Thane Police Commissionerate's Website Hacked; Hacker Demands Apology to "Muslims All Over the World"
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 June 2022
The Thane Police website
homepage showed this message from the hackers. (Image Credit:
Screenshot/thanepolice.gov.in)
-----
• Prophet Row: International Hackers, Hacktivist Group,
Launch Series of Cyber Attacks on India
• Pakistan: An Army-Imposed Deal with the Pakistani
Taliban Could Spell Disaster
• China Boosting Nuclear Arsenal, Pakistan Leads India
in Warheads: Stockholm International Peace Institute
• Waning PKK/YPG Terror Group Forces Children to Fight
In Its Ranks In Syria, Iraq
India
• Communal Harmony in Howrah: Hindus Help in Marriage
of Muslim Widow’s Daughter Amid Unrest
• Prophet remark row: Mangaluru city Police
Commissioner Holds talks with Muslim leaders
• Indian Muslim Groups Urge Followers to Shun Protests
Over Anti-Islam Comments
• Muslim Body Files Pleas in Supreme Court against UP
Demolitions
• Leaders of prominent Islamic groups, mosques call
for peace
• More protests in India after authorities raze homes
of Muslim activists
• No Illegal Bangladeshi Muslims in Assam, Claims
Legislator
• Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed in encounter
in J&K
• Treating accused as convicts is unlawful: AIMPLB
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Philippines’ Autonomous Muslim Region Builds
Deradicalisation Centre For Former Militants
• Malaysia’s Islamists take on the Sultan of Selangor
• Najib didn’t complain about accounts, AmBank officer
tells court
• Zahid calls for new political ‘tsunami’ to reclaim
Sepang
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan: An Army-Imposed Deal with the Pakistani
Taliban Could Spell Disaster
• Parliament Capable Institute to Lead Talks With
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan: PPP Senator
• Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Declares Unilateral Ceasefire
• IMF: Extra measures needed for Pak budget to meet
goals
• 'Missing' Baloch Students Doda Ellahi and Ghamshad Return
Home: Activist
• Allies to seek Pakistan’s removal from grey list
• How Pakistani Judiciary Dealt With Demand to
'Return' Lahore Gurudwara to Muslims for Worship
--------
South
Asia
• Taliban kill ISKP commanders responsible for mosque
attacks
• Investors Claim Ex-Gov’t Owes 60B Afghanis, Urging
Taliban for Solution
• Man Kills Nine Members of His Family in Nimruz
Province
• A Journalist in Kapisa Province Goes Missing; RSF
Asks the Taliban to Provide “Explanations”
--------
Arab
World
• Saudi Arabia’s normalization with Israel poses
direct threat to Lebanon: Senior Hezbollah official
• Israel drawing on normalization deals to attack
Syria, carry out assassinations in Iran: Top Hamas official
• Shia Coalition Says To Pursue Government Formation
Talks in Iraq
• Kuwait to Deport Expats Who Took Part in Fahaheel
Demonstration
• Saudi Arabia adopts online registration for Haj to
combat scams
• Caribbean Passports Most Invested In By UAE
Residents Seeking Dual Citizenship
--------
Mideast
• Secular Turks Fear Immigrant-Fuelled Islamist Wave
• Iran Says Scale-Backs On Nuclear Commitments
‘Reversible’
• Possible successor to Abbas warns Israel, but works
with it
• Israel urges its citizens in Istanbul to leave,
heightening travel warning
• Iran defence ministry says ‘employee’ killed amid
series of mysterious deaths
• UN commission on Palestine seeks new ways to get
Israel to comply with int'l law
• PM Shtayyeh calls for international front to end
Israeli occupation of Palestinian land
--------
Africa
• Tunisia's Ennahdha Warns Against Dropping Islam from
Constitution
• Somali military kills at least 12 al-Shabaab
terrorists
• Moroccan sentenced to death in Donetsk has Ukrainian
nationality, not a mercenary: Father
• 2023: Why Nigeria cannot contemplate Muslim-Muslim
ticket – Former ACF scribe, Sani
• Is Mali emerging as another front for Russia, West?
--------
North
America
• Most American Muslims Believe Gun Laws Need To Be
Stricter, Says Survey
• Biden invites Pakistan envoy Masood Khan for
‘official photo’
• US Air Force: Crew not at fault for Afghan deaths in
evacuation
• Police Arrests Three Afghan Refugees for Killing another
Afghan in the US State of Virginia
• UN official to discuss and resolve Afghan refugee
crisis with Taliban
--------
Europe
• Muslim World League Chief Leads Religious Diplomacy
Push At Geneva Summit
• Sweden Has Taken ‘Important Steps’ To Meet Turkey’s
Demands: NATO’s Stoltenberg
• France begins military withdrawal from Mali
• Italy-Türkiye relations 'standing on very sound
path': Envoy
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/website-hacked-hacker-apology/d/127245
--------
Thane Police Commissionerate's Website Hacked; Hacker
Demands Apology to "Muslims All Over the World"
The Thane Police website homepage showed this message
from the hackers. (Image Credit: Screenshot/thanepolice.gov.in)
-----
JUNE 14, 2022
On opening the website, the message on the screen
stated: “Hacked by one hat cyber team”
The Thane city police commissionerate's website was
allegedly hacked on Tuesday, with a message appearing on it apparently directed
towards the Indian government and demanding an apology to "Muslims all
over the world". A senior police official here confirmed that the website
has been hacked.
"We have contacted the agencies concerned for
necessary action. Thane cyber crime team is working on it," he said.
On opening the website, the message on the screen
stated: “Hacked by one hat cyber team”
It further said, "Hello Indian Government, Hello
everyone. Again and again you make trouble with the problem of the Islamic Religion..."
"Hurry up and apologize to Muslims all over the
world!! We don't stand still when our apostle is insulted," the message
said.
Source: The Hindu
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Prophet Row: International Hackers, Hacktivist Group,
Launch Series of Cyber Attacks on India
The hacking group has
launched a campaign – OpsPatuk – which translates to “strike back”, against the
Indian government. (Image for Representation/ Reuters)
----
Shashank Shekhar
New Delhi
June 13, 2022
Following recent remarks by suspended BJP
spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, about Prophet Muhammad, the Malaysia-based
hacktivist group DragonForce has launched a series of cyber-attacks against the
Indian government. Sharma made some remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a
panel discussion about the Gyanvapi Mosque survey, hosted by a television news
channel, which offended many people around the world. Soon after, she
apologised on Twitter.
The hacking group has launched a campaign OpsPatuk
which translates to “strike back”, against the Indian government. It is also
seeking help from "Muslim Hackers from All over the World, Human Rights
Organizations, and Activists (sic)".
Religiously and politically motivated campaigns, such
as OpsPatuk, can result in a breach of some sensitive government websites
containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), military operations, and
other government secrets, which, in the wrong hands, can enable targeted
attacks on the country and its citizens.
Cyber experts predict that the intensity and volume of
such attacks on Indian entities are only going to increase, and the government
and enterprises should ensure adequate safety measures to secure their digital
properties.
Series of Cyber Attacks
In its research on June 10, Bengaluru-based cyber
security firm, CloudSEK, discovered a tweet posted by a Malaysian hacktivist
group known as DragonForce, calling for attacks on Indian government websites
by Muslim hackers all over the world.
According to CloudSEK researchers, the primary goal of
the attack was to retaliate against the Indian government for the controversial
comments made about Prophet Muhammad by Nupur Sharma. To enable their allies to
launch attacks, the group shared Indian users' social media credentials,
particularly Facebook access and leading bank username and password
combinations.
During the detailed investigation, CloudSEK discovered
multiple threat actors participating in this operation and hacking various
Indian websites.
Scale of Attack
The group has also shared evidence that they have
hacked Indian government websites, such as indembassyisrael.gov.in,
manage.gov.in, extensionmoocs.gov.in, cia.gov.in and cfa.gov.in, and others.
The organisation has published a list of websites that
supporters and allies are encouraged to attack. This includes private Indian
websites as well as many Indian government websites, such as those of logistics
and supply-chain companies, educational institutions, technology and software
companies, and web hosting providers.
What Is DragonForce?
This cyber call-to-arms is the work of DragonForce
Malaysia, a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group based in the country. This
organisation owns and operates a forum where it posts announcements and
discusses its most recent actions. The group also has Instagram and Facebook
profiles, as well as numerous Telegram channels. The gang has been running
frequent recruitment and promotion efforts using Tiktok and Instagram reels.
Over 2.4 million people have viewed the posts calling for action against the
Indian government.
DragonForce has previously been associated with
Malaysian or Pakistani groups such as Revolution Pakistan, RileksCrew,
T3DimensionMalaysia, UnitedMuslimCyberArmy, CodeNewbie, PhantomCrews,
LocalhostMalaysia, HarimauMalayaCyberArmy, and GroupTempurRakyatMalaysia. This
operation has a high chance of gaining more support and attention from
hacktivists around the world.
The Solution?
According to Darshit Ashara, Principal Threat
Researcher, CloudSEK, the Indian government and private organisations must take
this campaign seriously, and nip these threat actors’ advances in the bud.
“As we have seen during the Russia-Ukraine conflict,
hacktivists are persistent and resourceful. So, it’s imperative for the Indian
government and private organisations to take this campaign seriously. We need
to start by nullifying the low-hanging fruit that threat actors typically use
as initial vectors to initiate attacks. This includes malware logs,
misconfigured applications, default passwords, unpatched or outdated servers
and other assets, and previously leaked databases being sold on the dark web,”
says Darshit Ashara, commenting on the campaign. Live TV
Source: India Today
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Pakistan: An Army-Imposed Deal with the Pakistani
Taliban Could Spell Disaster
Members of the Pakistani
Taliban in the South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, May 24,
2008. Photo: Reuters/Stringer
-----
Mohammad Taqi
JUNE 14, 2022
While the Pakistani public at large remains consumed
with the sky-rocketing inflation and the civilian government grapples with a
floundering economy and strict IMF conditions, the country’s powerful army is
pushing for a negotiated settlement with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (aka TTP
or Pakistani Taliban).
The negotiations between the TTP leadership based in
Afghanistan and the Pakistani army officials that have been going on at least
since last fall, gained new momentum over the past several weeks. A group of
individuals from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province including the districts
consisting of the former Federally Administrated Tribal areas (FATA) that were
merged with that federating unit, recently visited Kabul, and held talks with
the TTP leadership including its current chief Noor Wali Mehsud, and other top
commanders Maulvi Faqir Muhammad and Umar Khalid Khorasani.
The TTP’s fraternal twins, the Afghan Taliban not only
acted as the go-between but their acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund, Interior
Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and intelligence chief Muhammad Wasiq attended the
parleys, ostensibly as facilitators.
Both sides claimed progress after the talks, and the
TTP has apparently extended the ceasefire indefinitely.
The 50-member Pakistani delegation was dubbed as a
jirga i.e., traditional tribal assembly of elders but it was authorised neither
by the Pashtun tribes nor the government of Pakistan. The members were
handpicked by the controversial former Director General of Inter-services
Intelligence (ISI) Directorate Lt. General Faiz Hameed Chaudhry, who is
currently commanding the army’s XI Corps headquartered at Peshawar. He even
arranged for the entourage to travel to Kabul in a military C-130 aircraft.
Prior to that, General Faiz, as he is commonly known,
had himself flown to Kabul and held direct talks with the TTP leaders.
Some of the delegation members have confirmed on
record that the constitution and launch of their so-called jirga was
wholly-owned project of the Pakistan army. They have confirmed that they
participated in their individual capacity and were “authorised” by General
Faiz, who met with them prior to their departure, to work out a peace deal with
the TTP since they “all come from the same region and ethno-cultural
background”.
As the reckless venture started drawing criticism,
mostly from the Pashtun nationalist political leaders, the Federal Minister for
Information belatedly claimed that it was commissioned by the civilian
administration under the constitution. It is ironic that the civilians were
forced to take flak for the army, and that too on such flimsy grounds.
Firstly, the de facto relations notwithstanding,
Pakistan still does not officially recognise the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul
that hosted the talks.
Secondly, for a sitting Corps commander to run talks
with a proscribed terrorist group on foreign territory is unheard of even in
the dirty games that Pakistan army has played in Afghanistan. It is certainly
beyond a corps commander’s professional remit and holds no constitutional or
even administrative water. There were instances during General Pervez
Musharraf’s army regime, where the Corps Commander Peshawar negotiated with the
TTP inside Pakistan, but this would be the first instance where one has
conducted such talks inside Afghanistan.
Thirdly, the elected parliamentarians from the North
and South Waziristan, the ex-FATA districts that bore the brunt of both the TTP
atrocities and the army operations, were completely kept out of the loop and
the delegation. It finally forced the country’s Foreign Minister Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari, who in all likelihood was kept in the dark as well, to publicly
state that all decisions on dealing with the terrorists must be taken by the
parliament. The FM, who is also the chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP), went on serve a show-cause notice to a federal minister from his party
who was part of the mission, showing that the information minister was outright
lying to give legitimacy to a patently illegal enterprise post ipso facto.
It is dumbfounding that a country that has lost over
70,000 citizens, including the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to the
TTP’s relentless terror, would be kept in dark by the army over negotiations
with that group.
The Pakistani Taliban’s almost two-decade long
terrorism reached every corner of the country but predominantly ravaged the
Pashtun-inhabited areas. A vast majority of the terror casualties were ethnic
Pashtuns and religious minorities.
The Pashtuns of the ex-FATA and the KP’s Malakand
division faced a triple whammy when they were first tormented by the Taliban,
then displaced internally when the military eventually launched operations
against the terrorists and in the process destroyed the civilian homes and
businesses as well.
The TTP, however, has attacked not just the civilians
but also the army’s General Headquarters, air force and naval bases, country’s
largest ordnance factory and aeronautical complex, airports, and massacred nearly 150 students
and teachers at an army-run boys’ school. It was in the aftermath of that
school attack that the country’s political and military leadership finally came
together and formulated what was called the National Action Plan (NAP) against
terrorism.
A core pledge of the NAP was that no armed
organisation would be allowed to operate in the country. The army is clearly
reneging on that commitment and appears to be using the civilian government and
coopted Pashtun leaders to sanctify a dirty deal that it seems to have already
cut with the Taliban.
While the TTP declaring ceasefire is being trumpeted
as major success by the army’s surrogates in the media, what the army is
conceding is being kept under wraps. These army-approved spokespersons are
touting that just like the US agreement with the Afghan Taliban, the deal with
the TTP will end an endless war. Never mind that the US-Taliban agreement in
Doha paved the way for complete elimination of the Afghan Republic and its
state structures. The TTP’s demands, are similarly ominous and could lead to
the weakening, if not elimination, of the state structures in the areas that it
is allowed to return to. It is demanding imposition of sharia laws in the
Malakand division and ex-FATA districts, a reversal of the FATA merger with the
KP province, the right to retain arms, release of its prisoners and reparations
for losses of life and property its cadres have incurred over the years.
The army has already released a couple of top TTP
commanders on death row, including its infamous former spokesman Muslim Khan
who used to call the media and take responsibility for every atrocity their
vile band committed. They were handed over to the Haqqani faction of the Afghan
Taliban at the Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad and later moved to an
undisclosed location in that country.
Why is the Pakistan army so keen to cut a deal with
the TTP that it is willing to release scores of what it had once called “jet
black terrorists”, who are sure to return to the battlefield without a pause?
The simple answer is that it can’t fight them, at least not now. With economy
in shambles thanks to the army’s hybrid regime project and the prevailing
political instability courtesy its now-ousted central character Imran Khan,
Pakistanis state is weak and vulnerable. Pakistan army also lacks the largesse
and the advanced technical intelligence that the US had provided it during
several previous operations against the TTP.
The TTP, on the other hand, has regrouped and
reorganised, and is ideologically rejuvenated thanks to the Afghan Taliban’s
victory over the US and Kabul government. The TTP under Noor Wali Mehsud
reabsorbed several splinter groups and defectors, and with swollen ranks and
operational freedom it enjoyed in Afghanistan, the group ramped up its attacks
inside Pakistan. Unlike the past large-scale indiscriminate terror attacks
against the general population, the TTP has been mainly targeting the security
forces including army and certain civilians, mostly in the ex-FATA districts.
For years, Pakistan army had portrayed the TTP as a
puppet of the US-backed Afghan governments and the Indian Research and Analysis
Wing (RAW). But the fact of the matter is that the TTP has been joined at the
hip, ideologically and logistically, with the Afghan Taliban, and especially
its Haqqani faction. While several top leaders and every single one of the TTP
chiefs killed so far had been taken out by the US drones, after coming to
power, the Afghan Taliban released hundreds of TTP prisoners who had been
arrested by the fallen Kabul government, including TTP senior leaders like
founding deputy emir Maulvi Faqir Muhammad.
The current TTP emir renewed allegiance to the Afghan
Taliban after they took over Kabul.
Pakistan army had disingenuously peddled the myth that
the Afghan Taliban would not only contain the TTP but deliver it to Pakistan.
But when rubber met the road, the Afghan Taliban refused to act against their
brothers-in-arms, for assorted reasons, of which an ideological affinity is the
foremost. Also, the Taliban regime has other battles to fight, including
against the Islamic State in Khorasan (ISIK).
But even if the Taliban emirate wanted to crackdown on
the TTP it risks not just a fight back from the group but also resistance from
within its own ranks and a potential ideological challenge from the ISIK for
betraying the jihadist cause. The Pakistan army became increasingly impatient
with the TTP operating from the Afghan soil and had also launched a few attacks
inside Afghanistan, leading to a muffled protest from the emirate which came
under internal pressure for being seen as stooges of Pakistan army unable to
stand up to it. The emirate, however, also relies heavily on Pakistan army,
which effectively is its sole international patron, and, therefore, could not
be alienated outright.
