NIA Raids 44 Locations In Maharashtra And Karnataka, Arrests 15 Suspected Islamic State Operatives
New Age Islam News Bureau
10 December 2023
Image for representation. |
AFP
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• NIA Raids 44 Locations In Maharashtra And Karnataka,
Arrests 15 Suspected Islamic State Operatives
• Gaza: Islamic countries urge US to pressure Israel
• UN says the Taliban must embrace and uphold human
rights obligations in Afghanistan
• Philippines: Two Pro-Islamic State Militants Named
in Catholic Mass Bombing at Marawi
• Denmark approves bill to stop the Quran burning
• Libya welcomes Denmark's move to prohibit burning of
the Qur’an
• Saudi Arabia arrests 17,257 in single week over
residency, labor breaches
• Islamic ministerial committee urges urgent ceasefire
in talks with Canadian counterpart on Gaza crisis
• 104 Hindu pilgrims issued visas
------
India
• “Hindu people helped in fund collection…” IICF
Trustee Arshad Afzaal on Mosque construction in Ayodhya
• PM: Ours is not a 'mai baap' sarkar, it serves moms,
dads
• India: Assam's cabinet gives its nod for census of
native Muslims
• 'Bloodshed happened in establishment of religion,
which is a lesson for us from history for the future'
• In Rajasthan, BJP 'explores' 2 deputy CMs formula to
strike caste balance
• NHRC seeks report on killing of 13 people in Manipur
gunfight
• EAM, Palestine PM discuss West Asia crisis
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Mideast
• Israeli strike leaves Gaza's oldest mosque in ruins
• Muslim, Jewish, Christian faith leaders chant in
unison: ‘Free Palestine’
• Israel's war in Gaza could finish by February, Hamas
insurgency to last months
• Iran warns UN of ‘explosion’ in Mideast after US
veto of ceasefire resolution
• As the Israel-Hamas War Governs the World’s
Attention, Iran Is Quietly Marching Towards Nuclear Breakout
• Iran says reviving nuclear deal ‘useless’
• Iran begins trial of Swedish EU employee detained in
2022
• Israel to seek US military backing? Biden govt fears
‘broader conflict’ with Iran, Lebanon-based Hezbollah amid Gaza war
-----
South
Asia
• China seeks COP28 fossil fuel deal 'acceptable' to
all
• UN special rapporteur condemns lack of
accountability for crimes in Afghanistan
• India's subtle engagement with Taliban-led Kabul
signals shift in ties
• 'All Human Are Born Free and Equal': UN Urges
Taliban to Uphold Human Rights in Afghanistan
• What Will It Take for Taliban to Gain Recognition
From China, Others?
• Mukti Bahini fighter's kin 1st IMA graduate from
Bangladesh
• Maharashtra: Bangladeshi man arrested for running
sex racket in Palghar
• SGPC to approach Bangladesh envoy over restoration,
‘maryada’ of gurdwaras
• 1971: The birth of an air force and the first strike
back
-----
Southeast
Asia
• PM Anwar: Islamic movements must work harder to
enlighten people
• 300 Rohingya Muslims Fleeing Myanmar Arrive in
Indonesia
• Philippines arrests member of pro-Islamic State militant
group over Catholic mass bombing
• At govt’s anniversary fest, PM Anwar says no way for
Opposition to sneak into power again
• Johor Sultan vows to fight corruption during his
term as 17th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
• Mujahid refutes claims of factions in Amanah ahead
of party elections
• Sarawak deputy premier: Stricter rules for state
govt contractors help reduce number of sick projects
• Ministries need to appoint chief information
security officer to combat data breaches, says minister
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Europe
• Anti-Islam hate crimes up 68% in the West Midlands
• Six Feet Over is a dazzling story of cultural
tensions in a French Muslim funeral home
• Germany’s Muslims fear rise in Islamophobia amidst
war in Gaza
• Dodik: Bosniaks want Sharia, the only Answer is RS
Independence
• How Sunak went from Rwanda plan critic to staking
future on it
• 'Russia scales down New Year's celebrations to pay
for Ukraine war'
• Ebrahim Raisi meets Vladimir Putin, calls
cooperation with Russia important in Iran's neighbourhood policy
-----
Africa
• Islamic leaders send warning to Supreme Court ahead
of judgement on Kano gov’ship election
• Nigerian prelate says Christians not at risk under
country’s new Muslim rulers
• South Africa: hundreds of miners trapped underground
by protesters
• What is Allah waiting on to intervene?
