues of US vital national interest,” the State Department official said. “Our
key priorities are the continued safe passage out of Afghanistan of US and
other foreign nationals and Afghans to whom we have a special commitment (and)
who seek to leave the country.”
The
other key priority, the official said, was “holding the Taliban to its
commitment not to allow terrorists to use Afghan soil to threaten the security
of the United States or its allies”.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1651520/talks-with-taliban-candid-and-professional-says-us
--------
Hillary
Clinton and Louise Penny team up to write novel ‘State of Terror’
October
12, 2021
As
US forces left Afghanistan this summer and the Taliban seized control, Hillary
Rodham Clinton responded not just as a former secretary of state but in a
capacity she never imagined for herself — as a novelist seeing her first work
of fiction anticipate current events.
“State
of Terror,” completed months ago and coming out this week, is a thriller
co-written by Clinton and her friend Louise Penny, the bestselling crime
novelist. The main character, Ellen Adams, is a new secretary of state with a
backstory familiar to Clinton watchers — the surprise choice for an incoming
administration led by her onetime political rival, as Barack Obama had been
when he brought in Clinton after the 2008 election.
Secretary
Adams will soon be caught up in what Clinton calls one of her nightmare
scenarios while in Washington — an international terrorist plot involving
nuclear weapons. The trouble in part originates in Afghanistan, where the
previous administration of Trump-like President Eric Dunn has made a deal (as
Trump did) that Adams sees as effectively giving the country back to the
Taliban and raising the risk of terrorist activity.
“We
did do the outline a year or so before the (2020) election. We didn’t know who
was going to win. We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Clinton explained
during a recent joint interview with Penny at the Simon & Schuster offices
in midtown Manhattan. “Whoever was going to win — Trump , or I hoped, Biden —
would be facing a fait accompli.”
The
nearly 500-page novel combines other details that resonate with recent news —
for instance, a chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who, like Gen. Mark Milley under
Trump, challenges the civilian leadership — along with explorations of
friendship; a cameo for Penny’s famed fictional investigator, Armand Gamache;
and, for the writers, the enjoyment of placing women of a certain age at the
heart of a political thriller.
Seated
together on a modestly sized couch, Clinton and Penny converse like two public
people who know well how to share talking points with the media while also
clearly sharing a private history of travel, meals, confidences, inside jokes
and mutual esteem. When Penny remembered her apprehension about meeting Clinton
— “Hillary Clinton, my God, just so impressive, smart and thoughtful” — Clinton
smiled wryly and rolled her eyes.
“Do
you remember the first time we actually met?” Penny said to Clinton. It was in
a New York restaurant, just a couple of months after Clinton’s stunning loss to
Trump in 2016.
“And
you were at an event, I think the first in-person post-election event, in
Boston,” Penny recalled. “So you were late, and you came into this restaurant —
a public restaurant, obviously. And she showed up at the door, and the
restaurant was throbbing. Silence. Silence. And then as one, they rose and
applauded.”
“It
was in New York,” Clinton noted with a laugh — her home state, where she had
won by double digits.
Each
writer contributes an afterword in “State of Terror,” reflecting on their
friendship and professional partnership. They had, it turns out, long admired
each other. Penny had followed Clinton’s career since the early 1990s, when
Bill Clinton was first elected president, while Clinton’s best friend Betsy
Johnson Ebeling told a reporter in 2016 that both she and Clinton were fans of
crime novels and were reading Penny.
Penny
met Ebeling shortly after the interview, and was surprised to learn that
someone so close to Hillary Clinton was not an “intimidating power broker” but
a slight, unassuming woman with the “warmest smile and kind eyes.” She heard
from Clinton a few weeks later. Penny’s husband, Michael, had died of dementia,
and among her condolence cards was one from Clinton that cited his accomplished
medical career and offered thoughts on loss and grief.
“Secretary
Clinton, in the last stages of a bruising brutal campaign for the most powerful
job in the world, took time out to write to me,” Penny wrote, adding that they
had yet to meet and that Penny, a Canadian, couldn’t vote for her.
“It
was an act of selflessness I will never forget, and one that has inspired me to
be kinder in my own life.”
The
book is shaped by Penny’s narrative style and by Clinton’s government
experiences and global outlook, but also by grief that Clinton still finds hard
“to fully accept.” Ellen Adams is based in part on Clinton’s friend, former
Under Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher, who died in April 2019. Ebeling, the
inspiration for Ellen’s best friend, Betsy Jameson, in “State of Terror,” died
just a few months later. Ellen Adams’ daughter, Katherine, is named for
Tauscher’s daughter.
Hillary
Clinton, whose closest experience to writing a novel had been a play she wrote
in sixth grade about a trip to Europe, is not the first in her family to do so:
Bill Clinton has completed two bestselling thrillers with James Patterson, and
their success encouraged some publishing officials to wonder if Hillary should
try something similar.
The
idea for teaming up with Penny began with Stephen Rubin, a longtime industry
executive who since March 2020 has been a consulting publisher at Simon &
Schuster.
In
a recent email to the AP, he noted that Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp
was seeking ideas for a new book by Hillary Clinton, who has been with the
publisher for more than 20 years and wrote the bestselling memoirs “Living
History” and “What Happened,” among others. Penny’s publisher is St. Martin’s
Press, an imprint of Macmillan, where Rubin once worked.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
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