The talks essentially buy the Afghan Taliban, the TTP
and the Pakistan army some time. But for how long and at what cost?
In dealing with the TTP, past is the prologue. The
Pakistan army has itself negotiated and signed – or forced the civilian
governments to do so – over a dozen agreements with the TTP. Each one of those
deals was in tatters within months, if not days, with the TTP reneging on its
promises, the state conceding more space to the terrorists, and the general
population ultimately bearing the brunt of it all. In most of those cases, the
army allowed the Taliban who had ostensibly surrendered, to organise as the
so-called peace committees and keep their weapons. In case of Malakand, the
civilian government was even pushed to concede to Taliban an enforcement of
sharia regulations.
The TTP used the agreements to increase its stature,
consolidate its hold, fill the power vacuum created by abdication of the state
and weakening of the old tribal hierarchy, and eventually unleashed another
wave of terror. The Taliban even massacred many tribal elders who had helped
negotiate some of those deals, not unlike the bunch that signed up as General
Faiz’s emissaries. There is nothing that says that the present round of talks
and Taliban appeasement would end any differently.
The Pakistan army’s media surrogates point out that
the TTP’s raison d’etre was the American presence in the region and irritants
such as drone attacks, and with those gone, peace must be given a chance. The
TTP, however, has been very clear and consistent about why it is waging a
bloody terror campaign against Pakistan. A former TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud
was once asked by the BBC whether the US withdrawal from the region would have
any impact on their movement. Mehsud had responded:
“There will be no impact of the American withdrawal on
the TTP, because friendship with America is only one of the two reasons we have
to conduct jihad against Pakistan. The other reason is that Pakistan’s system
is un-Islamic, and we want that it should be replaced with the Islamic system.
This demand and this desire will continue even after the American withdrawal.”
Nothing has changed in the TTP thinking since. After
the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the incumbent TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud
had bluntly told the CNN that their war is against the Pakistani state and they
seek imposition of sharia and independence of the border regions (ex-FATA).
While the TTP’s motives and tactics are rather clear,
the Pakistan army calculus is rather murky. That not a single Pashtun
nationalist leader was included in the delegation(s) sent to Kabul raises
serious concerns not just about the army’s tactics but its motives. Ali Wazir,
the outspoken member of the National Assembly from South Waziristan is in
prison for almost two years at the behest of none other than the Chief of Army
Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, who wants to make an example out of him for making a
speech against the army’s excesses in his region.
But the parliamentarian from North Waziristan, Mohsin
Dawar – a cool-headed lawyer – was also barred from the group. It is
mind-boggling that the army meticulously excluded law-abiding
constitutionalists from an ostensible peace process that is bound to impact
their region but has sworn terrorists. Fair is foul, foul is fair! But a
handpicked member of the delegation and former parliamentarian from the PPP,
Akhundzada Chattan hinted at the foul play. He said in an interview upon his
return that it seemed as if someone else was using the TTP’s shoulder to fire
at the merger of ex-FATA with the KP province.
Other Pashtun politicians like the former Senator
Afrasiab Khattak have charged that through its cloak-and-dagger games the army
seeks to turn the Pashtun regions to the east of Durand Line into a Taliban
sanctuary yet again. Pakistan army has used Islamism for decades to counter
Pashtun nationalism and Afghan irredentism. The army’s perception of the threat
from the Pashtun nationalists like Wazir and Dawar is delusional and warped.
Could it get more perverse than caging the constitutionalists and letting the
terrorists loose?
But in its quest for the so-called strategic depth in
Afghanistan, Pakistan army has kept providing reverse strategic depth to its
jihadist proxies. An ideological milieu and jihadist infrastructure were
created in Pakistan to groom and launch these jihadists, which the army always
thought it could control and harness. But many of them did boomerang back on to
the army itself. The TTP rehabilitation in the ex-FATA could buttress the
Afghan Taliban – and the Haqqani faction in particular – against some of the
military challenges coming their way. Whatever the veracity of these claims by
the Pashtun nationalists, it is abundantly clear that by default the net result
of the army’s manoeuvrings would be yet another round of turmoil and terror in
the Pashtun regions of Pakistan.
The Taliban surrendering their weapons and accepting
the constitution could theoretically be the ultimate result if – a huge if at
that – the negotiations are successful. The Taliban agreeing to a set of
conditions, accepting the state’s writ, disarming, and decommissioning is a
pipedream. What does the TTP stand to gain by conceding is better known to the
army. The TTP would certainly find another pretext to continue its violent
campaign.
The TTP’s negotiations ruse has always ended in more
bloodshed and there is little reason to believe it would be different this
time. A public and parliamentary debate and oversight of these opaque
negotiations are definitely in order. Unfortunately, the incumbent coalition
government remains beholden to the army for engineering Imran Khan’s ouster and
continues to abdicate internal and foreign affairs to the junta. The
army-imposed deal with the TTP spells an unmitigated disaster, especially for
the Pashtuns.
Mohammad Taqi is a Pakistani-American columnist. He
tweets @mazdaki.
Source: The Wire
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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China Boosting Nuclear Arsenal, Pakistan Leads India
in Warheads: Stockholm International Peace Institute
Image credit: PTI
----
Jun 14, 2022
NEW DELHI: China is undertaking a “substantial
expansion” of its nuclear weapons arsenal, which satellite images show includes
the construction of more than 300 new missile silos, even as Pakistan also
continues to be slightly ahead of India in the number of nuclear warheads.
China has an estimated 350 nuclear warheads, with new
mobile missile launchers and another submarine becoming operational over the
last one year, while Pakistan has 165 and India 160, as per the latest
assessment of the Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIPRI) released on
Monday.
The SIPRI report comes a day after Chinese defence
Minister Wei Fenghe at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore declared his
country has made “impressive progress” in developing and deploying new nuclear
weapons, including the Dong Feng-41 (DF-41) inter-continental ballistic missile
with a strike range of over 12,000 km. But, he added, China will only use
nuclear weapons in “self-defence” and never use them first.
The Pentagon’s report on China’s military capabilities
had also earlier said Beijing’s “accelerating pace” of nuclear expansion will
enable it to have up to 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027, with the
stockpile touching 1,000 by 2030.
The US and Russia are of course in a different league,
together accounting for 90% of all nuclear weapons around the globe. SIPRI said
the nine nuclear-armed countries together possess an estimated 12,705 nuclear
warheads, with the numbers being Russia (5,977), US (5,428), France (290), UK
(225), Israel (90) and North Korea (20).
“All of the nuclear-armed states are increasing or
upgrading their arsenals and most are sharpening nuclear rhetoric and the role
nuclear weapons play in their military strategies... This is a very worrying
trend,” said Wilfred Wan of SIPRI.
The warhead figures are estimates because most
countries, including India, keep their nuclear weapons programmes shrouded in
secrecy. Moreover, deterrence cannot be reduced to simplistic bean counting of
the number of warheads.
India is steadily moving ahead to modernise its
nuclear arsenal with better delivery systems, in tune with its declared policy
of “credible minimum deterrence” and “no first-use”, officials say.
The induction of the 36 new Rafale fighter jets, for
instance, has strengthened the “air vector” for delivery of nuclear gravity
bombs after some Sukhoi-30MKIs, Mirage-2000s and Jaguars were earlier modified
for that role.
The ongoing induction of the over 5,000-km range
Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile, which brings the whole of Asia and
China as well parts of Europe and Africa within its strike envelope, in turn,
has boosted the “land vector”.
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) already has
Prithvi-II (350-km), Agni-I (700-km), Agni-II (2,000-km), Agni-III (3,000-km)
and Agni-IV (4,000-km) missile units. The newer Agni missiles, like Agni-V and
Agni-Prime (1,000-2,000 km), are also canister-launched to give the armed
forces the requisite operational flexibility to store it for long periods,
swiftly transport it through rail or road when required, and fire it from
anywhere they want.
The third leg of the “nuclear triad”, however, is
still fledgling. India currently has only one nuclear-powered and armed
submarine (SSBN) INS Arihant, with 750-km range K-15 nuclear missiles.
Countries like the US, Russia and China have SSBNs with well over 5,000-km
range missiles.
India has three more SSBNs under development, with INS
Arighat slated for commissioning this year after some delay. The developmental
trials of K-4 missiles, with a strike range of 3,500-km, in turn, have been
completed but the induction is still some distance away, as was earlier
reported by TOI.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Waning
PKK/YPG Terror Group Forces Children to Fight In Its Ranks in Syria, Iraq
Photo
Credit: aa.com
---
13.06.2022
ERBIL,
Iraq
In
decline after Türkiye's successful operations against it, the PKK terrorist
organization continues to forcibly recruit children that it kidnaps in Syria
and Iraq.
The
terror group has sustained heavy blows as public support has been cut off in
Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Türkiye, especially after the Claw operations that
Ankara launched in recent years.
Its
weakened state is also apparent from its so-called media outlets, which have
made calls for public demonstrations and protests that have fallen on deaf
ears.
While
supporters of the terror organization are barred from demonstrating in the
Iraqi city of Erbil, its protests in the city of Sulaymaniyah have also had few
participants.
The
PKK is trying to preserve its flagging power by deceiving and forcibly
recruiting children, whose families are now increasingly raising their voices
in protest against the terrorists.
A
sit-in protest staged by the families of young people abducted or forcibly
recruited by the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG, has now passed its
1,000th day outside the office of the pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP),
showing the world how the organization abuses children.
The
PKK/YPG continues its use of children as fighters despite an agreement with the
UN to release them.
Children
kidnapped by PKK/YPG in Syria, Iraq
Mohammed
Alo, a Syrian Kurdish activist, told Iraqi journalists that the PKK-affiliated
"Revolutionary Youth" organization kidnapped a girl named Culya Tarik
Dedo in front of a school in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
According
to a report from Gulanmedia, an outlet affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP), Iranian mother Meryem Hidir said her 13-year-old daughter Esrin
Muhammed was kidnapped by the PJAK, the Iranian branch of the PKK, and that her
daughter was killed while trying to escape the organization.
In
another case, the PKK kidnapped two people in Duhok in July 2019, according to
Iraqi media, with their fate still uncertain.
According
to a report by the northern Iraqi Rudaw television network on May 21, Meryem
Ferid Muhammed was kidnapped by the terrorist group in the town of Ayn al-Arab
in northern Syria on Oct. 31, 2021. Her father, Ferid Muhammed, requested her
rescue on live TV.
Sakir
Muhammed Hibo, a 14-year-old boy from the city of Qamishli, and Fehed
Abdulrahman, a 15-year-old from the Ayn al-Arab's industrial zone, were also
reportedly kidnapped by the terrorists. Their families spoke to local media,
asking for their children to be rescued.
Iraqi
media also reported the abduction of two young brothers in Aleppo, forcing them
to join the PKK/YPG's armed ranks.
According
to local sources, Ibrahim, just 9 years old, and Muhammed Sevki Yusuf, 10 --
both born in the nearby town of Afrin -- were kidnapped last Sunday by PKK/YPG
terrorists in the city center of Aleppo, some 42 kilometers (26 miles) from
their home town, on June 5.
Anadolu
Agency reported that on June 10, images on social media close to the PKK/YPG
showed the terrorist organization had recruited 11 more children of Kurdish and
Arab origin.
The
image shows the children were carrying a poster of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed
ringleader of the PKK, and the terror group's so-called banner.
Abdulaziz
Temmo, the head of Syria's Independent Kurdish Association, told Anadolu Agency
on June 7 that abductions of children under the age of 10 by PKK/YPG had risen
over the last six months.
A
written statement on April 1 by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said
the PKK/YPG had kidnapped two girls, aged 16 and 17, named Rosil Seyho and Zahide
Kocar from Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood in Aleppo.
The
statement said the terrorist organization did not allow the children they
abducted to see their families, and that the girls were taken northeast from
Aleppo to the PKK/YPG terror camps in the Manbij district for weapons training.
The
PKK/YPG kidnapped four children between the ages of 14 and 16 in the Ayn
al-Arab area at the end of February, a 14-year-old child in the Tal Rifat
district on March 28, two girls aged 16 and 17 in Aleppo at the end of March,
and four children in Aleppo in April, to join its armed forces.
While
the PKK in Iraq forcibly recruits Yazidi children it kidnaps in the Sinjar
district of Mosul, Iraq, Yazidis have been holding protests for their
children's release.
International
reports
The
US Department of State also mentions the PKK/YPG's forced recruitment of
children in the 2020 Human Smuggling Report that it released on June 26, 2020.
A
January 2020 report by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) also said its findings
suggest that the PKK/YPG is using children as fighters in Syria.
In
July 2019, Virginia Gamba, the UN secretary-general's special representative
for children and armed conflict, signed an action plan with the SDF -- the
label that the PKK/YPG terror group uses in Syria -- to end and prevent the
recruitment of minors under 18. However, the terror group has continued to
violate this plan.
The
terrorist organization usually takes young people and children it kidnaps or
detains to terror camps for armed training, barring them from communicating
with their families.
Images
and news about child fighters are also featured in the so-called media outlets
of the terrorist organization.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a
terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU -- has been responsible
for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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India
Communal
Harmony In Howrah: Hindus Help in Marriage of Muslim Widow’s Daughter Amid
Unrest
14th
June 2022
By
Pranab Mondal
KOLKATA: Setting up a pleasant example of communal
harmony in Howrah’s Uluberia, which
witnessed
massive violent protests over the issue of hate speech by BJP leaders, Hindu
neighbours on Sunday stood by a Muslim widow whose daughter’s marriage could be
postponed due to unrest. The neighbours took care of everything right from
welcoming groom and other guests to ensure the bride’s safe journey to her
in-laws’ house.
Iddenesa
Mullick, mother of three daughters and one son, lives in a small house off the
NH-6 where the protesters put up a roadblock. “There were massive protests in
our area. I was worried when the administration clamped Section 144. I had no
way out other than postponing my daughter Pakiza’s marriage which was scheduled
on Sunday. But my Hindu neighbours came forward and assured me that they would
take care of everything,” said Iddenesa.
Iddenesa’s
neighbours Tapas Kodali, Lakhikanta Kayal and Uttam Dolui took all
responsibilities of the marriage. “We grew up in the same village together. We
stood beside each other always. When the mother of Pakiza was worried, we
decided to be her helping hands,” said Kodali.
The
three went to the police station and obtained permission for the assembly on
the occasion of the marriage as Section 144 of CrPC was clamped. Iddenesa lost
her husband eight years ago. “The mother and her children participate in all
the events organised by the local club. It was our duty as a citizen to stand
beside her,’’ said Kayal.
Iddenesa
had invited around 300 guests for her daughter’s marriage. “But only 150 turned
up. My Hindu neighbours welcomed them and took care of food and other comforts.
They also helped me to rent a car so that Pakiza could go to her in-laws’ house
safely. I will be grateful to them for rest of my life,’’ she said.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Prophet
remark row: Mangaluru city Police Commissioner holds talks with Muslim leaders
14th
June 2022
MANGALURU: Mangaluru police commissioner N Shashi Kumar
held talks with Muslim religious leaders in the wake of reports that various
outfits are planning to hold protests in the city against the derogatory
statements by BJP leaders on Prophet Mohammed.
Shashi
Kumar, who called a meeting of religious leaders on Monday, told reporters that
messages in some social media groups hinted that protests similar to those held
all over the country need to take place in Mangaluru also.
The
meeting was called after some Muslim leaders expressed concern over this.
Around 60 leaders participated in the meeting and assured their full
cooperation to maintain peace and harmony, he said.
Kumar
said the police department is aware of miscreants giving wrong information to
the community sitting at a distant place with the intention of provoking
religious sentiments.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Indian
Muslim groups urge followers to shun protests over anti-Islam comments
June
13, 2022
MUMBAI:
Leaders of prominent Islamic groups and mosques in India appealed to fellow
Muslims on Monday to suspend plans for protests against derogatory remarks
about the Prophet Muhammad made by two members of the ruling Hindu-nationalist
party.
The
message to avoid big gatherings was circulated after demonstrations took a
violent turn last week, leading to the death of two Muslim teenagers and the
wounding of more than 30 people, including police.
“It
is the duty of every Muslim to stand together when anyone belittles Islam but
at the same time it is critical to maintain peace,” said Malik Aslam, a senior
member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Muslim organization that operates in several
Indian states.
Early
this month, two senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) made remarks that offended Muslims. A party spokeswoman made
the offending comment in a television debate and a party spokesman on social
media.
The
party suspended both of them and said its denounced any insult toward any
religion, and police have also filed cases against the two, but that did not
stop enraged Muslims taking to the streets in protest.
Police
arrested at least 400 suspected rioters during unrest in several states and
curfews were imposed and Internet services were suspended in some places.
Many
Muslims in India have been questioning their place in society since Modi came
to power in 2014, playing down his roots in a powerful Hindu-nationalist group
to which his party is affiliated.
Critics
say his BJP has pursued a confrontational line, promoting the idea that India
is a Hindu nation and rounded on “anti-national” opponents, which many Muslims
see as an attempt to marginalize them, a community that makes up 13 percent of
India’s billion plus population.
Authorities
in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday demolished the home of a
Muslim man linked to the riots, drawing condemnation of the state government,
led by the BJP, from constitutional experts and rights groups.
Muslims
and rights groups interpreted the destruction of the house as punishment for
the riots but state authorities said it was because it was illegally built on
public land.
“We
are not demolishing houses to stop Muslims from protesting as they have all the
right to take to the streets,” an aide to the state’s hard-line Hindu leader
told Reuters.
