Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid: No Al-Qaida or Islamic State in Afghanistan
New
Age Islam News Bureau
22
September 2021
FILE - Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid,
center, addresses a media conference at the airport in Kabul on Aug. 31, 2021.
------
•
Afghanistan Could Descend Into Civil War If the Taliban Failed To Form an
Inclusive Government: Imran Khan
•
Muslims in India Have Highest Fertility Rate among Major Religious Groups, Total
Fertility Rate Declines: Pew Research Centre Report
•
Taliban Names Afghan UN Envoy, Asks To Speak To World Leaders
South Asia
•
Pakistan, China, Russia’s envoys meet Taliban premier, Afghan politicians
•
Taliban Bans IPL Broadcast Over Anti-Islam Content, Presence of Women: Reports
•
Saarc meet off as Pak insists on Taliban presence, others object
•
UN: Taliban want to address General Assembly
•
Taliban expand cabinet to include non-Pashtuns, but still no woman
•
At least 3 killed in attack on checkpoint in Jalalabad
•
Only minister of Ashraf Ghani’s cabinet sacked by Taliban
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Pakistan
•
Pakistan FM urges Taliban to keep its promises to international community
•
FM urges US to go beyond Afghan conflict for better ties
•
Afghan Taliban Arrest Officials Who Removed Pakistan's Flag from Aid Truck
•
Pakistan Sikh Religious Leadership Held Discussions with Visiting Akal Takht Jathedar
On Religious Issues
•
UMT Holds Seminar on ‘Inheritance Laws in Islam’
•
Bilawal expresses concern over Afghan Taliban and TTP links
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India
•
Shah Rukh Khan Says ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ and Islamists, Wish Death on Him,
Fourth Year in a Row
•
India: Man Held for Allegedly Uploading Derogatory Videos against Islam on His
YouTube
•
Muzaffarnagar Conversion Case: UP ATS Arrest Islamic Scholar Maulana Kaleem
Siddiqui; Foreign Funding Traced
•
BJP Will Rebuild All Temples, Demolished To Construct Mosques: MLA Sangeet Som
•
Taliban Takeover Forcing Heroin Surge into India; Assessment Spurred By Two
Sizable Seizures of Heroin off The Gujarat Coast
•
Turkish president Erdogan again makes reference to Kashmir in UNGA address
•
OBC Muslim groups too demand caste based census
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Europe
•
Taliban Names Afghan UN Envoy, Asks To Speak To World Leaders
•
German Policewoman Wrote Love Letters To Neo-Nazi Terrorist: Report
•
EU Ministers Agree On Bloc’s Approach Toward Afghanistan
•
Time running out for nuclear deal, Germany warns Iran
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North America
•
US President Biden Calls for a ‘Sovereign and Democratic’ State of Palestine
•
Biden says US starting ‘era of relentless diplomacy’ after Afghanistan
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Arab World
•
Imams of Mosques in Al-Anbar under The Pressure Of The Election Candidates: Sharia,
Tribalism, And Authority
•
Inheritance laws in Egypt needn’t follow strict Islamic law
•
Kurdistan’s leaders appreciate the “influential” role of the Union of Islamic
Scholars
•
Saudi Arabia and the UAE condemn failed coup attempt in Sudan
•
Saudi Arabia calls on world powers to prevent Iran from strengthening nuclear
capabilities
•
Hezbollah threatens Beirut blast probe judge: reports
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Mideast
•
Anger as US progressive Democrats object to Israel’s Iron Dome funding
•
Iran’s president, criticizing US, likens sanctions to ‘war’
•
Houthis not willing to make peace, Yemen’s parliament leader tells US envoy
•
Iran, Hezbollah planning attacks on US to retaliate for Soleimani slaying:
Officials
•
Iran says nuclear talks with world powers to resume in a few weeks
•
Nearly 80% of Palestinians want President Abbas to quit: Poll
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Africa
•
Unsure Of Libya’s Upcoming Presidential Elections, Islamists Prefer to Delay
Them
•
Libya’s eastern-based parliament withdraws confidence from unity government
•
Morocco elections: After the Islamists' fall, a stagnant political system
remains
•
Nigeria: Sheikh Zakzaky condoles with families and survivors of Zaria massacre
•
Sudan failed coup plotters were inside, outside of military: PM Hamdok
•
Sudan army arrests 21 officers, number of soldiers for attempted coup
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Sarawak Party Criticises Putrajaya’s Appeal of Citizenship Ruling
•
Pangkor not on domestic travel bubble list as yet to meet some requirements,
says Perak exco
•
Defence minister: Australia needs to approach Brunei on trilateral partnership
between UK, US
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/zabihullah-mujahid-al-qaida-islamic-state/d/125414
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Taliban
Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid: No Al-Qaida or Islamic State in Afghanistan
September
21, 2021
FILE - Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid,
center, addresses a media conference at the airport in Kabul on Aug. 31, 2021.
------
ISLAMABAD
— Afghanistan’s Taliban have rejected as
“baseless propaganda” American concerns that al-Qaida, or militants linked to
the Middle East-based Islamic State terrorist group, maintains a presence in
the South Asian country.
Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made the assertions at a news conference in Kabul just
days after the Islamic State’s regional affiliate, ISIS-K, claimed
responsibility for a string of deadly bomb attacks over the weekend targeting
Taliban fighters in eastern Nangarhar province.
Mujahid’s
remarks also follow recent warnings by U.S. intelligence officials that
al-Qaida and Islamic State operatives were making their way back to
Afghanistan, emboldened by the Islamist Taliban takeover of the conflict-torn
nation five weeks ago.
The
Taliban spokesman denounced the bombings in Nangarhar. He said his ruling
Islamist group was determined to stem the violence and does not see ISIS-K as a
significant threat.
“You
will witness for yourself that these will be the last attacks they have carried
out and they will not be able to conduct them in the future.”
Mujahid
asserted Tuesday that militants operating in Afghanistan in the name of ISIS-K
have no ties to those fighting in Syria and Iraq.
“Daesh
[Islamic State] has no physical presence here, but it is possible some people
who may be our own Afghans have adopted Daesh ideology, which is a phenomenon
that is neither popular nor is supported by Afghans,” he said, using an Arabic
acronym for the Middle East-based terror outfit.
ISIS-K
also claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport last
month that killed 13 U.S. service members and nearly 170 Afghan civilians who
had crowded outside the airport gates.
Al-Qaida
in Afghanistan
Central
Intelligence Agency Deputy Director David Cohen said last week that the U.S. is
“already beginning to see some of the indications of some potential movement of
al-Qaida to Afghanistan.”
"But
it's early days," Cohen told a panel discussion at an intelligence summit
outside of Washington. He warned that al-Qaida could reconstitute in as little
as a year. "We will obviously keep a very close eye on that.”
But
Mujahid denied those assertions.
"These
concerns about foreign militants or anyone linked to al-Qaida being present in
Afghanistan are misplaced and they are expressed for the sake of propaganda
only. We don’t see anyone in Afghanistan who has anything to do with al-Qaida,”
said the Taliban spokesman.
“We
have given commitment to the world and to America, as well that we will not
allow anyone to use Afghan soil to harm or threaten any country. This is a principled
position and we strictly stand by it because it is also in the interest of
Afghans,” Mujahid added.
Since
ousting the U.S.-backed government in Kabul last month, the Taliban have been
under pressure to deliver on counterterrorism pledges and renounce ties with
al-Qaida, the terrorist group Washington says organized the September 11, 2001,
strikes on America from the then -Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The
attacks provoked the United States and its Western allies to swiftly invade the
country and removed the Taliban from power for refusing to hand over the
al-Qaida planners.
The
Taliban regained power in Kabul after all U.S.-led NATO forces withdrew from
Afghanistan, and the government and its military collapsed in the face of
increased attacks by the insurgent group.
Male
Taliban Cabinet
Mujahid
addressed Tuesday’s news conference mainly to announce an expansion in the
Taliban’s two-week-old caretaker government, but failed to name any women to
the all-male cabinet of about 60 members.
He
insisted the Taliban government represented all Afghan ethnicities, saying
women will be added to the cabinet at a later stage but did not say when. The
spokesman again urged the United Nations, the U.S., the European Union, and
other countries, as well as Afghanistan’s neighbors, to recognize the Kabul
government.
Also,
several key Taliban Cabinet members are blacklisted by the U.S. and U.N.,
preventing countries from dealing directly with Kabul.
Washington
and other countries maintain they will judge the Taliban by their actions, and
that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to the treatment
of women and minorities, among other concerns.
The
demand stems from fears the Taliban may try to reimpose their hardline Islamist
rule the group enforced in Afghanistan when it was in control of most of the
country from 1996 to 2001. A brutal justice system, the barring of women from
work and public life, and girls from receiving an education, marked Taliban
rule during that time.
Source:
Voa News
https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-claim-al-qaida-islamic-state-are-not-in-afghanistan/6237589.html
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Afghanistan
Could Descend Into Civil War If the Taliban Failed To Form an Inclusive
Government: Imran Khan
September
22, 2021
Imran Khan's government has repeatedly called for
the world to engage with the Taliban [File: Saiyna Bashir/Reuters]
-----
KARACHI:
Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that Afghanistan could descend into civil
war if the Taliban failed to form an inclusive government.
“If
they do not include all the factions, sooner or later they will have a civil
war,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
“That
would mean an unstable, chaotic Afghanistan and an ideal place for terrorists.
That is a worry.”
The
prime minister laid out the conditions that would need to be met for Pakistan
to formally recognise the new Taliban government.
He
called for the new leadership in the neighbouring country to be inclusive and
to respect human rights. He reminded the Taliban that Afghanistan should not be
used to house terrorists who could threaten Pakistan’s security.
As
the Taliban had recently excluded girls from secondary schools with only boys
and male teachers allowed to return, PM Khan said he believed that girls would
soon be able to attend schools. He said preventing women from acquiring
education in Afghanistan would be un-Islamic.
“The
statements they have made since they came to power have been very encouraging,”
he said. “I think they will allow women to go to schools. The idea that women
should not be educated is just not Islamic. It has nothing to do with
religion.”
The
decision to exclude girls from returning to school last week prompted an
international outcry, with a Taliban spokesman later explaining they would
return to the classroom “as soon as possible”. But it is not yet clear when
girls will be able to return or what form of education will be provided if they
do.
When
pressed on whether the Taliban would realistically meet the criteria set by
Pakistan for formal recognition, PM Khan repeatedly called on the international
community to give the group more time. “It’s just too early to say anything,”
he said, adding that he expected Afghan women to eventually “assert their
rights”.