• Mercy Aigbe: Why I converted to Islam
• ‘Military yet to bomb south, east by mistake’ –
Renowned Sokoto-based Islamic cleric
• DR Congo's opposition leader Katumbi, promises to
'liberate the country'
-----
Arab
world
• Islamic Jihad: Yemen’s announcement preventing ships
from reaching usurping entity is historic position
• Arab and Islamic team pushes Washington for Gaza
ceasefire
• Ministerial Committee Assigned by Joint Arab Islamic
Extraordinary Summit Holds Official Discussions with US Secretary of State
• Beijing to host China-Saudi Investment Conference on
Tuesday
• Saudi aid chief meets World Bank Group delegation in
Riyadh
• Riyadh conference to focus on digital innovation
• KSrelief projects help people in Pakistan, Lebanon,
Sudan
• Makkah Route serves 618,000 pilgrims in 5 years
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North
America
• Islamic ministerial committee urges urgent ceasefire
in talks with Canadian counterpart on Gaza crisis
• Complaint says Muslim Arab American teacher was
discriminated against after put on leave over pro-Palestinian phrase in email
• Nobel winner Mohammadi to start new hunger strike as
peace prize is awarded: family
• US okays small 'emergency' sale of ammunition to
Israel
-----
Pakistan
• PML-N frustrated at ‘snail-paced’ trial of Nawaz
• Verdict in Sara Inam murder case on Thursday
• Former NA speaker re-arrested after getting bail in
May 9 violence case
• PTI seeks immediate allocation of ‘bat’ symbol
• Justice Tariq Masood to head SC bench in military trial
challenge
• Sindh govt orders registration of FIRs against
‘parking mafia’ in Karachi
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/nia--maharashtra-karnataka-islamic-state/d/131286
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NIA Raids 44 Locations In Maharashtra And Karnataka, Arrests 15 Suspected Islamic State Operatives
Image for representation. | AFP
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Scroll Staff
10-12-2023
The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested
15 suspected operatives of terrorist organisation Islamic State during a
crackdown across Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Teams of the National Investigation Agency raided 44
locations in Padgha-Borivali, Thane, Mira Road, and Pune in Maharashtra and
Bengaluru in Karnataka on Saturday morning, the counter-terrorism law
enforcement agency said in a statement.
The 15 persons are accused of promoting terror and
terror-related acts and activities of the proscribed organisation, the agency
said.
The agency said it had recovered and seized cash,
firearms, sharp-edged weapons, incriminating documents, smartphones and other
digital devices during the raids.
“[The raids were] conducted as part of NIA’s ongoing
efforts to disrupt and demolish the attempts of [the] Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria to carry out violent acts of terror and take innocent lives,” the agency
said.
The National Investigation Agency said that its
investigation had revealed that the accused, all members of the Islamic State’s
Maharashtra module, were operating from Padgha-Borivali, “where they had
hatched the conspiracy to spread terror and carry out acts of violence” across
the country.
Saqib Nachan, the main accused and the alleged leader
of the module, was administering the oath of allegiance to the Khalifa of the
Islamic State to the persons joining the proscribed organisation, the agency
alleged.
Source: Scroll.In
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original story:
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Gaza: Islamic Countries Urge US To Pressure Israel
Firefights battle flames in
a building hit by an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on
Saturday. Photo: AFP
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By Agency Report
December 10, 2023
Several Arab and Islamic countries have called on the
United States to play a “broader role” in pressuring Israel into accepting a ceasefire
in the Gaza war, according to the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said the
call was made at a meeting in Washington between Qatari, Egyptian, Jordanian,
Saudi, Palestinian, and Turkish foreign ministers with US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken.