Modi
has not commented on the anti-Islam remarks that sparked the protests even as
condemnation grew abroad.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2102371/world
--------
Muslim
Body Files Pleas In Supreme Court Against UP Demolitions
June
13, 2022
New
Delhi: Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed two fresh pleas in the Supreme
Court on Monday seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure
that no further demolitions are carried out in the State without following due
process and such exercise is done only after adequate notice.
The
organisation had earlier filed the plea on the issue of demolition of buildings
in the Jahangirpuri area of the national capital.
The
fresh applications said that subsequent to the last hearing in the matter some
new developments have taken place that require the attention of this Court.
"Some
objectionable and offensive remarks were made by two political leaders a few
days ago which led to communal tension in numerous parts of the country.
Following the remarks of the two political leaders, a bandh was called for by a
group of people in the district of Kanpur in protest.
"On
the day of the protest, a scuffle broke out between the Hindu and Muslim
religious community, and stone-pelting took place between the two communities.
That after the violence in Kanpur, a number of persons in authority have stated
in the media that the properties of suspects/accused would be confiscated and
demolished. Even the Chief Minister of the state has said in the media that the
houses of accused persons would be razed using bulldozers," one of the
pleas said.
The
plea alleged that the adoption of such extra-legal measures is clearly in
violation of the principles of natural justice, especially when the court is
hearing the present matter.
"It
is pertinent to note that in the present matter this Hon'ble Court ordered the
stay of demolitions that were being carried out as a punitive measure in
Northwest Delhi in similar circumstances. Hence, considering that the captioned
matter is currently pending before this Hon'ble Court, restoring such measures
is even more alarming.
"That
demolition exercise of any nature must be carried out strictly in accordance
with applicable laws, and only after due notice and opportunity of hearing to
each of the affected persons – as mandated by this Court," the plea said.
"Issue
directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh that no precipitative action be taken
in Kanpur District against the residential or commercial property of any
accused in any criminal proceedings as an extra-legal punitive measure,"
the plea said referring to the June 3 incident of violence in Kanpur.
The
organisation has also sought directions to the State of Uttar Pradesh to ensure
that any demolition exercise of any nature must be carried out strictly in
accordance with applicable laws, and only after due notice and opportunity of
hearing are given to each of the affected persons.
Source:
ND TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Leaders
of prominent Islamic groups, mosques call for peace
14.06.22
Leaders
of prominent Islamic groups and mosques in India appealed to fellow Muslims on
Monday to suspend plans for protests against derogatory remarks about Prophet
Mohammed made by the then spokespersons for the BJP.
The
message to eschew big gatherings was circulated after demonstrations took a
violent turn last week, leading to the death of two Muslim teenagers and
causing injuries to more than 30 people, including police.
“It
is the duty of every Muslim to stand together when anyone belittles Islam but
at the same time it is critical to maintain peace,” said Malik Aslam, a senior
member of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Muslim organisation that operates in
several Indian states.
The
police said they arrested at least 400 suspected rioters during unrest in
several states, curfews were imposed and Internet services were suspended in
some places.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has not commented on the anti-Islam remarks even as
condemnation grew abroad.
Source:
Telegraph India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
More
protests in India after authorities raze homes of Muslim activists
SANJAY
KUMAR
June
13, 2022
NEW
DELHI: Hundreds protested in New Delhi on Monday after the demolition of homes
belonging to Muslim activists in India’s Uttar Pradesh, as demonstrations
sparked by remarks by ruling party figures about the Prophet Muhammad erupted
across the country.
People
have taken to the streets in India in recent weeks to protest against
derogatory references about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad made by prominent
spokespersons from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which
have also caused a diplomatic row with several Muslim countries.
The
government has said that the comments do not reflect its views, but protests
turned violent last week when two teenagers were killed in the eastern state of
Jharkhand. Hundreds of alleged rioters have also been arrested in the northern
state of Uttar Pradesh, where authorities demolished houses of Muslim activists
on Sunday.
The
demolition sparked further unrest on Monday, as activists and students took
part in protests in the Indian capital.
“The
government is persecuting Muslims for being Muslim,” Raniya Zulaikha, a
protester in New Delhi, told Arab News.
“By
targeting protesting Muslims the government is sending the message loud and
clear that it is not apologetic to hurt sentiments of the community,” said
Zulaikha, who is a member of the Fraternity Movement student group.
Authorities
in Uttar Pradesh razed three houses on Sunday, one of which belonged to
politician Javed Ahmed, whose daughter, Afreen Fatima, is a prominent Muslim
rights activist. Authorities said that Ahmed had built his house illegally and
that he had planned the protests in the state last week.
“The
main accused, Javed Ahmed, who is the main mastermind of the whole incident —
we have acted against his illegal construction,” Ajay Kumar, senior
superintendent of police in Prayagraj city of Uttar Pradesh, told reporters.
The
controversial remarks made by BJP members followed increasing violence
targeting India’s Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists, who have
been emboldened by Modi’s regular silences about such attacks since taking office
in 2014.
“Since
2014, Muslims in particular and other minorities have been treated as
second-class citizens by the present fundamentalist government in India,”
Delhi-based human rights activist Ravi Nair, who also protested on Monday, told
Arab News.
Officials
have previously razed Muslim-owned properties and said that the demolitions
targeted illegal buildings and not any particular religious group. However,
critics argue that such moves are part of attempts to harass and marginalize
Muslims, who represent 14 percent of India’s 1.4 billion population.
“The
BJP is using bulldozers to punish vocal Muslims, Muslims who speak for their
rights, who resists violence on them,” Apoorvanand Jha, a professor at the
University of Delhi, told Arab News.
In
Uttar Pradesh, where the demolitions took place, there was fear and
apprehension within the Muslim community, said Kulsum Talha, a social activist
based in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2102501/world
--------
No
illegal Bangladeshi Muslims in Assam, claims legislator
13
June, 2022
Guwahati
(Assam) [India], June 13 (ANI): With the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
process underway to detect the illegal foreigners residing in the country,
Sherman Ali, the suspended Congress MLA of Assam, claims that there are no
illegal Bangladeshi Muslims in the state.
According
to him, the proclaimed figures are only imaginary and are made political
worthy, and the number of illegal residents is only limited to a few hundred,
not lakhs or thousands.
He
questioned if there is, indeed, a huge number of illegal Bangladeshi residents
in the state then why they have not been deported back to their country and why
the government has not created an extradition agreement with Bangladesh yet.
“Why
couldn’t they make an extradition agreement with Bangladesh? Bangladesh is such
a small country. This proves that they are making all these claims only for
politics,” he said.
He
also said that the NRC is being prepared under the strict supervision of the
Supreme Court, under the son of the soil of Assam, ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
According to Ali, by lodging a complaint against NRC anomalies, NRC State
Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma has “disobeyed the Supreme Court” and “attracted
its provision of contempt”.
“It
is the Supreme Court that should decide the revision of the preparation of NRC.
Hitesh Dev Sarma is a small creature. He cannot speak above the Supreme Court,
and neither can the government of Assam,” he added.
He
also added that if anyone has any doubt regarding the preparation of NRC,
further revisions will not solve the matter because some people of Assam just have
pre-conceptions in their minds about the number of infiltrators, due to which
even multiple revisions will not satisfy them.
“If
you are not satisfied by the NRC, settle it once and for all by the DNA test,”
he appealed.
“BJP
only wants to keep the issue alive. Since 1975, almost 45 years have gone by,
and the voter list has been revised 4 times and declared free from foreigners,
but the people still demanded revision. Finally, there was a tripartite
agreement under the BJP that the NRC should be prepared as a final solution to
this problem. There were many hearings, and objections were raised overnight,
but even then, when the number came down to 19 lakh containing only some 4-5
lakh of Muslims, it was a bone of contention. When the first list was published,
40 lakh people were not included in the NRC list, and they were enjoying it.
During the election campaign, Amit Shah loudly said that we have identified 40
lakh of foreigners. But when the same process culminated in the deletion of
only 19 lakh including 5 lakh Muslims, they were not satisfied,” he told ANI.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/politics/no-illegal-bangladeshi-muslims-in-assam-claims-legislator/995166/
--------
Two
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed in encounter in J&K
Jun
14, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including a Pakistani national, were killed in
an encounter with security forces in Srinagar, police said on Tuesday.
"Two
terrorists of banned terror outfit LeT were neutralised by Srinagar Police in
an encounter in Bemina area of Srinagar city. One policeman sustained minor
injuries in the operation," a police official said.
The
‘chance encounter' took place late Monday night.
Inspector
General of Police, Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar said as per the documents and
other incriminating materials recovered from the encounter site, one of the
killed terrorists has been identified as Abdullah Goujri, a resident of
Faisalabad in Pakistan.
"This
was the same group of terrorists which had escaped from Sopore encounter. We
have been tracking their movement," the IGP said.
He
said the other slain terrorist was identified as Adil Hussain Mir alias Sufian,
a resident of Anantnag district.
Source:
Times Of India
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Treating
accused as convicts is unlawful: AIMPLB
14th
June 2022
Lucknow:
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said that treating accused
as convicts was not only unlawful but also a way of creating terror and panic.
In
a statement, the Board cited visuals on social media to highlight alleged
police excesses on individuals detained on allegations of stone-pelting and
violence.
The
board also appealed to the members of the Muslim community to “exercise
restraint and limit their protests to handing over of memorandums to local
authorities seeking action against those who have insulted the Prophet to
express their disapproval and resentment if any, against such acts.”
The
board also demanded that the police first investigate cases of violence, submit
their findings before the court and seek directions to initiate action against
the accused.
Board’s
general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani, in the statement, said
instead of initiating action against the individual (read Nupur Sharma) who
insulted the Prophet, the government is lodging FIRs and demolishing houses of
those who have expressed their protest against such statements. This is
unlawful and excessive.
“The
BJP took action against the person who insulted the Prophet, but the government
has not done anything at all to show that it disapproves of such acts. The
government has not initiated any appropriate penal action as per the provisions
of law against the person, which is surprising,” Rehmani said.
Instead,
police action against those protesting against derogatory comments for their
Prophet, is like rubbing salts in the wounds of the community, he said.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/treating-accused-as-convicts-is-unlawful-aimplb-2348415/
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Southeast
Asia
Philippines’
Autonomous Muslim Region Builds Deradicalisation Centre For Former Militants
June
13, 2022
MANILA:
A center aimed at helping former militants reintegrate into the community is
being built in the southern Philippines as part of government efforts to
sustain peace in one of Southeast Asia’s most conflict-torn regions, officials
said on Monday.
Bangsamoro,
a region covering predominantly Muslim areas of Mindanao, has undergone a peace
process for nearly a decade since the government struck a permanent cease-fire
agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after almost four decades of
conflict.
As
part of the peace process, the region’s inhabitants voted for greater autonomy
in a referendum held in 2019. This followed the months’-long battle in
Mindanao’s Marawi City in 2017 between the Philippine army and pro-Daesh
militants, including members of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
The
threat from ASG has declined since then; the Philippine military said in April
that its operations had decreased the risk from militants affiliated with
Daesh. As more ASG members surrender to the military, the government in
Bangsamoro is aiming to help them rejoin society.
“This
facility is part of the commitment we’ve made to the Western Mindanao Command
and the local government . . . as we join them in rebuilding the lives of (the
former) ASG members,” Naguib Sinarimbo, who heads the department responsible
for local governance in Bangsamoro, said in a statement.
The
$469,000 facility will be located in Barangay Langhub in the southwestern Sulu
province, which was a stronghold of ASG.
Once
it is established, the center will conduct programs to ensure that former
militants “will become productive citizens as they return to the community.”
The
regional military spokesperson, Col. Alaric Delos Santos, stressed the
importance of the center “for the deradicalization of the former ASG members.”
“We
all know that inside the ASG, what they were taught was an extremist point of
view on Islam. So this time, they will go through the process and get a proper
study and understanding of Islam. We will also be able to see their potential
to determine the kind of livelihood that should be provided to each of them,”
Delos Santos told Arab News.
Since
2017, more than 860 members of the ASG have surrendered to the military in
Sulu, according to official data. More than half will join the first batch of
programs run at the center, Delos Santos said.
The
center, according to security expert Rikard Jalkebro, is essential to sustain
peace in Sulu.
“It’s
something that has to be done otherwise you can’t really have lasting peace or
any kind of sustainable peace situation in Sulu,” Jalkebro told Arab News.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2102576/world
--------
Malaysia’s
Islamists Take On The Sultan Of Selangor
By
Murray Hunter
June
13, 2022
An
unprecedented challenge to Royal prerogative and the Malaysian Constitution
Under
Malaysian state constitutions, the sultans are the head of Islam within their
respective states. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or king selected by the Council
of Rulers every five years is the head of Islam with the Federal Territories
and states where there is no sultan.
Challenging
the will of sultans is considered strictly taboo within Malay culture.
Historically Royal households enjoy the highest stature within Malay society,
where their rulings are respected and accepted without public questioning.
Malaysia’s sedition laws strongly support this concept, which act as de facto
Lese Majeste laws.
Last
year activist Fahmi Reza was arrested by police for allegedly insulting the
queen for posting a satirical playlist online, over a controversy concerning
Royalty and Covid-19 vaccines.
Online
influencers Bryan Wee and Deacon Chai found themselves in hot water over a
series of pictures they took outside the Johor Istana (Palace). Those
criticizing Malaysia’s Royalty are usually dealt with harshly by the
authorities.
Last
week, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, stated that the
Bon Odori festival organized by the Japanese community in Malaysia, doesn’t
have any religious elements and Muslims have no problem if they attend.
This
was met with the PAS Ulama Council issuing a statement urging Muslims not to
attend the event out of religious elements within the festival. This view was
supported by the PAS Religious Affairs minister Idris Ahmad.
Idris
Ahmad had sparked the controversy when he advised Muslims not to attend the Bon
Odori festival, as he claimed it had elements of Buddhism within it. Idris
claimed that JAKIM examined the festival and found that it does have religious
elements involved, consequently according to JAKIM’s findings, Muslims should
not attend.
This
escalated when the Sultan of Selangor told Idris not to use JAKIM to make
‘confusing and inaccurate statements about the festival. The Sultan went on to
challenge the minister to attend the festival to see for himself.
Sultan
Sharafuddin Idris Shah had decreed to the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS)
and the Shah Alam City Council allow the Bon Odori festive to go ahead next
month, and attend. Meanwhile, Minister Idris Ahmad continued to insist the
festival had religious elements.
This
has led to the PAS Women’s Youth wing to declare the Bon Odori dance haram, and
was met with support from both the Perlis Mufti Dr Asri Zainul Abidin, and
Penang Mufti Wan Salim Mohd Noor, who later backtracked on his comments. Dr
Asri later suggested that the Bon Odori Festival change its name to avoid
confusion.
The
PAS insistence that the Sultan of Selangor is wrong, is a direct challenge to
Royal prerogative, and blatantly disrespects the Sultan’s position as head of
Islam in Selangor. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was also appointed by the
Conference of Rulers as chairman of the National Council for Islamic Religious
Affairs Malaysia (MKI), and placed JAKIM under his direct jurisdiction.
This
deems the PAS denouncement of Sultan Sharafuddin’s Royal Decree as a direct
challenge to Malaysia’s nine rulers, including the Agong or King. This is not
just a challenge to the Malay rulers, but also a direct challenge to the
Malaysian and Selangor State Constitutions.
This
is an act of treason that members of the Malay ruling elite have all been totally
silent upon, as has the leader of the opposition. The Muslim Brotherhood
sympathetic PAS Ulama have now shown how potentially dangerous political Islam
is in Malaysia. This is a direct threat to both the rulers and the
Constitution, where the Royal Malaysian Police have stood idly by, almost to
the point of encouragement.
Source:
Eurasia Review
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.eurasiareview.com/13062022-malaysias-islamists-take-on-the-sultan-of-selangor-analysis/
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Najib
didn’t complain about accounts, AmBank officer tells court
Ho
Kit Yen
June
13, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: An AmBank officer told the High Court in Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial the
former prime minister did not file any complaints against the bank regarding
the manner in which they handled his accounts.
Salmah
Daman Huri said this when asked by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam
about the transactions in Najib’s two bank accounts from 2009 to 2015.
She
had told the court last week that she converted more than US$710 million into
ringgit for a client’s private account between 2012 and 2013. However, she
stopped short of naming the VIP client who received the large sum of foreign
money.
Continuing
her testimony today, Salmah said she converted £8.7 million into ringgit that
was deposited into this customer’s account between October 2014 and December
2014.
Asked
by Najib’s lawyer, Wan Aizudin Wan Mohamed, whether she knew who the “VIP
customer” was, she said she did not.
“I
only knew it was his (Najib) accounts after investigations into 1MDB started
(in 2015),” she said.
She
also said that Najib’s accounts were opened under the bank’s AmPrivate banking
unit, in which the personal details of customers, such as their names, were
kept confidential.
“They
needed to be ‘high net worth’ individuals,” she said.
Salmah
said AmBank did not raise any “red flags” about Najib’s transactions to Bank
Negara Malaysia (BNM) during the time he held accounts at the bank.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Zahid
calls for new political ‘tsunami’ to reclaim Sepang
June
12, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Barisan Nasional must create a political upheaval to recapture the Sepang
district at the next general election, coalition chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said
today.
Zahid
said BN possessed the potential to reclaim the district having previously held
it until 2013. “The onus is on us to generate a political tsunami to cause an
upset,” he said, Berita Harian reported.
Zahid,
who is also Umno president, said BN leaders and members in Sepang had to keep
the interest of the district’s 170,000 voters at heart to stand any chance at
reclaiming the seat.
