Two Brothers Following Different Faiths Hinduism And Islam Fight Over Woman's Last Rites In Bihar's Lakhisarai
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 December 2022
Thanks to prompt action by
the police, however, the situation didn't spiral out of control and the woman
was eventually cremated.
-----
• Pakistani Cleric’s Fatwa For Killing Pregnant
Ahmadiyya Women In Islamist Pakistan
• Taliban Publicly Execute Convicted Murderer in
Afghanistan, Applying Their Strict Interpretation Of Islamic Law To Criminal
Justice
• US To Tighten Noose Around Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan, Islamic State-Khorasan: State Dept
• Iraq's Top Shia Cleric Ayatollah Sistani Meets UN
Delegation, Stresses Need To Promote Culture Of Peaceful Coexistence
India
• Panel Report Recommending SC Quota for Dalit
Christians, Muslims 'Flawed': Centre Tells SC
• Not Just Manipal – Muslim Students Across India Are
Deluged By Hate In Their Classrooms
• Muslim support for AAP declines in Delhi after CAA,
2020 riots
• 123 terror incidents, 62 fatalities in Jammu and
Kashmir till November, Rajya Sabha told
--------
Pakistan
• India Compels Pakistan To Make Difficult Choices For
Survival: Experts At Conclave
• Centre, Punjab vow action against ‘altered’ Quran
publication
• Govt urged to deal with Afghan refugees on
humanitarian grounds
• Fact-finding report terms Arshad Sharif’s murder
‘targeted’
• US adds 24 companies including those from Pakistan
to export control list
• PM’s son Suleman Shehbaz moves court ahead of return
from exile
• IHC asks FO to take up Aafia’s release issue with US
ambassador
--------
South Asia
• Mother Of All Bans: Taliban Tell Kids They Can Go To
Parks Only With Their Fathers
• Asian-American societies call on Congress to pass
Afghan Adjustment Act
• Restoration of Great Mosque of Herat Begins
• Afghanistan Receives Medicine and Nutrition via the
EU Humanitarian Air Bridge
--------
North America
• US Lawmakers Call For More Support To Iranian
Protesters, Sanctions On Regime
• US does not want to see military operations in
northwest Syria: White House
• Amendments to conditions of US sale of F-16s to
Türkiye removed from final defence bill draft
• US warns of Chinese influence in Mideast as Xi
visits Saudi Arabia
--------
Arab World
• Saudi and China sign 34 investment agreements during
Xi’s visit
• Saudi Arabia will remain reliable energy partner for
China: Energy minister
• Saudi-Chinese cooperation scales new heights with
each passing year
• Activists take Qatar workers protest to FIFA boss's
home town
• Two killed in Iraq clashes after activist given
prison term
--------
Mideast
• Iran Executes Protester For Injuring Security Guard
With Knife: Sources
• Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in West Bank
raid: Ministry
• Iran’s Press TV to be pulled from EU satellite
• Israel’s Netanyahu needs one more party for
coalition, may seek more time
• Houthi: Enemy’s main goal is to subdue Yemeni
nation, assert cultural hegemony
--------
Europe
• German Gov’t Vows To Combat Islamophobia,
Discrimination
• Germany Busts Far-Right Terror Cell Planning
Parliament Attack
• No Progress In Fighting Discrimination Of German
Muslim Students
• Bringing salvation: Türkiye’s humanitarian aid to
Greece during World War II
--------
Southeast Asia
• Suicide Bombing At Indonesian Police Station Kills
Officer, Injures At Least 10
• Blast in Indonesia kills 1, injures 10; bomber slams
new law in a note
• PN gained from anti-Umno feelings, not love for PAS,
says Chandra
--------
Africa
• Sudan’s Pro-Democracy Bloc To Name Prime Minister,
Form Gov’t ‘Within Month’
• Muslim-Muslim Ticket Will Set New Tone In Nigeria,
Says Tinubu’s Wife
• Delta mosque attack: MURIC urges security agencies
to fish out perpetrator
• US to ban Sudan officials who hold up post-coup
transition
• Libya accuses Greece of imposing ‘fait accompli’ on
maritime border
• Over 3.5M Kenyan children to miss school in January
over drought
• Controversy as Libya’s parliament passes
constitutional court law
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
--------
Two Brothers Following Different Faiths Hinduism And Islam Fight Over Woman's Last Rites In Bihar's Lakhisarai
Thanks to prompt action by
the police, however, the situation didn't spiral out of control and the woman
was eventually cremated.
-----
Dec 8, 2022
PATNA: Two brothers following different faiths came to
near blows over performing the last rites of their mother who died on Tuesday,
with one insisting on a burial while the other wanted to cremate her mortal
remains.
The deceased woman's son from her first husband
follows Islam, whereas her second husband's son is a Hindu, and it was here the
problem began.
Thanks to prompt action by the police, however, the
situation didn't spiral out of control and the woman was eventually cremated.
Police said Rayka Khatoon was initially married to a
Muslim man but after the death of her husband some 45 years back, she married
Rajendra Jha, a resident of Jankidih village under Chanan police station in
Lakhisarai district.
After the marriage, Md Mohfil, who was born to her
first husband, also stayed with her.
Later, she had a son named Babloo Jha from her second
husband, but the family never faced trouble over religion and happily stayed
under the same roof.
While one son would offer Namaz at the mosque, the
other would visit the temple, since his father Rajendra Jha was a priest.
Later, the woman adopted Hindu religion after a local conversation ritual and
her name was changed to Rekha Devi.
She was staying with her two sons after the death of
her second husband some 10 years back. On Tuesday she died due to age-related
problems and all hell broke loose.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Pakistani Cleric’s Fatwa For Killing Pregnant Ahmadiyya Women In Islamist Pakistan
Representative Image
-----
By
Sohail Choudhury
October
14, 2022
Members
of Ahmadiyya community have been facing numerous forms of cruelties in Islamist
Pakistan. Now a Pakistani cleric through a fatwa has called upon Muslims to
murder pregnant women from the Ahmadiyya community.
According
to media report, a Pakistani cleric has issued a fatwa to kill pregnant women
from the Ahmadiyya community. The cleric has been identified as Muhammad Naeem
Chattha Qadri. The cleric says that it is necessary to do this so that no new
Ahmadiyya is born. At the same time, the cleric has also said that those who do
evil to Islam should be given the punishment of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’. This video
of Muhammad Naeem is now becoming fiercely viral on social media. In this video
going viral, the maulvi is seen speaking in the Punjabi language. He named
Mahmud Ghaznavi and issued a fatwa to attack pregnant women from the Ahmadiyya
community.
In
his speech, the cleric also warned the police administration of Pakistan. He
has said that ‘If any police or administrative officer is listening to me, then
know that we are not going to stop.’ On the statement of the cleric, the crowd
present under the stage, instead of protesting, kept shouting slogans in
support. The cleric clearly stated that the punishment of beheading is
prescribed for those who condemn Islam. According to media reports, the cleric
further says, ‘If we are not able to kill pregnant Ahmadiyya women, then kill
those children after they are born.’ Let us tell you that Maulvi Muhammad Naeem
Chatha Qadri is a member of Pakistan’s banned and radical Jamaat
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
At
the same time, the International Human Rights Committee has expressed concern
over this incident. Issuing a letter, the committee called on the international
community to intervene in the matter and protect Ahmadiyya. The same letter
states that the TLP has a very long history of violence against Ahmadiyya in
Pakistan. The letter also mentions the killing of Naseer Ahmed in Pakistan in
August 2022. According to a report, Naseer Ahmed was 62 years old at the time
of the murder. He was the father of a 3-year-old girl when he was stabbed to
death in Rabwah town. It is believed that after this fatwa, the number of
attacks on Ahmadiyya may increase.
Ahmadiyyas
are also Muslims like Shia-Sunni. The only difference in their ideology is that
Ahmadiyya Muslims consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) as the messenger of
Allah, while other Muslims believe that Prophet Mohammad was the last Prophet
of Allah and there is no one after him. That is why Ahmadiyya Muslims are often
attacked by other Muslims. Ordinary Sunni Muslims believe that the ‘Ahmadiyyas’
under Islam are those misguided people who have nothing to do with Islam and
are constantly spoiling the name of Islam with their actions. Due to this, the
Pakistani Constitution was amended in September 1974 and the Ahmadi Jamaat was
declared non-Muslim. During this time thousands of Ahmadiyya families were
forced to leave their homes. In 1982, President Zia-ul-Haq amended the
constitution back and banned Ahmadiyya from even calling themselves Muslims. The
atrocities on Ahmadiyya can be gauged from the fact that they are jailed even
for saying Assalamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you), while in India, non-Muslims
also say Assalamu Alaikum.
Source:
Weekly Blitz
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Taliban Publicly Execute Convicted Murderer in Afghanistan, Applying Their Strict Interpretation Of Islamic Law To Criminal Justice
FILE - Taliban rulers on Dec. 7, 2022, carried out
the first public execution of a man charged with murder since returning to
power. The execution took place at a stadium in Farah province.
------
December
07, 2022
ISLAMABAD
—
Afghanistan's
Taliban rulers Wednesday carried out the first public execution of a man
charged with murder since returning to power, applying their strict
interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, to criminal justice.
Taliban
government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the early morning execution had
taken place in a sports stadium in western Farah province, with top officials,
including the deputy prime minister and the foreign and interior ministers,
among hundreds of spectators.
The
executed person was tried in the highest Taliban courts and subsequent
appellate tribunals where he had "confessed to stabbing to death" a
resident of Farah and stealing his belongings, including a motorcycle, Mujahid
explained.
"He
was found guilty, and the sentence of retribution was enforced on the
murderer," he said, noting the execution was in line with the
"qisas" law, which stipulates the person is punished in the same way
the victim was murdered.
"The
killer was shot three times by the father of the deceased with an assault
rifle," the spokesman claimed.
Mujahid
argued the decision to enforce the Sharia sentence was "very
carefully" examined and finally approved by Taliban supreme leader Mullah
Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Amnesty
International denounced the public execution as a “gross affront to human
dignity” and a "major step back" by the Taliban for human rights.
“The
deplorable return of public executions in Afghanistan is the latest phase in
Taliban’s alarming abuse of human rights in the country,” said Dinushika
Dissanayake, the watchdog’s deputy regional director for South Asia.
“Such
public displays of killing perpetuate a culture of acceptance of violence,
rather than a belief in justice,” she lamented. The Taliban continue to
“flagrantly flout" human rights principles with "complete
disregard" for international human rights law, Dissanayake said.
The
execution has followed the flogging of dozens of men and women by Taliban
authorities in front of hundreds of onlookers in football stadiums in the
capital, Kabul, and several Afghan provinces over the past month.
The
victims were accused of committing "moral crimes," such as adultery,
theft, and running away from home.
Public
floggings and executions were widespread under the previous Taliban government
in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
The
radical group regained power in August 2021 as the United States and NATO
withdrew all of their troops from the country after 20 years of war.
Despite
repeated assurances to the international community that they would govern the
war-ravaged country exclusively and respect women's rights to public life as
well as education, the Taliban have brought back their harsh polices to rule the
improvised Afghan nation.
Women
have been ordered to cover their faces in public and not undertake long road
trips without a close male relative. They are barred from entering public
parks, gyms and baths across the country. Most female government staff members
have been told to stay at home.
Teenage
girls have been banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade across most
of Afghanistan.
The
restrictions on women have prevented foreign governments and the international
community at large from formally recognizing the men-only Taliban government,
worsening humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan and plunging its economy into
a crisis.
Last
month, a United Nations panel of independent experts warned that Taliban curbs
on women's rights and freedoms could amount to a "crime against
humanity" and should be investigated as "gender persecution"
under international law.
Mujahid
denounced the U.N. panel, saying criticism of their Sharia-based criminal
justice is "disrespect to the holy religion of Islam and against
international rules."
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
US To Tighten Noose Around Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Islamic State-Khorasan: State Dept
US Department of State
----
Anwar
Iqbal
December
8, 2022
WASHINGTON:
The United States has pledged to further tighten the noose around militant
groups such as the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and the outlawed
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as the two terrorist outfits step up their
activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“We
have seen the reports that IS-K has claimed responsibility for the attack,” a
US State Department spokesperson told Dawn on Wednesday, days after militants
targeted Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires Ubaid Nizamani in Kabul and severely
injured an embassy guard, who shielded the diplomat.
“We
remain committed to further degrading Al Qaeda, IS-K, TTP, and other terrorist
groups that pose a threat to the US and our partners and allies,” the
spokesperson added.
