Ukrainian Teenager Detained for Tablighi Jamaat Event at Nizamuddin Remembers His Mother and the Sea
New Age Islam News Bureau
17
Jul 2020
• OIC
Chief Urges Muslims In the West to Integrate into Their Societies
• Saudi Arabia
Calls on UN To Outline Plan to Defeat Growing Islamophobia
• Social Media
Activists Slam Google, Apple for Removing Palestine From World Map
• Bangladesh: Father
Supports IS Bride’s Legal Battle in Britain
• ShariahCompliant
Islamic Streaming Service Nurflix To Launch In Malaysia Soon
• Jordan ‘Dissolves’ Muslim Brotherhood Group in Court
Ruling: Reports
• Biden To
Speak to The Nation’s Largest Muslim American PAC
---------
India
• Ukrainian
Teenager Detained for Tablighi Jamaat Event at Nizamuddin Remembers His Mother
and the Sea
• Just
OneMuslim Ministerin All the Union Council of Ministers Which Comprises 57
• In Gold
Smuggling Case Report To NIA, Kerala Cops Point To ‘Terror Angle’
• Cargo vessel
sent to Agartala via Bangladesh after 55 years
• Infiltration
foiled along LoC in Keran sector, 1 terrorist killed: Army
• ‘Didn’t get
free access to Kulbhushan Jadhav’: India slams Pakistan
• J&K:
Three JeM militants killed in encounter with security forces in Kulgam
--------
Arab World
• OIC
ChiefUrgesMuslims In the West to Integrate into Their Societies
• Saudi Arabia
Calls on UN To Outline Plan to Defeat Growing Islamophobia
• Arab Media
Calls Erdogan Hypocrite, Says He Supports Extremism On Hagia Sophia Move
• Saudi Music
Fans Weigh In On The ‘New Normal’ For Concerts
• Saudi Arabia
Adds Six People And Entities To Terrorism Blacklist Over Daesh Support
• Top Lebanese
Church Official Slams Hezbollah For Sidelining The State
• Explosion
targets another US logistic convoy in Iraq: Local media
• Top Lebanese
Maronite cleric slams Hezbollah for taking part in regional wars
--------
Mideast
• Social Media
Activists Slam Google, Apple for Removing Palestine From World Map
• Iran
Proposes Mediation between Azerbaijan, Armenia over Border Clashes
• Commander
Underlines Iranian Ground Force’s Equipment with Hi-Tech Weapons
• Iran,
Afghanistan to Accelerate Implementation of Joint Agreements
• Iran
security forces fire tear gas to disperse Behbahan protesters
• Iranian
journalist Masih Alinejad’s brother sentenced to 8 years in prison: Lawyer
• Yemeni
government rejects latest UN peace plan draft
• Yemeni
tribes reject Saudi compensation, seek revenge for Jawf bloodshed
• Israel
compiles list of officials who could face arrest over ICC probe
--------
South Asia
• Bangladesh:
Father Supports IS Bride’s Legal Battle in Britain
• Nearly 20
civilians killed, wounded in clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces
• U.S. forces
launched multiple drone strikes in 3 provinces: Taliban
• Afghan
Official: Pakistani Mortars Kill 4 Afghan Civilians
--------
Southeast Asia
• ShariahCompliant
Islamic Streaming Service Nurflix To Launch In Malaysia Soon
• Man Gets 26
Months’ Jail for Insulting Islam, Prophet Muhammadby the Kuala Lumpur Sessions
Court
• Malaysiakini
Trial Comes Amid Malaysia's Press Freedom Decline
• Dr M claims
Pakatan's administration ended the moment Bersatu left coalition
• Selangor
Sultan okays larger congregation during daily, Friday prayers at mosques,
suraus
--------
Africa
• Jordan ‘Dissolves’ Muslim Brotherhood Group in Court
Ruling: Reports
• Muslims
opt out of Ekiti government’s reopening of churches, mosques
• Cameroon Rejects Evidence of Forcing Civilians to
Fight Boko Haram
• New Insights into How Communities Resist Boko Haram
--------
North America
• Biden To
Speak to The Nation’s Largest Muslim American PAC
• Senior US
general reveals: Taliban not honouring deal
• For the first
time, Trump administration uses terrorism charges against an alleged MS-13
leader
• US maintains
Libya policy, condemns all foreign intervention: State Department
--------
Europe
• US Says
Europe Not Doing Enough To Stop Libya Fighting
• Europe issues
alert to passenger airlines about flying in Iranian airspace
• New clashes
dash hopes of end to fighting on Azerbaijan-Armenia border
• Police in
Germany conduct raids on suspected Islamists in Berlin
• Russia
denounces Western bids to politicize humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria
--------
Pakistan
• Maulana
Tariq Jamil Praises Chaudhrys For Service to Islam
• Imran Khan
Govt Bans PUBG Citing ‘Anti-Islam Material’
• ECP starts
survey on gender gap in voter registration in KP
• UN
Blacklists Pakistan Taliban Terror Group's Leader
• US, Pakistan
sign accord on child abduction
• Pakistani,
Indonesian Muslim groups hail Turkey's Hagia Sophia move
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ukrainian-teenager-detained-tablighi-jamaat/d/122398
--------
Ukrainian
Teenager Detained for Tablighi Jamaat Event at Nizamuddin Remembers His Mother
and the Sea
Soumya Pillai
and Prawesh Lama
Jul 17, 2020
The Markaz
building at Nizamuddin, where the Tablighi Jamaat congregation was held in
March. (HT Archive)
----
Among the 900
foreigners detained in March and April from across the city for allegedly
spreading the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and defying government orders on large
gatherings by attending a congregation of the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic
missionary group, is a 16-year-old boy from Ukraine.
The teenager,
who turned 16 in January in India, is being held in a south Delhi facility
along with 200 others who participated in the congregation at the Markaz
headquarters of the group in New Delhi’s Nizamuddin Basti. The cases of the
participants are being heard in different courts.
Frequently
wiping the sweat on his brow and shifting uneasily in the humid climate he is
yet to get used to, the boy said he’s been in India for seven months. Coming
from a country known for its cold and snowy winters, he said he’s finding it
difficult to adjust to the scorching heat and humidity of the Indian capital.
After a trip
to Nepal and Aurangabad, the boy, accompanied by his father, had moved into the
Nizamuddin Markaz on March 22, just days before the country went into a
complete lockdown for Covid-19.
A three-month
trip that was supposed to have been a post-exam vacation ended up stretching
into an almost five-month detention. Though not officially charged by police,
his passport was seized, and he was lodged with his father at quarantine
detention centres since being evacuated from the Markaz on March 31.
Following a
Delhi high court order on May 28, the foreign attendees at the Markaz
congregation -- after their release from quarantine centres – were housed in
different court-approved facilities across the city.
The
16-year-old is lodged at a school turned into a temporary detention facility in
Jamia Nagar, where the detained attendees sleep in classrooms turned into
sleeping spaces.
“We were
supposed to return in May. I was to join a new school in September, but I
cannot do that now. I miss my mother and my family. I was enjoying my visit to
the country. This was my first time. I do not know why I am not allowed to
return,” he said.
Trapped in the
national capital since March, the teenager has also learnt Hindi words such as
“Sathi (friend)” and “Nahi (no)”. When asked if he had tested positive for
Covid-19, he replied: “Nahi.”
He is the only
minor at the facility that is mostly housing senior citizens and couples. The
teenager spends most of his time browsing the internet and playing mobile games
alone in empty classrooms. His days are spent joining the adults in the centre
in offering prayers or catching up with their experiences in the country.
“I miss my
mother, even though I speak to her and my two elder brothers over video call.
It is not the same as being there with them. I am not sure when I will be able
to be with them but I miss them and can’t wait to go back,” he said, recalling
how he had always been pampered, being the youngest child of the family.
The teenager’s
father, Fazluddin, a businessman in Ukraine, said they had come to India on
December 20 and visited Nepal, and Aurangabad in Maharashtra. It was his second
visit to the country. For his son, it was the first.
“We came to
the Markaz on March 22. We were not preaching. We visited religious places as
part of our learning experience. On March 31, we had no symptoms but were taken
by the government officials to the quarantine centre in Tughlakabad. We were
given a room, where we stayed for around one-and-a-half months. We did not face
any problems at the centre, though. It is unfortunate that he is trapped here
with me,” Fazluddin said, adding that he and his son had tested negative for
the coronavirus disease.
Aslam Masuri,
who helps the foreigners at the centre, said: “This is no age for a child to be
trapped in a foreign country and unable to return home. We are adults and can
manage the stress. For a boy of his age, he has suffered enough. His case
should be considered and he should be sent back immediately. The only solace in
all this is that he is at least with his father.”
When
contacted, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) member Roop
Sudesh Vimal said that the commission had not been informed that a minor had
also been moved to the quarantine centre along with those taken into custody in
the Markaz case.
“We will take
cognizance and see if the authorities followed all protocols in the case of
this minor,” said Vimal.
At the centre,
other attendees said that the two are always together. “He always walks behind
his father. He is a shy boy,” one of the foreigners said.
Stuck in the
city for the last seven months and scared of a lengthy trial that could prolong
their stay, the teenager’s father last week pled guilty and agreed to a plea
bargain. He has been convicted and let off with a fine of Rs 5,000 and simple
imprisonment of five days(already undergone in quarantine). The court convicted
him under the Foreigners Act, Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management
Act.
HT contacted
the Ukraine embassy and also emailed a questionnaire to the mission seeking its
response to the minor’s case, but it elicited no reply until Thursday night. An
official at the embassy, who did not want to be named, said: “We are helping
our nationals stranded in the country and provided all assistance. We do not
want to make any official comment on the legal aspect of the cases because of
the diplomatic ties of the country.”
Commenting on
the minor being lodged in quarantine for around two months, a senior Delhi
government official said that the administration had followed the Centre’s
orders while sending foreigners from the Markaz to the quarantine centres.
Fazluddin said
he and his son were now waiting for the government’s order to leave the
country. He said they would have to spend another 14 days in quarantine after
reaching home but wouldn’t mind that .
“I long for
the sea. If I was home during the summer, I would have been out swimming with
my friends. I cannot see any sea here,” the teenager said in response to what
he misses the most about home.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/i-miss-my-family-long-for-the-sea-ukrainian-minor-stuck-in-india-for-7-months/story-rQP6D0jH1Ld9OlF2lGyrMN.html
--------
OIC Chief
Urges Muslims In the West to Integrate into Their Societies
July 17, 2020
The
secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef
bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen. (SPA)
----
JEDDAH: The
secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef
bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, has called on Muslims groups and communities living in
non-Muslim countries to improve their integration into their societies, abide
by their countries’ laws and stick to the peaceful ways and official and legal
channels to solve any problems.
At the virtual
media forum of the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA), Al-Othaimeen urged Muslims
to take part in the advancement of science and development of culture, be good
citizens and avoid the tendency to isolate themselves from wider society or
impose their opinions and beliefs on others.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705736/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi Arabia
calls on UN to outline plan to defeat growing Islamophobia
17 July 2020
Muslims attend
Friday prayers in Iran. (File photo: Reuters)
-----
Saudi Arabia's
human rights representative at the United Nations has called on the
organization to work to oppose growing Islamophobia across the world.
Mishaal
Al-Balawi, the head of human rights section of Saudi Arabia's delegation to the
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), called on the UN to oppose growing
Islamophobia as well as other forms of contemporary discrimination.
Al-Balawi's
comments were addressed at E. TendayiAchiume, the UN Special Rapporteur tasked
with formulating the organization's response to contemporary forms of racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
As well as
highlighting the spread of Islamophobia, Al-Balawi also highlighted the role of
the internet in facilitating broader discrimination.
“The internet
is an open space for practicing racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia.
It requires efforts to find solutions to make it a safe and accurately balanced
space between respecting freedom of opinion and expression and combating racism
and racial discrimination," he said.
Al-Balawi
pointed to cyberlaws in the Kingdom that make it illegal to promote racial,
religious or national discrimination online.
Saudi Arabia’s
Anti-Cyber Crime Law was enacted in 2007 and allows prosectuors to sentence
offenders to imprisonment for up to a year and fines of up to 500,000 Saudi
riyals ($136,000).
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/17/Saudi-Arabia-calls-on-UN-to-outline-plan-to-defeat-growing-Islamophobia.html
--------
Social media
activists slam Google, Apple for removing Palestine from world map
16 July 2020
Google and
Apple have officially removed Palestine from their world maps and replaced it
with Israel in a highly provocative move that has enraged Palestinians and
social media activists supporting the cause of Palestine.
The besieged
Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank are mentioned and marked on Google maps,
but since Tuesday, the US-based multinational technology company has removed
the name of Palestine from all of its maps, simply considering the two regions
as parts of Israel.
The move by
Google and also by Apple in deleting Palestine from their world maps prompted
Palestinians and others to support the two hashtags of #FreePalestine and
#standwithpalestine on Twitter and other social media to express their strong
dissent against the offensive move.
The two
hashtags are now receiving countless comments and retweets.
US President
Donald Trump has given Tel Aviv the green light to annex large parts of the
West Bank and Jordan Valley in his self-proclaimed “deal of the century,” which
was unveiled in January with the aim of legitimizing Israel’s occupation and
re-drawing the Middle East map.
Israeli prime
minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced that he would definitely begin
cabinet-level discussions for annexation on July 1, in accordance with Trump’s
plan.
However,
Netanyahu’s much-publicized land grab plan, without clarifications, failed to
be launched on the set date amid widening differences within the Israeli ruling
coalition and against the backdrop of massive international opposition to the
highly provocative attempt.
The delay came
after crest-fallen Netanyahu failed to get the green light for the move both
from his key coalition partner Benny Gantz, who has been refusing to endorse
Netanyahu’s scheme, and the US.
The Israeli
premier, who had publicly voiced full-throated support of Trump’s plan, also
said that he would continue discussions with Washington over the scheme “in the
coming days.”
Experts say
there is evidence emerging that Netanyahu's desired roadmap for annexing more
Palestinian lands is at odds with the plan articulated by Trump.
Israel’s
unilateral annexation moves have faced a near unanimous opposition from the
international community, including the European Union (EU).
Trump’s scheme
largely gives in to Israel’s demands while creating a Palestinian state with
limited control over its own security and borders, enshrining the occupied
Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital” and allowing the regime to annex
settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
According to
the so-called peace plan, the future Palestinian state will consist of
scattered lands linked together via bridges and tunnels.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/16/629750/Palestine-Google-world-maps-Israel-hashtags-Trump
--------
Bangladesh:
Father Supports IS Bride’s Legal Battle in Britain
2020-07-16
The
Bangladeshi father of a now stateless woman stuck in a Syrian refugee camp,
after she joined the Islamic State group as a teen, welcomed a British court’s
ruling that she could return to fight for her U.K. citizenship, which was
revoked on national security grounds.
Shamima Begum
was 15 when she traveled to Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State’s so-called
caliphate, along with two friends in 2015. While there, she married a Dutch
fighter with IS and converted to Islam.
“I am pleased
with the court’s decision. My daughter will face trial if she committed the
offenses, I have nothing to say about that,” her father, Ahmed Ali, told
BenarNews by phone on Thursday from his home in Sunamganj, a district in
northeastern Bangladesh, as he reacted to a decision by the Court of Appeal in
England earlier in the day.
“I think she
deserves the legal right to defend herself in the court.”
Ali said he
wanted to travel to the England to support his daughter.
“I will fly to
London if I get a ticket,” he said, adding that tickets were scarce.
“My daughter
made a mistake. Correction of such a mistake is very difficult. Which parents
want their children to go the wrong way?” he said.
Ali, a
Bangladeshi, first went to London in 1975.
“I have not
taken British citizenship due to my family problem. I live both in London and
Bangladesh and my wife is a British national,” he said.
Shamima Begum,
who was born in Britain, ended up in a refugee camp in Syria following the
March 2019 collapse of IS by U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces.
Earlier this
year, the Special Immigration Appeal Commission (SIAC) ruled that the British
government’s decision last year to revoke Begum’s citizenship was lawful.