He
said there was big potential for victory if frequent visits were made by
“Bossku” Najib Razak, the former prime minister, and the district’s “adopted
father” Zambry Abd Kadir, who is chairman of Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad,
which has its headquarters at KLIA, in Sepang.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan:
An Army-Imposed Deal with the Pakistani Taliban Could Spell Disaster
Mohammad
Taqi
June
14, 2022
While
the Pakistani public at large remains consumed with the sky-rocketing inflation
and the civilian government grapples with a floundering economy and strict IMF
conditions, the country’s powerful army is pushing for a negotiated settlement
with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (aka TTP or Pakistani Taliban).
The
negotiations between the TTP leadership based in Afghanistan and the Pakistani
army officials that have been going on at least since last fall, gained new
momentum over the past several weeks. A group of individuals from the
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province including the districts consisting of the
former Federally Administrated Tribal areas (FATA) that were merged with that
federating unit, recently visited Kabul, and held talks with the TTP leadership
including its current chief Noor Wali Mehsud, and other top commanders Maulvi
Faqir Muhammad and Umar Khalid Khorasani.
The
TTP’s fraternal twins, the Afghan Taliban not only acted as the go-between but
their acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani
and intelligence chief Muhammad Wasiq attended the parleys, ostensibly as
facilitators.
Both
sides claimed progress after the talks, and the TTP has apparently extended the
ceasefire indefinitely.
The
50-member Pakistani delegation was dubbed as a jirga i.e., traditional tribal
assembly of elders but it was authorised neither by the Pashtun tribes nor the
government of Pakistan. The members were handpicked by the controversial former
Director General of Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate Lt. General
Faiz Hameed Chaudhry, who is currently commanding the army’s XI Corps
headquartered at Peshawar. He even arranged for the entourage to travel to
Kabul in a military C-130 aircraft.
Prior
to that, General Faiz, as he is commonly known, had himself flown to Kabul and
held direct talks with the TTP leaders.
Some
of the delegation members have confirmed on record that the constitution and
launch of their so-called jirga was wholly-owned project of the Pakistan army.
They have confirmed that they participated in their individual capacity and
were “authorised” by General Faiz, who met with them prior to their departure,
to work out a peace deal with the TTP since they “all come from the same region
and ethno-cultural background”.
As
the reckless venture started drawing criticism, mostly from the Pashtun
nationalist political leaders, the Federal Minister for Information belatedly
claimed that it was commissioned by the civilian administration under the
constitution. It is ironic that the civilians were forced to take flak for the
army, and that too on such flimsy grounds.
Firstly,
the de facto relations notwithstanding, Pakistan still does not officially
recognise the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul that hosted the talks.
Secondly,
for a sitting Corps commander to run talks with a proscribed terrorist group on
foreign territory is unheard of even in the dirty games that Pakistan army has
played in Afghanistan. It is certainly beyond a corps commander’s professional
remit and holds no constitutional or even administrative water. There were
instances during General Pervez Musharraf’s army regime, where the Corps
Commander Peshawar negotiated with the TTP inside Pakistan, but this would be
the first instance where one has conducted such talks inside Afghanistan.
Thirdly,
the elected parliamentarians from the North and South Waziristan, the ex-FATA
districts that bore the brunt of both the TTP atrocities and the army
operations, were completely kept out of the loop and the delegation. It finally
forced the country’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who in all
likelihood was kept in the dark as well, to publicly state that all decisions
on dealing with the terrorists must be taken by the parliament. The FM, who is
also the chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), went on serve a
show-cause notice to a federal minister from his party who was part of the
mission, showing that the information minister was outright lying to give
legitimacy to a patently illegal enterprise post ipso facto.
It
is dumbfounding that a country that has lost over 70,000 citizens, including
the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to the TTP’s relentless terror, would
be kept in dark by the army over negotiations with that group.
The
Pakistani Taliban’s almost two-decade long terrorism reached every corner of
the country but predominantly ravaged the Pashtun-inhabited areas. A vast
majority of the terror casualties were ethnic Pashtuns and religious
minorities.
The
Pashtuns of the ex-FATA and the KP’s Malakand division faced a triple whammy
when they were first tormented by the Taliban, then displaced internally when the
military eventually launched operations against the terrorists and in the
process destroyed the civilian homes and businesses as well.
The
TTP, however, has attacked not just the civilians but also the army’s General
Headquarters, air force and naval bases, country’s largest ordnance factory and
aeronautical complex, airports, and
massacred nearly 150 students and teachers at an army-run boys’ school. It was
in the aftermath of that school attack that the country’s political and
military leadership finally came together and formulated what was called the
National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism.
A
core pledge of the NAP was that no armed organisation would be allowed to
operate in the country. The army is clearly reneging on that commitment and
appears to be using the civilian government and coopted Pashtun leaders to
sanctify a dirty deal that it seems to have already cut with the Taliban.
While
the TTP declaring ceasefire is being trumpeted as major success by the army’s
surrogates in the media, what the army is conceding is being kept under wraps.
These army-approved spokespersons are touting that just like the US agreement
with the Afghan Taliban, the deal with the TTP will end an endless war. Never
mind that the US-Taliban agreement in Doha paved the way for complete
elimination of the Afghan Republic and its state structures. The TTP’s demands,
are similarly ominous and could lead to the weakening, if not elimination, of
the state structures in the areas that it is allowed to return to. It is demanding
imposition of sharia laws in the Malakand division and ex-FATA districts, a
reversal of the FATA merger with the KP province, the right to retain arms,
release of its prisoners and reparations for losses of life and property its
cadres have incurred over the years.
The
army has already released a couple of top TTP commanders on death row,
including its infamous former spokesman Muslim Khan who used to call the media
and take responsibility for every atrocity their vile band committed. They were
handed over to the Haqqani faction of the Afghan Taliban at the Afghanistan’s
embassy in Islamabad and later moved to an undisclosed location in that
country.
Why
is the Pakistan army so keen to cut a deal with the TTP that it is willing to
release scores of what it had once called “jet black terrorists”, who are sure
to return to the battlefield without a pause? The simple answer is that it
can’t fight them, at least not now. With economy in shambles thanks to the
army’s hybrid regime project and the prevailing political instability courtesy
its now-ousted central character Imran Khan, Pakistanis state is weak and
vulnerable. Pakistan army also lacks the largesse and the advanced technical
intelligence that the US had provided it during several previous operations
against the TTP.
The
TTP, on the other hand, has regrouped and reorganised, and is ideologically
rejuvenated thanks to the Afghan Taliban’s victory over the US and Kabul
government. The TTP under Noor Wali Mehsud reabsorbed several splinter groups
and defectors, and with swollen ranks and operational freedom it enjoyed in
Afghanistan, the group ramped up its attacks inside Pakistan. Unlike the past
large-scale indiscriminate terror attacks against the general population, the
TTP has been mainly targeting the security forces including army and certain
civilians, mostly in the ex-FATA districts.
For
years, Pakistan army had portrayed the TTP as a puppet of the US-backed Afghan
governments and the Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). But the fact of the
matter is that the TTP has been joined at the hip, ideologically and
logistically, with the Afghan Taliban, and especially its Haqqani faction.
While several top leaders and every single one of the TTP chiefs killed so far
had been taken out by the US drones, after coming to power, the Afghan Taliban
released hundreds of TTP prisoners who had been arrested by the fallen Kabul
government, including TTP senior leaders like founding deputy emir Maulvi Faqir
Muhammad.
The
current TTP emir renewed allegiance to the Afghan Taliban after they took over
Kabul.
Pakistan
army had disingenuously peddled the myth that the Afghan Taliban would not only
contain the TTP but deliver it to Pakistan. But when rubber met the road, the
Afghan Taliban refused to act against their brothers-in-arms, for assorted
reasons, of which an ideological affinity is the foremost. Also, the Taliban
regime has other battles to fight, including against the Islamic State in
Khorasan (ISIK).
But
even if the Taliban emirate wanted to crackdown on the TTP it risks not just a
fight back from the group but also resistance from within its own ranks and a
potential ideological challenge from the ISIK for betraying the jihadist cause.
The Pakistan army became increasingly impatient with the TTP operating from the
Afghan soil and had also launched a few attacks inside Afghanistan, leading to
a muffled protest from the emirate which came under internal pressure for being
seen as stooges of Pakistan army unable to stand up to it. The emirate,
however, also relies heavily on Pakistan army, which effectively is its sole
international patron, and, therefore, could not be alienated outright.
The
talks essentially buy the Afghan Taliban, the TTP and the Pakistan army some
time. But for how long and at what cost?
In
dealing with the TTP, past is the prologue. The Pakistan army has itself
negotiated and signed – or forced the civilian governments to do so – over a
dozen agreements with the TTP. Each one of those deals was in tatters within
months, if not days, with the TTP reneging on its promises, the state conceding
more space to the terrorists, and the general population ultimately bearing the
brunt of it all. In most of those cases, the army allowed the Taliban who had
ostensibly surrendered, to organise as the so-called peace committees and keep
their weapons. In case of Malakand, the civilian government was even pushed to
concede to Taliban an enforcement of sharia regulations.
The
TTP used the agreements to increase its stature, consolidate its hold, fill the
power vacuum created by abdication of the state and weakening of the old tribal
hierarchy, and eventually unleashed another wave of terror. The Taliban even
massacred many tribal elders who had helped negotiate some of those deals, not
unlike the bunch that signed up as General Faiz’s emissaries. There is nothing
that says that the present round of talks and Taliban appeasement would end any
differently.
The
Pakistan army’s media surrogates point out that the TTP’s raison d’etre was the
American presence in the region and irritants such as drone attacks, and with
those gone, peace must be given a chance. The TTP, however, has been very clear
and consistent about why it is waging a bloody terror campaign against
Pakistan. A former TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud was once asked by the BBC
whether the US withdrawal from the region would have any impact on their
movement. Mehsud had responded:
“There
will be no impact of the American withdrawal on the TTP, because friendship
with America is only one of the two reasons we have to conduct jihad against
Pakistan. The other reason is that Pakistan’s system is un-Islamic, and we want
that it should be replaced with the Islamic system. This demand and this desire
will continue even after the American withdrawal.”
Nothing
has changed in the TTP thinking since. After the US withdrawal from
Afghanistan, the incumbent TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud had bluntly told the CNN
that their war is against the Pakistani state and they seek imposition of
sharia and independence of the border regions (ex-FATA).
While
the TTP’s motives and tactics are rather clear, the Pakistan army calculus is
rather murky. That not a single Pashtun nationalist leader was included in the
delegation(s) sent to Kabul raises serious concerns not just about the army’s
tactics but its motives. Ali Wazir, the outspoken member of the National
Assembly from South Waziristan is in prison for almost two years at the behest
of none other than the Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, who wants to make
an example out of him for making a speech against the army’s excesses in his
region.
But
the parliamentarian from North Waziristan, Mohsin Dawar – a cool-headed lawyer
– was also barred from the group. It is mind-boggling that the army
meticulously excluded law-abiding constitutionalists from an ostensible peace
process that is bound to impact their region but has sworn terrorists. Fair is
foul, foul is fair! But a handpicked member of the delegation and former
parliamentarian from the PPP, Akhundzada Chattan hinted at the foul play. He
said in an interview upon his return that it seemed as if someone else was
using the TTP’s shoulder to fire at the merger of ex-FATA with the KP province.
Other
Pashtun politicians like the former Senator Afrasiab Khattak have charged that
through its cloak-and-dagger games the army seeks to turn the Pashtun regions
to the east of Durand Line into a Taliban sanctuary yet again. Pakistan army
has used Islamism for decades to counter Pashtun nationalism and Afghan
irredentism. The army’s perception of the threat from the Pashtun nationalists
like Wazir and Dawar is delusional and warped. Could it get more perverse than
caging the constitutionalists and letting the terrorists loose?
But
in its quest for the so-called strategic depth in Afghanistan, Pakistan army
has kept providing reverse strategic depth to its jihadist proxies. An
ideological milieu and jihadist infrastructure were created in Pakistan to
groom and launch these jihadists, which the army always thought it could
control and harness. But many of them did boomerang back on to the army itself.
The TTP rehabilitation in the ex-FATA could buttress the Afghan Taliban – and
the Haqqani faction in particular – against some of the military challenges
coming their way. Whatever the veracity of these claims by the Pashtun
nationalists, it is abundantly clear that by default the net result of the
army’s manoeuvrings would be yet another round of turmoil and terror in the
Pashtun regions of Pakistan.
The
Taliban surrendering their weapons and accepting the constitution could
theoretically be the ultimate result if – a huge if at that – the negotiations
are successful. The Taliban agreeing to a set of conditions, accepting the
state’s writ, disarming, and decommissioning is a pipedream. What does the TTP
stand to gain by conceding is better known to the army. The TTP would certainly
find another pretext to continue its violent campaign.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Parliament
Capable Institute to Lead Talks With Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan: PPP Senator
June
13, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday stressed the
need for making talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as part of a
national debate comprising parliament, experts, military commanders who fought
against them and civil society.
“Two
tribal jirgas sent for negotiations with the TTP cannot be a replacement for
the collective wisdom of parliament,” he pointed out in a statement issued here
on Monday.
Rabbani
emphasized that peace talks and subsequent agreement with the TTP will have
far-reaching consequences on the constitutional boundaries of the federation
within, on the creation of a parallel justice system, the rule of law and the
constitution.
The
PPP senator declared that the parliament has always risen beyond party lines
from evolving terms of engagement with the US or operations against terrorists
in Swat, Khyber and Waziristan.
Rabbani
was of the view that Pakistani people have the right to decide their future,
adding that let a consensus decision be arrived at through a debate in which
the parliament leads.
A
day earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari formed a three-member
committee to liaise with political parties on the recent developments related
to talks with Afghan Taliban and the banned outfit TTP.
The
three-member committee comprises PPP’s senior leaders Sherry Rehman,
Farhatullah Babar and Qamar Zaman Kaira, and will take other political parties
on board over the matter.
The
development came after a series of meetings were held between representatives
of Pakistan and the outlawed TTP in Kabul to broker a peace deal. The Afghan
Taliban are acting as a mediator.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan Declares Unilateral Ceasefire
By
Umair Jamal
June
13, 2022
The
Pakistani government has been negotiating with the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) for weeks in an effort to permanently halt cross-border attacks from
Afghanistan. The latest round of intense and extensive negotiations has seen
Pakistan going all in to involve relevant stakeholders to reach an agreement
with the group. A tribal jirga of prominent elders has visited Kabul many times
to persuade the group to shun violence. To ensure that the peace process stays
on track, the Afghan Taliban have thrown their weight behind the ongoing
negotiations.
As
a result the TTP has declared an indefinite ceasefire with the Pakistani
government. Following the announcement of the ceasefire last week, the
government acknowledged for the first time that it was negotiating with the
TTP.
While
both sides have shown willingness to negotiate, it remains to see if the
ongoing peace talks can result in a lasting peace. There are several reasons to
believe that the ongoing peace negotiations will not be enough to restore peace
in the region.
To
begin with, the idea of negotiating with a militant organization, which has
murdered thousands of Pakistanis, shows that the state of Pakistan has failed
to restore its writ after years of crackdown on the group. Pakistani state’s
decision to negotiate with the TTP not only legitimizes the group but offers it
an opportunity to recuperate in the long run.
Pakistan’s
inability to force the group into submission underscores that Islamabad is not
negotiating with the group from a position of strength. TTP has not only asked
for the withdrawal of the Pakistani military from tribal areas as part of the
negotiations process but also it has demanded the reversal of the merger of the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The group’s
leadership also wants to keep its organizational structure intact as part of
the peace deal.
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If
the state of Pakistan agrees to these terms, it would amount to surrendering to
a militant group. A concession of this sort will have far reaching implications
on Pakistan’s stability as other militant groups based in the country would
raise similar demands, forcing Islamabad into making deals with them.
Arguably,
even if Pakistan agrees to a peace deal with the TTP, there is no assurance
that the group will follow through on the agreement. The implementation of an agreement
with the Taliban “will be tricky and involve trusting a militant group that has
been brutal in its tactics and actions,” writes Maliha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former
ambassador to the United States.
“This
also casts doubt on how lasting the ceasefire will be, given the stop-go
experience of [past] ceasefires,” she says.
To
an extent, TTP is negotiating with Pakistan because the group’s hosts in
Afghanistan are under pressure from the Pakistani military over the issue.
Reportedly, last month Pakistan conveyed to Afghan Taliban that it would no
more tolerate cross-border terrorist attacks.
Afghanistan’s
acting Minister for Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani recently said that the end of
TTP’s fight with Pakistan was in their best interests. “Any attack from this
side irks Pakistan, which creates problems for us with our neighbor and such
incidents have international ramifications for the Islamic Emirate,” Haqqani
was quoted as saying by a senior jirga member. “But we don’t want to coerce the
TTP. They have waged jihad with us against the Americans and made sacrifices.
It would be better that Pakistan and TTP come to terms, after giving each other
some concessions,” Haqqani told the tribal group negotiating on Pakistan’s
behalf.
Source:
The Diplomat
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/tehreek-e-taliban-pakistan-declares-unilateral-ceasefire/
--------
IMF:
Extra measures needed for Pak budget to meet goals
Jun
14, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Additional measures will be needed to bring Pakistan’s budget for FY202223 in
line with the key objectives of its IMF programme, the lender’s resident
representative in Islamabad said on Monday. Pakistan unveiled a 9. 5 trillion
Pakistani rupee ($47 billion) budget for 2022-23 on Friday aimed at tight
fiscal consolidation in a bid to convince the IMF to restart much-needed
bailout payments. “Our preliminary estimate is that additional measures will be
needed to strengthen the budget and bring it in line with key programme
objectives,” Esther Perez Ruiz said. Pakistan finance minister said on Saturday
that the IMF had expressed concerns about the budget numbers, including fuel
subsidies, a widening current account deficit, and the need to raise more
direct taxes.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Missing'
Baloch students Doda Ellahi and Ghamshad return home: activist
Ghalib
Nihad
June
14, 2022
Doda
Ellahi and Ghamshad Baloch — students of Karachi University's Philosophy
Department allegedly taken away from their house in the city on June 7 — have
returned home, Nasarullah Baloch, chairman of non-profit organisation Voice of
Balochistan Missing Persons said on Tuesday.