They are members of a ministerial committee formed by
an emergency Arab-Islamic summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia last month to discuss
the Gaza situation.
During their talks with Mr Blinken, the statement
indicated, officials expressed disappointment at the UN Security Council’s
failure to pass a resolution for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for
humanitarian reasons after the US used its veto power.
While 13 of the 15 members of the world body voted in
favour on Friday, the US, Israel’s key ally, vetoed the draft submitted by the
United Arab Emirates. Britain abstained.
Members of the Arab-Islamic committee also renewed
their “unified rejection” of the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, an
impoverished enclave of around 2.3 million people, and called for an “immediate
and complete” ceasefire to protect civilians.
No fewer than 71 dead and 160 injured were brought to
the al-Aqsa Hospital, on top of 62 dead and around 100 injured taken to the
Nasser Hospital, the authority announced on Saturday.
On Saturday, an Israeli army spokesman issued an
appeal in Arabic to residents of homes in the northern Gaza Strip to flee from
the fighting to a safer area in the western part of Gaza City.
In the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt, a
four-hour ceasefire will allow the supply of humanitarian aid from the morning
onwards.
Fierce fighting has been reported in the southern city
of Khan Younis, considered a stronghold of the Islamist terrorist organisation
Hamas.
So far, Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi
Hanegbi said the Israeli armed forces have killed around 7,000 Hamas terrorists
in the war on Gaza.
Israeli units have also moved very close to Hamas
command centres in Jabalia and Shejaiya in the north of the Gaza Strip, Hanegbi
told Channel 12 on Saturday evening.
“If we kill him, and that is the plan, then the
leadership that succeeds him may understand that if they want to escape his
fate, they will have to leave Gaza, as losers,” said Mr Hangebi.
Meanwhile, as Israeli soldiers continue their attempts
to rescue the hostages held in Gaza, a 25-year-old Israeli man who was abducted
on 7 October has died, according to statements released on Saturday.
“It is with deep sorrow and a broken heart that we
announce the murder of Sahar Baruch (25) who was kidnapped from his home by
Hamas terrorists on October 7th,” Kibbutz Be’eri, where Baruch lived, and the
Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said in a joint statement.
Renewed fighting also took place on Israel’s northern
border with Lebanon, after militants reportedly launched rockets from southern
Lebanon into Israeli territory.
The Lebanese TV station Al-Manar, which is run by the
political wing of Hezbollah, reported that other villages in the border area
had also been hit by Israeli fire.
Since the start of the current war in Gaza, there have
been repeated confrontations between Israel’s army and militant groups
including Hezbollah in the Israeli-Lebanese border region.
The war was triggered by the worst massacre in
Israel’s history, carried out by Hamas and other extremist groups on 7 October
near Israel’s border with Gaza.
According to the latest figures from the Health
Ministry in Gaza, almost 17,700 people have been killed in Israel’s
counter-attacks.
Source: Www.Premiumtimesng.Com
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UN Says The Taliban Must Embrace And Uphold Human
Rights Obligations In Afghanistan
FILE - Afghan school girls
attend their classroom on the first day of the new school year, in Kabul, March
25, 2023. The Taliban must embrace and uphold human rights obligations in
Afghanistan, the U.N. mission in the cou...Show more
The Associated Press
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December 10, 2023
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban must embrace and
uphold human rights obligations in Afghanistan, the U.N. mission in the country
said Sunday on Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have erased
basic rights and freedoms, with women and girls deeply affected. They are
excluded from most public spaces and daily life, and the restrictions have
sparked global condemnation.
The U.N. mission, highlighting the Taliban’s failures
in upholding rights’ obligations, said it continues to document extrajudicial
killings, torture and ill-treatment, corporal punishment, arbitrary arrest and
detention, and other violations of detainees’ rights.
“We pay tribute to and express our solidarity with
Afghan human rights defenders, many of whom are paying a heavy price for
seeking to uphold the fundamental tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights: peace, justice and freedom,” said Fiona Frazer, representative of the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan.