On Thursday in
London, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal agreed unanimously that she
be permitted to return so her appeal would be fair.
“The Court
acknowledges that there are national security concerns about Ms. Begum but the
Court reaches the conclusion … that, notwithstanding those concerns, the only
way in which she can have a fair and effective appeal before SIAC is for Ms.
Begum to be permitted to come into the U.K. to pursue that appeal,” the court
said in its six-page ruling.
Begum’s case
came to light last year through an interview she gave to BBC News from a Syrian
refugee camp.
In the TV
interview, Begum, then 19, pleaded to British authorities to allow her to
return to the country of her birth. But she was criticized for making comments
during the interview, where she seemed to justify an IS-linked suicide bombing
that killed 23 people at a concert hall in Manchester in May 2017.
After the BBC
interview, Britain’s Home Office announced that it was stripping Begum of her
citizenship and barring her from returning to the country.
Not welcome
Meanwhile on
Thursday, Bangladesh government officials said Begum was not welcome in their
country.
“Shamima has
never been a Bangladeshi citizen. Her mother is a British national. We have
nothing to say about Shamima and her family,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan
Kamal told BenarNews.
“But what I
can assure you is that she would not be allowed to enter Bangladesh. Even if
she comes to Bangladesh, she would face a terrorism charge under the
anti-terrorism law because she is an IS militant,” he said.
Foreign
Minister A.K. Abdul Momen agreed that Bangladesh should not allow Begum to
enter the country.
Bangladesh’s
former law minister, on the other hand, made a case for her being welcomed in.
Shafique
Ahmed, a member of the ruling Awami League who served as the law minister, said
Begum would be eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship because of her father.
“Bangladesh
does not revoke the Bangladeshi citizenship if any of its nationals accepts
British citizenship,” he told BenarNews.
“The British
laws do not allow a person to be stateless. Shamima should be tried for her
offense, but this is unacceptable that a country would cancel its citizenship
of a person and ask them to adopt citizenship of another country,” Ahmed said.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/bengali/citizen-appeal-07162020180120.html
--------
Shariah
Compliant Islamic Streaming Service Nurflix To Launch In Malaysia Soon
16 Jul 2020
BY MELANIE
CHALIL
PETALING JAYA,
July 16 — Just when you thought the streaming industry couldn’t be more
saturated than it already is, there’s a new player in town named Nurflix.
And the
upcoming streaming platform will focus entirely on Islamic creative content
that’s Shariah-compliant.
According to
tech site Amanz, the streaming platform owned by Sutera Hijau Ventures Bhd is
set to launch with a slew of exclusive content to be made available to viewers
from October this year.
So far, 12
titles have been announced and the company has allocated RM40 million to
develop its content.
Some of the
titles announced at a recent launch include KembaraMahsyar, The Call, Abdullah
and The Khadijahs, all of which are written by and featuring well-known talents
in the local television and film industry.
In the
meantime, Nurflix will also be introducing classifications for viewers such as
general viewing, women, men and children.
Nurflix.tv
chief executive officer Syah Mohamed said he expects the faith-driven streaming
platform to produce 1,000 exclusive content in the next five years.
Nurflix will
begin beta testing in October through December and is expected to officially
launch in January 2021.
The streaming
site will be available free of charge for the three-month period and all
interested viewers need to do is subscribe to the platform to gain access.
“As we are in
the midst of launching Nurflix.tv, subscribe today and be the among the first
to watch 12 original contents (sic) for free from October 2020 until the end of
year 2020,” a message on the main page said.
“Your
subscription is our success, so tell your friends and family to Be Part Of Us
and together we will make this happen!”
According to
its main page, Nurflix will be showing drama series, feature films,
documentaries and more.
Nurflix’s
entry into the market has also been circulating on social media with many
comparing the Islamic streaming platform’s moniker to streaming juggernaut
Netflix.
Some Twitter
users even took the opportunity to follow-up on Aflix, another homegrown
streaming platform that made headlines last year after the National Film
Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) called for authorities to censor
Netflix.
Aflix, which
claimed to work closely with Finas was marketed as the first “ethical”
entertainment platform in Malaysia.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2020/07/16/shariah-compliant-islamic-streaming-service-nurflix-to-launch-in-malaysia-s/1885183
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Jordan
‘dissolves’ Muslim Brotherhood group in court ruling: Reports
16 July 2020
A Jordanian
court has ruled to “dissolve” the Muslim Brotherhood in the country, according
to media reports.
The Jordanian
Court of Cassation voted on Wednesday that dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood
because it had not corrected its legal status in line with Jordanian law,
reported regional media outlets.
The decision
reportedly came after the organization filed a lawsuit against a breakaway
group, the Muslim Brotherhood Society (MBS), and the government’s Department of
Lands and Survey.
The
now-dissolved organization requested that a transfer of real estate and land to
the MBS, which was given legal status in 2015, be nullified.
However, the
court rejected the law suit and said the Brotherhood was dissolved.
This is big
news with potential strategic consequences: Jordan’s Court of Cassation
dissolves Muslim Brotherhood https://t.co/QQUZuGKBcU
— NAMEA Geopol
(@NAMEAGroup) July 16, 2020
According to
the Counter Extremism Project, the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan split in 2015,
between the “reformist” MBS and the older Muslim Brotherhood Group.
Since then,
the two factions have vied for influence in the country.
The decision
to dissolve the older branch comes ahead of parliamentary elections in the
country, with Independent Arabia suggesting it could affect who runs for
parliament.
The
parliamentary party the Islamic Action Front is linked to the older Muslim
Brotherhood group and won 10 of the 130 seats in 2016. Members of the MBS ran
under the National Congress Party ticket in 2016 but did not win any seats,
according to the Counter Extremism Report.
Sheikh Hamza
Mansur, head of the organisation's ruling council, said the group would appeal
against Wednesday's ruling, acording to AFP.
"The
Muslim Brotherhood ... is a model of moderation and an important element in
strengthening national unity, so dissolving it is not in the national
interest," he told AFP.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/16/Jordan-dissolves-Muslim-Brotherhood-group-in-court-ruling-Reports.html
--------
Biden To Speak
To The Nation’s Largest Muslim American PAC
By David
Weigel
July 16, 2020
Joe Biden will
address the nation’s largest Muslim American PAC on Monday, as the presumptive
Democratic presidential nominee continues to reach out to groups he didn’t
court during the primary.
Emgage Action,
the political arm of a 14-year-old Muslim outreach organization, will host
Biden at its Million Muslim Votes Summit, held online. The conference comes 11
months after just two then-Democratic presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie
Sanders (I-Vt.) and former HUD secretary Julián Castro, attended the Islamic
Society of North America’s convention. Emgage had criticized the two dozen
Democrats, like Biden, who found somewhere else to be.
“Muslim
American communities are organizing like never before to maximize our voter
turnout, and to ensure that our voices are represented,” Wa’elAlzayat, the
chief executive of Emgage Action, said in a statement. “The Million Muslim
Votes Summit is the culmination of this work, and it is with great honor that
Vice President Joe Biden is partnering with Emgage Action to engage with Muslim
American communities and help galvanize us towards the polls this upcoming
November.”
Biden would be
the first Democratic nominee to address the group, which has active chapters in
the swing states of Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania. He was criticized for
skipping last year’s Islamic conference, and Emgage would go on to endorse
Sanders for president. It backed Biden only after Sanders ended his campaign
three months ago, saying it could “envision our voices being represented
through his presidency.”
“Muslims have
been demonized and terrorized by Trump, so I can’t imagine too many voting for
him,” said Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir, the first Muslim to hold that
role for a presidential candidate. “But to win their votes, you do need to put
in effort. Biden is smart to actively appeal to this constituency, as they
could be difference makers in battleground states.” There are hundreds of
thousands of Muslims eligible to vote in Emgage’s targeted swing states, as
well as California, Illinois and Virginia.
While Emgage
was founded before the 2008 election — it was initially called Emerge, a name
later taken by a group that trains female Democratic candidates — it has only
recently held large conferences. Hillary Clinton did not appear at any Emgage
evens in 2016, and Barack Obama was often cautious about outreach to Muslim
voters, as conspiracy theories about his own faith swirled through the
electorate.
Biden has
dealt more confidently with Muslim voters, condemning Trump USAID official Mark
Kevin Lloyd as “Islamophobic” after some of his anti-Islam online messages were
uncovered and pledging to end the Trump administration’s ban on travel to the
United States from some majority-Muslim countries “on day one.”
“Joe Biden is
proud to stand with Emgage during one of the most challenging moments for Muslim
Americans in recent history under Donald Trump’s presidency,” said Farooq
Mitha, Biden’s senior adviser on Muslim American engagement. “Now is the time
for us to come together to fight for our Constitution, civil rights, a just
immigration system, and a better future for all of us.”
Since securing
the nomination in April, Biden has made moves toward activists who were
skeptical of him during the primary. While the youth-driven, climate-focused
Sunrise Movement endorsed Sanders and protested Biden, the former vice
president brought the group’s co-founder, Varshini Prakash, onto his campaign’s
climate working group. Biden opted not to do an interview with AdyBarkan, a
Medicare-for-all activist with ALS, during the primary. He gave Barkan an
interview this month, and got the activist’s endorsement.
President
Trump has replaced his campaign manager, dropping Brad Parscale for longtime
political aide Bill Stepien as polls show him falling further behind Joe Biden.
Republicans are also scaling back next month’s convention in Jacksonville,
Fla.,
Trump’s
attacks on mail voting are turning Republicans off absentee ballots. Rules on
voting changed quickly in many states for the primaries, but the battle for how
Americans will vote in the general election is just heating up. Barring a
landslide, we may not have a result in the presidential election on Nov. 3. See
what elections are coming up and which have moved.
Who do you
think Joe Biden’s VP pick should be?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/16/biden-speak-nations-largest-muslim-american-pac/
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India
Just One
Muslim Minister in All the Union Council of Ministers Which Comprises 57
July 16, 2020
In the Indian
union council of ministers, there are 24 ministers of cabinet rank (including
the prime minister). There are nine ministers of state with independent charge.
And there are an additional 24 ministers of state.
In all the
union council of ministers comprises 57 people. It is not a club, but were it
to be considered a club, it would be the most exclusive and the most powerful
club in the country.
By varying
estimates, Muslims comprise between 15-20% of the country’s population. Guess
how many Muslims are in the union council of ministers? Just one. Mukhtar Abbas
Naqvi, the cabinet minister for minority affairs. So basically, a Muslim in
charge of other Muslims.
The founding
father of the country gave his life so that India remains a secular state, in
which all thrived, irrespective of creed. Everybody even today worships at the
altar of the founding father, but few follow his lead. He has become just a
face on a currency note. Funny, he was not at all about money, but we honour
him with money.
One Muslim
minister out of 57 in the council represents just 1.8% of the total. Why is
there such little representation in the council?
One could
argue that there are three kinds of ministers in India. One is the kind that is
seen to be close to PM Modi. In this category might fall S Jaishankar and
Nirmala Sitharaman. The other is the type that is perceived to be close to the
RSS. In this bucket might fall Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh. And the third
is of the kind close to both Modi and the RSS. Amit Shah might typify this
kind.
Modi’s inner
circle has for long not included many Muslims, although he has tried hard to
repair his personal standing with the community. One convert to his cause was
Zafar Sareshwala, a member of the strict Tablighi Jamaat. Sareshwala did yeoman
service to Modi to prove that the latter was not ant-Muslim.
From his
utterances, it seems that Sareshwala has aspired to a union ministry, but he
has scoffed at the ministry for minority affairs. It is possible that Modi has
offered him a berth, but if has, so far Sareshwala has declined. Perhaps the
offer was not to his liking. In any case, Sareshwala’s loyalty towards Modi has
waned in recent times.
Modi is
perceived to be close to the Dawoodi Bohra community, which is a sect within
Shia Islam. But Modi has not seen it fit to pluck a talented person from that
community.
The divide
between the RSS and the Muslims is strong and clear. There is just an
unbridgeable chasm between their two worldviews. To expect then that the RSS
would send a Muslim minister to the council is like expecting the impossible.
Modi has
selected many ministers from the bureaucracy (S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri,
RK Singh) and even from the army (VK Singh). Are they no capable Muslim
bureaucrats and army officers in India? What about the retired general, Syed
Hasnain? Would he not make a great defence minister?
Just like
Hasnain, there must be countless capable Muslims in so many fields throughout
the country. Criticize it all you must, but the Congress is a big tent party,
giving some of the most plum jobs to minorities, including Muslims. Why is the
BJP lacking in this regard?
Modi is the
leader of the whole country, and acts as such. The one field where he is
lacking is Muslim representation in his council of ministers. He had a couple
more earlier, Najma Heptulla and MJ Akbar, but even when they were there, there
were only three Muslim faces (adding Naqvi to the mix) in the council. That had
made for about 5% of the entire council.
Modi just
needs to look at what is happening in the UK and Canada. As the population of
South Asians expands in these countries, the number of South Asian faces in the
ranks of their ministers increases by the day.
India on the
other hand resembles the United States, where despite blacks being about 15% of
the population, there is only one black member in Trump’s cabinet, and that is
Ben Carson, who is saddled with the relatively inconsequential department of
housing and urban development.
But Modi is no
Trump. Modi is an inclusive leader. Why is he not including more Muslims to his
ministry? Muslims need to feel included in today’s India. Their alienation from
the mainstream is quite clear. One way for the prime minister to rectify that
would be to expand his government to include many more Muslim faces.
That will give
young Muslims something to aspire to. It could then become a virtuous cycle.
People like Hasnain and even Sareshwala should not be wasted. The founding
father’s ideals must be respected in letter and spirit.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/strategic-insights/why-so-few-muslims-in-the-union-cabinet/
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In gold
smuggling case report to NIA, Kerala cops point to ‘terror angle’
Neeraj Chauhan
Jul 17, 2020
The Kerala
police have sent a report to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and asked
it to investigate the “terror angle” in all major gold smuggling cases in the
state, two officials aware of the matter said.
The Kerala
police suspect that some smugglers and hawala operators have terror links, one
of the two officials told HT. Hawala transactions worth over Rs 1,000 crore
annually on an average, have been taking place in the state, he added.
The request
comes as the NIA took charge of the probe of the seizure of 30 kg of 24-carat
gold from Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5. An attempt was made to smuggle
the gold through diplomatic baggage, which according to the Vienna Convention,
is not checked by Customs officials.
“Since NIA is
investigating the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case under the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), it might want to look at other cases and
their link,” a Kerala police officer told HT over the phone, requesting
anonymity. “We have given a report to the Centre and NIA on our cases. More
reports are being prepared on similar activities.”
On July 10,
the NIA filed a First Information Report (FIR) against four persons: P Sarith
Kumar, who was arrested by Customs officials on July 5, and three others,
Swapna Suresh, Sandip Nair and Fazil Fareed, an alleged smuggler from Ernakulum
but based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and charged them under the
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). On July 15, it added one more name
to the FIR, an alleged gold smuggler named KT Ramees.
A team
arrested Suresh and Nair who have been sent to judicial custody till July 21.
They are currently being interrogated by the investigation agency.
The NIA has
also approached Interpol for a blue notice against Fareed. A blue notice is
issued for additional information about a person’s identity, location, or
activities in relation to a crime.
The agency
found that Fareed forged the UAE seal and emblem to ensure diplomatic protection for
the baggage.
On Wednesday,
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s former principal secretary M
Sivasankar was grilled in connection with the smuggling case.
NIA last week
said gold smuggling into India from offshore locations threatens the country’s
economic stability, national security and amounts to terrorism as per UAPA’s
Section 15. In a statement, it added the fresh smuggling case has national and
international linkages. NIA cited its initial probe and added it has revealed
that the proceeds of smuggled gold could be used for financing terrorism in
India.
Apart from NIA
and Customs, Research and Analysis Wing and Intelligence Bureau are also coordinating
with the agencies to unearth the gold smuggling and hawala networks in Kerala,
a second official said in Delhi.