In
a brief confirmation, the activist told Dawn.com that the students returned to
their home near Maskan Chowrangi in Gulshan-i-Iqbal after 3am. "They both
belong to the Kech district of Balochistan," he added.
Earlier
in the day, Shayhaq Ellahi and HudaHair Ellahi, siblings of Doda, had tweeted
that their brother and his friend had been "safely released". Shayhaq
also posted photographs of the pair. Dawn.com was able to confirm that the
accounts belonged to Doda's family members.
Both
of them went on to thank God and all the people who stood with the family
during the difficult time.
Protest
outside Sindh Assembly
The
development comes a day after relatives, activists and friends of the two
students were forcefully dispersed by police, and 28 of them were briefly
arrested from outside the main gate of the Sindh Assembly in Karachi.
They
were there to protest against the pair's "arrests". The demonstrators
had camped out outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for the last four days.
The
police action was widely condemned, as footage emerged of police personnel
dragging peaceful protesters and stuffing them in police vans.
Read:
'Shameful, barbaric, disrespectful': Police action on Baloch protesters widely
condemned on social media
South-SSP
Asad Raza told Dawn that the police detained 19 men and nine women as they
tried to enter the assembly building. The officer denied that protesters were
treated roughly. He added that woman police officers had detained female
protesters.
The
demonstrators were later released.
The
protest organisers had accused the police of manhandling women and children.
They said the Sindh police had broke their promise of arranging a meeting of
the missing students’ relatives with Counter Terrorism Department officials on
Monday. Therefore, they said, they again staged a sit-in near the Sindh
Assembly building where the police manhandled and arrested protesters.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Allies
to seek Pakistan’s removal from grey list
Anwar
Iqbal
June
14, 2022
WASHINGTON:
China and some other allies are quietly working to get Pakistan off the
Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list during the agency’s next plenary
session, diplomatic sources told Dawn.
The
FATF, a global body which monitors money laundering and terrorism financing, is
holding the four-day — June 14-17 — session in Berlin, Germany, from Tuesday.
FATF
delegates representing 206 members of the global network and its observers will
attend the meeting. The observers include the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Egmont Group of Financial
Intelligence Units.
Recent
reports in the international media also mentioned this “quiet lobbying”, led by
China, and one Indian media outlet reported that the plenary session “is likely
to decide to move Pakistan out from the list of countries under increased
monitoring, commonly known as its grey list”.
Diplomatic
sources in Washington say that those favouring the move argue that removing
Pakistan from the FATF grey list “is essential to revive the Pakistani
economy”. Pakistan has been on the list since June 2018.
The
sources say that an April 9 judgement by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore
could also help Pakistan in removing this stigma. The court sent
Lashkar-e-Tayyaba chief Hafiz Saeed, to prison for 33 years on terrorism
charges.
Those
who support the move to remove Pakistan from the list, point out that the two
cases that led to his imprisonment were filled by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism
Department.
In
its last plenary, held in Paris in March, the FATF noted that “Pakistan has
completed 26 of the 27 action items in its 2018 action plan”. The FATF
encouraged Pakistan “to address, as soon as possible, the one remaining item, —
investigating terrorism financing and targeting” senior leaders and commanders
of UN-designated terrorist groups.
FATF
acknowledged that Pakistan had also met 6 of the 7 action plans it was asked to
follow in June 2021 to counter money laundering.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also prepared a presentation for the FATF
plenary, showing how Pakistan has completed all the 27 tasks that it was given.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar is likely to attend the
plenary.
On
May 22 and 23, Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar visited Brussels and
briefed multiple Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the European
Commission on Pakistan’s efforts to get off the grey list.
During
the four-day plenary session, delegates will finalise key issues including a
report to prevent money laundering through the real estate sector. Another
report will urge financial institutions to use collaborative analytics, data
collection and other sharing initiatives to assess and mitigate the money
laundering and terrorist financing risks they face.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1694696/allies-to-seek-pakistans-removal-from-grey-list
--------
How
Pakistani Judiciary Dealt With Demand to 'Return' Lahore Gurudwara to Muslims
for Worship
M.R.
Narayan Swamy
JUNE
14, 2022
The
judiciary should go strictly by law while dealing with religious disputes. If
this happens, there will be fewer controversies and no section of the society
will feel let down barring those who have no faith in a judicial system. This
issue has come to the fore in recent times in India as right-wing Hindu groups
keep making claim after claim on Islamic religious shrines.
It
will be interesting in this context to see how the judiciary in Pakistan
resolved a knotty issue involving Muslims and Sikhs over a place of worship the
former insisted had been a mosque and which the latter claimed was a gurdwara.
The
story has been related in some detail by Lahore-based academic-cum-freelance
journalist Haroon Khalid in his gripping book, Walking with Nanak, in which the
author tells us the saga of Nanak as he trekked vast areas, spending invaluable
time in the part of Punjab that now lies in Pakistan.
A
long time back, in the then West Punjab (now in Pakistan), there was a mosque
in Naulakha Bazar. Sitting in it, the Qazi would announce punishment to
criminals. This is also where Sikhs were punished on the orders of the governor
of Lahore, Moin-ul-Mulk, also known as Meer Manu.
According
to the book, thousands of Sikhs – yes, thousands of innocent men, women and
children – were slaughtered and thrown into a well on the orders of the
governor.
The
mosque was small and was never used as a place of worship. When Maharaja Ranjit
Singh took control of Punjab, the Sikhs took over the mosque, placed the Guru
Granth Sahib inside it and converted it into a gurudwara. The Muslims could do
nothing about it.
Let
Khalid tell the rest of the story in his own words, as related to him by his
mentor, Iqbal Qaiser.
“It
was during the British era that this issue first came to light. The Muslims
filed an application in court that this was a mosque and that it should be
returned to them. The Muslims argued that the Court should look at the
architecture of the building to judge that this was indeed a mosque. The Sikhs
on the other hand argued that this had been a mosque once and that now it had
become a gurudwara.”
“The
Lahore High Court, where the case was presented, asked if there was anyone
alive who could testify that he had seen that building used as a mosque.
Naturally, there was no one. So the court decided in favour of the Sikhs. After
the judgment, the Sikhs who had control over the gurudwara decided to raze the
building because they thought that it was because of the architecture of the
building that this issue has come to the forefront.”
“The
building was demolished. This led to rioting between Muslims and Sikhs. It was
actually the British who were responsible for these riots. It goes back to
their policy of divide and rule. Even Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal got
involved as they tried pacifying the Muslims. Nothing emerged out of the
protest and the gurdwara remained a gurdwara.”
“After
Partition, when the Auqaf Department was created, this issue of the gurdwara
was raised yet again. This time, people believed that since the Sikhs had
migrated (to India) and the gurudwara had been abandoned, the court would allot
it to the Muslims but that did not happen. The Lahore High Court declared once
again that this would remain a gurdwara. (This was around 1957-58.)
“The
issue about the property of this gurdwara or mosque was raised once again in
the late 1980s. Some petitioners appeared in the court and asked the judgment
to be reviewed. This time the judge ordered that he would convert this gurdwara
into a mosque if the petitioners brought forth even one person who had prayed
at the mosque. This did not happen and the status of the gurdwara remained as
is.”
In
about 1994-95, the Kar Sewa Committee of England asked the Pakistan government
for permission to renovate the gurdwara. The government was reluctant initially
but eventually gave permission.
When
it was mentioned in the newspapers that the Gurudwara Shaheed Ganj was being
reconstructed, some local Muslims tried once again to create an issue. This
time they wanted the local people living around the gurdwara to get involved
and halt the construction of this shrine.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thewire.in/law/pakistan-lahore-religious-structure-dispute-sikh-muslim
--------
South
Asia
Taliban
kill ISKP commanders responsible for mosque attacks
June
13, 2022
KABUL:
The Afghan Taliban carried out search operations in the Bagram district of
Kabul on Sunday and killed two main commanders of the Islamic State Khorasan
Province (ISKP), who attacked mosques and religious sites, and arrested many
others.
According
to Taliban’s Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, sleeper cells were raided on
Sunday night by the district administration, special forces and local police.
The contingent managed to kill the most wanted ISKP commander Yousaf and
arrested Muhammad Agha, among others.
Yousaf
and Muhammad Agha were responsible for planning attacks on religious sites,
power stations and power installations across the country, including Kabul,
according to Mujahid.
“On
their information, raids were conducted in central and suburban Kabul, and
scores of them [ISKP members] were arrested and killed,” the spokesperson
added.
Mujahid
stated that more details of the operation would be shared once received.
A
series of deadly attacks have rocked Afghanistan in recent months, a little
under a year since the Taliban takeover.
On
Saturday, a bomb blast on a minibus killed at least four people and injured
several others in the Afghan capital, police said.
Dozens
of civilians were killed in Kabul and other cities in primarily sectarian
attacks during the holy month of Ramazan, which ended on April 30 in
Afghanistan, with some claimed by the Islamic State group.
Many
of those attacks targeted the Hazaras and Sufi communities.
Some
of the bombings struck minibusses ferrying passengers from offices or markets
to their homes.
But
the deadliest attack during Ramazan came in the northern city of Kunduz, where
a bomb targeting Sufi worshippers tore through a mosque on April 22.
At
least 33 people were killed in that blast and scores more were wounded.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Investors
Claim Ex-Gov’t Owes 60B Afghanis, Urging Taliban for Solution
By
Arif Ahmadi
14
Jun 2022
Kabul,
Afghanistan – The Afghanistan Commercial Companies and Investors Union claims
that the former government owes 60 billion afghanis to the union members
through bank guarantees, remittances and for security, asking the Islamic
Emirate for a special approach to address their loans.
Seeking
the Taliban government’s consideration, head of the union Mohammad Baz Ghairat
vowed to double investments in Afghanistan and increase job opportunities for
locals if their loans are handed back to investors.
“Given
the country’s high unemployment and homelessness rates, we assure you that if
these loans are given to us, we will raise the number of factories in the
investment sector from hundreds to thousands,” said Ghairat, as TOLOnews
quoted.
Ghairat
urged the Islamic Emirate to establish a special commission in order to
facilitate the return of Afghan investors from neighboring countries, which
will pave the way for investments in Afghanistan without any security or
financial threats.
“We
urge the Islamic Emirate to establish a special commission to facilitate the
return of Afghan investors from abroad, similar to the Commission for the
Return of Political Figures, so that they can return to the country with
complete confidence and invest,” he added.
Meanwhile,
the Afghan Chamber of Industries and Mines (ACIM) says the banking problem has
yet to be addressed, where investors are unable to transfer money for raw
materials, saying “in terms of remittances, the Central Bank of Afghanistan
works closely with the private sector.”
“Unfortunately,
the mediator bank, the City Bank of America, does not always pass the identical
TTs of private enterprises or industrialists in a timely manner, and this
problem remains,” said Sakhi Ahmad Peyman, ACIM head.
“Afghanistan’s
banking problems are still there. There is no Afghan bank that can effectively
transfer money from Afghan businessmen to enterprises on the other side,
neither private nor state-owned,” said the deputy of the chamber of commerce,
Khairuddin Mayel, as local media reported.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/investors-claim-ex-govt-owes-60b-afghanis-urging-taliban-for-solution/
--------
Man
Kills Nine Members of His Family in Nimruz Province
By
Saqalain Eqbal
13
Jun 2022
Officials
from the Taliban in Nimruz province said a man murdered nine members of his
family, including his wife and four children.
The
event occurred on Sunday, June the 12th, in the second district of Zaranj city,
according to Mohammad Mohajer, the security officer of the Nimruz Local Police.
The
killer, according to Mohajer, shot nine members of his family, including his
wife, children, and father-in-law, before fleeing the scene.
Wais,
the son of Turjan from Farah province, is the assailant. The motivation for the
massacre still remains unknown and a mystery.
Officials
from the security forces noted that efforts are being made to arrest the
attacker.
In
late May, a man killed his wife and injured two of his children in Samangan
province.
Almost
a month ago, two women were killed by their husbands in two separate incidents
in Uruzgan province’s central and Deh Rawood districts.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/man-kills-nine-members-of-his-family-in-nimruz-province-68485/
--------
A
Journalist in Kapisa Province Goes Missing; RSF Asks the Taliban to Provide
“Explanations”
By
Saqalain Eqbal
13
Jun 2022
The
provincial office of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA)
in Kapisa province reports that Abdul Hanan Mohammadi, the association’s
provincial deputy, has disappeared after receiving threats.
The
Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association released a statement on Monday,
June 13th, stating that the association’s provincial representative had gone
missing from the Hessa Awal area of Kapisa since yesterday noon.
Reporters
Without Borders (RSF) has also tweeted today on June 13, denouncing “increase
in arbitrary arrests of journalists”, while asking the Taliban “to provide
explanations”.
Abdul
Hanan Mohammadi was previously threatened by the Taliban, according to a
relative of Hanan Mohammadi who spoke to the media on the condition of anonymity.
He
stated that the missing journalist was most certainly detained by the Taliban.
The
association demanded that local Taliban authorities in Kapisa be held
accountable and that Hanan Mohammadi’s fate be clarified.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Saudi
Arabia’s normalization with Israel poses direct threat to Lebanon: Senior
Hezbollah official
13
June 2022
A
senior official from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has censured
Saudi Arabia’s back-channel attempts to normalize diplomatic relations with
Israel, emphasizing that the establishment of ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv
regimes will constitute a direct threat to Lebanon.
“Resistance
is a strategic necessity to deter the [Israeli] enemy and support the country,
its dignity and wealth. Close relations between Saudi Arabia and the Zionist
regime pose a direct threat to Lebanon, Palestine, Syria as well as all
honorable nations,” Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, the deputy chief of Hezbollah's
executive council, said at a ceremony in the southern Lebanese town of Bint
Jbeil on Monday.
Back
on May 30, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the Tel Aviv regime is
coordinating with the United States and Persian Gulf nations on a process to
normalize and establish full diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia.
“We
believe that it is possible to have a normalization process with Saudi Arabia.
It’s in our interest,” Lapid told Army Radio.
“We’ve
already said that this is the next step after the [so-called] Abraham Accords
to talk about a long and careful process,” he added, referring to the 2020
normalization deals that Israel reached with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
Morocco and Sudan under former US president Donald Trump.
Lapid
warned that the process of normalization with Saudi Arabia would be a lengthy
one with progress coming in small steps, asserting that both sides have
security interests at stake.
Elsewhere
in his remarks on Monday, Sheikh Qaouk underscored that the United States is
hell-bent on placing intolerable economic and financial burdens on Lebanon in
order to bring the country to its knees in the face of Israeli demands.
He
went on to blame the United States for the worsening crises in Lebanon, stating
that problems have gotten worse in the cash-strapped Arab country due to
submission to US demands.
The
Hezbollah official noted that insistence on pleading for US support has
spiraled Lebanon's financial crisis out of control, and sank the country into
economic collapse.
“Following
the [May 15] parliamentary elections, Lebanon has a real opportunity ahead of
itself to tread the path towards a real and effective solution. The roadmap
starts with quicker formation of a new government as time once lost cannot be
regained. Lebanese people are really fed up with divisions and discords. They
want to see faster process aimed at salvaging the country,” Sheikh Qaouk
pointed out.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
drawing on normalization deals to attack Syria, carry out assassinations in
Iran: Top Hamas official
13
June 2022
A
high-ranking official with the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has
censured Arab states over signing normalization agreements with Israel,
stressing that the Tel Aviv regime is exploiting the deals in order to press
ahead with its attacks on Syria and assassinate Iranian scientists and military
forces.
Khalil
al-Hayya, deputy chief of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, made
the remarks in an interview with the Arabic-language and Palestinian television
channel al-Aqsa TV.
Hayya
strongly condemned the latest Israeli missile attack on the Damascus
International Airport, stressing the need for preserving the unity of the
Syrian nation as well as the Arab country’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity.
He
stated that Israel keeps attacking Syria because it has not followed in the
footsteps of some Arab states in normalizing ties with the regime.
“The
occupiers have failed to subdue Syria,” the senior Hamas official pointed out.
Hayya
expressed hope that Syria would finally return to its leading role in the
Middle East region.
The
top Hamas official added that the Tel Aviv regime, by exploiting normalization
agreements, is plundering Lebanon’s natural resources, bombing Damascus
airport, and carrying out assassinations inside Iran.
He
argued that Israel’s Judaization plans in the occupied Old City of al-Quds, its
settlements expansion activities, and missile strikes have all increased
dramatically in the aftermath of normalization deals.
“The
Zionist enemy must neither be an ally nor a friend of any Muslim or Arab
country. The occupying regime poses dangers to the region and threatens its
security and stability,” the Hamas official said.
Hayya
went on to underline the need for resistance against Israel, stating that the
Tel Aviv regime must take full responsibility for potential repercussions of
not lifting the brutal siege on the Gaza Strip.
“Gaza
plays an important role in the Palestinian cause as it is paying the price for
standing up for and defending al-Aqsa Mosque,” the Hamas official said.
He
also warned of impending dangers to al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque compound,
saying Israeli officials are seeking to build a synagogue inside the sacred
site and forcibly expel all guardians of al-Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Shia
coalition says to pursue government formation talks in Iraq
Mustafa
M. M. Haboush
13.06.2022
BAGHDAD
A
coalition of Iran-backed Shia parties said Monday it will continue talks for
the formation of a new Iraqi government, one day after the resignation of
lawmakers loyal to firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
In
a statement, the Coordination Framework said it respects the decision of the
Sadrist bloc to resign from the Iraqi Parliament.
