New Age Islam News Bureau
10
Jul 2020
•
French Lawmakers Propose Muslim Brotherhood Ban, Measures To ‘Combat Radical
Islam’
•
''Bangladesh: Hindu Life Matters'' Campaign Gathers Steam
•
Indonesian Politician's Anti-Virus Veil Policy Draws Fire
•
Arab Coalition: World Should Hold Iran Responsible For Houthis’ Malicious
Activities
•
Spokesman Rejects US "Lies" about Confiscation of Iranian Ship
Carrying Arms to Yemen
•
Haftar Even Rejected Moscow Peace Initiative: Libya
•
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl Chief Said World Is Fighting Against Covid-19,
Pakistan Is Fighting Against Covid-18
•
Mewat Court Gives Relief to Tablighi Jamaat Members, Asks Authorities To Send
Them Back Safely
-----
North America
•
US Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over 'Abuse' Of Muslims In Xinjiang
•
US Claim of Deal with China Not in Iran's Interest ‘Preposterous’
•
Witnesses refute rumors about blast, power outage near Tehran
•
UN report on General Soleimani’s assassination draws US ire
--------
Europe
•
French Lawmakers Propose Muslim Brotherhood Ban, Measures To ‘Combat Radical
Islam’
•
Previously acquitted UK man convicted of terror attack plan
•
'Far-right terrorism biggest threat to German security'
•
‘Negative trend in EU-Turkey relations must stop’
--------
South Asia
•
''Bangladesh: Hindu Life Matters'' Campaign Gathers Steam
•
Afghanistan to release prisoners from Taliban list in push for talks
•
Bangladesh refuses to move Rohingya refugees from flood-prone island to
mainland
•
Bangladesh Church urges peace after deadly violence in Chittagong hills
•
Pakistani terrorist among 2 killed in Paktiya province of Afghanistan: MoD
•
Suicide car bomb attack hits Afghan forces’ check post in Wardak
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Indonesian Politician's Anti-Virus Veil Policy Draws Fire
•
More Than 30 Malaysian Civil Society Organisations Say They Are Standing In
Solidarity With All Sexual Harassment Survivors
•
Rights lawyer Eric Paulsen wins defamation suit against Muslim activist
•
I won’t bow down to blackmail, smear campaign, says prominent Muslim activist
--------
Arab world
•
Arab Coalition: World Should Hold Iran Responsible ForHouthis’ Malicious
Activities
•
Chemical weapons body condemns Syria for using sarin, chlorine on village in
Hama
•
US forces in Iraq carry out overnight strike on ISIS cell
•
Egypt carries out military drill near Libya border
•
6 ISIL Terrorists Arrested by Hashd al-Sha'abi in Mosul
--------
Mideast
•
Spokesman Rejects US "Lies" about Confiscation of Iranian Ship
Carrying Arms to Yemen
•
In second mishap in less than week, three dead as fireworks truck explodes in
Turkey
•
Explosion at Iran's Natanz nuclear site caused ‘likely irreparable’ damage:
Report
•
Syrian president: Iran-Syria military accord rooted in years of anti-terror
cooperation
•
Iran signs agreement to bolster Syria’s air defense systems
•
Yemeni government condemns Houthi sea lane violations
--------
Africa
•
Haftar Even Rejected Moscow Peace Initiative: Libya
•
Sudan’s PM accepts resignation of six ministers: Statement
•
Terrorists kill eight soldiers in Chad: Security sources
•
Foreign meddling in Libya at unprecedented levels: UN chief
--------
Pakistan
•
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl Chief Said World Is Fighting Against Covid-19,
Pakistan Is Fighting Against Covid-18
•
Muslim World League delivers COVID-19 medical aid to Pakistan
•
IMF predicts economic recovery in Pakistan next year
•
US revokes permission for PIA to operate special direct flights
•
ATC orders inquiry into illegal construction of mosque in Karachi
•
PPP members, ministers clash in NA over KE affairs, JIT report
•
Govt presents anti-domestic violence bill in NA
--------
India
•
Mewat Court Gives Relief to Tablighi Jamaat Members, Asks Authorities To Send
Them Back Safely
•
Tablighi Jamaat Event: Delhi Court Grants Bail To 76 Foreigners From 8
Countries
•
Tamil Nadu Police Arrest 86 For Spreading Hatred Against The Muslim Community,
Linking Them With Covid-19
•
CBI Court Orders to Trace Babri Mosque Demolition Case Accused
•
Terrorists attack Army convoy in Kashmir; soldier, pedestrian injured
•
75 Pakistanis stranded in India due to Covid-19 return home via Wagah-Attari
crossing
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/us-sanctions-chinese-officials-abuse/d/122338
--------
US
Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over 'Abuse' Of Muslims In Xinjiang
10
July 2020
The United Nations estimates more than a million
Muslims have been held in camps in China's Xinjiang region [File: Ng Han/The
Associated Press]
-----
The
US has announced sanctions against Chinese politicians who it says are
responsible for human rights violations against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.
China
is accused of mass detentions, religious persecution and forced sterilisation
of Uighurs and others.
The
sanctions target the US-connected financial interests of regional Communist
Party boss Chen Quanguo and three other officials.
China
denies any mistreatment of Muslims in far-western Xinjiang.
Authorities
there are thought to have detained about a million people in re-education camps
in recent years. They say "vocational training" is needed to counter
radicalism and separatism.
Mr
Chen, who sits on the Chinese Communist Party's powerful Politburo, is the
highest-ranking Chinese official ever to be hit by US sanctions, the Trump
administration says. He is seen as the architect of Beijing's policies against
minorities, and was previously in charge in Tibet.
The
other officials targeted are Wang Mingshan, director of the Xinjiang Public
Security Bureau; Zhu Hailun, a senior party member in Xinjiang, and former
security official HuoLiujun.
It
is now a crime in the US to conduct financial transactions with all of them,
and they will have their US-based assets frozen.
HoweverMrHuo
will not be subjected to visa restrictions that bar the others and their
families from entering the US.
Sanctions
have also been placed on the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau as a whole.
US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was acting against "horrific
and systematic abuses" in the region.
"The
United States will not stand idly by as the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]
carries out human rights abuses targeting Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members
of other minority groups in Xinjiang," he said in a statement.
He
said the US was also placing additional visa restrictions on other unnamed
Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for abuses in Xinjiang.
Their family members may also be subject to the restrictions.
Tensions
between the US and China are already high over the coronavirus pandemic and
China's decision to introduce a national security law in Hong Kong that has
faced significant criticism from the West.
What
is China doing in Xinjiang?
Rights
groups say up to a million Muslims have been detained in high-security prison
camps across Xinjiang province.
Last
year, the BBC saw leaked documents that showed 15,000 people from southern
Xinjiang were sent to the camps in one week alone.
The
same documents showed inmates can be released only when they "understand
deeply the illegal, criminal and dangerous nature of their past activity".
The
Chinese authorities say the Uighurs are being educated in "vocational
training centres" in order to combat violent religious extremism.
However
evidence shows many are being detained for simply expressing their faith - for
example, praying or wearing a veil - or for having overseas connections to
places like Turkey.
Uighurs,
who are mostly Muslim, are ethnically Turkic and make up about 45% of
Xinjiang's population.
Last
month a report by China scholar Adrian Zenz found China was forcing women in
Xinjiang to be sterilised or fitted with contraceptive devices.
The
report has prompted international calls for the United Nations to investigate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53355697
--------
French
lawmakers propose Muslim Brotherhood ban, measures to ‘combat radical Islam’
09
July 2020
French
lawmakers have proposed banning clerics affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood
from preaching, as part of 44 propositions set out counter “Islamist”
radicalization in the country, according to a government document obtained by
French daily Le Figaro.
The
report also suggests stricter laws for cultural associations, schools, and
funds sent to organizations – particularly from abroad.
According
to the proposals, cultural associations should be required to declare funds
sent from abroad to increase transparency. Additionally, anyone who wants to
benefit from subsidies from local authorities must “sign a charter
demonstrating respect for the values of the Republic.”
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
The
senators urged for the creation of a database of home-schooled students and
students in non-contract schools to verify the training of their teachers.
Non-contract schools – or a school that doesn’t have a contract with the
government – are free to set their own curriculums.
The
commission also underlined the necessity of knowing the identity of all
employees in contact with minors, and to “extend the scope of administrative
investigations to recruitment and assignment decisions.”
“Radical
Islamism is polymorphic, and it is found in all aspects of social life and
tends to put in place a new social norm that is more prevalent than
individually liberty,” Le Figaro reported the document as saying.
The
report, which Le Figaro shared the details of on Thursday, was the product of a
Parliamentary commission comprised of around 30 senators that interviewed key
stakeholders, researchers and politicians responsible to highlight the largest
threats that face France.
The
report discusses “the reality of Islamist radicalization in France and its
repercussions on society.”
“We
pose a subject to society: all of France, except the west, is touched by
radical Islam,” said senator Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio. “Today, in France,
people are placed under house arrest in the name of a religious norm. We don’t
have to accept this. It is now or never that we must react.”
The
44 propositions relate to economic, education, social and cultural issues to
help the country face the mounting issues and to “stop the preaching machine,”
Le Figaro wrote, quoting the report. The MPs behind the policy draft suggested
better training on secularism and radical Islam for local elected
representatives and for those who work in public administration.
“France,
that is not an assembly of minorities, but rather is one nation, cannot have a
doctrine of reasonable accommodation,” the commission said.
Eustache-Brinio
said she worries about the “spread of behavior that calls into question living
alongside each other, and those that directly affect freedom of conscience, and
equality between men and women and the rights of gay people.”
“Beyond
places of culture, we are witnessing in certain areas an Islamist ecosystem
emerging where we live ourselves.”
France
has for years struggled to integrate Muslims into the country, with one of the
most notable examples being the 2010 “burka ban” that was upheld in 2014 that
prohibits women from wearing full-face veils.
In
mid-2016, there were about 5.7 million Muslims in France, making up 8.8 percent
of the country’s population, according to Pew Research.
France
has tried to create a French brand of Islam since the 1980s, the Atlantic
reported in 2018.
Politicians
from current President Emmanuel Macron to former President Francois Hollande
have aimed to integrate the country’s Muslim minority and fight extremism.
“Ironically,
past attempts to codify a sort of French Islam—transforming Islam in France to
an Islam of France—have been deeply entangled with French Muslims’ countries of
origin, especially Morocco, Algeria, and Turkey. In 2015, for example, then-President
François Hollande signed a deal with the Moroccan monarchy to send French imams
to a training institute in Rabat,” The Atlantic article read.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/09/French-lawmakers-propose-Muslim-Brotherhood-ban-measures-to-combat-radical-Is.html
--------
''Bangladesh:
Hindu Life Matters'' campaign gathers steam
09
JULY 2020
London,
July 9 (IANS) The universal protest against the recent brutal killing of George
Floyd, the black American in the US by the police has triggered off another
protest-campaign in Bangladesh and the UK with the catchy slogan, ''Bangladesh:
Hindu Life Matters! Stop religious minority persecution!.
The
campaign is gaining momentum specially in the wake of the killing of a young
Hindu man by the police in Kotalipara under Gopalganj district in Bangladesh on
June 2.
According
to a report published in the leading Bengali daily newspaper, Prothom Alo in
Dhaka, the victim, Nikhil Talukder, 32, of Ramshil village was playing cards
with three others, when Assistant Sub Inspector Shamim Uddin appeared on the
scene and started beating them.
Three
escaped but Nikhil could not. The police officer beat Nikhil mercilessly
causing fractures in his backbones. He was admitted to the Barisal
Sher-e-Bangla medical college hospital and when his situation worsened, he was
moved to Dhaka Pangu hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
DainikSamokal,
another newspaper quoted his wife, ItiTalukder: "My husband did not do any
crime, he was simply playing cards. Why did the police officer beat him to
death in such an inhuman way. I demand punishment for this killing by the
police."
ItiTalukder''s
demand snowballed into a demand from Hindu minorities beyond Bangladesh
borders.
Secular
Bangladesh Movement UK, a London-based organisation led by a human rights
activist, Pushpita Gupta, a British national of Bangladeshi origin has started
a campaign against the issue of continuation of violence against the Hindu
minorities in Bangladesh.
Attacks
on religious minorities, especially Hindus, across Bangladesh is not a new
phenomenon. It has been going on for many years, post-1975 with the killing of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation.
What
is alarming, however, is that assaults on the Hindu community in different
parts of Bangladesh has spiraled at an alarming rate even under the present
government, which is assumed to be minority-friendly.