The Customs
department has arrested 12 people in relation to gold smuggling and detained
four since this case came to light.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-report-to-nia-kerala-cops-point-to-terror-angle/story-Dm4SyQzWBiZtlt9o7MwDyH.html
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Cargo vessel
sent to Agartala via Bangladesh after 55 years
Jul 17, 2020
NEW DELHI:
After a gap of 55 years, a container ship was flagged off from Kolkata carrying
TMT steel bars and pulses to Agartala via Chattogram (Chittagong) port in
Bangladesh on Thursday, reports Dipak Dash.
This is the
first time after 1965 that Bangladesh is allowing its ports to be used as
transit for cargo movement from any part of India to northeastern states. The
shipping ministry said two TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) carrying TMT
steel bars are destined for West Tripura district and two TEUs carrying pulses
is heading for Karimganj in Assam. After reaching Chattogram, the consignment
will move to Agartala on Bangladeshi trucks.
The road
ministry has given a permission for Bangladeshi trucks transporting goods from
Chittagong port to West Tripura district. The ministry has also started
preparing a standard operating procedure for movement of passenger and cargo
vehicles among the neighbouring countries.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cargo-vessel-sent-to-agartala-via-bangladesh-after-55-years/articleshow/77009677.cms
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Infiltration
foiled along LoC in Keran sector, 1 terrorist killed: Army
Jul 16, 2020
SRINAGAR: One
terrorist was killed and some arms and ammunition recovered from his possession
when Army troops on Thursday fired at infiltrators along the Line of Control
(LoC) in Keran sector, in Kupwara district.
Colonel
Devender Anand, spokesman of the Army, said troops noticed three people in
suspicious circumstances at the LoC in Keran sector and opened fire. While two
of the infiltrators escaped, one was killed, Anand said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/infiltration-foiled-along-loc-in-keran-sector-1-terrorist-killed-army/articleshow/77007274.cms
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‘Didn’t get
free access to Kulbhushan Jadhav’: India slams Pakistan
Rezaul H
Laskar
Jul 17, 2020
A meeting
between Indian officials and Kulbhushan Jadhav on Thursday ended
inconclusively, with New Delhi accusing Islamabad of breaching its assurance of
providing unimpeded access to the former naval officer sentenced to death in
Pakistan for alleged involvement in espionage.
Pakistan
provided consular access to Jadhav for only the second time since he was
detained in March 2016. But when two Indian consular officials went to meet
him, they found Pakistani officials with “an intimidating demeanour” near Jadhav
and a camera being used to record the conversation, the ministry of external
affairs (MEA) said.
The Indian
officials met Jadhav to discuss filing a review petition in Islamabad high
court against his death sentence by the deadline of July 20, and required
privacy to talk about the matter.
“The consular
officers could not engage Jadhav on his legal rights and were prevented from
obtaining his written consent for arranging his legal representation,” MEA spokesperson
Anurag Srivastava said.
“In the light
of these circumstances, the Indian consular officers came to the conclusion
that the consular access being offered by Pakistan was neither meaningful nor
credible. After lodging a protest, they left the venue.”
Srivastava
said India had taken up Pakistan’s offer of consular access only after
receiving an assurance regarding “unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional
access”.
Thursday’s
developments added another twist to the case of Jadhav, 50, as only four days
remain under an ordinance promulgated by the Pakistan government to file a
review petition in the Islamabad high court.
Srivastava
said India made more than 12 requests for consular access to Jadhav over the
past year. “This consular access is of utmost importance, as it is the basis
for a process of effective review and reconsideration ordered by the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2019 of the conviction and
sentence of Jadhav by a Pakistani military tribunal,” he said.
The Pakistani
ordinance, promulgated ostensibly to comply with ICJ’s order, envisages an
Indian consular official filing the review petition. Any conversation between
Jadhav and the consular officials “must necessarily take place in privacy and
without the presence of any Pakistani official or recording by Pakistan”, Srivastava
said.
It was evident
Jadhav had been “intimidated repeatedly in the past, including in being made to
express his alleged disinclination to seek a review”, he added.
India’s latest
request for consular access included several conditions — Pakistan was asked to
ensure the meeting was held in an “atmosphere free from fear of retribution”,
without the presence of any Pakistani official, and without any video and audio
recording.
“After
extensive discussions, the Pakistan side conveyed that they were ready to
organise consular access on July 16. We were assured this consular access would
be unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional,” Srivastava said.
“Regrettably,
however, neither the environment nor the arrangements of the meeting were in
accordance with the assurances of Pakistan,” he added. Jadhav was “visibly
under stress” and indicated this to the Indian officials.
Srivastava
described Pakistan’s approach as “obstructive and insincere”. He added, “It has
not only violated its assurance to the ICJ to fully implement the 2019
judgment, but also failed to act in accordance with its own ordinance.”
External
affairs minister S Jaishanakr apprised Jadhav’s family of the developments even
as the Indian side reiterated its commitment to ensure his safe return to India.
Consular
access to Jadhav was first provided in September 2019, while his mother and
wife had been allowed to meet him in December 2017.
Pakistan on
Thursday reiterated its accusations that Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan
province on March 3, 2016, and had “confessed” to his involvement in terror
activities. India has already dismissed such charges and said he was kidnapped
by Pakistani intelligence operatives from Iran’s Chabahar port, where he was
running a business.
ICJ ruled in
July 2019 that Pakistan had violated Jadhav’s rights under the Vienna
Convention, and stayed his execution while calling on Islamabad to take all
steps for an “effective review and reconsideration” of his sentence, including
“enacting appropriate legislation”.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/didn-t-get-free-access-to-jadhav-india-slams-pak/story-1TeCpZjEoyWBx9hQAIfnkL.html
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J&K: Three
JeM militants killed in encounter with security forces in Kulgam
July 17, 2020
Three JeM
militants were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in South Kashmir’s
Kulgam district on Friday morning. Three army personnel were also injured in
the operation.
Police
officials said that an encounter broke in Nagnad-Chimmer area of Kulgam
district after a joint cordon and search operation was launched by security
forces in the area on Friday morning
“Another
#unidentified #terrorist killed (total 03). #Incriminating materials including
#arms & #ammunition recovered. Search going on,” Kashmir Police zone said
on Twitter.
A senior
police officer told The Indian Express that the slain militants belong to JeM
outfit and their identification is yet to be done. The officer said that three
army personnel were also injured in the operation.
According to
the army, joint Operation was launched today early morning on police inputs.
“Cordon was laid and contact established. Firefight ensued,” said an army
official.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-kulgam-encounter-jem-militants-killed-indian-army-6509967/
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Arab World
Arab media
calls Erdogan hypocrite, says he supports extremism on Hagia Sophia move
16 July 2020
Arab media
commentators have labeled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a hypocrite
and said his recent decision to convert the Hagia Sophia from a cultural site
and museum back into a mosque plays into the hands of extremists.
The
reconversion of the sixth century church into a mosque has widely been seen as
an attempt by Erdogan to appeal to his nationalist and religious base. The
president, who is losing popularity abroad for Ankara’s involvement in Libya
and is facing an economic downturn exacerbated by the coronavirus, has been
unapologetic and says critics are attacking Turkey’s sovereignty.
But Arab
writers and academics have condemned the move, accusing Erdogan of hypocrisy
based on his stance on other religious sites and suggesting he was appealing to
extremists in the region. Western writers have similarily criticized the move.
Initial
reactinos to the decision pointed out differences in Erdogan’s rhetoric in
English and Arabic, suggesting that he was framing the move in different ways
to different audiences for political gain.
Appealing to
extremists, Muslim Brotherhood
Arab media
commentators suggested that Erdogan was appealing to extremist groups by
stoking religious tensions.
“What the
current Turkish government is doing under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
against the Arab world is a reflection of old Ottoman habits, rooted either in
imperial dreams or the intention to economically drain states that have come
under the sway of the Turkish Republic. It does so by taking advantage of the
ideology of extremist groups and instigating intra-Arab conflicts, by arousing
religious emotions that incite violence,” wrote Talal al-Torifi in an op-ed originally
published in the regional Asharq al-Awsat media outlet.
Erdogan’s
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) supports the Muslim Brotherhood,
granting members of the organization asylum in the past and allowing the
organization and activist groups associated with the Brotherhood to operate in
Turkey. The Muslim Brotherhood is considered a terrorist organization by the
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain.
Al-Torifi
added that the actions of the Turkish government that have a religious
dimension “attempt to bolster support for its positions and portray it as a
bastion of Islam.”
He furthered
his argument saying that Islamic law and traditions says that Muslims should
“live with others while respecting their religious rituals, places of worship
and religious feelings.”
The caliphs
who came after the Prophet Mohammed adopted a tolerant view whereby churches
were protected and were not allowed to be occupied, demolished, nor taken away,
al-Torifi wrote citing the Caliph Omar bin Khattab.
Erdogan
accused of hypocrisy
Another Arab
commentator called out Erdogan’s hypocrisy in the decision to convert the
religious site from a museum to a mosque, pointing to his opposition to Spain’s
decision to turn a mosque into a cathedral.
Dr. Ziad al-Drees,
former Saudi permanent representative to UNESCO, argued in an article published
in Saudi Okaz newspaper that the Turkish stance is hypocritical after Turkey
stood against Spain’s decision to turn the Great Mosque of Cordoba into a
cathedral.
“I was in
UNESCO at that time as a witness to Turkey’s move to support the statement
issued by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(ICESCO) that aimed to combat the Spanish decision to convert the Mosque of
Cordoba into a cathedral. How will I as an individual criminalize the Spanish
decision and support the Turkish decision [to convert Hagia Sofia into a
mosque]?” said Dr. al-Drees.
The Great
Mosque of Cordoba was first thought to be a Roman temple that was converted to
a church by Visigoths who seized the city in 572 A.D. When the Umayyads – the
first Islamic dynasty – arrived, the religious site was then converted to a
mosque.
Western
countries that voiced condemnation of Turkey’s decision should equally be asked
if they also condemned the Spanish position on the Great Mosque of Cordoba and
expressed their “‘humanitarian’ stance” toward this “shared cultural symbol of
humanity,” he argued.
Erdogan
defended the move saying the country had exercised its sovereign right in
converting it back to a mosque, saying the first Muslim prayers would be held
on July 24. Erdogan has been accused of trying to undermine Turkey’s history of
secularism and democracy in public appeals to religious populism.
“Turkey is a
country where religion and nationalism intersect, so that many of the staunchly
anti-Erdogan camp would back the principle of Turkish sovereignty over the
monument,” Louis Fishman, a professor at Brooklyn College, told the Washington
Post. “Upholding that prerogative absolutely would trump the debate of whether
Hagia Sophia should be a museum or a mosque.”
History of
Hagia Sophia
Inside the
holy site, Christian emblems remain from the building’s tenure as a cathedral,
but Turkish officials have said they will not be removed and the site will
remain open for Muslim and non-Muslims alike.
The Hagia
Sophia, a 1,500 year-old religious complex, was built as an Eastern Orthodox
cathedral in the sixth century A.D., and was briefly a Roman Catholic church
before being converted to a mosque in 1453 when Mehmed II conquered the city
for the Ottomans. It served as a worship place for Muslims until 1934 when
Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey made it a museum. In 1985,
UNESCO declared the place of worship a heritage site.
There are five
Byzantine churches by the name Hagia Sophia, which means Holy Wisdom in Greek,
in Turkey. Over the last decade, four of these churches have been converted to
mosques.
Calls for the
Hagia Sophia to be returned to a mosque or cathedral began to gain traction in
2005.
Reaction from
the rest of the world
UNESCO,
alongside other religious groups and nations, condemned the move and their
statement expressed concern that Turkey may modify the site in ways that
threaten its state of conservation and has urged Turkey not to act without
discussing its plans first.
Director-General
of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay said: “[The Hagia Sophia] is an architectural
masterpiece and a unique testimony to interactions between Europe and Asia over
the centuries. Its status as a museum reflects the universal nature of its
heritage, and makes it a powerful symbol for dialogue.”
While UNESCO
can publicly shame Turkey for its decision, it has no authority to enforce its
regulations, EvangelosKyriakidis, director of the Chicago-based Heritage
Management Organization, told Smithsonian Magazine.
The Pope said
he was “very saddened” by Erdogan’s decision and Nobel-prize winning Turkish
author Orhan Pamuk told BBC news that the decree may adversely affect Turkish
people’s pride in their country’s status as a secular Muslim nation.
The head of
Eastern Orthodox Church, Greece, and the Church in Russia, which is home to the
world’s largest Orthodox Christian community, have all condemned the move.
Greece said the move would have repercussions on relations between the two
countries, as well as on Turkey’s ties with the European Union.
Meanwhile, the
US State Department said it was “disappointed” with the move.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/07/16/Arab-media-calls-Erdogan-hypocrite-says-he-supports-extremism-after-move-to-convert-.html
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Saudi music
fans weigh in on the ‘new normal’ for concerts
HALA TASHKANDI
July 17, 2020
RIYADH: As the
coronavirus pandemic disrupts routines and lifestyles across the globe, and the
collective desire for normal life increases, many have turned to the healing
power of music to help them make it through these tough times.
The global
music industry, which took a significant blow this year in the face of mass
cancellations of tours, concerts and events, is fighting back by offering a new
way of enjoying music and connecting with other people through online concerts
and livestreams.
From rap to
opera, hip-hop to classical, Arabic to Korean, English to instrumental, both
small-scale and limited performances of single artists to massive multi-stage
offerings such as the Global Citizen concert and MDL Beast Freqways, musicians
are using the power of livestream to bring people together.
Livestream
concerts are not a new phenomenon, especially in Saudi Arabia. “Up until two or
so years ago, when we started having concerts in Saudi Arabia, we had to watch
all of our favorite artists from home anyway,” said Arabic music fan Faisal
Alsuwaidan. “Before that, we would either watch our favorite artists on TV, or
find streams of their concerts online, on YouTube or something.”
Sara Alsaif, a
“huge” pop music fan, said that before the pandemic she used to find traveling
to attend concerts “an absolute necessity.”
“Generally at
least once a year, one of my favorite musicians will be playing in Dubai. I
build my whole year around those trips, and I have a special budget for them.
I’ve seen Jason Derulo, The 1975, the Backstreet Boys, so many great concerts I
wouldn’t have been able to otherwise,” she said.
But with
travel still strictly limited and international borders closed, fans of both
Arabic and foreign music remain rooted in place, with large-scale events with
big crowds unlikely to make a comeback any time soon.
However, the
unexpected benefits of being forced to take concerts online have made
themselves clear for a variety of reasons, causing both members of the industry
and the fans themselves to rethink their idea of what a concert has to be.
Saudi fan
Abdulrahman Alammar told Arab News that his favorite band, The Wonder Years,
was unlikely to ever visit Saudi Arabia, as they are a relatively small indie
group from America whose success outside of the US is limited. However, the
moment he heard that they were having a livestream show, he bought a ticket.
“It’s been my
dream to attend one of their shows for more than 10 years now. I finally got a
chance to see them performing live, and it was everything I hoped for — even if
I was watching them through a screen,” he said. However he did get to enjoy a
vital part of the experience regardless of the circumstances — connecting with
fans after the show.
“The livestream
had a chat box we all used to comment on the songs, ask questions, and connect
with each other. When fans found out it was my first concert of theirs they all
sent welcoming messages and invited me to join their Discord (online chatroom
platform) server. After the show we all hung out and chatted for hours. It felt
just like being at a real show,” he said.
House music
fan Rana Al-Salem told Arab News that MDL Beast’s 12-hour livestream event,
Freqways, was exactly the sort of thing
she had been hoping
for during
the pandemic.
“I avoided
going to the first event (Soundstorm) at the end of last year because I didn’t
want to deal with the crowds, and it was so far away from where I live. But the
livestream meant I could enjoy all the performances at home, safe, isolated,
and comfortable in my pajamas instead of having to dress up for it,” she said.
The question
that remains is: Once the pandemic is over, will online concerts become the new
norm? Alsuwaidan does not think so. He considers himself lucky to have attended
a few shows in Saudi Arabia before the lockdown began, and says that going back
to watching concerts on a screen does not hold quite the same
appeal
anymore.
“I can’t wait
to be able to go to concerts again in person. The energy of live shows is
unreal, nothing else can compare,” he said.
