Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala
New Age Islam News Bureau
10
Sept 2017
Photo:
Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim
Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala
-----------
India
• Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala
• India asks Myanmar to handle situation in Rakhine state with 'maturity'
• India, Pakistan to hold talks on two J&K hydroelectric projects in Washington next week
• Terrorists attack police party in J&K's Anantnag,1 cop killed, 2 injured
• Muslim woman thrown out by in-laws for making paintings of PM Modi, CM Adityanath
• Terrorists planning chemical attacks on planes, warns MHA
----------
Europe
• Russian Military Experts Train Hundreds of Syrian Soldiers to Join War on Terrorists
• Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Views On Abortion And Same Sex Marriage ‘Wouldn’t Be So Acceptable Coming From A Muslim’
• When Islamic ‘occupation of Europe’ becomes a reality
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Pakistan
• President Mamnoon calls for unity in Muslim world at OIC summit in Astana
• Top Pakistan general calls the expanding war in Afghanistan ‘collective failures’
• Cleric apologises for banning music
• China finds Pakistan open for business at first industrial fair
• Dostum invites his rivals for political rivalry rather than hatching conspiracies
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Southeast Asia
• Rohingya militants declare one-month ceasefire: Twitter statement
• Myanmar Muslim Organizations Condemn ARSA, Pledge Collaboration
• President Mamnoon urges Muslim world to gain self-sufficiency in all development sectors
• First Summit on Science and Technology of Organization of Islamic Cooperation starts in Astana
• Iran urges immediate halt to violence against Myanmar Muslims
• Duterte slams rights group about Rohingya Muslims
• Kazakhstan proposes Islamic countries to create forum like G20
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Arab World
• US Air Raid Leaves More Civilians Dead in Northeastern Syria
• Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Repels ISIL's Attacks on Gov't Positions in Hama
• Iraqi Police Kill 14 ISIL Militants Fleeing Tal Afar to Diyala
• Iranian Vessel Shoos off US Warship in Persian Gulf
• Blasts heard at Islamic State headquarters in Kirkuk
• Saudi Arabia assures investors ‘reforms, Aramco IPO on track’
• Damascus: Pro-Militant States Not Allowed to Participate in Reconstruction of Syria
• ISIL Withdraws from More Positions under Gov't Forces' Attacks in Central Syria
• Syria: More Aid Convoys En Route to DeirEzzur City, Airbase
• Gov't Forces Break ISIL's Siege on Most Important Airbase in Eastern Syria
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North America
• US ousts Pak's biggest pvt bank on terror funding fear
• US approves $3.8bn in arms sales to Bahrain
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South Asia
• Senior Taliban leaders among several dead in Maidan Wardak airstrikes
• UN: Rohingya Exodus to Bangladesh Nears 300,000
• Afghanistan ready for comprehensive talks with Pakistan, Ghani tells Erdogan
• US envoy optimistic about growing role of Afghan women in economic development
• Afghan history, culture’s historic friend Nancy Dupree dies in Kabul
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Mideast
• Turkey kills 99 Kurdish militants in latest operations
• Erdoğan urges Muslim countries to help Rohingya
• World of Islam crucial, effective part of global system
• Crimes against Rohingya, organized Israeli regime plot: Iran's Velayati
• Iran, Turkey authorities determined to deepen bilateral ties
• 'Stable' Islamic World to Contribute to Global Security: Iranian President
• Bahrain tightens Islamic finance rules with mandatory external audit
• Turkey says citizens face ‘racist treatment’ in Germany
• Hamas chief in Egypt for first visit since election
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Africa
• Egypt announces discovery of 3,500-year-old tomb in Luxor
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/next-step-after-triple-talaq/d/112483
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Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala
September 10, 2017
Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala (Representation Image/REUTERS)
Bhopal/New Delhi: First it was the Indian Christian Marriage Act 1872, then came the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act 1936, followed by the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Hindu Succession Act 1956. India, a secular democratic republic, has codified family laws for all major religions, except Islam. And while the idea of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is still at a nascent stage, buoyed by the recent Supreme Court verdict declaring instant triple talaq unconstitutional, groups of Muslim women have proposed a law governing Muslim family norms to ensure gender justice and do away with adhocism.
Interestingly, much like legal fight against instant triple talaq, these Muslims women are not only getting support from women across communities but also from sections of the Sanghparivar, making it appear like a possibility in near future.
Bharatiya Muslim MahilaAndolan, an advocacy group, has proposed a draft for ‘Muslim Family Law 2017’, which it claims is a result of nine years’ efforts by Muslim women from 15 states. BMMA activists say they are reaching out to women MPs across parties to ensure that Parliament takes up the issue in the next session to ensure that “not only triple talaq is prohibited but other brutal and inhuman practices like polygamy and nikahhalala are also ended. There should also be a common procedure, according to Islam, with regard to marriage and divorce.”
ZakiaSoman, co-founder of BMMA said the proposal is as good as a draft law and looks beyond the issues of triple talaq and marriage, taking into account inheritance and adoption, which are totally skewed in the favour of men due to misogynistic stand of All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
News18 has accessed a copy of the proposal, which is being sent to the Ministry Women and Child Development and the National Commission for Women.
The proposal – draft Muslim Family Law 2017 – not only seeks total ban on instant triple talaq but also prescribes the procedure of divorce, giving women an equal say.
During the arguments in the triple talaq case in the Supreme Court in May, senior advocate Indira Jaising, arguing for Bebaak Collective, one of the petitioners, had stated that “While divorce in Islam was judicial (resort to courts) for a wife, it was extra-judicial (at the comfort of home and his own will) for a husband.”
This argument seems to have formed the backbone of the draft proposal. According to the draft, whoever wants divorce, regardless of gender, the method has to be Talaq-E-Ehsan, which mandates a compulsory period of gaps between the three utterances of divorce coupled with efforts of arbitration and mediation. The one who seeks divorce will have to file an application with Qazi, DarulQaza or a court. Then an arbitrator will call the other party for mediation and there will have to be a three-month gap before the marriage comes to an end.
NoorjehanNiaz, another co-founder of BMMA said, "Khula (divorce sought by woman) will no more be dependent on the consent of a man. It will no more be extra judicial for the man and judicial for the woman. Our draft seeks to make both judicial."
Further, the proposed draft makes it difficult for either of the spouses to not cooperate in the divorce proceedings. It states that if a spouse refuses to cooperate in the reconciliation or dissolution of marriage proceedings initiated at the behest of the other spouse, it may amount to misconduct and may be a ground for approaching the court for dissolution of marriage.
The draft also seeks an explicit end to the practice of polygamy, nikahhalala and muta (temporary) marriage. The aspect of penalty has been left for the parlimentarians to debate and decide.
It also seeks that marriage should only take place when the Muslim woman is of 18 years and the Muslim man is of 21 years. With regard to Mehr, which forms a compulsory payment by the groom to the bride on the occasion of the marriage, it seeks that Mehr cannot be less than what the groom earns annually.
It states that every marriage needs to be registered after it's enactment and the clerics who conduct the marriage should be made accountable to such a law.
This comes at a time when the AIMPLB executive board is meeting in Bhopal. Earlier, MaulanaWaliRahmani had told News18 that the Supreme Court verdict on triple talaq ensures protection for personal law and Uniform Civil Code is impossible in India.
Soman, however, said the proposed draft seeks "to achieve harmony between the tenets of the Quran and the Constitution".
"It is possible to achieve this because both of them speak of Justice. The only problem is the AIMPLB, which tries to bring out rules that suit its own patriarchal worldview. If all communities' personal laws have been codified, then why exclude only the Muslims?" asked Soman.
The draft also speaks elaborately on the aspect of inheritance and bats for equal rights for sons and daughters. The daughters' share will be equal to that of the sons' by even the way of Hiba or gift in Islam. It also states that both father and mother will be the natural guardian of the child.
Draft proposal of Muslim Family Law 2017 also takes into account the case of adoption, but hasn't gone in detail to formulate a process as Islam prohibits adoption. "In case a Muslim couple wishes to adopt, then they are free to do so under The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act of 2000, which after the 2006 amendment, allows any Indian citizen to adopt a child who is legally free for adoption," Niaz told News18.
When asked, Muslim RashtriyaManch leader Indresh Kumar said since the demand is coming from the Muslim society it must be looked into. "Nowhere in the world there is a Muslim Personal Law Board. It is only here and has no constitutional, Islamic or social validity. We asked Muslims about the personal laws -- there are different sects and practices within them, but over the period of time some socially regressive practices creeped in the religion like polygamy and halala. These have no backing from the Quran or the Constitution," he said.
"When the triple talaq verdict came out, Muslim women got justice... their religion also commands watanparasti and obedience to the rule of the land," he added.
news18.com/news/india/next-step-after-triple-talaq-victory-is-not-uniform-civil-code-its-muslim-family-law-banning-polygamy-halala-1514233.html
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Russian Military Experts Train Hundreds of Syrian Soldiers to Join War on Terrorists
TEHRAN (FNA)- A well-informed army source confirmed on Saturday that the Russian military forces have trained over 1,000 Syrian soldiers to join the country's war on terrorists.
The Russian-language Russia Today (RT) quoted Mansour Nabiyeh, a Syrian army officer, as saying that the Russian military experts have trained 1,200 soldiers of the Syrian Army in al-Drij military center in Damascus province to reinvigorate the Syrian Army in the battlefields.
Nabiyeh further told RT that those soldiers who went under military training by Russia in al-Drij training center participated in the liberation operation of Palmyra city in Homs, DeirEzzur and Aleppo and also in anti-ISIL operation in the Southern part of Raqqa province.
Field sources reported in July that the Russian Army Special Forces assisted the Syrian Army troops in the battle against ISIL terrorists in Badiyeh (desert) in Central Syria.
The sources said that a large number of the Russian ground forces participated in anti-ISIL operations in different parts of Syria, including in Badiyeh in the Central part of the war-hit country.
According to reports, the most important roles of the Russian special forces in Syria were tactical reconnaissance, forward air control, light fire support (i.e. snipers, anti-tank guided missile teams and mortar detachments) and operational advisory.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960618000513
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President Mamnoon calls for unity in Muslim world at OIC summit in Astana
September 10, 2017
President Mamnoon Hussain, in his first-ever visit to Kazakhstan, urged the Muslim world to work collectively for the development of science and technology in order to meet the challenges of modern times, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Hussain is heading a Pakistani delegation at the two-day Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Science and Technology in Astana, the Kazakh capital, where heads of state and government from over 20 Muslim countries have gathered.
The president is participating as the chairman of the OIC Standing Committee on Science and Technology, according to a Foreign Office (FO) handout.
At the summit, Hussain emphasised the need for leaders of the Muslim world to improve agricultural production and develop the agricultural technology sector.
He was of the view that it would be possible to focus on higher education and research in emerging areas of science and technology once there is a solid foundation of educated, skilled and healthy manpower.
President Hussain regretted that the Muslim world had failed to pay attention to the education sector for the past several centuries and highlighted the need for the Muslim bloc to be self-sufficient in the political and socio-economic sectors.
He stressed the need for unity among the Muslim world, terming it imperative for development, prosperity and a safe future for the new generation.
Participants at the summit are expected to adopt the Astana Declaration and the OIC Action Plan for the next 10 years, the FO said.
During his four-day stay in Astana, Hussain is to hold a range of bilateral meetings with several heads of state, he added, and will also attend and informal meeting of OIC leaders on the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The occasion "will provide opportunities to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest", the handout said.
The president will also interact with Pakistani scientists and intelligentsia based in Astana, the press release said.
sdawn.com/news/1356803/president-mamnoon-calls-for-unity-in-muslim-world-at-oic-summit-in-astana
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Rohingya militants declare one-month ceasefire: Twitter statement
AFP | Updated: Sep 10, 2017, 09:44 IST
Rohingya militants declare one-month ceasefire: Twitter statement
YANGON: Rohingya militants, whose August 25 raids in Myanmar's Rakhine State sparked an army crackdown that has seen nearly 300,000 of the Muslim minority flee to Bangladesh, today declared an immediate unilateral one-month ceasefire.
"The ArakanRohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) hereby declares a temporary cessation of offensive military operations," it said in a statement on its Twitter handle @ARSA_Official, adding it was to allow for humanitarian aid to reach the battered region.
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IMPORTANT: PRESS RELEASE
(10th Sept, 2017)#ARSA hereby declares a ceasefire from offensive military operations for one month from today.
11:02 PM - Sep 9, 2017
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The group urged "all humanitarian actors" to resume aid delivery to "all victims of humanitarian crisis irrespective of ethnic or religious background" during the ceasefire period which runs until October 9.
It urged Myanmar to "reciprocate this humanitarian pause" in fighting, with huge numbers of displaced moving across Rakhine many believed to be in desperate need of help after over two weeks of violence.
Its Twitter page is often the first to publish ARSA statements or direct readers to videos.
Today's statement was signed by Ata Ullah, who purportedly commands the militants from jungle bases straddling the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Better-known locally as Harakah al-Yaqin (Faith Movement), ARSA launched coordinated raids using hundreds of militants on August 25 on around 30 police posts and state offices in northern Rakhine state.
The kickback by security forces prompted the Rohingya exodus.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh say security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists killed villagers indiscriminately during their crackdown, setting fire to hundreds of villages.
In an area split by claim and counterclaim, ethnic Rakhine villagers accuse militants of murdering their civilians while the government says fleeing Rohingya set fire to their own homes to forment fear and anti-state anger.
ARSA appears to have significantly grown in the last year despite remaining hopelessly outgunned against one of Asia's largest militaries.
According to statements and photos released by Myanmar's army, the militants use primitive weapons, including gunpowder rifles, homemade guns and bombs as well as clubs and swords.
Myanmar's army says it has killed nearly 400 militants so far in its "clearance operations", while some Rohingya refugees have complained they were forced to fight by ARSA.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/rohingya-militants-declare-one-month-ceasefire-twitter-statement/articleshow/60445833.cms
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India
Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala
September 10, 2017
Next Step After Triple Talaq Victory Is Not Uniform Civil Code, It's Muslim Family Law Banning Polygamy and Halala (Representation Image/REUTERS)
Bhopal/New Delhi: First it was the Indian Christian Marriage Act 1872, then came the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act 1936, followed by the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Hindu Succession Act 1956. India, a secular democratic republic, has codified family laws for all major religions, except Islam. And while the idea of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is still at a nascent stage, buoyed by the recent Supreme Court verdict declaring instant triple talaq unconstitutional, groups of Muslim women have proposed a law governing Muslim family norms to ensure gender justice and do away with adhocism.
Interestingly, much like legal fight against instant triple talaq, these Muslims women are not only getting support from women across communities but also from sections of the Sanghparivar, making it appear like a possibility in near future.
Bharatiya Muslim MahilaAndolan, an advocacy group, has proposed a draft for ‘Muslim Family Law 2017’, which it claims is a result of nine years’ efforts by Muslim women from 15 states. BMMA activists say they are reaching out to women MPs across parties to ensure that Parliament takes up the issue in the next session to ensure that “not only triple talaq is prohibited but other brutal and inhuman practices like polygamy and nikahhalala are also ended. There should also be a common procedure, according to Islam, with regard to marriage and divorce.”
ZakiaSoman, co-founder of BMMA said the proposal is as good as a draft law and looks beyond the issues of triple talaq and marriage, taking into account inheritance and adoption, which are totally skewed in the favour of men due to misogynistic stand of All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
News18 has accessed a copy of the proposal, which is being sent to the Ministry Women and Child Development and the National Commission for Women.
The proposal – draft Muslim Family Law 2017 – not only seeks total ban on instant triple talaq but also prescribes the procedure of divorce, giving women an equal say.
During the arguments in the triple talaq case in the Supreme Court in May, senior advocate Indira Jaising, arguing for Bebaak Collective, one of the petitioners, had stated that “While divorce in Islam was judicial (resort to courts) for a wife, it was extra-judicial (at the comfort of home and his own will) for a husband.”