Politically
influential perpetrators with connections to the ruling Awami League (AL),
pro-BNP and pro-Jamaat carry out attacks, rape, abduction, land grabbing,
temple vandalism, forced conversions etc. The victims do not dare file police
cases fearing further harassment as the police often take the side of the
perpetrators.
Incidents
of illegally and forcibly evicting religious minorities from their ancestral
homes, burning their houses and temples perhaps occur only in Bangladesh and
Pakistan. Such atrocities against the Hindus have been continuing for long and
what is worrying is that even during the Covid-19 crisis, such attacks are
going on unabated.
Even
during the present AL government, an organised anti-Hindu and anti-India
propaganda is being fueled by fanatic Islamic preachers in the name of
''Wajjmahfil'' throughout the country, drawing huge numbers of followers on the
social media. These radical Islamic groups including Hefazat Islam have become
so powerful politically that the present government was forced to agree to
their demands to take out ''secular'' texts from the school curriculum on the
ground that those were anti-Islam.
This
acerbic anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda has peaked and is now clearly
visible in Bangladesh. There have been countless infiltrations of Jamaat and
BNP elements into the AL and its students front, Chattra League.
This
has been possible due to active and passive consent/support of some central AL
leaders, even ministers.
A
voluntary organization Bidyanonda which came into prominence in the recent past
due to its exemplary social work to help the poor, became the target of the
Islamic fundamentalist groups. The founder Kishore Kumar Das received a series
of threats and groups critical of Bidyanonda demanded that the organization be
banned.
In
the face of such vehement criticism and threats from Islamic groups, Das
resigned, although some secular groups felt that he should not have succumbed
to the demands of the fundamentalists.
Later,
Das was coerced to issue a statement saying that Bidyanondo had nothing to do
with Hinduism and above 80 per cent of its members are Muslims. He further
said, the name of the organization had been chosen by the majority members of
the organisation and the word Bidyanondo means ''Learn for Fun''.
That
the Hindus are leaving Bangladesh for India and other countries is not unknown.
The only reason behind this fact is that they do not feel safe in Bangladesh.
The
voice of the secular group is very minuscule, and their voice is too feeble as
they are also apprehensive of reprisal from Islamic groups and influential
people in power.
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina is sympathetic to the minorities and is aware of the
problems, but there has been infiltration of radical elements into her party
and government.
The
Rohingya camps are being seen as breeding centres of crime, rape and more
alarmingly, Islamic radicalization.
Recent
attacks in Reading (UK) by a Nigerian Muslim killing three passers-by and
seriously injuring two more in a park in Reading in UK testifies that threats
from Islamic fundamentalists in Europe is far from over.
Similar
attacks in other parts of Europe have also been witnessed.
Dutch
police averted a ''serious terrorist attack'' in the Netherlands and arrested
seven of the suspected men, all Muslim. The plan involved jackets packed with
explosives and Kalashnikovs at an event and a car bomb elsewhere, according to
the report.
In
another incident, the Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old Syrian man on 16 June
2020 at a reception center for people seeking asylum in the country. The man
was accused of involvement in a terrorist organization, and was taken into
custody in Balk, a village in Friesland about 25 km west of Heerenveen. He is
suspected to have taken part in the Islamic group Ahrar al-Sham in Syria in
2015 and 2016, according to police.
Ahrar
al-Sham is not in the list of terrorist organization, as it does not operate
outside Syria, according to a Dutch government Minister. These are only a few
of many such incidents taking place in different parts of Europe, almost
regularly.
The
Muslim Brotherhood (MB), the purveyors of a totalitarian and oppressive
ideology which seeks to unite Muslim society under its umbrella is expanding
its influence in Europe. Its presence in countries like France and Belgium is
very strong. The MB is working to influence political decision making in France
by affecting Muslim communities and elected officials in municipal councils.
Though
MB is viewed as a legitimate organization while it should not be forgotten that
MB''s core principles go against the core values of Europe such as secularism
and rights of sexual and religious minorities and hatred to other faiths what
they term non-believers. MB is believed to also exert a sort of soft influence
on local French officials through its people in the media and academia.
In
another incident in Belgium, a police officer Mohamed S. from Schaarbeek was
convicted by the Court of Appeal in Brussels last week for supplying secret
information to terror suspect Yassine Atar. He was accused of passing on secret
police information to Yassine Atar, brother of Oussama Atar, who is known as
one of the key figures in the preparation of the March 2016 Brussels terror
attacks.
These
stray incidents show that violent extremism is far from over and there is no
reason to be complacent that Europe is free from the threats of extreme violence.
The threats are serious and there is an urgent need to draw the attention of
the international community, especially European policy makers, governments and
the civil society to the challenges and threats from violent extremism. And
that could only be done by organizing conferences and demonstrations in
different parts of Europe and holding discussions in different social media.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/bangladesh-hindu-life-matters-campaign-gathers-steam/1890490
--------
Indonesian
politician's anti-virus veil policy draws fire
10
July 2020
Female civil servants do morning exercises in
Lombok, wearing veils instead of masks
-----
An
Indonesian politician is under fire for ordering female civil servants to wear
face veils once a week in what he defended as a bid to guard against the
coronavirus.
But
critics said the loose covering known as the niqab did not offer sufficient
protection and it was another attempt to impose conservative dress codes on
women in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.
Mohammad
Suhaili Fadhil Thohir, the head of Central Lombok regency, next to the holiday
island of Bali, said he made the order after government employees complained
about wearing face masks during office calisthenics held outside every Friday
-- Islam's holy day.
But
Thohir denied any religious motivation for requiring the face veil, which is
not worn by most women in Indonesia but is common in some Gulf nations.
"It
is purely for COVID-19 prevention. This is not based on radical teachings or
fanaticism," Thohir said, adding that there were no sanctions for ignoring
his rule.
"To
make sure civil servants cover their nose and mouth during the weekly exercise
we asked them to wear veils."
The
policy was announced last month. Male civil servants have to wear medical masks
during the group exercises.
While
the rule may only be mandatory on Fridays, many female employees wear veils in
the local government office on other days, according to an AFP reporter.
About
90 percent of the nearly 4,000 women working for Central Lombok's government
are Muslim.
Civil
servant Yayuh, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said she expected
Central Lombok's policy would become mandatory during all work hours.
"But
I don't mind as it's a way to learn about wearing appropriate clothes taught in
Islam," she added.
-
Calls for reversal -
The
policy has raised eyebrows among rights groups.
"A
mask needs to meet certain standards to prevent" infection, said Andy
Yentriyani, a commissioner at the National Commission on Violence Against
Women.
"The
policy should be reviewed because it could threaten women's health
rights."
Central
Lombok has got off relatively lightly with the virus, with 117 confirmed cases
and four deaths. Nationwide infections have officially topped 70,000.
Indonesia's
long-held reputation for being relatively liberal has taken a hit in recent
years as Muslim hardliners gain influence.
This
week police in conservative Aceh province -- where wearing the hijab, which
covers a woman's hair and neck, outside is mandatory -- censured a group of
female cyclists over what authorities deemed inappropriate clothing: tight,
long-sleeved pink tops and dark trousers.
Human
Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono said the veil order was "obviously
an extension" of a mandatory hijab regulation for Muslim girls in almost
300,000 public schools across the sprawling archipelago.
"Everyone
should wear masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus, including civil
servants, but a veil is not a mask," he said.
Female
civil servants do morning exercises in Lombok, wearing veils instead of masks
Female
civil servants do morning exercises in Lombok, wearing veils instead of masks,
while men don masks behind them
https://au.news.yahoo.com/indonesian-politicians-anti-virus-veil-policy-draws-fire-070929453--spt.html
--------
Arab
Coalition: World should hold Iran responsible for Houthis’ malicious activities
09
July 2020
Arab Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki. (File
photo: AFP)
----
The
international community should hold the Iranian regime responsible for the
Houthi militia’s two explosive-laden boats which were targeting maritime routes
and the Arab Coalition destroyed, the coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki told
Al Arabiya on Thursday.
The
Arab Coalition had earlier announced that it targeted two Unmanned Surface
Vehicles (USV) laden with explosives in the Red Sea and destroyed them six
kilometers south of the Yemeni port of Salif.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Al-Maliki
added: “There has been a deliberate escalation recently in targeting maritime
routes and civilians.”
“Since
the end of June… we’ve noticed the Houthi militias escalating their attempts to
target civilians in Saudi Arabia, in Yemeni areas, and to threaten maritime
routes and international trade. The important aspect here is that there is no
doubt that the Iranian regime, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
are dictating (orders for those attempts).”
“The
(Houthi) militias do not have the power to make the decision to reach a
political solution; they do not have the power to make the decision to sit down
with the legitimate Yemeni government. The Iranian regime is the one
benefitting from the continuation of those operations or the Yemeni crisis,
which exacerbates the humanitarian situation inside Yemen,” al-Maliki added.
He
highlighted the UN report which determined that cruise missiles used in several
attacks on oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia last
year were of “Iranian origin,” and stressed that it was time the international
community held the Iranian regime responsible and accountable for backing the
Houthis and Tehran’s other malicious activities in the region.
The
Arab Coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally
recognized government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the
Iran-backed Houthis.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/09/Arab-Coalition-World-should-hold-Iran-responsible-for-Houthis-malicious-activities.html
--------
Spokesman
Rejects US "Lies" about Confiscation of Iranian Ship Carrying Arms to
Yemen
Jul
09, 2020
"Lying,
accusing and spreading hatred are key elements of US foreign policy, specially
in the current regime," Mousavi said on Thursday.
He
described the US allegations as baseless, saying, "Americans who feel they
have not succeeded in extending Iran's arms embargo in the international arena
and the UN Security Council, are trying to use allegations and lies as an
excuse to continue to exert maximum pressure and advance their vicious
goals."
Mousavi
said that the US and Saudi Arabia have imposed a five-year siege on the Yemeni
people, killing thousands due to starvation and malnutrition, and added,
"Instead of being held accountable for their crimes in Yemen, the two
regimes are trying to absolve themselves of responsibility and accountability
for their inhumane and criminal behavior by making baseless accusations against
others."
Iran
has in several occasions dismissed allegations about supplying weapons to
Yemen's Ansarallah resistance group.
"All
that glitters is not gold and any similar weapon is not necessarily an Iranian
weapon," Mousavi said in February.
"Medicine
and medical goods are sent to them (the Yemenis) with difficulty; then how
could military equipment go through and sent to them?" he asked.
Mousavi
said that the Yemeni nation has made astonishing progress in the military field
and manufacturing weapons and military equipment after facing the Saudi-led
aggression.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign
against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of former
president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi back to power and crushing the Ansarallah
movement.
The
US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit
conflict-research organization, estimates that the war has claimed more than
100,000 lives over the past nearly five years.
The
UN says over 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including
10 million suffering from extreme levels of hunger.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990419000605
--------
Haftar
even rejected Moscow peace initiative: Libya
09.07.2020
Libya
on Thursday reiterated its commitment to achieve peace, in remarks to Russia,
pointing out to the Kremlin how warlord Khalifa Haftar has even rebuffed its
own peace proposals.
In
a press statement replying to comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov, Libya's Foreign Ministry confirmed that the internationally recognized
Government of National Accord (GNA) always sought to achieve a peaceful
solution to the country's crisis.
Lavrov
on Wednesday claimed the "Libyan government is unwilling to sign a
cease-fire agreement and seeks a military solution."
"We
remind the Russian foreign minister that the Russian-Turkish initiative was
signed by the GNA in Moscow while Haftar refused to sign and departed [Moscow],
putting Russia in an embarrassing position," the statement said.
Haftar
on Jan. 14 refused to sign onto a Russian-Turkish initiative for a cease-fire
and continued his offensive and failed attempt to capture the capital Tripoli.
The
statement also confirmed that the GNA also welcomed the Berlin peace process
efforts on Libya.
Since
April 2019, Haftar's illegitimate forces have launched attacks on the Libyan
capital of Tripoli and other parts of northwestern Libya, resulting in more
than 1,000 deaths, including civilian women and children.
However,
the Libyan government has recently achieved significant victories, pushing
Haftar’s forces out of Tripoli and the strategic city of Tarhuna.
Russia
is one of the countries that have supported Haftar against Libya's legitimate
government.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/haftar-even-rejected-moscow-peace-initiative-libya/1905371
--------
Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam Fazl Chief Said World Is Fighting Against Covid-19, Pakistan Is
Fighting Against Covid-18
Zia
Ur Rehman
July
10, 2020
KARACHI:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Thursday said that the
country has been put on the road to ruins, adding that the state institutions
were not on the same page.