Al-Salem says
that while she does not believe that online shows will become the new default,
she hopes they remain an option for people like her who would prefer to view
shows at home in private.
“Personally, I
don’t know if I can ever be 100 percent comfortable traveling after this
pandemic. Unless they find a cure or a vaccine, I don’t think I would want to
put myself at risk like that,” she said.
Alammar says
that his dream of attending his favorite band’s show remains very much alive,
and that he intends to capitalize on an opportunity to see them live if he
finds one.
“When all this
is over, I’m attending their first comeback show; I don’t care where it is.
This pandemic is really making me think about how unpredictable life is and how
we have to fight for the things we want,” he said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705771/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia
adds six people and entities to terrorism blacklist over Daesh support
July 15, 2020
RIYADH: Saudi
Arabia added six names and entities to its terrorism blacklist for providing
Daesh with financial support, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
The list was
established in consultation with the US and Gulf neighbors who are part of the
Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC).
Several money
transfer businesses were added to the list including Al-Haram Exchange, Tawasul
Company, and Al-Khalidi Exchange.
These
businesses have played a vital role in transferring funds to support
Syria-based Daesh fighters and have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars
of liquidity to its terrorist leadership, according to the TFTC.
The Kingdom
also designated Abd Al-Rahman Ali Husayn Al-Ahmad Al-Rawi, who was selected by
Daesh in 2017 to serve as a senior financial facilitator.
He was one of
a few individuals who provided the terrorist organization significant financial
facilitation into and out of Syria.
These entities
and Al-Rawi have provided a critical financial and logistical lifeline to
Daesh, its branches, and its global facilitation networks.
An
Afghanistan-based organization and its director who facilitated the transfer of
funds for and to support the activities of Daesh’s branch in Afghanistan under
the auspices of charitable were also added to the list.
Nejaat Social
Welfare Organization and its director Sayed Habib Ahmad Khan were designated as
key Daesh financial facilitators.
Since it was
founded in 2017, the TFTC has issued five rounds of joint designations against
over 60 terrorist individuals and entities around the world.
These
designations targeted a wide range of terrorist organizations including Daesh
and its affiliates, Al-Qaeda, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,
Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Taliban.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705136/saudi-arabia
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Top Lebanese
church official slams Hezbollah for sidelining the state
16 July 2020
Hezbollah
sidelines the Lebanese state and “declares war and peace where it chooses,” the
leader of the Maronite church said in an interview Thursday, in the latest of a
string of tirades against the Iran-backed group.
“It [Hezbollah]
helped precipitate war in Syria, Iraq and Yemen,” Maronite Patriarch Bechara
Rai told Vatican News.
For all the
latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Rai, who has
criticized Hezbollah and its allies on multiple occasions in recent weeks, said
there was a “sort of control” from Hezbollah on the Lebanese government and the
country’s policies as a result of its participation in regional wars.
He blamed
Hezbollah’s actions and rampant corruption in the country for the unprecedented
socioeconomic crisis that Lebanon is currently experiencing.
Rai called for
Lebanon to adopt and commit to a neutrality policy, without having enemies in
the “East or the West.”
“Today, for
the sake of Lebanon and all Lebanese without any exceptions, there is no
solution other than neutrality,” he added.
Adopting a
neutrality policy, Rai said, would take Lebanon out from under the control of
“any of Lebanese side.”
The United
States, European Union, and other Gulf states would not help Lebanon because
they refused to offer any form of aid to a government they considered
controlled by Hezbollah.
Days after he
criticized Hezbollah and its allies for isolating Lebanon from its “brothers
and friends,” Rai told President Michel Aoun on Wednesday that all Lebanese
sides should pledge allegiance to Lebanon.
During two
consecutive church sermons last week and the week before, Rai indirectly spoke
out against Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, calling for Lebanon to
implement a policy of dissociation and neutrality.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/16/Top-Lebanese-church-official-slams-Hezbollah-for-sidelining-the-state.html
--------
Explosion
targets another US logistic convoy in Iraq: Local media
16 July 2020
An explosion
has targeted a US logistic convoy carrying logistic supplies in Iraq’s
north-central province of Salahuddin, the second such incident in less than a
week.
Citing Iraqi
tribal sources, the Lebanese Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news
network reported that the US logistic convoy was attacked near Makshifiyah area
on Wednesday.
According to
Iraq's Saberin News, the resistance group Ashab al-Kahf has claimed
responsibility for the blast.
“We confirm
the destruction of a large logistical support convoy with its materials in
Salahuddin,” the group said in statement.
It is not
immediately clear if any casualties were incurred.
A similar
incident occurred on Saturday when a US logistic convoy was targeted on the
road between Samawah and Diwaniyah, south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Local media
said at least three vehicles of the convoy were destroyed or damaged in the
attack, for which the newly formed Iraqi group, SarayaThawrat al-Eshreen
al-Thaniya, claimed responsibility.
Anti-US
sentiments have been running high in Iraq since Washington assassinated top
Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and the second-in-command of the Iraqi
popular mobilization units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in January.
Following the
attack, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill on January 5, demanding the
withdrawal of all foreign troops.
Baghdad and
Washington are currently in talks over the withdrawal of American troops.
Iraqi
resistance groups have vowed to take up arms against US forces if Washington
fails to comply with the parliamentary order.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/16/629724/Iraq-US-convoy-explosion-Salahuddin-Makshifiyah
--------
Top Lebanese
Maronite cleric slams Hezbollah for taking part in regional wars
July 17, 2020
CAIRO:
Lebanon’s leading Christian cleric has ramped up his condemnation of Hezbollah
saying it has always sidelined the Lebanese state at times of war.
The head of
the Lebanese Maronite Christian Church Bechara Rai told Vatican News that the
Iran-backed militant group has taken part in wars in countries such as Syria,
Yemen and Iraq.
His remarks
are the latest in a string criticism of the heavily armed Hezbollah over its
support for Iran in conflicts with Arab states.
Rai said there
was a “sort of control from Hezbollah on the Lebanese government and the
country’s policies” with its role in regional wars. “Lebanon does not want
this.”
Rai said
Hezbollah’s interventions have “created a political crisis that contributed to
a severe economic and living crisis in the country.”
“Lebanon is a
civil state that operates between the state and religion. Today, for the sake
of Lebanon and all Lebanese without any exceptions, there is no solution other
than neutrality,” he added.
Lebanon is
mired in an economic and political crisis that has left the economy close to
collapse.
Hezbollah
backs the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab, but its support has
alienated Beirut from countries in the region and the West.
The group is
considered a terrorist organisation in the US, Europe and other countries.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705671/middle-east
--------
Mideast
Iran Proposes
Mediation between Azerbaijan, Armenia over Border Clashes
Jul 16, 2020
Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi expressed regret over the recent clashes
between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Karabakh issue, and said, “Peaceful
solutions, bilateral talks and mediation should be taken to settle the
differences and the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to act as a mediator
between the two countries to resolve the differences whenever the two sides
want.”
He expressed
the hope that tensions would decrease between the two countries in the next few
days, noting that the Iranian foreign ministry is in contact with the Armenian
and Azeri officials on the issue.
“We believe
that the region can bear no more differences and clashes,” Mousavi said.
Conflict in
the Nagorno-Karabakh region began following the breakdown of the Soviet Union
in the late 1980s and lasted till approximately 1994, with both Armenia and
Azerbaijan claiming this strategic territory. At that time, the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh had held a referendum boycotted by Azerbaijan where the people
chose independence over joining either of the two countries.
Fighting
between the two sides broke out over the weekend involving tanks and artillery.
On Wednesday, however, defence officials from both countries said there had
been no fresh fighting overnight.
Both sides
accuse each other of shelling civilian areas on the border between Tavush in
North-Eastern Armenia and the Tovuz district in Azerbaijan.
At least 11
Azeri soldiers and one Azeri civilian were killed, according to Azerbaijan.
Armenia has reported that four of its soldiers have died, including two
officers.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990426000637
--------
Commander
Underlines Iranian Ground Force’s Equipment with Hi-Tech Weapons
Jul
16, 2020
"Today,
we have taken great steps in achieving our goal of equipping ourselves with
smart, pinpoint, digital and electronic weapons,” General Heidari said,
addressing a meeting on Wednesday.
He
referred the guidelines of the Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyed
Ali Khamenei on the necessity of increasing and upgrading the Iranian army’s
strength and mobility for countering possible wars, and asserted that “by
changing its structure and organization, the Army Ground Forces of the Islamic
Republic of Iran has been able to meet the current operational needs in order
to be ready to face any possible threats in any way”.
The
commander continued to say that all of the developments that have taken place
in order to increase the mobility, agility and combat capability of the forces
have been done by relying on domestic industries and with diligent efforts made
by Iranian specialists as well as believing in the principle of
self-sufficiency.
General
Heidari noted that “in the future, wars would be based on making an impact, not
destruction”, adding that “today, we have taken great steps in achieving our
goals of equipping ourselves with smart, pinpoint, digital and electronic
weapons to counter the possible threats to the country".
In
relevant remarks in May, General Heidari announced plans to boost production of
different military equipment in the new year (started on March 20).
“We
will have a desirable leap in area of military parts [production] in the Year
of Surge in Production and we have put good plans on agenda for developing
robots, helicopters, anti-armor and anti-missile equipment, quadcopters, drones
and different types of border monitoring sensors,” General Heidari said.
He
added that Iran has gained self-sufficiency in production of defensive weapons
and equipment, noting that the Ground Force has made desirable success in
production of hand-thrown drones and their maintenance.
The
Iranian Army has in recent years made double efforts to increase its defensive
and combat power.
General
Heidari had also announced in February that the Army's Airborne Unit has
boosted the range of missiles fired by helicopters.
"Today,
the range of Army Airborne Unit's missiles has increased to a very desirable
level and we have achieved self-sufficiency in the field of night-vision
systems and we can fly over night and destroy targets," General Heidari
said.
He
described the Iranian Army's Airborne Unit as the biggest helicopter fleet in
the Middle-East.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990426000155
--------
Iran,
Afghanistan to Accelerate Implementation of Joint Agreements
Jul
16, 2020
Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi and Afghan Acting
Minister of Finance Abdul HadiArghandiwal in a meeting discussed ways to
accelerate implementation of economic approvals between the two countries.
Araqchi
and Arghandiwal emphasized the facilities of economic cooperation, joint
planning, and cooperation development between the two countries.
Araqchi
is also due to meet with other Afghan officials on Thursday and attend a
meeting on at the Institute for Strategic Studies in Afghanistan.
Heading
a high-ranking delegation, Araqchi travelled to Kabul on Wednesday to follow up
the agreements reached during Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mohammad Hanif Atmar’s visit to Tehran last month.
At
the conclusion of his visit to Iran on June 21-22, Atamar and Iran’s Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif issued a joint statement, defining the road for
bilateral cooperation in various fields, including common border security.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990426000581
--------
Iran
security forces fire tear gas to disperse Behbahan protesters
17
July 2020
Anti-government
protests broke out in at least two Iranian cities on Thursday, according to
reports and videos on social media.
The
protests initially broke out in Behbahan, a city in the oil-rich province of
Khuzestan in southwest Iran.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Protesters
chanted against the regime and its foreign policy as well as against the Basij,
the paramilitary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according
to videos circulating on social media.
The
protests follow a Twitter campaign Iranians had launched on Tuesday against the
Iranian judiciary’s decision to uphold the death sentences of three protesters
who were arrested and sentenced to death following the anti-government protests
in November 2019.
Iranians
in and out of Iran used a Persian-language hashtag that read “do not execute”
which became a global trending topic with over four million tweets.
“Not
Gaza, Not Lebanon, I give my life for Iran,” protesters are heard chanting in
one video in reference to Tehran’s support for Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza
and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
This
is a popular chant Iranians have used in protests over the years – notably
during the 2009, 2017, and most recently November 2019 protests – to criticize
Tehran’s foreign policies and funding of its network of proxies in the Middle
East.
Protesters
were also heard chanting “we don’t want a clerical regime,” “clerics must get
lost,” and “fear not, fear not, we are in this together.”
Another
video from Behbahan showed security forces firing tear gas to disperse
protesters.
“The
Basij are honourless,” protesters are heard chanting in another video, as
security forces look on.
At
the same time, cybersecurity NGO Netblocks said Iranian authorities have
imposed restrictions on the internet in the province of Khuzestan where
Behbahan is located from 10 p.m. local time.
“Real-time
network data show total and partial disruptions varying by provider amid
anti-government protests,” NetBlocks said.
During
the November 2019 protests, Iran almost completely shut off access to the
internet across the country for days.
Protests
also broke out in the city of Shiraz on Thursday, according to reports on
social media.
Earlier
on Thursday, Iranians on social media shared videos on social media showing a
heavy presence of security forces in several cities including the capital
Tehran.
Iranian
activists on social media have called for more protests on Friday.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/17/Iran-security-forces-fire-tear-gas-to-disperse-Behbahan-protesters.html
--------
Iranian
journalist Masih Alinejad’s brother sentenced to 8 years in prison: Lawyer
16
July 2020
Iran
has sentenced the brother of exiled Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad to eight
years in prison, according to his lawyer. Alinejad says her brother is being
punished for resisting pressures from the regime to publicly denounce her.
Alinejad’s
brother, Alireza Alinejad, was arrested at his home in Tehran in September
2019.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
He
has been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of “conspiring to act
against national security,” “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and spreading
“propaganda against the regime,” his lawyer said on Twitter on Wednesday.
Masih
Alinejad, a US-based journalist and an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime,
says authorities are punishing her brother for refusing to denounce her on
state TV as well as for refusing to cooperate with Iran’s security apparatus in
order to “kidnap” and bring her back to Iran.
“My
brother Alireza’s crimes are the following: loving his sister, refusing to
disown me on state TV, and refusing to cooperate with the Revolutionary Guards’
plot to lure me to Turkey and kidnap me to Iran,” Alinejad tweeted.
“My
brother is innocent and he is taken hostage by the Islamic Republic of Iran to
punish me for my activities. Hostage-taking is in the DNA of this brutal
regime,” she added.
Iranian
journalists and activists abroad often complain that authorities attempt to
pressure them by harassing their relatives inside the country.
In
November 2019, London-based news channel Iran International said families of
its staff in Iran were subject to harassment from the Ministry of Intelligence
due to the channel’s coverage of the country’s anti-government protests at the
time.
Many
Iranians came out in support of Alinejad on social media.
“Eight
years in prison [for Alireza Alinejad] because his sister’s activism displeases
the regime and because he refuses to condemn her,” Iranian journalist Shahed
Alavi tweeted on Wednesday.
“Iran’s
government imprisoned, abused, and exiled journalist Masih Alinejad, but she
persisted in her civil rights advocacy. Consequently, they took her innocent
brother Ali hostage, to coerce him to turn on her,” Karim Sadjadpour, a senior
fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, tweeted. “When he
refused, they’ve now given him an 8-year prison sentence.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/16/Iranian-journalist-Masih-Alinejad-s-brother-sentenced-to-8-years-in-prison-Lawyer.html
--------
Yemeni
government rejects latest UN peace plan draft
July
17, 2020
AL-MUKALLA:
The internationally recognized government of Yemen claims that the latest draft
of a peace plan submitted by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths is
biased toward the Iran-backed Houthis and “undermines” the government’s
legitimacy, three government officials told Arab News on Thursday.
“The
proposal suggests accepting the current situation and the changes on the ground
including Houthis as an armed group,” one Cabinet minister, speaking on
condition of anonymity, told Arab News. The minister said the main “bone of
contention” is “three references that the UN envoy wants to convince everyone
are irrelevant” — namely the GCC Initiative, the outcomes of the National
Dialogue Conference, and Security Council Resolution 2216.
Another
government official said the latest draft of the peace plan includes a
nationwide truce and demands that the government pays public servants. The
official said that the government believes those items contradict the “three
references” that oblige the Houthis to hand over their weapons, leave Sana’a
and other areas under their control, and allow the government to return to the
capital.
“The
plan gives legitimacy to the coup that Houthis plotted in late 2014. The
fait-accompli policy cannot give international legitimacy to the putschists,”
the second government official said. The government also believes that the
Houthis should share the cost of paying government salaries, claiming the
Iran-backed militia has taken large sums of money from seaports, banks and
telecom companies.