The
coalition said it will seek to ensure a wider participation of the Iraqi groups
"to complete the constitutional obligations and form a national
government."
On
Sunday, lawmakers from al-Sadr’s bloc resigned after the Shia leader asked them
to step down amid a prolonged stalemate over the government formation.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kuwait
to Deport Expats Who Took Part in Fahaheel Demonstration
Jun
13, 2022
KUWAIT
CITY: Kuwait will be deporting expats who took part in the Fahaheel
demonstration after Friday prayers in support of Prophet Muhammad despite the
instructions of the Kuwaiti government.
The
sources confirmed on Sunday that they will be deported from Kuwait as they
violated the laws and regulations of the country which stipulates that sit-ins
or demonstrations by expats are not to be organized in Kuwait, reported Arab
Times.
Instructions
were issued to arrest and bring in expats from the Fahaheel area who organized
the demonstration defying Kuwaiti government instructions.
The
detectives are in the process of arresting them and referring them to the
deportation centre to be deported to their countries and will be banned from
entering Kuwait again, reports Al Rai.
All
expats in Kuwait must respect Kuwait laws and not take part in any type of
demonstrations, said the instructions.
India
had earlier told Kuwait that it had taken strong action against those who made
controversial remarks on Twitter against the minorities.
In
response to a media query regarding the statement issued by the Kuwaiti
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on offensive tweets in India, the Spokesperson of
the Embassy of India in Kuwait said, "Ambassador Sibi George had a meeting
in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some
offensive tweets by individuals in India."
Strong
action has already been taken against those who made derogatory remarks. A
statement was also issued by concerned quarters emphasizing respect for all religions,
denouncing insult to any religious personality or demeaning any religion or
sect. Vested interests that are against India-Kuwait relations have been
inciting the people using these derogatory comments.
The
Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma from
the party's primary membership and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar
Jindal after their alleged inflammatory remarks against minorities. “Ambassador
conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the
Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements," said the
spokesperson.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia adopts online registration for Haj to combat scams
June
14, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia has required would-be Haj pilgrims from many Western countries to
apply for visas via a government portal online, a move intended to crack down
on “fake” travel agencies, officials said on Monday.
The
new system was put in place as the kingdom prepares to welcome 850,000 Muslims
from abroad for the annual Haj after two years during which pilgrims not
already in Saudi Arabia were barred because of Covid pandemic restrictions.
It
applies to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia,
said one of the officials.
Previously,
pilgrims could register via travel agencies that organised Haj trips, a system
that sometimes led to scams, with “fake agencies” making off with victims’
money, a second official said.
Saudi
Arabia announced in April it would permit one million Muslims from inside and
outside the country to participate in this year’s Haj.
State
media announced the online portal a week ago, and the registration period ended
Monday, the Haj ministry said on Twitter. Those who registered will be included
in a lottery for Haj visas.
One
official acknowledged that some Muslims in the affected countries may have
already tried to register via travel agencies, before the online portal was
announced.
He
said they would also be included in the lottery — which has not been scheduled
— provided they had booked via an agency accredited by the hajj ministry.
Mask
rules
This
year’s pilgrimage will be limited to vaccinated Muslims under the age of 65,
the Haj ministry has said.
Those
coming from outside Saudi Arabia are required to submit a negative Covid-19 PCR
result from a test taken within 72 hours of travel.
Saudi
Arabia said it would no longer require masks in most enclosed spaces, citing
progress in fighting the pandemic.
However,
masks will still be required in Grand Mosque, which surrounds the Kaaba, and
the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, according to a report published by the official
Saudi Press Agency, citing an interior ministry source.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1694747/saudi-arabia-adopts-online-registration-for-haj-to-combat-scams
--------
Caribbean
passports most invested in by UAE residents seeking dual citizenship
14 June,
2022
Caribbean
passports Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Grenada are among the most
invested in passports by residents in the UAE seeking dual citizenship,
according to a Dubai-based passport advisory.
These
passports are attractive due to the many incentives they offer, including
citizenship-by-investment programs, visa-free access to over 160 countries, and
certain tax exemptions, the firm said in a statement on Tuesday.
Lebanese,
Syrian, Nigerian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi nationals were among the top five
nationalities investing in second citizenships, all for various reasons, the
most common of which is the difficulty in traveling posed by the lack of
visa-free access to many countries.
“We
have witnessed a steady increase in people investing in passports, particularly
in the last couple of years after the pandemic and have had very positive
feedback in terms of foreign investment from all of our clients, which is a
great sign and a testament to the importance of investing in a second
passport,” said the Swiss boutique advisory’s founder and CEO Jeffrey Henseler.
A
noteworthy trend in the citizenship-by-investment space is the use of
cryptocurrency to invest in passports, which has been continuously growing in
the UAE over the past six months as it allows for immediate, secure and
hassle-free payment without needing to provide bank documentation.
“We
also believe that the evolution of this industry in terms of now being able to
invest in second citizenship by using cryptocurrency as a transaction will only
add to its popularity, especially with the benefits that it provides,
especially to the countries that are currently facing financial and security
risk issues,” Henseler added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Secular
Turks Fear Immigrant-Fuelled Islamist Wave
Abigail
R. Esman
14.06.22
At
any dinner party conversation, the refrain is practically the same.
"It's
the immigrants," someone will say.
"It's
the refugees."
"There
are too many."
"Too
many."
"They
are trying to change our culture."
"This
is my country – my beautiful country. They don't belong here."
They
sound like the dialogues you'd hear among white supremacists in America or
Marine Le Pen supporters at the best restaurants of Paris. But they are among
Turkey's liberal, secular intelligentsia, unapologetically concerned about a
growing Islamization of their country.
"If
this makes me racist, then I'm a racist," one woman told me.
And
it isn't just the intelligentsia – the art dealers, the university professors,
the U.S.-educated architects and doctors. It's the shopkeepers, the taxi
drivers, the merchants at the Grand Bazaar. "The immigrants," they
tell each other, and they nod.
Around
4 million refugees live in Turkey now, most of them escapees from Syria's
11-year-old civil war. Others – as many as 500,000 – have come more recently
from Afghanistan, new arrivals since the Taliban took power in August. And then
there are the "visitors" from North Africa and Pakistan who simply
overstayed their visas. Now, with the Turkish economy hitting 70 percent
inflation, and unemployment rising as fast as housing prices and the cost of a
loaf of bread, Turkish citizens have had enough.
"Babies!"
a friend exclaims. "They keep having babies!" A taxi driver in his
late 20s tells me refugees produced 750,000 children last year – a figure he
may or may not have pulled from thin air – "and they are all automatically
Turkish. It has to stop. They have to leave."
That
sentiment – noticeably more vehement on a recent visit than it was even just
last November -- has not just captured the country's front-pageheadlines. It
has transformed the outlook for next year's presidential and parliamentary
elections, events made the more momentous by the fact that 2023 marks the 100th
anniversary of the Turkish Republic. Many believe that the election will decide
the fate of Kemal Ataturk's vision for the country that he founded, and his
hopes for a Western, secular democracy to flourish where Ottoman sultans once
held theocratic rule.
As
it is, Ataturk's vision has already been strained for two decades under the
autocratic rule of Turkey's Islamist president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has
slowly worked to return the country to its religious Islamic roots. Now, with
the current refugee and concurrent economic crises, the question of Turkey's
future has become more salient than ever.
It
is no coincidence that the rising nationalism and a anti-immigrant fervor come
at a time of economic difficulty for the country: the two frequently – and
historically -- go hand-in-hand, feeding racism and national sentiment
everywhere in the world. But in Turkey, the situation seems especially hot. In
Istanbul, scarfless Turkish women wince at the sight of foreigners in hijab.
Men complain about the Syrian workers threatening their jobs.
Erdogan
"has made contradictory statements over Ankara's refugee policy, which has
long been criticized by opposition parties," Ahval Newspoints out.
He
simultaneously is promising to provide housing in Idlib and elsewhere in
northern Syria -- where Turkey holds political sway -- and assuring Syrians in
Turkey that they are welcome to stay if they want. The reality, Ahval News
adds, is that "a massive return to Syria for Turkey's migrant population
is out of the question for now as Ankara and Syrian President Bashar Assad
cannot reach a agreement until Turkey leaves the occupied areas in northern
Syria."
Consequently,
politicians promising to make repatriation happen are gaining popular support,
even among former Erdogan supporters.
Umit
Ozdag, a rising far-right politician and founder of the nationalist Victory
party, promises to send Syrians back home despite the realities in
international law and humanitarianism that would make that nearly impossible.
Others, like opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu propose a gradual, but more
practical, repatriation policy.
Moreover,
Idlib remains unsafe, with scarce water and destroyed infrastructure; and the
European Council on Foreign Relations has noted that there is no certainty that
terrorist groups like Hay'at Tahrir al Sham or ISIS will not re-emerge there.
Compounding
the problem is the fact that Syrian refugees are willing to work for lower
wages. They may be taking jobs from Turkish nationals, but hiring Turks will
mean raising prices – unthinkable at a time of so much inflation and the
continuing crumbling of the Turkish lira. The currency has plunged from six
liras to the dollar in January 2020 to 15.4 to the dollar earlier this month.
But
this also goes well beyond the economy. The educated – and largely secular –
classes, according to a political expert I spoke with, are leaving the country
as fast as lesser-educated, more religious immigrants are coming in. The
source, who asked not to be named, noted that many of these more religious
immigrants are forming their own communities with high crime rates and gangs. A
drive through many of these neighborhoods testifies to this: few Turks live on
these streets, and drug dealers on the sidewalks late at night have made them
perilous areas, especially for women. Many harass secular Turkish women, many
of whom wear often revealing European designer fashions.
"They
are not like us," a friend says. "They have different customs,
different languages. We cannot absorb them, and they don't want to be absorbed.
They want us to become like them."
When
I tell her that this is exactly what Europeans say about Turkish guest workers
who emigrated there, she shrugs. "It is a huge problem for us," she
says.
In
some ways I understand her, and agree. Turkey is a Muslim-majority country. But
it was founded on principles of secularism. A deeply religious refugee population
that is not only subsidized by taxes, but is likely to sway an already-delicate
balance of the country towards devout conservative Islam could destroy much
that Turkey has achieved, and indeed the entire legacy of Ataturk, whom the
Turkish people still revere as almost holy.
At
the same time, Turks' concern about assimilation and the influx of religious
Syrians, Afghans and others points to how profound the problem could become,
moving beyond Turkey's borders and into the rest of Europe.
As
Syrians and other foreigners face growing violence and discrimination, some
argue that many will choose to head towards Europe instead of to their homeland
– aided by traffickers, if necessary.
Moreover,
it was at the urging of European leaders (and a €6 billion payment) that
Erdogan blocked the borders for Syrian refugees seeking to travel from Turkey
into the EU. As a result, immigrant sentiment in Turkey has also boiled over
into resentment of Europe: according to my political source, "Turkey is
becoming a warehouse of immigrants. People see that Europe is paying money to
Turkey to keep all immigrants in Turkey and stop them from going to
Europe." Indeed,
"Europe
needs to do its share. They stuck us with this" is an oft-repeated
complaint.
All
of which leaves Turkey – and potentially Europe – at a critical turning point.
Looking toward next year's elections, it's clear that Erdogan is truly
vulnerable for the first time in his 22 years in power. His poll numbers
already suffer from the country's economic woes. At the same time, should he be
re-elected and the immigrant problem continue, it is Turkey's secularism that
will be most at risk.
Source:
Israel National News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/354861
--------
Iran
says scale-backs on nuclear commitments ‘reversible’
13 June,
2022
Iran
said Monday that all measures it has taken to roll back on its commitments
under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers are “reversible.”
“If
the agreement is finalized in Vienna tomorrow, all the measures carried out by
Iran are technically reversible,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh told reporters.
Iran
on Wednesday said it had disconnected some UN nuclear watchdog cameras
monitoring its nuclear site.
The
move came as a resolution was adopted by the International Atomic Energy
Agency’s Board of Governors censuring the Islamic republic for its lack of
cooperation.
IAEA
chief Rafael Grossi said Thursday his agency had been informed that 27 cameras
were being removed, leaving about 40 still in place.
He
warned that the move could deal a “fatal blow” to negotiations to revive the
2015 nuclear accord, stalled since March.
Iran
meanwhile says the disconnected cameras were not part of a safeguards agreement
with the IAEA.
Iran
“is fully honoring its commitments under the safeguards agreement”, Khatibzadeh
said, adding that the country has only “stopped some of the voluntary
measures.”
“All
of the safeguard cameras of the Islamic Republic of Iran are in place; all of
the measures it has been undertaking under the supervision of the IAEA are in
place,” he added.
The
talks in the Austrian capital, which began in April last year, aim to return
the US to the nuclear deal, including through the lifting of sanctions on Iran,
and to ensure Tehran’s full compliance with its commitments under the
agreement.
The
deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) gave Iran
sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to guarantee that
it could not develop a nuclear weapon -- something Tehran has always denied
wanting to do.
But
the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 and reimposed severe economic
sanctions, prompting Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments.
Khatibzadeh
said the on-off dialogue in Vienna can yield results if the US “puts aside the
delusion of using leverage” and “accepts to fully meet its commitments under
the JCPOA and UN resolution 2231” which supports it.
“What
we are focusing on is that this agreement becomes operational and is signed,
and this is possible if the US changes its approach and manner,” he added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Possible
successor to Abbas warns Israel, but works with it
14
June, 2022
Hussein
al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official increasingly seen as a successor to
the 86-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas, says relations with Israel have gotten
so bad that Palestinian leaders cannot go on with business as usual.
But
even if they are serious this time around, they have few options. And they appear
unlikely to do anything that undermines their own limited power in parts of the
occupied West Bank, which largely stems from their willingness to cooperate
with Israel.
In
an exclusive interview with The Associated Press on Monday, al-Sheikh defended
the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, saying it was doing the best it
could under the difficult circumstances of Israel’s 55-year-old military
occupation. As the point man in charge of dealing with Israel, he said there is
no choice but to cooperate to meet the basic needs of Palestinians.
“I
am not a representative for Israel in the Palestinian territories,” he said.
“We undertake the coordination because this is the prelude to a political
solution for ending the occupation.”
Al-Sheikh
saw his profile rise further last month after Abbas named him the
secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The
appointment has generated speculation that al-Sheikh is being groomed for the
top job — as well as criticism that the autocratic Abbas, who has not held a
nationwide election since 2006, is once again ignoring the wishes of his
people.
Al-Sheikh,
61, declined to say whether he wants to succeed Abbas. He said the next
president should be chosen through elections, but that they could only be held
if Israel allows voting in all of east Jerusalem, effectively giving it a veto
over any alternative leadership.
“The
Palestinian president cannot be appointed, or come to power by force, or come
because of some regional or international interest, or arrive on an Israeli
tank,” he said.
Al-Sheikh
recited a familiar litany of complaints: Israel’s government is beholden to
right-wing nationalists, its prime minister opposed to Palestinian statehood.
Settlements are expanding, Palestinians are being forcibly relocated, and the
US and Europe seem powerless to stop it.
“The
Palestinian leadership is on the verge of making major and difficult
decisions,” al-Sheikh said, when asked about Abbas’ threat to cut security ties
or even withdraw recognition of Israel, a cornerstone of the Oslo peace process
in the 1990s.
“We
have no partner in Israel. They don’t want a two-state solution. They don’t
want to negotiate.”
But
the Israelis meet with al-Sheikh all the time.
As
head of the Palestinian body that coordinates Israeli permits — and a close
aide to Abbas — he meets with senior Israeli officials more often than any
other Palestinian.
Israeli
officials view him as “a very, very positive player in the Palestinian arena,”
said Michael Milshtein, an Israeli expert on Palestinian affairs who used to
advise COGAT, the military body in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank.
“Because
of his close relations with Israel, he can achieve a lot of positive things for
the Palestinian people,” including permits and development projects, he said.
But most Palestinians “cannot really accept this kind of image of a Palestinian
leader who actually is the one who serves Israel’s interest.”
Al-Sheikh’s
career follows the trajectory of his generation of Palestinian leaders —
aspiring revolutionaries transformed into local power brokers by the failed,
decades-long peace process.
His
official biography says he was imprisoned by Israel from 1978-1989 and took
part in the first intifada, or uprising against Israeli rule, upon his release.
After the Palestinians secured limited self-rule in Gaza and parts of the
occupied West Bank through the 1993 Oslo agreements, al-Sheikh joined the
nascent security forces, rising to the level of colonel. He says he was a
wanted man during the second and more violent intifada in the early 2000s.
He
is a lifelong member of Fatah, a movement launched by Yasser Arafat in the late
1950s. Today Fatah dominates the PLO, which is supposed to represent all
Palestinians, and the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the
West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security.
Abbas,
who was elected in 2005 after Arafat’s death, is opposed to armed struggle and
committed to a two-state solution. But during his 17 years in power the peace
process has become a distant memory, the Palestinians have been split
politically and geographically by the rift with the group Hamas, and the PA has
become increasingly unpopular.
Diana
Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer who used to advise the PA, said Abbas believes
“that the future of the Palestinian people is tied up to him as an individual,”
surrounding himself with loyalists who won’t challenge him.
Abbas
called off the first elections in 15 years in April 2021, a vote in which his
Fatah party was widely expected to suffer a humiliating defeat. He said he was
delaying the vote until Israel explicitly allowed voting in all of east
Jerusalem. But only a small number of voters in the city require Israeli
permission, and the PA refused to consider alternative arrangements.
Israel
annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally and views the
entire city as its unified capital. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem —
which includes major holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims — to be
the capital of their future state.