Speaking
to the media after an All Parties Conference (APC), the JUI-F chief said that
such was the condition of the country that no political entity was ready to run
the government. He said that the matter was not of minus-one but the whole
basket of eggs needed to be disposed of, adding that the world was fighting
against COVID-19 but “we are fighting with Covid-18.”
Earlier,
the APC organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sindh, on Thursday
rejected any change to the 18th Constitutional Amendment and cut in the
provincial share in the National Financial Commission (NFC) Award. However, it
agreed that the provinces should also devolve powers and funds further to the
local government bodies in the cities.
Addressing
a joint news conference after the APC, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief, Maulana
Fazlur Rehman, remarked that the plans to change the NFC Award was a conspiracy
to roll back the 18th Amendment and all political parties will jointly resist
the government’s move.
The
conference was attended by Pakistan People's Party’s central leader and former
federal minister Sherry Rehman, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, the
MuttahidaQaumi Movement-Pakistan's deputy convener Amir Khan, Sindh Minister
Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan’s leader Shah OwaisNoorani,
Pakistan Muslim Leauge Nawaz Karachi President Salman Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami
Sindh chief Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, Balochistan National Party Mengal’s
leader Jahanzaib Baloch, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s leader Sardar
Abdul Rahim, Awami National Party Sindh President Shahi Said, QaumiAwami
Tehreek chief Ayaz Latif Palijo, Sindh TaraqiPasand Party chief Qadir Magsi,
Nizam-e-Mustafa Party chief Alhaj Rafi, Pakistan Muslim League Quaid Sindh
President Tariq Hasan, Sindh United Party’s leader Roshan Abro, Islam Tehreek’s
leader Allama Nazir Abbas Taqvi, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’ Sindh chief
Nazir Jan Lala, National Party’s leader Taji Marri, Pak Sarzameen Party’s
leader Arshad Vohra, general secretary of JUI-F Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and his party
colleagues Maulana Rashid Soormo and others.
A
joint declaration adopted on the occasion said: “This government has no right
to make changes in the immensely-important 18th Amendment. Such an effort would
do away with the parliamentary and democratic spirit of the Constitution.” The
declaration also stressed that the technical board/non-statutory members of the
10th NFC should belong to the provinces concerned and should be nominated by
the governor and provincial government in consultation with the opposition
parties.
The
declaration demanded that the provincial share in the 10th NFC Award should be
increased by 57.5 percent in accordance with Section 160, sub-section 3-A of
the Constitution and decrease in it would not be accepted. The meeting of Council
of Common Interests (CCI) should be called after a time period of three months
on a regular basis to resolve the constitutional issues between the Centre and
the provinces, the declaration said.
The
APC also condemned the sacking of workers from Pakistan Steel Mills and urged
for a CCI meeting to resolve the issue. The conference also demanded to trace
the missing persons. “We also demand that the process of illegal and
unconstitutional arrests of people be stopped and those arrested should be
recovered,” the declaration said.
The
conference also discussed the miseries of farmers owing to the massive locust
attack on crops in the country and urged the government to announce a relief
package for the affected farming community. The APC also demanded immediate
implementation on mega projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and
said that all the provinces should equally benefit from the “game-changer'
project.
The
conference criticised the unilateral actions of the National Accountability
Bureau (NAB) to suppress the media freedom and said the current government does
not want to face criticism nor allow the media organization to work freely. The
meeting also discussed in detail the situation arising due to the Covid-19
pandemic. It expressed serious concern over the non-serious steps taken to
tackle the pandemic and alleviate miseries of the people as a result of the
long lockdown.
The
conference also discussed the suspension of the Pakistan International
Airlines’ permit to fly to the European Union countries due to the “allegation”
of dubious licenses hurled by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar and that sacking
of workers and selling off the properties of the national carrier would not be
accepted.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/684727-world-is-fighting-against-covid-19-we-are-fighting-against-covid-18-says-fazl
--------
Mewat
Court Gives Relief To Tablighi Jamaat Members, Asks Authorities To Send Them
Back Safely
Hitender
Rao
Jul
09, 2020
Giving
relief to 57 Muslim foreigners booked by Haryana Police for alleged malignant
acts likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life during Covid
lockdown and violations of the Foreigners Act, a sessions court in Mewat has
upheld the decision of the trial court to strike down the charges slapped on the
foreign nationals.
The
Muslim foreign nationals were residents of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri
Lanka and South Africa.
The
court of additional sessions judge, Mewat, Prashant Rana in its July 6 order
said none of the accused knew that they had coronavirus infection.
“Their
testing was conducted after the registration of the first information report
(FIR). Even the investigating officer came to know about the infection of nine
accused two days after the registration of FIR. Offences under sections 269 and
270 of the IPC were added merely on the basis of apprehensions and imaginations
of the investigating officer,” the court said, puncturing the police theory.
The
judge held that all foreigners had valid passports and tourist visas. “There is
no documentary evidence with the prosecution or any witness, who would say that
the accused persons were holding Tablighi jamaat in any village. It does not
amount to violation of any condition of their tourist visa. The accused had
permission to visit India, travel across the country and stay here, in a legal
manner, which they did. Hence, no offence under sections 14(B) and 14(C) of the
Foreigners Act was made out,” reads the order.
The
court also asked the authorities to ensure safe return of the foreigners to their
countries.
The
case
The
police had on April 2 booked 57 Muslim foreign nationals under sections 269,
270, 188, 120-B of the IPC and sections 14(b), 14(c) of the Foreigners Act.
The
prosecution said these foreigners were propagating religious teachings in a
‘Tablighi Jamaat’ without visa permission. The prosecution said the foreigners
could not produce permission for religious teaching and their passports were
seized.
Nine
of them were found to be coronavirus positive following their medico-legal
examination. The accused though were not arrested being foreigners and from a
particular religion, the prosecution said.
Trial
court struck down all charges except one
The
trial court, however, chargesheeted the accused for commission of offence under
section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the
IPC and struck down the sections pertaining to negligent and malignant acts
likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and violations of the
Foreigners Act.
The
court on May 22 sentenced the accused to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 each for
commission of offence under section 188 and directed the state to send them
back to their respective countries.
Aggrieved
by the trial court’s orders of framing of charge under section 188, the Haryana
government had filed a revision plea before the Mewat additional sessions
judge, which was dismissed.
Box:
Additional sessions judge’s ruling
Foreign
nationals have not done any act detrimental to the society or security of the
nation
They
are peace-loving tourists, visiting different parts including the masjids,
which cannot be termed as violation of any statute
They
were guests of the nation, who were granted permission to visit and travel by
the embassy concerned and the ministry
https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/mewat-court-gives-relief-to-muslim-foreigners-asks-authorities-to-send-them-back-safely/story-G99Zv4aZ6PAcQtqGRBlWhI.html
--------
North America
US
claim of deal with China not in Iran's interest ‘preposterous’
09
July 2020
The
Trump administration's Iran policy has been a colossal failure, as it has
driven the Eurasian powers into each other's arms, an American writer and
former professor has said.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reportedly told Parliament last week that
Iran and China were working on a 25-year trade agreement. China has said it
will invest US$400 billion in the Iranian economy.
The
US State Department and anti-Iran Farsi media outlets based outside Iran have
denounced the possible deal between Iran and China that seeks to expand
economic and strategic partnership between the two powers.
The
US State Department went on to issue tweets in Farsi, comparing the potential
Iran-China accord to the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay which was an agreement
between Persia and the Russian Empire. By the treaty, Persia had to cede to
Russia control of some areas in the South Caucasus.
Iran
has rejected the criticism saying is it aimed at appeasing the enemies of the
Islamic republic.
“Unfortunately,
a destructive line of propaganda has been initiated and directed from outside
Iran against the expansion of Iran’s relations with neighbors and especially
(with) China and Russia,” Iranian president’s chief of staff, Mahmoud
Vaezi, said on Wednesday.
The
senior official, a close aide to President Hassan Rouhani, said Iran is seeking
to set up a roadmap for its future strategic ties with China, a move he said
was absolutely normal under the current diplomatic practices.
E
Michael Jones, the current editor of Culture Wars magazine, told Press TV on
Thursday that the US claim that the potential deal with China is not in Iran's
interest is “preposterous.”
“And
it's also an indication of what happens when you lose absolutely all leverage
with a country because of your irrational behavior. To get back to the
playbook, the original playbook for the Anglo American empire -- it's the
Mackinder thesis, it was written in the early 20th century by Halford
Mackinder, an Englishman. He said whoever controls the Eurasian landmass
controls the world,” he stated.
“The
whole point of Anglo-American foreign policy has been to make sure that there
is no collaboration between the countries that make up the Eurasian landmass,”
he added.
“Well,
if that is the case and their foreign policy has been a colossal failure,
because everything that especially the Trump administration has done over this
last recent period of time is to drive the Eurasian powers into each other's
arms. This is not simply true of China and Iran. It's also true of Germany and
Russia,” he noted.
“We
have the Nord Stream pipeline, the second Nord Stream pipeline, which the
United States tried to stop by sanctioning the company that was laying the
pipe. And it just delayed it. This is the inevitable result of bad foreign
policy on the part of the United States. And complaining about it is not going
to change the issue here. Complaining about it, it just shows that the United
States has lost all diplomatic leverage with the people it's trying to
influence. This is only going to continue,” he said.
“Talking
about China's hegemonic intentions maybe, and natural resources, may be true of
Africa. I just don't see it as true of Iran. If there's the only natural
resource I can see is oil. And what exactly are the Iranians supposed to do if
the United States is basically trying to prohibit all oil sales whatsoever? As
soon as they as soon as Mike Pompeo reduced the goal to zero oil sales between
Iran and the rest of the world, he set up the agreement with China. Is he that
stupid? Is the United States playing checkers when the rest of the world is
playing chess? It seems that way,” he concluded.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/09/629264/US-claim-of-deal-with-China-not-in-Iran's-interest-%E2%80%98preposterous%E2%80%99
--------
Witnesses
refute rumors about blast, power outage near Tehran
10
July 2020
Eyewitnesses
have refuted rumors circulating across various news outlets and social media
platforms about explosions and power outage in and near Tehran Province.
The
rumors began surfacing early Friday local time, pointing to an explosion and a
blackout in the province’s Shahriar county.
Other
rumors also alleged that the incidents had taken place in the town of
Garmdarreh in Karaj county of Alborz province that neighbors Tehran.
The
semi-official Fars news agency, however, ruled out the rumors on its official
Telegram channel.
The
channel posted video of locals affirming that they did not either know or hear
about any such alleged incidents at those places.
Locals
said on Twitter they had just heard three or four mortar-like sounds similar to
firing of anti-aircraft weapons just after midnight.
The
rumors and reports emerged in the wake of a number of incidents across the
country, including an explosion last Thursday that hit the Natanz nuclear
facility.
The
blast at the nuclear site has been followed by an Israeli media campaign aiming
to create the impression that Tel Aviv was behind the explosion.
On
Wednesday, though, Nour News, an Iranian news outlet affiliated to the
country’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), the Islamic Republic’s top
security body, warned that the campaign could invite “serious risks” for the
occupying regime.
The
media fanfare seeks to “lend plausibility to Israel’s role” in a series of
recent incidents in Iran, including the blast at the Natanz site, the outlet
said.
It,
however, warned that the masterminds of the media campaign happened to ignore
“Iran’s new social platforms and political circumstances” that could bring
about “imponderable reactions” for Israel in case of prolongation of the
propaganda.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/10/629293/Iran-witnesses-refute-rumors-explosions-power-outage-Tehran
--------
UN
report on General Soleimani’s assassination draws US ire
09
July 2020
A
conclusion by the United Nations (UN) that the US’s assassination of Iranian
commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani was “unlawful” has drawn
Washington’s ire.
On
Wednesday, US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus called the report in
which the UN’s top investigator of extrajudicial killings made the conclusion
about the assassination of General Soleimani “tendentious and tedious.”
“It
takes a special kind of intellectual dishonesty to issue a report condemning
the United States for acting in self-defense,” Ortagus said, repeating a
debunked US claim that it assassinated the Iranian general “in self-defense.”
The
assassination of General Soleimani, who was the commander of the Quds Force of
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was carried out with a US drone
strike in Baghdad on January 3.