The head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, Roza
Otunbayeva, said rights must be upheld to ensure the country’s future
prosperity, cohesion and stability.
The U.S. on Friday hit two Taliban officials with
sanctions over human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Fariduddin Mahmood made
decisions to close education centers and schools to women and girls after the
sixth grade, said the State Department. He supported education-related bans on
women and girls.
“Since August 2021, members of the MPVPV have engaged
in serious human rights abuse, including abductions, whippings, and beatings,”
said the State Department. “Members of the MPVPV have assaulted people
protesting the restrictions on women’s activity, including access to
education.”
The Taliban condemned the sanctions. Their chief spokesman,
Zabihullah Mujahid, said imposing pressure and restrictions were not the
solution to any problem. He accused the U.S. of being the biggest violator of
human rights because of its support for Israel.
The restrictions on women and girls are the biggest
obstacle to the Taliban gaining official recognition as the legitimate
government of Afghanistan.
Source: Ap News.Com
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original story:
https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-human-rights-un-7bc72e9339e37ba9a5b70b20ee72c58f
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Philippines: Two Pro-Islamic State Militants Named in
Catholic Mass Bombing at Marawi
Military personnel stand
guard at the entrance of a gymnasium while police investigators look for
evidence after a bomb attack at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Lanao del
sur province, Philippines, Dec. 3, 2023.
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By: Oindrila Mukherjee
DECEMBER 06, 2023
Philippine police named two Filipino members of a
pro-Islamic State militant group on Wednesday as suspects in the deadly bombing
of a Catholic mass in the country’s insurgency-plagued south. Four people were
killed and 50 were wounded in the December 3 attack on worshippers gathered
inside a university gym in Marawi, the country’s largest Muslim city, which was
besieged by militants in 2017.
The Islamic State group claimed the bombing, which
President Ferdinand Marcos blamed on “foreign terrorists”. Police said
previously they were chasing four men in connection with the assault, which the
military has described as a possible revenge attack for their operations
against militant groups in the region.
The two suspects named on Wednesday — Kadapi Mimbesa
and Arsani Membisa — belonged to the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute group, police
regional director Brigadier General Allan Nobleza told a news conference. A
third man, still unidentified, acted as a lookout for the attackers, Nobleza
said.
“We are mobilising all our resources to ensure that
the perpetrators are put behind bars so they could answer the crimes that they
have committed,” Nobleza told reporters.
Maute was one of the pro-IS groups that held Marawi
under siege in 2017. The Philippine military wrested back the ruined city after
a five-month battle that claimed more than 1,000 lives.
Witnesses told police that Mimbesa and Membisa wore
face masks when they entered the gym before Sunday’s service and were seen
acting suspiciously, Nobleza said. The men were already wanted by police for
illegal possession of explosives and murder, he said.
Militant attacks on buses, Catholic churches and
public markets have been a feature of decades-long unrest in the region. Manila
signed a peace pact with the nation’s largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front, in 2014, ending their deadly armed rebellion. But smaller
bands of Muslim fighters opposed to the peace deal remain, including militants
professing allegiance to the Islamic State group. Communist rebels also operate
in the region.
Source: Www.News18.Com
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Denmark Approves Bill To Stop Koran Burning
FILE - Protesters burn flags
of Sweden and the Netherlands outside Mohammad al-Amin Mosque to denounce the
desecration of the Quran, Islam's holy book, by a far-right activists in the
European countries, in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 27, 2023.
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10-12-2023
Copenhagen – Denmark's parliament on Thursday passed a
bill making it illegal to burn copies of the Koran in public places, after
protests in Muslim nations over the desecration of Islam's holy book raised
Danish security concerns.
Denmark and Sweden experienced a series of public
protests this year in which anti-Islam activists burned or otherwise damaged
copies of the Koran, sparking tensions with Muslims and prompting calls for the
Nordic governments to ban the practice.