Prime
Minister Khan said Pakistan would make a decision on whether to formally
recognise the Taliban government alongside other neighbouring states. “All
neighbours will get together and see how they progress,” he said.
“Whether
to recognise them or not will be a collective decision.”
Source:
Dawn
--------
Muslims
in India Have Highest Fertility Rate among Major Religious Groups, Total
Fertility Rate Declines: Pew Research Centre Report
September
22, 2021
Washington:
Muslims in India still have the highest fertility rate among major religious
groups, followed by Hindus, while Jains have the lowest fertility rate, a
nonpartisan American think tank said in a report on Tuesday, according to which
every religious group in the country has seen its fertility fall.
In
the latest report on the religious composition of India, Pew Research Centre
said that among Indian Muslims, the total fertility rate has declined
dramatically, from 4.4 children per woman in 1992 to 2.6 children in 2015.
“Every
religious group in the country has seen its fertility fall, including the
majority Hindu population and Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain
minority groups,” it said.
“Muslims
still have the highest fertility rate among India’s major religious groups,
followed by Hindus at 2.1. Jains have the lowest fertility rate (1.2). The
general pattern is largely the same as it was in 1992, when Muslims had the
highest fertility rate at 4.4, followed by Hindus at 3.3. But the gaps in
childbearing between India’s religious groups are generally much smaller than
they used to be,” said the report.
For
example, while Muslim women were expected to have an average of 1.1 more
children than Hindu women in 1992, the gap had shrunk to 0.5 by 2015, said the
report.
“What
do these trends mean for India’s religious composition? India’s Muslim
population has grown somewhat faster than other religious groups because of
fertility differences. But due in part to declining and converging fertility
patterns, there have been only modest changes in the overall religious makeup
of the population since 1951, when India conducted its first census as an independent
nation,” Pew said.
Hindus,
it said, made up 79.8 percent of India’s 1.2 billion total inhabitants in the
most recent census, conducted in 2011. That is 0.7 percentage points less than
in the previous census in 2001, and 4.3 points below the 84.1% recorded in
1951. Meanwhile, the share of Muslims grew from 13.4 percent in 2001 to 14.2
percent in 2011 – up by a total of 4.4 percentage points since 1951, when the
census found that Muslims comprised 9.8 percent of India’s population.
Christians,
Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, who together make up nearly all of the remaining 6
percent of the population, were relatively stable in their shares since the
1951 census, it said. Statistical analysis of census and survey data shows that
fertility has been by far the biggest driver of the modest amount of religious
change in the decades since Partition, it added.
According
to Pew, in India and elsewhere, education is a primary factor in how many
children women tend to have. Other prosperity indicators – such as life expectancy
and average levels of wealth – also frequently correlate with fertility
measures: Women who have better access to schooling, jobs and health care tend
to have fewer children, it said.
“Population
growth is driven not only by how many children women have but also by the
concentration of women of childbearing age. Younger populations have more women
entering their prime childbearing years and, as a result, tend to grow faster
than older populations,” it said.
“In
addition, where people live within India, as well as their history and cultural
norms (which are harder to measure), play a role in the choices they make about
family matters. In short, people’s religion alone does not determine how many
children they will have. Religion is just part of a complicated picture,” Pew
said.
Source:
Firstpost
--------
Taliban
names Afghan UN envoy, asks to speak to world leaders
21
September ,2021
The
Taliban have asked to address world leaders at the United Nations in New York
this week and nominated their Doha-based spokesman Suhail Shaheen as
Afghanistan’s UN ambassador, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
Taliban
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the request in a letter to UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday. Muttaqi asked to speak during the
annual high-level meeting of the General Assembly, which finishes on Monday.
Guterres’
spokesperson, Farhan Haq, confirmed Muttaqi’s letter. The move sets up a
showdown with Ghulam Isaczai, the UN ambassador in New York representing
Afghanistan’s government ousted last month by the Taliban.
Haq
said the rival requests for Afghanistan’s UN seat had been sent to a
nine-member credentials committee, whose members include the United States,
China and Russia. The committee is unlikely to meet on the issue before Monday,
so it is doubtful that the Taliban foreign minister will address the world
body.
Eventual
UN acceptance of the ambassador of the Taliban would be an important step in
the hardline Islamist group’s bid for international recognition, which could
help unlock badly needed funds for the cash-strapped Afghan economy.
Guterres
has said that the Taliban’s desire for international recognition is the only
leverage other countries have to press for inclusive government and respect for
rights, particularly for women, in Afghanistan.
The
Taliban letter said Isaczai’s mission “is considered over and that he no longer
represents Afghanistan,” said Haq.
Until
a decision is made by the credentials committee Isaczai will remain in the
seat, according to the General Assembly rules. He is currently scheduled to
address the final day of the meeting on Sept. 27, but it was not immediately
clear if any countries might object in the wake of the Taliban letter.
The
committee traditionally meets in October or November to assess the credentials
of all UN members before submitting a report for General Assembly approval
before the end of the year. The committee and General Assembly usually operate
by consensus on credentials, diplomats said.
Others
members of the committee are the Bahamas, Bhutan, Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone
and Sweden.
When
the Taliban last ruled between 1996 and 2001 the ambassador of the Afghan
government they toppled remained the UN representative after the credentials
committee deferred its decision on rival claims to the seat.
The
decision was postponed “on the understanding that the current representatives
of Afghanistan accredited to the United Nations would continue to participate
in the work of the General Assembly,” according to the committee report.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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South Asia
Pakistan,
China, Russia’s envoys meet Taliban premier, Afghan politicians
21
Sep 2021
Special
representatives of Russia, China, and Pakistan to Afghanistan met with the
Prime Minister of Afghanistan Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund in the presidential
Palace (Arg) on Tuesday, September 21.
Zamir
Kabulov, Yue Xiaoyong, and Sadiq Khan also met former Afghan President Hamid
Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah later in the day.
Abdullah
Abdullah in a statement said that the special envoys were also accompanied by
their respective ambassadors to Kabul and discussed the ongoing situation in
Afghanistan.
As
per the statement, the special representatives acknowledged and underscored an
all-inclusive and a cabinet that is acceptable to all in the country.
“The
envoys underscored establishment of peace and stability, moderate politics,
respect to rights of women, and equal education rights for all the people in
Afghanistan.” Reads the statement.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban
Bans IPL Broadcast Over Anti-Islam Content, Presence of Women: Reports
September
22, 2021
New
Delhi: The Taliban, reports have said, have banned the broadcast of the Indian
Premier League in Afghanistan, citing presence of “anti-Islam content,” the
fact that women with their hair uncovered will be present in stadiums where
matches will be held and that there will be dancing.
Indian
Express, in its report, quoted tweets by the former Afghanistan Cricket Board
media manager M. Ibrahim Momand and Afghan sports journalist Fawad Aman.
In
August, the Taliban had said they would not interfere with the Afghan men’s
national cricket team, the country’s biggest sporting success of recent years,
or stop the expansion of the flagship Twenty20 league.
Afghanistan
Cricket Board head of media operations Hikmat Hassan had told Reuters in August
that Afghanistan’s own domestic version of the IPL, the “Shpageeza Cricket
League” (SCL), a competition named after the Pashto language word for a six,
would be an opportunity for the country to come together.
The
fate of much more modest women’s cricket programmes is, of course, unclear.
AFP
had reported last week that Afghanistan’s new sports chief had announced that
the Taliban will allow 400 sports – but declined to confirm if women can play a
single one.
“Please
don’t ask more questions about women,” Bashir Ahmad Rustamzai had told AFP.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Saarc
meet off as Pak insists on Taliban presence, others object
Sep
22, 2021
NEW
YORK: The meeting of the foreign ministers of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which was scheduled to be held in New York on the
sidelines of the high-level 76th United Nations General Assembly session on
Saturday, has been cancelled, according to sources.
The
member-states apparently couldn’t agree on Afghanistan’s participation with
Pakistan insisting that the Taliban be allowed to represent Afghanistan.
India
along with some other members objected to the proposal and due to lack of
consensus or concurrence meet has been cancelled. Nepal was to host the
meeting.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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UN:
Taliban want to address General Assembly
Sep
22, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: The Taliban, Afghanistan's new rulers for a matter of weeks, are
challenging the credentials of their country's former UN ambassador and want to
speak at the General Assembly's high-level meeting of world leaders this week,
the international body says.
The
question now facing UN officials comes just over a month after the Taliban,
ejected from Afghanistan by the United States and its allies after 9/11, swept
back into power as US forces prepared to withdraw from the country at the end
of August.
The
Taliban stunned the world by taking territory with surprising speed and little
resistance from the US-trained Afghan military. The Western-backed government
collapsed on August 15.
UN
spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a
communication on September 15 from the currently accredited Afghan Ambassador,
Ghulam Isaczai, with the list of Afghanistan's delegation for the assembly's
76th annual session.
Five
days later, Guterres received another communication with the letterhead
“Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” signed by “Ameer
Khan Muttaqi” as “Minister of Foreign Affairs,” requesting to participate in
the UN gathering of world leaders.
Muttaqi
said in the letter that former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani was “ousted” as of
August 15 and that countries across the world “no longer recognise him as
president,” and therefore Isaczai no longer represents Afghanistan, Dujarric
said.
The
Taliban said it was nominating a new UN permanent representative, Mohammad
Suhail Shaheen, the UN spokesman said. He has been a spokesman for the Taliban
during peace negotiations in Qatar.
Senior
US State Department officials said they were aware of the Taliban's request —
the United States is a member of the UN credentials committee — but they would
not predict how that panel might rule.
However,
one of the officials said the committee “would take some time to deliberate,”
suggesting the Taliban's envoy would not be able to speak at the General
Assembly at this session at least during the high-level leaders' week.
In
cases of disputes over seats at the United Nations, the General Assembly's
nine-member credentials committee must meet to make a decision. Both letters
have been sent to the committee after consultations with General Assembly
President Abdulla Shahid's office.
The
committee's members are the United States, Russia, China, Bahama, Bhutan,
Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Sweden.
Afghanistan
is scheduled to give the last speech on the final day of the high-level meeting
on September 27. It wasn't clear who would speak if the committee met and the
Taliban were given Afghanistan's seat.