The
Iranian general, and a top Iraqi commander who was also killed in the strike,
enjoyed deep reverence among Muslim nations because of their endeavors in
eliminating the Daesh terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and
Syria.
US
President Donald Trump ordered the assassination.
Agnes
Callamard, the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions, concluded in a report on Tuesday that the assassination was in
breach of international law.
Callamard
stressed that the targeted killing “violated the UN Charter” and said her
report would be presented to the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva on
Thursday.
The
US withdrew from the council in 2018.
Ortagus,
the spokeswoman for the US State Department, said the report “proves once again
why America was right to leave the council.”
Callamard
said in her report that the assassination was the first known incident in which
a country invoked “self-defense” as a justification for an attack against a
public figure in the territory of a third country. And she said General
Soleimani posed no threat to the lives of other people.
In
response to the assassination, the IRGC fired volleys of ballistic missiles at
a US airbase in Iraq on January 8. While Trump denied that the attack had
caused any casualties, the US Defense Department said in an updated toll that
at least 109 American soldiers received traumatic brain injuries in the attack.
After
the assassination, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill demanding the withdrawal of
all foreign military forces from their country.
Iran
has also issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining the
US president and several other US military and political leaders who were
behind the assassination.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/09/629230/Iran-Qassem-Soleimani-UN-US-Ortagus
--------
Europe
Previously
acquitted UK man convicted of terror attack plan
July
09, 2020
LONDON:
A former Uber driver cleared of planning a terror attack at Buckingham Palace
was on Thursday jailed for life after plotting a gun and knife rampage at
London tourist sites.
Mohiussunnath
Chowdhury was found guilty in February of planning to target popular
attractions, including the annual gay Pride march last year using a gun, knife
and van.
The
29-year-old was arrested before he could carry out the attack after he
unknowingly revealed his plans to undercover police.
Covert
officers posing as like-minded extremists befriended and monitored Chowdhury
after a jury cleared him in December 2018 of slashing police with a sword
outside Queen Elizabeth II’s London residence.
Chowdhury,
from Luton, north of London, had shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greater) during
the incident, but convinced jurors he only wanted to be killed by police and
had no intention to hurt anyone.
However,
little more than a year later a separate subsequent trial found Chowdhury
guilty of the new terror plans, after hearing he was driven by “dreams of
martyrdom.”
He
began posting extremist messages online within a week of his release from
prison, and bragged to undercover officers about deceiving the jury which had
cleared him.
During
a five-month surveillance operation, officers learned he was planning to attack
attractions including the Madame Tussauds waxwork museum, an open-top
sightseeing bus as well as the London Pride event.
He
was arrested three days before the parade last year and sentenced at Woolwich
Crown Court in southeast London.
Jailing
for him life, with a minimum term of 25 years, judge Andrew Lees said he was
satisfied Chowdhury was “dangerous” and posed “a significant risk to members of
the public of serious harm.”
“The
danger that you present is ongoing, it’s not possible to say when that danger
will abate,” he added.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1702331/world
--------
'Far-right
terrorism biggest threat to German security'
Oliver
Towfigh Nia
09.07.2020
BERLIN
German
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer warned on Thursday that right-wing extremism
is "the greatest threat to security in Germany."
Presenting
the annual domestic intelligence report at a press conference in Berlin,
Seehofer pointed out that right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism, and racism were
still the biggest threats to security.
He
added that the numbers of crimes and violent-prone right-wing extremists have
also continued to rise.
"Never
before has a federal government identified this threat situation so clearly and
unambiguously," the minister added.
Germany's
domestic intelligence agency BfV said there were some 32,080 people in 2019
with "right-wing extremist potential" compared to 24,100 in the
previous year.
Around
13,000 out of them were likely to commit violent crimes, according to the
report.
Germany
has witnessed growing racism and xenophobia in recent years, fueled by the
propaganda of far-right, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim groups, including the
main opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Last
year, far-right extremists killed a pro-refugee politician in the central city
of Kassel and attacked a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle, raising alarms
over extreme right-wing terrorism in the country.
In
February, a far-right extremist attacked two cafes in Hanau, killing nine
people with migration background.
For
years, the German government had been criticized by human rights groups for
underestimating growing threat from right-wing extremists.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/far-right-terrorism-biggest-threat-to-german-security/1905114
--------
‘Negative
trend in EU-Turkey relations must stop’
Serife
Cetin
09.07.2020
BRUSSELS
Negative
trend in EU-Turkey relations must stop, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell
said on Thursday.
Speaking
at a European Parliament session called by the conservative European People's
Party, Borrell said: “Turkey is an important partner, candidate country, and a
NATO ally. The current negative trend in our relations needs to be stopped and
reversed.”
Borrell
said he recently visited Turkey after visiting Greece and the Greek Cypriot
administration, adding that “stability and security in the Mediterranean
requires collective engagement.”
Conflicts
in Syria and Libya directly affecting the security and interests of EU in terms
of terrorism, migration, and political stability in the region, he added.
Borrell
said Turkey and EU have had some important disagreements over Syria, as EU
members opposed Turkey’s anti-terror operation Peace Spring in October 2019.
“Yet
we must also knowledge where our interest coincide [with Turkey]. Turkey has
been showing solidarity and generosity towards more than 3.5 million Syrian
refugees, and has supplied cross border and humanitarian assistance,” he
stressed.
“In
the eastern Mediterranean Turkey has been showing a warden
assertiveness,”Borrell said, adding they are ready to work with Ankara for a
political solution in Libya.
The
high representative also stated that they are committed to implement UN arms
embargo to Libya.
“Dynamics
of retaliation does not make the Mediterranean a more secure and stable zone.
This will only be achieved through dialogue and negotiations where
discrepancies exist,” he also said.
For
his part, Nacho Sanchez Amor, the EU Parliament's Turkey rapporteur, said
Turkey-EU relations have been through a difficult period.
He
said there is a lack of trust that affects the basis of bilateral relations,
adding that EU member states should stand with Greece and the Greek Cypriot
administration.
Manfred
Weber, chairman of the European People's Party, said they have called the
session to raise their concerns about recent developments in the Mediterranean.
He
said, problems between Turkey, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration are
not only affecting these countries but the whole European Union.
Weber
argued that it is wrong to continue membership talks with Turkey under these
conditions.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/-negative-trend-in-eu-turkey-relations-must-stop-/1905012
--------
South Asia
Afghanistan
to release prisoners from Taliban list in push for talks
Jul
9, 2020
KABUL:
Afghanistan is to release more Taliban prisoners in the hope of getting peace
talks going, a government spokesman said on Thursday, after the insurgent group
provided the government with a revised list of several hundred of their
detainees.
Disagreement
over about 600 prisoners from a total of 5,000 the Taliban want released has
prevented the launch of US-brokered peace talks aimed at ending nearly 19 years
of war since the Islamist militants were ousted.
While
releases by both sides have taken place, the Afghan government has said it does
not want to release some prisoners for security reasons and its Western allies
also object to some of them being set free.
"They
have given us another list, the release process will continue but direct talks
should also start immediately," Javid Faisal, spokesman for the National
Security Council, told Reuters.
The
Taliban could not be reached for comment and it was not clear if they would be
willing to start talks based on the release of the prisoners on the list.
The
United States and the Taliban struck a landmark agreement in February on the
withdrawal of U.S. forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees.
As
part of the pact, the Taliban agreed to open power-sharing talks with the
U.S.-backed government.
But
a senior government official said there was still no agreement on starting the
talks.
"The
government will start the process of release in the coming few days and will
complete the release whether the Taliban agree or not," he said.
A
diplomatic source said U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has overseen
the negotiations with the Taliban, has been pressing Taliban leaders to
compromise on the prisoner issue and there were hopes the hurdle would be
overcome.
"Momentum
is such that it would not be possible for any side to back out," the
source said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/afghanistan-to-release-prisoners-from-taliban-list-in-push-for-talks/articleshow/76872077.cms
--------
Bangladesh
refuses to move Rohingya refugees from flood-prone island to mainland
JUL
09, 2020
Hundreds
of Rohingya refugees on a flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal will not be
allowed to leave unless they agree to return home, Bangladesh authorities said
Thursday.
The
306 Rohingya Muslim from Myanmar were put on Bhashan Char island in April after
being taken off two boats trying to traffic them to Malaysia.
Their
plight has been taken up by the United Nations, an international rights group
and community leaders, who want them moved to more established refugee camps on
the mainland.
"They
will stay at Bhasan Char until they are repatriated to Myanmar," Mohammed
KhorshedAlam Khan, administrator for the district covering the island, told
Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He
said the refugees are well taken care of and have better facilities than in the
overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar where 700,000 Rohingya fled in 2017 to escape
a Myanmar military clampdown.
In
April, Bangladesh authorities said the Rohingya would be kept on the island in
order to stop the spread of coronavirus in the sprawling refugee camps.
But
Human Rights Watch (HRW) questioned that motivation and said the refugees were
not being treated well.
"Bangladesh
authorities are using the pandemic as an excuse to detain refugees on a spit of
land in the middle of a churning monsoon sea while their families anxiously
pray for their return," said Brad Adams, the organization's Asia
representative.
He
also asked why Bangladesh authorities were not giving aid workers access to the
island settlement.
A
Rohingya leader from the Cox's Bazar camps said relatives of those on the
island wanted to hold talks with Bangladesh's refugee commissioner.
"We
request the authorities to send our children to our families," said Mohib
Ullah, head of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, which
lobbies for the Rohingya.
HRW
said it had received reports that refugees on Bhashan Char had little freedom
of movement or adequate access to food, safe water and medical care.
A
government official involved with the case rejected the criticism but admitted
some refugees wanted to be reunited with their families.
According
to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and
children, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after their country's
forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017,
pushing the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.
Since
Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state
forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development Agency
(OIDA).
More
than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others
were beaten, said the OIDA report, titled "Forced Migration of Rohingya:
The Untold Experience."
Some
18,000 Rohingya women and girls were raped by Myanmar’s army and police and
over 115,000 Rohingya homes were burned down with 113,000 others vandalized, it
added.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/bangladesh-refuses-to-move-rohingya-refugees-from-flood-prone-island-to-mainland
--------
Bangladesh
Church urges peace after deadly violence in Chittagong hills
JUL
10, 2020
The
Catholic Church has called for an end to political rivalry and deadly violence
in the restive Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region of Bangladesh, following the
killing of several members of an ethnic political party.
Unknown
gunmen opened fire in the house of a leader of the MN Larma rival faction of
Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) in Bandarban district on July
7, killing six and critically injuring three.
Bandarban
Superintendent of Police, Zerin Akhtar, said they are working to find out and
arrest those behind the killings. The
violence has spread panic among people in the area and authorities deployed
police and soldiers on patrols, he added.
Armed
rivalry among factions
The
MN Larma splinter group is blaming PCJSS for the killings.
The
CHT has been long troubled by a political and armed conflict between the
government and the PCJSS and its armed wing, the Shanti Bahini, over the issue
of autonomy and the land rights of the indigenous (Jumma) people, mainly the
Chakma people.
Since
the 1980s, the state-sponsored mass influx of Bengali Muslim settlers to change
the demographic balance of the region led to communal tensions and violence.
In
the last 22 years, more than 600 people have been killed in turf wars among the
PCJSS, the MN Larma faction and two other local rival parties. Abductions and retaliatory assaults are not
rare, with no one claiming responsibility.
Chittagong
Church urges peace
The
CHT, bordering India and Myanmar, is Bangladesh’s only mountainous region and
home to about 25 ethnic indigenous groups, mostly Buddhists and also some
Christians. About two-thirds of the 32,000 Catholics hail from ethnic groups.
The
CHT Regional Commission for Justice and Peace of the Chittagong Archdiocese has
condemned this week’s killings and called for an end to violence in the
region. “Violence in the CHT spreads
panic among priests who travel to villages under the surveillance of various
political parties, and our people also live in fear. All kinds of violence must
end and peace must be established,” Father Albert Soren, the Commission
coordinator told UCA News
He
pointed out that the local Church has tried to bring the various rival groups
and the government to talks but has met with little success.
SanjeebDrong,
secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum (BIPF), an ethnic rights
group, also deplored the violence. An
ethnic Garo Catholic, Drong called on
the government to ensure the safety and security of citizens.