Last
month, the TTP also ended its ceasefire agreement with the government of
Pakistan and began attacking several targets inside the country.
Expert
suggests Islamabad and Kabul should jointly monitor, act against militant
groups threatening both countries
Earlier
this month, Washington had declared four TTP and South Asian Al Qaeda leaders
as global terrorists and vowed to use its full might against all
Afghanistan-based terror groups.
The
next day, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that the US
was deeply concerned by the attack on the Pakistani diplomat in Kabul and
called for “a full and transparent investigation” into the failed assassination
attempt.
In
an earlier statement, another US State Department official said the militants
operating in Afghanistan were a common enemy and the US and Pakistan “have a
shared interest” in combating them. The official also pledged support for
Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts against these groups.
Shuja
Nawaz, a US-based Pakistani defence expert, told Dawn: “It is in the interest
of both Pakistan and the US to continue collaborating in monitoring and
eliminating TTP and IS-K operations in Afghanistan.”
“Pakistan
needs to take a firm position on the use of Afghan soil as sanctuary by the
militants. Hold Afghanistan responsible for any attack originating from its
territory and retaliate swiftly and firmly,” he added.
In
a recent report, the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) pointed out that
IS-K “has grown in strength since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan last year,
doubling its strength from 2,000 to 4,000 fighters. Almost half of the fighters
are from Pakistan.”
Sharing
Pakistan’s concerns on this issue, US officials have said they do not want
militants to turn Afghanistan into a hub once again and use its territory to
launch another 9/11-like attack.
According
to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington, IS-K
is an offshoot of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant group, which itself was
formed by disgruntled Al Qaeda activists.
IS-K
was set up in January 2015 at the height of Islamic State power in Iraq and
Syria, before its self-declared caliphate was defeated and dismantled by a
US-led coalition.
The
group recruits both Afghan and Pakistani fighters, especially defecting members
of the Afghan Taliban and TTP who don’t see their own organisations as strong
enough to carry forward their militant mission of creating a new Islamic state
in Khorasan.
The
term “Khorasan” refers to a historical region covering parts of modern-day
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The
group initially included Pakistan, until a separate Pakistan section was
declared in May 2019.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1725232/us-to-tighten-noose-around-ttp-is-k-state-dept
--------
Iraq's Top Shia Cleric Ayatollah Sistani Meets UN Delegation, Stresses Need To Promote Culture Of Peaceful Coexistence
Iraq's top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani/ Photo: Pars Today
----
07
December 2022
Iraq's
top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has underscored the need to
promote the culture of peaceful coexistence and rejection of hatred and
violence, calling on followers of different faiths to observe mutual respect.
The
top Iraqi cleric made the comments in a Wednesday meeting in Najaf with a UN
delegation led by High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of
Civilizations (UNAOC) Miguel Moratinos, and Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
Grand
Ayatollah Sistani pointed to the importance of concerted efforts aimed at
promoting a culture of peaceful coexistence, rejecting violence and hate, and
upholding values of harmony based on paying heed to the rights and mutual
respect among followers of different faiths, according to a statement published
by the religious authority’s office.
Tragedies
that many people and ethnic groups are suffering from are the result of
intellectual and religious persecutions practiced against them as well as
social injustice, he said, adding that such tragedies have played a role in the
rise of extremist movements that use blind violence against the defenseless
civilians as well as against religious centers and archeological sites.
Underscoring
the need to address the root causes of these phenomena, the top cleric said
efforts are needed to ensure the realization of justice and peace in societies.
Appreciating
UN efforts in this area, he wished Moratinos success in carrying out his
mission.
‘Moved
by Sistani’s moderate approach
The
United Nations also released a statement on the meeting, noting that Moratinos
lauded Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s “wisdom and compassion.”
“He
expressed how deeply moved he was by His Eminence’s moderate approach and
consistent appeals for mutual respect and unity to prevail in support of
diversity and peaceful co-existence,” reads the statement, quoting Moratinos.
The
UN officials also presented the “United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard
Religious Sites” during the meeting. The plan of action was developed in 2019
in the aftermath of the Christchurch attacks in New Zealand. It is a global
call to ensure that people are allowed to practice their faith and observe
their rituals in peace.
Back
in March 2021, Grand Ayatollah Sistani received Pope Francis, noting that
religious leaders have to encourage parties involved in conflicts, particularly
the world powers, to give primacy to rationality over confrontation.
He
also stressed the importance of efforts to strengthen peaceful coexistence and
solidarity based on mutual respect among followers of different religions and
intellectual groups.
The
Iraqi cleric has also been hailed for his contribution to the fight against
Daesh terrorists as his 2014 religious decree (fatwa) mobilized volunteer
forces behind army troops on the battlefield.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
India
Panel
Report Recommending SC Quota for Dalit Christians, Muslims 'Flawed': Centre
Tells SC
Dec
8, 2022
New
Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday, December 7, told the Supreme Court
that it was not willing to consider the recommendations of the 2007 Justice
Ranganath Misra Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, which
suggested that reservations benefits be extended to Dalits who accepted
Christianity and Islam.
The
government affidavit called the 2007 commission’s report “flawed”, as it was
composed within the “four walls of a room”, according to a The Hindu report.
“It
was written within the four walls of a room. There was no field study done… The
Commission (Misra) took a myopic view of the social milieu in India. The
findings of the Ranganath Misra Commission have not been accepted by the
government,” solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the court, according to the
newspaper.
A
three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, was
hearing a batch of petitions on Wednesday seeking Scheduled Caste reservation
benefits to Dalits who accepted Christianity.
Mehta
told the court that the government would wait until the Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan Commission – which the current Narendra Modi government had
constituted in October this year – will submit its report to consider the pleas
of Dalits Christians and Muslims to be included in reservation quotas. The time
period granted to the Justice Balakrishnan Commission is two years.
In
response to the government’s view of waiting, the apex court bench said it
would examine the question of whether the court should wait for the
Balakrishnan Commission report or go ahead and hear a series of petitions
seeking Scheduled Castes quota benefits for Dalit converts. The court listed
the matter for hearing in January 2023.
“The
first aspect to be dealt with is whether this court should stay its hands till
the report of this Commission comes or whether it should proceed on the basis
of the material on record,” the three-judge bench said, according to LiveLaw.
According
to the existing framework of Scheduled Caste reservations, only those who
follow Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism can avail the benefits of reservation.
Dalits who converted to Islam and Christianity cannot claim reservation, as
they lose their Scheduled Caste status once they move out of the fold of
Hinduism and the two other religions. The Scheduled Caste reservation is
provided to caste groups listed under Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled
Castes) Order, 1950, which mandates that communities demonstrate “extreme
social, educational and economic backwardness arising out of the traditional
practice of untouchability”. Although when the said constitutional provision
was brought out in 1950, it was only confined to Hindus, it was extended to
adherents of Sikhism in 1956 through an amendment, and later to Buddhists
through another amendment in 1991.
The
government lawyer, Mehta, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the Justice
Balakrishnan committee would re-examine the issue, and suggest whether or not Scheduled
Caste status should be granted to “new persons” who follow religions other than
Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
The
government, in its affidavit, argued that Dalits who accepted Christianity or
Islam to fight caste-based oppression cannot now turn around to claim
reservation benefits enjoyed by those who chose to remain in the Hinduism fold.
It further said Christianity as a religion is “egalitarian”, as it does not
follow any caste system.
“One
of the reasons for which people from Scheduled Castes have been converting to
religions like Islam and Christianity is so that they can come out of the
oppressive system of untouchability which is not prevalent at all in
Christianity and Islam. Therefore, once they have come out and ameliorated
their social status by converting themselves to Christianity or Islam they
cannot claim to be backward since backwardness based on untouchability is only
prevalent in the Hindu society or its branches and not in any other religion,”
the government affidavit said.
The
government stated that Dalit converts to Buddhism and Sikhism cannot be equated
to those who accepted Christianity and Islam. The affidavit said Dalits
accepted Buddhism at the call of B.R. Ambedkar in 1956 due to “some innate
socio-political imperatives”, adding that the “original castes” of such
converts could be determined clearly.
“This
cannot be said in respect of Christians and Muslims who might have converted on
account of other factors since the process of such conversions had taken place
over the centuries,” the affidavit added.
One
of the petitioners in the matter, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation,
alleged that the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 is violative of
Articles 14 and 15 of the constitution as it discriminates against members of
Scheduled Caste communities who have converted to religions other than
Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thewire.in/law/dalit-muslims-christians-reservation-supreme-court-centre
--------
Not
just Manipal – Muslim students across India are deluged by hate in their
classrooms
Zafar
Aafaq
Dec
8, 2022
Last
week when the video of a Muslim student confronting his teacher at Manipal
University in Karnataka went viral, it triggered an unpleasant memory in the
mind of 21-year-old Humza Siddique.
In
the video, which sparked a massive uproar on social media, a young engineering
student berates his teacher, telling him that it was not funny to crack jokes
about his religious identity. The teacher had compared his Muslim student to
Ajaml Kasab, the Pakistani terrorist who had attacked Mumbai in 2008.
Siddique
had a similarly traumatic experience in 2019, after five Muslims were killed in
alleged police firing in Meerut in 2019, at the height of the protests against
the Citizenship Amendment Act. The law which, for the first time, introduced a
religious element into Indian citizenship law, had sparked off demonstrations
across the country.
When
the news of the violence reached his classroom, Siddique recalled his teacher
turning on him. “My teacher said, ‘these people [referring to Muslims] will
never accept any law’,” Siddique said, speaking to Scroll.in. “Then he looked
at me and said, ‘You know how to throw stones’. My other classmates, many of
whom were my friends, laughed it off as if nothing happened.”
Like
Sidique, many young Muslims Scroll.in spoke to said they could relate to the
experience of the Manipal University student. Against the backdrop of rising
extremism in Indian society and politics, they too had faced hate inside the
classroom, both from peers and, even more troublingly, from teachers.
‘Pakistanis
and terrorists’
A
few days before the Manipal incident came to the fore, 21-year-old Haseena
Bano, a college student from Balotra, Rajasthan, had a similar experience of
her teacher making Islamaphobic comments in class. According to Bano, on
November 21, her history teacher bought up the case of a violent murder in
Delhi in which the main suspect is a Muslim.
“He
said these Muslims have no sense of mercy,” she told Scroll.in. “He said
Muslims believe that if they kill one Hindu they get rewards of one Hajj [pilgrimage
to Makkah in Islam] and if they kill two then they will get heaven. He also
asked students that Hindus should stay away from them. They are Pakistanis and
terrorists. Hindus feel hurt even after killing an ant.”
Bano
said she could not bear this Islamophobia any further and confronted the
teacher. “How can you make such remarks?” she asked him. “He said, ‘It’s
written in the Quran.’”
Islamaphobic
tropes
Hassan,
24, a journalism student, recalled his experiences of facing prejudice from her
teacher at The Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Delhi. He claims that
research topics put forward by him in 2020 examining the media portrayal of
Muslims or its alleged role in supporting majoritarianism were shot down
summarily. Hassan blames Islamophobia for this.
“You
should come out of this rhetoric and frivolous thinking of your community,” his
teacher allegedly told Hassan in response. She also asked him where he
graduated from. “When I said Jamia Millia, she said, now I know where this
mindset is coming from,” he said.
Jamia
Millia Islamia is a central university located in Delhi with minority
institution status.
Later,
in another instance, when he proposed a research topic comparing right wing
media in India and the United States, the same teacher, Hassan said, brought up
Islamaphobic tropes to attack her student. “Does this propaganda come from the
same streets, protests that were a few months back protesting against the
government,” she said, referring to the anti-CAA movement, recounted Hassan to
Scroll.in.
While
he was unable to protest these incidents at the time, afraid of how it might
hurt his academic career, it pushed him to leave the university and take
admission elsewhere. He said it was a “big relief” to leave the institute that
has “come in the grip of the Hindu right wing”.
Regional
spread
While
the problem of Islamophobia in the classroom crops up throughout India, some
regions fared worse than others.
Hafiza
Sheikh, 46, grew up in Mumbai and went to a Christian-run school in the city where
she says she did not face any sort of communal hostility. However, this changed
with her daughter.
After
she got married, Sheikh moved to Greater Noida, a part of the National Capital
Region that is located in Uttar Pradesh. In 2016, her daughter, then in class
5, faced an unpleasant experience. “A day before Independence Day, a classmate
wished her,” Sheikh said. “When she asked why, he said it was because it was
Pakistan’s independence day. When my daughter came home, she asked us why she
was being associated with Pakistan if she was Indian.”