This argument seems to have formed the backbone of the draft proposal. According to the draft, whoever wants divorce, regardless of gender, the method has to be Talaq-E-Ehsan, which mandates a compulsory period of gaps between the three utterances of divorce coupled with efforts of arbitration and mediation. The one who seeks divorce will have to file an application with Qazi, DarulQaza or a court. Then an arbitrator will call the other party for mediation and there will have to be a three-month gap before the marriage comes to an end.
NoorjehanNiaz, another co-founder of BMMA said, "Khula (divorce sought by woman) will no more be dependent on the consent of a man. It will no more be extra judicial for the man and judicial for the woman. Our draft seeks to make both judicial."
Further, the proposed draft makes it difficult for either of the spouses to not cooperate in the divorce proceedings. It states that if a spouse refuses to cooperate in the reconciliation or dissolution of marriage proceedings initiated at the behest of the other spouse, it may amount to misconduct and may be a ground for approaching the court for dissolution of marriage.
The draft also seeks an explicit end to the practice of polygamy, nikahhalala and muta (temporary) marriage. The aspect of penalty has been left for the parlimentarians to debate and decide.
It also seeks that marriage should only take place when the Muslim woman is of 18 years and the Muslim man is of 21 years. With regard to Mehr, which forms a compulsory payment by the groom to the bride on the occasion of the marriage, it seeks that Mehr cannot be less than what the groom earns annually.
It states that every marriage needs to be registered after it's enactment and the clerics who conduct the marriage should be made accountable to such a law.
This comes at a time when the AIMPLB executive board is meeting in Bhopal. Earlier, MaulanaWaliRahmani had told News18 that the Supreme Court verdict on triple talaq ensures protection for personal law and Uniform Civil Code is impossible in India.
Soman, however, said the proposed draft seeks "to achieve harmony between the tenets of the Quran and the Constitution".
"It is possible to achieve this because both of them speak of Justice. The only problem is the AIMPLB, which tries to bring out rules that suit its own patriarchal worldview. If all communities' personal laws have been codified, then why exclude only the Muslims?" asked Soman.
The draft also speaks elaborately on the aspect of inheritance and bats for equal rights for sons and daughters. The daughters' share will be equal to that of the sons' by even the way of Hiba or gift in Islam. It also states that both father and mother will be the natural guardian of the child.
Draft proposal of Muslim Family Law 2017 also takes into account the case of adoption, but hasn't gone in detail to formulate a process as Islam prohibits adoption. "In case a Muslim couple wishes to adopt, then they are free to do so under The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act of 2000, which after the 2006 amendment, allows any Indian citizen to adopt a child who is legally free for adoption," Niaz told News18.
When asked, Muslim RashtriyaManch leader Indresh Kumar said since the demand is coming from the Muslim society it must be looked into. "Nowhere in the world there is a Muslim Personal Law Board. It is only here and has no constitutional, Islamic or social validity. We asked Muslims about the personal laws -- there are different sects and practices within them, but over the period of time some socially regressive practices creeped in the religion like polygamy and halala. These have no backing from the Quran or the Constitution," he said.
"When the triple talaq verdict came out, Muslim women got justice... their religion also commands watanparasti and obedience to the rule of the land," he added.
news18.com/news/india/next-step-after-triple-talaq-victory-is-not-uniform-civil-code-its-muslim-family-law-banning-polygamy-halala-1514233.html
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India asks Myanmar to handle situation in Rakhine state with 'maturity'
PTI | Sep 10, 2017
NEW DELHI: A "deeply concerned" India on Sunday asked Myanmar to handle the situation in the Rakhine state with "maturity and restraint" while focusing on the welfare of the civilian population along with that of the security forces and asserted that it was imperative that violence ends there.
The Indian statement came in the backdrop of the continuous exodus of Rohingya Muslims from the Buddhist- majority country in the wake of violence against them.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India remains "deeply concerned" about the situation in the Rakhine state and the outflow of refugees from that region.
"We would urge that the situation in Rakhine state be handled with restraint and maturity, focusing on the welfare of the civilian population alongside those of security forces. It is imperative that violence is ended and normalcy in the state restored expeditiously," the statement said.
The statement also referred to India's strong condemnation of the terrorist attacks on Myanmar security forces in the Rakhine state.
The two countries have since affirmed their shared determination to combat terrorism and not allow its justification under any pretext, it said.
The Indian statement came even as Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali called on Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to discuss the issue.
Nearly 300,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25 when the fresh wave of violence erupted.
However, the MEA statement made no mention of the meeting.
During prime minister's recent visit to Myanmar this week, he had expressed his concern at the casualties of security forces as well as other innocent lives, the MEA statement said.
He had also urged a solution based on respect for peace, communal harmony, justice, dignity and democratic values, it added.
The statement also noted that during the prime minister's Myanmar visit it was agreed that India would provide assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme in conjunction with the Myanmarese government.
India had refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference recently in Indonesia as it carried "inappropriate" reference to violence in Rakhine state.
An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the 'Bali Declaration' adopted at the 'World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development' held in Indonesia.
According to media reports, the violence began when Rohingya militants attacked police posts in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.
Rohingya residents, a stateless mostly Muslim minority, allege that the military and Rakhine Buddhists responded with a brutal campaign against them, according to the reports.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-asks-myanmar-to-handle-situation-in-rakhine-state-with-maturity/articleshow/60448108.cms
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India, Pakistan to hold talks on two J&K hydroelectric projects in Washington next week
Vishwa Mohan | TNN | Updated: Sep 10, 2017, 10:39 IST
NEW DELHI: As dispute between India and Pakistan over construction of two hydroelectric projects in Jammu & Kashmir remains unresolved, both the countries will hold another round of discussion in Washington next week (September 14-15) in presence of World Bank officials to reach at an acceptable solution.
"It will be technical discussion on Ratle and Kishanganga hydroelectric projects", said an official. First round of such discussion had taken place in Washington during July 31 and August 1.
A multi-disciplinary Indian delegation, led by water resources secretary Amarjit Singh, will head for the US amid indications that the country is not keen to alter design of the two contentious projects - Ratle and Kishanganga - in Jammu & Kashmir as it believes that the construction would not, in any case, interfere with the agreed points between India and Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
Pakistan had approached the World Bank last year, raising its objections over designs of the two under-constructed projects which India wants to complete as early as possible to utilise its legitimate share of water under the IWT. Pakistan believes that the existing designs of the projects would not let adequate water to flow to its side.
The Indian delegation will include technical experts from the ministry of power, Central Water Commission (CWC), ministry of external affairs and Indian Commissioner for Indus Water.
India and Pakistan currently disagree over whether the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants - Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) - contravene the IWT. The World Bank is not financing any of these projects
The Kishanganga plant is proposed on a tributary of the Jhelum river while the Ratle will come up on the Chenab river. The Treaty designates these two rivers as well as the Indus as the "Western Rivers" to which Pakistan has rights of unrestricted use. Among other uses, under the IWT, India is, however, permitted to construct hydroelectric power facilities on these rivers subject to certain constraints specified in Annexures to the Treaty.
The Treaty was signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan with the help of the World Bank, which is also a signatory. It sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission, which has a commissioner from each country.
The World Bank's role in relation to "differences" and "disputes" is limited to the designation of people to fulfill certain roles when requested by either or both of the countries.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-pakistan-to-hold-talks-on-two-jk-hydroelectric-projects-in-washington-next-week/articleshow/60442290.cms
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Terrorists attack police party in J&K's Anantnag,1 cop killed, 2 injured
M SaleemPandit | TNN | Sep 9, 2017, 21:22 IST
SRINAGAR: One policeman was killed while two others sustained injuries after terrorists attacked a police party on Saturday afternoon at General Bus Stand in Anantnag chowk in south Kashmir.
The attack comes at a time when Union Home minister Rajnath Singh is one a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the security situation besides meeting cross section of the people for the restoration of peace in the Kashmir valley.
The armed terrorists indiscriminately fired upon the police party on duty at KP chowk in the afternoon, killing one policeman and injuring two others, police said. The slain policeman was identified as constableImtiyaz Ahmad.
In a separate incident, a gunfight between terrorists and security forces erupted at Barbugh area of Shopian district in south of Kashmir, in which one terrorist was killed, sources said.
Exchange of firing was ongoing in the area at the time of filing this report.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorists-attack-police-party-in-jks-anantnag1-cop-killed-2-injured/articleshow/60441144.cms
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Muslim woman thrown out by in-laws for making paintings of PM Modi, CM Adityanath
September 10, 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow on March 19, 2017.IANS
While abuse of women for reasons like dowry is common in India, the reason why this Muslim woman from Uttar Pradesh was beaten up by her in-laws will shock you.
Kolkata housewife commits suicide with last message to cousin: See how they have beaten me
The woman, who has been identified as NagmaParveen, was thrashed and then thrown out of her in-laws' housein Ballia city near the Bihar border after she made a painting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Pastor, pregnant wife beaten, doused with petrol by unidentified assailants in Chhattisgarh
Woman thrashed, paraded naked in Maharashtra for supporting brother's affair
According to the police, Parveen had got married to Pervez Khan of the Basarikpur village under Sikanderpur police station, area in November 2016.
The 24-year-old painted the political leaders and showed it to her husband. However, Khan reportedly flew into a rage and showed the paintings to the other members of the family.
They called her mad for making the paintings and started beating her up. After that, she was thrown out of the house. She later approached her father Samsher.
When he questioned her i- laws as to why they hit her, they said that his daughter had become mad as she wanted to hang Modi and Aditynath's portraits in the house. They also told him that she had no right to live in the house owing to what she did.
raped
Reuters
SP Anil Kumar said that Parveen's father has not only accused her in-laws of harassing her and calling her mentally disbalanced.
Meanwhile, a local media report has said that Parveen's husband has married for the second time. When she approached her in-laws' house she was beaten up. Parveen and her father has filed a complaint with the police.
ibtimes.co.in/muslim-woman-thrown-out-by-laws-making-paintings-pm-modi-cm-adityanath-741532
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Terrorists planning chemical attacks on planes, warns MHA
Saurabh Sinha | TNN | Updated: Sep 10, 2017, 15:03 IST
NEW DELHI: Following intelligence inputs that terrorists may launch a chemical attack by releasing toxic gases in aircraft and other modes of public transport, the Union home ministry has issued an alert to all states and security agencies to step up frisking and baggage checks at airports, bus stands, and train and metro stations.
The security personnel have been asked to be on a lookout for any substance that could be used to release deadly toxic gases on aircraft.
The MHA on September 1 wrote to all states, aviation ministry and other agencies: "Central security agencies have intimated that terrorists are planning a range of attacks against commercial aviation targets."
The MHA alert follows a foiled bid last month in Australia+ to bring down a commercial aircraft. The Australian police had said that terrorists tried to place an improvised explosive device on a Gulf carrier's aircraft.
The MHA alert said the terrorists could adopt chemical warfare capabilities to conduct chemical attacks by creating toxic gases from materials available at hardware store or from easily produced materials including chemical powders, pesticides, acids and water, disguised as medication, food, beverages or household cleaners .
"Toxic gases pose the greatest hazard when made in an enclosed space, underscoring the risk to aircraft, buses or trains," says the MHA. Based on the alert, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has written to the top brass of CISF, Airports Authority of India and JV metro airports to step up security arrangements.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorists-planning-chemical-attacks-on-planes-warns-mha/articleshow/60444638.cms
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Europe
Russian Military Experts Train Hundreds of Syrian Soldiers to Join War on Terrorists
TEHRAN (FNA)- A well-informed army source confirmed on Saturday that the Russian military forces have trained over 1,000 Syrian soldiers to join the country's war on terrorists.
The Russian-language Russia Today (RT) quoted Mansour Nabiyeh, a Syrian army officer, as saying that the Russian military experts have trained 1,200 soldiers of the Syrian Army in al-Drij military center in Damascus province to reinvigorate the Syrian Army in the battlefields.
Nabiyeh further told RT that those soldiers who went under military training by Russia in al-Drij training center participated in the liberation operation of Palmyra city in Homs, DeirEzzur and Aleppo and also in anti-ISIL operation in the Southern part of Raqqa province.
Field sources reported in July that the Russian Army Special Forces assisted the Syrian Army troops in the battle against ISIL terrorists in Badiyeh (desert) in Central Syria.
The sources said that a large number of the Russian ground forces participated in anti-ISIL operations in different parts of Syria, including in Badiyeh in the Central part of the war-hit country.
According to reports, the most important roles of the Russian special forces in Syria were tactical reconnaissance, forward air control, light fire support (i.e. snipers, anti-tank guided missile teams and mortar detachments) and operational advisory.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960618000513
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Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Views On Abortion And Same Sex Marriage ‘Wouldn’t Be So Acceptable Coming From A Muslim’
10/09/2017 08:57
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s “extremist” views on abortion and gay marriage are more palatable because he is a white, Catholic politician who is part of the establishment, experts have said.
The backbench Tory MP, who is tipped as a potential leadership contender, made the controversial comments on Wednesday, sparking a backlash on social media.
He defended his views on Friday, saying: “The Catholic Church’s teachings are authoritative. To take a life after a rape is not the answer.”
Yet experts say the reaction would have been far more widespread and more critical had it been a Muslim politician espousing such views.
BEN PRUCHNIE VIA GETTY IMAGES
Jacob Rees-Mogg made some controversial comments regarding abortion and same sex marriage earlier this week.
LBC host James O’Brien made a similar comparison this week, saying that Rees-Mogg’sopinions “puts him on the same page as an awful lot of imams, the lunatic fringe of Islam”.
And even in editorials slamming the Tory MP’s extremely religious views, there appeared to be a concerted effort to rush to his defence, with Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine praising his “authenticity” and “candour”.
“If a Muslim said things like that they (the Daily Mail) wouldn’t describe him as being authentic,” Dr Abby Day, professor of race, faith and culture at Goldsmiths University, tells HuffPost UK.
“She (Vine) describes him as being ‘unapologetically religious’. I mean, that’s a compliment?
“Can you imagine the Mail praising a woman wearing a hijab for being unapologetically religious.
“She is torturously trying to say he’s ok while not quite lining up with his views on abortion.”
People like Jacob Rees-Mogg say they value life, but not a life who happens to be on a boat crossing the Med, says @mrjamesob.
19:34 - 6 Sep 2017
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Earlier this week, Rees-Mogg said that he disagreed with abortion in all circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest.
The 48-year-old North East Somerset MP, who has become something of a social media sensation in recent months, justified his opposition to abortion and same sex marriage because he takes the teachings of the Catholic Church “seriously”.
Dr Day says that there is a disparity between how comments made by a Catholic politician are received compared to a Muslim politician.
The academic said that, because the person expressing these views is white and a member of the establishment, they are not being “attacked” to the same extent as someone from a different race or ethnic background would be.
“Having a look at the ways a lot of the media have covered the Rees-Mogg story, it’s interesting that they have often described him as a traditionalist,” Dr Day says.
“It’s interesting if a Muslim said that they would be labelled an extremist, why don’t we label him as an extremist?”.
Hussein Kesvani✔ @HKesvani
Important point. If Sadiq Khan said this, many would say it's proof that Muslims aren't moderate and can't integrate stwitter.com/Anthony1983/status/905418439094927360 …
18:44 - 6 Sep 2017
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Rees-Mogg says his views on sexuality & abortion are underpinned by Catholicism yet people aren’t critiquing that.
18:42 - 6 Sep 2017
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Dr Day says a similar situation emerged when Tim Farron stood down as leader of the Liberal Democrats after he refused to say whether homosexuality is a sin.
“When Tim Farron resigned… everybody swelled around him and said he did the right thing.