He
blamed the unrest and violence in the region on the failure of the government
to implement the 1997 CHT peace accord, unresolved land disputes between
indigenous people and Bengali settlers, and divide-and-rule politics. (Source: UCANews)
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-07/bangladesh-chittagong-archdiocese-killing-violence-peace.html
--------
Pakistani
terrorist among 2 killed in Paktiya province of Afghanistan: MoD
10
Jul 2020
The
Afghan National Defense and Security Forces killed a Pakistani terrorist and
one of his accomplices during an operation in South-eastern Paktiya province.
The
Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement said the security forces killed the
terrorists during a raid in Samkanai district of Pakitya.
MoD
also released the National Identity Card of the slain Pakistani terrorist who
has been identified as Jawad Ali.
The
anti-government armed militants including Taliban have not commented in this
regard so far.
Paktiya
is among the relatively volatile provinces in South-eastern parts of country,
bordering the porous regions along Durand Line. Both Taliban and al Qaeda are
active in some remote regions of the province.
https://www.khaama.com/pakistani-terrorist-among-2-killed-in-paktiya-province-of-afghanistan-mod-08949/
--------
Suicide
car bomb attack hits Afghan forces’ check post in Wardak
09
Jul 2020
A
suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives close to a security
check post in central Maidan Wardak province of Afghanistan.
According
to local officials, the incident took place earlier today in Sayedabad district
of Wardak province.
MohibullahSharifzai,
a spokesperson for the provincial government, said a suicide bomber detonated a
Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device closed to a security check post in
Sheikhabad area of the district.
Sharifzai
further added that the security forces identified the suicide bomber before he
could reach his intended target and he blew the explosives up after coming
under fire.
He
also added that the explosion did not inflict casualties on security personnel
but some properties located in the area were damaged.
The
anti-government armed militants including Taliban have not commented in this
regard so fa
https://www.khaama.com/suicide-car-bomb-attack-hits-afghan-forces-check-post-in-wardak-08947/
--------
Southeast Asia
More
Than 30 Malaysian Civil Society Organisations Say They Are Standing In
Solidarity With All Sexual Harassment Survivors
10
Jul 2020
BY
ZURAIRI AR
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 10 ― More than 30 local civil society organisations (CSO) say they
are standing in solidarity with all sexual harassment survivors today, following
allegations involving a senior director of think tank Islamic Renaissance Front
(IRF) this week.
The
groups, under a coalition called CSO Platform for Reform, said they are very
concerned about the allegations and affirmed their zero tolerance of sexual
harassment at the workplace.
“It
could be imputed that organisations which knowingly allow or tolerate sexual
harassment, including by failing to take immediate action, are, in fact,
condoning or deemed complicit in allowing the perpetuation of this culture of
harassment and violence.
“This
is a watershed moment for us to transform organisational culture, take a stand
in solidarity, provide the necessary platform for all those who do come forward
and break the silence so that perpetrators are held to account,” said the
groups.
They
also pledged to ensure that all of them have an effective sexual harassment
policy in place, while committing towards creating a safe and conducive working
environment for all in their respective organisations and within the larger
movement.
They
also reiterated the call by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG)
for these allegations to be taken seriously and for an independent
investigation to be initiated by IRF and necessary action taken if the alleged perpetrator
is found guilty.
“The
findings from said investigation, on the other hand, should be made public by
IRF in the interest of transparency and due process,” they said.
“Confidentiality
should also be maintained, and the alleged survivor be provided the necessary
support as well as be protected from any form of intimidation or retaliation.”
They
also urged for quick and fair investigation when there is knowledge of such
misconduct, even without any written or formal complaint, in addition to
measures to prevent retaliation and any recurrence of the incidents.
The
statement was undersigned by 33 groups including Bersih 2.0, Socialist Party of
Malaysia, Suara Rakyat Malaysia, Association of Women Lawyers, Centre for
Independent Journalism, Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism, Justice for
Sisters, and Women’s Aid Organisation.
Yesterday,
Malay Mail quoted three former members about the sexual harassment they
allegedly faced from one of the think tank’s directors, with one of them
lodging a police report about the alleged sexual assault.
Malay
Mail also spoke with four other activists involved with IRF over the past eight
years, and three admitted hearing rumours and complaints of sexual impropriety
during their time with the think tank, including two specific instances that
cannot be verified yet.
In
a reply to media organisations yesterday, the alleged perpetrator said he is a
victim of a “concerted effort” to tarnish his name, and he welcomes the
investigation since it would be an opportunity for him to clear his reputation.
Formed
in 2009, IRF describes itself as a movement to empower youth and promote Muslim
intellectual discourse, and has advanced local discourse involving Islam and
the enforcement of Shariah laws in Malaysia through its events, talks and
commentaries.
This
comes as police said a 56-year-old activist and NGO leader had been apprehended
yesterday for questioning in relation to a report lodged against him for
alleged sexual harassment that happened in November last year.
The
case is being investigated under Section 354 of the Penal Code for assault or
use of criminal force to a person with intent to outrage modesty, and he has
since been released on bail
On
Tuesday, JAG urged lRF to initiate an independent investigation into the
allegations after four of IRF activists publicly dissociated themselves from
the group as long as the director remains.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/07/10/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-more-than-30-malaysian-civil-societies-c/1883189
--------
Rights
lawyer Eric Paulsen wins defamation suit against Muslim activist
V
Anbalagan
July
9, 2020
PUTRAJAYA:
The Federal Court has affirmed a Court of Appeal ruling awarding human rights
lawyer Eric Paulsen RM100,000 in damages in a defamation suit against a Muslim
activist.
A
three-member bench chaired by Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed dismissed
the leave to appeal application by Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin, saying the
questions posed did not fulfil the requirements of Section 96 of the Courts of
Judicature Act.
It
also awarded Paulsen RM10,000 in costs.
Azahar
was joined on the bench by Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Vernon Ong Lam Kiat.
Lawyers
LatheefaKoya and Shahid Adli Kamarudin represented Paulsen while
HaznalRezuaMerican appeared for Hafiz.
The
Court of Appeal ruling on July 4, 2018 said Paulsen had proven all the elements
required in his case.
Chief
Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who chaired the three-member bench said Hafiz’s
statement was found to be defamatory in nature.
On
July 27, 2017, High Court judge Zaki Abdul Wahab also said Paulsen, who was
then the executive director of Lawyers for Liberty, had proven his case against
Hafiz as the statement referred to him.
However,
Zaki held that Paulsen failed to show that the statement uttered by the Pembela
activist had lowered his standing in society or caused the public to view him
in a negative light.
Paulsen’s
defamation suit started when Muslim rights group IkatanMuslimin Malaysia (Isma)
sued him in 2015 for alleging that Isma was an “extremist” group.
Paulsen
filed a counterclaim in October the same year against Isma and Hafiz for
publishing an article, “Janganbiar Eric Paulsen bebastanpaperbicaraan” (Do not
free Eric Paulsen without trial) on its website, implying that Paulsen was a
liar and instigator.
Isma
and Paulsen entered into a consent judgment in March 2016, with both parties
agreeing to withdraw the main suit and counterclaim.
However,
Paulsen’s suit against Hafiz proceeded to trial as the activist did not agree
to the terms of the settlement.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/07/09/rights-lawyer-eric-paulsen-wins-defamation-suit-against-muslim-activist/
--------
I
won’t bow down to blackmail, smear campaign, says prominent Muslim activist
July
9, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: A prominent Muslim activist has come out strongly to reject sexual
accusations against him, saying certain individuals as well as organisations
are seeking to destroy his reputation through “blackmail and an orchestrated
smear campaign” through the media.
This
comes hours after he gave his statement to the police over a report lodged by a
27-year-old man some five months ago, accusing him of groping and kissing him.
Speaking
to FMT, the activist, who heads a vocal Islamic group, singled out a former assistant
for the accusations, adding that an online news portal which published the
claims by several former staffers would also be held accountable for
defamation.
“I
categorically deny this malicious accusation,” he said, naming a former
assistant he sued six years ago as the person behind the latest allegations of
sexual assault against him.
It
is understood that the man referred to had been investigated for criminal
breach of trust over claims of misappropriating funds.
“I
had also taken a civil suit against him in 2014 and he lost the case and was
declared a bankrupt,” the activist told FMT.
Checks
with the Department of Insolvency confirmed the claim that the person, whose
name FMT is withholding pending a response, has been declared a bankrupt in
2017.
Meanwhile,
the activist questioned how a bankrupt could become a director of an
organisation.
He
said the man was bent on going on the offensive because “he has nothing to lose
as a bankrupt”.
He
said he was also made aware of attempts to invoke a ‘MeToo’ campaign.
“That
will not happen, because they are abusing the movement for their own selfish
ends,” he added, referring to the movement against sexual harassment where
victims come out openly with allegations of sex crimes against them by
prominent persons.
‘Blackmail’
He
said early this year, he was blackmailed by several individuals who wanted to
take over his NGO’s leadership, a Muslim movement with a progressive stance on
contemporary Islamic issues.
“They
gave me an ultimatum that I should step down or they would go to town with
claims that I molested the trainee doctor.”
He
said the fact that the police report, lodged in February, was not followed up
showed that there was no case.
“But
when I didn’t step down, they went to see the police with a group of NGO
lawyers recently.
“Evidently,
the complainant had no case until they decided to publicise the news to
pressure the police to investigate,” he added.
He
said part of the campaign against him probably stemmed from his refusal to
condemn French Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan, who was charged with rape earlier
this year.
This,
he said, angered some activists.
“One
group was angry at me for defending Tariq Ramadan, and then launched a
concerted attack via Facebook on my credibility which was then accentuated by
the media.
“That
led the police to ask me to give a statement to them today,” he told FMT.
He
said he was happy that the police decided to investigate.
“I
welcome any investigation because it will be an opportunity for me to clear my
name,” he said.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/07/09/i-wont-bow-down-to-blackmail-smear-campaign-says-prominent-muslim-activist/
--------
Arab world
Chemical
weapons body condemns Syria for using sarin, chlorine on village in Hama
09
July 2020
The
executive branch of the world’s chemical weapons watchdog on Thursday condemned
the use of banned sarin and chlorine bombs by Syria’s air force, but stopped
short of taking direct action to penalize Damascus.
It
followed a report in April by Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons investigators, which found that Syrian Sukhoi Su-22 military planes and
a helicopter dropped the bombs on the village of Ltamenaha in the Hama region
in March 2017.
Syria,
which joined the OPCW in 2013 to avert military intervention by the United
States over a previous chemical attack, has said it fully destroyed a stockpile
of chemical weapons declared to the OPCW, but inspectors have found undeclared
toxins and munitions during site visits.
In
a vote of 29-3, a decision was adopted by the politically-divided 41-member
Executive Council of the OPCW in The Hague. Nine countries abstained.
A
stronger response to Syria’s violation of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention
could follow at the next meeting of the OPCW’s full membership, the Conference
of States Parties, which starts in late November.
“The
Council ...condemned the use of chemical weapons as reported by the OPCW
Investigation and Identification Team (IIT), which concluded that there are
reasonable grounds to believe that the Syrian Arab Republic used chemical
weapons in Ltamenah, Syria in March 2017.”
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
It
“establishes that the Syrian Arab Republic failed to declare and destroy all of
its chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facilities,” the decision
said.
Along
with its military ally Russia, Syria has repeatedly denied the use of chemical
weapons in the civil war.
The
OPCW council said it “expresses deep concern that the Syrian Arab Republic did
not cooperate with, and provide access to, the IIT.”
Thursday’s
decision gave Damascus 90 days to declare “the facilities where the chemical
weapons, including precursors, munitions, and devices, used in the 24, 25, and
30 March 2017 attacks were developed, produced, stockpiled, and operationally
stored for delivery.”
In
the event Damascus fails to meet the deadline, the council will recommend
taking action limiting Syria’s OPCW membership rights at the Conference of
States Parties later this year. The CSP could also recommend reporting Syria to
the UN Security Council.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/09/Chemical-weapons-body-condemns-Syria-for-using-sarin-chlorine-on-village-in-Hama-.html
--------
US
forces in Iraq carry out overnight strike on ISIS cell
09
July 2020
US
coalition forces in Iraq carried out an airstrike last night on an ISIS complex
in north and central Iraq in the town of Tuz Khurmatu at the request of Iraqi
forces, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III
told Al Arabiya.
Multiple
airstrikes have been carried out in the area over the last few years as
coalition forces continue to root ISIS out of the country.
“Our
partnership with the Iraqi security forces remains strong,” Caggins said, and
Iraq is safer than “it has been in years.”
“Iraqi
security forces are better led, better trained and better equipped than they
have been in many years. And there's a lot of hope for the future of Iraq,” he
continued.