“If
the price of elections is that I concede on Jerusalem, it is impossible. You
won’t find a single Palestinian who will agree to that,” al-Sheikh said.
That
may be true, but it could also effectively prevent the Palestinians from
replacing the current leadership, leaving it entrenched for years to come.
Dimitri
Diliani, a senior member of Fatah who supports an anti-Abbas faction, said none
of the president’s inner circle are electable, pointing to recent polls showing
that nearly 80 percent of Palestinians want Abbas to resign.
Diliani
described al-Sheikh as “an active, smart person,” a pragmatist who seizes
opportunities — but who was also short-sighted. “Abu Mazen is a sinking ship,
and whoever is on it is going down with him,” Diliani said.
Still,
al-Sheikh has a unique lever of power that could prove more important than
electability — access to Israeli permits.
He
has been in charge of the General Authority of Civil Affairs since 2007. That’s
where Palestinians must apply if they want to enter Israel for work, family
visits or medical care; to import or export anything; or to get national ID
cards.
“If
you need anything, absolutely anything, in Palestine, he’s your go-to man. He’s
actively hated among Palestinians, but he’s also very, very much needed for
that reason,” said Tahani Mustafa, a Palestinian analyst at the International
Crisis Group.
“If
succession was to happen through legitimate channels, there’s no way Hussein
al-Sheikh would withstand a popular vote,” she said. “If you are to impose that
kind of leadership on Palestinians, then absolutely you are going to face
pushback.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
urges its citizens in Istanbul to leave, heightening travel warning
13
June, 2022
Israel’s
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday urged citizens in Turkey to leave “as
soon as possible” over threats that Iranian operatives are actively planning
attacks on Israelis in Istanbul.
“It’s
a real and immediate danger,” Lapid told a meeting of lawmakers from his Yesh
Atid party, citing “several Iranian attempts at carrying out terror attacks
against Israelis on holiday in Istanbul.”
“If
you are already in Istanbul, return to Israel as soon as possible,” Lapid said.
“If you have planned a flight to Istanbul -- cancel. No vacation is worth your
life,” he added.
“Do
not fly to Turkey at all,” unless such travel is “essential,” the foreign
minister added.
Iran
and Israel are arch rivals and Tehran has accused the Jewish state of carrying
out a series of assassinations targeting senior Iranian nuclear and military
personnel.
Most
recently, Iran claimed that Israel was responsible for the killing of
Revolutionary Guards Colonel Sayyad Khodai, who was shot dead outside his
Tehran home on May 22.
Lapid
made no reference to any alleged Israeli operations inside Iran.
But
he said that some Israelis who recently travelled to Turkey had returned
“without knowing their lives were saved.”
The
alleged attackers were targeting Israeli citizens “in order to kidnap them or
kill them,” Lapid said.
Earlier
Monday, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported on Iranian plans to kidnap
Israelis in Turkey a month ago, which was thwarted after Israel alerted Ankara
about the threat.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
defence ministry says ‘employee’ killed amid series of mysterious deaths
13 June,
2022
An
“employee” of Iran’s defense ministry was killed on Sunday while “on duty,” the
ministry said on Monday, the latest in a series of mysterious deaths of Iranian
military personnel in recent weeks.
Mohammad
Abdous was “martyred” Sunday evening while “on duty” in the north-central
province of Semnan, the defense ministry said in a statement carried by state
media.
The
statement described Abdous as an “employee” of the defense ministry and gave no
further details on his role or how he was killed.
The
defense ministry’s statement contradicted earlier reports by Iranian state
media which said Abdous was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’
aerospace unit.
Fars,
an IRGC-affiliated news agency, said early Monday that Abdous and Ali Kamani
were martyred “on duty” in two separate incidents on Sunday, describing both of
them as members of the IRGC’s aerospace unit.
The
deaths of Abdous and Kamani are the latest in a series of mysterious deaths of
Iranians associated with the country’s military in recent weeks.
On
May 22, IRGC colonel Sayyad Khodaei was assassinated in a gun attack in the
capital Tehran. Iran blamed Israel for his killing and vowed to take revenge.
It was the most-high profile assassination inside Iran since the 2020 killing
of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which Tehran also blamed on Israel.
Iran
does not recognize Israel and has in the past accused it of attacking nuclear
facilities and carrying out assassinations inside Iran.
On
May 26, Iran’s defense ministry said that an “accident” at the Parchin military
complex near Tehran killed Ehsan Ghadbeigi, an “engineer.” The New York Times
later reported that Ghadbeigi had been killed in a suspected Israeli drone
strike.
On
May 31, aerospace engineer Ayoob Entezari died under suspicious circumstances.
Israeli media reported that he was poisoned at a dinner party. He worked Iran’s
missile and drone programs, according to Israeli media reports.
On
June 3, state news agency IRNA reported that another IRGC colonel, Ali
Esmailzadeh, died in an “incident” at his home.
IRNA’s
report came hours after Iran International, a London-based, Persian-language
satellite news channel reported, citing unnamed sources, that the IRGC killed
Esmailzadeh after he was suspected of espionage.
While
confirming Esmailzadeh’s death, IRNA denied Iran International’s report that
the IRGC was behind his killing, describing the report as “a psychological war
and false news.”
Iran
International reported that Esmailzadeh died “after falling from the roof of
his house” in the city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran. IRGC officials
told Esmailzadeh’s family that he committed suicide, according to the report.
Esmailzadeh
was a “close associate” of Khodaei, the report said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
commission on Palestine seeks new ways to get Israel to comply with int'l law
Peter
Kenny
14.06.2022
GENEVA
The
United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied
Palestinian Territory said Monday that the global community must urgently
explore new ways of ensuring Israel’s compliance with international law.
Former
UN Human Rights commissioner Navi Pillay addressed the Human Rights Council
with the commission’s first report on the occupied Palestinian territories and
Israel.
“It
is our strong view too that the continued occupation of the Palestinian
territory, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, the 15-year blockade of Gaza, and
longstanding discrimination within Israel are all linked and cannot be looked
at in isolation,” she said.
“Given
a clear refusal by Israel to take concrete measures to implement the findings
and recommendations of past commissions, the international community must
urgently explore new ways of ensuring compliance with international law.”
The
former South African jurist said the international community had failed to take
meaningful measures to ensure Israel’s compliance with international law and
influence it to bring an end to the occupation.
Pillay
said the state of “perpetual occupation” of Palestine and longstanding
discrimination in both Israel and Palestine is a core underlying root cause of
the ongoing violence.
“Threats
of forced displacement, demolitions, settlement construction and expansion,
settler violence and the blockade of Gaza have all contributed to and will
continue to contribute to cycles of violence,” said the former rights chief.
She
said the reality enduring for decades brings a general sense of despair and
hopelessness within the Palestinian population in Palestine, Israel and the
diaspora.
“They
are left without hope of a better future that affords them their full range of
human rights, without discrimination,” said Pillay.
She
said the ongoing situation of occupation and discrimination is used by
Palestinian “duty-bearers” to justify their violations and abuses of
international law, including the failure of the Palestinian Authority to hold
legislative and presidential elections.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Shtayyeh calls for international front to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian
land
13
June 2022
Palestinian
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has strongly criticized Israel for violating
all norms of international law, calling for establishment of an international
front to pressure the regime into ending its decades-long occupation of the
Palestinian territories.
Shtayyeh
made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Assistant State Secretary of
the Swiss Foreign Ministry Maya Tissafi, Palestine's official Wafa news agency
reported on Monday.
Shtayyeh
strongly censured Israel for not abiding by the internationally recognized
agreements and conventions, and violating all norms of international law.
The
premier also called upon the international community to intervene immediately,
and force the occupying regime into stopping "acts of violence"
against Palestinians and their communities.
Shtayyeh
and the Swiss official also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations,
which could contribute to creating job opportunities for Palestinians and
energizing economic development across Palestinian territories.
The
meeting comes after Norway recently adopted a strict labeling scheme to
identify products that come from the illegal Israeli settlements in the
occupied Palestinian territories; a move that has infuriated the Tel Aviv
regime.
Norway
is not an EU member, but is part of the European Single Market. It is also part
of the European Free Trade Association, a four-country organization that inked
a free trade deal with the occupying regime in 1992. Switzerland is also not an
EU member, but is part of the single market.
Last
November, in a similar move, Belgium decided to label products made in illegal
Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing Brussels’
desire "to ensure human rights in the West Bank.”
The
European Commission recommended its member states to follow the labeling scheme
in 2015, a decision confirmed by the European Court of Justice in 2019.
Late
last month, the EU deplored the Israeli regime’s plans for the construction of
nearly 4,500 new illegal settler units in the West Bank, calling on Tel Aviv to
reverse the decision.
More
than 750,000 Israelis occupy over 250 illegal settlements built since the 1967
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds.
Palestinians
want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East
al-Quds as its capital.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/06/13/683842/Palestine-Shtayyeh-Israel-Swiss-Maya-Tissafi-Norway-
--------
Africa
Tunisia's
Ennahdha warns against dropping Islam from constitution
13
June, 2022
Tunisia's
Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party warned Monday against dropping references to
Islam in a new constitution set to go to referendum next month.
The
new constitution is the centrepiece of reform plans by President Kais Saied,
who last July sacked the government and suspended parliament, before later
dissolving the legislature.
Ennahdha
was parliament's biggest party and a key player in the government dismissed in
the president's power grab.
A
legal expert charged with rewriting the 2014 constitution told AFP last week he
would present Saied with a draft stripped of any reference to religion, in
order to further weaken the influence of Islamist parties.
Sadeq
Belaid said that would include erasing the first article, which says Tunisia is
"a free, independent and sovereign state, Islam is its religion and Arabic
is its language".
"If
you use religion to engage in political extremism, we will not allow
that," he said.
In
a statement on Monday, Ennahdha warned "against attempts to attack the
fundamental principles of the people, its Arab and Islamic identity and the
civilian nature of the state".
Ennahdha
was the dominant force in Tunisian politics after the country's 2011
revolution, which deposed longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and set in
motion the Arab Spring.
The
2014 constitution was seen as a compromise between Ennahdha and its secular
rivals.
The
new draft, due to be put to the people on July 25 - the anniversary of Saied's
power grab - has yet to be published but is expected to boost the president's
powers vis-a-vis parliament.
Article
one of the 2014 constitution also appeared in Tunisia's first constitution in
1959, after its independence from France.
Ennahdha
on Monday warned against "revisiting questions that were settled by the
people since independence".
It
also deplored "cheap and dangerous attempts to instrumentalise these
issues against dissenters".
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/ennahdha-warns-against-dropping-islam-constitution
--------
Somali
military kills at least 12 al-Shabaab terrorists
Mohammed
Dhaysane
13.06.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somali
national army on Monday said it had conducted an operation against the
al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group al-Shabaab in the central Hiran region,
killing at least 12 al-Shabaab terrorists.
The
operation conducted by elite soldiers took place near the town of Matabaan in
the central region of Hiran late Sunday.
"12
Al-Shabab terrorists were killed in operation conducted by Somali National Army
near Qabdho village under Mataban district of Hiran region in the past 24
hours," the Somali National News Agency reported.
Brig.
Gen. Odowa Yusuf Rageh, the Somali national army commander who spoke to the
army radio, confirmed the operation, saying the main aim was to destroy
terrorists' hideouts and prevent their plots.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somali-military-kills-at-least-12-al-shabaab-terrorists/2612453
--------
Moroccan
sentenced to death in Donetsk has Ukrainian nationality, not a mercenary:
Father
June
13, 2022
RABAT:
The father of a Moroccan man sentenced to death by a court in the
self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on mercenary charges said his
son should be treated as a prisoner of war as he is a Ukrainian national who
handed himself in voluntarily.
Morocco-born
Brahim Saadoun and Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were found guilty of
“mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and
overthrowing the constitutional order” of the DPR, Russian media said last
week.
The
three men were captured while fighting for Ukraine against Russia and
Russian-backed forces.
The
Moroccan fighter received Ukrainian nationality in 2020 after undergoing a year
of military training as a requirement to access aerospace technology studies at
a university in Kiev, his father Tahar Saadoun said in an email to Reuters.
He
handed himself in “voluntarily” and should be treated as a “prisoner of war,”
the father said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2102521/world
--------
2023:
Why Nigeria cannot contemplate Muslim-Muslim ticket – Former ACF scribe, Sani
June
13, 2022
By
Agabus Pwanagba
A
former Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, has
warned that a Muslim-Muslim ticket will not promote unity among the citizenry,
saying the country is at moment divided along three major issues “ethnicity,
religion and region”
He
also said there is no way a presidential candidate can pick his own tribe,
religion or someone from his region as a running mate.
Anthony
Sani disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Jos, the
Plateau State Capital on Monday.
He
said, “I really don’t know why choosing a Vice President should be a problem or
controversy, because the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is
very clear, the provision for the federal character; it provides that no any
group should predominate because such will not promote unity among the
citizenry.
“And
as far as Nigeria is concerned today, the dividing lines are three, which are
ethnicity, religion and region and there is no way a president can pick his own
tribe, religion or someone from his region.
“Therefore,
if the President comes from the south, naturally the vice president will come
from the north, and because religion is one of the key issues, the constitution
expects that the running mate should be opposite of the president.
“In
the case of Bola Tinubu of the APC, it is expected that he should choose his
running mate from the north, who should be a Christian; and Tinubu has made it
very clear that he is coming to unite the citizenry and not to divide them”, he
explained.
“Also,
in the case of Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, he can’t pick his VP from the north
or a Muslim as a running mate, he is going to choose a southerner and a
Christian.
“So,
I’m not expecting Tinubu to pick a Muslim running mate as is been implied in
some quotas”, he maintained.
On
people like the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai comments on a
Muslim-Muslim ticket, the former Spokesman of the Arewa Consultative Forum
said, “I have heard El-Rufai talking about Muslim-Muslim ticket, and people are
reacting; Kaduna State is not as diverse as Nigeria, Muslims are the majority
in Kaduna, you can take both Governor and Deputy and it can succeed.
Sani
who was a member of the 2014 National Conference said, “But given Nigeria of
today, where there is serious division, no presidential candidate will try it.
So I believe strongly that Tinubu is going to pick his running mate from the
north and it is going to be a Christian.
He
recalled that, in 1993, Moshood Abiola a southern Muslim picked Babagana
Kingibe a northern Muslim his running mate and there was no issue but
acknowledged that the times have changed.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Is
Mali emerging as another front for Russia, West?
James
Tasamba
14.06.2022
KIGALI,
Rwanda
As
the Russia-Ukraine war continues to haunt the world, thousands of miles away in
the West African country of Mali is emerging another front for escalation
between Moscow and the West.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Ismael Buchanan, a senior lecturer at the department of
political science at the University of Rwanda, said Moscow's geopolitical quest
in West Africa and Mali's support to Russia in the Ukraine conflict depict
Moscow’s success in the region with a potential to open new fault lines with
France and other NATO allies in the region.
Mali
was among 35 countries that abstained at the UN General Assembly, when it voted
on a resolution, condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Paris
and other European allies have been increasingly jittery over what they see as
a Russian threat in West Africa,” said Buchanan.
In
March, Russia delivered Mi-35M attack helicopters and an advanced air radar
system to Mali. The delivery was in addition to at least four helicopters and
weapons provided by Russia under closer ties with the junta leader.
Of
even greater concern to the West is that Moscow sent to Mali “military
instructors” personnel that France says are operatives from Russia’s Wagner
security arm.
Recently
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concerns at the actions of the
Russian private security service Wagner in Mali, and in particular about its
alleged crimes against certain communities such as the Fulani.
While
hosting Senegalese President Macky Sall who currently chairs the African Union
(AU), in Paris, the French president urged to maintain “pressure” on the Malian
government.
Moscow
advancing interests
Buchanan
said the more Moscow advances its interests in West Africa, the more it will
come in conflict with the West and provoke a response.
“Mali
would present another stage for a geopolitical showdown because there is no
doubt that Russia will aggressively protect its interests in Mali,” he said.
He
said Russia's presence in Mali is part of its renewed efforts to form a
partnership with the African continent as it tries to lessen the impact of
Western isolation.
Last
year, the Malian army led by Vice President Assimi Goïta captured President Bah
N'daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and stripped them of their powers. He had
also committed to conducting new elections in 2022. But last week, it was
announced that the transition to democracy will be delayed for another two
years, as interim President Goïta, signed a decree prolonging the military
rule.
“Looking
at the current situation in Mali or the Sahel region, one may notice that Russia
is attempting to portray itself as a reliable ally in the fight against
insurgents/terrorists and bolster security partnership in that region while the
Western attention turns elsewhere,” said Buchanan.
Freddie
David Egesa, an Uganda-based security analyst, said President Vladimir Putin
had realized that the West had lost interest in Mali, and he has positioned
Russia to advance his interests.
“Russia
is scavenging for other partners to hold power having realized that the West
has played a double-dealer in the Sahel war. Russia has quietly been rebuilding
ties with Africa strengthening economic and military cooperation. This has
raised Western concerns about Russia’s goals there,” he said.
French
withdrawal gives room to Russia
Other
countries in West Africa where Russia has a presence included Burkina Faso,
Chad and Niger.
The
war in Mali which started in 2013 prompted French intervention, leading to the
deployment of troops and the signing of two defense agreements.
Experts
said the French involvement, however, triggered protests and offered an
opportunity to Russia to present itself as an alternative force.
“I
think France’s decision to withdraw its forces from the West African countries,
including Mali, left a huge void that is why the Russians have seized every
opportunity to boost their influence in Africa,” said Buchanan.
The
result was military coups that followed, in August 2020 and May 2021.
According
to analysts, the news of the French Interior Ministry and the cement giant
Lafarge’s ties with the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS further complicated the
situation.