Denmark sought to strike a balance between
constitutionally protected freedom of expression, including the right to
criticize religion, and national security amid fears that Koran burnings would
trigger attacks by Islamists.
Domestic critics in Sweden and Denmark have argued
that any restrictions on criticizing religion, including by burning the Koran,
undermine hard-fought liberal freedoms in the region.
“History will judge us harshly for this, and with good
reason… What it all boils down to is whether a restriction of freedom of speech
is decided by us, or whether it is dictated from outside,” said Inger Stojberg,
leader of the anti-immigration party Danmarks Demokrater , who opposed the ban.
Denmark's central coalition government has argued that
the new rules will have only a marginal impact on free speech and that
criticism of religion in other ways remains legal.
Sweden is also considering ways to legally limit Koran
desecration, but takes a different approach than Denmark. It examines whether
police should take national security into account when deciding public protest
applications.
Source: Nord.News.Com
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original story:
https://nord.news/2023/12/07/denmark-approves-bill-to-stop-koran-burning/
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Libya welcomes Denmark's move to prohibit burning of
the Qur’an
BY SAFAALHARATHY
09/12/2023
Libya's Foreign Ministry has welcomed Denmark’s move
to issue a law prohibiting inappropriate treatment of religious texts.
In a statement, the ministry commended the law that
was passed by the Danish Parliament on Thursday. The resolution prohibits any
form of disrespectful treatment of religious texts, including the burning of
the Holy Qur'an in public.
This step would limit the occurrence of provocative
activities that may hurt the feelings of Muslims and lead to potential hate
crimes within Denmark, the ministry stated.
It expressed hope to see the rest of the European
parliaments follow Denmark's example and enact comparable laws, which it said
would promote peaceful coexistence between various religious groups and reject
extremism.
Source: Libyaobserver.Ly
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original story:
https://libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/libya-welcomes-denmarks-move-prohibit-burning-quran
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Saudi Arabia arrests 17,257 in single week over
residency, labor breaches
December 09, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 17,257 people in
one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the
Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
According to an official report, a total of 11,183
people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 3,765 were held
over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 2,309 for labor-related
issues.
The report showed that among the 481 people arrested
for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 38 percent were Yemeni, 60 percent
Ethiopian, and 2 percent were of other nationalities.
A further 62 people were caught trying to cross into
neighboring countries, and eight were held for involvement in transporting and
harboring violators.
So far, authorities have transferred 45,773 offenders
to their respective diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, while 2,394
were transferred to complete their travel reservations and 9,369 were deported.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior said that anyone found
to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing
transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years,
a fine of up to SR1 million ($260,000), as well as confiscation of vehicles and
property.
Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free
number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of
the Kingdom.
Source: Arab News.Com
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original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422991/saudi-arabia
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Islamic ministerial committee urges urgent ceasefire
in talks with Canadian counterpart on Gaza crisis
December 09, 2023
OTTAWA — The Ministerial Committee of the
Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit, led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal
Bin Farhan, held official talks on Saturday in the Canadian capital with
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.
During the talks, the participants discussed
developments in the Gaza Strip and its repercussions, particularly the military
escalation targeting civilians.
The Ministerial Committee reiterated the importance of
an immediate and urgent ceasefire to ensure the return of security and
stability to the region.
The Committee called for swift international action
and emphasized the responsibility to protect innocent civilians from the
Israeli occupation forces' lethal actions.
They stressed that discussions about the future of
Gaza and the Palestinian issue should follow an immediate ceasefire and the
de-escalation of unjustified military tensions.
The Committee emphasized the importance of taking
serious and urgent steps to secure humanitarian, food, and medical aid
corridors for the Gaza Strip.
Members of the Committee underscored the importance of
creating political conditions for the establishment of a Palestinian state
along the borders of June 4, 1967, in accordance with relevant international
resolutions.
They rejected the fragmentation of the Palestinian
issue and the separate discussion of the future of the Gaza Strip from the
broader Palestinian cause.