A
third senior government official told Arab News that the Houthis should be
required to stop executing their opponents and seizing their properties in
Sanaa, to release detainees, and to open Sanaa airport and Hodeida port.
“The
problem is that the UN Yemen envoy is sometimes not a mediator. He supports the
demand of the Houthis,” the third official said.
Yemen’s
Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadrami said on Wednesday that the government
rejected the latest draft of the peace plan and would abide by the previous
draft, which did not include the controversial points.
Griffiths
refutes the government’s accusations, saying the proposed peace plan asks all
parties to cease hostilities and immediately engage in talks based on the three
references, which he described in an interview with UN News as “the only way to
break with the violence of the past and end this conflict comprehensively and
sustainably.”
Griffiths
recognized that major issues between the two sides remain, but said: “There are
always points of convergence that a mediation process can build on. Yemen is no
different. We will continue to work with the parties to find a consensual path
forward to achieve these mutual goals and pave the way for bringing this
conflict to a sustainable end.”
Without
specifically naming the Houthis, Griffiths called for rebels to immediately
halt offensives in the provinces of Jawf and Marib. “The continued assault on
Marib is unacceptable. I am afraid this assault could seriously undermine the
prospects of peace in Yemen,” he said.
Several
previous rounds of peace talks between the government and Houthis in Geneva,
Biel and Kuwait have failed. The government insists that the Houthis must
disarm before they can share power, while the Houthis wish to discuss
power-sharing and other political arrangements before withdrawing from cities
under their control.
Houthi
missiles
The
provincial office of the Ministry of Human Rights in Marib said in a statement
that 244 ballistic missiles and Katyusha rockets fired by the Houthis since
early 2015 have killed 251 civilians — including 25 children and 12 women — and
wounded 438 others, including 47 children and eight women.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705786/middle-east
--------
Yemeni
tribes reject Saudi compensation, seek revenge for Jawf bloodshed
17
July 2020
Yemeni
tribes in the northern province of al-Jawf have rejected a financial offer from
the Saudi-led coalition to compensate for the recent deadly airstrikes that
claimed over two dozen civilian lives, saying the only thing that would calm
them down is revenge.
In
yet another act of aggression on the impoverished country, airstrikes by the
Saudi-led military alliance on Wednesday targeted a residential area in the
al-Hazm district of al-Jawf Province, leaving 25 people, including women and
children, dead and several others injured.
The
casualties took place at a wedding ceremony that belonged to the Yemeni tribe
of Bani Nouf in the al-Hazm district.
Saudi-led
warplanes had earlier in the day launched five airstrikes against the al-Aqsha’
area in the same district, with local media reports falling short of providing
the exact number of possible casualties.
The
Arabic-language al-Khabar al-Yemeni news website reported on Thursday that the
elders of the al-Jawf tribes, in their meetings and contacts with the Bani Nuf
tribe, had thrown their support behind tribal revenge for the recent
casualties, underlining that an attack on Bani Nouf tribe would be an attack on
all the tribes in al-Jawf.
The
news website also said the Saudi-led coalition had dispatched a number of
representatives to the tribes in al-Jawf to pay reparations to and appease them
but they had refused to accept the financial compensation for the atrocity.
Martin
Griffiths, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, called on Thursday for a
transparent investigation into the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes in al-Jawf
and described the attacks on Yemeni civilians as reprehensible.
Since
March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been conducting a bloody military aggression in
Yemen with help from its regional allies, and using arms supplied by its Western
backers. The aim of the war has been to bring Yemen's former president, Abd
Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, back to power and defeat the Houthi Ansarullah movement.
The
ongoing war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and pushed the entire
country close to the brink of famine. The brutal military intervention has also
taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, destroying hospitals,
schools, and factories.
The
COVID-19 pandemic is also raging unchecked in the war-torn country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/17/629802/Yemeni-tribes-Jawf-bloodshed-Saudi-compensation
--------
Israel
compiles list of officials who could face arrest over ICC probe
16
July 2020
Israeli
authorities have compiled a top secret list of hundreds of military and
intelligence officials, who could be arrested abroad if the International
Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague opens an investigation into their war crimes
in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The
list thus far consists of between 200 to 300 people, some of whom are not aware
of their inclusion, for abuses and war crimes committed in the West Bank, the
Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem al-Quds, Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday.
The
list is secret as the Tel Aviv regime fears that the ICC could perceive the
list of names as an official Israeli admission of the officials’ involvement in
the incidents under investigation.
The
roster includes some of Israel’s top officials, especially those involved in
the 2014 military onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Among
them would be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, minister of military affairs
Benny Gantz, former minister of military affairs and current opposition MK
Moshe Ya’alon, and the chief of the general staff of the Israeli army, Aviv
Kohavi.
Former
ministers of military affairs Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett, along with
former and current heads of the Shin Bet security service, Yoram Cohen and
Nadav Argaman respectively, and some lower-ranking officers are also on the
list.
A
three-judge panel at the ICC is set to rule in the coming days or weeks on
whether to approve a request by the court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda,
to launch an investigation into war crimes perpetrated in the occupied
Palestinian land.
In
early July 2014, Israel waged a war on the Gaza Strip. The 50-day military
aggression, which ended on August 26, 2014, killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians,
including 577 children. Over 11,100 others – including 3,374 children, 2,088
women and 410 elderly people – were also wounded in the war.
Israel
has long argued that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the case.
In
recent months, Israel has also encouraged the administration of US President
Donald Trump to sanction the ICC in the hope that this would deter the court
from the war crimes investigation.
Last
month, Trump announced sanctions against ICC officials investigating abuses by
Americans and Israeli officials, stressing that court had no “jurisdiction over
personnel of the United States and certain of its allies.”
“The
ICC is already threatening Israel with an investigation of so-called war crimes
committed by its forces and personnel in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip,”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a brief statement on June 11.
“It’s
clear the ICC is only putting Israel in its crosshairs for nakedly political
purposes,” he added.
Israeli
officials have long feared arrest for abuses while traveling to countries that
have a legal remit to prosecute foreign war criminals.
Back
in 2016, British police summoned former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni
for questioning during a visit to the United Kingdom over the Tel Aviv regime’s
war crimes during Israel's 2008-2009 war in Gaza.
Livni,
however, managed to obtain emergency diplomatic immunity and avoided summons to
be questioned.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/16/629763/Israel-compiles-list-of-officials-who-could-face-arrest-over-ICC-probe
--------
South Asia
Nearly
20 civilians killed, wounded in clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces
17
Jul 2020
At
least 20 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded during a clash between the
Afghan and Pakistani forces in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan.
A
source in the provincial government confirmed that that 8 civilians lost their
lives and at least 11 others sustained injurires during the clash between
Afghan and Pakistani forces in Sarkanoo district.
The
source further added that the Pakistani forces fired several mortar rounds on
Sarkano district after attempting to establish security posts inside the Afghan
soil which the Afghan forces prevented.
Fareed
Dehqan, a spokesperson for the provincial police headquarters confirmed the
incident and said the Pakistani forces fired multiple rounds of mortars on
bordering regions in Nawapas area.
The
clahsbetweentthe two sides reportedly continued for several hours.
The
Afghan and Pakistani authorities have not formally commented regarding the
incident so far.
https://www.khaama.com/nearly-20-civilians-killed-wounded-in-clashes-between-afghan-and-pakistani-forces-08964/
--------
U.S.
forces launched multiple drone strikes in 3 provinces: Taliban
17
Jul 2020
The
Taliban group has claimed that the U.S. forces based in Afghanistan carried out
multiple drone strikes in three provinces of Afghanistan.
“The
American forces, today, committed a violation of the Agreement by launching
several drone strikes in non-combat zones in Helmand, Ghazni and Zabul
provinces. It is unacceptable to the Islamic Emirate and condemns it,” Suhail
Shaheen, a spokesperson for the political office of Taliban said late on
Thursday.
The
drone strikes, if confirmed, follow an unprecedented violence led by the
Taliban group during the recent months.
The
United States and Taliban signed a peace deal late in the month of February of this
year in a bid to pave the way for intra-Afghan talks aimed at ending the
ongoing violence.
However,
the Afghan officials say the Taliban not only reduced their violence by
increased their attacks against the Afghan forces and civilians following the signing
of peace deal.
https://www.khaama.com/u-s-forces-launched-multiple-drone-strikes-in-3-provinces-taliban-08965/
--------
Afghan
Official: Pakistani Mortars Kill 4 Afghan Civilians
July
15, 2020
KABUL,
Afghanistan — Several mortar shells fired by Pakistani troops landed in a
border village in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing four civilians and
wounding nine others, an Afghan provincial spokesman said.
In
Pakistan, police accused Afghan forces of initiating an exchange of fire a day
earlier.
Abdul
Ghani Musamem, spokesman for the governor of Afghanistan's Kunar province, said
Afghan forces returned fire Wednesday.
A
lawmaker from Kunar, Wazhma Safi, said if Pakistan continued to fire over the
border, the issue would be discussed at the diplomatic level. She said she
believes Taliban insurgents, backed by Pakistan, were behind the attack on
Afghan soil.
Safi's
comments come as a fresh round of peace negotiations between the Afghan
government and the Taliban are expected this month in Doha, Qatar which were
delayed due to postponement of a prisoner exchange between the sides.
Under
the Feb. 29 signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal, the Afghan government is to
release 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the Taliban are to release 1,000 Afghan
national defense and security personnel.
So
far, the government has freed 4,015 and the Taliban has freed 669, according to
the Afghan government.
In
Pakistan, Mamoond district police chief Shahzada Kaukab said a rocket fired
from Afghan forces struck a home in the district Tuesday, wounding a woman and
damaging her home. He said Pakistani troops returned fire but exercised
restraint to avoid any escalation.
The
Pakistani and Afghan governments often accuse each other of initiating fire in
the border region, where militant groups are often interlinked on both sides of
the border.
Mamoond
district was once a haven for local militants and Taliban insurgents. Pakistan
says the army has cleared the area in recent years, although violence persists.
Militants who were not killed have mostly fled across the rugged mountains into
neighboring Afghanistan.
Pakistan
and Afghanistan share a 2,500-kilometer (1,550-mile) border known as the Durand
Line, which Pakistan considers to be an international border.
Afghanistan
rejects the colonial-era border created in 1893. In 2017, Pakistan said it had
started building a fence along the border as part of efforts aimed at curbing
militancy. But the move sparked condemnation in Kabul.
Meanwhile,
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a phone conversation with Afghan's
foreign minister offered to host intra-Afghan peace talks if both sides agree,
said ministry spokesman Gran Hewad.
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/07/15/world/asia/ap-as-afghanistan-pakistan.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1364515_
--------
Southeast Asia
Man
Gets 26 Months’ Jail For Insulting Islam, Prophet Muhammad by the Kuala Lumpur
Sessions Court
17
Jul 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 17 — A man was sentenced to 26 months’ jail by the Sessions Court
here today after he was found guilty on two counts of insulting Prophet
Muhammad, Islam and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on Facebook last
year.
Judge
MM Edwin Paramjothy imposed a 26-month jail term for the first charge and a
six-month term for the second charge on Danny Antoni, 29, and ordered the
sentences to run concurrently from the date of his arrest on March 6, 2019.
In
his judgment, Edwin said the crime of insulting one’s religion was committed
not only against the person it was directed at but also against the values and
functions that the particular religion represents.
“The
question in every case is whether the words used are of such a nature that they
will bring about the substantive evils that the legislature has enacted laws to
prevent.
“Though
freedom of expression secures the freedom to criticise, this right does not
grant individuals the right to insult. The law protects freedom of religion
through the enactment or strengthening of national frameworks and legislation
to prevent the vilification of religions and the negative stereotyping of
religious groups,” he said.
Edwin
added that religion is something personal and especially dear to the ones professing
it, and it is undeniable that in the instant case, the accused’s inappropriate,
irresponsible and provocative posting based on race and religion had
transgressed the parameters of free speech guaranteed under the Federal
Constitution.
Furthermore,
he said, the posting was highly inflammatory and emotive, drawing much
prejudice against the religion of Islam.
“When
viewed objectively, one will be able to conclude that such words or postings
are not an essential part of any exposition of ideas and have such slight
social value. Any benefit derived from the posting is outweighed by the social
interest, order and peace. The words by their very utterance inflict injury and
tend to incite an immediate breach of peace,” he said.
Danny
was charged with using the Facebook account of Danny A’antonio Jr to post an
insulting statement against Prophet Muhammad and Islam which could threaten
harmony between Muslims and non-Muslims, at 1.21am on Jan 9, 2019 under Section
298A (1) (a) of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of five
years.
He
was also charged with committing the same offence against Abdul Hadi at the
same place, date and time under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Communications and
Multimedia Act 1998, punishable under Section 233(3), which provides for a
maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to one year or both.
Both
postings were read at the Cyber Crime and Multimedia Investigation Division,
Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman Police headquarters,
Menara KPJ here at 10 am on March 4, 2019.
Deputy
public prosecutor JulailaJamaludin prosecuted while Danny was unrepresented. —
AFP
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/07/17/man-gets-26-months-jail-for-insulting-islam-prophet-muhammad/1885419
--------
Malaysiakini
Trial Comes Amid Malaysia's Press Freedom Decline
By
Eric Neugeboren
July
16, 2020
WASHINGTON
- A series of arrests and interrogations of journalists in Malaysia signals a
rapid deterioration of conditions for media freedom in the country.
This
month, the Malaysian attorney general filed contempt of court proceedings
against Steven Gan, the editor-in-chief of the news organization Malaysiakini. And
on July 10, authorities interrogated journalists over a documentary about
migrant workers and COVID-19.
The
events mark a significant retreat for Malaysia, which in the past two years
made one of the biggest improvements of any country in press freedom as
measured by the monitoring group Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Gan's
trial, which began on July 13, came after five readers left comments critical
of the country's judiciary on a Malaysiakini article about the reopening of a
court following a lockdown for the coronavirus.
Gan
has maintained that the publication erased the comments within minutes of being
contacted by Malaysian authorities.
The
panel of judges hearing the case said they will issue their findings at a later
date. If found guilty, Gan could face a jail term as well as a fine.
"The
case is actually totally baseless," Daniel Bastard, Asia-Pacific director
at Reporters Without Borders (RSF), told VOA. "It's a clear attempt to
intimidate journalists."
Australian
journalists
The
court case came days after Malaysian police interrogated six Australian
journalists in a separate case. They were working in Malaysia for the Qatari
network Al Jazeera. The journalists broadcast a 25-minute documentary on July 3
that detailed dangers for Malaysian migrant workers during the pandemic lockdown.
National
Police Chief Abdul Hamid Bador told reporters the documentary contained
elements that could be investigated for sedition, defamation and violation of
Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act. He maintained that the reporters
were "witnesses, not suspects" in the investigation.
In
a statement last week, Al Jazeera pushed back on authorities' claims that the
documentary was misleading.
"Malaysian
officials have criticized the documentary as being inaccurate, misleading and
unfair," the statement read. "In a world in which the media face
increasing threats, Al Jazeera calls for media freedom and the right to report
freely without intimidation."
The
Australia-based group Alliance for Journalists' Freedom said in a statement
that the Al Jazeera case "appears to be following an increasingly worrying
trend in Malaysia in which the government targets uncomfortable
journalism."
Decline
in press freedom
Malaysia
is at a crossroads in its treatment of the press. Following the first change in
government in six decades in 2018, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad immediately
ushered in reforms that included quashing a "fake news" bill that
could have targeted journalists.
During
the reformist government's rule, a group of Malaysian media organizations — led
by Malaysiakini — campaigned for a self-regulatory council that would help
improve press freedom in the country, Gan said.
Malaysia
subsequently moved up 22 places in RSF's 2020 World Press Freedom Index to No.
101 — the biggest improvement among all 180 rated countries. The Paris-based
organization wrote that the "the general environment for journalists is
much more relaxed, self-censorship has declined dramatically and the print
media are now offering a fuller and more balanced range of viewpoints."