When
the Taliban last ruled from 1996 to 2001, the UN refused to recognise their
government and instead gave Afghanistan's seat to the previous,
warlord-dominated government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who eventually
was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. It was Rabbani's government that
brought Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, to Afghanistan from Sudan in
1996.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban
expand cabinet to include non-Pashtuns, but still no woman
Sep
22, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Taliban expanded its interim cabinet on Tuesday by including new members,
all men and several of them from non-Pashtun ethnic groups, in an attempt to
satisfy the global community which has been insisting that their government
should be inclusive. However, not a single woman has been included in the
cabinet so far.
After
including 17 new members on Tuesday — which included representatives from the
Hazara, Tajik and Uzbek ethnic groups — the strength of the Afghan caretaker
government reached 50. In the first phase, Taliban had announced names of 33
ministers on September 7.
Announcing
the cabinet expansion at a press conference, Zabihullah Mujahid, deputy
minister for information and culture, said he was hopeful that the
international community would recognize their government in the near future.
On
women’s affairs ministry and girls’ education, Mujahid simply said that the
government was working to address women’s demands for work and education. He
also hinted that women might be added to the cabinet later. He added that the
decision not to allow return of girls in grades six to 12 to schools was
temporary.
“We
are working to complete the procedures so that girls can resume their
education. We will soon announce when they can go to school,” he said.
Mujahid
said that there was no reason to withhold recognition of their government.
“This is the responsibility of the United Nations to recognise our government.
We want to have diplomatic relations with European, Asian and Islamic
countries,” he said.
Despite
being referred to as a caretaker setup, the Taliban have not yet fixed any
duration for it. They have neither disclosed their plan about formation of a
permanent government nor said anything about conducting elections in the
country in future.
Mujahid
also spoke on the country’s critical economic conditions, saying that the
domestic revenue was sufficient for fulfilling the basic needs. “We are using
all diplomatic channels to unfreeze the Afghan assets,” he said. After the
Taliban took over, the US had frozen $9.5 billion assets of the Afghan central
bank.
According
to figures accumulated by watchdog bodies, more than 150 media outlets have
stopped their operations in the last month due to shortage of funds and fear of
Taliban policies. Many journalists and broadcasters had left the country after
the Taliban toppled the previous government.
The
Taliban deputy minister further stated that the Kabul airport’s main radar was
badly damaged and international commercial flights will resume after the
completion of repair work. He added that helicopters at the Kabul airport were
destroyed “by American soldiers”. Recently some Taliban fighters were seen in a
viral video swinging on a wing of an abandoned US chopper.
Meanwhile,
rights groups have accused the Taliban of “steadily dismantling” human rights
in Afghanistan after they took control of the country.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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At
least 3 killed in attack on checkpoint in Jalalabad
September
22, 2021
At
least three people were killed on Wednesday by gunmen who attacked a checkpoint
in eastern Afghanistan, a Taliban official confirmed.
While
the Taliban official said all the deceased the civilians, witnesses and a
security source told AFP that two of the casualties were Taliban fighters. The
latter added that the attack was carried out by unidentified gunmen in a
rickshaw and targeted a checkpoint in Ghawchak district of Jalalabad.
The
attack in Jalalabad city is the latest on Taliban targets in Nangarhar
province, which for years was the main operating base of the Islamic State (IS)
group's Afghanistan chapter.
In
another incident, local residents told AFP that two Taliban fighters were
injured while trying to defuse an improvised explosive device in Jalalabad.
Further
details were not immediately available.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647781/at-least-3-killed-in-attack-on-checkpoint-in-jalalabad
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Only
minister of Ashraf Ghani’s cabinet sacked by Taliban
21
Sep 2021
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan sacked the only remaining acting minister of the
previous government Waheed Majroh and appointed Qalandar Ebad as acting
minister of public health on Tuesday, September 21.
Waheed
Majroh was the only minister left from the previous government who was still on
his post since the Taliban’s takeover.
The
deputy minister of information and culture and spokesperson of the Taliban
Zabiullah Mujahid announced two acting ministers of the remaining ministries 9
deputy ministers on Tuesday, September 21.
Noordin
Azizi as acting minister of industry and commerce is the second acting minister
along with the Ebad.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/only-minister-of-ashraf-ghanis-cabinet-sacked-by-taliban-346346/
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Pakistan
Pakistan
FM urges Taliban to keep its promises to international community
September
22, 2021
WASHINGTON:
The Taliban should respect international opinion and keep their promises to
have an inclusive government and not allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven
for terrorist groups, Pakistan’s foreign minister told reporters in New York at
a briefing attended by Arab News.
“It
would be a positive step for the Taliban to include ethnic Tajik, Uzbek and
Hazara groups in their government,” said Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is attending
the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
The
Taliban seem to be more “open-minded” than the last time they were in power in
the 1990s, he added, calling for reconciliation and respect for human rights,
including women’s rights.
“If
the Taliban can demonstrate these objectives, it will be positive (for
Afghanistan),” Qureshi said. “We believe that the reconciliation process in
Afghanistan can’t be completed without the formation of a united government.”
He
said the international community should allow Afghanistan to access its frozen
assets abroad in order to alleviate its people’s suffering.
The
international community, he added, can help stabilize Afghanistan politically
and economically, and create an environment where its people do not have to
flee and become refugees in neighboring countries.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1933456/world
--------
FM
urges US to go beyond Afghan conflict for better ties
Anwar
Iqbal
September
22, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: Pakistan on Tuesday urged the United States to go beyond the Afghan
conflict and build a bilateral relationship anchored in trade, investment and
people-to-people contacts.
“We
want to build a more broad-based and multidimensional relationship. We want to
break out of the cyclical pattern that defined Pakistan-US ties in the past,”
said Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Council on Foreign
Relations (CFR), New York, where he outlined his vision of this bilateral
relationship.
Yet
the minister had to confront several questions on Afghanistan, with CFR
President Ambassador Richard Haass voicing the concern that often echoes in
such gatherings across the US that the Taliban re-established their control
over Afghanistan, because “Pakistan provided them sanctuary for 20 years”.
Says
Pakistan is in no rush to recognise the Taliban govt
The
minister disagreed with the suggestion, saying that “Pakistan has done its bit”
in clearing Taliban sanctuaries in the tribal belt, conducting operations even
in the so-called no-go areas. “We cleansed them. We cleansed them,” he said.
“We fenced the border despite... If you are concerned about sanctuaries, look
into Afghanistan,” he added.
Ambassador
Haass used the response to pose a counter question: Could the Taliban now use
Afghanistan to radicalise Pakistan?
“Depends
on how you deal with Afghanistan today,” Mr Qureshi replied urging the world
powers not to isolate Kabul’s new rulers. “If the international community
disengages, if you do not deal with the immediate humanitarian crisis, if you
let the Afghan economy collapse, if you continue freezing the Afghan money,
then you will be creating space for those elements that we correctly agreed to
fight and defeat,” he said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647691/fm-urges-us-to-go-beyond-afghan-conflict-for-better-ties
--------
Afghan
Taliban arrest officials who removed Pakistan's flag from aid truck
Arif
Hayat
September
22, 2021
The
Taliban have decided to take action against officials who removed Pakistan's
flag from an aid truck that arrived in Afghanistan via the Torkham border
carrying necessary food items.
On
Sunday, Pakistan had donated food items — loaded in 17 container trucks — on
humanitarian grounds to the newly-formed Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Speaking
on the occasion, Pak-Afghan Cooperation Forum Chairman Habibullah Khan had said
that the goodwill gesture from Pakistan was made at a time when the
war-stricken and impoverished people of Afghanistan direly needed such
assistance.
However,
a video emerged on social media of Taliban officials removing a Pakistan flag
attached to the side of a truck.
In
the video, which shows normal citizens and Taliban fighters, people are heard
saying to "rip" the flag. Loud cheers and chants are heard as the
flag is removed while a Taliban fighter says it should be "burned".
In
response to the video, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a
statement that the entire cabinet of the Islamic Emirate was
"saddened" by the incident.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Sikh religious leadership held discussions with visiting Akal Takht jathedar on
religious issues
Sep
21, 2021
AMRITSAR:
Sitting and former presidents of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(PSGPC) reportedly held discussions with the visiting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani
Harpreet Singh on various Sikh religious issues including Nanakshahi Calendar
(NC).
Giani
Harpreet Singh who is currently on a visit to Pakistan led a ‘nagar kirtan’
(religious procession ) from Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, Pakistan
up to Zero Line at Indo Pak international border, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur
district of India on the eve of the death anniversary of Sikh’s first master
Guru Nanak Dev which is being observed at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur
Sahib on September 22.
A
local resident Babar Jalandhari informed TOI over the phone from Kartarpur
Sahib that Akal Takht Jathedar along with PSGPC presidents was sitting in
attendance of Sri Guru Granth Sahib installed in the golden palanquin which was
placed in a special bus given to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib by PSGPC. Panj Payara's
(five beloved ones) had led the nagar kirtan which is the third nagar kirtan up
to Zero Line since the opening of Kartapur Corridor.
"It
took nearly one hour to traverse around 4.5 kilometer distance from Gurdwara Darbar
Sahib to Zero line," said Babar.
According
to sources Ameer Singh, president of PSGPC, and former presidents of Pakistan’s
Sikh body including Satwant Singh and Bishan Singh held a meeting with Harpreet
Singh to discuss various religious issues prominently among the issue of NC.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UMT
Holds Seminar on ‘Inheritance Laws in Islam’
September
22, 2021
The
University of Management and Technology (UMT)’s Women Leaders Awareness
Committee under the umbrella of Women Leaders organized it first-ever awareness
session titled: “Inheritance Laws in Islam and Their Implementation in
Pakistan.”
Objective
of the seminar was to create awareness among the women about their Islamic
legal rights of inheritance and dissemination information regarding law of
inheritance in Islam and its implementation in Pakistan.
Justice
(r) Nasira Javed Iqbal was the guest speaker on the occasion. Justice (r)
Nasira Iqbal said that Islam and the country constitution contain all the
information related to inheritance.
She
elaborated her point by saying that women’s share in inheritance is meant to
make them financially viable so that they make their livelihood to meet any
eventuality.
It
is essential for them not only to generate income but also to sustain herself
and her children.
Source:
Pak Observer
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://pakobserver.net/umt-holds-seminar-on-inheritance-laws-in-islam/
--------
Bilawal
expresses concern over Afghan Taliban and TTP links
September
22, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
“There have been complaints from journalists in Afghanistan that women are
protesting for their rights and we are concerned that girls are not being
allowed to go to schools,” said Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari in an interview with BBC World on Tuesday.