“People like (Archbishop of Canterbury Justin) Welby said he’s a really courageous man. The guy stood down because his Christian views, predominantly about same sex marriage, were out of touch with the population,” Dr Day says.
“Everybody said ‘oh what a nice guy, that’s too bad’. They just would not have said that if it was a Muslim.”
If a Muslim said that they would be labelled an extremist.
Dr Abby Day
When asked whether he believed gay sex is a sin, Rees-Mogg said on Wednesday that it is not for him to judge what other people do.
He also said that, if he were to become prime minister, the law regarding abortion would not change, although it was his personal belief that “life begins at the point of conception”.
According to a 2013 YouGov survey, only 14% of Catholics in the UK are in favour of a ban on abortion.
Meanwhile, 30% of Muslims surveyed supported an abortion ban.
Despite a larger number of Muslims agreeing with a ban on abortion, according to the YouGov survey, experts say they are less likely to voice their opinions through fear of how their views will be received.
Ahmed J Versi, editor of The Muslim News, says that Muslims are “afraid” to discuss certain views in public.
“If a Muslim person wants to say this in public, it becomes an extremism issue,” he tells HuffPost UK.
He says Muslims were seen “through the prism of extremism”.
“Whenever you look at the media you see a negative image of Islam, so how would you feel if you were a Muslim? You would feel that everything about me is negative,” Versi adds.
PA ARCHIVE/PA IMAGES
Ahmed J Versi, editor of Muslim News, says Muslims were seen ‘through the prism of extremism’
But when a high-profile politician expresses such views, more caution needs to be taken than if it was someone who wasn’t in a position of power, campaigners say.
Katherine O’Brien, head of media at British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), tells HuffPost UK: “One in three women in this country will have an abortion in their lifetime. We will all know and love a woman who has had an abortion, yet stigma still prevails.
“When high-profile individuals express these views, some women will feel that their incredibly personal decision to end a pregnancy is being judged on national TV by a stranger who knows nothing about their life.
“However, given the significant backlash from both members of the public and his colleagues in parliament, it appears the person most negatively impacted by these comments is Jacob Rees-Mogg himself.”
Meanwhile, LGBT rights charity Stonewall advises Rees-Mogg keep his opinions to himself.
Matt Horwood, communications officer from Stonewall, tells HuffPost UK: “It’s always disappointing to hear people make judgement on same sex relationships, even though these relationships are none of their business.
“If Jacob Rees-Mogg is so opposed to same sex marriage, the best thing for him to do is avoid marrying another man, rather than comment on other people’s relationships.”
Academics argue that extremists from different faiths often agree with each other - more so than the liberal members of their own religion.
“A lot of Catholics approve of abortion, a lot of Catholics approve of same sex marriage and most middle-of-the-road religious people are just the same to the majority of the people in the population who think these things are ok,” Dr Day says.
“It’s only the extremists like Rees-Mogg who disagree.”
The Goldsmiths professor raises questions about what it is about abortion and same sex marriage that bothers some fervently religious people so much.
“You have to wonder what it is that makes these guys come out against abortion.
“There’s only three things that they get exercised about – abortion, same sex marriage and divorce.
“You don’t hear them getting exercised about, well not often anyway, poverty, people sleeping on the streets, young people losing their jobs through the bad economy.
“You don’t hear them getting crazy about that. So it’s kind of important for us to see that they are really getting crazy about women’s rights and the right for people to be who they are.”
Marie Stopes, a charity which provides sexual and reproductive health services, said that religious planning and family planning do not have to be incompatible with one another.
Sarah Shaw, the charity’s head of advocacy, says: “Our teams work with religious leaders around the world to educate community members about sexual and reproductive health and enable them to make informed choices that are right for them.”
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jacob-rees-mogg-extremist-abortion-same-sex-marriage-muslim_uk_59b18dd9e4b0b5e53104a4de
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When Islamic ‘occupation of Europe’ becomes a reality
08.09.17
Allow me to paraphrase a statement made by the late Elie Wiesel. While it’s true, he said, that not all the Germans murdered Jews—all the victims were Jewish. While it’s true that not all the Muslims are jihadists or terrorists, all (or at least an overwhelming majority of) the victims of the killing sprees across Europe are Christians (the Jews have not been a target so far, but rather a “by product”—random victims).
In the Middle East, terror organizations have been fighting each other—and Israel—for years, but this is only the situation in our region. What is the goal of the different jihadist organizations—the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and their likes—concerning Europe? To return to a situation that existed in the not-so-distant past in a number of countries in Europe, following the Ottoman Empire’s occupation expeditions. In other words, their declared aspiration is an Islamization of Europe and an elimination of “the heretics.”
But Islam doesn't necessarily need murderous terror attacks to take over the continent. Any intelligent person understands that if Western European countries fail to wake up soon, they may find out within several decades—or maybe even by the end of the century—that the Muslims have become a majority in the population. Not only is the natural growth among Muslims much higher (some say 10 times higher) than the natural growth of any other group in the population, but huge waves of immigration from Islamic countries in Africa and the Middle East keep flooding the continent. If this immigration continues, the portend of “an occupation of Europe” will turn into a reality.
Let’s take Britain, for example. Islam is today the second biggest religion in the country, every third child who is born there is given the name “Muhammad” in its different variations, and the Muslim communities in its main cities are only growing. Some of them have Muslim quarters that are essentially run as autonomies.
Many of the millions of Muslims living in the kingdom are second- and third-generation immigrants from countries that used to live under the rule of the “Empire” and whose residents automatically received a British citizenship. For example, the parents of Sadiq Khan, London’s Muslim mayor, arrived in Britain from Pakistan in the 1960s. Khan is an example of a successful integration, but he is not the exception that proves the rule. By the way, in a survey conducted about a year ago only 44 percent of London’s residents described themselves as “white British.”
Statements, protest marches or attempts to engage in a dialogue with imams will do no good when it comes to terror. The only thing that will work in this case are drastic measures making it possible to thwart attacks before they take place, even if they involve a violation of what the West refers to as “human rights.” Instead of “neutralizing” terrorists and prosecuting them after they carry out an attack, doing everything—and at all costs—to prevent the execution of a terror attack.
Hundreds of British Muslims who fought on behalf of ISIS in Syria and Iraq have returned to Britain recently. They are “ticking bombs” in their country. As someone who has been closely following the situation in Europe for years, I have often encountered explanations from different “experts” trying to find “extenuating circumstances” for the “internal” terrorists’ motives—from “cultural maladjustment” through “integration problems” to different mental difficulties. They have apparently failed to comprehend that there is no, and never will be, justification for terrorism—and to hell with political correctness.
synetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5013507,00.html
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Pakistan
President Mamnoon calls for unity in Muslim world at OIC summit in Astana
September 10, 2017
President Mamnoon Hussain, in his first-ever visit to Kazakhstan, urged the Muslim world to work collectively for the development of science and technology in order to meet the challenges of modern times, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Hussain is heading a Pakistani delegation at the two-day Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Science and Technology in Astana, the Kazakh capital, where heads of state and government from over 20 Muslim countries have gathered.
The president is participating as the chairman of the OIC Standing Committee on Science and Technology, according to a Foreign Office (FO) handout.
At the summit, Hussain emphasised the need for leaders of the Muslim world to improve agricultural production and develop the agricultural technology sector.
He was of the view that it would be possible to focus on higher education and research in emerging areas of science and technology once there is a solid foundation of educated, skilled and healthy manpower.
President Hussain regretted that the Muslim world had failed to pay attention to the education sector for the past several centuries and highlighted the need for the Muslim bloc to be self-sufficient in the political and socio-economic sectors.
He stressed the need for unity among the Muslim world, terming it imperative for development, prosperity and a safe future for the new generation.
Participants at the summit are expected to adopt the Astana Declaration and the OIC Action Plan for the next 10 years, the FO said.
During his four-day stay in Astana, Hussain is to hold a range of bilateral meetings with several heads of state, he added, and will also attend and informal meeting of OIC leaders on the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The occasion "will provide opportunities to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest", the handout said.
The president will also interact with Pakistani scientists and intelligentsia based in Astana, the press release said.
sdawn.com/news/1356803/president-mamnoon-calls-for-unity-in-muslim-world-at-oic-summit-in-astana
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Top Pakistan general calls the expanding war in Afghanistan ‘collective failures’
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Sep 10 2017
A top Pakistani army general has called the expanding war in Afghanistan ‘collective failure’ as he insists that there is no military or outside solution for the violence.
Speaking during a gathering in United Kingdom, Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, said Afghanistan’s problems lie within Afghanistan and there is no military solution to the problems of Afghanistan as outside formulas are unlikely to yield any positive results.
Amid rising pressures to eliminate the sanctuaries of the Afghan militants in its soil, Gen. Hayat said “you cannot blame a country, an individual or a country and an institution for the failures that are collective,” according to the local newspaper, The News.
“Pakistan has tried and will try its best to partner with all forces towards reconciliation between various factions so that there is peace and stability inside Afghanistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan stands committed to
trying to stabilise Afghanistan but we will play our role. We have cleared our area and we are in the process of building 900 posts alongside Afghanistan-Pakistan border, we are in the process of building a fence between Af-Pak border, we are constructing gates where there will be no entry without documents and identity will be proven either way. These steps are being taken so that no bad crossing takes place and we want others to partner with us on these accounts”.
This comes as the Afghan officials have long been insisting that the growing instability in the country has direct links with the Taliban and Haqqani network sanctuaries remaining intact in Pakistan.
The pressures by Washington on Pakistan regarding the safe havens of the terror groups are also on the rise after the announcement of the new strategy by US President Donald Trump last month.
President Trump said “For its part, Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror. The threat is worse because Pakistan and India are two nuclear-armed states whose tense relations threaten to spiral into conflict. And that could happen.”
He said the next pillar of the new strategy is to change the approach and how to deal with Pakistan, emphasizing that we can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond, emphasizing that Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists.
khaama.com/top-pakistan-general-calls-the-expanding-war-in-afghanistan-collective-failures-03399
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Cleric apologises for banning music
September 10, 2017
LANDI KOTAL: A local cleric, who had imposed ban on music, on Saturday tendered an apology to the political administration for taking law into his hands.
Sources said father of the cleric, Mohammad Ibrahim akka Bacha Jan, and three other family members were summoned to the offices of political administration in LandiKotal, where officials reprimanded them for taking law into their hands by not only conducting raids at private properties of some local residents but also imposing ban on all types of music in the Shinwari territory of LandiKotal.
They said the political administration was under pressure from public after the ban.
In their written apology they contended that the incident (burning of music instruments) which occurred on Sept 8 and the announcements made were result of a misunderstanding and would not be repeated in future.
“We will not take the law into our hands in future and will remain peaceful citizens,” the statement said and added that they repented their deeds.
The apology came after strong criticism from the civil society and even the ordinary citizens.
Hakim Shinwari, a local trader, said it was tantamount to creation of a parallel administration, which the local residents won’t tolerate.
sdawn.com/news/1356759/cleric-apologises-for-banning-music
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China finds Pakistan open for business at first industrial fair
September 10, 2017
LAHORE: “Chinese companies are considering shifting their industrial units to Pakistan,” said Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile Pervaiz Malik on Saturday.
He was speaking to the media at the inauguration ceremony of the First China Electrical and Mechanical Machinery Exhibition 2017.
He said the Rs180 billion textile package is currently being reviewed by his ministry on the direction of the PM ShahidKhaqanAbbasi. “Actually the package is being reviewed to remove certain issues in it before it could be implemented in true letter and spirit,” he explained.
The three-day expo has attracted participation of as many as 200 Chinese businesspersons, representing several industrial units manufacturing electrical, mechanical and other sorts of machinery, including electric automobiles.
“The response of Pakistani manufacturers, distributors and general customers to our products is really amazing”, Marketing Director of the Changzhou Keytech Vehicle Company Limited, Jack Xie said while speaking with Dawn. “So keeping in view the feedback, we are considering to also establish our industrial unit in Pakistan so as to offer our goods to Pakistanis on rates cheaper than China.” His company has showcased various small electric vehicles, motorcycle rickshaws and loaders etc.
According to the exhibition organisers — Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) and the E-commerce Gateway — the three day event is the first of its kind since it has brought China to Pakistan.
“The idea to bring investment in machinery manufacturing had actually been floated in the Beijing Conference last year in which it was decided to relocate Chinese manufacturing facilities to Pakistan,” Mr Xie added. He said the event has enabled the Chinese companies to find joint venture partners.
Several local companies are also participating in the event.
Large visitor turnover was witnessed at the stalls showcasing electric vehicles, rickshaws, motors, equipment related to power transmission lines and telecom sector. “We manufacture transmission lines (cables) conductors, insulators and towers (for both transmission lines and telecom). And in Pakistan we are seeing good response really,” said Mr Lee, Project Manager of the Shandong Qixing Iron Tower Company Limited. He said his company has plans to establish a factory in Pakistan soon.
According to the organisers’ claim, over 10,000 people, including Chinese and Pakistani top level machinery manufacturers, businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors participated on the first day of the expo.
“As many as 100 stalls have been set up by Chinese manufacturing companies and around 200 persons of the Chinese machinery industry have purposely traveled to Pakistan to explore joint ventures and partnership possibilities with our machinery industry. Many consultancy firms have also set up their stalls at the expo to assist the investors,” explained a spokesperson for the organisers.
sdawn.com/news/1356642/china-finds-pakistan-open-for-business-at-first-industrial-fair
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Dostum invites his rivals for political rivalry rather than hatching conspiracies
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sat Sep 09 2017
The first vice president General Abdul Rashid Dostum called on his rivals to adopt a political approach rather than hatching conspiracies as he insisted that the new formed coalition will be declared formally in Kabul city in the near future.
In his message issued on the occasion of Week of Martyrs and the 16th death anniversary of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the first vice president expressed his concerns regarding the ongoing situation besides paying tribute to the martyrs.
Gen. Dostum ruled out speculations that the new coalition, coalition for the salvation of Afghanistan, will be disintegrated and will fail, insisting that the coalition will become more powerful and strong.
He warned his political rivals that their conspiracies and efforts against the coalition will not yield any result.
Gen. Dostum admitted that he will remain in Turkey temporarily due to some political issues he is facing and considering the national interests of the country.
The first vice president also welcomed the announcement of the new strategy by the United States and called it an important step and supportive considering the current situation of the country.
The coalition for the salvation of Afghanistan was formed nearly three months ago amid deteriorating security situation in the country and following a series of deadly attacks in capital Kabul and other parts of the country.
The coalition consists of Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, Ata Mohammad Noor, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Salahuddin Rabbani.
khaama.com/dostum-invites-his-rivals-for-political-rivalry-rather-than-hatching-conspiracies-03398
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Southeast Asia
Rohingya militants declare one-month ceasefire: Twitter statement
AFP | Updated: Sep 10, 2017, 09:44 IST
Rohingya militants declare one-month ceasefire: Twitter statement
YANGON: Rohingya militants, whose August 25 raids in Myanmar's Rakhine State sparked an army crackdown that has seen nearly 300,000 of the Muslim minority flee to Bangladesh, today declared an immediate unilateral one-month ceasefire.
"The ArakanRohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) hereby declares a temporary cessation of offensive military operations," it said in a statement on its Twitter handle @ARSA_Official, adding it was to allow for humanitarian aid to reach the battered region.
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ARSA_The Army @ARSA_Official
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(10th Sept, 2017)#ARSA hereby declares a ceasefire from offensive military operations for one month from today.
11:02 PM - Sep 9, 2017
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The group urged "all humanitarian actors" to resume aid delivery to "all victims of humanitarian crisis irrespective of ethnic or religious background" during the ceasefire period which runs until October 9.
It urged Myanmar to "reciprocate this humanitarian pause" in fighting, with huge numbers of displaced moving across Rakhine many believed to be in desperate need of help after over two weeks of violence.
Its Twitter page is often the first to publish ARSA statements or direct readers to videos.