"Malaysia
really took a very encouraging move in terms of press freedom," Bastard
said.
The
trend now is reversed. In February, the reformist coalition government
collapsed when defectors joined forces with the lead party of the previous
government. On March 1, the country's Minister of Home Affairs, Muhyiddin
Yassin, took over as prime minister. At the same time, the media
council, and other efforts to ensure protections for journalists, were pushed
aside, Gan said.
Within
weeks of the new government's emergence, Gan was summoned to the Home Ministry
— a first for Malaysiakini, which was founded in 1999. At the meeting,
Malaysian officials raised concerns with several of the publication's reports,
Gan said.
"I
knew that it was the beginning of a change," Gan said of his initial
reaction to the meeting.
Many
of Malaysia's laws permitting suppression of the press remain, Bastard said,
which was something the media council had hoped to repeal.
"[The
laws] can be easily instrumentalized by the government to intimidate
journalists, threaten them for arrest, things like that," Bastard said.
VOA
reported in June that at least eight people had been charged or brought in for
questioning for social media posts critical of the new government.
Gan
remains hopeful that press freedom will be restored, but he said for that to
happen, Malaysia would likely need another reformist government.
Around
the time the publication was founded "there was tremendous fear on the
streets." Now, more than 20 years later, "people feel empowered"
to speak out and seek information — thanks to publications like Malaysiakini.
"I'm
hopeful this is what Malaysians want," Gan said. "I always say press
freedom is like a tube of toothpaste — when it's out, it's really hard to pull
it back in again."
https://www.voanews.com/press-freedom/malaysiakini-trial-comes-amid-malaysias-press-freedom-decline
--------
Dr
M claims Pakatan's administration ended the moment Bersatu left coalition
17
Jul 2020
BY
AZRIL ANNUAR
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 17 — Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that his
resignation as prime minister was only a “formality” as the Pakatan Harapan
(PH) coalition had ceased to be the government the moment Bersatu abandoned
them.
In
his blog today titled My Resignation, the former premier said that this
automatically triggered the end of the PH Cabinet.
“Strictly
speaking, when Bersatu left PH, PH ceased to be the Government. This meant that
all members of the Cabinet lost their ministerial positions. This included me.
I had lost my position as prime minister. Resigning was only a formality,” said
Dr Mahathir.
The
95-year-old politician implied that the end of the PH administration was the
brainchild of his former protégé turned nemesis Pekan MP and former Umno
president Datuk Seri Najib Razak who had also proposed to set up a Malay-Muslim
administration with PAS.
For
this plan to succeed, Najib needed more Malay support and for Bersatu to leave
PH while allying itself with PAS and Umno.
Dr
Mahathir then accused Bersatu secretary-general and Home Minister Datuk Seri
Hamzah Zainuddin of being part of the conspiracy to oust DAP and overthrow the
PH administration.
Apparently,
Hamzah’s role was to obtain Umno support for Bersatu and Dr Mahathir, who was
supposed to lead the “unholy coalition”, which he refused.
“Hamzah
Zainuddin worked to get Umno members to support me, as I was to be the prime
minister in this new coalition. He got even Najib to sign. I opposed this move.
But Muhyiddin supported the idea. Majority in Bersatu supported Muhyiddin.
“I
refused to be PM of the Umno/PAS/Bersatu government because it meant I would be
working with Umno and Najib, the people I had condemned and defeated in the
14th GE. I would actually be resuscitating Umno and make it a part of the
government.
“I
would be betraying the people who supported me in the election. I would also be
reneging on my promises to the other parties in the PH coalition. I just could
not accept the suggestion that I should be the prime minister of this unholy
coalition,” said Dr Mahathir.
He
then added that Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was willing to
accept the cooperation with Umno and PAS, hence he decided to leave the group.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/07/17/dr-m-claims-pakatans-administration-ended-the-moment-bersatu-left-coalition/1885421
--------
Selangor
Sultan okays larger congregation during daily, Friday prayers at mosques,
suraus
17
Jul 2020
SHAH
ALAM, July 17 — Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has consented to
increasing the number of worshippers performing daily and Friday prayers in
mosques and surau in the state in accordance with the capacity of the actual
space, effective today.
Selangor
Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director MohdShahzihan Ahmad said this
includes surau which have been given special permission by the Selangor Islamic
Religious Council (Mais) to conduct Friday prayers subject to the
implementation of the 1.5-metre social distancing.
“For
Friday prayers, the congregation must go through the process of registration
and wait for their turn as previously specified.
“A
more efficient system is being drawn up to make it easier for the public to
register and get feedback regarding their participation in the Friday prayers,”
he said in a statement today.
MohdShahzihan
said the number of worshippers allowed to pray in the mosque and surau are is
subject to the capacity of the actual size after observing social distancing of
1.5 metres.
However,
he said women worshippers were still not allowed to pray in a congregation
except at Masjid Diraja Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Bukit Jelutong, and Masjid Diraja
Raja Haji Fi Sabilillah, Cyberjaya.
MohdShahzihan
also advised worshippers to perform their ablution at home, wear masks, bring
their own prayer mats, and stay healthy.
He
added that JAIS will also form a special committee to monitor the standard
operating procedure (SOP) in mosques or surau, as well as compliance by the
worshippers.
“Stern
action will be taken for any non-compliance with the SOP, and JAIS will not
hesitate to withdraw the permission in order to protect the safety and
well-being of the congregation and image of Islam,” he said. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/07/17/selangor-sultan-okays-larger-congregation-during-daily-friday-prayers-at-mo/1885375
--------
Africa
Muslims
opt out of Ekiti government’s reopening of churches, mosques
17
July 2020
As
the religious centres reopen for operations today in Ekiti State after three
and half months of closure amid COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Supreme Council
for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Ekiti chapter, has suspended reopening of all
major mosques across the state.
The
state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had recently announced that all churches and
mosques operating in Ekiti State could commence operation on July 17, 2020,
after acquiring a certificate of fitness before commencing worshipping.
But
a statement signed by the President, NSCIA, Ekiti State Chapter, Alhaji
YaqubuSanni, yesterday, said the suspension of activities in mosques was taken
because all the safety protocols could not be met within the time-frame
stipulated by the government.
“Muslims
in the government committee on reopening of worship centres and health officers
educated members on how to guard themselves against COVID-19 and conditions to
be met before the reopening of mosques in the state.
“After
reviewing the guidelines, it was agreed that the conditions for reopening of
mosques as discussed could not be met within the stipulated time-frame, that is
between now and July 17, 2020.
“Hence,
it was resolved that the Muslims in Ekiti State would hold on for a while in
preparations to meet the conditions laid down,” Sanni said.
The
NSCIA, however, lauded the state government for the steps taken to safeguard
the lives of worshippers in Ekiti State against the pandemic.
Meanwhile,
the government said only religious centres with coronavirus prevention
facilities would be allowed to resume activities, while certificates of
compliance must be received from the ministry to authenticate their readiness
to reopen.
The
Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo, who stated this in
Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, insisted that no religious centre would be allowed to
resume without complying with the stipulated guidelines to curb the spread of
the deadly coronavirus.
He
said that all the churches and mosques must comply with the COVID-19 safety
protocols, saying that provision of requisite facilities remains the
pre-requisite for reopening.
Agbeyo,
who debunked the rumour of payment of N2,000 for issuance of certificate after
fumigation, said: “The ministry had met with the leadership of the religious
bodies, including Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and they have agreed
to bear the cost of fumigating their premises themselves as certificates will
be issued at no cost.”
https://guardian.ng/news/muslims-opt-out-of-ekiti-governments-reopening-of-churches-mosques/
--------
Cameroon
Rejects Evidence of Forcing Civilians to Fight Boko Haram
By
Moki Edwin Kindzeka
July
16, 2020
YAOUNDE
- Cameroon has rejected a Human Rights Watch report that says its military
forces civilians to serve on guard duty against Boko Haram militants. The
rights group says Cameroon's military has abused villagers along the border
with Nigeria who refused to join militias.
Governor
of Cameroon’s Far North Region Midjiyawa Bakari insists that members of
military-organized civilian militias are all volunteers.
Speaking
via a messaging application from the region’s capital, Maroua, he said the
state encourages the militias to keep a watch out for Boko Haram.
He
said President Paul Biya asked all Cameroonians to help stop Boko Haram
terrorism by denouncing suspects and strange visitors in their communities.
Bakari said people who join militia groups are volunteers who have agreed to
collaborate with the military and government by sharing information on any
potential attack.
Last
week, Human Rights Watch reported that the military in the northern border town
of Mozogo was forcing civilians to perform night guard duty against Boko Haram
terrorists.
The
report said soldiers beat and threatened the poorly equipped and untrained
civilians who refused to keep guard.
Many
civilians who were scared of doing night duty fled, the report stated.
Human
Rights Watch Central Africa researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi said fighting Boko
Haram is the job of the military – not civilians.
"We
ask the Cameroonians authorities to immediately stop forcing civilians to
perform night guard duties. We ask them to investigate the abuses that we have
uncovered including the beatings, the threats and the forced labor and hold
those responsible to account. It is not the job of the ordinary people to
protect their town from Boko Haaram. It
is the security forces who should do so," said Allegrozzi.
Bakari
denied that civilians who join the militias were poorly equipped, and said they
receive what he described as great assistance.
But,
37-year-old cattle rancher BoubaNouvadjava said the military forced him to join
an under-equipped militia without guns in the northern town of Kolofata.
He
spoke via a messaging application from Kolofata.
He
said they have bow and arrows to intervene when possible and have been given
telephones to call the military if the attackers are heavily armed.
Independent
researcher on Boko Haram, ToumanOussmaila, said the militias need to be
properly trained and armed.
He
said very often the government gives the militias flashlights, telephones, and
boots but then leaves them to fend for themselves. There is a credibility and
morality crisis among civilians who join the militias, said Oussmaila, because
they are forced. Some militia members can be accidentally killed by the
military, he said, because they do not know how to communicate with the
troops. The militias, said Oussmaila,
lack basic self-defense training.
Cameroon
authorities say Boko Haram last year was targeting the militias because
they were a
barrier to the Islamists’
small-scale attacks on schools and markets.
Governor
Bakari said that in 2019, the regional
government gave a half-million dollars’ worth of food and an
unspecified amount of money to support the militias.
He
pledged to give $1 million more to the militias by
the end of this year.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/cameroon-rejects-evidence-forcing-civilians-fight-boko-haram
--------
New
Insights Into How Communities Resist Boko Haram
July
17, 2020
By
Akinola Olojo*
Communities
affected by violent extremism are frequently considered to have risk factors
linked to socio-economic deprivation, bad governance and religious
radicalisation. These factors prevail across the whole of northern Nigeria, and
in the north-eastern Bauchi and Gombe states.
However,
despite Boko Haram’s factions being active in this zone, Bauchi and Gombe
haven’t experienced the levels of violent extremism that other states in the
same area have in the past decade. Field research conducted by the Institute
for Security Studies (ISS) examined the factors that have helped Bauchi and
Gombe resist Boko Haram.
Although
religion is exploited by Boko Haram, the group’s doctrines take on their
‘rationality’ from the wider socio-economic context where the mismanagement of
limited resources by a ruling class is conducive to a crisis. At the time of
Boko Haram’s resurgence in 2010, Bauchi was among the top 10 Nigerian states in
absolute poverty and Gombe was the third poorest state in the country in terms
of absolute poverty.
From
2012 onward, some Boko Haram attacks occurred in Bauchi and Gombe. Banks and
police stations were attacked and a limited presence of extremists was reported
in the forests of Darazo, Ningi and Ganjuwa local government areas of Bauchi.
In Gombe, the group attacked a prison, police stations and places of worship.
Localities such as Nafada, Akko and Funakaye were affected. Risk factors exist
in both states, but triggered only limited problems.
The
ISS study identified four factors that enabled resilience to Boko Haram in
Bauchi and Gombe. First, a combination of geography and ethnicity help explain
the limited spread of the crisis in the two states. They share borders with the
three states worst hit by extremism – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. However, Bauchi
and Gombe aren’t geographically close enough to experience the full spectrum of
violence carried out by insurgents traversing Nigeria’s borders with Cameroon,
Chad and Niger.
For
years Boko Haram has taken advantage of various informal points of exit from
Nigeria into neighbouring countries and vice versa. In Bauchi and Gombe, they
don’t have such escape routes. They may use temporary hideouts in parts of the
Sambisa Forest that extend to Bauchi. However, the sanctuary that Sambisa
offers closer to Borno is more conducive to the group’s attack-and-retreat
tactics.
Furthermore
the major ethnic group from which Boko Haram has drawn members is the Kanuri.
They’re mainly based in Borno, with very few in Bauchi and Gombe. Although most
Kanuris oppose Boko Haram, the group could still exploit their language,
religion and territory. The Kanuri heartland thus provided the space and local
networks, fishing unions, market groups and farming communities for Boko
Haram’s recruitment and mobilisation.
A
second factor relates to traditional leaders in Bauchi and Gombe. In addition
to the formal state structure, both states – like most in northern Nigeria –
have an emirate comprising districts, wards and villages. Traditional leaders
endorse community policing organised by vigilante and hunter groups, while
district, ward and village heads oversee security in their respective spheres
of influence.
The
Yamaltu Security Committee for example was formed in the Yamaltu-Deba locality
in Gombe, supported by the local government area chairperson and the
traditional leadership. Similar committees were formed in Funakaye where
residents experienced a Boko Haram attack. Traditional leaders also organised
periodic ethnic group meetings where informants were nominated to oversee
strategic locations in communities.
Religious
leaders and organisations constitute a third factor. In a struggle where
winning hearts and minds is paramount, the involvement of community actors
familiar with the doctrinal elements required to deconstruct a terror group’s
ideology is crucial.
Mass
rejection of Boko Haram owes something to the involvement of Islamic clerics
who have spoken out against the group. A repercussion of this was the
assassination of clerics across northern Nigeria between 2010 and 2013. In
Bauchi, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, a prominent Tijaniyya (Sufi brotherhood)
scholar, publicly discredited Boko Haram and escaped multiple attacks by the
group.
Sensitisation
efforts by organisations such as Jama’atuIzalatuBid’ahWaIkamatu Sunna (JIBWIS)
and Jama’atuNasrul Islam were also helpful. JIBWIS embarked on a ward-to-ward
proselytisation of counter-narratives.
Vigilante
groups are a fourth factor. In Gombe, police-vigilante collaboration was
effective especially in the 2014-15 period when Boko Haram’s activities peaked.
Vigilante groups such as Yan Banga helped identify Boko Haram members in local
government areas such as Kwami and Dukku, where an attack occurred in early
2015.
Other
community groups that have defended residents include local hunters referred to
as Yan Baka. Following an attack by Boko Haram in the Katagum locality in
Bauchi, youth groups emerged in self-defence against insurgents. Community
members mobilised through vigilante groups and worked with security agencies,
reporting suspicious people and sharing valuable information.
There
are discernible policy lessons from the Bauchi and Gombe contexts. However,
while both states challenge the usual theories linking risk factors and violent
extremism, they remain susceptible to risk factors. Levels of structural
violence still exist in both states, together with intolerance and
discrimination expressed along ethno-religious lines. State governments, in
coordination with local administrations, must stimulate dormant sectors like
agriculture while targeting the youth demographic.
Traditional
institutions are an indispensable part of a society’s resilience framework.
Their historical origins enable them to convey the depth of legitimacy
communities need to be able to mobilise. These institutions, along with
district, ward and village authorities, should strengthen existing coordination
in communities.
The
ideological component of terrorism is as much a threat as the violence it
inspires. Religious leaders and organisations should continue to provide
counter-messages against the ideology of Boko Haram and its factions.
The
unconventional nature of the struggle against terror groups can benefit from
the contribution of community-based groups, such as vigilante organisations.
However, these organisations need clearly defined roles within a rule of law
framework that enables them to complement state security agencies where
relevant.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/17072020-new-insights-into-how-communities-resist-boko-haram-analysis/
--------
North America
Senior
US general reveals: Taliban not honouring deal
16
July 2020
A
top US general says the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan has so far failed
to honor its commitments under a deal with the United States, contrasting other
US officials who have indicated the agreement is moving ahead smoothly.