“We
continue to encourage the new regime in Afghanistan to live up to international
expectations if they want international recognition,” he said according to a
press release issued here after the interview.
The
PPP chairman said that as soon as the situation in Afghanistan developed, the
PPP called for the government of Pakistan to hold a session of parliament.
“As
with various issues in our country, we have been unable to form a national
consensus. We require an inclusive foreign policy that is per the will of the
parliament not of any individual,” he said.
Responding
to a question, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan’s influence over Afghanistan was
often exaggerated, however, Pakistan should play its role in encouraging an
inclusive government in Afghanistan, for the protection of women and children
there.
“We
should work ... to ensure that Afghan land is not used to promote terrorism in
the region.”
The
interviewer asked a question about the civilian government having little say in
matters, to which Bilawal responded by saying that it was true that the
democratic space in Pakistan was ‘shrinking’, especially during Imran Khan’s
government.
“In
order for that space to be regained, it is the choice of democratic people of
the country to play an active role in the political system, through the
parliament and media.”
The
role of various agencies in Afghanistan over the past two decades will be
discussed in history, he said.
“Everyone
seems to be blaming one another, but it is important to work together for a
positive outcome for the sake of the region. For the women and youth of
Afghanistan who have so much potential, it is worrisome that their potential is
in danger.”
The
PPP leader further said: “We are very concerned about the potential blowbacks
of the developments in Afghanistan as well as the links between
Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. We have suffered
immensely at the hands of violent extremism. I lost my mother, the former prime
minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to Islamic extremism within Pakistan.
In order to counter the threat of extremism, we need determination from the
government of Pakistan to ensure no space for terrorism or extremism.”
He
said: “What we have learned from Afghanistan is that extremism is not battled
with bombs alone, but ideas and opportunities. We have to provide for the
people of Pakistan who have a stake in the political and economic system. When
there is this sort of deprivation, all sorts of negative influences can take
advantage of the situation.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647696/bilawal-expresses-concern-over-afghan-taliban-and-ttp-links
--------
India
Shah
Rukh Khan Says ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ and Islamists, Wish Death on Him, Fourth
Year in a Row
20
September, 2021
Bollywood
actor Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday took to social media to share a picture of a
murti of Lord Ganesha ahead of visarjan following the Ganesh Chaturthi.
Ganpati
Bappa Morya, he said as he and his family bid adieu to the Vighnaharta. And as
usual, like clockwork, Islamists descended upon his timeline, asking him to
‘convert’ to Hinduism as idol worship is ‘haram’ in Islam. This time, the hate
was not just limited to faceless, nameless trolls, but even blue-ticked and
verified social media Islamists were out there attacking Khan.
Sameera
Khan hating on SRK
Pro-Pakistan
Twitter user Sameera Khan, who currently lives in US as per her Twitter bio
asked Shah Rukh Khan to ‘convert’ already as idol worship is the greatest sin
in Islam. She asserted that religion comes before nation and hence Khan should
‘convert’.
She
was supported by other Islamists who called Khan ‘worst then kafirs’.
Kafir
is one who does not follow Islam as faith. ‘Munafiq’ is a ‘false Muslim’ and
decried in the Quran who may be outwardly Muslims but inwardly not a strict
follower of the faith. Since Shah Rukh Khan celebrates Hindu festivals
including idol worship of Lord Ganesha, he was branded a ‘munafiq’ by the
Islamists.
More
hate for SRK
Many
called him Shirk and Kafir and many fundamentalists believe that kafirs and
‘non-believers’ deserve to be punished with death. Murtid is apostasy and
apostasy is also to be punished with death.
Pakistanis
losing their minds
His
fans from Pakistan, where Bollywood and the Khans are very popular, were also
quite triggered. Shoaib Niazi, who as per his profile worked with Pakistan news
channel Geo News, was quite upset that a ‘role model’ was indulging in idol worship.
When someone tried to put sense of inclusivity to Niazi, another Pakistani user
claimed that idol worship is not necessary to be a good human and that by doing
so, he was ‘proving his loyalty’ to those who ‘worship that particular idol’,
that is the Hindus.
SRK
being attacked
The
pattern is predictable. Any Muslim celebrity who celebrates or wishes for
non-Islamic festivals like Diwali, Christmas, get their Muslim credentials
cancelled by Islamists.
Comments
on SRK
One
does not even look too far – a cursory glance under his tweet will show how the
Islamists were triggered.
Unfortunately,
this is the fourth year in a row (at least) that he has been attacked, and this
time even the blue-ticked verified accounts joined in. OpIndia had reported
last week how this year, Khan had skipped wishing his fans on Ganpati on
Chaturthi earlier this month. This was after years of abuses and attacks by
Islamists on him and his family.
Source:
Opindia
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.opindia.com/2021/09/shah-rukh-khan-ganpati-visarjan-islamists-attack/
--------
India:
Man Held for Allegedly Uploading Derogatory Videos against Islam on His YouTube
22nd
September 2021
CHENNAI:
A 52-year-old man was arrested for allegedly uploading derogatory videos
against Islam on his YouTube channel. Police identified the man as A Sivakumar,
who was running a yogikudil ashram near Indra Nagar in Puzhal.
The
action was taken based on a complaint by Saadiq Basha (40), the Madhavaram
in-charge of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi. “Sivakumar has been uploading
controversial and derogatory videos against Islam, Gods of other religions, and
Muslim women. One such video has gone viral on a social media platform,” Basha
alleged in the complaint.
Police
launched an investigation and arrested Sivakumar after an extensive search
operation. A case was registered under eight sections of the IPC, and one section
of the Information Technology Act. During the investigation, it was found that
Sivakumar was earlier arrested and given bail in a case in January this year
for allegedly posting derogatory videos against Hindu Gods.
Four
held for possession of meth; 561 grams, vehicles seized
Chennai:
The city police arrested four men from two different places, allegedly for
possessing methamphetamine, a synthetic drug. Acting on a tip-off, a special
team under Kilpauk Deputy Commissioner, Karthikeyan, secured one K Ahmed (26)
of Kasimedu from Namachivayapuram on Monday. A few sachets of the drug were
seized from him. Based on his inputs, they searched a house in Kodambakkam and
arrested one A Sivakumar (49) of Padianallur. In total, 557 grams of the drug
were seized. The Kodungaiyur police later arrested two others, A Sheik Abdullah
(25) of Arumbakkam and P Balaji (22) of Kodungaiyur.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muzaffarnagar
conversion case: UP ATS arrest Islamic scholar Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui; foreign
funding traced
Sep
22, 2021
Meerut:
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad on Wednesday arrested Islamic scholar
Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, who is one of the biggest clerics from western UP,
from Meerut on charges of religious conversion.
His
name cropped up during the investigation into the Umar Gautam case. Umar Gautam
was jailed in June after the UP police rounded him up for allegedly running a
conversion racket.
The
64-year-old Islamic scholar was on the radar of security agencies due to
suspicious activities. He was nabbed as soon as he arrived in Meerut last
night. He is currently being interrogated by UP Police.
Siddiqui,
a resident of Muzaffarnagar, was arrested in connection with India’s largest
religious conversion syndicate busted by the UP ATS, the police said.
“He
runs Jamia Imam Waliullah trust that funds several madrassas for which he
received huge foreign funding. Investigation shows Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui’s
trust received Rs 3 crores in foreign funding, including Rs 1.5 from Bahrain.
Six teams of ATS have been formed to investigate this case,” Uttar Pradesh
Police ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told the media on Wednesday.
Maulana
Kaleem Siddiqui arrested Muzaffarnagar conversion caseMaulana Kaleem
Siddiqui. | Photo Credit: TwitterKEY HIGHLIGHTSThe
64-year-old Islamic scholar was on the radar of security agencies due to
suspicious activitiesHe was nabbed as soon as he arrived in Meerut last
nightAmanatullah Khan, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Delhi’s Okhla, called the
arrest “atrocity on Muslims”
Meerut:
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad on Wednesday arrested Islamic scholar
Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, who is one of the biggest clerics from western UP,
from Meerut on charges of religious conversion.
His
name cropped up during the investigation into the Umar Gautam case. Umar Gautam
was jailed in June after the UP police rounded him up for allegedly running a
conversion racket.
The
64-year-old Islamic scholar was on the radar of security agencies due to
suspicious activities. He was nabbed as soon as he arrived in Meerut last
night. He is currently being interrogated by UP Police.
Siddiqui,
a resident of Muzaffarnagar, was arrested in connection with India’s largest
religious conversion syndicate busted by the UP ATS, the police said.
“He
runs Jamia Imam Waliullah trust that funds several madrassas for which he
received huge foreign funding. Investigation shows Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui’s
trust received Rs 3 crores in foreign funding, including Rs 1.5 from Bahrain.
Six teams of ATS have been formed to investigate this case,” Uttar Pradesh
Police ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told the media on Wednesday.
Source:
Times Now News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
BJP
will rebuild all temples, demolished to construct mosques: MLA Sangeet Som
September
22, 2021
The
BJP will rebuild all temples which were demolished to construct mosques, the
party's Uttar Pradesh MLA from Sardhana assembly seat in Meerut, Sangeet Som,
asserted on Tuesday.
Som
made the assertion while dubbing former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav a
seasonal Hindu.
People
who caned seers during their regime are now visiting Haridwar to tender
apologies to them and have ended up proclaiming to build Lord Vishvakarma
temple, he said, taking a dig at the previous Samajwadi Party government.
Som
was addressing a news conference, convened to detail the achievements of the
Yogi Adityanath government in the last four and half years.
Mocking
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, he said, Ahead of the upcoming UP
assembly elections, many people become seasonal Hindus. The people who ordered
firing at devotees are now talking of building temples, he said.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
Takeover Forcing Heroin Surge into India; Assessment Spurred By Two Sizable
Seizures of Heroin off The Gujarat Coast
Sep
22, 2021
AHMEDABAD:
International drug lords are desperate to pump in prodigious quantities of
heroin into India, officers of security and anti-smuggling agencies said. The
assessment is spurred by two sizable seizures of heroin made recently off the
Gujarat coast. The officers said the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has given
a ballast of urgency to the drug mafia.
Officers
of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
(DRI), and the Gujarat Anti-terrorism squad (ATS) confirmed that concentrated
efforts are being made to push heroin produced in Afghanistan into India. The
officers said that the smugglers are likely to use the sea route via Iran.
The
officers said that the drug lords fear confiscation of the heroin stock by the
Taliban. Apart from staggering financial losses, the druglords also face the
prospect of summary execution if caught by the Taliban, the officers said.