Today's statement was signed by Ata Ullah, who purportedly commands the militants from jungle bases straddling the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Better-known locally as Harakah al-Yaqin (Faith Movement), ARSA launched coordinated raids using hundreds of militants on August 25 on around 30 police posts and state offices in northern Rakhine state.
The kickback by security forces prompted the Rohingya exodus.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh say security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists killed villagers indiscriminately during their crackdown, setting fire to hundreds of villages.
In an area split by claim and counterclaim, ethnic Rakhine villagers accuse militants of murdering their civilians while the government says fleeing Rohingya set fire to their own homes to forment fear and anti-state anger.
ARSA appears to have significantly grown in the last year despite remaining hopelessly outgunned against one of Asia's largest militaries.
According to statements and photos released by Myanmar's army, the militants use primitive weapons, including gunpowder rifles, homemade guns and bombs as well as clubs and swords.
Myanmar's army says it has killed nearly 400 militants so far in its "clearance operations", while some Rohingya refugees have complained they were forced to fight by ARSA.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/rohingya-militants-declare-one-month-ceasefire-twitter-statement/articleshow/60445833.cms
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Myanmar Muslim Organizations Condemn ARSA, Pledge Collaboration
10 September 2017
YANGON — The All Myanmar Islamic Religious Organization on Saturday strongly condemned the ArakanRohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for its terrorist acts in northern Rakhine State, and pledged collaboration with the government, interfaith groups and the public to prevent such acts.
Northern Rakhine State is reeling from the Muslim militant group’s attacks on 30 police outposts on Aug. 25 and subsequent violence against civilians. The Myanmar government declared the group a terrorist organization shortly after the attacks began and has since begun clearance operations in the area, causing ethnic Rakhine, self-identified Rohingya and other Rakhine sub-ethnicities to flee their homes. The UN said that as of Friday, some 270,000 Muslim refugees had fled to Bangladesh.
The announcement from the national Islamic organization made up of five local Muslim organizations — including JamiatUlama-al Islam (H.Q), The Islamic Religious Affairs Council, All Myanmar Muslim Youth (Religious Affairs) and Myanmar Muslim Nation Affairs Organization — came a few days after anonymous warnings against possible Muslim and Buddhist attacks on Monday circulated via Facebook messenger and SMS to both Buddhist and Muslim communities across the country. Both the Myanmar government and the military issued a public alert that the ARSA was preparing for terrorist acts in the country’s major cities, including Yangon and Naypyitaw.
The statement released by the Islamic umbrella organization said they “have never accepted terrorism and are totally against it.”
“We are very much concerned about the attacks given the government’s alert. The government needs to strictly prevent the online instigations calling for racial and religious conflict at the moment,” it read.
It also added that the organization felt sorry along with the bereaved families of innocent civilians killed by terrorists in Rakhine State as well as for displaced people.
U NyuntMaungShein, the chairman of The Islamic Religious Affairs Council, one of the signatories, told The Irrawaddy on Sunday that the statement was the result of a meeting between members from all of the organizations on Saturday.
He added that the statement had been delayed after the attacks as some members were on religious trips and they were waiting for their return.
In a separate statement released on the same day, the Islamic organization urged all Muslims in Myanmar to condemn terrorism and collaborate with others for stability.
“Please don’t share, believe nor react emotionally to those online instigations. If you find out any suspicious activity in your neighborhood, please report it to the authorities,” it said.
On Saturday, the government also requested the public not spread the “online and SMS attack warnings,” and announced that it would take legal action against those instigating public panic.
sirrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-muslim-organizations-condemn-arsa-pledge-collaboration.html
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First Summit on Science and Technology of Organization of Islamic Cooperation starts in Astana
The First Summit on Science and Technology of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has kicked off in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan IlhamAliyev is attending the Summit.
President of Kazakhstan NursultanNazarbayev greeted President IlhamAliyev and other heads of state and government.
The Summit participants posed together for photographs.
An initiative of President of Kazakhstan NursultanNazarbayev, the First OIC Summit on Science and Technology is attended by heads of state and government, ministers responsible for science and technology from 57 countries, and nearly 80 delegates from observer countries and international organizations.
The Summit opened with the recitation of verses from the Quran.
Addressing the opening session, President of Kazakhstan NursultanNazarbayev expressed his confidence that the Summit will give impetus to cooperation in the Islamic world.
Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain and other heads of state made speeches.
The Summit aims to identify priorities, goals and targets for the advancement and promotion of science, technology and innovation in the OIC Member States.
The Summit, which is the first ever meeting of heads of state and government devoted exclusively to science and technology, will set the stage for shaping the future of science and technology agenda, reaffirm the commitment of the leadership to science and technology at the highest level and identify priorities, targets and recommended actions for the Muslim countries in the field of science and technology for the next decade.
en.apa.az/world-news/asia-news/first-summit-on-science-and-technology-of-organization-of-islamic-cooperation-starts-in-astana.html
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Iran urges immediate halt to violence against Myanmar Muslims
Tehran, Sep 10, IRNA – Immediate halt to violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and addressing the problem of the refugees in the country should become a collective goal followed by all Islamic nations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said.
Iran urges immediate halt to violence against Myanmar Muslims
'A major tragedy is underway in Myanmar,' President Rouhani said during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart RecepTayyip Erdogan in the Kazakh capital Astana Saturday evening.
Rouhani is in Kazakhstan to participate in a special meeting to be held on Sunday by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Astana over the Rohingya crisis.
The Iranian President stressed immediate addressing of the issue of the Muslim refugees who are fleeing Myanmar to find shelter in the neighboring countries.
Iran will soon dispatch its humanitarian aid to the crisis-stricken Muslims in Myanmar, Rouhani said, adding that cooperation between the Islamic countries, particularly Iran and Turkey can be effective solve t6he problem.
Rouhani went on to say that Iran, Turkey and all Islamic nations should put pressure on Myanmar government to stop violence against Muslims.
The Iranian President further hoped that the Sunday OIC meeting in the Kazakh capital would give a clear message to those who are the cause of the violence in Myanmar.
Turning to the issue of bilateral ties between Iran and Turkey, Rouhani said Tehran and Ankara should try to foster greater economic relations.
Rouhani stressed that the two neighboring countries are determined to develop relations.
He added that the July 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the major world powers and the removal of anti-Iran sanctions have prepared the ground for Tehran-Ankara cooperation to get on the fast track.
Rouhani also underlined the importance of developing bilateral banking ties between the two nations to help trade exchanges to reach 30 billion dollars annually.
Referring to the future visit of the Turkish President to Iran, Rouhani expressed hope that Erdogan's trip would lead to further bilateral and regional cooperation.
Describing Tehran and Ankara as two influential countries in the region, particularly in the fight against terrorism, Rouhani expressed hoped for the two nations, along with Russia, to help promote the establishment of peace and security in Syria as soon as possible.
'Terrorism is on the verge of demise,' Rouhani said.
I hope for Iran and Turkey to have good cooperation in countering extremism, terrorism and violence, he said.
The Iranian President also said that both Tehran and Ankara are trying to establish stability across borderlines in the region while they remain to protect territorial integrity of their neighbors.
'Any change in borderlines is going to trigger big tensions and it is not going to be to the benefit of regional nations,' he said.
Rouhani's visit to Kazakhstan aims not only to establish scientific and technical cooperation among Muslims but to create unity among Islamic Ummah to help Myanmar Muslims, Iranian vice-president HesamoddinAshna said in a twitter message on Saturday.
Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have been subject to brutal ethnic cleansing in the past two years. Prior to the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis and the military crackdown in 2016 and 2017, the Rohingya population in Myanmar was around 1.1 to 1.3 million. They reside mainly in the northern Rakhine townships.
irna.ir/en/News/82659992
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Duterte slams rights group about Rohingya Muslims
President Rodrigo Duterte reacts to Human Rights Watch call for UN to investigate killings in his administration’s drug war
President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday slammed human rights advocates for their criticisms of his anti-drug war but ignored the sad plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
The President noted that Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize awardee, failed to address the crisis in Rohingya where hundreds have been killed. “Look at what’s happening in Burma.
She (Aung San Suu Kyi) is a Nobel prize winner,” Duterte said at the closing ceremony of a Business Conference in southern Philippine Cagayan de Oro City as quoted by Inquirer online.
Duterte cited that despite being at the center of the international news, human rights groups have not criticized Suu Kyi for her failure to resolve the crisis in Myanmar where Rohingya Muslims are “being brutalized there”.
However, contrary to Duterte’s statement, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has responded to the Rohingya crisis and has urged the UN to hold a public emergency meeting.
It also wants the UN to warn the Myanmarese authorities that they will face severe sanctions unless they put an end to the brutal campaign against the Rohingya community.
He added that only Beijing and Moscow have appreciated his administration’s campaign and have not thrown any criticism on the killings in Manila.
HRW, in a press statement, Saturday, called for a UN investigation into Duterte’s drug war following the death of teenagers in police operations recently. "The apparent extrajudicial executions by Philippine police of two children over a three-day period underscores the need for a United Nations inquiry into President Rodrigo Duterte’s abusive 'war on drugs.'
While several dozen children under 18 have died in drug war-related killings since June 2016, circumstances suggest that the Philippine National Police (PNP) deliberately targeted the two children,"HRW’s statement said as quoted by GMA News.
"Duterte’s rejection of the rule of law has made all Filipinos potential ‘drug-war’ victims, no matter how young,” the statement added.
In response, Duterte said “those human rights (advocates)… shut up.”
aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/duterte-slams-rights-group-about-rohingya-muslims/905633
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Kazakhstan proposes Islamic countries to create forum like G20
10.09.2017
President NursultanNazarbayev of Kazakhstan has proposed the group of Islamic countries to join within a scientific and economic development forum, similar to the G20.
Nazarbayev stated about the abovementioned at Sunday’s first Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit on Science and Technology.
“An OIC15 organization could be created from the 15 leading countries of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,” he noted, in particular.
In his view, regular conferences and meetings should be held, and they will contribute to the rapprochement of the Islamic world with the Western countries.
“That will enable the entire Islamic world to develop,” the Kazakh president added, reported RIA Novosti news agency of Russia.
snews.am/eng/news/409079.html
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Arab World
US Air Raid Leaves More Civilians Dead in Northeastern Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- Over 10 civilians, including children, were killed and several more were wounded in the US-led coalition airstrikes in ISIL-held Raqqa city on Sunday.
The US fighter jets targeted several districts and neighborhoods in Raqqa city, including the School area in al-Nahzahneighborhood, killing 11 civilians.
Five members of a family, including three children, were among the dead civilians in air assault.
The death toll is likely increase due to the deteriorating conditions of some of the injured.
An Arab media outlet reported on Friday that the US-led coalition fighter jets targeted a position of the friendly Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the ISIL-held Raqqa city, killing and wounding several SDF fighters.
The Arabic-Language al-Menar TV network reported that the US warplanes bombed the position of SDF fighters near al-Nour Grand Mosque in Raqqa city, killing and wounding a number of friendly fighters.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in mid-August that ninety civilians, including a number of women and children, were killed and tens of others were inured in the US-led coalition air raids in the ISIL-held city of Raqqa in five days.
SOHR reported that ninety civilians, including thirty women and children, were killed in the coalition air attack on ISIL-held Raqqa from August 14 up to 19.
SOHR further added that the death toll is on the rise due to the critical conditions of some of the inured.
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Syria in Last 24 Hours: Army Repels ISIL's Attacks on Gov't Positions in Hama
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army soldiers repelled terrorists' attack on their positions in Hama province after hours of clashes, inflicting major losses on them.
The ISIL terrorists' attacks to capture the government forces' positions and two key towns in the Eastern parts of Hama province were fended off by the strong defense of the Syrian military men.
Meantime, the Syrian army and popular forces continued their military advances in other parts of Syria, including Homs and DeirEzzur, over the past 24 hours.
Tens of terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured during the Syrian army's operations in other provinces across Syria.
Hama
The Syrian Army units, backed up by the country's Air Force, repelled ISIL's attacks to win back lost positions, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
The army men fended off ISIL's offensives on the two towns of Jarouh and Hamadi Omar in Eastern Hama, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.
Also, the army aircraft pounded ISIL's movements in Jarouh and Hamadi Omar regions, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their military equipment.
Only a few villages in Eastern Hama are still under the control of the ISIL, field reports said, adding that rapid advances of the army and popular forces will soon end ISIL's presence in the province.
Homs
The Syrian army troops continued their military operations against ISIL, and managed to capture the terrorist group's strategic base along Homs-DeirEzzur Road.
The Syrian Army scored an important victory in DeirEzzur province, following their large-scale military operation along the Sukhnah-DeirEzzur Highway.
The army units managed to advance from the direction of the newly-liberated city of al-Shoula towards al-Malha and drive out the ISIL terrorists from the region after tough battle.
The Syrian Army is now only 10km away from the strategic Panorama area, which is the last stretch of highway under ISIL’s control.
In a relevant development earlier on Saturday, the Syrian Army soldiers drove ISIL terrorists out of more positions in an energy field region after hours of heavy fighting in Eastern Homs in their push towards DeirEzzur.
The army men stormed ISIL's defense lines in surrounding of the recently-liberated town of al-Sukhnah and managed to free a gas field 5km far away al-Sukhnah along the road to DeirEzzur.
In the meantime, other units of the army engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL near the captured gas field and took control of several hills and houses 3km away from the gas field.
Relevant reports said on Saturday that the army soldiers managed to prevail over terrorists' defense lines and entered the town of Humeimeh from the Southern and Central directions, inflicting heavy casualties on the militants.
Field reports said that the army units are advancing against ISIL in the Northern part of the town.
DeirEzzur
The Syrian Army forces beat terrorists back from their positions near DeirEzzur Airbase, establishing fire control over the road leading to the military base after bloody battle with the ISIL in the provincial cemetery area.
Pro-government forces managed to impose fire control over the vital road to DeirEzzur airbase after advancing from the strategic hilltop of TalatAlloush towards the DeirEzzur Military Airport.
The Syrian Army is now attempting to take control of the road in order to officially lift the siege on the airport and expel the terrorist group from this part of the province.
According to reports, if the siege on the DeirEzzur airbase is lifted, the Damascus forces will attempt to liberate ISIL’s last pocket in the Northwestern part of the province.
Earlier reports said that the army men imposed control over several hills on both sides of the international highway in the Southern direction of the 137th Artillery Brigade base, boosting security along the highway that has just come back into operation.
A military source said that a security zone some 10km in depth has been established on either side of the highway after the army's recent advances.
In the meantime, the Russian and Syrian fighter jets staged heavy strikes on ISIL's supply lines and positions in Ayyash region, the village of al-Baqaliyeh, al-Janineh region, regions near DeirEzzur airbase, Huweija Sakar region, al-Maqaber (cemetery) region, al-Makbat region, al-Thardah Mountain, DeirEzzur-al-Shoula road, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists.
DeirEzzur city, which is situated Southeast of ISIL’s former stronghold of Raqqa, was under siege by ISIL since 2014 and served as a main supply corridor for ISIL between neighboring Iraq and Syria.
Aleppo
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that a total of 1,620 Syrian people have returned to their homes in the town of Maskanah, located in the East part of Aleppo province.
Some 348 families have returned to the city of Maskanah (Aleppo province) and its suburbs from the refugee camp in the Manbij area, according to the defense ministry, Sputnik reported.
The ministry added that the cooperation with the provinces’ administration, the Russian Center have conducted humanitarian actions in schools of Aleppo and al-Mahrusah settlement, Hama province.
The statement also stressed that the Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides continued to cooperate with the Syrian National Reconciliation Committees on returning the Arab country’s refugees to their homes and assisting schools in preparing for a new study year.
Syria has been mired in bloody war since March 2011, with Damascus forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad fighting tens of terrorist groups, including the ISIL and Al-Nusra Front.