Marine
General Frank McKenzie, the commander of the US Central Command, made the
comment in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) a day after a meeting to
discuss the Afghan peace process with President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on
Tuesday.
“We
expected to see a reduction in violence,” McKenzie said. “While the Taliban
have been scrupulous about not attacking US or coalition forces, in fact, the
violence against the Afghans is higher than it’s been in quite a while. It’s
one of the highest, most violent periods of the war that we see to date.”
The
US signed the deal with the Taliban in February. Under the agreement, the US is
supposed to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, and the Taliban are supposed
to refrain from attacking international occupying forces. The militants did not
make a pledge to avoid attacking Afghan forces and civilians.
Official
data shows Taliban bombings and other assaults have increased 70 percent since
then. The United Nations (UN) has also warned of an alarming rise in violence
against civilians in Afghanistan.
The
Afghan government, which was not a party to the deal, has had reservations
implementing a provision of the agreement that calls on Kabul to release
Taliban prisoners in exchange for its security personnel taken captive by the
militants. The government is required to increase many more prisoners than the
Taliban, and Kabul does not wish to free some of those inmates who have been
involved in highly violent attacks.
The
comments by McKenzie, the US general, came only days after the US’s chief
negotiator with the Taliban, Zalmay Khalilzad, said the deal was entering the
“next phase,” indicating that implementation had been smooth.
Stressing
that intra-Afghan dialog should start soon, McKenzie said, “That’s really the
next critical thing that needs to happen in order to move forward because
what’s going to happen is that the Afghans have got to talk to each to
determine how they’re going to formulate a plan forward.”
McKenzie
also said Washington needed to ensure that the Taliban would not host al-Qaida
and Daesh terrorist groups in Afghanistan, which would potentially allow them
to carry out attacks on the United States.
“Right
now, it is simply unclear to me that the Taliban has taken any positive steps
in that… in those areas,” he said.
The
US and a number of its allies invaded Afghanistan to topple a Taliban regime in
2001, accusing it of harboring the al-Qaeda terrorist group. The militants now
control or hold influence over more Afghan territory than at any point since
that time.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/16/629731/Afghanistan-US-Taliban-deal-McKenzie
--------
For
the first time, Trump administration uses terrorism charges against an alleged
MS-13 leader
By
Rachel Weiner
July
16, 2020
The
Justice Department has charged an alleged leader in MS-13 as a terrorist, part
of a string of new charges against members of the Salvadoran gang implicated in
over a dozen murders.
Armando
EliuMelgar Diaz, 30, oversaw 20 gang cliques in 13 states, including New York,
California, Maryland and Virginia, according to prosecutors in the Eastern
District of Virginia. He lived on and off in Virginia starting in 2003 but has
stayed in El Salvador since 2016, according to prosecutors.
“We’re
using ‘terrorism,’ which gives us extra strength,” President Trump said in
remarks at the White House on Wednesday. “We’ve done a great job with MS-13,
but now we’re stepping it up even to a higher level.”
Melgar
Diaz is in custody facing criminal charges in El Salvador, with no indication
he will soon be extradited. But the Justice Department simultaneously announced
21 arrests in New York and Nevada involving MS-13 and the decision to seek the
death penalty against an alleged leader in the gang who was arrested in 2017.
The
charges against Melgar Diaz focus on the years 2016 to 2018, when prosecutors
say he took profits from cocaine dealing in the D.C. suburbs and oversaw
murders and kidnappings across the country as well as gun and drug smuggling
from Mexico to El Salvador. Among the murders he authorized, according to the
indictment, was the slaying of a 14-year-old girl in Houston believed to have
cooperated with law enforcement. From May 2017 on, according to the indictment,
he gained his leadership role in the gang, which put him in charge of one of
three American “programs.”
While
incredibly violent, MS-13 makes little money compared with other drug-dealing
gangs. According to prosecutors, Melgar Diaz received about $800 a month from
the East Coast cliques he oversaw, which he wired through relatives and friends
in El Salvador not affiliated with the gang.
MS-13
“is not driven by commercial interests,” Attorney General William P. Barr said
at the White House on Wednesday, but is a “death cult.”
While
the gang tends to be loosely organized, with teenage members cycling through
different cliques, the indictment says Melgar Diaz at one point engaged in a
census of members. And he weighed in on specific disputes, allegedly decreeing
in 2018 that a recalcitrant young Virginia associate be given a “light beating”
and “kicking” with no damage to his face. He was also involved in Salvadoran
politics, directing gang members to vote for a particular party in local
elections, according to prosecutors.
The
Justice Department is already preparing for a death-penalty trial in federal
court in Alexandria against an alleged MS-13 leader accused of involvement in
the slaying of two teenage boys.
Trump
frequently invokes the danger of MS-13 and his combative response as a
rationale for his reelection; he did so Tuesday in a Rose Garden speech, saying
that Democratic candidate Joe Biden would not deport members “in prison for
rape, murder, lots of other things.”
Biden
has said he would halt deportations for 100 days and then focus on criminals
convicted of felonies.
MS-13,
short for Mara Salvatrucha, was founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s but became
an international menace after many members were deported to Central America in
the 1990s.
Trump
has said he is “very seriously” considering labeling Mexican drug cartels as
Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). And the U.S. government has accused
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of engaging in narcoterrorism. But MS-13 is
not designated as an FTO.
The
eight charges against Melgar Diaz are all of conspiring to commit crimes,
including narcoterrorism and terrorism financing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/for-the-first-time-trump-administration-uses-terrorism-charges-against-ms-13/2020/07/15/7079dd70-c6d3-11ea-a99f-3bbdffb1af38_story.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1364515_
--------
US
maintains Libya policy, condemns all foreign intervention: State Department
16
July 2020
Washington’s
policy toward Libya has not changed and the United States continues to oppose
“all foreign military interference in Libya,” a State Department spokesperson
said Thursday.
“Finalizing
an immediate ceasefire under the UN-led 5+5 military talks is imperative, as is
respect for the UN arms embargo by all parties,” the spokesperson told Al
Arabiya.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Tensions
in Libya have escalated in recent months, specifically between Egypt and
Turkey. Egypt is backing the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Gen.
Khalifa Haftar and Turkey has sent mercenaries and fighters to help the
Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al-Serraj.
On
Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country would not
stand idle. “As soon as Egypt interferes in Libya, the military scene will
change quickly and decisively,” al-Sisi added, according to the presidency.16
July 2020Text size A AA
Washington’s
policy toward Libya has not changed and the United States continues to oppose
“all foreign military interference in Libya,” a State Department spokesperson
said Thursday.
“Finalizing
an immediate ceasefire under the UN-led 5+5 military talks is imperative, as is
respect for the UN arms embargo by all parties,” the spokesperson told Al
Arabiya.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Tensions
in Libya have escalated in recent months, specifically between Egypt and
Turkey. Egypt is backing the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Gen.
Khalifa Haftar and Turkey has sent mercenaries and fighters to help the
Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al-Serraj.
On
Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country would not
stand idle. “As soon as Egypt interferes in Libya, the military scene will
change quickly and decisively,” al-Sisi added, according to the presidency.
The
statement also said tribal leaders meeting al-Sisi in Cairo had authorized the
president and Egypt’s army to intervene in their country “to protect Libyan
sovereignty.”
Asked
about Egyptian and Turkish intervention, the State Department official said
that the US opposed all foreign military interference in Libya.
RUSSIA
As
for Russia’s military interference in the Libyan war, “particularly the Russian
Ministry of Defense surrogates Wagner Group fighting alongside and in support
of LNA forces – is documented and poses a security threat to Europe and the
region.”
The
UN has previously said that Russia’s Wagner company had more than 1,000
mercenaries in Libya and the US military says Moscow has sent fighter jets to
support them.
“Russia’s
military activities in Libya exacerbate social and political rifts and increase
the potential for mass casualties, including civilians, with destabilizing
consequences for the region, including NATO’s southern flank,” the State
Department official said.
On
Wednesday, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said it had “clear evidence that
Russian employed, state-sponsored Wagner Group laid landmines and improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) in and around Tripoli, further violating the United
Nations arms embargo and endangering the lives of innocent Libyans.”
Although
Russia has denied using mercenaries abroad, Russian private military
contractors have clandestinely fought in support of Russian forces in Syria and
Ukraine, Reuters and other media have previously reported. The contractors are
recruited by the Wagner Group, whose members are mostly ex-service personnel.
The
State Department official said, “Ultimately, the Libyan people must resolve
this crisis through UN-facilitated political negotiations, aimed toward
national elections.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/07/16/US-maintains-Libya-policy-condemns-all-foreign-intervention-State-Department.html
--------
Europe
US
says Europe not doing enough to stop Libya fighting
17.07.2020
European
nations are not doing enough to check Russian and allied activities in Libya,
the US's senior diplomat for the Middle East said Thursday.
Addressing
the German Marshall Fund during a virtual discussion, David Schenker said while
European capitals are "proud" of their efforts to enforce a UN arms
blockade on the North African country they have been limited to stopping
shipments from Turkey.
“The
only interdictions that they are doing is of Turkish military material that
they’re sending to Libya. Nobody is interdicting Russian aircraft, nobody is
interdicting Emirati aircraft, nobody is interdicting the Egyptians,” Schenker
said of European nations, according to Reuters.
“They
could at least, if they were serious, I think, call them out - call out all
parties of the conflict when they violate the arms embargo,” he added.
Libya
has been mired in strife since NATO-led operations led to the overthrow of
former strongman Muammar Gadaffi in 2011.
The
country's new government was founded four years later in 2015 under a UN-led
agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement have so far failed
due to a military offensive by renegade general Khalifa Haftar’s forces.
Since
April 2019, Haftar's forces have launched attacks on the Libyan capital of
Tripoli and other parts of northwestern Libya, resulting in more than 1,000
deaths, including civilians. Haftar has the support of the United Arab
Emirates, Egypt and Russia while the UN-recognized government is backed by
Turkey.
The
Libyan government has recently achieved significant victories against Haftar,
pushing his forces out of Tripoli and the strategic city of Tarhuna.
US
Africa Command said this week it believes the Wagner Group, a Russian private
military firm, has deployed some 2,000 personnel to Libya to bolster Haftar.
Schenker
reportedly said that among the myriad things Europe could be doing to end the
conflict in Libya is sanctioning the Wagner Group, warning "If they aren’t
going to take out a more robust role, then this thing is going to drag
on."
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/us-says-europe-not-doing-enough-to-stop-libya-fighting/1913257
--------
New
clashes dash hopes of end to fighting on Azerbaijan-Armenia border
July
16, 2020
YEREVAN,
Armenia: New clashes erupted Thursday on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia
following a day-long lull, dashing hopes of a rapid end to a flare-up in
fighting.
At
least 16 people on both sides have been killed since clashes erupted on Sunday
between the ex-Soviet republics, who have been locked for decades in a conflict
over Azerbaijan’s southwestern separatist region of Nagorny Karabakh.
Ethnic
Armenian separatists seized the territory in a 1990s war that claimed 30,000
lives, though the recent fighting broke out on a section of the two countries’
shared border far from Karabakh.
The
fighting is centered on the northern regions of Tovuz in Azerbaijan and Tavush
in Armenia, and local villagers told AFP they feared for their lives.
“An
artillery shell hit our yard, 10 meters from the house,” resident ShainAbiyev
said in the Azerbaijani village of DondarQuscu near the border.
“Fortunately
my family was not at home, but if they had been in the house there would have
been a tragedy.”
The
clashes broke out on Sunday, with the two sides exchanging artillery and mortar
fire for three days until a pause on Wednesday after international calls for
restraint.
The
two countries’ defense ministries said shelling had resumed in the early hours
of Thursday, with both sides blaming each other.
Armenian
defense ministry spokeswoman SushanStepanyan said Azerbaijani forces were
“shelling Armenian villages with mortars and howitzers” in Tavush.
Armenian
forces responded and “destroyed the enemy’s tank and artillery positions from
which they were shelling Armenian villages,” Stepanyan said.
“We
are in control of the situation,” Armenian Prime Minister NikolPashinyan told a
cabinet meeting, saying there were “killed and wounded among the enemy” but “no
losses among our servicemen or civilians.”
The
defense ministry in Baku blamed Armenian forces for the renewed fighting,
saying in a statement that clashes started in the north after “Armenians
shelled Azerbaijani villages with large-calibre weapons.”
The
fighting that broke out last week has prompted calls for an immediate
de-escalation from the United States, the European Union and regional
powerbroker Russia. Turkey has spoken out in support of its ally Azerbaijan.
Eleven
Azerbaijani troops and one civilian have been killed in the clashes, as well as
four Armenian soldiers, according to the two countries.
The
last time major fighting erupted between the two was in April 2016, with days
of fierce combat in Karabakh that claimed more than 100 lives.
It
is unclear what ignited this summer’s flare-up, but analysts say it could have
been a small incident like a cross-border shooting that quickly escalated.
Olesya
Vartanyan, senior South Caucasus analyst for the International Crisis Group,
said a major confrontation would draw in big regional players.
“Any
direct attack at the territory of Armenia or Azerbaijan can provoke — with a
high probability — an intervention of one of the regional powers, particularly
Turkey or Russia,” she told AFP.
But
she said it seemed unlikely the crisis would escalate, as neither side has
territorial claims on northern border areas and the fighting had not spread to
Karabakh itself.
Talks
to resolve the Karabakh dispute — one of the worst conflicts to emerge from the
1991 collapse of the Soviet Union — have been largely stalled since a 1994
cease-fire agreement.
France,
Russia and the United States have mediated peace efforts as the “Minsk Group,”
but the last big push for a peace deal collapsed in 2010.
Flush
from years of oil revenues, energy-rich Azerbaijan has invested heavily in its
military and repeatedly vowed to retake Karabakh by force. The Turkic-speaking
country is firmly backed by main ally Ankara.
Armenia
has said it will defend Karabakh, which has declared its independence but
relies heavily on Yerevan.
Moscow
is also a key military ally of Armenia and has a base in the country, though it
has supplied both Baku and Yerevan with sophisticated weapons.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1705476/world
--------
Police
in Germany conduct raids on suspected Islamists in Berlin
15.07.2020
Investigators
from Berlin's Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) are executing 20 search
warrants against 12 suspects from the Islamist scene, Berlin's public
prosecutor's office said on Wednesday.
A
total of 450 officers and police officials were deployed in the operation, a
police spokesperson said, adding that more details about the raids would be
made public later on Wednesday.
There
was a "series of accusations" against the alleged extremists who are
suspected of financing terror, including threatening behavior and fraud, said
spokesperson Martin Steltner.
In
all, 19 properties were searched in the districts of Reinickendorf,
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Tempelhof-Schöneberg.
The
raids were carried out mostly on apartments and storage rooms, the spokesperson
added. A car with Hamburg license plates was also examined. No one was arrested
in the operation.
Germany's
Police Trade Union welcomed the raids as an example of the result of meticulous
investigative work. It is no secret that cash flows from criminal gangs in
"our money-laundering paradise" to fund terrorist organizations, the
union's regional deputy head Thomas Spaniel said, according to the German news
agency dpa.
Last
year, the domestic intelligence agency for the state of Berlin counted 2,170
Islamists in the city, 180 more than the previous year.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-police-raids-islamists/a-54181293?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1364515_
--------
Russia
denounces Western bids to politicize humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria
16
July 2020
Russia
has strongly condemned efforts by a number of Western countries to politicize
delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria for the sake of their own interests,
saying such efforts violate the Arab country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The
situation in Syria has been changing radically six years after authorization
for a mechanism to bring life-saving humanitarian aid into Syria due to the
fact that the Syrian government has regained control over large parts of the
country and effectively contributes to aid delivery to local residents. Russia,
therefore, considers it futile to extend the temporary and urgent cross-border
mechanism for humanitarian aid delivery into Syria infinitely,” said a
statement late on Wednesday by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Syria’s official
news agency SANA reported.
The
statement added that deliberations seen during the June 11 session of the
United Nations Security Council clearly revealed the discrepancy among some
Western states concerning respect for principles of the international
humanitarian law and highlighted their attempts to exploit the humanitarian aid
mechanism as well as unilateral coercive measures aimed at increasing the
sufferings of Syrian people.