Source: Saudigazette.Com
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104 Hindu pilgrims issued visas
Baqir Sajjad Syed
December 10, 2023
Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi, an important spiritual
site for the Hindu community in Sindh, is hosting the birth anniversary
celebrations on Dec 12-23, and is expected to attract a large number of
devotees from across the region.
The visa initiative, in accordance with the
Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, is part of
Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate religious tourism and cultural exchanges.
Annually, this protocol allows thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India
to attend various events in Pakistan.
The high commission said Charge d’ Affaires Aizaz Khan
extended heartfelt felicitations to the pilgrims and wished them a safe
journey.
Last month, a large number of Sikh pilgrims visited
Pakistan to attend Baba Guru Nanak’s 544th birth anniversary celebrations at
Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal.
Source: Dawn.com
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original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1796591
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India
“Hindu people helped in fund collection…” IICF Trustee
Arshad Afzaal on Mosque construction in Ayodhya
Dec 09, 2023
After the consecration of Ayodhya's Ram Temple, a
Mosque will be built in Ayodhya on December 09. Trustee of Indo Islamic Culture
Foundation (IICF), Arshad Afzaal said that Hindu people also helped in gaining
the fund required to build the Mosque. Arshad Afzaal said, “In the beginning,
there were less funds. Later, we got 50 lakhs of fund in which Hindu people
also contributed. After the consecration of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, the
construction work will begin there.”
Source: Times Of India
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PM: Ours is not a 'mai baap' sarkar, it serves moms,
dads
Dec 10, 2023
NEW DELHI: Taking his pro-poor, pro-women and
pro-youth outreach ahead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his
government is not a "Mai-Baap Sarkar", but a government that serves
mothers-fathers. The PM said people have reposed faith in "Modi ki
guarantee" which ensures delivery while the opposition has failed to
understand that they can't achieve anything by making "false announcements
(promises)" & without winning hearts of the people.
Addressing the Vikshit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY)
virtually, Modi said, "The question is why people are not believing the
opposition. Some political parties can't understand that they can't achieve
anything by making false promises. You don't win elections on social media; you
need to go to people. First you need to win people's hearts and then the
election."
"We have established a direct relationship, an
emotional bond between the central government and the people of the country.
Our government is not a 'mai-baap sarkar' but a government that serves
mothers-fathers. The manner in which a child serves his parents, in the same
way this Modi works to serve you," he said.
Source: Times Of India
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India: Assam's cabinet gives its nod for census of
native Muslims
By: Prisha
Dec 09, 2023
The cabinet of the Indian state of Assam gave a
go-ahead to the socio-economic survey of the indigenous Muslim population in
the state.
The cabinet took the decision a year and a half after five
communities were recognised by the government of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarma as "indigenous Assamese Muslims".
The "indigenous" Muslims' socio-economic
assessment will be carried out by the Directorate of Char Areas Development,
which has been renamed as Directorate of Minority Affairs and Char Areas,
stated a cabinet note.
As per the 2011 Census, more than 34 per cent of the
state's population comprised of Muslims, which was the third highest among all
Union Territories and states after J&K and Lakshadweep. Among the state's
total population of 31 million, more than 10 million are Muslims.
However, only around 4 million are Assamese-speaking
native Muslims and the rest are Bengali-speaking immigrants, who have
Bangladeshi origin.
The government led by Himanta had announced plans for
carrying out indigenous Muslim communities' socio-economic assessment in the
month of October.
"These findings will guide the government to take
suitable measures aimed at the comprehensive socio-political and educational
upliftment (sic) of the state's indigenous minorities," stated CM Himanta
in a post on X.
The Goria, Moria, Jolah (which include those living in
tea gardens), and Desi and Syed (which are only Assamese-speaking) communities
were categorised as native Assamese Muslims by the state government in July
last year. The Assamese Muslims do not have any history of migrating from
erstwhile East Pakistan which is now Bangladesh.
The government took the decision of identifying five
sub-groups as indigenous on the basis of recommendations of seven
sub-committees which were earlier formed by the state government.
Such classification has remained a long-standing
demand of these communities which have complained about being sidelined and
marginalised by Bengali-speaking Muslims. They have said that they never got
any benefits even though they are original inhabitants of Assam.