This
prompted Sheikh to take up the matter with her daughter’s teacher who in turn
took up the matter with the parents of the boy. “The issue was addressed and
since then things are fine with their school,” she said.
Sheikh
feels that the communal hate is proportionally higher in North India compared
to her childhood in Maharashtra. “I remember the [1992 Mumbai] riots but we did
not face any violence directly because we were living in a mixed society of
Sindhis, Muslim, Christains,” she said.
A
similar experience was shared by Noor Mahwish, a law student at a government
university in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Mahwish went to school in Kolkata,
where she never faced any Islamophobia. However, when she started to study in
Allahabad in 2019 the situation changed. “In my first year of my law college,
during a class on the Hindu marriage Act and Muslim personal law I confronted
my teacher for demonising the Muslim community over Triple Talaq,” she said.
“She [the teacher] was using ‘hum log versus woh log’ (us versus them) to talk
about Hindu and Muslim personal law.”
Rising
hate
Nazia
Erum, author of the 2017 book Mothering A Muslim says that while prejudice
towards Muslims has always been there in India but the “tone and intensity has
changed, especially over the last five years”.
She
said while earlier interactions in the classroom would mostly be “innocuous and
infrequent” but “now they occur more often and are marked by hostility rather
than humour”. “It shows how deeply entrenched Islamophobia is now,” she said.
Erum
spoke to Muslim students across 12 states for her book. An astonishing 80% said
they had been bullied on the basis of their religious identity in school.
Erum
blames the wider climate in the country for poisoning the classroom. “The hate
we see in classrooms is an extension of the hate broadcast in the speeches of
our leaders or in ‘news’ debates on our television every night,” said Erum,
warning this would eventually affect the children of all communities.
Source:
Scroll
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Muslim
support for AAP declines in Delhi after CAA, 2020 riots
December
07, 2022
ZIYA
US SALAM
Three
years after the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) stir started in Shaheen
Bagh on December 15, 2019, followed by the northeast Delhi violence in February
2020, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seems to have lost the Muslim vote in the area.
The
party has been wiped out from most of the seats which were either the sites of
sustained protest against the CAA or the violence that hit the city shortly
afterwards. The party had maintained a distance from the anti-CAA stir and
expressed its inability to control violence in northeast Delhi in the absence
of control over the local police. The violence claimed more than 50 victims.
Wards
like Abul Fazal Enclave, which is adjacent to Shaheen Bagh, and the
Muslim-dominated Mustafabad, Brijpuri, Shastri Park and Zakir Nagar voted the
Congress candidates to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. In fact, all but two
of the nine councillors who won on Congress ticket in Delhi did so from pockets
of Muslim domination. Significantly, these areas have sitting AAP MLAs in
Amanatullah Khan (Okhla), Haji Yunus (Mustafabad) and Abdul Rehman (Seelampur).
Abul
Fazal Enclave, which also has the headquarters of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind,
sent first-timer Ariba Khan to the MCD while in Zakir Nagar, Congress candidate
Nazia Danish emerged victorious.
Speaking
to the media shortly after her victory, Ms. Khan hoped that the administration
would help her clean the area, and her victory was one for development. She
opined that Muslims had seen through the development facade of the Kejriwal
government in Delhi, and put their faith in the inclusive politics of the
Congress.
In
northeast Delhi, where the Muslim community reported 36 mortalities in the
communal violence in 2020 besides attacks on 19 mosques and dargahs, the
Congress candidates won from Brijpuri, Shastri Park, Chauhan Banger and
Mustafabad, each of which suffered badly during the violence.
Mustafabad,
Brijpuri Puliya and Shastri Park were also sites of the anti-CAA protests.
Nazia
Khatoon of the Congress triumphed in Brijpuri where a couple of schools were
set on fire during the violence besides attacks on the anti-CAA protest site.
Shagufta
Zubair won from Chauhan Banger in the area, while Sabeela Begum clinched the
Mustafabad seat. The Congress’s Sameer Ahmed won from Shastri Park. The areas
had reported spirited protests against the CAA and the local AAP MLA was
allegedly absent. Meanwhile, Independent candidate Shakeela Begum won the
Seelampur seat. The sole saving grace for the AAP came from Sri Ram Colony
where Aamil Malik bucked the trend.
In
the neighbouring Karawal Nagar, Bhajanpura and Ashok Nagar, which too reported
violence in which 17 Hindus lost their lives, the Bharatiya Janata Party
candidates notched up easy wins, consigning the AAP to losses from both ends.
However,
it was not all doom and gloom for the AAP in Delhi when it came to retaining
the Muslim vote in some pockets.
In
Old Delhi, the AAP candidates won from Ballimaran, Chandni Mahal and Jama
Masjid. These seats, notably, did not report violence in 2020 nor were they
sites of anti-CAA protests.
Source:
The Hindu
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--------
123
terror incidents, 62 fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir till November, Rajya Sabha
told
Dec
8, 2022
NEW
DELHI: A part from 123 terrorist incidents in J&K, there was one terror
attack each in Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu until November 2022, the home
ministry apprised the Rajya Sabha on Wedenesday. While there were 62 fatalities
in J&K, of which 31 were security personnel and 31 civilians, no person was
killed as a result of the three terror attacks in the country’s hinterland.
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Pakistan
India
Compels Pakistan To Make Difficult Choices For Survival: Experts At Conclave
December
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Continuing existential challenges due to hostile neighbourhood compel Pakistan
to make difficult choices for survival.
This
was the crux of a discussion on the first day of Islamabad Conclave-2022 themed
‘75 Years of Independence: Achieving Comprehensive National Security’, which
was hosted by Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
Former
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee retired Gen Zubair Hayat, in his
keynote speech, said the threat from India, which has been reluctant to accept
Pakistan’s existence and posed challenges at variety of fronts and spectrums,
had not diminished.
He
recalled the statements by Indian leaders in which they mentioned the 1947
partition as “a historic wrong” and “distortion of history” and more recently
warned of “moving north,” which was seen here as a “blatant threat”.
He
further reminded that over the past five years there were “phantom and fake”
surgical strikes claim, the 2019 Balakot incident – the first attack on the
mainland, and the so-called “accidental” launch of missile into the country’s
heartland.
Gen
Hayat said a range of conflicts was imposed on Pakistan — full scale war to
insurgencies and terrorism and more recently hybrid warfare. He noted that
importantly the country was well defended against those challenges except for
the 1971 East Pakistan debacle.
On
1971 tragedy, he echoed former Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa’s line, who in one of
his parting speeches, had termed the defeat in East Pakistan as a political
failure rather than a military fiasco.
“In
military sense there was status quo and had there been not a direct foreign
intervention by India, the insurgency too would have failed,” he maintained.
Dr
Adil Sultan, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace and Strategic Studies (FASS), Air
University Islamabad, said the external environment required Pakistan to maintain
robust nuclear and conventional capabilities, while remaining cognizant of the
limited economic resources.
He
said introduction of new technologies by India like ballistic missile defence
systems, Anti Satellite weapons (ASAT), hypersonic missiles, Pakistan-specific
MIRV missiles, and operationalising sea-based nuclear capability were straining
the deterrence.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Centre,
Punjab vow action against ‘altered’ Quran publication
December
8, 2022
LAHORE:
The principal secretaries to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief
Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Wednesday gave an undertaking before the
Lahore High Court regarding the implementation of a 2019 verdict requiring
action against the people involved in publication of unauthentic copies of the
Holy Quran.
Justice
Shujaat Ali Khan was hearing a petition by Hassan Muawiyah, who alleged that
the Ahmadi community and other non-Muslims continued to publish and upload
copies of the Holy Quran with distorted Arabic text and mutilated translation
on the internet and Google Play Store only to mislead Muslims.
The
Principal Secretary (PS) to the PM, Dr Tauqir Shah, told the judge that the
premier had been apprised of the court’s orders, and he had decided to place
the matter before the cabinet and form a committee in this regard.
Justice
Khan hailed the decision.
Dr
Shah said a complete action plan would be presented before the court at the
next hearing.
The
PS to CM, Muhammad Khan Bhatti, told the court that the chief minister had
presided over two meetings on the matter.
The
judge observed that the court’s prime concern was not the number of meetings
conducted by the government, but implementation of the order.
Mr
Bhatti said the order would be implemented in letter and spirit.
“When
will it be implemented? Should we adjourn the case for 2050?” Justice Khan
asked Mr Bhatti with annoyance.
He
observed that apparently the provincial government did not want to enforce the
verdict. He directed both the governments to submit detailed compliance reports
on the next hearing.
The
petitioner contended that repeated applications had been filed with the home
department and police for action against the suspects in light of the
judgement. The conduct of the respondent authorities was in violation of the
law and the court’s decision.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1725180/centre-punjab-vow-action-against-altered-quran-publication
--------
Govt
urged to deal with Afghan refugees on humanitarian grounds
Mubarak
Zeb Khan
December
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan needed to deal with the issue of Afghan refugees on humanitarian
grounds and enact domestic laws to become a signatory to the international
conventions for being the largest host country of refugees, experts said at a
panel discussion on Wednesday.
The
discussion, titled ‘Afghan Refugees and Migrants: Humanitarian Response in
Pakistan’, was held on the third day of the 25th Sustainable Development
Conference, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Experts
said that negligence in policy had invariably affected the Afghan refugees in
terms of their identity recognition, income means and citizenship, causing
serious damage to their psychological condition and leading to stress and
depression.
Former
senator Afrasiab Khattak said since partition, Pakistan had been actively
hosting refugees from different countries, including India, Myanmar (formerly
Burma), Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Experts
say negligence in policy has invariably affected refugees, leading to stress
and depression
Pakistan
strongly needed legislation at a domestic forum to fill the legal vacuum
created by the Afghan refugees’ issue, he said and suggested that repatriation,
relocation and absorption were the factors that should be focused on in
policymaking.
“The
dilemma is that new terms like temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) and
internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been introduced and they are not
recognised as refugees,” he said.
The
media needed to play an active role in voicing the Afghan refugees’ miseries,
he said, adding that this nation was in exile and demanded that it should be
looked at on humanitarian grounds.
The
government should revise its Afghan policy for refugees to overcome their
miseries, he added.
Ayesha
Khan, country director of Hashoo Foundation, said that according to a report of
the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, 90pc of Afghan refugees were hosted by
Pakistan and Iran.
She
said the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees, established in 2012, was a
proactive step taken by the global community to help Afghan refugees and host
countries.
Another
speaker, Safiya Aftab, stressed the need for formulating a domestic policy to
cater to the basic needs of health, education and sustenance for refugees.
Many
undocumented refugees had started to enter the internal economy, mainly as
low-income migrant households, she said, adding that Pakistan designed an
effective policy to document these existing issues. Apart from granting some
medical, transit and substantial visas on humanitarian grounds, a strong policy
would surely ensure the sustenance needs of refugees, she said.
‘Reforms
must to achieve SDGs’
At
another panel discussion, prime minister’s aide Rana Ihsan Afzal said the
government would have to introduce drastic reforms in various sectors to create
fiscal space for financing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda.
He
highlighted the need to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio from 8.5 per cent to
15pc, raise tax revenues and streamline loss-making state-owned enterprises.
He
said the country’s crop yields were very low and must be brought on a par with
international standards to minimise the import pressure on the country.
Former
Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq said: “We also need to create fiscal space as much
as possible to promote SDGs agenda.” She underlined that the challenge of
limited financing resources is one of the biggest impediments to achieving
SDGs.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1725226/govt-urged-to-deal-with-afghan-refugees-on-humanitarian-grounds
--------
Fact-finding
report terms Arshad Sharif’s murder ‘targeted’
Malik
Asad
December
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A two-member fact-finding team consisting of officers from the Intelligence
Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has concluded that the
murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif was a “planned targeted
assassination” which purportedly involved “transnational characters”.
In
a 592-page report submitted to the five-member bench of the Supreme Court
headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, the investigators contested the
version put forth by the Kenyan police, who termed Mr Sharif’s killing “a case
of mistaken identity”.
The
report observed that the “transnational roles of characters in Kenya, Dubai,
and Pakistan” in this assassination cannot be ruled out.
The
report noted a number of discrepancies in the events connected to the death of
Mr Sharif and also highlighted contradictions in the statements of the ARY
owner, Salman Iqbal, in connection with the case.
According
to the report, the officials of the Kenyan General Services Unit (GSU) fired
nine bullets at Mr Sharif’s vehicle from an AK-47 and a local Gilboa rifle. It,
however, added that there was “only one fire (sic) whose trajectory doesn’t fit
with the firing pattern”.