The
Russian Foreign Ministry finally hoped that the cross-border mechanism would
not be politicized, and that humanitarian aids are delivered to all Syrians in
coordination with the Damascus government.
Separately,
Russian Permanent Envoy to the United Nations Office in Geneva Gennady Gatilov told
Russian-language daily broadsheet newspaper Izvestia that “the Americans and
their allies actively seek to take advantage of the mechanism for humanitarian
aid delivery into Syria in order to achieve their own political goals there.”
“The
goal is, in fact, to undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity, particularly through creating political and economic preferences for
areas not controlled by Damascus. It is well known that militants from
anti-government groups are in charge there,” Gatilov noted.
“By
pursuing such a policy, the West clearly seeks to continue providing support to
militants active in areas that the legitimate [Syrian] government doesn’t
control, with an eye on annexing these territories. Illegal and unilateral
sanctions are also being used as a tool to achieve this goal since they
continue to worsen the living conditions of Syrians,” the diplomat underlined.
Gatilov
emphasized that Russia would steadily oppose such a politicized agenda, which
is against the UN Charter.
On
Monday, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations VassilyNebenzia
condemned the exploitation of the cross-border mechanism for aid deliveries to
Syria by some members of the UN Security Council, and their disregard for the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
“Terrorist
organizations positioned in Idlib use the humanitarian aid as a tool to exert
pressure on civilian residents, and gain advantages. There is direct and
indirect evidence for that,” SANA quoted Nebenzia as saying in a statement
carried by Russian RIA Novosti news agency at the time.
He
added, “Moreover, some foreign parties exploit the mechanism of the
cross-border aid deliveries to Syria in a way that threatens secession of a
number of areas from the rest of the country.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/16/629748/Russia-denounces-Western-bids-to-politicize-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-to-Syria
--------
Pakistan
Maulana
Tariq Jamil praises Chaudhrys for service to Islam
July
17, 2020
LAHORE:
Religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil called on PML-Q President Ch Shujaat
Hussain and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi Thursday.
He
inquired after Ch Shujaat and also prayed for his long life and country’s
security. During the meeting, provincial Minerals Minister Hafiz Ammar Yasir
and Rasikh Elahi were also present.
Appreciating
services of Chaudhrys for Islam and their role in supporting Tableeghi Jamaat,
Maulana Tariq Jamil said you have performed “Farz-e-Kifaya” on behalf of the
Muslim Ummah, Allah has chosen your family for service to Islam.
He
paid tributes to Pervaiz Elahi for measures of Tahuffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat and
Tahuffuz-e-Namoos-e-Sahaba and prior approval of Mutahidda Ulema Board for
publication of religious books in the Punjab Assembly. Maulana Tariq Jamil also
appreciated Hafiz Ammar Yasir for presenting resolutions regarding
Tahuffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat and Tahuffuz-e-Namoos-e-Sahaba in the Punjab
Assembly.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/687958-maulana-tariq-jamil-praises-chaudhrys-for-service-to-islam
--------
Imran
Khan Govt Bans PUBG Citing ‘Anti-Islam Material’
NAILA
INAYAT
16
July, 2020
Pakistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan has managed to alienate a large part of his
constituency — the youth. The PTI government has banned Player Unknown’s
Battlegrounds, or PUBG, an online multiplayer video game, saying that it was
addictive, a waste of time and was posing a negative impact on the
psychological and physical wellbeing of the youngsters. Calls to lift the ban
have been on ever since with many PUBG players and supporters now threatening
to sit on dharnas on the Sindh-Punjab border.
If
religious ideology, morality and waste of time are the yardsticks to ban one
game, then the Imran Khan government might as well shut down the entire digital
space. For no one wholly complies to the standards set by the regulator,
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). It is safe to say that morality
lies in the eyes of the regulator.
The
Islamabad High Court, which is hearing a petition challenging the ban, was told
by the PTA that PUBG contained some “explicit scenes” and “anti-Islam
material”. The same charge could apply to TikTok, which is facing a ban
petition of its own.
This
is not the first time that Pakistan has banned a video game. In 2013,
war-themed games Call of Duty and Medal of Honor were removed from store
shelves for showing Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists. According to the
shop owners, these games showed Pakistani intelligence agencies as supporting
al-Qaeda and other jihadi organisations. Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni was banned
because of its sexual content and glorification of gay romance in 2017.
The
thumb rule
PUBG
had been in hot waters in Pakistan for a while. There have been at least three
reports of death by suicide, which the PTA cited as one of the reasons while
banning the game. The young men who died, according to their families, were
PUBG addicts who couldn’t take the pressure of not “completing a mission” and
hence took their own lives.
So
some action against the game was forthcoming, and anyone aware of Pakistan’s
history of dealing with a situation it can’t handle would have easily guessed
that banning the game was going to be the Imran Khan government’s first
response. The festival of Basant, in which people fly kites, continues to be
banned in Pakistan since 2005, when the Supreme Court, in a bid to prevent loss
of lives from the chemical-laced strings, gave the order. The Punjab government
had announced it was lifting the ban in 2019 but it withdrew its decision even
before it could come into effect.
Not
surprisingly then, banning PUBG was easier than regulating its consumption or
addressing issues around mental health. But here’s the irony: the same Imran
Khan government had argued against total lockdown to fight the coronavirus
pandemic by saying that just because traffic accidents cause deaths doesn’t
mean we should ban cars.
Out
of touch with reality
So
what will Pakistan achieve from banning PUBG, other than angering the youth?
Just like how citizens lost their livelihoods after the ban on Basant, the
decision to ban PUBG will similarly disrupt many people’s lives. PUBG, beyond
being an addiction for a few, is a source of entertainment for the youth locked
in their homes for the past four months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It
is also clear that the Imran Khan government doesn’t realise how big the
e-sports or digital gaming industry is. For instance, PUBG Mobile was the
highest-earning game worldwide in May 2020, making more than $226 million.
Similarly, gamers in Pakistan want the government to support them so that they
could develop “games like PUBG”. There are professionals who are looking for
ventures to invest. But then Pakistan doesn’t want PUBG even for entertainment
purposes.
Pakistan
often boasts about having the largest population of youth, yet it fails to take
them on board when making decisions that directly impact them. Just like the
rest of the affairs of the country, those deciding the fate of PUBG have no
stake in the gaming industry.
Angering
the youth
As
protests against PUBG as well as TikTok continue, Pakistan’s younger population
is taking the battle royale to social media, with hashtags such as
#UnBanPUBGPakistan and #PUBGKaJawabDou.
The
promise of Digital Pakistan, of making the country a technological superpower
won’t come true if the Imran Khan government doesn’t give a second thought
before angering the community on whose shoulders lies the responsibility of
fulfilling that promise: the youth. So what if the game is not played on a
field, like the sport prime minister used to professionally play in his younger
days? Pakistan’s team Freestyle deserves every support to win the PUBG Mobile
World League 2020 (East Season Zero).
After
all, we have been asked to believe that real national leadership is found after
winning a world tournament. Case in point: the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
https://theprint.in/opinion/letter-from-pakistan/imran-khan-govt-bans-pubg-citing-anti-islam-material-his-youth-base-wont-have-any-of-it/461844/
--------
ECP
starts survey on gender gap in voter registration in KP
17
Jul, 2020
PESHAWAR:
The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday started door-to-door pilot
survey to know the reasons and reduce gender gap in voter registration.
Presiding
over a meeting of the gender and discipline electoral working group here,
provincial election commissioner Sharifullah said that accurate registration of
voters and preparation of voter lists was the first and important phase for
transparency of elections.
The
meeting was attended by representatives of various non-government
organisations, according to a press release.
According
to him, there is a difference of 12.7 million in the voter lists of both the
genders across the country.
MrSharifullah
said that other departments and civil society organisations should also help in
preparation of accurate voter lists. He said that the gender affairs and
electoral roles wing of ECP had identified 229 census block codes (CBCs) in 21
tehsils across the country having a significant gender gap in the voter
registration.
He
said training workshops for district election commissioners, assistant registration
officers and verifying officers were arranged by the ECP to conduct the survey,
said MrSharifullah, adding the data to be collected during the survey would be
compared with that of Nadra, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and Electoral Rolls.
The
provincial election commissioner said the pilot project would continue till
August 31.
He
said a number of localities were identified in five districts, including
Mardan, Upper Dir, Mansehra, Bannu, and Khyber, that had huge difference in the
voter lists on the basis of gender.
He
said as per schedule, preparations would be completed till July 25, 2020, to
finalise initial voter lists till August 20. The process of correction of voter
lists and delimitations would continue till Oct 13, he added.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1569407/ecp-starts-survey-on-gender-gap-in-voter-registration-in-kp
--------
UN
blacklists Pakistan Taliban terror group's leader
Jul
17, 2020
UNITED
NATIONS: The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group's leader Noor
WaliMehsud has been designated as a global terrorist by the UN for
participating in the financing, planning and perpetrating acts on behalf of and
in support of entities associated with al-Qaida.
The
UN Security Council's 1267 ISIL and al-Qaida Sanctions Committee added Mehsud,
42, to the ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions List on Thursday, subjecting
the Pakistani national to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.
The
Sanctions Committee said that Mehsud was listed for "participating in the
financing, planning, facilitating, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in
conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of"
entities associated with al-Qaida.
In
June 2018, Mehsud was named the leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, following
the death of former TTP leader Maulana Fazlullah.
The
TTP was blacklisted by the UN on July 29, 2011 for its association with
al-Qaida.
"Under
Noor Wali's leadership, TTP has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly
terrorist attacks across Pakistan, including an attack targeting Pakistani
security forces in North Waziristan in July 2019 and a bomb attack against
Pakistani soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in August 2019," the Sanctions
Committee said.
The
group had claimed responsibility for an attempted bombing in Times Square on
May 1, 2010, and in April 2010 it had launched a multi-pronged assault against
the United States Consulate in Peshawar, killing at least six Pakistanis and
wounding 20 others, the committee added.
The
US State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) said in a
tweet that it welcomes the addition of Mehsud by the UN to the ISIL and
al-Qaida sanctions list.
"TTP
is responsible for many deadly terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The United States
domestically designated Noor Wali as a terrorist in September 2019," it
said in the tweet.
Blacklisting
by the Security Council entails that all states are required to freeze without
delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated
individuals and entities.
They
are also required to prevent the entry into or transit through their
territories by the designated individuals and prevent the direct or indirect
supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside
their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related
materiel of all types, spare parts, and technical advice, assistance, or
training related to military activities, to designated individuals and
entities.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/un-blacklists-pakistan-taliban-terror-groups-leader/articleshow/77010806.cms
--------
US,
Pakistan sign accord on child abduction
Anwar
Iqbal
17
Jul, 2020
WASHINGTON:
The United States and Pakistan have signed a legal framework to prevent
international child abduction, the State Department announced on Thursday.
International
parental child abduction is the removal or retention of a child outside their
country of habitual residence in breach of another parent or guardian’s custody
rights. The UN and human rights organisations regard this as child abuse and an
extreme form of parental alienation.
According
to the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), nearly
800,000 children are reported missing each year. That is more than 2,000 a day.
The NCMEC says that 203,000 children are kidnapped each year by family members.
An
official statement issued in Washington said that on July 1, the United States
accepted Pakistan’s accession to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects
of International Child Abduction.
The
convention is a multilateral treaty that establishes proceedings for the prompt
return of children who have been wrongfully removed or kept away from their
home country.
Currently,
there are 98 contracting states to the Hague Convention.
The
Convention will enter into force between the United States and Pakistan on Oct
1, and will put in place an internationally recognised legal framework to
resolve cases of parental child abduction between the two countries.
“As
partners, we will enhance our shared commitment to protecting children and open
a new chapter in the vibrant US-Pakistan relationship,” the official US
statement said.
The
convention provides a mechanism under civil law in either country for parents
seeking the return of children who have been wrongfully removed from or
retained outside of their country of habitual residence in violation of
custodial rights.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1569440/us-pakistan-sign-accord-on-child-abduction
--------
Pakistani,
Indonesian Muslim groups hail Turkey's Hagia Sophia move
15.07.2020
Political
parties and religious groups in two largest Muslim nations, Pakistan and
Indonesia, appreciated Turkey’s decision to turn Hagia Sophia back into a
mosque.
In
a letter addressed to the Turkey's president, chief of Pakistan's
Jamaat-e-Islami party Siraj ul Haq said the news of opening Hagia Sophia for
Muslim prayers after 86 years "warmed hearts of Muslims all around the
world and particularly in Pakistan."
"Accept
our heartiest greetings over the major decision which has reversed the
injustice committed decades back," Haq said in his letter to Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.
After
centuries of service as a church under the Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was
converted into a mosque by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II following his conquest of
Istanbul in 1453.
In
1935, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum.
"The
Hagia Sophia is amanat [depositation] of Fatih Sultan Mehmet and who better
than President Erdogan can take care of such a huge responsibility," Haq
added.
Recalling
the Indian top court's verdict last year on the historical Babri mosque, Haq
said that at a time when Muslim-majority Turkey is taking the lead in
preserving heritage of Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in India, a neighbor of
Pakistan, "the Hindu nationalist government has once again attacked
centuries-old Babri Masjid and demolished it to construct a Hindu temple."
Babri
Masjid was constructed by Zahir-uddin Babur, an ethnic Turk and his Mughal
empire ruled over South Asia for nearly 300 years.
"Likewise,
Hindu fascists are eyeing thousands of other mosques in India which are under
threat. They have already begun demographic change in Indian-occupied Kashmir
which is a Muslim-majority region," he added.
Decision
welcomed by Indonesian Muslim groups
On
Friday, a top Turkish court annulled a 1934 Cabinet decree, which had turned
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia from a mosque into a museum.
This
verdict by the country's Council of State paved the way for its use again as a
mosque after 85 years.
It
ruled that the architectural gem had been owned by a foundation established by
Mehmed II, and presented to the community as a mosque -- a status that cannot
be legally changed.
"Legal
decisions through open and impartial litigation must be respected," said
RobikinEmhas, head of Executive Council of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest
Muslim organization, told Anadolu Agency.
Responding
to diverse reactions from the international community, Emhas said every
decision of a judicial institution in any country would not satisfy all
parties, but "this move must be respected."
Muhammadiyah,
the country's oldest Muslim organization, also welcomed Turkey’s decision on
Hagia Sophia.
Wahid
Ridwan, the body’s secretary for international relations and cooperation, said
the reopening of Hagia Shopia as a mosque is the full right of Turkish
government and people.
"The
change in status was carried out in a legal and bureaucratic process as a
democratic country, so it does not need to be contested internationally since
it had gone through a very accountable process," he told Anadolu Agency.
Ridwan
said this step portrayed tolerance and development of world civilization in the
harmony of religions.
"The
pressure will not change the stance of government and people of Turkey. The West
must understand that their view of Islam is very narrow,” he said.
He
added that criticism over the decision is unnecessary as Turkey will open the
complex to visitors of all religions.
Meanwhile,
SurahmanHidayat, a member of parliament from the Prosperous Justice Party, said
the decision was Turkey’s sovereign rights and it needs to be respected.
"Everyone
must respect the Turkish legal system and authority, its internal sovereignty
and long history of the nation," he told Anadolu Agency.
He
highlighted that the historical building was presented to the community as a
mosque by Fatih Sultan Mehmed II.
He
added that changing the status of Hagia Sophia to a mosque means it will be
open every day for visitors and everyone can enter the complex.
Ahmad
Baidowi, a deputy from the United Development Party, said the return of Hagia
Sophia as a mosque is Turkey’s sovereignty.
"Turkey
has its own authority as a country," Baidowi told Anadolu Agency.
He
said that Indonesia, as a country that adheres to free and active foreign
policy, fully respects Turkey's decision.
“It
was ruled by the court and it was changed from a museum, not from other
religion’s house of worship, so it is not a big problem,” he added.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the historical complex will be ready for
worship for Friday prayers on July 24.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistani-indonesian-muslim-groups-hail-turkeys-hagia-sophia-move/1910920
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