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Iraqi Police Kill 14 ISIL Militants Fleeing Tal Afar to Diyala
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraqi police forces killed 14 ISIL militants in NortheasternDiyala province on Sunday, a local police commander was quoted saying.
Jassem al-Saadi, Diyala police chief, said in statements that the militants, who were killed in an operation at the area between Imam Weiss and NaftKhana, had arrived to the area fleeing from Tal Afar, the ISIL’s stronghold in Western Nineveh which Iraqi forces recaptured late August, Iraqi News reported.
Four rest houses and a collection of explosive belts and arms were destroyed in the operation, according to Saadi.
Violence and armed conflicts left 297 Iraqis dead and wounded during the month of ِAugust, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq which excludes security members deaths.
ISIL militants have launched occasional attacks against security forces and civilians in Diyala over the past few months, coinciding with government operations that managed to recapture the city of Mosul, ISIL’s largest bastion in Iraq, and the town of Tal Afar, their last holdout in Nineveh province.
The government and its military commanders intend to wage further offensives at other Islamic State havens across the country, including Diyala, seeking to mark an end to the group's rule declared in Iraq back in 2014. Commanders have marked Kirkuk’s town of Hawija as the next target of anti-ISIL operations.
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Iranian Vessel Shoos off US Warship in Persian Gulf
TEHRAN (FNA)- A US warship was shooed away from Iran's territorial waters after it received a tough warning from an Iranian navy vessel.
The incident happened when an Iranian fishing boat named Shams demanded Navy's help after an engine malfunctioning in waters 45miles off the coast of Iran's Jask port.
The Iranian Navy sent its missile-launching warship, Falakhan, for help and the fishing boat was towed to the pier to prevent further damage and drowning.
A US warship with the body number 02 was approaching the fishing boat but it was shooed away after receiving a warning from the Iranian warship.
The incident happened a few months after a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy blasted the recent change of course by a US warship towards the IRGC vessels in the Persian Gulf, and warned of the dire repercussions of such "unprofessional" actions by Americans.
"A US warship of the US-British fleet, which was sailing through the traffic zone of the Strait of Hormuz, derailed from the international way and changed its course towards the IRGC Navy vessels present in the region at 10:20 to 11:00 of March 4 morning and it approached our vessels from a 550m distance in an unprofessional move with simultaneous warnings," Commander of the warship of the Zolfaqar 112 combat brigade of the IRGC Navy's first zone Admiral Mehdi Hashemi said.
Noting that deployment of the US and British vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz has endangered security of the strategic region which is deemed as the world's energy lifeline, he said, "Their unprofessional moves have provoked tension and insecurity and can have irreparable consequences."
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Blasts heard at Islamic State headquarters in Kirkuk
Sep 10, 2017
Hawija (IraqiNews.com) Blasts were heard Sunday at Islamic State offices in Kirkuk as the province anticipates military operations to retake areas held by the extremist group since 2014.
A local source told Alsumaria News that violent explosions were heard at three Islamic State headquarters in central Hawija (55 km southwest of Kirkuk) following strikes by warplanes from the United States-led coalition.
“One of the targeted locations was used by the group as a secret meeting room, and had been under tight security,” said the source.
A week ago, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said operations would launch sooner to recapture Hawija. The announcement came shortly after the JOC said it totally took over Tal Afar, the Islamic State’s last stronghold in Nineveh province. Earlier in July, Iraqi troops, backed by a United States-led coalition, recaptured Mosul, Islamic State’s former capital, after more than eight months of battles.
The United Nations predicts 85.000 civilians to flee Hawija as anticipated military operations launch to liberate the province from IS. The group has regularly executed civilians there for attempting to flee the enclave and for acting as informants for security forces.
IS is still holding other havens in Anbar and Salahuddin which will be the next targets for military action.
iraqinews.com/iraq-war/blasts-heard-islamic-state-headquarters-kirkuk/
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Saudi Arabia assures investors ‘reforms, Aramco IPO on track’
September 10, 2017
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s government assured investors on Saturday that its Vision 2030 economic reform programme, including the sale of a stake in national oil giant Saudi Aramco, was on track despite plans to adjust part of it.
News this week that Riyadh was revising a section of Vision 2030 known as the National Transformation Programme (NTP) — an effort to make the government and society more modern and efficient — triggered speculation among some foreign analysts that the whole reform drive might be in jeopardy.
One analyst suggested the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in charge of economic policy, might be waning and that broad resistance to reforms might be building. Another speculated the Aramco sale could be delayed.
Behind the unease is the fact that Vision 2030, launched last year, has so far done little to free the economy from dependence on oil exports. It has begun to shrink a big state budget deficit with painful austerity steps, but has not yet created major new sources of non-oil growth or jobs.
In a statement on Saturday, however, the Saudi information ministry said Riyadh remained committed to the reforms and was merely streamlining the NTP to make it easier to carry out.“Vision 2030 builds on early successes, and is strengthening its delivery mechanisms as it increases the scope and pace of implementation,” the ministry said.
sdawn.com/news/1356635/saudi-arabia-assures-investors-reforms-aramco-ipo-on-track
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Damascus: Pro-Militant States Not Allowed to Participate in Reconstruction of Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced that Damascus will not cooperate with the countries that have assisted or supported militant groups to play any role in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged nation.
The Foreign Ministry said that the Syrian Army‘s achievements herald the imminent end of terrorism, and that the battle with those mercenaries will end soon after eradicating terrorism from every inch of the Syrian territories and after restoring peace and security to Syria.
The source said that Damascus welcomes the initiatives of the countries and the bodies which have not been involved in the aggression against Syria in the reconstruction of the country.
In December 2016, Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud underlined that his country put Iranian private sector on the top of its list for reconstruction projects.
"Iranian companies are well-prepared to take part in Syria's reconstruction process," Mahmoud said in a meeting with Head of Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) GholamhosseinShafeyee in Tehran at the time.
Shafeyee, for his part, said the two sides should make plan for Syria reconstruction.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on ways to refurbish the Syrian economy as well as reconstruction of the Arab country.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960619000681
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ISIL Withdraws from More Positions under Gov't Forces' Attacks in Central Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops stormed ISIL's defense lines in Eastern Homs on Sunday and pushed them back from more regions in the central part of the war-hit country.
The army units clashed fiercely with ISIL and managed to impose control over Tal (hill) al-Elam after liberating Um Sahrij region, one of the most important bases of ISIL in Eastern Homs.
Also, the army soldiers hit ISIL's defense lines in Jubb al-Jarrah and took control over the villages of Rasm al-Tawil and al-Moshirefeh al-Janoubi and several hills and heights, killing and wounding a large number of terrorists and destroying their vehicles and heavy military hardware.
Relevant reports said on Saturday that the army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL Southeast of Jubb al–Jarrah and captured the villages of Abu Qatour, Abu Liyeh and JubbHabal.
Over 20 ISIL terrorists were killed in several-hour long clashes with the army.
Furthermore, the army's artillery and missile units targeted ISIL militants as they were retreating from the newly secured towns and villages.
The army units also pushed ISIL back from the villages of al-Moshirfeh, Rasm al-Saba, Mazar al-Sayyad, Habra al-Sharqi East of Um al-Jom'ah Southeast of Jubb al-Jarrah, leaving over 25 terrorists dead and forcing their remaining pockets to retreat from the battlefield.
ISIL is experiencing a total military collapse in the face of the Syrian Army and popular forces at both the Northern (Eastern Hama) and Southern (North-central Homs) flanks of Central Syria.
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Syria: More Aid Convoys En Route to DeirEzzur City, Airbase
TEHRAN (FNA)- Long convoys of vehicles carrying food stuff and medicine are to be dispatched to DeirEzzur city and airbase after the Syrian Army removed terrorists' siege on the city and its military airport, a local official said on Sunday.
DeirEzzur Governor General Mohammad Ibrahim Samra said that aid convoys loaded with food and health supplies are ready to be sent to the locals in the Eastern neighborhoods of DeirEzzur city.
The Governor said that the convoys are ready to be delivered to the neighborhoods adjacent to the airport, adding that the trucks are currently waiting near al-Assad Hospital and should be delivered within the next few hours.
Around 2,000 families are living in the Eastern neighborhoods, who have suffered much from the ISIL-imposed siege and attacks in the past months, during which the army helicopters airdropped food and medical supplies to them.
Military sources confirmed on Tuesday that the army troops entered the 137th Artillery Brigade Base in the Western outskirts of DeirEzzur city, lifting the ISIL terrorists' siege of the city after approximately 1,100 days.
The army soldiers, backed up by the country's Air Force and Russian fighter jets, prevailed over the last strongholds of ISIL in the Western outskirts of DeirEzzur city and reached positions of their comrades in the 137th Artillery Brigade Base, the sources said, adding that ISIL's siege of DeirEzzur city has ended after more than three years.
The sources added that a number of the army forces and military vehicles entered the 137th Artillery Brigade Base via a newly-set corridor minutes ago.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960619000622
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Syrian Soldiers Impose Control over More Heights in War on ISIL in DeirEzzur
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops drove terrorists out of more strategic heights in the outskirts of the Eastern city of DeirEzzur on Sunday, inflicting heavy casualties on ISIL.
The army men continued their heavy attacks on ISIL's defense lines West of Tamin (security) Brigade base and managed to seize control over Tal (hill) al-Rubiyat and Khim al-Defa'a height.
The army units secured a main supply line to DeirEzzur Military airport after they captured Tal Rubiyat that overlooks the Tamin Base Northwest of the DeirEzzur Airport and al-Maqaber (cemetery) region.
The Syrian Army forces also managed to liberate another large hilltop overlooking the cemetery after a bloody battle with ISIL militants.
Relevant reports said on Saturday that the army dispatched more soldiers, helicopters and vehicles to DeirEzzur on Saturday to join the pro-government forces' operation to break ISIL's siege on the city's military airport.
Several helicopters landed at the 137th Artillery Brigade Base in Western DeirEzzur, following the military operation to lift the ISIL's siege on airbase.
According to a military source in DeirEzzur, the helicopters landed around the same time when several armored vehicles arrived at the 137th Brigade Base.
Also, several units of the Syrian Army arrived at the 137th Brigade Base in the DeirEzzur province on boats.
The reinforcements traveled through the newly-liberated territories in the Homs, Raqqa and DeirEzzur provinces to transport military supplies, vehicles and boats that will be used to conduct an amphibious landing along the Eastern banks of the Euphrates River.
In the meantime, local sources confirmed that a large volume of military equipment and a large number of boats, floating bridges, vehicles and demining machinery arrived in DeirEzzur in the last days.
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Gov't Forces Break ISIL's Siege on Most Important Airbase in Eastern Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troop advanced rapidly against ISIL in the Southern outskirts of DeirEzzur city and lifted terrorists' nine-month-long siege on the most important military airport in the Eastern part of the war-hit country on Sunday.
The army men removed ISIL's siege of DeirEzzur airbase after liberating the areas around the Tahtuh and Harabish districts, forcing the terrorists to retreat from the road blocking DeirEzzur city from the airbase.
The army men also managed to advance against ISIL from al-Maqaber (cemetery) region and arrived at the positions of their comrades in areas surrounding Tamin (security) brigade base in the Western and Southwestern directions of the airbase, lifting the siege on the Syrian Air Force's base in Eastern Syrian 10km away from DeirEzzur city.
The army's engineering units managed to defuse over 400 landmines and explosive packages along the road to DeirEzzur airbase.
A military source reported that tens of ISIL terrorists left behind their weapons in al-Maqaber and fled the battlefield.
The source further said that the army's anti-ISIL operation in the region is still underway, adding that the Russian Air Force is targeting ISIL's positions behind the frontline.
The source added that the next objective of the army is capturing Thardah Mountain, whose liberation will secure the Western side of the DeirEzzur Military Airport.
In the meantime, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday that the Syrian army, supported by Russian Air Force, has succeeded in breaking the siege of an important airbase, thereby retaking it from the terrorist group.
"On September 9, following a massive air strike by the Russian Air Force, Syrian government forces overcame the fierce resistance of ISIL terrorists in the area surrounding an air field in Southeastern outskirts of DeirEzzur city," the ministry said.
Relevant reports said on Saturday that the army dispatched more soldiers, helicopters and vehicles to DeirEzzur on Saturday to join the pro-government forces' operation to break ISIL's siege on the city's military airport.
Several helicopters landed at the 137th Artillery Brigade Base in Western DeirEzzur, following the military operation to lift the ISIL's siege on airbase.
According to a military source in DeirEzzur, the helicopters landed around the same time when several armored vehicles arrived at the 137th Brigade Base.
Also, several units of the Syrian Army arrived at the 137th Brigade Base in the DeirEzzur province on boats.
The reinforcements traveled through the newly-liberated territories in the Homs, Raqqa and DeirEzzur provinces to transport military supplies, vehicles and boats that will be used to conduct an amphibious landing along the Eastern banks of the Euphrates River.
In the meantime, local sources confirmed that a large volume of military equipment and a large number of boats, floating bridges, vehicles and demining machinery arrived in DeirEzzur in the last days.
A military source said that the army was advancing in the region regardless of landmines planted by the ISIL, adding that the army men in al-Maqaber region were only a mile away from their comrades that are under siege of the ISIL in DeirEzzur airbase.
He further said that the advancing soldiers intended to join their comrades in the airbase from the base's Eastern side.
The army men activated all the flanks West of DeirEzzur city to access the airbase and end the siege, the source said, adding that the artillery and missile units were shelling ISIL's positions in Panorama base and al-Maqaber heavily.
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Syrian Army Frees More Regions in Central Syria Despite ISIL's Heavy Suicide Attacks
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops and popular forces continued to drive ISIL out of more regions in Eastern Homs on Saturday in spite of the terrorist group's heavy suicide attacks on pro-government forces.
The Syrian Army and the National Defense Forces (NDF) recaptured more regions East of the highly-strategic crossroad town of Jubb al-Jarrah from ISIL who carried several suicide attacks on the government forces' strongholds in the battlefield.
In the meantime, the army men imposed control over the villages of Um Shaj and Khirbet al-Sab'ah in Eastern Homs after their victories against ISIL on Friday.
The army soldiers also captured the villages of Um Sahrij, al-Harash, Alam al-Sharqi, Khirbet JubbHabal and Khirbet al-HeiwaniyehBerif in Eastern Homs.
ISIL suffered heavy casualties in the clashes.
Reports said earlier today that the army men engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL Southeast of Jubb al–Jarrah and captured the villages of Abu Qatour, Abu Liyeh and JubbHabal.
Over 20 ISIL terrorists were killed in several-hour long clashes with the army.
Furthermore, the army's artillery and missile units targeted ISIL militants as they were retreating from the newly secured towns and villages.
The army units also pushed ISIL back from the villages of al-Moshirfeh, Rasm al-Saba, Mazar al-Sayyad, Habra al-Sharqi East of Um al-Jom'ah Southeast of Jubb al-Jarrah, leaving over 25 terrorists dead and forcing their remaining pockets to retreat from the battlefield.
ISIL is experiencing a total military collapse in the face of the Syrian Army and popular forces at both the Northern (Eastern Hama) and Southern (North-central Homs) flanks of Central Syria.
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Syrian Army Takes Control of ISIL's Key Base in Homs-DeirEzzur Front
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian army troops continued their military operations against ISIL, and managed to capture the terrorist group's strategic base along Homs-DeirEzzur Road.
The Syrian Army scored an important victory in DeirEzzur province, following their large-scale military operation along the Sukhnah-DeirEzzur Highway.
The army units managed to advance from the direction of the newly-liberated city of al-Shoula towards al-Malha and drive out the ISIL terrorists from the region after tough battle.
The Syrian Army is now only 10km away from the strategic Panorama area, which is the last stretch of highway under ISIL’s control.