Between the 13th and the 17th centuries, the people of
the now recognised Muslim communities had converted to Islam. Their mother
tongue is Assamese, unlike the Bengali-speaking migrants and they have similar
cultural practices and traditions to the native Hindus.
Source: Wionews.Com
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'Bloodshed happened in establishment of religion,
which is a lesson for us from history for the future'
Dec 9, 2023
NEW DELHI: There was bloodshed many times in the
establishment of religion, which is a lesson for us from history so that in
future “dharma ka sthapana” can happen without violence, said general secretary
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Dattatreya Hosabale, on Saturday at the
Ambedkar International Center in Delhi. Building around the grand opening of
the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January 2024, a large number of events and
contents are being created to celebrate this landmark occasion in the history
of India.
One of them is the release of the book “Ram Phir
Laute” by noted scholar Hemant Sharma. Releasing the book that depicts the
different contours of the life journey of the Ram Temple in Ayodha, Hosabale
also said that Ram Janmabhoomi is not a one of incident, but a movement that
happened 72 times. The launch of the book was attended by many senior BJP
leaders, members of Parliament and ministers from the Uttar Pradesh government.
Taking on the critics of Ram Ram Janmabhoomi movement,
Hosabale said: “Some people who suppressed the facts of history are trying to
build a narrative. But one simple fact should silence them, which is that Ram
Janmabhoomi has not happened once, but 72 times. The society of Bharat has
never forgotten its respect and right over Ram Janmabhoomi. Every generation
has struggled for this.”
Source: Times Of India
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In Rajasthan, BJP 'explores' 2 deputy CMs formula to
strike caste balance
Dec 10, 2023
JAIPUR: BJP is reportedly considering a formula of
having a chief minister with two deputies in Rajasthan as part of its social
engineering to balance political equations and reach out to prominent sections
of society - the Rajput, Brahmin, Meena, and Jat communities in the top three
posts, while also including a scheduled caste (Dalit) woman MLA for the
speaker's position.
BJP aims to finalise a strategy that reflects
community representation and addresses political dynamics ahead of the 2024 Lok
Sabha elections. Party sources said Saturday that discussions around these
considerations are preliminary and subject to approval from central leaders.
"Once the CM candidate is finalised and
communicated to the state unit, efforts will be directed towards selecting the
two deputy CMs," said a senior leader requesting anonymity.
Source: Times Of India
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NHRC seeks report on killing of 13 people in Manipur
gunfight
Dec 10, 2023
GUWAHATI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
on Friday issued a notice to the Manipur government, seeking a report within
two weeks on the killing of 13 people in Tengnoupal district on December 4.
The commission said it has taken "suo motu
cognizance of a media report that at least 13 people were killed in a gunfight
in Leithao village near Saibol in Tengnoupal district, Manipur. Reportedly, the
incident happened on December 4, 2023."
"Reportedly, this is the highest single day loss
of life in the violence since it erupted in Manipur this year in May. Prima
facie it is suspected that the victims of the violence could even be militants
from Myanmar, since the nearby hills from Leithao are a common route adopted by
them to enter Manipur from Myanmar," the commission stated.
Source: Times Of India
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EAM, Palestine PM discuss West Asia crisis
Dec 10, 2023
Foreign minister S Jaishankar spoke to Palestinian PM
Mohammad Shtayyeh on Saturday evening.
According to Jaishankar, Shtayyeh expressed deep
concern on the situation in both Gaza and the West Bank.
Jaishankar said he reiterated India's long-standing
position on Palestine. The leaders agreed to remain in touch.
Source: Times Of India
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Mideast
Israeli strike leaves Gaza's oldest mosque in ruins
DECEMBER 9, 2023
Daniel Estrin
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Omari Mosque, Gaza's most
iconic landmark and oldest mosque stretching back centuries, has been largely
destroyed in an Israeli strike, Gaza City officials and eyewitnesses say.