These factors are fuelling drug runs into India, the officers said.
Sources
in the agencies said that the possibility of more heroin ships being caught in
Indian waters cannot be ruled out. “The DRI found about 3,000kg of heroin at
Mundra port and the investigation is underway,” a senior NCB officer said. “The
heroin was smuggled from Afghanistan, which is the biggest producer of opium.
The country has labs to process opium into heroin.”
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
president Erdogan again makes reference to Kashmir in UNGA address
Sep
22, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again referred to the
issue of Kashmir in his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General
Assembly session.
Last
year also, Erdogan in his pre-recorded video statement to the General Debate
had made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir.
India
at that time termed it as "completely unacceptable", saying Turkey
should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own
policies more deeply.
Erdogan
in his address to the General Debate on Tuesday said: “We maintain our stance
in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through
dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United
Nations resolutions.”
The
Turkish President, a close ally of Pakistan, had repeatedly raised the issue of
Kashmir in his address to the high-level General Debate.
He
had also raised the Kashmir issue during his visit to Pakistan last year.
The
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at that time has said Erdogan's remarks
reflected neither an understanding of history nor of the conduct of diplomacy
and that they will have strong implications on India's ties with Turkey.
It
said India rejected the repeated attempts by Turkey to justify the cross-border
terrorism "practised so blatantly" by Pakistan.
In
his address on Tuesday, the Turkish President also referred to China's minority
Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Myanmar's Rohingya during his address.
Erdogan
said that “within China's territorial integrity perspective, we do believe that
more efforts need to be displayed regarding the protection of the basic rights
of the Muslim Uyghur Turks.”
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
OBC
Muslim groups too demand caste based census
22nd
September 2021
New
Delhi: OBC Muslim groups have now pressed for caste based census in the country
which has been a major demand of political parties across the board from NDA
allies to the UPA.
National
Momin Conference which is a Muslim OBC body, on Wednesday demanded from the
Prime Minister that if it is not done now, the OBC community will have to wait
for another ten years.
Shakiluzzaman
Ansari, president of the body said, “the Prime Minister himself calls that he
is from the OBC community and he knows the problems of the community as well.
We hope that Prime Minister will accept the demand of the community.”
MS
Education Academy
Ansari
who was the member of National Backward Commission, said, “The country should
know what is the population of the OBC and what is their social status so that
welfare schemes could be diverted towards that particular community.”
The
National Momin Conference has passed a resolution on the issue and will be
writing to Prime Minister. Not only this, another body, the All-India Pasmanda
Muslim Mahaz, which has been carrying out a campaign for reservation to the
backward Muslim communities, has demanded that a caste based census of the
minority community also be conducted.
A
meeting of 17 Muslim organisations was recently held to chalk out further
action plan.
Mahaz
President Ali Anwar Ansari has said the caste census should not be restricted
to the Hindu community but should be extended to the minority community as
well, since Muslims also follow the caste system.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/obc-muslim-groups-too-demand-caste-based-census-2195590/
--------
Europe
German
policewoman wrote love letters to neo-Nazi terrorist: Report
21.09.2021
BERLIN
A
German policewoman was suspended after an investigation found that she sent
love letters to a neo-Nazi terrorist, local media reported on Tuesday.
The
young police officer posted several romantic letters and also praised the
xenophobic and anti-Semitic views of the neo-Nazi terrorist Stephan Balliet,
who is serving a prison sentence, according to newsweekly Stern.
The
officer, who was reportedly in her 20s, was working at a police station in the
Bitterfeld district of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and used a fictitious
name to conceal her identity while posting letters to the prison, according to
the report.
An
internal investigation was ongoing to reveal whether the young police officer
had ties to far-right and neo-Nazi groups.
Balliet
was sentenced to life in prison last year, for the terrorist attacks he carried
out in 2019 in the eastern city of Halle, which claimed the lives of two people
and injured several others.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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EU
Ministers Agree On Bloc’s Approach Toward Afghanistan
Agnes
Szucs
21.09.2021
BRUSSELS
EU
foreign ministers on Tuesday adopted a document guiding the bloc’s approach
toward the Taliban-appointed interim government in Afghanistan.
The
conclusion officially confirmed the main findings of the EU foreign ministers’
informal meeting hosted by the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU
earlier this month.
In
the document, the bloc stresses its commitment to the peace and stability of
Afghanistan and the wider region, and it vows to support the Afghan people.
For
this purpose, the EU is willing to maintain an “operational engagement” with
the interim government that doesn’t imply official recognition.
The
EU sets five conditions for cooperation, including the fight against
international terrorism, respect for human rights, especially women’s rights,
the establishment of an inclusive and representative government, free access
for humanitarian aid, and granting free departure for foreign citizens and
Afghans at risk.
The
foreign ministers also agreed to preserve a “minimal presence” of the bloc’s
diplomatic representation in Kabul in order to facilitate the delivery of
humanitarian aid and to monitor the situation.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-ministers-agree-on-bloc-s-approach-toward-afghanistan/2370532
--------
Time
running out for nuclear deal, Germany warns Iran
Oliver
Towfigh Nia
21.09.2021
BERLIN
Germany’s
foreign minister on Tuesday warned Iran that time is running out for diplomatic
efforts to rescue the 2015 nuclear deal.
“I
will meet with the Iranian foreign minister and once again make it very clear
that we are running out of time,” Heiko Maas said in New York ahead of his
meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines
of the UN General Assembly.
“We
do not agree that the Iranian negotiating delegation will return to Vienna for
negotiations in two, three months. It has to be done quickly now. This is not
only our expectation, but also that of our French, British and American
friends.”
Maas
reiterated that a nuclear agreement was still possible if Tehran returns
swiftly to the dialogue table.
“We
still believe that it is possible to lead these negotiations to a positive
result, but not in months, but in the coming weeks,” he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/time-running-out-for-nuclear-deal-germany-warns-iran/2370866
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North America
US
President Biden calls for a ‘sovereign and democratic’ state of Palestine
22
September ,2021
US
President Joe Biden doubled down on his calls for a “sovereign and democratic”
Palestinian state on Tuesday during his speech to the UN General Assembly.
Although
he admitted that there is “a long way” to reach the goal of a state for
Palestine, Biden said: “I continue to believe that a two-state solution is the
best way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish democratic state, living in
peace alongside a viable, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state.”
Biden’s
comments coincided with strong opposition in Washington over a bill to be
passed by members of Congress, which included $1 billion for Israel’s so-called
Iron Dome.
Several
Democratic colleagues of Biden said they would not pass the bill if the
allocation were included. It was a further sign of growing frustration among
progressive lawmakers over the decadeslong stance of US support for Israel.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Biden
says US starting ‘era of relentless diplomacy’ after Afghanistan
21
September ,2021
US
President Joe Biden told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that
America is “opening a new era of relentless diplomacy” following the end of the
war in Afghanistan.
Biden
also said the United States would be prepared to use force “if necessary” but
that military power must be a “tool of last resort.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab World
Imams
of mosques in al-Anbar under the pressure of the election candidates: Sharia,
tribalism, and authority
2021-09-22
Shafaq
News/ With less than a month from the parliamentary elections, pressures
exerted by the candidates on the Imams and clerics in the mosques of al-Anbar
have been taken to higher levels. Candidates from influential parties in the
governorate recognize the centrality of religion in the public consciousness.
They intend to use the most of it to promote their campaigns ahead of the
democratic event.
The
Imams of mosques have informed the candidates on several occasions that
exploiting their clerical status for electoral purposes is forbidden. So, the
latter resorted to "Tribalism" to pressure their cousins to endorse
their campaigns.
"Imams,
preachers, and clerics in the mosques of al-Anbar are tribesmen. The majority
of candidates are also members of their tribes. Therefore, exploiting that, the
candidates have demanded the Imams and preachers to endorse them on the
mosques' platforms to promote them," Sheikh Mohammed al-Kuhli, a mosque
Imam in al-Anbar, told Shafaq News agency.
"Our
answer to these calls was to keep the mosques away from the elections and
political debates because they exist to reform, not to promote Islamic or civil
candidates," al-Kuhli said.
"Imams
and preachers support the electoral process, not the candidates. We have seen
that candidates and parties work according to their agendas and interests. On
the other hand, we seek the best interest of the people and the country in
general," al-Kuhli continued.
Sheikh
Talal Abdullah said, "Allah says in His Holy Book 'and the places of
worship are only for Allah, so pray not unto anyone along with Allah', i.e., we
should not promote on its platform because these places are dedicated for
goodness and worshipping."
"Allah
Almighty has ordered building the mosques to recite the Qur'an and pray for
guidance. Hence, it is not permitted to promote election campaigns or political
issues because this is forbidden by the agreement of all Islamic sects,"
he added.
"According
to the laws and directives of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC),
exploiting or using the houses of worshipping in the electoral propaganda is
not allowed," said Nasrat Iyad, director of the IHEC in al-Anbar.
"So
far, there have been no violations for the electoral propaganda regulations in
mosques. We have not received any complaints about the use of mosques to
promote election campaigns. If we receive a confirmed complaint about this
matter, the case will be brought before the Board of Commissioners, and the
necessary measures will be taken," Iyad said in an interview with Shafaq
News agency.
"All
political alliances in Al-Anbar are using their influence to promote their
electoral propaganda in a certain direction. In the west of al-Anbar, some
independent candidates are exploiting al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization
Forces-PMF) for this," said Uday Ahmed, an observer for the elections in
al-Anbar governorate.
"Candidates
from the Takadum party led by Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi are
using government departments in the governorate to promote their electoral
propaganda by executing projects in the constituencies of the candidates,"
he told Shafaq News agency.
Source:
Shafaq News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Inheritance
laws in Egypt needn’t follow strict Islamic law
Heba
Yosry
22
September ,2021
There
has been an ongoing debate recently in Egypt concerning the laws of
inheritance. In the country family law is mainly influenced by Islamic law and
hence the discourse was among religious scholars, but was followed closely by
numerous Egyptians who are directly impacted.
The
underlying - and in many ways ancient question that sparked this controversy
is: is it permissible to sell one’s assets completely to one’s children before
death?
Historically,
the answer invoked direct quotations from the Quran stating that God knows best
and that one is forbidden from tampering with Divine wisdom that guides laws of
inheritance.
Accordingly
a person who willfully chooses to leave his or her belongings solely to their
children might face ramifications in the afterlife because of disobedience.
Furthermore, allowing an uncle to have part of the inheritance or giving the
son double will allow the males in the family to take better care of the female
members.