Caggins
spoke to Al Arabiya as the top US military figure Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, US
Central Command Commander, visited Iraq on Tuesday where he met with Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
McKenzie
said he was confident that ongoing talks with Iraq will keep US military troops
in the country. While there are still more than 5,200 US troops in Iraq, the US
and Iraq began discussions last month over whether or not American troops
should withdraw. Nearly two decades after the US-led invasion of Iraq,
bilateral relations between the two countries hit new lows after the killing of
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Qassem Soleimani, renewed
issue to the presence of US troops.
While
the Iraqi Parliament has urged US troops to withdraw, al-Kadhimi must weigh
potential security gaps that would emerge if Iraqi forces are left to their own
devices.
ABC
News reported that McKenzie believes talks could result in a smaller US troop
presence “as Iraqi get better at what they do.” US forces have provided
training to Iraqi soldiers to achieve this end for years.
Caggins
said “It's going to take everybody working together to defeat terrorism, and to
change the mindset of evildoers who are in this country.” He continued that
Iraq has taken recent action to arrest outlaws – referring to those associated
with Iran-backed militias in the country – and he believes this will continue
under new prime minister al-Kadhimi.
Read
more: Iraq says 13 pro-Iran fighters arrested for anti-US rocket attacks: AFP
As
al-Kadhimi came to power, he pledged to rein in the militias that are not under
state control.
Coalition
forces in Iraq have primarily sought to defeat ISIS, but Caggins said the Iraqi
and US troops working alongside each other have the right to defend themselves.
“We
help the Iraqi security forces defend diplomatic facilities and the bases that
we use together. These attacks from rogue militia groups who operate outside of
the Iraqi law are a deadly distraction from our mission to defeat Daesh,” he
said using another name for ISIS.
The
US military spokesperson noted that the US and coalition do not own any of the
Iraqi bases, but coalition troops live on the Iraqi bases, and they partner and
work closely with the Iraqi security forces.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/09/US-forces-in-Iraq-carry-out-overnight-strike-on-ISIS-cell.html
--------
Egypt
carries out military drill near Libya border
July
10, 2020
The
Egyptian Army carried out a military drill near the Libyan border called “Hasm
2020”, the military said on Thursday.
The
drill, which included Egypt’s Armed Forces’ land, maritime and air defence, was
carried out over several days and was attended by the Minister of Defense and
Military Production, Mohamed Zaki, and Army Chief of Staff, Mohamed Farid.
The
military manoeuvre included involved multi-task aircrafts, including
helicopters that use live ammunition.
“The
exercises aim at eradicating elements of mercenaries, their gathering points,
command centres as well as damaging all their logistics,” Egypt’s State
Information Service said.
The
drill came a day after the Turkish naval forces announced that they will carry
out military exercises off the Libyan coast.
The
Turkish Navy said the maneuvers – dubbed “Naftex” – and would take place off
the Libyan coast and will include 17 warplanes and eight naval vessels.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1702591/middle-east
--------
6
ISIL Terrorists Arrested by Hashd al-Sha'abi in Mosul
Jul
09, 2020
In
a statement on Wednesday night, Iraq's Hashd al-Sha'abi said that its
intelligence forces in collaboration with the special forces, managed to detect
and arrest a six-member terrorist team in Mosul during a pre-emptive operation.
A
senior commander of Hashd al-Sha'abi had warned in May that the ISIL terrorist
group had been reinvigorated and activated again in a number of provinces in
Iraq.
“The
Americans and the ISIL terrorists are repeating the same scenario they played
during the collapse of Mosul in 2014, in Babel, Salahuddin and Diyali provinces
and they are attempting to distort security and stir instability in those
regions,” Qasim al-Ma’amouri, the commander of Hashd al-Shaabi’s Division 26,
was quoted by al-Ma’aloumeh as saying.
“We
have intelligence showing that the terrorist group has resumed its activities
in several Iraqi provinces, including Babel, with the US help,” he added.
Al-Ma’amouri
said that the ISIL members have again infiltrated Jorf al-Nasr and Northern
Babel.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990419000378
--------
Mideast
In
second mishap in less than week, three dead as fireworks truck explodes in
Turkey
09
July 2020
Three
people were killed when a fireworks-laden truck exploded in Turkey on Thursday
-- the second such incident in less than a week, officials said.
The
vehicle was carrying unexploded materials from a fireworks factory in the Black
Sea province of Sakarya that was itself hit by a blast on Friday, killing six
people and injuring over 100.
Television
images showed white smoke rising from the scene of the latest incident in a
mountainous area of the Adapazari district in Sakarya.
The
interior ministry said three gendarmes were killed and six hurt in the blast
which occurred as fireworks were being transferred ahead of a controlled
detonation, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
Two
of the dead were from the team in charge of disposing of the unexploded
fireworks in a quarry.
Interior
Minister Suleyman Soylu travelled to the scene, Anadolu reported.
Turkish
officials launched an investigation into last Friday’s incident, which was
described by the government’s disaster agency AFAD as an “industrial accident.”
Local
media reported that two owners of the factory were detained this week.
The
HaberTurk broadcaster's website had reported that there had been previous
explosions at the factory in 2009, 2011 and 2014, one of them fatal.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/09/In-second-mishap-in-less-than-a-week-three-dead-as-fireworks-truck-explodes-in-Turke.html
--------
Explosion
at Iran's Natanz nuclear site caused ‘likely irreparable’ damage: Report
09
July 2020
The
explosion at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site last week has caused “likely
irreparable” damage to parts of the site, marking a “significant” setback to
Tehran’s aspirations to mass produce advanced centrifuges, according to a
report by a US-based think tank.
Iran’s
Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI) said last Thursday an accident had taken
place at a construction site in the Natanz nuclear site in central Iran without
causing casualties.
The
damage has dealt a major blow to the Iranian nuclear facility and their ability
to mass produce advanced centrifuges, but the authors of the report said the
explosion is unlikely to affect Iran’s near-term research and development of
centrifuges at the nearby Natanz Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant.
The
Natanz uranium-enrichment site, much of which is underground, is one of several
Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.
High-resolution
commercial satellite imagery shows that the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center
(ICAC) at Natanz has suffered “significant, extensive, and likely irreparable”
damage to its main assembly hall section, a report by the Washington-based
Institute for Science and International Security said.
“Based
on the record of observable evidence provided by commercial satellite imagery,
it is now readily discernible that the extent and severity of the structural
damage was indeed significant, as Iran now admits,” the report read.
Iran
initially downplayed the incident withholding the true extent of the damage,
but AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Sunday the “accident” caused
“significant damage” that could slow the development of advanced centrifuges.
The
damage at Natanz appears to have been caused by a “large single-point
detonation” according to satellite imagery, the report said.
“That
explosion, evidently causing or coinciding with a fire, may well have involved
an explosives device,” the report added.
Satellite
imagery showed that a “major” explosion took place, destroying nearly three
quarters of the main centrifuge assembly hall, the report said.
The
northwest corner of the ICAC building, including a large portion of a
brick-walled annex, was “completely obliterated,” the report said.
“The
visible damage is such that the entire building will likely have to be razed
and rebuilt from scratch,” the report said.
The
incident at Natanz is a “significant” setback for the Iranian advanced gas
centrifuge production and operations effort.
“Advanced
centrifuge rotor assemblies are typically assembled in “clean rooms,” an
expensive-to-build environment free from dust and other contaminants. A 2018 video
shows what appear to be clean rooms in this facility; rebuilding these clean
rooms will inevitably add to the time and difficulty of replacing this
facility,” the authors wrote.
The
building’s construction began in 2012 and finished in 2018. Its replacement
would take a year at the very least, the report said.
“Although
the explosion and fire at the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center does not
eliminate Iran’s ability to deploy advanced centrifuges … its destruction must
be viewed as a major setback to Iran’s ability to deploy advanced centrifuges
on a mass scale for years to come,” the report concluded.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/09/Explosion-at-Iran-s-Natanz-nuclear-site-caused-likely-irreparable-damage-Report.html
--------
Syrian
president: Iran-Syria military accord rooted in years of anti-terror
cooperation
09
July 2020
Syria’s
President Bashar al-Assad says the recent military agreement signed by Damascus
and Tehran is the result of years of cooperation in fighting against terrorism
in the Arab country.
The
Syrian president made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Chairman of
the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri
in capital Damascus on Thursday, a statement by Syrian presidential office
said.
“This
agreement reflects the strategic level of relations between Iran and Syria and
is the outcome of years of common measures and cooperation in the fight against
terrorism in Syria,” Assad said.
Baqeri,
for his part, underlined “the importance of Iran’s continued efforts aimed at
boosting bilateral ties between the two friendly and brotherly nations in all
fields.”
The
top Iranian military official also stressed that continued strengthening of
bilateral ties is in the interests of Iran and Syria and that he supports it
against any attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of the two countries
and damage their independent decision-making.
Major
General Baqeri arrived in Damascus on Wednesday and signed a “comprehensive”
agreement with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub to strengthen
military and defense cooperation.
The
accord provides for the expansion of military and security cooperation and the
continuation of coordination between the armed forces of the two
countries.
The
two sides also underlined the need for the withdrawal of foreign forces which
have been "illegally" deployed to Syria in violation of international
law and said the forces are the main obstacle to the complete cleansing of
armed terrorist groups in some parts of the Arab country.
Iran
and Syria have signed different military and defense cooperation over the past
years.
The
Islamic Republic commenced providing Syria with advisory military assistance
after numerous countries, at the head of them the US and its Western and
regional allies, began funding and arming militants and terrorists with the aim
of deposing the Syrian president’s government.
Although
the Syrian government initially lost considerable expanses of territory to the
Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and other terror outfits, the country rallied to
retake the lost grounds and drive out terrorists from much of the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/09/629273/Iran-Syria-Assad-Baqeri-cooperation-defense-terrorists
--------
Iran
signs agreement to bolster Syria’s air defense systems
July
10, 2020
TEHRAN:
Iran’s military chief has signed an agreement with Syria’s president to
reinforce Syria’s air defense systems as part of a military cooperation
agreement, Iranian state TV reported Friday.
Gen.
Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, met with Syria
President Bashar Assad during his second visit to Syria since 2019.
Assad
said the agreement signed by both sides is the result of “years of cooperation
for confronting terrorism” in Syria.
Bagheri
said it “will improve the determination of the two nations to confront US
pressures.” He didn’t elaborate.
US
ally Israel has occasionally attacked Iranian forces in Syria that Iran says
are there to support Syria’s fight against rebel groups as part of the
country’s 9-year civil war.
Israel
views Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier as a red line, and it has
repeatedly struck Iran-linked facilities and weapons convoys destined for
Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In
a brief video aired on Iranian state TV, Assad is seen receiving Bagheri and
his delegation.
In
November, Israeli fighter jets hit multiple targets belonging to Iran’s elite
Quds force in Syria following rocket fire on the Israeli-controlled Golan
Heights.
Iran,
which rarely comments on Israeli strikes, is the No. 1 regional supporter of
Assad while also supporting anti-Israel militant groups like Palestinian Hamas
and Hezbollah.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1702556/middle-east
--------
Yemeni
government condemns Houthi sea lane violations
July
10, 2020
DUBAI:
The Houthi militia’s endangerment of international sea lanes in the Red Sea is
a terroristic act, a Yemeni minister said.
This
cowardly act shows the militia’s literal application of Iran’s orders to close
off the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb Strait to ships, Information Minister Muammar
Al-Iryani said in a report from Saba New.
The
Red Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and is connected to the
Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint
between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East being only 18 miles wide at its
narrowest point.
The
Saudi-led Arab coalition destroyed two explosive-laden Houthi boats near a
Hodeidah port on Wednesday, highlighting the Houthis increasing threat to
global shipping in the Red Sea.
Al-Iryani
urged the international community to condemn the Iran-led militia’s terroristic
activities and to take a hard stance against Iran for its actions which
threaten regional and international stability.
Meanwhile,
a Houthi ballistic missile fired on civilian areas in Marib city on Wednesday
injured three children and a woman.
“Firing
ballistic missiles on civilians and into populated areas is a grave escalation
and violation of the international resolutions and norms… it amounts to a war
crime,” Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights was quoted by Saba New in a report.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1702541/middle-east
--------
Africa
Sudan’s
PM accepts resignation of six ministers: Statement
09
July 2020
Sudan's
prime minister replaced the finance, foreign, energy and health ministers and
three other senior cabinet post-holders on Thursday as part of a sweeping
reshuffle, the government said.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Authorities
had said a reshuffle was coming, but few had expected the exit of Ibrahim
al-Badawi, who as finance minister led efforts to steady Sudan's
crisis-stricken economy and liaised with foreign donors.