It
disclosed that “there is no penetration mark of a bullet on the seat of Arshad
Sharif but he was hit from the back and the bullet exited from the right side
of the chest”. That does not match with his sitting position, and the position
of gunners as well as the line of fire, it said and termed it a “closed range
fire”.
The
investigators were astonished to note that the “driver’s side door and window
are undamaged, and the driver’s seat does not even have any splatters of blood,
which is curious since one of the injuries to Mr Sharif was a head wound that
caused his skull to shatter and spread hair, blood and bone particles over the
passenger seat, the passenger side roof the car, and even on the rear passenger
seat.”
It
also pointed out the reasons that forced Arshad Sharif to leave Pakistan,
including the registration of about a dozen FIRs. It expressed that there was a
possibility that the journalist was compelled to leave Dubai.
Waqar’s
link with spy agencies
The
investigators noted that Mr Sharif’s host Waqar, a contractor of the US embassy
in Nairobi, was connected with the Kenyan National Intelligence Service (NIS)
and international intelligence agencies and police.
It
said that Waqar was also known to a Pakistani politician and a senior official
of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Islamabad and when he was asked for
CCTV footage of the residence of Mr Sharif, he replied that he made it
conditional with the nod of the official of the spy agency.
The
report said that “the fact that he handed over the personal cell phone and iPad
of Arshad Sharif to an NIS officer rather than to police establishes his links
with the NIS”. According to the report, “His linkage with national and
international agencies provides a scope of possibility of transnational
characters in this case.”
Likewise,
the report also raised doubts on the conduct of Waqar’s borther Khurram who was
driving the ill-fated Land Cruiser. The report said that the “narration
presented by Khurram, who was driving the vehicle on the sequence of the crime
scene is contrary to logic and facts”.
Role
of Salman Iqbal
The
report also shed light on the relations between Mr Sharif and the senior
management of ARY, especially its owner Salman Iqbal.
“During
his interview with the team, Salman Iqbal directly contradicted Waqar’s version
and claimed he did not know Waqar…[and] had no other direct contact with him.
He only knew that ‘Vicky’ was a good friend of Tariq Wasi”.
The
investigators mentioned that Mr Iqbal failed to satisfy the team regarding his
relations with Waqar and referred questions about the latter to Tariq Wasi.
“He
[Tariq Wasi] responded in writing to the FFT questionnaire but his answers were
not very illuminating or forthcoming. Many of his responses are contradicted by
both Salman Iqbal and Waqar,” the report added.
According
to the report, Tariq Wasi, directly linked with Waqar and who arranged for
Arshad Sharif to be hosted by Waqar in Kenya, “would also become a key lynchpin
for anybody wanting to murder Arshad Sharif” if the case had a transnational
angle.
It
said Salman Iqbal freely admitted that Waqar was approached to issue a letter
of invitation to Arshad Sharif, nevertheless, in the initial days following
Arshad Sharif’s death, some news reports, including those of ARY, continued to
propagate that Arshad Sharif had gone to Kenya because Kenya had a visa on
arrival policy.
The
report also mentioned “discrepancies in the timelines” given by Mr Iqbal to the
fact-finding team.
“Waqar
claims that he called Tariq Wasi to inform him of Arshad Sharif’s death while
he was driving from Ammodump camp to Oletepesi farm, essentially within the
first thirty minutes of the incident. And it was during the same drive that
Salman Iqbal called Waqar to get confirmation of Arshad Sharif’s death”.
However,
Salman Iqbal claimed that he did not speak to Waqar till three to four hours
after the incident, the report said, adding that Mr Iqbal had “contacted the
senior army leadership to inform them of the fact that Arshad Sharif had been
killed within an hour of the incident”.
It
is not immediately clear why Salman Iqbal created this discrepancy over timelines,
it added.
The
report recommended the registration of the case with the Counter Terrorism Wing
of the FIA under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism
Act.
Suo
motu proceedings
The
apex court bench resumed the hearing on the suo motu case regarding the killing
of Arshad Sharif earlier in the day. As it took up the case, the top court
directed the government to constitute a special joint investigation team (SJIT)
to probe the killing of the journalist.
The
eight-member team will comprise five police officials, and representatives of
the ISI, FIA, and IB. Justice Bandial directed the federal government to notify
the members by Thursday.
During
the hearing, the mother of the slain journalist also filed an application
before the court nominating senior military leadership, officials of the spy
agency, and the public relations wing of the armed forces as accused.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1725237/fact-finding-report-terms-arshad-sharifs-murder-targeted
--------
US
adds 24 companies including those from Pakistan to export control list
December
8, 2022
The
Biden administration has added 24 companies and other entities to an export
control list for supporting Russia’s military or defense industrial base,
Pakistan’s nuclear activities or for supplying an Iranian electronics company.
The
entities, based in Latvia, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland, were
added over US national security and foreign policy concerns, the Commerce
Department said on Wednesday.
The
companies include Fiber Optic Solutions in Latvia, which produces fiber optic
gyroscopes and other equipment and Russia’s AO Kraftway Corporation PSC, which
calls itself one of the biggest Russian IT companies.
The
company says it builds and sells a wide range of IT solutions including
hardware manufacturing.
Also
on the list are Russian AO Scientific Research Center for Electronic Computing,
LLC Fibersense, and Scientific Production Company Optolin, AO PKK Milandr;
Milandr EK OOO; Milandr ICC JSC; Milur IS, OOO; (OOO) Microelectronic
Production Complex (MPK) Milandr; and Ruselectronics JSC and Swiss based Milur
SA.
The
Commerce Department also added four trading and supply companies in Singapore
for supplying or attempting to supply an Iranian electronics company, Pardazan
System Namad Arman (PASNA), that was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018.
The
Biden administration also added 10 companies in Pakistan and UAE that it says
pose unacceptable risks of using or diverting items for Pakistan’s
unsafeguarded nuclear activities or are involved Pakistan’s “nuclear activities
and missile proliferation-related activities.”
None
of the companies was immediately available for comment.
The
United States has made muscular use of export controls and the entity list to
punish companies over their support of the Russian military and to curb the
flow of foreign technology to Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM’s
son Suleman Shehbaz moves court ahead of return from exile
Atika
Rehman
December
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD/LONDON:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son, Suleman Shehbaz, is set to return to
Pakistan after four years of self-exile in London, it emerged on Wednesday.
Mr
Sharif, who left London for Madina to perform Umrah, is expected to reach
Pakistan over the weekend.
He
has already sought protective bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that
would enable him to surrender before a trial court.
Mr
Sharif has been in London with his family since 2018, when the National
Accountability Bureau registered multiple cases against him ahead of the
general election.
Arrest
warrants had been issued for Mr Shahbaz on May 28, but the FIA told the court
they could not be executed since Mr Shehbaz was not present at his address and
had gone abroad.
A
trial court declared him a proclaimed offender, along with another suspect in a
Rs16 billion money laundering case, in July this year.
In
December 2021, FIA submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to the special
court for their alleged involvement in laundering Rs16 billion in a sugar scam.
According
to the FIA report submitted to the court, the investigation team “detected 28
benami accounts of the Shehbaz family through which money laundering of
Rs16.3bn was committed from 2008-18. The FIA examined a money trail of 17,000
credit transactions.”
The
report added that the amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and “given to
Shehbaz in a personal capacity”.
In
a statement, Mr Sharif said he was forced to leave Pakistan for the sake of his
safety after “fake and manipulated cases” were registered against him and his
family in order to “facilitate a new political order”.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1725235/pms-son-suleman-shehbaz-moves-court-ahead-of-return-from-exile
--------
IHC
asks FO to take up Aafia’s release issue with US ambassador
December
7, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday asked the foreign office to take up
Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s release case with the United States (US) Ambassador to
Pakistan.
The
MIT-trained neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui is serving an 86-year prison sentence
after being convicted by the US court on seven counts over attempted murder and
assault on US military personnel in Afghanistan.
Justice
Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan heard a petition filed by Dr Fauzia Siddiqui for the
release and repatriation of her sister Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
The
FO counsel submitted the communication record with the US regarding the
repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the IHC.
The
Judge expressed dissatisfaction and said that the FO secretary should appear
before the court and state that he cannot do anything in this case then the
court will dismiss this case as there is no proceeding in this case since
October 17.
The
foreign ministry counsel informed the court that there was no satisfactory
response from the US regarding the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui yet and Dr
Fauzia’s visa request has also been rejected by the US.
Justice
Sardar Aijaz directed the foreign office to take up Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s
release case with the United States (US) ambassador to Pakistan.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Mother
of All Bans: Taliban tell kids they can go to parks only with their fathers
Sohini
Sarkar
December
07, 2022
New
Delhi: For little children in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and other cities,
even a visit to an amusement park or a playground now comes with a rider. They
can no longer go to such joyous spaces accompanied by their mothers. Neither
can the older children step in by themselves. They can only be allowed to enter
if they are with their fathers—the men of Afghanistan.
The
move to bar Afghan women, especially mothers from all kinds of amusement parks
and playgrounds is the ruling Taliban’s latest diktat to curtail the rights and
liberties of women in their country. Women have been banned from visiting parks
and playgrounds in Kabul and other key Afghan cities, days after they were
barred from visiting swimming pools and gymnasiums in the capital city.
Amid
the possibility of the ban being extended throughout the country, Afghan women
now fear what is next in store for them in the crisis-ridden country. Already
barred from gyms, pools and other sporting arena, the Taliban’s diktat to bar
women from amusement parks and playgrounds has come as a rude shock for young
mothers, most of whom cannot accompany their children anymore if they step out
to play or visit fairs and parks. The children, however, can be accompanied by
their fathers and significantly Afghan men are even allowed on the rides and
carousels, the parks have to offer.
Since
the Taliban dramatically swept back to power in Afghanistan in August 2021,
visits to public spaces have become rare for most women in the country. For the
urban elite too, an evening out with their children or extended families, is a
luxury they can ill afford. The Taliban, however, is ready to defend the move
to bar women from parks claiming that the ruling regime had been trying for the
last 14 to 15 months to provide an environment in sync with Sharia (the Islamic
law that the Taliban follow) and Afghan culture so that women could continue
visiting parks.
Mohammad
Akif Muhajir, the spokesperson for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue
and Prevention of Vice, justified the move saying, “Unfortunately, the owners
of amusement parks did not co-operate with us very well, and also the women did
not observe hijab as was suggested. For now, the decision has been taken that
they are banned,” he said, referring to the hardliners interpretation of the
strict Islamic dress code for women.
Most
women in Afghanistan, specially after the takeover by the Taliban wear the
hijab, at least in public spaces. However, the Taliban have decreed women
should wear long flowing clothes that cover their bodies from top to toe and
also cover their faces, akin to the Islamic burqa. Flouting the diktat though,
a number of women in Kabul do not cover their faces in public and yet others
wear surgical face masks.
Source:
Firstpost
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--------
Asian-American
societies call on Congress to pass Afghan Adjustment Act
December
7, 2022
The
Asian American Societies of Central Virginia in a letter to the Congress,
support the Afghan Adjustment Act and urge the Biden Administration to pass it
before the year end.
“We,
the Asian-American Society of Central Virginia (AASoCV), a 25-year-old
Non-Profit Organization that consists of 19 Asian communities, are writing to you in support of the Afghan Adjustment
Act”, said the letter addressing the U.S Congress.
“As
Asian-Americans, we highly value the contributions made by the over 70K
evacuated Afghan nationals to the country’s diversity and pluralist community.
They have also had enormous contribution in the country’s workforce and economy
which is indeed admirable”, Julie Laghi, the Asian American Society of Central
Virginia chair said.
According
to Julie, Afghan Adjustment Act is a short path towards permanent residency for
the Afghan evacuees whose parole visas are going to expire in mid 2023.
Eventually,
the United States Administration would have to think of helping these large
number of refugees who all have been evacuated by the U.S government and
welcomed in the United States through providing a short-term and quicker
pathway for providing them long-term stay opportunities, Julie added.
We
believe that the proposed Afghan Adjustment Act introduced in August is a wise
and logical solution and would help the USCIS if passed before end of the year,
she said.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Restoration
of Great Mosque of Herat Begins
By
Nasir Ahmad Salehi]
Dec
8, 2022
After
seven decades, Herat's information and culture department said that it has
begun the restoration of the province's Great Mosque, also known as the
"Jami Masjid of Herat."
The
restoration of all of the mosque's ancient tiles is expected.