It
is claimed that it will also provide cohesion and retain the family’s wellbeing
because men will naturally feel moral, and take financial responsibility for
the women, remaining as their main source of support. Often customs can include
the stipulation that a girl can get married and her husband can financially
support her while a boy needs to support himself.
To
appease concerned parents asking questions about the ins and outs of
inheritance law they are told that they are free to leave an endowment to
whomever they wish, but the amount cannot exceed a third of what they
themselves own.
For
some this seems appropriate, but from personal experience and anecdotal
evidence suggests that inheritance laws do not bring feelings of cohesion and
togetherness: it instead brings strife, discord and a very quick disintegration
of family relationships. There is a naivety thinking that bonds grow stronger.
When
my father died 12 years ago, a level of ugliness and greed appeared that wasn’t
present before. It led to an uncle harassing and filing a string of lawsuits
against his nieces and I, and our mother.
Living
in the world of idealism it’s easy to believe that uncles have moral and can
offer balanced financial responsibility towards his nieces and nephews, but in
reality over the decades many have suffered.
This
is why when the Azhari scholar Sheikh Ahmed Kereima announced that it is
permissible for a parent to sell, and even if the sale was strictly on paper,
all assets must go to the children made me jubilant.
He
explained that inheritance laws should be brought in the event of a person’s
death, and since a person is still alive and can exercise their own freewill
that person can do with those assets what they wish. His view is logical,
modern, and realistic and doesn’t negate Divine commandments in any way.
Some
argue that God ensures the child’s rights by allowing a third of one’s assets
to be endowed in the form of will which should be given to the beneficiary even
before any debts that the deceased might have.
True,
the will can be viewed as a continuation of the deceased’s agency even after
their death. Yet, sometimes it is simply not enough, and sometimes adults take
what the children need because it is their rightful inheritance with no sense
of responsibility or remorse because God has given it to them and who can
debate with God.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Kurdistan’s
leaders appreciate the “influential” role of the Union of Islamic Scholars
2021-09-21
Shafaq
News/ the Prominent Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and President Nechirvan
Barzani praised the role of the Kurdistan’ Union of Islamic Scholars in
“rejecting violence and extremism” and confronting terrorism.
The
two leaders issued statements on the 51st anniversary of establishing the Union
in the Region by Mullah Mustafa Barzani.
Leader
Masoud Barzani said, "The establishment of the Union of Islamic Scholars
in Kurdistan by the immortal Barzani was an essential step in consolidating the
role of scholars and senior clerics in promoting the principles of
faith…spreading a culture of coexistence …educating citizens in all regions,
cities and villages.”
He
added, “the Scholars played remarkable roles during the struggle and revolution
by raising the national awareness among people, introducing rights and
rejecting injustice.”
"I
highly appreciate the effective and influential role of scholars and clerics,
who dealt with wisdom when terrorism represented a great threat to the region
and the world.” He concluded.
In
turn, tThe President of Kurdistan said in another statement, "We highly
value the role, influence, and struggle of the Union of Islamic Scholars in
Kurdistan… for more than half a century they serve the religion and the people
of Kurdistan, strengthen the national spirit, confront injustice and defend the
rights of religious scholars,… we fully support their rights.”
Source:
Shafaq News
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Saudi
Arabia and the UAE condemn failed coup attempt in Sudan
22
September ,2021
Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have condemned a failed coup attempt that
took place in Sudan overnight on Monday, according to both countries’ foreign
ministries.
“The
Kingdom denounces and condemns the failed coup attempt that took place against
the legitimate state institutions in Sudan, and affirms its solidarity with
Sudan in all that supports its security, stability and prosperity, the
government and the people,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement
carried by the official SPA news agency.
“The
UAE condemns the attempted coup in Sudan. It affirms its support for its
brotherly people,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement carried
by the official WAM news agency.
A
government source told Reuters that the attempted coup involved an effort to
take control of state radio in Omdurman, across the River Nile from the capital
Khartoum.
“The
military has defeated the coup attempt and the situation is completely under
control,” the media adviser to Sovereign Council head, General Abdelfattah
al-Burhan, later told state news agency SUNA.
Measures
were being taken to contain a limited number of people involved, the source
said. All those implicated had been arrested, SUNA reported.
A
witness said that military units loyal to the council had used tanks to close a
bridge connecting Khartoum with Omdurman early on Tuesday morning.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia calls on world powers to prevent Iran from strengthening nuclear
capabilities
September
22, 2021
JEDDAH:
Saudi Arabia supports international efforts aimed at preventing Iran from
acquiring nuclear weapons, ministers said on Tuesday.
During
its weekly meeting, chaired by King Salman from NEOM, the Saudi Cabinet
restated the Kingdom’s position laid out at a recent International Atomic
Energy Agency meeting.
During
the meeting last week, Prince Abdullah bin Khaled bin Sultan, the Kingdom’s
representative to the agency, called on Iran to fully comply with the IAEA’s
safeguard agreements under the 2015 nuclear deal.
“Iran’s
nuclear blackmail must be stopped,” he said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1933256/saudi-arabia
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Hezbollah
threatens Beirut blast probe judge: reports
September
21, 2021
BEIRUT:
Tarek Bitar, the judge leading the investigation into the August 2020 Beirut
Port blast, received a threat from the militant Hezbollah group, according to
Lebanese news reports.
Arab
News learned that the head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, Wafiq
Safa, visited Public Prosecutor Judge Ghassan Oweidat and the head of the
Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, on Monday.
The
motives behind the visits were unknown but Safa reportedly said, “Bitar’s
performance has raised the ire (of Hezbollah) and we will keep a close eye on
his work until the end, and should he drift off the course, we will remove him
from his position.”
In
response to the threat, Bitar said: “It is fine, I do not care how they will
remove me,” according to Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation reporter Edmond
Sassine.
Bitar,
who issued several arrest warrants over the past few weeks pertaining to his
investigation, set up sessions to question former ministers and current MPs Ali
Hassan Khalil, Ghazi Zeaiter, and Nohad Al-Machnouk about their knowledge of
the deadly Beirut Port explosion.
Bitar
summoned Khalil for interrogation on Sept. 30 and Zeaiter and Machnouk and Oct.
1. The judge took advantage of the expiration of the extraordinary parliament
mandate after the Najib Mikati government was granted the vote of confidence in
a session held on Monday, and the automatic lifting of parliamentary
immunities, pending the launch of the regular mandate in mid-October.
The
Beirut Port explosion on Aug. 4, 2020, killed more than 200 and left 6,500
injured when thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated along with
quantities of seized explosives. The deadly blast destroyed the Beirut
waterfront and its surrounding neighborhoods.
Bitar
charged the former ministers with “a felony of probable intent to murder” in
addition to “a misdemeanor of negligence” because they were aware of the
presence of ammonium nitrate and “did not take measures to avoid the
explosion.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1933041/middle-east
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Mideast
Anger
as US progressive Democrats object to Israel’s Iron Dome funding
22
September ,2021
A
group of leftist US Democrats came under heavy fire Tuesday after reportedly
vowing to nix a short-term spending bill over a $1 billion allocation for
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The
party leadership vowed there would be no interruption in funding, with the cash
being sourced elsewhere -- but not before being berated by Republicans for
capitulating to “anti-Semites” on their left flank.
While
the row looked ultimately like a storm in a teacup, it underlined that
progressives are becoming increasingly skeptical of no-strings-attached aid to
America’s key ally in the Middle East, just months after the end of hardline
right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu’s 11-year premiership.
Operational
for a decade, the Iron Dome has intercepted and destroyed thousands of
short-range rockets and artillery shells launched by Hamas militants from Gaza
before they were able to hit populated areas, Israeli officials say.
Tuesday’s
drama was sparked by House Democrats removing a provision originally included
in a bill to keep the federal government funded that would have helped boost
the Israeli air defense system.
The
about-face came after a group of leftist representatives objected to the
allocation, US media reported, threatening to tank the bill when it comes up
for a vote later Tuesday.
House
Appropriations chair Rosa DeLauro said there would be no interruption in
funding for the Iron Dome, Politico reported, giving assurances that it would
be in the defense budget for the 2022 fiscal year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran’s
president, criticizing US, likens sanctions to ‘war’
21
September ,2021
Iran’s
new president slammed US sanctions imposed on his nation as a mechanism of war
Tuesday, packing a full slate of direct criticism of the United States into his
first UN address as head of state.
“Sanctions
are the US’ new way of war with the nations of the world,” President Ebrahim
Raisi said. Although some 100 heads of state and government are attending the
UN General Assembly leaders’ meeting in New York this week, Raisi delivered his
remarks from Tehran remotely as some have also chosen to do.
Raisi,
who was sworn in last month after an election, is a conservative cleric and
former judiciary chief who is close to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He used his time before world leaders to slam the United States and espouse
Iran’s Islamic political identity.
“What
is seen in our region today proves that not only the hegemonist and the idea of
hegemony, but also the project of imposing Westernized identity have failed
miserably,” Raisi said.
“Today,
the US does not get to exit Iraq and Afghanistan but is expelled,” he added.
The US military withdrew from Afghanistan and has largely withdrawn from Iraq.
“Today,
the world doesn’t care about “America First” or “America is Back”,” he said,
referring to the slogans used by Republican US President Donald Trump and his
successor, Democratic President Joe Biden.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Houthis
not willing to make peace, Yemen’s parliament leader tells US envoy
September
22, 2021
DUBAI:
The Iran-backed Houthi militia are unwilling to make peace in Yemen and are
actually undermining efforts for hostilities to cease in the conflict-ridden country,
a senior Yemeni politician said.
“We’re
ready to achieve peace, but the Houthi militia has not yet agreed to do so, it
has continued to deliberately undermine peace efforts and proposals, going on
fighting. These indicators show they have never been willing to make peace,”
Parliament speaker, Sultan Al-Barakani said as he met US envoy to Yemen Timothy
Lenderking to discuss peace initiatives for Yemen.
The
Houthis are to blame for blocking peace efforts and initiative and escalating
military actions targeting civilians and facilities including Mocha port, state
news agency SABA quoted the parliament leader as saying.
Al-Barakani
pointed to the recent public execution of nine people, who were accused of
being involved in the killing of Houthi leader Saleh Al-Samad in 2018, as an
example of the militia’s crimes against the Yemeni people.