In a relevant development earlier on Saturday, the Syrian Army soldiers drove ISIL terrorists out of more positions in an energy field region after hours of heavy fighting in Eastern Homs in their push towards DeirEzzur.
The army men stormed ISIL's defense lines in surrounding of the recently-liberated town of al-Sukhnah and managed to free a gas field 5km far away al-Sukhnah along the road to DeirEzzur.
In the meantime, other units of the army engaged in fierce clashes with ISIL near the captured gas field and took control of several hills and houses 3km away from the gas field.
Relevant reports said on Saturday that the army soldiers managed to prevail over terrorists' defense lines and entered the town of Humeimeh from the Southern and Central directions, inflicting heavy casualties on the militants.
Field reports said that the army units are advancing against ISIL in the Northern part of the town.
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ISIL, Al-Nusra Terrorists Suffer Heavy Defeats in Clashes with Syrian Army in Hama Province
TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army troops carried out an ambush operation against ISIL in Eastern Hama and repelled a heavy attack of Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) in the Southern part of the province, inflicting major casualties on the terrorists on Sunday.
The army's elite forces ambushed a group of ISIL terrorists in Wadi al-Azib region in Eastern Hama, killing the entire members of the group and seizing their arms and ammunition.
Also the army soldiers fended off a heavy offensive of Al-Nusra terrorists deployed in Hirbnafsa at the thermal power plant in Southern Hama, killing and wounding a number of rebels.
Relevant reports said on Saturday that the army units, backed up by the country's Air Force, repelled ISIL's attacks to win back lost positions, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.
The army men fended off ISIL's offensives on the two towns of Jarouh and Hamadi Omar in Eastern Hama, killing and wounding a number of terrorists.
Also, the army aircraft pounded ISIL's movements in Jarouh and Hamadi Omar regions, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their military equipment.
Only a few villages in Eastern Hama are still under the control of the ISIL, field reports said, adding that rapid advances of the army and popular forces will soon end ISIL's presence in the province.
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North America
US ousts Pak's biggest pvt bank on terror funding fear
Omer Farooq Khan | TNN | Sep 9, 2017, 06:59 IST
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Habib Bank, in an out of court settlement with the department of financial services (DFS) of New York, has agreed to pay a fine of $225 million for repeatedly failing to heed to concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering. As part of the deal, HBL will also have to shut its New York branch, the only one that the bank had in US which was operational since 1978.
The fine amount is significantly lower than the penalty amount of $629.6 million that was initially proposed.The fine that HBL has agreed to pay is the largest ever imposed upon a Pakistani bank by regulatory authorities.
According to AFP reports which quoted New York banking officials, Pakistan's largest private bank HBL neglected to watch for compliance problems and red flags on transactions that potentially could have promoted terrorism, money laundering or other illicit ends.
Last month, the regulator had intimated HBL that it would impose the $629.6 million penalty after finding these deficiencies in the risk management and Bank Secrecy ActAnti-Money Laundering compliance programme at the New York branch.
The DFS announced that it will push on with its investigation, with an expanded "look back", which refers to a detailed examination of all foreign transactions that went through the branch.
HBL had been at regulator's radar for 53 separate violations allegedly committed between 2007 and 2017. Since the matter had been resolved, the hearing in court, which was scheduled for September 27, has been cancelled.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/us-ousts-paks-biggest-pvt-bank-on-terror-funding-fear/articleshow/60433367.cms
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US approves $3.8bn in arms sales to Bahrain
September 10, 2017
WASHINGTON: The US State Department has approved arms sales packages worth more than $3.8 billion to Bahrain including F-16 jets, upgrades, missiles and patrol boats, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The approvals coincide with the State Department’s notification to Congress, which had held up a similar arms deal last year over human rights concerns.
The proposed sales include 19 F-16V jets made by Lockheed Martin Corp which could have a value of up to $2.7 billion, the Pentagon said.
Other potential sales approved include two 35 metre (114 feet) patrol boats with machine guns, 221 anti-tank missiles made by Raytheon Co and $1.8 billion worth of upgrades to Bahrain’s existing fleet of F-16 jets, the Pentagon said in separate statements.
In May, US President Donald Trump said Washington’s relations with Bahrain would improve, after meeting with the king of the Gulf Arab state during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
However in June, US Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he would block arms sales to members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Bahrain, until they made progress in resolving a simmering dispute with Qatar.
But a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity earlier on Friday, said the proposed sales were cleared by the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees through the regular “tiered review process” which precedes this formal notification.
The US official also said the United States has regular discussions with Bahrain on human rights and political reform and continues to urge its government to pursue efforts that will enhance regional security.
sdawn.com/news/1356748/us-approves-38bn-in-arms-sales-to-bahrain
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South Asia
Senior Taliban leaders among several dead in MaidanWardak airstrikes
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Sep 10 2017
A series of airstrikes targeted the Taliban insurgents in central MaidanWardak province of Afghanistan, located close to capital Kabul, leaving several dead, including some of their senior commanders.
The provincial police commandment in a statement said the airstrikes were carried out in the past 24 hours in the vicinity of Salman Fars area located in the central parts of the province.
The statement further added that twelve Taliban insurgents including three of their senior commanders were killed in the airstrikes.
At least seven Taliban insurgents were also among those wounded in the airstrikes, the provincial police commandment said.
According to the local officials, the Taliban leaders killed in the airstrikes have been identified as commander Esmatullah, QariDil Agha, and Rafiqullah also famous as Haidar.
The officials are saying that the insurgents had gathered in Charka village and were apparently planning their future attacks when they came under fire.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.
MaidanWardak is among the relatively volatile provinces in central parts of the country, located close to capital Kabul.
The anti-government armed militants are actively operating in its various districts and often carry out insurgency activities, mainly in the districts lying along the highway connecting Kabul with the southeastern and southern provinces.
khaama.com/senior-taliban-leaders-among-several-dead-in-maidan-wardak-airstrikes-03401
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UN: Rohingya Exodus to Bangladesh Nears 300,000
TEHRAN (FNA)- UN officials said nearly 300,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh in the 15 days since new violence erupted and the United Nations is braced for a further surge.
The exodus figure has jumped about 20,000 in a day and from 164,000 since Thursday, after Bangladesh authorities plan to build a camp that could house a quarter of a million people, Al Jazeera reported.
"Some 290,000 Rohingya arrived in Bangladesh since August 25," Joseph Tripura, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told AFP news agency.
New violence started on August 25 after Rohingya fighters attacked police posts in Rakhine, triggering a security forces crackdown.
Those who have fled across the border have accused the Myanmar military of staging reprisal attacks on Muslim villages.
Officials said the UN has found more Rohingya in Bangladesh villages and areas which were previously not included by relief agencies.
Agencies are now bracing for a new increase in numbers.
Dipayan Bhattacharyya, acting World Food Programme (WFP) head in Bangladesh, told AFP "the situation is very volatile."
"We started with planning for an influx of 120,000. Then we made a resource planning for 300,000. The current influx has almost now reached 300,000." Bhattacharyya said.
Most of the Rohingya are arriving by foot or boat across Bangladesh's 278km border with Myanmar, a fourth of which is made up by the Nafriver.
The Rohingya have long been subjected to discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which denies them citizenship.
Myanmar's government regards them as illegal migrants from Bangladesh, even if they have lived in the country for generations.
Refugee camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar already had about 300,000 Rohingya before the upsurge in violence last month and are now overwhelmed.
Tens of thousands of new arrivals have nowhere to shelter from monsoon rains.
Those flocking into Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of killings, rape and arson by Myanmar's army. Myanmar authorities deny any wrongdoing.
Most have walked for days and the UN says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter.
en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960619001028
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2 held as deadly clash leaves 7 dead, wounded in Kabul city
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Sep 10 2017
At least two people involved in a deadly clash in Kabul city were arrested by the Afghan security forces, the security officials said Sunday.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials in the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said the incident took place in the vicinity of the 16th police district of the city few days earlier.
The officials further added that the clash between the families erupted following a verbal clash regarding the trash management.
According to the CID officials, two members of a family involved in clash used fire arms and started shooting spree, leaving at least three members of the other family dead and four others wounded.
The perpetrators of the incident managed to flee the area after the shooting spree, the officials said, adding that the Afghan forces launched an operation after the incident that led to the apprehension of the main perpetrators.
This comes as incidents involving armed conflicts and other criminal incidents are on the rise in the key cities of the country including capital Kabul during the recent months.
It is believed that the irresponsible activities by the armed individuals and presence of illegal arms among the people play a key role in criminal incidents, specifically armed robberies and murders.
khaama.com/2-held-as-deadly-clash-leaves-7-dead-wounded-in-kabul-city-03405
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Afghanistan ready for comprehensive talks with Pakistan, Ghani tells Erdogan
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Sep 10 2017
President Mohammad Ashra Ghani met with his Turkish counterpart Recap Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan as he reaffirmed his stance that Afghanistan is ready for comprehensive talks with Islamabad.
The Office of the President, ARG Palace, said the two sides discussed topics including bilateral ties between Kabul and Ankara and recent upheavals in Kabul-Islamabad ties.
President Erdogan said the Turkish government is prepared to play its role in improving relations between Kabul and Islamabad as he reaffirmed Ankara’s support towards an Afghan-led peace process.
In his turn, President Ghani thanked his Turkish counterpart for reaffirming support to Afghanistan and insisted on further strengthening of bilateral ties between the two nations.
President Ghani further added that the announcement of the new US strategy has opened new doors of opportunities and necessary steps should be taken regionally for the proper use of the provided opportunity.
He said Afghanistan wants good relations with its neighbors and the country is prepared for comprehensive talks with Islamabad, insisting that the current situation should change in the region and opportunities should be properly utilized.
The Afghan President also called terrorism as a menace threatening both the region and the world and emphasized on joint efforts for its eradication.
khaama.com/afghanistan-ready-for-comprehensive-talks-with-pakistan-ghani-tells-erdogan-03404
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US envoy optimistic about growing role of Afghan women in economic development
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Sep 10 2017
The Special Charge dáffaires of the US Embassy in Kabul has shown optimisms regarding the growing role of the Afghan women in economic development.
In a video message, Ambassador Hugo Llorens said “For the United States ensuring women and girls have access to economic opportunity has been a top priority in Afghanistan since 2001. Personally, advancing women’s rights in Afghanistan is something I care deeply about.”
Ambassador Llorens further added “Fortunately, and despite obstacles, Afghan women entrepreneurs are using their talent, tenacity and ingenuity to succeed and contribute to building a better future for their families and their nation. A growing number of Afghan women have broken into industries ranging from agriculture, IT, and media, to manufacturing, construction, and healthcare. Over the last fifteen years, Afghanistan has trained thousands of women in business practices, and young women are redefining roles in economic and social spheres. Still, women account for less than 20 percent of Afghanistan’s labor force; so much more needs to be done. Some of the biggest hurdles include access to capital, access to experienced mentors and networks, and access to technical training and on-the-job experience.”
According to Ambassador Llorens, USAID’s PROMOTE program has provided more than 4,000 women with internships and apprenticeships to help them gain the experience they need to compete on the job market.
PROMOTE also identifies qualified women entrepreneurs in need of financial support and helps them secure investment loans. Launched in July of 2015, this four-year, $71 million dollar program is giving Afghan women the momentum they need to get ahead.
“The United States also supports multiple exchange programs to provide training and capacity-building for professional women. Since 2002, more than 220 Afghan women have participated in our flagship International Visitors Leadership Program. These exchanges give women essential leadership training, and open doors to what they may achieve on the global stage,” he said.
He also added “With support from fellow Afghans, as well as your friends in the United States and around the world, Afghan women are making meaningful progress each year. But we need to do more. We are committed to working together with the Afghan government, NGOs, and international partners to continue supporting rising female entrepreneurs, and to provide training initiatives for the next generation of young Afghan women. Let there be no doubt: When Afghan women succeed, Afghanistan succeeds.”
khaama.com/us-envoy-optimistic-regard-growing-role-of-afghan-women-in-economic-development-03403
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Afghan history, culture’s historic friend Nancy Dupree dies in Kabul
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sun Sep 10 2017
The Afghan history and culture’s historic friend Nancy Dupree, a well known American historian, died at the age of 90 in Kabul.
Nancy was admitted to a hospital due to an illness she was suffering from and died late on Saturday night.
Born in India to American parents in 1927, Madam Nancy for the first time moved to Afghanistan in the year 1962, accompanying her husband who was on a diplomatic mission to Afghanistan.
However, she later married to well knownarcheologist Louis but was forced to leave the country after the USSR invasion in 1979.
Madam Nancy, similar as the other Afghans, moved to Quetta city of Pakistan rather than travelling back to her home country.
She started providing humanitarian support to the Afghan refugees in Quetta and subsequently moved back to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime.
Some of her key contributions to the history of Afghanistan include preservation of the important historic documents during the Soviet invasion times.
She also contributed enormously to the history and culture of Afghanistan by establishing a research center on Afghanistan in Kabul from her personal funds.
News regarding the demise of Madam Nancy surfaced to internet earlier today as hundreds of thousands of people paid tribute to her tireless support and contribution to Afghanistan.
khaama.com/afghan-history-cultures-historic-friend-nancy-dupree-dies-in-kabul-03402
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Mideast
Turkey kills 99 Kurdish militants in latest operations
Reuters | Sep 9, 2017, 17:06 IST
ANKARA: Turkish security forces have killed 99 Kurdish militants, including a high-ranking one, in operations in southeast Turkey over the last two weeks, the armed forces said on Saturday.
Security forces targeted outposts and caves used by the militants for shelter and storage in the southeastern provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari, near the Iraqi border, the military said in a statement.
"Ninety-nine terrorists have been neutralised. One is in the so-called leading ranks," it said.
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, Turkey and the European Union, has waged a more than three-decade insurgency against the state.
The PKK, which seeks autonomy for the largely Kurdish southeast, has bases in the mountains on both sides of the Turkey-Iraq border and is frequently targeted by Turkish security foces.
The operations, which were carried out between Aug. 24 and Sept. 7, led to the seizure of 420 kg (925 lbs) of ammonium nitrate, used to make explosives, as well as bombs, guns and rifles, the military said.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/turkey-kills-99-kurdish-militants-in-latest-operations/articleshow/60438404.cms
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Erdoğan urges Muslim countries to help Rohingya
September/10/2017
President RecepTayyipErdoğan on Sept. 10 urged Muslim countries to "use every means available" to stop the "cruelty" perpetrated against Myanmar's Rohingya.
"We want to work with the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh to prevent the humanitarian plight in the region," he told the opening session of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in the Kazakh capital Astana.
Erdoğan said Turkey had offered aid and said he expected that Bangladesh authorities admit and help Rohingya Muslims fleeing the violence in Myanmar.
"International organizations, and we as Muslim countries in particular, should fight together by using every means available to stop that cruelty," he said.
Erdoğan had previously promised to raise the Rohingya issue at the annual meeting of UN General Assembly later this month.
Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.
Last October, following attacks on border posts in Rakhine's Maungdaw district, Myanmar security forces launched a five-month crackdown in which, according to Rohingya groups, around 400 people were killed.
The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including infants and young children -- brutal beatings and disappearances committed by security personnel.
In a report, UN investigators said the human rights violations constituted crimes against humanity.
Fresh violence erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine state nearly two weeks ago when security forces launched an operation against the Rohingya community.
Bangladesh, which already hosted around 400,000 Rohingya refugees, has faced a fresh influx of refugees since the security operation was launched.
On Sept. 9, the UN said at least 290,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh.
Erdoğan arrived in the Kazakh capital on Sept. 9 for a two-day visit.
hurriyetdailynews.com/-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=117774&NewsCatID=510
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World of Islam crucial, effective part of global system
September 10, 2017
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - President Rouhani addressed the OIC Summit and called on heads of Muslim states to put aside divisions sowed by enemies of Islam and war mongering powers who see their benefit at disintegrating the world of Islam, saying: "We have gathered here for the sake of peace, coexistence and ensuring further cooperation with you friendly and brotherly states".