Reportedly,
natural disasters in recent years have damaged the majority of the tiles of
Herat's Great Mosque.
"Seventy
years ago, it wasn't really that everything was repaired, only the places that
collapsed were restored, but right now, all of them are under the restoration
process," said Zalmai Safa, the head of Herat's department of information
and culture's historical monument preservation group.
The
tiles of the Great Mosque of Herat are being fixed by specialists in monument
restoration. Every effort is being made to preserve the integrity and beauty of
the historical monument, say those involved.
"The
tiles are in their own place, some of the backs need to be tightened; we will
fill them with the special materials that are essential," said Aziz Ahmad,
an engineer.
"The
tiles that you are presently looking at are from the age of Abdul Ali Malkyar,
and a century has since passed, and these tiles were used in the Herat Great
Mosque for reasons of beauty and durability," said Sediq Mir, a cultural
expert.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/arts-culture-181079
--------
Afghanistan
Receives Medicine and Nutrition via the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
December
8, 2022
The
European Union delivered medicine and nutrition to Afghanistan via the EU
Humanitarian Air Bridge earlier today.
This
humanitarian aid comes at a time when nearly 28 million populations in
Afghanistan need assistance in the next year. The humanitarian cargo is
provided by the European Union Protection & Humanitarian Aid and trusted
humanitarian partners.
Due
to the existing socio-economic and humanitarian crisis, thousands of Afghan
families are struggling for survival across the country. They need basic food,
shelter, and other life-saving items. Such aid packages are of paramount
importance to the general public as they are provided with no other alternatives.
Meanwhile, the harsh winter is another addition to the many challenges of the
ordinary people in the country as they need to feed their mouths and heat their
homes respectively.
Afghanistan
receives this humanitarian aid package right after the first public execution
was conducted by the ruling regime in Farah, Afghanistan since they came to
power last year. There have been massive reactions and criticisms of the act
from the international community, independent organizations, countries, media,
and more.
Likewise,
the European Union in Afghanistan condemned the act and called on the Afghan
administration to stop any future executions and instead pursue a policy
towards the abolition of capital punishment.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US
lawmakers call for more support to Iranian protesters, sanctions on regime
07
December ,2022
Top
US lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bipartisan resolution affirming American
support for Iranian protesters and condemning Iran’s security apparatuses for
their violent crackdown.
“It
is my hope that Congressional approval of this bipartisan, bicameral resolution
will help amplify the voices of the hundreds of thousands of women and men of
Iran who are protesting against the brutality of one of the world’s most
repressive regimes,” Senator Bob Menendez said in a statement.
Menendez,
a Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican
Senator Marsha Blackburn were joined by nine colleagues in announcing approval
of the Senate resolution.
The
resolution calls for the international community to speak out against the
Iranian regime’s human rights violations and urges continued efforts to hold
those violators accountable, including through additional coordinated
sanctions.
The
senators also stressed the importance of US and global support for providing
more access to internet freedom inside Iran. During anti-government protests
over the last few months, the regime has cut off internet access to parts of
the country.
The
other senators who supported the resolution were: Bob Casey, Bill Cassidy,
Jacky Rosen, Ted Cruz, Kevin Cramer, Ben Cardin, Todd Young, Chris Van Hollen,
and Bill Hagerty.
An
identical resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives by a
bipartisan group of members of Congress as well.
Iranians
have been in the streets since September following the killing of 22-year-old
Mahsa Amini after she was detained for improper hijab. Thousands of Iranians
began demanding the regime’s collapse and fundamental human rights. They were
met with a violent crackdown by Iranian security forces, which led to hundreds
of deaths and thousands of arrests.
Menendez
said he was committed to keeping the Committee’s spotlight on the Iranian
regime’s crackdowns, shutdowns, and deflections in response to the demands of
the Iranian people.
Reports
suggested that Iran has done away with its so-called morality police in recent
days. But state-run media later played down these reports.
For
her part, Senator Blackburn said the move to abolish the religious police was
“only a façade” to distract the world from what protesters are demanding - “to
free Iran of the oppression altogether.”
Blackburn
added: “The United States must stand by them until they secure victory.”
Senator
Todd Young praised the courage and resolve of the protesters, calling it
“inspiring.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
does not want to see military operations in northwest Syria: White House
07
December ,2022
The
United States has been clear with Turkey about the risks of military operations
in northwest Syria, even as it supports Ankara’s right to defend itself, White
House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.
“We
don’t we don’t want to see military operations conducted in northwest Syria
that are going to put civilians at greater risk than they already are, put in
peril our troops and our personnel in Syria, or our counter ISIS mission,”
Kirby told reporters.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Amendments
to conditions of US sale of F-16s to Türkiye removed from final defence bill
draft
Kasım
İleri
07.12.2022
WASHINGTON
Amendments
introduced in the US House of Representatives making sales of F-16 fighter jets
to Türkiye contingent on a series of conditions were removed in the final
defense spending bill.
A
conference committee made up of House and Senate members finalized the National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill, which includes the 2023 defense budget.
According
to the final version of the draft text obtained by Anadolu Agency, which will
be voted on by both chambers of Congress, the amendments submitted by a group
of representatives were dropped from the bill.
The
move came after two amendments introduced by Democratic Senators Bob Menendez
and Chris Van Hollen tying F-16 sales to Türkiye on some conditions were
removed from the Senate version of the annual US defense spending bill.
The
amendments sought to impose several restrictions on the sale of F-16s and
modernization kits to Türkiye, including not to use the fighter jets to violate
Greece’s airspace and requiring the Biden administration to certify that the
sale would be in national interests.
The
diplomatic efforts of Türkiye in Washington were said to be effective in this
change in the Senate.
In
order for the sale of F-16s to be made, Congress should not object to the sales
notification submitted by the administration.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
US
warns of Chinese influence in Mideast as Xi visits Saudi Arabia
07
December ,2022
The
White House on Wednesday responded to the visit of President Xi Jinping to
Saudi Arabia by warning that China’s attempt to spread influence worldwide is
“not conducive” to international order.
Asked
about the Xi visit, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby
told reporters that Saudi Arabia remains a crucial US ally, but he issued a
warning over China.
“We
are mindful of the influence that China is trying to grow around the world. The
Middle East is certainly one of those regions where they want to deepen their
level of influence,” he said.
“We
believe that many of the things they’re trying to pursue and the manner in
which they’re trying to pursue it are not conducive to preserving the
international rules-based order.”
President
Joe Biden has made what he identifies as a global competition between
democracies and autocracies a central theme of his presidency.
“We
are not asking nations to choose between the United States and China, but as
the president has said many times we believe that in this strategic competition
the United States is certainly well poised to lead,” Kirby said.
Washington
has close commercial, diplomatic and military relations with Saudi Arabia, an
Islamic, absolute monarchy.
New
tensions erupted over a decision by the Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel to cut
production in a bid to raise oil prices -- a move claimed by the Biden administration
as potentially harming his Democratic party in this November’s midterm
legislative elections.
Kirby
said Saudi Arabia had been a strategic US partner for some 80 years but noted
that Biden has ordered a review of the ties.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Saudi
and China sign 34 investment agreements during Xi’s visit
08
December ,2022
Saudi
and Chinese companies have signed 34 investment agreements during the start of
Chinese President Xi Jinping three-day visit to the Kingdom, the official Saudi
Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
Xi
arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday. It marks his third overseas journey since the
coronavirus pandemic began.
On
Wednesday evening dozens of agreements were signed between Saudi and China
covering several sectors in the fields of green energy, green hydrogen,
photovoltaic energy, information technology, cloud services, transportation,
logistics, medical industries, housing and construction factories.
Saudi
Arabia’s Minister of Investment Khalid bin Abdulaziz al-Falih confirmed that
the agreements reflect the Kingdom's keenness under the leadership of the King
Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to develop the Kingdom's relations
in all fields including economic and investment with China.
Eng.
al-Falih said that this visit reflects the keenness of the leaderships of the
two countries to develop and strengthen relations and partnership between the
two countries in all fields, including economic and investment, adding that the
visit will contribute to raising the pace of economic and investment
cooperation between the two countries.
He
also explained that the Kingdom and the People's Republic of China have solid
relations and a close partnership that witnessed comprehensive development over
the past years, especially after the mutual visits between the leaderships of
the two countries, which resulted in fruitful cooperation that included various
fields.
He
further said that the Kingdom, in light of Vision 2030, offers unprecedented
investment opportunities in various sectors including renewable energy,
industry, communications, information technology, biotechnology, tourism,
building and construction, and others, expressing his aspiration to enhance
investments between the Kingdom and China.
The
volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounted to SAR304 billion
($80 billion) in 2021, and trade exchange in the third quarter of 2022 recorded
SAR103 billion ($270 million).
Xi’s
visit to the Kingdom will run until December 9 during which a Saudi-China
summit headed by King Salman and the Chinese president, with the participation
of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will be held.
Two
other summits, a China-Gulf summit and a China-Arab summit, will also be held
with leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Arab states expected
to attend.
The
Gulf-Chinese summit will be held on Friday, according to GCC Secretary General
Nayef al-Hajraf.
Upon
his arrival to Riyadh, Xi said that he looked forward to the China-Arab and
China-GCC summits, which will be held during his visit to strengthen ties with
Arab and Gulf countries.
He
added that he will discuss bilateral ties as well as international and regional
affairs with King Salman and the Crown Prince during his visit, his first to
the Kingdom since 2016.
Commenting
on “close ties” between Beijing and Riyadh, Xi said “practical cooperation
between the two countries yielded fruitful results in [various] fields.” He
said that China and Saudi Arabia continue to “closely coordinate and
communicate” regarding regional and international affairs.
He
also said that he and King Salman had strengthened ties between the two
countries ever since establishing the comprehensive strategic partnership in
2016, “strongly contributing to improving peace, stability and development in
the region.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia will remain reliable energy partner for China: Energy minister
07
December ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Wednesday, during
a visit by the Chinese leader to the Kingdom, that Saudi Arabia would remain a
trusted and reliable energy partner for China, the official Saudi Press Agency
(SPA) reported.
Prince
Abdulaziz told SPA that cooperation between China, the world’s biggest energy
consumer, and the Kingdom, the worlds’ top oil exporter, had helped maintain
global oil market stability.
“The
Kingdom will remain, in this area, a trusted and reliable partner for China,”
the agency quoted him as saying.
Ties
between Saudi Arabia and China are undergoing a “qualitative shift that
reflects the interest of the leaderships of the two friendly countries, and
their keenness to develop them in various fields,” Prince Abdulaziz added.
“China
has become the top destination for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports as
part of the high volume of trade exchange between the two countries, which
continued annual growth over the past five years,” SPA cited him as saying.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi-Chinese
cooperation scales new heights with each passing year
December
07, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudi-Chinese ties have prospered in 2022 amid the high cooperation efforts
between the countries across various fields, including aviation, energy,
tourism, artificial intelligence, technology and more.
On
Nov.27, Saudi Arabia’s deputy foreign minister met with the Chinese ambassador
to the Kingdom in Riyadh, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During
the meeting, Waleed Al-Khuraiji and Chen Weiqing reviewed bilateral relations
and ways of enhancing them to serve common interests. They also discussed
issues of common interest.
Aviation
Earlier
this year, in October, Saudi Arabia and China signed a memorandum of
understanding to boost the number of flights and stations between the two
countries.
The
MoU also aims to promote air traffic growth further and bolster cooperation in
the air transport sector field between both countries, Zawya reported.
Energy
In
September, the regional organization Arab League announced the first of its
kind Arab-China summit to be hosted by Saudi Arabia in December, reflecting a
milestone in the strategic collaboration between Arab countries and the Asian
giant.
According
to Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post, Beijing is seeking to
bolster its energy ties with the Gulf countries to secure sufficient supply.
Tourism
In
September, the Saudi Tourism Authority and Shanghai-based financial firm
UnionPay signed an MoU to boost the number of Chinese visitors to Saudi Arabia.
Under
the agreement, the Chinese state-owned financial services company will
facilitate payment operations within the Kingdom for UnionPay card holders, the
Saudi Press Agency reported.
Culture
As
part of Saudi-Chinese cultural cooperation, King Abdulaziz Public Library
signed an MoU and collaboration with the Bayt El-Hekma Chinese Group in April.
The
agreement aims to enhance cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China in
different cultural, knowledge, and language fields of interest to both sides.
It
also includes exchanging publication services and cultural visits between the
two countries, besides holding scientific meetings and specialized exhibitions
and activating cultural commonalities through forums.