Meanwhile,
the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms claimed it had documented 6,476 violations committed by the Houthis against
women in more than five years, involving mostly deaths and injuries caused be
artillery shelling, as well as mines and other explosive devices detonating.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1933396/middle-east
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Iran,
Hezbollah planning attacks on US to retaliate for Soleimani slaying: Officials
21
September ,2021
Iran
is planning ways to retaliate against the US for the slaying of Quds Force
Commander Qassem Soleimani, and Lebanese Hezbollah is being closely watched for
potential attacks on American soil, a top US intelligence official warned
Tuesday.
“Protecting
against such threats is even more important now, as Iran, its agents, and
proxies plan ways to retaliate against the United States for the January 2020
killing of IRGC-QF Commander Qassem Soleimani,” Christine Abizaid, the director
of the National Counterterrorism Center, said during testimony before the US
Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Abizaid
said the US had assessed that Iran-backed Hezbollah maintained a “high
threshold for conducting attacks in the Homeland.
“Secretary-General
Hassan Nasrallah balances his organization’s view of the United States as one
of its primary adversaries against the likelihood of US retaliation if the
group decided to conduct an attack,” Abizaid added.
Soleimani
was killed in a drone strike ordered by former President Donald Trump after the
Iranian general was said to have been planning attacks on US diplomats and
military personnel.
The
strike, which was carried out in Baghdad, also killed Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis,
then-deputy commander of Iraq’s Shiite militia, Popular Mobilization Forces.
“Iran
views terrorism as a tool to support its core objectives, including projecting
power in the Middle East, defending Shia Islam, and deterring its strategic
rivals,” Abizaid said.
Turning
to Iraq, Abizaid suggested that Iran-backed Shiite militias were posing the
“most immediate threat to US interests,” citing drone attacks on US facilities
there.
The
US intelligence official also highlighted Iran’s support for the Houthis in
Yemen. “In Yemen, Iran has maintained its years-long effort to support Houthi
attacks against Saudi Arabia and other targets located in the Gulf, including
those involving long-range missiles and UAVs,” she said.
For
his part, FBI Director Chris Wray said Iran and its global proxies were
continuing to plot attacks against the US and its allies throughout the Middle
East.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran
says nuclear talks with world powers to resume in a few weeks
21
September ,2021
Iran
said on Tuesday that talks with world powers over reviving its 2015 nuclear
deal would resume in a few weeks, the official Iranian news agency IRNA
reported.
“Every
meeting requires prior coordination and the preparation of an agenda. As
previously emphasized, the Vienna talks will resume soon and over the next few
weeks,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, according to
IRNA.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Nearly
80% of Palestinians want President Abbas to quit: Poll
September
22, 2021
JERUSALEM:
A new poll has found that nearly 80 percent of Palestinians want President
Mahmoud Abbas to resign, reflecting widespread anger over the death of an
activist in security forces’ custody and a crackdown on protests over the
summer.
The
survey released Tuesday found support for Abbas’ Hamas rivals remained high
months after the 11-day Gaza war in May, when the Islamic militant group was
widely seen by Palestinians as having scored a victory against a far more
powerful Israel while the Western-backed Abbas was sidelined.
The
latest poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that
45 percent of Palestinians believe Hamas should lead and represent them, while
only 19 percent said Abbas’ secular Fatah deserved that role, showing only a
slight shift in favor of Fatah over the last three months.
“This
is the worst polling we’ve ever seen for the president,” said Khalil Shikaki,
the head of the center, who has been surveying Palestinian public opinion for
more than two decades. “He has never been in as bad a position as today.”
Despite
his plummeting popularity and refusal to hold elections, the international
community still views the 85-year-old Abbas as the leader of the Palestinian
cause and a crucial partner in the peace process with Israel, which ground to a
halt more than a decade ago.
His
Palestinian Authority administers parts of the occupied West Bank under interim
agreements signed with Israel at the height of the peace process in the 1990s.
Hamas drove Abbas’ forces out of Gaza when it seized power there in 2007, a
year after winning parliamentary elections.
Abbas’
latest woes began in April, when he called off the first Palestinian elections
in 15 years as Fatah appeared to be headed for another embarrassing loss.
Hamas’ popularity soared the following month amid protests in Jerusalem and the
Gaza war, as many Palestinians accused the PA of doing nothing to aid their
struggle against Israeli occupation.
The
death of Nizar Banat, a harsh critic of the PA who died after being beaten by
Palestinian security forces during a late-night arrest in June, ignited
protests in the occupied West Bank calling on Abbas to resign.
His
security forces launched a crackdown in response, beating and arresting several
demonstrators.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1933246/middle-east
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Africa
Unsure
of Libya’s upcoming presidential elections, Islamists prefer to delay them
21/09/2021
Tripoli--The
proposal presented Monday by Muslim-Brotherhood affiliated Khalid al-Mishri,
the head of the Tripoli-based High Council of State (HCS), Libya’s consultative
upper house of parliament, for the postponement of the presidential vote while
keeping the legislative elections on track, reflected Libyan Islamists’
continuing concerns over the vote for a
president, analysts say.
The
Islamists, the analysts pointed out, have not been able to prepare an electable
candidate of their own and have accordingly opted for delaying tactics.
Mishri’s
initiative showed that the Islamists’ problem does not lie in the
constitutional requirements which will govern the vote, as they have claimed in
the past, but rather in the elections themselves and the presidential ballot in
particular.
Libyan
rivals had agreed until now to hold both votes on December 24.
While
everyone was talking about the constitutional rules, which will govern the
elections, once a permanent constitution is agreed upon, Mishri was insisting on only holding the elections after
staging a referendum on the constitution.
The
proposal if accepted would mean the postponement of the elections for a long
time. Before putting a constitution to the public, the document itself has to
be finalised. Various drafts have been worked on since 2014 but no agreed
version has emerged.
It
is not the first time that Islamists have announced their refusal to hold
presidential elections but accepted legislative elections instead.
They
had fielded the same proposal in 2018.
The issue, Libya experts say, was one of the reasons for the offensive
launched by the Libyan National Army (LNA),
led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, on the capital, Tripoli, in April
2019.
Observers
believe that the Islamists, who control the country’s vital institutions, fear
the accession to power of an elected president who is not accountable to them,
an outcome they are determined to prevent.
Some
Libya experts believe however the Islamists are not jockeying this time to
postpone the presidential vote indefinitely but are trying to stall for time until the candidacy
of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, or a figure close to him, emerges. Among
such individuals is Ibrahim Dbeibah, son of billionaire Ali Dabaiba, son-in-law
of the prime minister.
Dbeibah,
who is close to Mishri, recently launched a PR campaign to polish his image,
especially among young people, with the distribution of 20,000 Libyan dinar grants (about $5,000) to
help bachelors aspiring to get married.
The move was criticised as a pre-electoral ploy.
The
Islamists have in the past manoeuvred to pass a law for the election of the
president indirectly by the Political Dialogue Forum, a UN-selected body. But
the attempt failed. Critics of the bill said at the time that its aim was to
facilitate the task of Islamists and Dbeibah by buying parliamentary votes and
ensuring the success of their candidate.
The
Political Dialogue Forum is a body with legislative powers that was formed
during the dialogue that followed the defeat of the army in Tripoli and the end
of the war. Its sessions in Tunis, last year, were besmirched by allegations of
bribery attempts by the Dbeibah camp.
Mishri
announced on Monday the details of a proposed “road map” that includes holding
parliamentary ballot on the scheduled date before the end of the year, while
postponing the presidential elections until after the constitutional referendum.
Mishri
said at a press conference held in a hotel in the capital, Tripoli, that “the
road map that we propose provides for holding legislative elections on the
twenty-fourth of next December, and this is possible.”
He
added, “After these elections are held, the bodies that bore the burden of
inconsistencies during the last period (the Tobruk House of Representatives and
the HCS) will exit, and there will be a new elected parliament that is required
to submit the draft constitution to a referendum within a year” from the date
of his election.”
Mishri
pointed out that the High Council of State believed that “holding the
presidential elections in the current period will not generate stability.”
“Elections
are not an end in themselves, but the goal is to bring stability to the
country,” he said.
He
explained, “We believe that to bring stability, we must hold parliamentary
elections first, and postpone the presidential elections until after the
constitutional referendum.”
Mishri
considered that the proposal to hold legislative elections, according to the
roadmap of the HCS, “refutes the allegation that we are clinging to our
positions, unlike the proposal submitted by the House of Representatives.”
He
was referring to the plan recently presented by the Tobruk-based parliament for
presidential elections first. This was eventually signed into law by parliament
speaker Aguila Saleh but rejected by Mishri who said that law “could be interpreted to mean that the House
of Representatives does not want to leave the political scene.”
He
added that some of the provisions in this bill “may also be interpreted as
meaning that the speaker of parliament (Aguila Saleh) wants to run in these
elections, and if he does not win, he will return to his position.”
Source:
The Arab Weekly
Please
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https://thearabweekly.com/unsure-libyas-upcoming-presidential-elections-islamists-prefer-delay-them
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Libya’s
eastern-based parliament withdraws confidence from unity government
21
September ,2021
Libya’s
eastern-based parliament on Tuesday passed a no-confidence vote in the
country’s unity government, in a new blow to UN-backed peace efforts.
Eighty-nine
of the 113 MPs present in the eastern city of Tobruk voted to withdraw
confidence from the Tripoli-based administration of interim Prime Minister
Abdulhamid Dbeibah, a spokesman said.
The
escalation came amid growing tensions between Dbeibah’s Tripoli-based
administration and the House of Representatives in the east, three months ahead
of planned national elections.
Speaker
Aguila Saleh earlier this month ratified an electoral law seen as bypassing due
process and favoring eastern-based military general Khalifa Haftar.
The
High Council of State, the parliament’s upper house in Tripoli, had rejected
that legislation on Monday.
The
law had been passed “without a legal vote or consensus,” the HCS said, calling
for presidential elections to be postponed for a year.
The
council also reacted quickly to Tuesday’s vote.
“The
HCS rejects the no-confidence measure against the national unity government,” a
spokesman said, adding that the vote contravened an agreement signed in the
Moroccan town of Skheirat in 2015.
Dbeibah’s
transitional administration took office in February with a mandate to guide the
North African country to elections on December 24, part of a United Nations-led
process aimed at ending a decade of violence following the fall and killing of
former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Morocco
elections: After the Islamists' fall, a stagnant political system remains
Kamal
Abdul Latif
21
Sep, 2021
In
the Moroccan election, which took place on 8 September, the resounding defeat
of the Islamist-led governing coalition was long expected by those who follow
Moroccan politics: the policies adopted, positions taken and battles fought
during the ten years in which the Justice and Development Party (PJD) was the
majority party in government (2011-2021) are to blame for the party’s decline
while the religious overtones the party adopted in all its communications with
the public at large did nothing to change this.