Egesa
said Russia has realized that the West has made itself rich by “staging
themselves in almost all conflicts in Africa.”
“The
fights benefit mainly the Western superpowers as they offer their war expertise
and sell military equipment in exchange for valuables like gold, diamonds,
etc.,” said Egesa.
In
January, the regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
imposed sanctions on Mali, including closing its land and air borders with
other countries in the bloc to delay the restoration of democratic rule.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/is-mali-emerging-as-another-front-for-russia-west/2613050
--------
North
America
Most
American Muslims believe gun laws need to be stricter, says survey
13
June 2022
Most
American Muslims believe gun control laws should be stricter, a new report by
the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (Ispu) has found.
According
to the poll, 65 percent of Muslim respondents believe existing gun control laws
need to be stricter, slightly higher than the 64 percent of Jews and Catholics
that were polled.
Muslims
are more likely than Protestants (54 percent), white Evangelicals (30 percent),
and the general public (57 percent) to hold this view.
According
to the survey, white Muslims were more likely than white Americans in the
general public to believe gun laws should be stricter. But Black Muslims were
more likely than Black Americans to believe laws covering the sale of firearms
should be less strict.
The
report, which will be released in full in August, comes just two weeks after 21
people, mostly children, were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary
School in Uvalde, Texas.
According
to data from the Washington Post, more than 311,000 children in America have
experienced gun violence in school since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High
School. In that same period, 185 were killed and 369 were injured.
"All
Americans are unfortunately impacted by gun violence, directly or indirectly.
As our local, state and national leadership work to find effective solutions,
public opinion is critical to understand," Meira Neggaz, Ispu's executive
director, told Middle East Eye.
"Our
work researching American Muslim opinions, in comparison to other groups in the
country's faith landscape, uncovers that most groups and the majority of
Americans are aligned in their concern about the current state of gun
laws."
The
shooting at the Texas elementary school, and another at a New York supermarket
that left 10 Black people dead, have piled pressure on politicians to take
action.
On
Sunday, a group of senators reached a deal on a framework for gun control
legislation that could be the most significant passed on the federal level in
decades.
A
centrepiece of the Senate deal is to provide substantial resources for states
to implement "red flag" laws, which allow individuals like police or
family members to petition courts to keep firearms away from people deemed a
risk to themselves or others.
Senate
majority leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday that he will bring the bill to a
vote on the chamber's floor as soon as it is written.
"I
will put this bill on the floor as soon as possible, once the text of the final
agreement is finalized so the Senate can act quickly to make gun safety reform
a reality," Schumer told the senate.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/american-muslims-say-gun-laws-need-be-stricter-shows-ispu-report
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Biden
invites Pakistan envoy Masood Khan for ‘official photo’
June
14, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Ambassador Masood Khan, Islamabad’s representative in Washington, meets US
President Joe Biden on Monday evening, an appointment that will formalise his
position as Pakistan’s envoy to the United States.
Ambassador
Khan was sent to Washington on March 25, when the PTI government was still in
power, but after Imran Khan’s ouster on April 11, there was speculation that
the change in Islamabad would also impact diplomatic appointments.
But
Pakistan’s envoy to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, later explained
that incumbent ambassadors continue to represent the country in foreign
capitals unless specifically asked by the new government to return home.
Neither Ambassador Khan nor Ambassador Akram were asked to do so.
On
his arrival, Ambassador Khan received a letter from the chief of protocol at
the US State Department, endorsing his appointment as Pakistan’s ‘working
ambassador’ in Washington.
Later,
on April 19, he also received a letter from the US president’s office, formally
confirming his appointment.
On
Monday, he is expected to visit the White House for an official photo with the
US president, which will be the final endorsement of his ambassadorship.
Usually,
a new ambassador is invited to the White House, along with other new envoys, to
present his or her credentials. This ceremony confirms an ambassador’s
appointment.
But
like so many other things, the Covid-19 pandemic has also affected this
tradition. Since President Biden’s age, 79, makes him particularly vulnerable
to the virus, the White House tries to minimise the president’s contact with
others.
Diplomatic
sources in Washington told Dawn that Covid-19 has also hit the credentials
ceremony.
Source: Dawn
Please
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1694711/biden-invites-pakistan-envoy-masood-khan-for-official-photo
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US
Air Force: Crew not at fault for Afghan deaths in evacuation
14
June, 2022
The
Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not
at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan
last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking
off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels.
In
a statement Monday, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said investigations into
the deaths found that the crew “exercised sound judgment in their decision to
get airborne as quickly as possible when faced with an unprecedented and
rapidly deteriorating security situation.”
Video
and other reports from that day vividly show Afghans mobbing the Hamid Karzai
International Airport in Kabul, frantic to get out of the country when the
Taliban seized control and US forces were withdrawing.
The
C-17 transport plane was surrounded as it landed on the tarmac, and military
officials have said the crew feared the plane would be overwhelmed, so they
decided to take off.
As
the plane lifted off, mobile phone video captured two tiny dots dropping from
the aircraft.
It
later became clear that the dots were Afghans who had tried to hide in the
wheel well. As the wheels folded into the body of the plane, the stowaways
faced the choice of being crushed to death or letting go and plunging to the
ground.
Human
remains were found in the wheel well when the plane landed at al-Udeid Air Base
in Qatar.
“This
was a tragic event and our hearts go out to the families of the deceased,” said
Stefanek. She said the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations looked into
the incident and then turned the scene over to Qatar authorities, who declined
to investigate further.
“The
aircrew’s airmanship and quick thinking ensured the safety of the crew and
their aircraft,” said Stefanek. “After seeking appropriate care and services to
help cope with any trauma from this unprecedented experience, the crew returned
to flight status.”
It
is still unclear how many were killed. Videos show the two dots falling from
the airborne plane, several seconds apart. But two bodies landed on the same
rooftop at the same time, suggesting they fell together, so the other figure
seen falling in the videos could be at least one other person.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Police
Arrests Three Afghan Refugees for Killing Another Afghan in the US State of
Virginia
By
Saqalain Eqbal
14
Jun 2022
Three
Afghan refugees have been arrested in the US state of Virginia for the murder
of another Afghan, according to foreign media articles.
According
to the site (NBC12), three Afghan refugees were apprehended for murder on
Saturday evening, June 11, at a shopping mall by Virginia State Police.
Khalid
Naseri, an Afghan refugee, was stabbed to death by three other Afghan refugees,
according to the report.
Khalid
Naseri, being at his 25s, was taken to hospital after being stabbed to death,
where he died.
The
killers’ identities have been disclosed by Virginia police, who say they have
detained three people for murder: Nourzad Nassery, Homauoun Nassery, and
Jahadullah Nassery.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
official to discuss and resolve Afghan refugee crisis with Taliban
June
13, 2022
A
visiting UN official will meet leaders of the Taliban-led government and
discuss ways to resolve the Afghan refugee crisis and establish grounds for
their return.
Upon
her arrival in Kabul on Sunday, Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner of
the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), tweeted: "In Afghanistan, humanitarian
needs are immense, with millions of Afghans displaced. I'm in the country to
advocate for support, including for those returning home, and the need to
uphold their rights, especially of women and children and their ability to
participate in public life."
In
a separate statement, she said: "We will be talking over the course of the
next days with the interim authorities about how we can support the needs of
the Afghan people and how we can find solutions for those that are outside the
country that want to come home and want to be able to rebuild their lives in
peace and have an Afghanistan that is inclusive of all."
Afghanistan
has been forgotten, TOLO News quoted the UN official as saying.
"This
is a very important moment for this country and the people of Afghanistan, it
is a time where the world's attention has turned to other situations of
displacement, other war, other conflicts," she added.
According
to the UNHCR, Afghan refugees are the third-largest displaced population in the
world, following Syrian refugees and displaced Venezuelans.
There
are 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees in the world, of whom 2.2 million
are registered in Iran and Pakistan alone.
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Muslim
World League chief leads religious diplomacy push at Geneva summit
June
13, 2022
GENEVA:
The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League has taken part in a summit of
major international organizations to coordinate responses to accelerating
global challenges.
The
forum, held in Geneva, Switzerland, was launched under the title: “Cooperation
between International Organizations in the Humanitarian Fields.”
It
included — in addition to the MWL and the World Council of Churches — the World
Health Organization, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World
Food Programme and a group of prominent international leaders in humanitarian
work.
MWL
Secretary-General Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa delivered the forum’s
opening speech.
He
expressed appreciation for the outstanding humanitarian efforts carried out by
WHO in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other international
governmental and nongovernmental organizations that carry out pioneering
humanitarian work.
However,
he expressed his regret that “humanitarian work has not reached the required
level of solidarity and sympathy, and the gap between the rich and the poor
remains wide, despite the existence of one international system.”
Al-Issa
added: “We do not object to the existence of the rich and the poor, as this is
the nature of life, but we call on the rich to alleviate the suffering of the
poor by supporting them, especially with the necessities of life such as food,
medicine and education.
“It
is painful, for example, to see the rich obtain a COVID-19 vaccine while the
poor do not get it, or do not get it until late, or get only some doses.
“There
is also another reason that drives and even motivates humanitarian work, which
is the religious aspect.”
The
MWL chief described the religious motive “as one of the strongest, most vital
and sustainable motivators of humanitarian action.”
He
stressed that it is a faith motive linked to heaven, “and everything related to
the creator, glory be to him, has a strong cord that is not affected by any
emergency and cannot be severed.
“This
is why we believe that voluntary work is one of the strongest pillars of the
work of humanitarian organizations around the world, the most important of which
is what is based on a religious motive related to the creator. Honest and
abstract religious feelings heal wounds, quench thirst, feed the hungry,
educate, train and sponsor orphans and widows.”
Al-Issa
said: “It should be noted that it is important for the relevant international
organizations to have performance measurements for countries in the field of
humanitarian work, and they should honor public and private institutions, and
individuals who have outstanding efforts in humanitarian work, whether in the
field of food, health, education, training or others, including helping the
marginalized and the abused, and those subjected to forced labor, particularly
human trafficking crimes.”
He
reviewed the efforts of the MWL in humanitarian work around the world,
stressing that its premise is “faith and humanity without any discrimination,”
religious or otherwise. He announced the MWL’s plan to launch an international
award to promote the most important efforts in service of humanitarian work.
Dr.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, called for support of medical
workers to help them carry out their duties in saving the lives of refugees and
displaced persons.
He
said: “I grew up in a war zone, and the smell, sounds and scenes of war
dominated my senses. I recall these painful memories every time I’m visiting a
combat zone, and I wish that would stop immediately.”
The
UNHCR speech, delivered by Kelly Clements, emphasized that peace is the
“permanent cure for the displacement crisis,” as well as the cure for many of
the hardships facing human beings today. Clements warned that the crisis of
displaced people in the world is so huge that no organization can handle it
alone.
Secretary-General
of the WCC Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Sauca said that despite the importance of the
work of international humanitarian agencies, national and local faith-based
organizations are the vanguards and long-term foundations of humanitarian
relief and development. He said that church members do not carry out
humanitarian work for the sake of evangelization or other agendas, but to
pursue their identity as Christians.
Jagan
Chapagain, secretary-general of the IFRC, said that the availability of local
leadership for humanitarian work is a vital issue, “and we saw how closures for
health reasons and travel restrictions tied our hands in organizations, and the
only bet was on local associations.”
He
added that the challenges facing humanitarian work are not limited to wars and
conflicts, but include climate change, economic collapse and discrimination in
all its forms, in addition to the effects of COVID-19.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2102696/world
--------
Sweden
has taken ‘important steps’ to meet Turkey’s demands: NATO’s Stoltenberg
13
June, 2022
Sweden
has taken important steps to meet Turkey’s demands for approving Stockholm’s
NATO membership application, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on
Monday during a visit to Sweden.
“I
welcome that Sweden has already started to change its counter-terrorism
legislation and that Sweden will ensure that the legal framework for arms
export will reflect the future status as a NATO member with new commitments to
allies,” Stoltenberg said during a press conference with Swedish Prime
Minister
Magdalena Andersson.
On
Sunday during a visit to Finland, Stoltenberg had said that the security
concerns raised by Turkey in its opposition to Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO
membership applications are legitimate.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
France
begins military withdrawal from Mali
Shweta
Desai
14.06.2022
PARIS
France
has started withdrawing its troops from Mali with the handover of the Menaka
base to the Malian forces, the general staff of defense announced on Monday.
“The
transfer was conducted in an orderly, safe and transparent manner. Focus on
this important element of Barkhane operation which provided security in the
Three Borders and Southern Liptako region,” the general staff said on Twitter.
The
transfer is part of the framework set by President Emmanuel Macron in February
in order to rearticulate the Barkhane Force outside Mali, a statement from the
Defense Ministry said.
France
had deployed an estimated 4,600 soldiers under Operation Barkhane which was
launched in 2014 to fight terrorism in the G5 countries of Mali, Niger, Burkina
Faso, Chad, and Mauritania.
The
French forces have now relocated the military logistics from Menaka to 1,340
kilometers (833 miles) away to the Projected Air Base (BAP) of Niamey in Niger,
where it will continue anti-terrorism operations in the Sahel region.
The
French army said it has invested several million euros in development projects
for vital infrastructure, education, youth and health of the local population
which supported the Barkhane Force to undertake the operations.
In
April, after French troops handed over a military base at Gossi, the Malian
army accused France of covering a “mass grave" on the premises. France
denied the allegations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/france-begins-military-withdrawal-from-mali/2613052
--------
Italy-Türkiye
relations 'standing on very sound path': Envoy
Nazli
Yuzbasioglu
14.06.2022
The
relationship between Italy and Türkiye is already "very good, it is
standing on a very sound path," Italy's ambassador to Türkiye told Anadolu
Agency.
Speaking
in an exclusive interview, Giorgio Marrapodi underlined that the two countries
have reached "an important, stunning goal" of $23 billion in mutual
trade.
Noting
that they are happy over reaching this goal, Marrapodi said it's time now to
set a new target as Rome and Ankara can grow more and "build on this result."
"Because
the work between the Turkish business community and the Italian business
community is very positive. We have important investments in Türkiye and there
are important Turkish companies which are investing in Italy and in the Italian
economic sector," he said.
The
envoy emphasized that there is currently a growing number of Turkish students
who are choosing Italy as a destination for their studies, while this is
similarly the case with Italian students who choose Turkish universities to
study at.
"My
commitment is to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries in order
to reach new goals. And these should be also in line with what we have always
done in the framework of the EU perspective of Türkiye," said Marrapodi.
"Italy
has always been on the side of Ankara in this sector, and we have strongly
supported Türkiye since the very beginning of the accession process," he
added.
Türkiye
has been an EU candidate country since 1999. Negotiations for full membership
started in October 2005 but have stalled in recent years due to political
hurdles erected by some countries, according to Türkiye.
Italy-Türkiye
Intergovernmental Summit
Noting
that the third Italy-Türkiye Intergovernmental Summit will be held soon during
the visit of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi to Türkiye, Marrapodi recalled
that the last such meeting was held around 10 years ago.
"It
was time for a new meeting at the highest level," he said, adding there
have been frequent "contacts" at the top and ministerial levels on several
occasions.
He
also expressed hope that the intergovernmental summit would help "collect
the fruits of what we have worked on over the last months."
Marrapodi
said the international agenda will be discussed by the two leaders along with
the war in Ukraine and many regional issues related to peace and stability.
"We
hope that this will be an occasion where we can take stock of the results that
we have achieved in a lot in all fields and how we can work for new results in
the future," he added.
He
also noted that some important cross-sectoral issues such as food security,
climate change and renewable energy might be discussed by the two leaders and
by the ministers attending the intergovernmental summit.
Defense
cooperation
The
cooperation in the defense sector is a "very important" aspect of the
bilateral relationship, Marrapodi said, noting it is "clearly shown by the
excellent results achieved together" by Turkish and Italian companies
operating in this field.
Italy
has always seen Türkiye as a strategic partner for industrial cooperation, he
said.
Marrapodi
recalled that during the last meeting of Draghi and Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of NATO meetings in Brussels on the Ukraine war
it was stated that Italy is ready to contribute to strengthening the joint
industrial cooperation between Rome and Ankara together with other partners of
the NATO alliance.
"I
also think that NATO is the cornerstone of our collective security and Italy's
contribution to NATO’s defense is fundamental to the organization's success,
and we go from policing the airspace over Eastern Europe to patrolling the
Mediterranean," he said.
Italy
devotes significant military and human resources to the alliance, he added.
"From
a strategic point of view, Italy and Türkiye share a common vision on security
issues and are strongly committed to international stability and peace by
closely cooperating in the NATO framework. The unique position in the
Mediterranean region makes Italy and Türkiye crucial actors to help secure the
defense of NATO’s southern flank," Marrapodi added.
'Russian
aggression against Ukraine'
Speaking
on Russia's war on Ukraine, Marrapodi said the Italian position is
"clear," as his country condemned "from the very beginning the
Russian aggression on Ukraine," which Draghi defined as "unjustified,
unjustifiable and unprovoked aggression."
Italy
is close to the Ukrainian people in this "dramatic moment," and Rome
is working with the European partners and with NATO allies to "respond
with unity and determination," he added.
The
envoy highlighted that Italy has always supported the facilitation efforts put
in place by Türkiye in order to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating
table as a facilitator of dialogue between the two countries.
He also
hailed the idea of a cease-fire, cooperation and the possibility of opening
corridors in the Black Sea for the export of cereals.
Libya
"Italy
is supporting, is backing the efforts of the adviser of the United Nations
Secretary General in Libya, Stephanie Williams, to reach an agreement with all
political parties," he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/italy-turkiye-relations-standing-on-very-sound-path-envoy/2612999
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