Artificial
Intelligence
In
March, Riyadh-based aerospace company TAQNIA and solution provider TAQNIA ETS
signed an MoU with Chinese aerospace firm Star Vision to elevate the space
sector’s supply chain and work hand in hand on artificial intelligence
applications and technologies.
Under
the MoU, all parties will participate in collaborative research and work
together to facilitate the development of top-notch space technologies,
satellites, and geospatial products, trade publication Times Aerospace
reported.
The
MoU aims to introduce localized services and products that align with the
Kingdom and the region’s strategic space and geospatial industry.
Technology
In
March, Saudi Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems Co., ACES,
partnered with China Electronics Technology Group to manufacture unmanned
aerial vehicle payload systems in the Kingdom.
Under
the partnership, China Electronics Technology Group, the state-owned defense
conglomerate specializing in dual-use electronics, aims to aid ACES in
establishing a research and development center and manufacturing team for
various types of unmanned aerial vehicle payload systems.
Oil
In
March, a Saudi Arabian Oil Co. unit signed an initial agreement with China
Petroleum & Chemical Corp., known as Sinopec, for potential downstream
collaboration in China.
The
subsidiary, Saudi Aramco Asia Company Ltd., and Sinopec aim to support Fujian
Refining and Petrochemical Co. in conducting a feasibility study into the
optimization and expansion of capacity, according to a statement.
Building
& Construction
In
January, Saudi Aramco and the China Building Materials Academy announced plans
to launch a new Nonmetallic Excellence and Innovation Center collaboratively.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2212611/business-economy
--------
Activists
take Qatar workers protest to FIFA boss's home town
Dec
7, 2022
BRIG:
An activist group erected protest billboards in FIFA boss Gianni Infantino's
Swiss home town of Brig on Wednesday to demand the world soccer body compensate
migrant workers for alleged human rights abuses in Qatar, host of the football
World Cup.
The
mobile billboards carried the messages "Infantino: your family were
migrants", "Thousands like them were victims of this World Cup",
and "Compensate them now".
The
protest by the Avaaz campaign group also included an Infantino impersonator
holding a World Cup trophy.
Qatar,
where foreigners make up most of the 2.9 million population, has faced intense
criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers.
Britain's
Guardian newspaper reported last year that at least 6,500 migrants -- many of
them working on World Cup projects -- had died in Qatar since it won the right
in 2010 to stage the World Cup.
Hassan
Al Thawadi, the secretary general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and
Legacy, said in a TV interview with British journalist Piers Morgan aired last
month that the number of migrant worker deaths at World Cup-related projects
was "between 400 and 500".
Amnesty
and other rights groups have led calls for FIFA to compensate migrant workers
in Qatar for human rights abuses by setting aside $440 million, matching the
World Cup prize money.
FIFA
has said it was assessing Amnesty's proposal and implementing an
"unprecedented due diligence process in relation to the protection of
workers involved".
FIFA
has said it was working with the organising committee and had already
compensated a number of workers. It did not immediately respond to a request
for comment on Wednesday.
Source:
Times Of India
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Two
killed in Iraq clashes after activist given prison term
07
December ,2022
Two
protesters in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah were killed Wednesday in
clashes with security forces at a rally against an activist’s prison sentence,
health officials told AFP.
Haidar
al-Zaidi, 20, was sentenced to three years over a tweet of disputed origin
deemed insulting to a pro-Iran paramilitary force, according to court documents
seen by AFP Wednesday.
The
verdict, which Zaidi can appeal, has sparked criticism on social media.
Hundreds
of people gathered for a second day in a row on Wednesday evening in central
Nasiriyah, the regional capital of Dhi Qar province, to condemn the sentencing
and also to demand compensation for people wounded by security forces in
protests in late 2019.
The
protesters chanted anti-government slogans, according to an AFP correspondent.
“Two
protesters were shot dead” in the clashes and 21 others were wounded, including
five by gunfire, said Hussein Riyad, a spokesman for the Dhi Qar provincial
health ministry.
Riyad
said a police officer was among those wounded.
Zaidi
was sentenced on Monday in the capital Baghdad over a post, long since deleted
from his Twitter account, criticizing the slain deputy commander of the former
paramilitary Hashed al-Shaabi force, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The
activist wrote on Facebook on Sunday that he faced charges of “insulting state
institutions.”
New
York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for Zaidi’s immediate
release and urged Iraqi authorities not to use the courts as a “tool to
suppress peaceful criticism.”
Muhandis
was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020 alongside Iranian
foreign operations commander General Qassem Soleimani.
He
is revered as a martyr by the Hashed, a paramilitary group integrated into
Iraq’s security forces and whose political wing forms part of Iraq’s ruling
coalition.
Zaidi
has denied he posted the tweet, claiming his account was hacked, according to
HRW.
“Regardless
of who posted the Twitter message, the Iraqi justice system should not be used
as a tool to suppress peaceful criticism of the authorities or armed actors,”
said HRW’s deputy Middle East director, Adam Coogle.
Nasiriyah
was a bastion of a wave of anti-government protests that hit Iraq in late 2019
and were crushed by authorities in a bloody crackdown that killed more than 600
people.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Mideast
Iran
executes protester for injuring security guard with knife: Sources
08
December ,2022
Iran
executed one protester on Thursday who was convicted of injuring a security
guard with a long knife and closing off a Tehran street, the semi-official
Tasnim news agency reported.
Tasnim
added that the Supreme Court had rejected the appeal made by the defendant and
justified the sentence by saying the defendant's actions represented a “crime
of waging war against God.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Israeli
forces kill three Palestinians in West Bank raid: Ministry
08
December ,2022
Israeli
forces killed three Palestinians on Thursday in the flashpoint city of Jenin,
in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.
“Three
killed by bullets from the Israeli occupation during its aggression in Jenin at
dawn today,” the Palestinian health ministry reported.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request to comment on their
latest operation in Jenin, one of the near-daily raids across the West Bank
launched in the wake of deadly attacks targeting Israelis earlier this year.
The
Islamic Jihad militant group said Thursday their fighters were engaged in
“fierce clashes” with Israeli forces in Jenin.
A
surge in violence this year has seen at least 150 Palestinians and 26 Israelis
killed across the West Bank, Israel and the contested city of Jerusalem.
The
toll includes more than 40 Palestinians killed in the Jenin area during Israeli
forces operations, including militants, children as young as 12, and veteran
Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran’s
Press TV to be pulled from EU satellite
07
December ,2022
European
satellite operator Eutelsat said Wednesday that it will request broadcasters to
stop showing Iran’s English-language news channel Press TV following sanctions
over its broadcasting of “forced confessions.”
Press
TV announced the news via its Twitter feed earlier in the day and the
France-based Eutelsat confirmed the news to AFP.
It
follows fresh sanctions imposed last month by the European Union against 29
Iranian officials and Press TV, which has shown people giving “confessions” of
their part in anti-government protests.
“Eutelsat
has assessed the consequences of the adoption by the European Union on November
14, 2022, of additional sanctions against the perpetrators of serious human
rights violations in Iran,” the French company told AFP.
“Eutelsat
has contacted its counterparties broadcasting Press TV, in order to enforce the
cessation of broadcasting as soon as possible,” it added.
Iran
has been rocked by a wave of protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, a
22-year-old Iranian Kurd, after her arrest by “morality police” officers for an
alleged breach of the country’s dress code, which requires women to wear a
headscarf.
Iran
blames the US and other “enemies” for trying to destabilize the country by
fueling the protests.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Israel’s
Netanyahu needs one more party for coalition, may seek more time
07
December ,2022
Israeli
Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu was still one partner short of a
coalition to secure a parliamentary majority on Wednesday after an
ultra-Orthodox Jewish party signed up, with the deadline for forming a
government looming.
The
deal with United Torah Judaism (UTJ), announced late on Tuesday, promised
Netanyahu control of 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats with his conservative Likud
party. That left Shas, an ultra-Orthodox party with 11 seats, as Likud’s last
likely ally.
After
coming ahead in a Nov. 1 election, Netanyahu was given 28 days to present a
coalition. Commentators predicted he would do so in short order, given the
strong showing of religious-nationalist parties. But negotiations have proven
protracted.
The
inclusion of far-rightists in the incoming government has stirred fear at home
and abroad for the future of Israel’s long-moribund talks with the Palestinians
and fraught ties between its majority Jews and 21 percent Arabs citizens.
Netanyahu
has said he will serve all Israelis but has not indicated any plan for reviving
talks with Palestinians.
UTJ
said in a statement on the Likud deal, which it agreed even though some details
were pending, that talks needed to be extended beyond Sunday’s deadline for a
coalition agreement.
President
Isaac Herzog can extend the mandate by 14 days.
Among
issues dogging the coalition talks is a tax-fraud conviction of Shas leader
Arieh Deri, a candidate for finance minister. Shas has submitted legislation
that would enable Deri - who was spared jail under a plea deal - to serve in
cabinet.
Netanyahu
has yet to request an extension for coalition talks. But the centrist
opposition has accused him of planning to use any extra time he might get to
push the Deri-linked bill through parliament before his government is in
office.
Outgoing
Justice Minister Gideon Saar said on Twitter that any request for extra time
would be a “ruse (to enable) the passing of personalized and problematic laws,
in accordance with the demands of (coalition) partners, before the government
is set up.”
United
Arab List (UAL), a party that draws support from Israel’s Arab citizens and
which was part of the outgoing coalition, signaled it might be willing to join
Netanyahu.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Houthi:
Enemy’s main goal is to subdue Yemeni nation, assert cultural hegemony
07
December 2022
The
leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement says the enemy's main goal is
to corrupt the young Yemeni generation with attacks on Islamic values,
stressing that the US and its allies are hell-bent on subduing the Yemeni
nation through cultural dominance.
Abdul-Malik
al-Houthi made the marks at a Wednesday ceremony in the Yemeni capital city of
Sana’a to mark the National Day of Martyrs.
“The
Muslim world will not by any means benefit from victory, honor, growth or
prosperity unless peoples get prepared to make self-sacrifices and demonstrate
genuine unselfishness,” the leader of the popular Yemeni resistance movement
said.
Houthi
also warned of enemies’ myriad plots to undermine the Yemeni nation and called
on people from all strata of the society as well as the country’s officials to
remain vigilant about “the soft war” against the Arab state, particularly in
cultural and intellectual spheres.
“Enemies
are seeking to diminish Islamic values and misinterpret the notion of
martyrdom. They are spending considerable time and effort in order to corrupt
young Yemenis,” the Ansarullah chief warned.
“The
United States and the Israeli regime are relentlessly constructing hostile
plots against Muslims, and are seeking to sow the seeds of discord and division
across the Muslim world, from Yemen to Iraq and beyond.”
Houthi
noted that the Muslim world is currently facing formidable challenges, adding
that "enemies are greedy...for Muslims’ natural resources, and are seeking
complete control over them.”
“Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are seeking to enslave the Yemeni nation
and plunder the country’s natural wealth. Enemies do not want the salaries of
Yemeni civil servants to be paid by means of revenues earned from plundered
crude oil and natural gas,” he said.
The
Ansarullah leader emphasized that the Yemeni nation will neither allow the US,
Britain, Saudi Arabia nor their allies to gain a foothold in Yemen and build a
military facility there.
“The
US-backed and Saudi-led military onslaught is aimed at placing Yemen under
foreign occupation. Yemenis will not accept Saudi-led plots designed to put the
country under Western hegemony.”
Houthi
also reiterated the Yemeni nation’s firm resolve to stay strong and united,
calling on Yemenis to join ranks in the face of enemies’ conspiracies to sow
division and sedition within the society.
Source:
Press TV
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--------
Europe
German
gov’t vows to combat Islamophobia, discrimination
Ayhan
Simsek
07.12.2022
BERLIN
The
German government will take resolute measures to combat Islamophobia, Interior
Minister Nancy Faeser said on Wednesday.
Faeser
delivered a speech at the German Islam Conference, a forum for dialogue between
authorities and the representatives of the Muslim community.
“Many
people face racism each and every day in Germany. Muslims experience double
racism. They are often facing hostility and rejection as members of the Islamic
religion, but also as people with immigration background,” she said.
Faeser
promised that the coalition government will take measures to combat racism and
Islamophobia, and support projects to promote integration and stronger
participation of Muslims in German society.
She
also said the Interior Ministry will adopt a new approach for the work of the
German Islam Conference, and advocate broader participation to ensure that it
reflects the diversity of Muslims in the country.