Below is the full text of President Hassan Rouhani's address at the summit:
In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful
Your Excellency NursultanNazarbayev, the Honorable President of the brotherly Republic of Kazakhstan,
Honorable Heads of Islamic Countries,
The Honorable Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, I would like to appreciate the government and people of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their warm hospitality and thank His Excellency NursultanNazarbayev, the honorable president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for proposing this idea and organizing this meeting. I hope that this conference, which is held under the theme “Science, Technology, Innovations and Modernization in the Islamic World” in the beautiful city of Astana, in line with other valuable efforts, would lead to promotion of constructive cooperation in different fields among Muslim countries.
Mr. Chairman,
We have all reached consensus that “World of Islam” is a crucial and effective part of the global system and having a capable, developed and stable World of Islam would lead to universal capability, development and stability. It is clear that if the World of Islam is weak, lagged behind and disintegrated, it will be impossible to realize sustainable peace, inclusive development and effective conversion in the world. Therefore, ensuring coherence, solidarity and cooperation among us, as the members of the great world of Islam, to enter the developed world, is in fact a collective effort to make a world free from ignorance, poverty, war and violence.
Promoting cooperation on science and technology has strategic political and social importance, because first of all it is forerunner of development in different economic sectors, thus; it is determining for progress and convergence of Islamic countries and secondly, it deals with youth and universities and through creating space of hope, construction and employment, it roots out any inclinations to extremism and terrorism.
Holding consultation among the Heads of the Islamic countries on this issue and at the current time is important in two special respects: firstly, its significance is due to the great development which has been made in providing cross the border access to scientific texts and technological cooperation in the age of communications without any restrictions as well as scientific innovations introduced by scientists and inventors from different Asian and African countries which dedicate an increasing share of registering inventions and scientific research to itself, and secondly, running and managing “the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, which is a technological revolution and brings about a fundamental change in the modern relationship among humans, artificial intelligence and human ties in new social structures. It requires a culture that enjoys the power of attracting variable technological and environmental elements and at the same time, like the Islamic civilization, while getting the knowledge and experience of others, it manages convergence and synergy among the extended human family.
Yesterday, in the World of Islam it was the era of scientific, cultural and civilizational progress. Is it not possible today for the World of Islam to move toward innovation, creativity and progress beside rationality and ethics and create a world free from violence and extremism?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honored to represent a nation which has been the pioneer of knowledge and culture in two civilizational eras of pre-Islamic and post-Islamic human history. Iran in Achaemenid and Sassanid periods was cradle of generating knowledge and culture and it was a hub for expansion of knowledge, literature and management in the world. Iranian spirit attracted scientists, businessmen and architects from different parts of the world through creating a political and social environment based on ethics and human rights and paved the way for creation of vivid sites of human civilization in Persepolis and a treasury of sciences and technics in Asian libraries.
Having witnessed shinning of the sun of Islam, the Iranian society which had welcomed the divine message of freedom and justice, made a new leap forward. In this magnificent period, Iranians beside other Muslims, not only benefitted the insightful source of revelation, but they also encouraged religious teachings, wisdom and rationality and learned from other humans’ experience.
Muslims, resorting to Holy Book of Quran and teachings of the Great Prophet of Islam from the beginning of the formation of Islamic civilization, acquired numerous sciences from different parts of the world. What brought them material progress in that era was in fact the spirit of leniency and tolerance which was derived from the unequivocal teachings of the religion which substituted the previous prejudice.
One of the manifestations of this leniency and tolerance in the World of Islam was freedom and comfort of followers of other religions in the Islamic society. This broad-mindedness and leniency not only enabled holding discussions on religion and beliefs in the Islamic territories but it also led to interaction and partnership among the followers of other religions and Muslims to develop and expand human civilization and translate and transfer knowledge of other civilizations into Arabic language, which was the official language on those days. Gradually, Islamic civilization was turned into an heir and architect of East and West old cultures which complemented them and did not only follow previous cultures.
It was based on this approach and spirit that such a progress and growth was realized in the World of Islam in different sciences, including medicines, pharmaceutics, astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, philosophy and discourse, gnosticism, literature and art and it got superiority over others and even in some of these sciences Europe was indebted to the World of Islam from medieval centuries up to the 16th century.
But the bitter reality is that this era of progress and development did not last and in recent centuries Islamic society has stopped making progress and realizing achievements and whenever facing the western culture in science and technology competitions it lagged behind. Ethnic and local intolerance inflicted the Islamic civilization with recession and degeneration and its unity and leniency was destroyed. Dividing knowledge into decent and indecent ones at the beginning of the 6th century paved the way for the decline of the Islamic civilization and Mongol’s invasion expedited it. Muslims’ indolence and lethargy in recent centuries not only prevented them from making further development, but at the same time blocked them from saving their previous assets. In fact, there were two elements that decreased the progress and development pace of the modern Islamic civilization and even sometimes stopped it. The first one was the fact that scientific and technological growth in west was coincided with the political and cultural aggressive actions of the western leaders and the other reason was weakness of the Islamic governors and lack of self-esteem among some of the elites in the Islamic territories.
Today, once more the Islamic Ummah is facing a modern stage of mutation in human civilization and is fronting a historic choice at the eve of great developments made by knowledge based economies: to choose between “an active, authentic and participatory approach” which, while keeping the cultural authenticity, in a constructive interaction learns from other’s experience and achievements and “a passive approach” which in its extremes comes to isolation and lack of self-esteem.
Instead of being frightened by continued growth of science and development and fleeing from it, we should increase power of choice and adaptation of Muslim societies. The most significant requirement to develop new sciences and technics is to create safe political, social, cultural and economic conditions to attract and absorb them. We should not restrict ourselves to science and technology, but instead we should find ways and means of achieving them.
Mr. Chair,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to be owners of science and technology, we as Muslim countries should prepare our societies from inside and at the same time we should start a new movement among Islamic countries in this regard.
Each of us in our own countries have thought on big question of relationship between knowledge and economic and social development with concern and compassion and now that we are determined to strengthen our actions by creating a space of cooperation, the first step is to get familiar with each other’s experience and explore the achievements of this extended Islamic family. The Islamic Republic of Iran, during the past decade, has been able to make significant achievements in science, technology and innovation. In the past 5 years, Iran promoted its rank in generating scientific papers from 34 to 16. 1100 Iranian universities accommodated previously 2.4 million students and today their number is 4.8 million. Today, Iran is among the top five countries with the highest number of engineering graduates.
Iran’s participation in developing new technologies, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, cognitive sciences, renewable energy, aerospace, microelectronics and stem cells has increased significantly. Iranian government’s active policy in supporting knowledge-based corporations has led to growth and development of thousands of corporations in area of new technologies and exporting high and medium technology products from Iran has increased from 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to 12.1 billion U.S. dollars which had a positive impact on our positive trade balance.
Despite enjoying the greatest oil and gas resources, our policy is to shift our economy from one based on natural resources to an economy based on efficiency and innovation.
It is based on such capacities that I would like to state on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran that we have gathered here for the sake of peace, coexistence and ensuring further cooperation with you friendly and brotherly states.
We are here to tell you that under the title of science and technology and depending on scientific diplomacy, we can and we should explore our common grounds to further enable our capacities in the World of Islam and create complementary ones as well.
Mr. Chair,
Strong participation of Muslim countries in environments of competition and partnership in the field of new sciences and technologies and their constructive role-playing in forming the upcoming relations between wealth and power requires national and transnational policy making and prioritizing. Twelve priorities which have been proposed in the 2026 Agenda in this meeting include main issues. In this regard, paying attention to “human agent and social capital” is very pivotal. People are the most important capitals. They should realize that outcome of our investments on science and technology benefits them, roots out poverty and promotes their level of health and welfare.
Mr. Chairman,
The Honorable Heads of States,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This meeting is capable of being a turning point in the history of scientific cooperation in the Islamic world. Let’s put aside divisions sowed by enemies of Islam and war mongering powers who see their benefit at disintegrating us, and let’s open new grounds of scientific and technological cooperation to further renovate our countries. Let’s develop common political, economic and cultural environments in the world of Islam as far as possible.
In conclusion, on behalf of the great people of Iran, I would like to express the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure inclusive cooperation with all Islamic countries and nations on science, technology and innovation. Let’s be assured that any step taken for the sake of convergence and integration will certainly bring about divine assistance, as we have been bespoken: If you help [the cause of] God, He will help you, and will make firm your steps (47:7)
Wasalamualaykumwarahmatullahiwabarakatuh.
en.abna24.com/news/central-asia-subcontinent/world-of-islam-crucial-effective-part-of-global-system_853327.html
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Turkish President Ready to Help Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya Refugees © REUTERS/ Thomas Peter
10.09.2017
ASTANA (Sputnik) – RecepTayyip Erdogan said in his speech at the summit, which is underway in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana, that Turkey had already notified Bangladesh, where many Rohingya refugees seek asylum, about its readiness to help.
The Turkish President also expressed readiness to work with the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar to prevent cruelty toward the Muslim minority.
The two-day OIC summit kicked off earlier in the day.
Rohingyarefugees stands in an open place during heavy rain, as they are hold by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, August 31, 2017
'Rook in Geopolitical Chess' Myanmar Exploits US-Sino Tensions in Rohingya Clash
The state of Rakhine in western Myanmar has seen a build-up of violence since the beginning of August, although the conflict itself is decades old. The government forces of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar have been clashing with Rohingya insurgents, with many civilians caught in the crossfire.
The government forces have been carrying out an operation against militants in the region since the end of August in response to coordinated attacks on several police posts, carried out on August 25.
Rohingya are denied citizenship under the Burmese law, have restricted freedom of movement and have limited access to civil services.
The crisis has made tens of thousands of Rohingyas leave Myanmar following the escalation. According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the number of refugees that have arrived in Bangladesh is estimated at about 146,000.
ssputniknews.com/asia/201709101057257057-turkey-myanmar-refugees/
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Crimes against Rohingya, organized Israeli regime plot: Iran's Velayati
September 10, 2017
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A senior Iranian official has slammed the ongoing brutal crackdown on the Rohingya in Myanmar, saying the Muslim community is suffering from organized crime at the hands of the Israeli regime.
“The Zionist regime’s plot to cleanse its cruel and child-killing image and promote the culture of cruelty and oppression against children, the elderly and innocent people in coordination with the government of Myanmar shows a horrible and organized crime against the deprived Rohingya Muslims,” Ali Akbar Velayati, the secretary general of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, said in a statement on Saturday.
He warned that such an “ominous and organized plot by international Zionism” would result in genocide against the Muslims, oppression and forced displacement, ethnic and racial cleansing, massacre and regional instability.
He said all international bodies, including the United Nations, Human Rights Watch and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as well as world countries shoulder a heavy responsibility to have a correct understanding of such a calculated plot.
Velayati, who is the senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khamenei on international affairs, urged “swift and effective” measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He called on all dignitaries, groups, parties, movements, Muslim world countries, the OIC and the Human Rights Watch as well as the UN Secretary General AntónioGuterres to utilize all their capabilities and diplomatic means to exert more pressure on the government of Myanmar in order to prevent further crimes against the Rohingya Muslims.
They must ease the pain of the oppressed people in this region by dispatching fact-finding teams to immediately investigate the situation, sending humanitarian assistance and properly organizing the refugees, the senior Iranian official said.
Velayati further emphasized that if the government of Myanmar refuses to cooperate, its crimes must be addressed at the UN Security Council.
In such a scenario, he also called on the OIC to hold an emergency session and Muslim countries to cut their diplomatic and trade ties with Myanmar to express their firm support for the oppressed and defenselessRohingya Muslims.
A new wave of violence broke out on August 25 after dozens of police and border outposts in the state of Rakhine came under attack purportedly by a group claiming to be the defenders of the Rohingya. The alleged assaults were launched in response to a government clampdown in the area, where over a million Rohingya are based.
Since then, counteroffensives by Myanmar’s army have killed at least 400 people, burned thousands of houses, razed a large number of villages and depopulated vast swathes of land in Rakhine. However, Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign, rejecting the occurrence of any clampdown on the minority.
According to a recent report, Israel continues to sell weapons to Myanmar’s military junta despite the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
Human Rights Watch has warned that violence by Myanmar's army against the Rohingya had all the hallmarks of a campaign of “ethnic cleansing,” calling on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the issue.
The volatile Rakhine, located northwest of Myanmar, has been the scene of communal violence since 2012. Many of the Muslims have lost their lives while tens of thousands have been displaced as a result of attacks by Buddhists. The refugees largely live in camps in dire conditions.
Rakhine has also been under a military siege since October 2016, when the government used a purported deadly militant attack on border guards back then as a pretext to enforce the siege. There have been numerous eyewitness accounts of summary executions, rapes, and arson attacks by security forces against the Muslims since the crackdown began.
en.abna24.com/news/iran/crimes-against-rohingya-organized-israeli-regime-plot-irans-velayati_853325.html
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Iran, Turkey authorities determined to deepen bilateral ties
September 10, 2017
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey stressed that the two countries’ authorities were determined to deepen ties in all fields and that there were no obstacles on this path.
In the meeting between President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and President RecepTayyipErdoğan of Turkey late on Saturday on the margins of OIC summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Dr Rouhani said: “We must make a great development in Iran-Turkey relations, especially in economic fields, based on capabilities of the two countries”.
Describing relations between the two countries better than before, President Rouhani said: “The authorities of Iran and Turkey are determined to deepen bilateral relations and after the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and lift of sanctions, there is a good ground for a new development in relations”.
On the importance of banking cooperation, he said: “Iran’s banking relations with many countries has been improved and development of banking cooperation between Iran and Turkey is very important”.
“Facilitating banking cooperation is an important base for developing ties between the two countries and reaching $30-billion annual trade goal,” added the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran and Turkey are two great, effective countries in the region, said Rouhani adding: “Cooperation between the two countries in various fields such as combating terrorism and establishing stability in the region has been very effective”.
He expressed hope that Iran-Turkey cooperation, together with Russia in establishing security and stability in Syria yield final result soon.
Stressing that terrorism is nearing its end in the region, he said: “Of course, there is a long way to root out terrorism and I hope that with regard to common views of the two countries in fighting extremism and violence, Iran and Turkey can have good cooperation in this field”.
“In dealing with regional issues, both countries are determined to maintain stability in geographical borders and territorial integrity of the neighbouring countries and those in the region. Any change in geography and borders starts major tensions and this will harm all peoples of the region,” Dr Rouhani added.
He also went on to refer to the sad conditions of Muslims in Myanmar, saying: “In Myanmar, a major catastrophe is underway and Prompt cessation of violence against Rohingya Muslims and treating the injured and refugees must be collective goal of all Muslim states”.
Iran’s humanitarian aid will be sent to Myanmar Muslims soon, said Rouhani adding: “Cooperation and consultation among all Islamic countries, particularly between Iran and Turkey, can be very effective and significant in this regard”.
“Iran, Turkey and other Islamic countries must send humanitarian aid to Muslims in Myanmar and internationally press the government in Myanmar to stop violence against Muslims. I hope that tomorrow’s summit sends a very clear, strong message to those who are using violence against Muslims in Myanmar,” continued the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the meeting, the President of Turkey also expressed happiness with close, friendly relations between Iran and Turkey, adding: “The two countries have several plans to deepen ties in various fields”.
Describing economies of the two countries complementary, Erdoğan said: “With the lift of sanctions against Iran, the groundwork is ready to promote ties. Banks of the two countries, in particular the central banks must remove the obstacles on the way of development of relations and banking cooperation”.