Since
Morocco’s independence in 1956, there have been many political and cultural
shifts with the rise of the nationalist parties the most potent expression of
the changes taking place in Moroccan society in the decades which followed.
Morocco
subsequently embraced new values, and many began calling for a separation
between religion and state. However, the self-centred ambitions of political
leaders repeatedly withheld the development of the political landscape in
Morocco.
During
the 'rotational government' era between 1998 and 2007, the overriding concern
among the politicians involved was to maximise their own material gain and grip
on power and they effectively ignored both their own political parties and the
needs of wider society.
The
PJD conducted itself similarly. Thus, the same PJD that firmly opposed the
legalisation of cannabis farming and the normalisation deal with Israel then
helped pass these policies, with flimsy justifications for their volte face.
First,
the old nationalist parties disintegrated. Then the PJD revealed, during its
ten years in charge of the government, that it had no real plan for society,
and no vision taking into account the country's history which could respond to
the changes going on in Morocco and the world.
It
had developed an inflated sense of self, believing in its own wisdom, while
most of its leaders were in fact out of touch with what has been happening in
Moroccan society, and were not engaged with the internal and external
challenges the country was facing.
Elections
without programmes
Those
who were following the build-up to the elections may have noticed that the main
preparation undertaken by most parties was to seek the support of celebrities
and other prominent personalities from a wide variety of areas in order to
attract voters.
The
endorsements of businessmen, property owners, entrepreneurs, tribal sheikhs
from rural areas, famous sports personalities, artists, and those with influence
in the trade and industrial sectors was eagerly sought by many of the competing
political parties who, when possible, chose to nominate these figures as
candidates.
In
the run-up to the elections, numerous political debates were held in which
leading party officials gushed over the status of these celebrities and their
important role in society, stressing the importance that they are integrated
into elected political institutions. Even though this is not a new phenomenon
in Moroccan elections, the extent to which it has become standard practice
across the political spectrum points to a shift that has occurred within the
political system in recent years.
None
of the discussion was about party manifestos or policies: the arguments filling
social media focussed on criticising the misuse of funds, as in the last two
elections it had focussed on criticising the exploitation of religion and
religious populism. It seemed as though these relentless discussions would lead
to definitive action being taken to tackle these problems.
However,
the elections of 2011 and 2016 did not yield the changes Moroccans were
anticipating and likewise no steps were taken to develop the democratisation
process in their country. This time around, all the conversation revolved
around the ethics of switching political parties, the personal virtues of
candidates and good management, and how to win parliamentary seats.
As
for the Salafist groups which had formerly sympathised with some of the values
claimed by the PJD, they watched, as many others did, the serious errors made
during both their terms and did not support them a third time.
Many
movements affiliated to the PJD had become overwhelmed with managing divisions
stemming from vicious infighting in the PJD itself and the PJD's obsession with
its illusory leadership and chasing after quick benefits, and similarly did not
come out in the PJD's support.
The
party seemed to forget, as did the organisations and associations linked to it,
that its self-perception as tightly organised and its constant repetition of
"purity and asceticism" were no protection against the temptations
that came with high-ranking positions and the accompanying perks and
privileges. These temptations made it forget the slogans and principles of its
opposition years.
The
elections of 8 September ended the era of a party that had believed that it
alone could offer a solution, advance towards democratic transition and tackle
the "sanctioned tyranny and corruption" of the judicial system.
However, during the decade it held power it held firm to its slogan
"Reform and Stability", viewing itself as the only party which could
provide stability politically and socially.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/morocco-dont-expect-change-despite-islamists-defeat
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Nigeria:
Sheikh Zakzaky condoles with families and survivors of Zaria massacre
September
21, 2021
Some
families of those killed by the Nigerian military in Zaria in December, 2015
met with the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria [IMN], Sheikh Ibraheem
Zakzaky on Sunday, 19/09/2021 in Abuja.
Sheikh
Zakzaky seized the opportunity during the meeting with the invited guests to
condole with them over the losses of their loved ones. He urged them to always
remember the persecution and hardships meted out to Imam Hussein [AS] when the
dreaded army of Yazid besieged and massacre them.
He
mentioned to his visitors that no sacrifice is too high when it comes to the
path of Allah.
Sheikh
Zakzaky also apologized for having to invite some of them, instead of him to go
to their houses and condole with them. “Due to the injuries we sustained during
the military attack on us, we still carry bullet fragments in our bodies, and
there is no way we can meet up with all the victims and the survivors of the
brutal military onslaught against us in December 2015,” he added.
For
his part, Dr. Isa Waziri Gwantu, who lost four of his children during the Zaria
massacre, expressed in a speech gratitude to the Sheikh for inviting the
families to meet him in such a difficult circumstance and reiterated their
resolve to never abandon the right path being championed by the Sheikh.
Source:
ABNA
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Sudan
failed coup plotters were inside, outside of military: PM Hamdok
21
September ,2021
An
attempted coup in Sudan was organized by elements inside and outside the
military establishment, leading to the first arrests of those involved in such
a plot, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Tuesday.
The
failed attempt was preceded by attempts to sow insecurity, especially in the
east of Sudan, but had failed to undermine the country’s democratic transition,
Hamdok said in a televised statement.
“What
happened is an orchestrated coup by factions inside and outside the armed
forces and this is an extension of the attempts by remnants since the fall of
the former regime to abort the civilian democratic transition,” Hamdok said.
“This
attempt was preceded by extensive preparations represented by lawless in the
cities and the exploitation of the situation in the east of the country, close
national roads and ports and block oil production.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Sudan
army arrests 21 officers, number of soldiers for attempted coup
21
September ,2021
Sudan's
army said it has arrested 21 officers and a number of soldiers in connection to
a coup attempt on Tuesday.
The
army said it has regained control over all locations that had been controlled
by coup attempters, adding that investigations and search is ongoing for the
rest of those involved in the coup attempt.
An
attempted coup in Sudan was organized by elements inside and outside the
military establishment, leading to the first arrests of those involved in such
a plot, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Tuesday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Southeast Asia
Sarawak
party criticises Putrajaya’s appeal of citizenship ruling
22
Sep 2021
BY
SULOK TAWIE
KUCHING,
Sept 22 — Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) today said it is appalled and deeply
disappointed by the federal government’s move to appeal against a High Court’s
ruling that recognised citizenship rights to children born abroad regardless of
the Malaysian parents’ gender.
Party
president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said the party views the move as a big
setback towards greater justice and equality for the Malaysian women.
“We
are totally against any form of gender discrimination and fully support equal
rights for women,” he said in a statement.
He
said he concurs with the family support group Family Frontier’s statement that
by appealing against the court decision, justice had been delayed not just to
Malaysian women, but their children and their extended families as well.
Wong,
a former Sarawak’s second minister of finance, said the federal government’s
action sent a clear message that it is in favour of the continued
discrimination and marginalisation of Malaysian mothers.
“Instead,
the federal government has chosen to perpetuate this gross injustice that has
plagued Malaysia since independence, the weight of which women from Sarawak
have also borne for 58 long years,” he added.
He
called on de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to explain
his contradicting stand as he was among the first to find the High Court
landmark decision “illuminating” but then went along with the Attorney
General’s Chambers’ to appeal against the very same ruling.
“This
only serves to highlight the many inconsistencies within the federal Cabinet
and the glaring weakness of this government’s ability to protect women and
children,” Wong claimed.
Separately,
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women chief Kho Teck Wan urged the federal
government to heed calls by Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) to not appeal against the court’s ruling.
She
said the federal government’s decision to file the appeal not only continues
the suffering of some parents, but also discriminates against women and puts a
child’s future in jeopardy.
“Children
do not choose which country and what parents they will be born into. The
unlucky ones end up as stateless and are denied proper education and
healthcare, which subsequently cause adverse impact to their prospect and
potential as an adult,” she said.
Kho
added some even ended up becoming a burden to society.
“I,
therefore, would like to concur and reiterate the wishes of our party, NGOs and
Johor’s Sultan, and urge the federal government to drop the appeal,” Kho said.
In
a landmark decision made on September 9, Kuala Lumpur High Court had ruled that
children born overseas to Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses should
automatically be conferred Malaysian citizenship.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Pangkor
not on domestic travel bubble list as yet to meet some requirements, says Perak
exco
22
Sep 2021
BY
JOHN BUNYAN
IPOH,
Sept 22 — Perak Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman, Datuk
Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi, clarified today that Pangkor Island is not on
Malaysia’s latest domestic travel bubble list as the island is yet to fulfil
certain requirements.
Nolee
stressed, however, that the island will be on the list once these are met.
“I
was informed by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) that Pangkor
Island is one of the destinations that will be included in the travel bubble
for domestic tourism.
“However,
the island is yet to meet certain requirements. Among them are the level of
operator preparedness and the vaccination rate of the island’s residents,” she
told a press conference at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here.
Nolee
also said that the authorities would need to work out a way to manage entry to
the island to avoid crowding and congestion.
“We
need to look into the problems that could occur during the digital vaccination
certificate inspection and the Covid-19 screening.
“We
are working on these issues now and the report is not ready yet. God willing,
we will try to expedite this,” she added.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Defence
minister: Australia needs to approach Brunei on trilateral partnership between
UK, US
22
Sep 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Apart from approaching Malaysia for trilateral partnership
between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS), Senior
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has urged Australia to reach
out to Brunei, the current chair of Asean.
Following
his phone conversation with his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton two days
ago, Hishammuddin said it was important for Australia to reach out to CLMV
countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) as well as countries close to
China to get their views.
In
addition, it would suggest that AUKUS is not something that needs to be worried
about and could affect the position of the Asean region in the context of
defence.
“Our
strength is not when we are alone, our strength is when these 10 Asean member
countries united to see the position and security of the region be defended.
“I
also plan to make a brief visit to China soon and one thing we need to get is
the views of the Chinese government, especially on defence and, of course, on
AUKUS, and the follow-up action from what has been announced,” he said when
winding-up the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address in the
Dewan Rakyat today.
Malaysia
has expressed its concern that the security partnership could potentially spark
a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.
The
Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement on September 18, said it was feared
that the move would provoke other powers to also act aggressively in the
region, especially in the South China Sea.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/zabihullah-mujahid-al-qaida-islamic-state/d/125414