A
country of over 84 million people, Germany has the second-largest Muslim
population in Western Europe after France. It is home to nearly 5 million
Muslims, according to official figures.
The
country has witnessed growing racism and Islamophobia in recent years, fueled
by the propaganda of far-right groups and parties, which have exploited the
refugee crisis and attempted to stoke fear of immigrants.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Germany
busts far-right terror cell planning parliament attack
December
07, 2022
FRANKFURT:
German police staged nationwide raids on Wednesday and arrested 25 people
suspected of belonging to a far-right “terror cell” plotting to overthrow the
government and attack parliament.
Around
3,000 officers including elite anti-terror units took part in the early morning
raids and searched more than 130 properties, in what German media described as
one of the country’s largest police actions ever against extremists.
The
raids targeted alleged members of the “Citizens of the Reich” (Reichsbuerger)
movement suspected of “having made concrete preparations to violently force
their way into the German parliament with a small armed group,” federal
prosecutors said in a statement.
Those
arrested are accused of having formed “a terrorist group by the end of November
2021 at the latest, which had set itself the goal of overcoming the existing
state order in Germany and replacing it with their own kind of state,” they
said.
Two
of the 25 arrests were made abroad, in Austria and Italy.
The
prosecutors in Karlsruhe said they had identified a further 27 people as
suspected members or supporters of the terror network.
The
Reichsbuerger movement includes neo-Nazis, conspiracy theorists and gun
enthusiasts who reject the legitimacy of the modern German republic.
Long
dismissed as malcontents and oddballs, the Reichsbuerger have become increasingly
radicalized in recent years and are seen as a growing security threat.
Former
soldiers are believed to be among the members of the recently established
terror group, federal prosecutors said.
“The
accused are united by a deep rejection of state institutions and the free,
democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany,” they said.
The
suspects were aware that their plan “could only be realized by using military
means and violence against state representatives,” they added.
Justice
Minister Marco Buschmann praised the dismantling of the “suspected terror cell”
on Twitter, saying it showed that Germany was able to defend its democracy.
Reichsbuerger
followers generally believe in the continued existence of the pre-war German
Reich, or empire, as it stood under the Nazis, and several groups have declared
their own states.
They
typically deny the authority of police and other state institutions.
According
to prosecutors, the terror cell suspects believe in Reichsbuerger and QAnon
conspiracy theories and are “strongly convinced” that Germany is run by a “deep
state” that needs to be toppled.
They
allegedly planned to appoint one of the arrested suspects, Heinrich XIII P.R.,
as Germany’s new leader after the coup.
He
had already sought to make contact with Russian officials to discuss Germany’s
“new state order” after the coup, prosecutors said.
There
was however “no indication that the contact persons responded positively to his
request.”
A
Russian woman named as Vitalia B., who was among those arrested on Wednesday,
is suspected of having facilitated those contacts, prosecutors added.
As
part of the preparations for the coup, members of the alleged terror cell
acquired weapons, organized shooting practice and tried to recruit new
followers, particularly among the military and police, according to
prosecutors.
Germany’s
domestic intelligence service estimates that the Reichsbuerger scene consists
of around 20,000 people.
Of
those, more than 2,000 are deemed potentially violent.
Germany
considers far-right terrorism the biggest threat to its security following a
spate of attacks in recent years.
In
April, police foiled a plot by a far-right group to kidnap the health minister.
Source:
Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2212131/world
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No
progress in fighting discrimination of German Muslim students
Oliver
Towfigh Nia
07.12.2022
BERLIN
There
has been no improvement in the situation of Muslim students grappling with
ongoing discrimination in German schools, said a leading human rights official
on Wednesday.
“We
see a need for action in this area and I have not noticed that the situation
has improved," said Dr. Beate Rudolf, director of the German Institute for
Human Rights, at a press conference in Berlin.
Rudolf
acknowledged though that this issue was not addressed at all in this year's
annual report on the developments in the human rights situation in Germany
which was submitted to the nation’s parliament (Bundestag).
Within
Germany’s public school systems, there have been numerous reports of
discrimination against young Muslim students, specifically girls, leading to a
climate of low expectations and discouragement.
There
have also been frequent complaints by Germany’s Muslim community that teachers
were less likely to recommend Muslim pupils for schools which would pave the
way for a university rather than a regular vocational career.
Discrimination
against Muslims is widespread in Germany, according to research published in
October by the Expert Council on Integration and Migration (SVR).
Nearly
48% of respondents said they believe "Islam is not compatible with German
society,” while 29% suggested restricting the practice of Islam in the country.
"Negative
attitudes toward Islam are widespread in all groups examined -- people with and
without a migration background,” the researchers said in their report.
Nearly
44% of Germans surveyed said that Muslim organizations should be monitored by
the state’s security agencies, while only 16% opposed such a move.
Anti-Islamic
attitudes were slightly more common among migrants who arrived in Germany from
non-Muslim countries. People who had social contact with Muslims, however, were
less inclined to hold anti-Islamic attitudes, according to the report.
Anti-Semitism
The
SVR’s study also analyzed anti-Semitic attitudes in Germany and concluded that
anti-Semitism was widespread both among Germans and migrant communities in the
country.
"Negative
attitudes toward people of the Muslim and Jewish faiths are divisive and
undermine social cohesion. However, attitudes of this kind are not only held by
people without a migration background, but also by people with a history of
migration,” the report said.
The
SVR called for stronger action to counter anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic
attitudes in all population groups, by promoting intercultural contacts and
anti-discrimination work.
Among
other things, religious communities need to be more closely involved, while
interfaith dialogue and related forms of interaction can also contribute to
reducing prejudice, the group said.
A
country of over 84 million people, Germany has the second-largest Muslim
population in Western Europe after France. It is home to nearly five million
Muslims, according to official figures.
The
country has witnessed growing racism and Islamophobia in recent years, fueled
by the propaganda of far-right groups and parties, which have exploited the
refugee crisis and attempted to stoke fear of immigrants.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Bringing
salvation: Türkiye’s humanitarian aid to Greece during World War II
Ahmet
Gencturk
08.12.2022
The
fall of Athens to the Nazis on April 27, 1941 and the subsequent occupation of
mainland Greece by the Axis -- Germany, Bulgaria, and Italy -- left in shambles
the infrastructure, industry, and agriculture of the country, already
devastated by months of war.
To
worsen this predicament, the Nazi occupation set in motion a ruthless program
of economic exploitation that entailed rationing raw materials and food from
Greece to dress, feed, and equip the German armies fighting across Europe.
Coupled
with the Allied blockade of Greece, this led to drastic food shortages in the
country, particularly in the capital Athens and the adjacent port city of
Piraeus. According to Greek historian Polymeris Voglis, at least 300,000 Greeks
died of starvation or malnutrition during the occupation that lasted until
October 1944.
Türkiye
was among the first countries that rushed to the aid of famine-stricken Greece,
according to the Turkish Red Crescent’s Director General Ibrahim Altan,
stressing the point in an interview with Anadolu Agency.
He
emphasized that Türkiye, whose own population also faced acute food shortages
as millions of men had to leave the fields for military mobilization, did not
ignore the plight that neighboring Greece had to endure.
The
first batch of humanitarian aid -- over 2,000 tons including fish, pork, eggs,
and potatoes -- departed from Istanbul on Oct. 6, 1941 aboard the SS Kurtulus,
a Turkish freighter that would play a crucial role in alleviating the suffering
of many Greeks, Altan related.
An
old freighter, almost 60 years old at the time, carried not only over 8,000
tons much needed aid but also the hope and sense of solidarity to Greece, he
remarked.
Altan
noted that even though the Kurtulus sank in the Sea of Marmara on its fifth
relief voyage to Greece on Feb.1942, owing to unfavorable weather conditions,
after a six-month compulsory hiatus, its mission took over by other Turkish
ships organized by the government and Red Crescent.
The
Dumlupinar, Tunc, Konya, Guneysu, and Aksu cargo ships transported a total of
at least 50,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Greece by 1946, he said, adding
Dumlupinar also brought around 1,000 sick Greek children aged 13-16 to Istanbul
to recuperate in a safe place.
Turkish
aid to Greece did not start with the Kurtulus, which literally means salvation,
or its successors, according to Cagla Derya Tagmat, a scholar of modern Greek
history at Ankara University in Türkiye’s capital.
Tagmat
told Anadolu Agency that, beginning in the fall of 1940, the Turkish relief
effort for its western neighbor, which it fought in its own independence
struggle just two decades earlier, supplied Greeks with tons of salt and
thousands of tetanus vaccines and necrosis serums.
While
not all the aid was financed by the Turkish government, which was in dire
financial straits at the time, Ankara’s diplomacy and neutrality were crucial
in getting the vast amount of much-needed foodstuff across the Aegean Sea as
the world’s most deadly conflict raged in the backdrop, said Tagmat, who wrote
a book on Turkish humanitarian aid to Greece during World War II using primary
Greek sources.
Besides
the government, she added, many Turkish professional organizations and common
people contributed from their savings to the donation campaigns that funded a
significant portion of the relief materials.
Many
Greeks still remember and regard very highly the aid Türkiye sent, Tagmat said,
citing her own interviews and archival studies.
On
Ankara’s neutral status for most of the war, Tugba Eray Biber, an expert on
Turkish-Greek relations at Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul, said the country
was masterful in using it to aid Greece.
She
said Turkish professional associations that sent relief materials to their
Greek counterparts included journalists, bank employees, athletes, and
municipal staff.
The
Kurtulus, as the first ship loaded with aid to arrive in Greece, swiftly gained
renown, becoming a ray of hope in the eyes of many Greeks, particularly of
those in Athens and Piraeus, she said.
On
one occasion, Greek journalists who visited Kurtulus to take pictures remarked
that they would launch a donation campaign to buy Kurtulus and turn it into a
museum once the war ended, Biber said, adding that there were even thoughts to
name one of the Athens' main streets after the Turkish Red Crescent.
So,
its sinking was devastating news for many, expressed in part by Greece’s
then-premier Georgios Tsolakoglou, who made remarks to the press to express the
sorrow of the Greek nation, she said.
Citing
a communique from the Turkish Embassy in Greece to the Foreign Ministry in
Ankara, Biber revealed that many Greeks believed that Kurtulus was torpedoed.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Southeast Asia
Suicide
bombing at Indonesian police station kills officer, injures at least 10
SHEANY
YASUKO LAI
December
07, 2022
JAKARTA:
A convicted bombmaker who was released from prison last year attacked a police
station in Indonesia’s main island of Java on Wednesday, killing an officer and
wounding at least 10 others, officials said.
The
attacker entered the Astana Anyar police station in Bandung, West Java at
around 8:20 a.m. with a motorcycle, detonating one of two bombs he was carrying
as officers gathered for a morning assembly. The other explosive was defused.
“This
morning a suicide bomb attack took place and the perpetrator died,” National
Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo told reporters when he visited the
station in the afternoon.
The
injured comprised mostly police officers with at least one civilian wounded, he
said.
“He
is affiliated with Jamaah Ansharut Daulah group in Bandung or West Java, and at
this time our team is continuing work to solve the incident that has occurred.”
Footage
taken from the scene showed body parts near the damaged lobby of the station
and people running out of the building as white smoke engulfed the facility.
Prabowo
identified the attacker as Agus Sujatno and said dozens of notes were found at
the crime scene with messages of protests against Indonesia’s new criminal
code.
Also
known by his alias Abu Muslim, he was released from the Nusakambangan prison
island last year after completing a four-year sentence on charges of terrorist
funding and making explosives used in a 2017 attack that also took place in
Bandung.
“While
in prison, he was not cooperative and was still hard-line,” Irfan Idris,
deradicalization director at the National Counter-Terrorism Agency, told Arab
News.
JAD,
which had pledged allegiance to Daesh, was responsible for several other deadly
suicide bombings in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
This
includes the 2018 church attacks in Surabaya that involved three families
carrying out suicide bombings, killing nearly 30 people including the attackers
themselves.
Stanislaus
Riyanta, security and terrorism analyst from the University of Indonesia, said
the attack was triggered by the new criminal code passed on Tuesday.
“They
are looking for momentum. When they get it, such as with the passing of the new
criminal code, they will use it,” Riyanta told Arab News.
Riyanta
said Indonesian authorities should be cautious not only because the new
criminal code was recently passed, but also ahead of Christmas and New Year
holidays.
Source:
Arab News
Please
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2212466/world
--------
Blast
in Indonesia kills 1, injures 10; bomber slams new law in a note
Dec
8, 2022
BANDUNG:
A suspected Islamist militant, angered by Indonesia’s new criminal code, killed
one other person and wounded at least 10 in a suicide bomb attack at a police
station in the city of Bandung on Wednesday, authorities said.