The
government said transitional Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had dismissed the
health minister and accepted the resignation of Badawi and the others. It named
interim replacements to lead all seven ministries.
Hamdok
leads a government of technocrats under a 39-month power-sharing agreement
between the military and civilian groups, following the removal of long-time
President Omar al-Bashir last year.
Badawi's
interim replacement will be Heba Ahmed Ali, a senior finance ministry official,
the government statement said.
The
reshuffle comes nine days after large street protests demanding faster and more
comprehensive reforms from transitional authorities.
On
the eve of the protests, Hamdok had promised to take a number of major
decisions, without giving details. Earlier this week, he fired Sudan's police
chief and his deputy, who were seen by pro-democracy groups as close to
Bashir's regime.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/09/Sudan-s-PM-accepts-resignation-of-six-ministers-Statement.html
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Terrorists
kill eight soldiers in Chad: Security sources
09
July 2020
At
least eight soldiers in western Chad were killed when their vehicle struck a
landmine laid by suspected jihadists, security sources and a local official
said Thursday.
The
blast occurred on Wednesday at Kalam in the Lake Chad region, which has been
battered by attacks from jihadists crossing from neighbouring Nigeria.
The
sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, put the toll at eight or nine dead
and between 11 and 21 wounded.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/09/Terrorists-kill-eight-soldiers-in-Chad-Security-sources.html
--------
Foreign
meddling in Libya at unprecedented levels: UN chief
09
July 2020
The
United Nations (UN) secretary-general warns that foreign interference in the
conflict in Libya has reached “unprecedented” levels.
“The
[Libyan] conflict has entered a new phase, with foreign interference reaching
unprecedented levels, including in the delivery of sophisticated equipment and
the number of mercenaries involved in the fighting,” Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres said in an address to a high-level virtual meeting of the UN Security
Council on Wednesday.
He
said both the delivery of weapons and the dispatch of proxy forces were in
violation of a UN arms embargo on Libya.
Since
2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the
internationally-recognized government, known as the Government of National Accord
(GNA), and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
The
latter camp is supported militarily by an array of rebel militia under the
command of a former general named Khalifa Haftar.
The
rebels receive support from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia, and
Jordan. The GNA is backed by Turkey.
Foreign
patrons on both sides are accused of sending in advanced weapons and proxies.
In
the past couple of weeks, government forces have pushed the rebels as far back
as the city of Sirte, on the Mediterranean coastline, where a major battle now
looms. The government advances are believed to have come with crucial Turkish
support.
Guterres
said the “GNA units, with significant external support, continued their advance
eastward, and are now 25 kilometers west of Sirte after two previous attempts
to gain control of the city.”
He
expressed concern about the military buildup around Sirte.
Russia
is accused of supporting Haftar in his bid to oust the GNA, but Russia’s UN
Ambassador VassilyNebenzia rejected the allegation in the same UNSC session on
Wednesday.
“But
we know about other countries’ military personnel, including from those
countries that accuse us, to be present on Libyan soil, East and West,”
Nebenzia said, calling on all countries with influence on the Libyan parties to
push for a permanent ceasefire.
The
UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash also told the UNSC
that there had been “roughly 10,000 Syrian mercenaries operating in Libya,
approximately twice as many as there were six months ago.”
Turkey
is accused of sending those militants.
Guterres
said that, between April and June this year, the UN mission in Libya had
documented at least 102 civilians deaths and 254 civilians injuries, showing a
172 percent increase compared to the first quarter of the year.
He
said there had also been at least 21 attacks on medical facilities, ambulances,
and medical personnel in Libya.
International
attempts to bring about peace between the warring sides in Libya have so far
failed. The country first plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising
and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar
Gaddafi.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/09/629228/Libya-foreign-meddling-unprecedented-levels-UN-Guterres
--------
Pakistan
Muslim
World League delivers COVID-19 medical aid to Pakistan
July
10, 2020
The
Muslim World League (MWL) delivered a package of medical supplies and materials
to the Pakistani government to aid in its fight against COVID-19.
Saudi
Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki and a number of officials
attended the event in Islamabad. The supplies include EKG monitors, oxygen
devices, ventilators, pulse oximeters, medicines and protective equipment.
Saad
Al-Harthi, MWL regional director, said the project includes providing a package
of medical supplies as a third stage in the fight against the outbreak. SPA
Islamabad
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1702451/saudi-arabia
--------
IMF
predicts economic recovery in Pakistan next year
Jul
10 2020
WASHINGTON:
A gradual recovery in Pakistan is expected in the fiscal year 2021 as the
country’s economy reopens, says a report released by the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
The
report — “Policy Actions Taken by Countries” – reviews various steps Pakistan
has taken since March to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.
The
IMF notes that the near-term economic outlook of the country has worsened
notably, and growth is estimated at –0.4 per cent in FY 2020.
According
to this report, since mid-April, the federal government, in coordination with
the provinces, has been gradually easing lockdown arrangements, by allowing
‘low-risk industries’ to restart operation and ‘small retail shops’ to reopen
with newly developed Standard Operating Procedures.
In
addition, restrictions on domestic and international movements have been lifted
and educational institutes are expected to restart on July 15. ‘Selective’
lockdown arrangements remain in place, through the closure of shops on weekends
and the sealing of specific areas of high risk.
A
relief package worth Rs1.2 trillion was announced on March 24, which is now
being implemented and will be pursued in the fiscal year 2020-21. The report
then details various measures taken by both federal and provincial governments
to ease the economic impact of this pandemic.
Key
measures by the federal government: elimination of import duties on emergency
health equipment; cash transfers to 6.2 million daily wage workers, cash
transfers to more than 12m low-income families; accelerated tax refunds to the
export industry, out of which 65pc have already been disbursed, and financial
support to SMEs and the agriculture sector.
The
report notes that the economic package also earmarks resources for an
accelerated procurement of wheat, support for health and food supplies, an
emergency contingency fund, and a transfer to the National Disaster Management
Authority for the purchase of Covid-19 related equipment.
The
report also mentions the provision of tax incentives to the construction sector
to address the acute employment needs generated by the lockdowns.
The
provincial governments, according to this report, have been also implementing
supportive fiscal measures, consisting of cash grants to the low-income
households, tax relief and additional health spending.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1568043/imf-predicts-economic-recovery-in-pakistan-next-year
--------
US
revokes permission for PIA to operate special direct flights
Qazi
Hassan
Jul
10 2020
The
United States transport authority has revoked the permission granted to the
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate a number of special direct
flights to the US, a spokesperson for the airline said on Thursday, as the
fallout from the revelation of Pakistani pilots' alleged dubious licences
continues.
The
authorisation was revoked "due to recent events identified by the Pakistan
Civil Aviation Authority that are of serious concern to aviation safety,
specifically matters pertaining to the proper certification of certain
Pakistani pilots", according to an email sent to PIA officials by a
US-based law firm, seen by Dawn.com.
PIA
spokesperson Abdullah Khan confirmed that the airline had been notified of the
permission being withdrawn via email.
Related:
Cry for PIA
The
US Department of Transportation had in April granted PIA permission to operate
12 direct flights to the US to repatriate people stranded by the coronavirus
pandemic. The airline had until now operated six of the flights to different US
cities.
It
was the first time that Pakistan's national flag carrier operated direct
flights to the US.
"It
is a setback for us," PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said in a statement
to Dawn.com.
"However
we are keeping very close coordination with US Department of Transportation and
we sincerely hope that with the reformative process already underway, they will
review their decision to revoke the permissions."
Following
disclosure by federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan in parliament
that 150 PIA pilots had ‘dubious’ licences, the European Union and British
aviation authorities had barred the airline from flying to their airports for
at least six months.
The
aviation regulators of several other countries, meanwhile, have sought
verification of credentials of Pakistani pilots and engineers working there.
The
development comes as the federal government in recent days has tried to assuage
concerns about Pakistani pilots, stating that an inquiry into the issuance of
‘illegal’ licences to 236 pilots between 2012 and 2018 was in progress.
A
cabinet meeting was informed earlier this week that 28 pilots of PIA had been
dismissed from service and 37 were suspended for allegedly having suspicious
credentials. As many as 450 other PIA pilots had been cleared.
At
a joint press conference last week, Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi,
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Barrister Shahzad
Akbar and Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz had stressed that the
government was committed to ensuring merit and transparency in all national
institutions.
The
Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (Palpa) has said that there are
discrepancies in the government's list of pilots with licences deemed dubious
and has demanded a judicial investigation.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1567996/us-revokes-permission-for-pia-to-operate-special-direct-flights
--------
ATC
orders inquiry into illegal construction of mosque in Karachi
Jul
10 2020
KARACHI:
An antiterrorism court on Thursday directed the director general of the Sindh
Building Control Authority (SBCA) to hold an inquiry into illegal construction
of a mosque and madressah in Surjani Town on a plot meant for a park.
The
ATC-XII judge also expressed resentment on the deputy commissioner (West) for not
checking the legal status of the mosque/madressah before taking it over in
government custody and directed him to appear before the court along with a
report on July 13.
The
ATC also came down hard on the SBCA for allowing construction on government land
and sought the names of the officers concerned who were posted in the area at
that time from the SBCA DG and also asked him to file a report whether any
action was taken when the plot in question was encroached upon.
The
court was hearing a case registered against two suspects, affiliated with the
madressah, for allegedly collecting funds and donations for a banned militant
outfit.
The
Counter Terrorism Department said in the charge sheet that the mosque and
madressah were built on an amenity plot meant for a park in Maymarabad, Surjani
Town.
The
court questioned how the mosque/madressah was built without permission of the
SBCA and all other utilities were provided to the illegally built madressah,
adding that the government also appointed an administrator on such property and
also paid salaries to the staff deputed at such mosque/madressah.
At
the outset of the hearing, administrator for the madressah Musharraf Ali placed
some documents on record which showed that the provincial government had taken
over the madressah in pursuance of different notifications.
The
court observed that before taking over the property in question, its legal
status was not checked by the deputy commissioner concerned which was a great
failure on his part since the same was constructed on land which was still the
property of the Karachi Development Authority and not yet demarcated/allotted.
“Such
process of deputy commissioner not only regularizes such illegal construction,
but also financially burdened the exchequer”, the court added.
While
assisting the court, an assistant prosecutor general informed the ATC that
according to Section 21 of the Societies Registration Act 1860, a mosque was to
be registered and the procedure of registration of madressah was also available
in Section 25 of the act.
He
further submitted that according to the act, no utility connection would be
provided without registration and said that by violating the law, all
departments of public utilities, including SBCA, failed to discharge their
official duties.
The
CTD had booked Bashir, Mohammad Bin Shahzad and Rehan Ahmed under Section 11-N
of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and contended that they were looking after the
affairs of the mosque and madressah and collecting funds for the banned
Jaish-i-Mohammad.
Although
the CTD failed to arrest any of the suspects, they charge-sheeted Shahzad and
Rehan under Section 512 of the criminal procedure code by claiming that they
had collected sufficient evidence against both the suspects in their absence.
However,
the CTD said that information about Bashir, including his residential address,
could not be found.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1568035/atc-orders-inquiry-into-illegal-construction-of-mosque-in-karachi
--------
PPP
members, ministers clash in NA over KE affairs, JIT report
Amir
Wasim
Jul
10 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Thursday witnessed political skirmishes between the
members of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and federal ministers
throughout the nearly three-hour-long proceedings during a discussion on the
performance of K-Electric (KE) and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority
(Nepra) in the wake of massive load-shedding and excessive billing in Karachi
and over a controversy on the report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on notorious
Lyari gang leader Uzair Baloch.
The
PPP leaders had verbal clash with Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan and
Minister for Planning and Development AsadUmer during a discussion on a calling
attention notice regarding the unprecedented and unscheduled load-shedding in
Karachi by the KE and failure of Nepra to take prompt action in this regard.
The
opposition members reacted strongly when the two ministers started blaming the
past two governments of the PPP and the PML-N for the miseries being faced by the
people of Karachi due to lengthy hours of load-shedding during the hot and
humid weather and amid coronavirus pandemic.
Members
of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the MuttahidaQaumi Movement
(MQM), including federal Minister for Information Technology AminulHaq, from
Karachi also joined their voices with the protesting PPP members over the
performance of the KE.
“The
KE is a mafia and has become a state within the state,” MrHaq said while
calling for holding an investigation as to where the KE was making
re-investments from billions of rupees it was collecting from the people of
Karachi.