He also said that Iran and Turkey’s alliance in fighting against terrorism is very important, adding: “The two countries’ joint fight against terrorism is very effective for stability in the region
Referring to the situation in Syria as an example to the fact that issues cannot be resolved through military ways, he said: “Syria is the cradle of civilisation in the region and we mustn’t allow foreign powers intervene in Syria to serve their own interests”.
“We must seriously warn Myanmar authorities to promptly cease violence,” the President of Turkey added, saying: “I am very hopeful that in tomorrow’s summit, we issue a statement about Myanmar”.
en.abna24.com/news/iran/iran-turkey-authorities-determined-to-deepen-bilateral-ties_853322.html
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'Stable' Islamic World to Contribute to Global Security: Iranian President
September, 10, 2017 - 11:58
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said a “developed” and “stable” world of Islam would lead to the global development and stability.
“We have all reached consensus that ‘World of Islam’ is a crucial and effective part of the global system and having a capable, developed and stable World of Islam would lead to universal capability, development and stability,” Rouhani said in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on Sunday while addressing a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
“It is clear that if the World of Islam is weak, lagged behind and disintegrated, it will be impossible to realize sustainable peace, inclusive development and effective conversion in the world. Therefore, ensuring coherence, solidarity, and cooperation among us, as the members of the great world of Islam, to enter the developed world, is, in fact, a collective effort to make a world free from ignorance, poverty, war and violence,” he added.
Following is the full text of his speech at the summit:
In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful
Your Excellency NursultanNazarbayev, the Honorable President of the brotherly Republic of Kazakhstan,
Honorable Heads of Islamic Countries,
The Honorable Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, I would like to appreciate the government and people of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their warm hospitality and thank His Excellency NursultanNazarbayev, the honorable president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for proposing this idea and organizing this meeting. I hope that this conference, which is held under the theme “Science, Technology, Innovations and Modernization in the Islamic World” in the beautiful city of Astana, in line with other valuable efforts, would lead to promotion of constructive cooperation in different fields among Muslim countries.
Unfortunately, however, today the world of Islam is grappling with various crises, including the Zionists’ ongoing crimes against the Palestinian nation, extremists’ crimes against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, crimes against humanity by extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, and the ongoing military action against the Yemeni people. Therefore, today the issue of solidarity and unity among the Islamic Ummah (community) is important more than any time before.
Mr. Chairman,
We have all reached consensus that “World of Islam” is a crucial and effective part of the global system and having a capable, developed and stable World of Islam would lead to universal capability, development and stability. It is clear that if the World of Islam is weak, lagged behind and disintegrated, it will be impossible to realize sustainable peace, inclusive development and effective conversion in the world. Therefore, ensuring coherence, solidarity and cooperation among us, as the members of the great world of Islam, to enter the developed world, is in fact a collective effort to make a world free from ignorance, poverty, war and violence.
Promoting cooperation on science and technology has strategic political and social importance, because first of all it is forerunner of development in different economic sectors, thus; it is determining for progress and convergence of Islamic countries and secondly, it deals with youth and universities and through creating space of hope, construction and employment, it roots out any inclinations to extremism and terrorism.
Holding consultation among the Heads of the Islamic countries on this issue and at the current time is important in two special respects: firstly, its significance is due to the great development which has been made in providing cross the border access to scientific texts and technological cooperation in the age of communications without any restrictions as well as scientific innovations introduced by scientists and inventors from different Asian and African countries which dedicate an increasing share of registering inventions and scientific research to itself, and secondly, running and managing “the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, which is a technological revolution and brings about a fundamental change in the modern relationship among humans, artificial intelligence and human ties in new social structures. It requires a culture that enjoys the power of attracting variable technological and environmental elements and at the same time, like the Islamic civilization, while getting the knowledge and experience of others, it manages convergence and synergy among the extended human family.
Yesterday, in the World of Islam it was the era of scientific, cultural and civilizational progress. Is it not possible today for the World of Islam to move toward innovation, creativity and progress beside rationality and ethics and create a world free from violence and extremism?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honored to represent a nation which has been the pioneer of knowledge and culture in two civilizational eras of pre-Islamic and post-Islamic human history. Iran in Achaemenid and Sassanid periods was cradle of generating knowledge and culture and it was a hub for expansion of knowledge, literature and management in the world. Iranian spirit attracted scientists, businessmen and architects from different parts of the world through creating a political and social environment based on ethics and human rights and paved the way for creation of vivid sites of human civilization in Persepolis and a treasury of sciences and technics in Asian libraries.
Having witnessed shinning of the sun of Islam, the Iranian society which had welcomed the divine message of freedom and justice, made a new leap forward. In this magnificent period, Iranians beside other Muslims, not only benefitted the insightful source of revelation, but they also encouraged religious teachings, wisdom and rationality and learned from other humans’ experience.
Muslims, resorting to Holy Book of Quran and teachings of the Great Prophet of Islam from the beginning of the formation of Islamic civilization, acquired numerous sciences from different parts of the world. What brought them material progress in that era was, in fact, the spirit of leniency and tolerance which was derived from the unequivocal teachings of the religion which substituted the previous prejudice.
One of the manifestations of this leniency and tolerance in the World of Islam was freedom and comfort of followers of other religions in the Islamic society. This broad-mindedness and leniency not only enabled holding discussions on religion and beliefs in the Islamic territories but it also led to interaction and partnership among the followers of other religions and Muslims to develop and expand human civilization and translate and transfer knowledge of other civilizations into the Arabic language, which was the official language on those days. Gradually, Islamic civilization was turned into an heir and architect of East and West old cultures which complemented them and did not only follow previous cultures.
It was based on this approach and spirit that such a progress and growth was realized in the World of Islam in different sciences, including medicines, Pharmaceutics, astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, philosophy and discourse, gnosticism, literature and art and it got superiority over others and even in some of these sciences Europe was indebted to the World of Islam from medieval centuries up to the 16th century.
But the bitter reality is that this era of progress and development did not last and in recent centuries Islamic society has stopped making progress and realizing achievements and whenever facing the western culture in science and technology competitions it lagged behind. Ethnic and local intolerance inflicted the Islamic civilization with recession and degeneration and its unity and leniency was destroyed. Dividing knowledge into decent and indecent ones at the beginning of the 6th century paved the way for the decline of the Islamic civilization and Mongol’s invasion expedited it. Muslims’ indolence and lethargy in recent centuries not only prevented them from making further development, but at the same time blocked them from saving their previous assets. In fact, there were two elements that decreased the progress and development pace of the modern Islamic civilization and even sometimes stopped it. The first one was the fact that scientific and technological growth in west was coincided with the political and cultural aggressive actions of the western leaders and the other reason was weakness of the Islamic governors and lack of self-esteem among some of the elites in the Islamic territories.
Today, once more the Islamic Ummah is facing a modern stage of mutation in human civilization and is fronting a historic choice at the eve of great developments made by knowledge based economies: to choose between “an active, authentic and participatory approach” which, while keeping the cultural authenticity, in a constructive interaction learns from other’s experience and achievements and “a passive approach” which in its extremes comes to isolation and lack of self-esteem.
Instead of being frightened by continued growth of science and development and fleeing from it, we should increase power of choice and adaptation of Muslim societies. The most significant requirement to develop new sciences and technics is to create safe political, social, cultural and economic conditions to attract and absorb them. We should not restrict ourselves to science and technology, but instead we should find ways and means of achieving them.
Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to be owners of science and technology, we as Muslim countries should prepare our societies from inside and at the same time we should start a new movement among Islamic countries in this regard.
Each of us in our own countries have thought on big question of relationship between knowledge and economic and social development with concern and compassion and now that we are determined to strengthen our actions by creating a space of cooperation, the first step is to get familiar with each other’s experience and explore the achievements of this extended Islamic family. The Islamic Republic of Iran, during the past decade, has been able to make significant achievements in science, technology and innovation. In the past 5 years, Iran promoted its rank in generating scientific papers from 34 to 16. 1100 Iranian universities accommodated previously 2.4 million students and today their number is 4.8 million. Today, Iran is among the top five countries with the highest number of engineering graduates.
Iran’s participation in developing new technologies, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, cognitive sciences, renewable energy, aerospace, microelectronics and stem cells has increased significantly. Iranian government’s active policy in supporting knowledge-based corporations has led to growth and development of thousands of corporations in area of new technologies and exporting high and medium technology products from Iran has increased from 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to 12.1 billion U.S. dollars which had a positive impact on our positive trade balance. Despite enjoying the greatest oil and gas resources, our policy is to shift our economy from one based on natural resources to an economy based on efficiency and innovation.
It is based on such capacities that I would like to state on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran that we have gathered here for the sake of peace, coexistence and ensuring further cooperation with you friendly and brotherly states.
We are here to tell you that under the title of science and technology and depending on scientific diplomacy, we can and we should explore our common grounds to further enable our capacities in the World of Islam and create complementary ones as well.
Mr. Chairman,
Strong participation of Muslim countries in environments of competition and partnership in the field of new sciences and technologies and their constructive role-playing in forming the upcoming relations between wealth and power requires national and transnational policy making and prioritizing. Twelve priorities which have been proposed in the 2026 Agenda in this meeting include main issues. In this regard, paying attention to “human agent and social capital” is very pivotal. People are the most important capitals. They should realize that outcome of our investments on science and technology benefits them, roots out poverty and promotes their level of health and welfare.
Mr. Chairman,
The Honorable Heads of States,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This meeting is capable of being a turning point in the history of scientific cooperation in the Islamic world.
Let’s put aside divisions sowed by enemies of Islam and war mongering powers who see their benefit at disintegrating us, and let’s open new grounds of scientific and technological cooperation to further renovate our countries. Let’s develop common political, economic and cultural environments in the world of Islam as far as possible.
In conclusion, on behalf of the great people of Iran, I would like to express the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure inclusive cooperation with all Islamic countries and nations on science, technology, and innovation.
Let’s be assured that any step taken for the sake of convergence and integration will certainly bring about divine assistance, as we have been bespoken:
If you help [the cause of] God, He will help you, and will make firm your steps (47:7)
Wasalamualaykumwarahmatullahiwabarakatuh
stasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/09/10/1514606/stable-islamic-world-to-contribute-to-global-security-iranian-president
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Bahrain tightens Islamic finance rules with mandatory external audit
DUBAI, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Bahrain is tightening its rules for Islamic banks by requiring all of them to undergo independent, external audits to certify they are following Muslim laws known as sharia.
The move, announced by the central bank on Sunday, could make Bahrain among the strictest jurisdictions for Islamic banking and help Manama maintain prominence in the industry, which it helped to pioneer, against competition from centres such as Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.
Islamic banks in the Gulf have traditionally used in-house boards of scholars to determine whether their products and operations obey sharia, which includes rules such as bans on interest payments and pure monetary speculation.
Some scholars argue this decentralised approach allows more flexibility and diversity, but it is not transparent and is vulnerable to conflicts of interest, since scholars are employed by the banks which they vet.
Bahrain is therefore insisting Islamic banks introduce external audits, starting with reports issued in 2020 on their business in 2019. A consultation paper issued by the central bank last year proposed that external audits be annual, but Sunday’s statement did not say how often they would occur.
The central bank said it would provide guidance later on who would be qualified to conduct external audits. Banks would not be required to make audit results available to the public.
Because of Bahrain’s prominence in Islamic banking, its decision may add momentum to global pressure for more centralised regulation of the industry.
“It is expected to serve as an example for the region and the global Islamic banking market,” the central bank said.
In May, the United Arab Emirates approved the formation of a high sharia authority for Islamic finance, which is expected to set rules for governance of banks. Malaysia already has country-level sharia boards in its central bank and capital markets regulator which oversee the industry.
Bahrain’s central bank said it would also issue new rules, effective from next June 30, on sharia boards within banks, ensuring their independence and clarifying their roles and responsibilities.
Rulings of in-house sharia boards on financial products and the reasoning behind them will have to be made available to the public, in a move that could press scholars across the industry to develop more uniformity of opinion.
The central bank said it would soon issue training and competency requirements for members of sharia boards and for sharia auditors. This could address another source of uncertainty in the industry: a lack of consensus on minimum qualifications for scholars. (Reporting by Andrew Torchia; Editing by Mark Potter)
reuters.com/article/bahrain-islam-finance/bahrain-tightens-islamic-finance-rules-with-mandatory-external-audit-idUSL5N1LR0IH?rpc=401&
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Turkey says citizens face ‘racist treatment’ in Germany
September 10, 2017
ANKARA: Turkey on Saturday asked citizens to be “cautious” in Germany and stay away from political gatherings ahead of this month’s election, as tensions ratcheted between the Nato allies.
Ties have plummeted since last year’s attempted overthrow of President RecepTayyip Erdogan and Germany’s strong criticism of an ensuing crackdown which saw more than 50,000 people arrested.
Relations further deteriorated after the detention of several German citizens including DenizYucel, a correspondent for the Die Welt newspaper.
The Turkish foreign ministry urged citizens living in Germany or planning to travel there “to be cautious, taking into account the situation in Germany where they could risk xenophobic or racist treatment”.
It asked them to “stay away from political debates, political party gatherings ahead of the general election” on September 24.
Ankara claimed there was “discrimination” against Turks “on the basis of their political views”, which has led to “verbal attacks against some of our citizens”.
Erdogan last month urged Turks in Germany not to vote for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Party (SPD) or the Greens, as they were “enemies of Turkey”, enraging German politicians.
sdawn.com/news/1356736/turkey-says-citizens-face-racist-treatment-in-germany
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Hamas chief in Egypt for first visit since election
September 10, 2017
GAZA CITY: The head of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas Ismail Haniya travelled on Saturday to Egypt for his first visit there since his election, the group said.
Hamas controls the small Palestinian Gaza Strip enclave and has been seeking to improve relations with neighbouring Egypt in a bid to convince Cairo to open the territory’s border with Gaza — its only crossing except with Israel.
Relations have been tense since the Hamas-allied Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi was overthrown in 2013 and eventually replaced by former military leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who accused Hamas of supporting terrorism in Egypt.
But agreements made this summer suggested a detente between the two sides, with Hamas officials saying Egypt agreed to open the Rafah crossing in the coming months.
A Hamas statement said the delegation would discuss “mechanisms to ease the siege on Gaza and other issues of mutual concern”, including reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah — the internationally recognised Palestinian government based in the West Bank.
It is Haniya’s first visit since he was elected in May, although senior Hamas officials have held high-level talks in Egypt since.
Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, and the Jewish state closely follows the Palestinian movement’s ties with Egypt, one of only two Arab states with which it has signed a peace treaty.
sdawn.com/news/1356742/hamas-chief-in-egypt-for-first-visit-since-election
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Africa
Egypt announces discovery of 3,500-year-old tomb in Luxor
September 10, 2017
LUXOR: Egypt on Saturday announced the discovery in the southern city of Luxor of a pharaonic tomb belonging to a royal goldsmith who lived more than 3,500 years ago during the reign of the 18th dynasty.
The tomb, located on the west bank of the river Nile in a cemetery for noblemen and top officials, is a relatively modest discovery, but one that authorities has announced with a great deal of fanfare in a bid to boost the country’s slowly recovering tourism industry.
“We want tomorrow’s newspapers to speak about Egypt and make people want to come to Egypt,” Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anani told reporters.
El-Anani said the tomb was not in good condition, but it contains a statue of the goldsmith and his wife as well as a funerary mask. He said a shaft inside the tomb contained pottery as well as mummies and coffins belonging to ancient Egyptian people who lived during the 21st and 22nd dynasties. The minister identified the goldsmith as Amunhat.
The tomb was discovered by Egyptian archaeologists, something that a senior official at the Antiquities Ministry hailed as evidence of their growing professionalism and expertise.
“We used to escort foreign archaeologists as observers, but that’s now in the past,” said Luxor’s chief archaeologist.
sdawn.com/news/1356746/egypt-announces-discovery-of-3500-year-old-tomb-in-luxor
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/next-step-after-triple-talaq/d/112483