The
suicide bomber was believed to be affiliated with the IS-inspired group Jamaah
Ansharut Daulah and had previously been jailed on terrorism charges, Indonesian
police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said. He said the attacker, identified as
Agus Sujatno, was released in 2021 and investigators had found dozens of
documents protesting the country’s controversial new criminal code at the crime
scene.
Though
there are sharia-based provisions in the new criminal code, Islamist hardliners
could have been angered by other articles that could be used to crackdown on
the propagation of extremist ideologies, analysts say.
Source:
Times Of India
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PN
gained from anti-Umno feelings, not love for PAS, says Chandra
Ellis
Idris
December
8, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: An analyst has rejected a PAS leader’s view that Perikatan Nasional’s
impressive performance in the recent general election was due to the rising
popularity of political Islam.
Political
scientist Chandra Muzaffar said PN and PAS did well only because Malay voters
had lost faith in Umno, which had previously commanded the support of a large
segment of the electorate.
He
told FMT that ongoing corruption cases involving top Umno leaders were key in
shifting voters towards PN.
“The
insistence on fielding candidates who were compromised on the question of
integrity turned away Umno’s typical voters,” he said. ”So Malay voters turned
to the party they felt most comfortable with, and PAS comes closest in claiming
to represent Islam.”
Chandra
also said PAS’ model lacked content in addressing the “real challenges” that
Malaysia was facing, such as inflation, unemployment and ethnic tensions.
“If
PAS were to translate the votes into increasing support for the party, it must
reconsider its ideological approach with greater depth to strengthen its
support,” he said.
He
said PAS could widen its influence if it could relate its principles and values
to social and economic challenges.
In
GE15, PAS candidates won 49 seats, the highest number among all individual
parties. It contested both under its own banner and PN’s.
PAS
international affairs and external relations council chairman Khalil Abdul Hadi
recently said the party’s success in the polls showed political Islam had
gained popularity in Malaysia and that the party’s conservative religious
politics was becoming more attractive to young and first-time voters.
Khalil,
the PAS president’s son, also said people wanted to see how the party could
contribute to the country, “especially on welfare and economic issues”.
Another
analyst, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, said PN’s popularity among
first-time and young voters in GE15 could be due to their desire for a new
government.
He
said the more established Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional had been
“associated with negative political stigma”. PN’s time in the federal
government was “extremely short”, he said.
He
said these voters, in voting PN, dared to make a decision that older voters
would not.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Africa
Sudan’s
pro-democracy bloc to name prime minister, form gov’t ‘within month’
Behram
Abdelmunim Mohamed Mustafa
07.12.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
Sudan’s
main pro-democracy coalition said it will name a prime minister and form a
transitional government within a month.
"Within
three or four weeks, we can finish implementing the framework agreement, name a
prime minister, form the government, and begin the transitional period,” Shihab
Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Forces for Change and Freedom Coalition, told
Anadolu Agency in an interview, to be fully published on Thursday.
Last
Monday, Sudan’s military and political forces signed a framework agreement
meant to resolve the country’s months-long crisis.
The
deal was signed by army chief Gen. Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan, the FFC coalition,
the Democratic Unionist Party, and a number of rebel movements.
The
agreement pledges a 2-year transition period and the appointment of a civilian
prime minister by the political parties that signed the framework agreement.
It
also calls for the reform of the military and defense sector, unifying the
military and integrating the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary force, into
the army.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Muslim-Muslim
ticket will set new tone in Nigeria, says Tinubu’s wife
By
Gbenga Salau
08
December 2022
Sanwo-Olu’s
wife promises Tinubu-Shettima’s ticket ’ll close gender gaps
Wife
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Senator Oluremi
Tinubu, yesterday, said the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the party
would set a new tone in Nigeria’s political landscape come 2023.
Tinubu’s
wife, who stated this during APC’s South-West women presidential rally at
Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, said the country in no distant time would also
witness Christian/Christian ticket.
She
said: “I bring you warm greetings from the First Lady, Her Excellency Aisha
Buhari. She sends love to Lagos and wish you well and to the governor that is
making things work in Lagos State.
“We
thank you for coming out in large numbers despite the challenges. My coming
here is another homecoming. About 23 years ago, God blessed my husband to
become the governor, I supported him as the First Lady.
“I
want to thank the people of Lagos Central for sending me to represent them. I
am the first woman to emerge as a senator three times. This is a wonderful
opportunity. Since 2007 when my husband left office, I kept working for the
good of our people.
“God
rewards good work. He blesses people without people paying attention but Heaven
pays attention.
“As
regard Muslim/Muslim ticket, this one will set the tone for the future.
Sometime in future, we will have a Christian-Christian ticket. What God has
done is marvelous in our land.”
SIMILARLY,
the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said Nigeria needs
somebody of political sagacity as Tinubu to manage the affairs of the nation in
2023.
She
said: “We are delighted to receive you all as we flag off the Tinubu-Shettima
women’s presidential campaign in the South-West.
“As
we know, President Muhammadu Buhari has laid the right foundation for
progressive governance. He has been responsive, progressive, and totally
committed to the needs of the people, especially women and children.”
“As
women, there is a strong need for us to use the 2023 elections to vote for APC
across all levels for consolidation and continuity of the remarkable work and
achievement of the current administration. It is crystal clear that the
continuity of the APC government is the sure way to greater progress.
“At
this point in time in our democratic experience and history, Nigeria needs the
financial expertise, intellectual acumen, progressive capacity and political
sagacity of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to manage the affairs of our great
country.”
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please
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https://guardian.ng/news/muslim-muslim-ticket-will-set-new-tone-in-nigeria-says-tinubus-wife/
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Delta
mosque attack: MURIC urges security agencies to fish out perpetrator
Ibrahim
Ramalan
December
7, 2022
The
Muslim Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has condemned Friday’s attack on Muslim
worshippers in Ughelli, Delta, calling on security agents to fish out the
perpetrators and rescue the abducted Imam.
MURIC
said this in a statement by its director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola in Abuja.
“The
Imam of Ughelli Central Mosque, Malam Muhammadu Sani was whisked away by gunmen
who attacked the mosque. Eleven worshippers were also shot.
“The
gunmen stormed the Mosque located at Otovwievwiere Street in Okorodafe axis of
Ughelli by 6 a.m yesterday, Friday, Dec. 2.
“This
is a dastardly act that must be condemned by all right-thinking people and we
condemn it in the strongest terms. It is another evidence of hate crimes
targeted at Muslims in the South East in recent time.
“It
will be recalled that the Secretary of the Delta State Muslim Council, Malam
Musa Ugasa, a resident of Ughelli, was brutally killed earlier this year by yet
to be identified persons,” Mr Akintola said.
He
added: “Those who claim that only Christians are being killed in Nigeria have many
questions to answer.
“Shaykh
Ibrahim Iyiorji was killed in Isu, Onicha Local Government of Ebonyi on Sept.
4, Seven Muslims were killed in Orogie, Owerri, Imo on Aug. 5.
“Another
four Muslims were killed in Umuaka, near Orlu on April 4, 2021. Again, another
set of eleven innocent Muslims were mowed down by gunmen in Port Harcourt and
Orlu on Oct. 20, 2020.
“Five
other Muslims were also killed near the popular Abraka market in Asaba, Delta
State on Sept. 15, 2017. The list is endless.
“The
latest attack on Ughelli Central Mosque is one too many. MURIC calls on the
Commissioner of Police in Delta, Ari Muhammed Ali, to fish out the
perpetrators.
Source:
Daily Nigerian
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailynigerian.com/delta-mosque-attack-muric/
--------
US
to ban Sudan officials who hold up post-coup transition
07
December ,2022
The
United States said Wednesday it would bar visas to any current or former
Sudanese officials who hold up a transition to democracy, hoping to boost a
tentative deal between the military and civilians.
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken voiced US support for the initial agreement announced
Monday, which some pro-democracy protesters see as falling short on specifics
and timelines.
“Recognizing
the fragility of democratic transitions, the United States will hold to account
spoilers -- whether military or political actors -- who attempt to undermine or
delay democratic progress,” Blinken said in a statement.
The
ban would also apply to immediate family members of any current or former
officials targeted.
The
State Department did not list who would be affected.
“We
once again call on Sudan’s military leaders to cede power to civilians, respect
human rights and end violence against protesters,” Blinken said.
“At
the same time, we urge representatives of Sudan’s civilian leaders to negotiate
in good faith and place the national interest first.”
Longtime
dictator Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April 2019 following massive youth-led
protests but the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in October last year
derailed the transition by carrying out a military coup.
The
United States following the coup suspended $700 million in aid that was meant
to help Sudan cope economically as it moves toward democracy.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Libya
accuses Greece of imposing ‘fait accompli’ on maritime border
Mohammad
Erteima
07.12.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya’s
Tripoli-based government on Wednesday accused Greece of exploiting the Libyan
crisis for imposing a fait accompli on their maritime border.
In
a statement, the Libyan Foreign Ministry decried Greece’s "irresponsible
behavior" of striking a deal with international companies to start
research and exploration for oil and gas in the Libyan-Greek maritime borders.
The
ministry said it had verified reports regarding Greece's contract with
international companies and the Sanko Swift ship, which specializes in research
and surveying in the eastern Mediterranean.
"Greece
is conducting exploration contracts in a disputed area in the south and
southwest of the islands of Crete," the ministry said, vowing to take legal
and diplomatic measures to defend Libya's rights and sovereignty in its
maritime areas.
Greece
opposes a 2019 maritime boundaries agreement the Tripoli government signed with
Türkiye, which was later registered by the UN.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Over
3.5M Kenyan children to miss school in January over drought
Andrew
Wasike
07.12.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Due
to an ongoing drought, over 3.5 million Kenyan children will not be able to
enroll in schools when classes resume in January 2023, according to Save the
Children on Tuesday.
A
survey conducted by Save the Children, an international humanitarian aid group,
warned that as drought worsens, more and more school-age children are being
forced out of school by a drought that Kenya says is the worst it has witnessed
in 40 years.
Yvonne
Arunga, the country director for Save the Children Kenya and Madagascar, said
on Tuesday that “children are the most vulnerable groups and are usually the
most affected in such emergencies. Parents have to migrate with their children
in search of food, pasture and water for their livestock. This compromises
their access to basic facilities such as food, clean water, healthcare, and
education.”
The
aid group noted that the situation deteriorated as those affected by the
drought are nomadic pastoralists who have lost thousands of livestock due to a
lack of pasture.
“We
are calling on the government to make every effort to ensure maximized and
efficient running of school feeding programs during drought situations,
especially in the areas worst affected by drought. Most of these children
depend on these meals,” Arunga added.
Save
the Children is also urging the government to make sure that schools have an
adequate supply of safe water for drinking, sanitation, and personal hygiene
during the drought to improve the school environment and encourage students to
stay in school.
The
2022 Long Rains Assessment, October to December projection period report for
Arid and Semi-Arid Land region, indicates that 4.35 million people in Kenya are
facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Controversy
as Libya’s parliament passes constitutional court law
Walid
Abdullah
07.12.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
The
passage of a law by the Libyan parliament to create a constitutional court has
triggered controversy in war-torn Libya.
On
Tuesday, the East Libya-based House of Representatives passed a law with a
majority of votes to establish a constitutional court. The move, however, drew
fire from the Tripoli-based High Council of State, which acts as a senate.
In
a statement, the council said the move shows “disregard for the principle of
separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.”
"The
parliament’s issuance of the law establishing a constitutional court violates
the constitutional basis of this authority approved by the constitution of
1951, which stipulates that the judicial power is assumed by the Supreme Court
and other courts established within the limits of the constitution, according
to the law," it added.
Council
chairman Khaled Al-Mishri, for his part, announced the suspension of
communication with Parliament Speaker Aguila Salah until the law is revoked.
"We
do not consider the law establishing a constitutional court to be among the
legislative powers. Rather, it is a constitutional issue,” he said in a
statement.
Al-Mishri
said the parliament’s move “shakes the trust between the state and parliament,
and demolishes efforts to reach consensus on the constitutional path.”
The
Libyan parliament, meanwhile, defended the law, saying it “achieves justice and
has no effect on the constitutional path.”
In
a statement, Salih termed the law as "an affirmation of the protection of
freedoms and rights and an addition of a specialized judiciary on
constitutional matters."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/faiths-hinduism-muslim-rites/d/128591
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