The
minister said that the KE sometimes blamed the Pakistan State Oil, sometimes
the gas company and often blamed rains for its poor performance. He said when
they raised the issue with Prime Minister Imran Khan, they came to know that
the KE was already being provided additional electricity from the national grid
and gas from the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited.
The
minister said that people of Karachi were suffering due to lengthy hours of
load-shedding despite the fact that most of the shops and shopping centres were
closed at 7pm.
MrHaq
said the PTI members from Karachi had been staging protest outside the KE
office for five days and now the MQM had decided to hold a protest sit-in
outside the Parliament House in Islamabad on July 14.
A
PTI MNA from Karachi, Fahim Siddiqui, regretted that the KE had not yet paid
compensation to those 19 people who died in the city due to electric shocks in
various incidents.
“The
KE is called ‘Killing Electric’ by the people of Karachi,” he said.
Mr
Siddiqui alleged that the KE had sold copper wires and replaced them with
aluminium wires. He called for auditing of the KE accounts.
Responding
to the criticism on KE, Minister for Planning and Development AsadUmer said the
lack of a proper power transmission and distribution system was the reason
behind increased load-shedding in the metropolis and promised that the federal
government would improve it in “record time”.
“The
work they [previous PPP and PML-N governments] did not do then is being done
now,” he said amid slogans by opposition members.
He
said the opposition members had termed the KE a “criminal outfit”, but took no
action against it when they were in power. Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan said
the 30mmcfd gas would be given from other cities to Karachi which would be used
to produce 200 megawatts (mw) of electricity.
“We
are giving 100mw from our national grid. It was the previous government’s
responsibility to make the system so we could give electricity through the
national grid but they did not pay attention to it,” Mr Khan said.
He
said that KE had limited capacity to get electricity from the national grid and
two new grid stations would be built in east and west of Karachi. He said that
the Sindh member in Nepra was protecting the KE’s interests.
PPP’s
Agha Rafiullah, ShaguftaJumani and Shazia Marri blasted the federal government
for not taking any action against the KE, stating that the entire set-up
including Nepra was under its control.
PPP’s
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the PTI government could not continue blaming previous
governments for its own shortcomings. He was of the view that a newly-formed
government could blame its predecessors for a few months after coming to power
but not forever.
The
session abruptly ended due to lack of quorum which was pointed out by the
opposition after staging a walkout in protest over Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s
act of giving floor to Communications Minister Murad Saeed and allowing him to
read out the alleged confessional statement of Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch in
which he had admitted that he had been operating under the patronage of top PPP
leadership, including former president Asif Ali Zardari.
As
soon as the deputy speaker gave floor to Mr Saeed to respond to the earlier
speech of PPP leader and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, who had
alleged that Ports and Shipping Minister Ali Zaidi had read out a fake JIT
report on the floor of the assembly during the previous session, the opposition
members stood up and started raising anti-government slogans.
An
angry PPP woman MNA NasibaChanna threw her headphone at the minister during his
speech but missed the target.
The
opposition members succeeded in preventing the minister from speaking by
staging a walkout leaving behind PPP’s Shahida Rehmani only to point out lack
of quorum.
The
deputy speaker first suspended the proceedings for 45 minutes and later
adjourned the sitting till Friday morning.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1568076/ppp-members-ministers-clash-in-na-over-ke-affairs-jit-report
--------
Govt
presents anti-domestic violence bill in NA
July
10, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Thursday presented the
bill for Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2020 in the National
Assembly with the aim to ‘establish an effective system of protection, relief
and rehabilitation of women, children, elders and any vulnerable persons
against domestic violence’.
Introducing
the bill, Mazari said that the act of domestic violence [if the offence
committed does not fall under the Pakistan Penal Code] shall be punishable with
imprisonment of maximum three years and minimum six months, depending on the
gravity of the crime committed. According to the bill, if an offence falling
under the PPC is committed in a domestic relationship, the crime shall be
punishable as under the PPC.
A
fine ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000 would also be imposed on the
perpetrator of domestic violence, that would be paid as compensation to the
aggrieved person. In case of default in payment of fine, the perpetrator may be
awarded three months imprisonment.
The
bill, which also extends to Islamabad Capital Territory, defines domestic
violence as ‘all acts of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and
economic abuse committed by a respondent against women, children, vulnerable
persons, or any other person with whom the respondent is or has been in a
domestic relationship that causes fear, physical or psychological harm to the
aggrieved person.’
It
includes, but is not limited to, acts such as repeated exhibition of
possessiveness or jealousy which lead to invasion of privacy, liberty,
integrity and security, threats of divorce or second marriage on baseless
accusations or infertility, wilful or negligent abandonment, stalking,
harassment, or compelling the wife to cohabit with anybody other than the
husband.
The
bill also criminalises insults, ridicule, and false allegations on the
character of a female member or any member of the shared household, as well as
intentional deprivation of economic or financial resources or hindrance to
access of such resources which the aggrieved person is entitled to under law.
According
to the bill, the Ministry of Human Rights shall constitute a Protection
Committee for the purpose of this Act within three months of the passage of the
Act.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/07/09/govt-presents-anti-domestic-violence-bill-in-na/
--------
India
Tablighi
Jamaat Event: Delhi Court Grants Bail To 76 Foreigners From 8 Countries
July
09, 2020
New
Delhi: A Delhi court Thursday granted bail to 76 foreign nationals from 8
countries who were chargesheeted for attending the Delhi mosque event in
Nizamuddin by allegedly violating visa conditions, indulging in missionary
activities illegally and violating government guidelines, issued in the wake of
COVID-19 outbreak.
Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur granted the relief to the foreigners
upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each.
The
accused will file their plea bargain applications on Friday, said advocate
Ashima Mandla, appearing for some of the foreign nationals.
Under
plea bargain, the accused pleaded guilty to the offence praying for a lesser
punishment. The Criminal Procedure of Code allows plea bargain for cases where
the maximum punishment is imprisonment for seven years, where offences don't
affect the socio-economic conditions of the society and when the offences are
not committed against a woman or a child below 14 years.
During
the hearing, all the foreign nationals were produced before the court through
video conferencing.
The
foreigners belong to Mali, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania, South
Africa and Myanmar, said advocates Mandakini Singh, Fahim Khan and Ahmad Khan,
appearing for the accused.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-mosque-event-court-grants-bail-to-76-foreigners-from-8-countries-2260076
--------
Tamil
Nadu Police Arrest 86 For Spreading Hatred Against The Muslim Community,
Linking Them With Covid-19
July
10, 2020
Chennai:
The Tamil Nadu Additional Director General of Police V. Baskaran, has informed
the Madras High Court that 86 people have been so far arrested in the state for
spreading communal hatred against the Muslim community, linking them with
Covid-19.
A
division bench of Justice M MSundresh and Justice R Hemalatha is hearing a
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by ASA Umar Farooq seeking action on
over 700 complaints filed in various police stations across the state but
remained pending.
ASA
Umar Farooq, through a writ petition prayed for a direction to the authorities
concerned to stop the media and other agencies and individuals from communalizing
Covid-19 issue.
In
response, the DGP filed a counter affidavit before the division bench stating
that so far there are 159 cases that have been registered against 356 people.
Of them 86 have been arrested, the DGP said.
As
per the report, Madurai tops the list with 19 cases followed by Erode (17) and
Pudukottai (12). In Chennai, 8 FIRs are registered against eight accused.
The
court after recording the submission has adjourned the hearing to July 13.
There
was a wave of communal propaganda against the Muslims that began right after
the news of the Tablighi Jamaat’s congregation in New Delhi’s linkages with the
novel coronavirus was found.
India
witnessed numerous incidents of attacks on Muslims across the country as a
direct result of such a vicious campaign. The social media was awash with hate
posts alleging that the coronavirus was a planned conspiracy by the Muslims.
Several
Muslims became victims of such a malicious hate campaign and some Muslims
selling fruits and vegetables were targeted and boycotted in some north India
states.
In
order to counter such propaganda, some Muslim organization in Tamil Nadu filed
complaints in the police stations, identifying the hate mongers posting on
online media or airing on broadcast media. There were 700 such complaints filed
in Tamil Nadu.
In
a welcome shift from the normal course. The response to this rising
Islamophobia through the legal follow up has resulted in the arrest of 86
people in Tamil Nadu so far.
Similar
campaign to fight anti-Muslim hate propaganda is taken up by some organizations
in the southern Indian states as well. More such legal intervention is needed
elsewhere in the country to reign in the hate mongers demonizing the proud
Muslim community of India.
https://ummid.com/news/2020/july/10.07.2020/tn-police-arrest-86-for-spreading-hatred-against-muslims.html
--------
CBI
Court Orders To Trace Babri Mosque Demolition Case Accused
July
09, 2020
Lucknow: A special CBI court hearing the Babri mosque
demolition case on Thursday ordered to trace accused Om Prakash Pandey, who is
said have become a monk years ago.
Mr
Pandey is one of the 32 accused in case, whose hearing is being held on a
day-to-day basis to conclude the trial by August 31, as directed by the Supreme
Court.
The
Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992 by "karsevaks" who
claimed that the mosque in Ayodhya was built on the site of an ancient Ram
temple.
Earlier,
Special Judge S K Yadav had issued a non-bailable warrant against Pandey.
The
court was told that members of the Mr Pandey's family claimed that he had
become a monk 25 years ago and they were not in contact with him.
The
court was also told that Mr Pandey is said to have sometimes visited his guru's
ashram in Allahabad and his brother said he would try to find him and let the
court know in a week.
Taking
all aspects into consideration, the court directed the CBI to inquire about the
matter and furnish a report before it.
Meanwhile,
no accused turned up before the court on Thursday to depose in the case.
An
application was moved on behalf of accused Santosh Dubey that his wife was
taken ill and he will appear before the court on July 13.
The
court has already directed accused Pawan Kumar Pandey, a former legislator, to
appear before it on Friday.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cbi-court-orders-to-trace-babri-mosque-demolition-case-accused-2260145
--------
Terrorists
attack Army convoy in Kashmir; soldier, pedestrian injured
Jul
9, 2020
SRINAGAR:
A jawan and a pedestrian woman were injured when terrorists fired upon an Army
ambulance, which was being escorted by a couple of Quick Reaction Team (QRT)
vehicles, in Ladoo area of Awantipora in South Kashmir on Thursday evening.
Army
spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said an ambulance accompanied by QRT vehicles was
fired upon by terrorists from near a mosque at Ladoo Mod around 6pm on
Thursday, injuring a soldier, who was shifted to 92 base hospital. A pedestrian
woman also sustained injuries in the cross fire. Both the injured are stable,
Col Kalia said.
The
injured woman was identified as 35-year-old Rafiq Bano. She was shifted to a
nearby hospital from where she was discharged after receiving treatment,
Kashmir range inspector general of police Vijay Kumar said.
Security
forces have cordoned off the entire area to nab the attackers.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorists-attack-army-convoy-in-kashmir-soldier-pedestrian-injured/articleshow/76881267.cms
--------
75
Pakistanis stranded in India due to Covid-19 return home via Wagah-Attari
crossing
Jul
09, 2020
Pakistan
on Thursday repatriated 75 of its nationals who were stranded in India due to
the Covid-19 pandemic through the Wagah-Attari land border crossing.
Since
March 20, Pakistan has repatriated around 500 of its nationals who were
stranded in various parts of India following the closure of the Wagah-Attari
crossing as part of measures to prevent and control the spread of the
coronavirus, said a statement from the Pakistan high commission.
The
batch of 75 Pakistanis repatriated on Thursday included people who had been
stranded because of the Covid-19 lockdown in cities such as Ahmedabad,
Allahabad, Amritsar, Bareilly, Hoshangabad, Hyderababad, Indore, Jodhpur,
Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Raipur, Saharanpur and Vellore.
The
Pakistan high commission said it will continue to extend assistance to the
remaining Pakistanis stranded in India to return home. The statement didn’t say
how many Pakistanis are still stranded in the country.
A
total of 627 Indian nationals stranded in Pakistan because of the pandemic
returned to the country via the Wagah-Attari crossing during June 25-27.
About
100 Indians are still in Pakistan and the government is in touch with Pakistani
authorities and awaiting clearances to facilitate their return, external
affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said last week.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/75-pakistanis-stranded-in-india-due-to-covid-19-return-home-via-wagah-attari-crossing/story-QS7MZ9it1uIRnvAVtt09CL.html
--------
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