An Israeli official, who spoke to NPR on condition of
anonymity to offer a preliminary assessment, confirmed the strike and said the
mosque grounds contained a tunnel shaft used by militants, and that Hamas
fighters from the elite Nukhba battalion had regularly used the mosque for
cover.
Destroyed by earthquakes and conquests, and rebuilt
many times over history, the mosque had a storied history incorporating many
religious traditions. NPR visited the mosque in 2019 on a tour of Gaza's
cultural landmarks with a local guide.
Source: Www.npr.org
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Muslim, Jewish, Christian faith leaders chant in
unison: ‘Free Palestine’
10-12-2023
A rabbi, an archbishop, and a mufti were among those
who gathered in Istanbul to denounce Israel's atrocities against the people of
Gaza while calling for the establishment of a sovereign and independent
Palestinian state.
Dressed in traditional Jewish attire along with the
Palestinian keffiyeh, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss decried the Israeli state for
the "mass slaughter" that it is still carrying out, saying it is
aimed at dehumanizing Palestinians.
Rabbi Weiss, who had traveled from New York to
Istanbul to attend the European Summit for Palestine organised by the European
Muslim Forum, asserted that Israel's atrocities in Gaza have nothing to do with
Judaism or Islam.
“The tens of thousands of people that died, both
Muslims and Jews, and we cry, and we are hurt with the death of so many people
in Gaza.” says Rabbi Weiss /Photo: AA
Source: Www.Rawstory.Com
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Israel's war in Gaza could finish by February, Hamas
insurgency to last months
By YONAH JEREMY BOB
DECEMBER 9, 2023
The main portion of Israel’s war in Gaza could be over
by mid-to late January.
Top defense officials have previously told The
Jerusalem Post and some others that the end of January is a realistic end date
for main operations, but some were leaking an even earlier potential end on
Saturday night, with Channel 12 being the first to mention this and the IDF
refusing to publicly comment.
The difference between the main war period and the
insurgency is likely to be smaller-scale battles, more of the hit-and-run guerrilla-warfare
type, and the beginning of the IDF being able to send a significant number of
reservists back home.
If the military can stick to such a deadline, it could
relieve some of the current reported pressure from the US and other countries
regarding how the war is being fought.
Source: Www.jpost.Com
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Iran warns UN of ‘explosion’ in Mideast after US veto
of ceasefire resolution
9 December 2023
Iran warned of the threat of an “uncontrollable
explosion” of the situation in the Middle East on Saturday, after the United
States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the
war between Israel and the Hamas terror group.
“As long as America supports the crimes of the Zionist
regime [Israel] and the continuation of the war… there is a possibility of an
uncontrollable explosion in the situation of the region,” Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian, the top diplomat of the Islamic Republic, told UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a phone call, according to an Iranian
foreign ministry statement.
The Iranian foreign minister praised the UN chief’s
decision to use Article 99 of the UN Charter — a move decried by Israel — as
“brave action to maintain international peace and security.”
Fighting resumed between Israel and Hamas on December
1 following a one-week temporary truce that was violated by the terror group.
Source: Www.Times Of Israel.Com
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As the Israel-Hamas War Governs the World’s Attention,
Iran Is Quietly Marching Towards Nuclear Breakout
10-12-2023
When Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad invaded
Israel on Oct.7, they didn’t just perpetrate the most deadly attack on Jews
since the Holocaust. The Iran-trained and supported terrorists also helped
divert the world’s attention away from how Iran is quietly, but quickly,
marching towards nuclear breakout. In February, top Biden Administration
official Colin Kahl, the then-Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, admitted
that Iran could soon assemble a crude nuclear device in days.
Understandably, the U.S. and its allies are now
focused on urgent, immediate regional crises—namely the IDF’s military
operation to eliminate Hamas from Gaza and dealing with the ever-growing threat
of militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. But a nuclear Iran remains the gravest
long-term regional security threat facing Israel, the Middle East, and the
United States, and it is not too late to stop Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear
weapon.
The diplomatic backdrop has already changed
considerably for Iran’s nuclear aspirations. In the weeks and months before the
Oct. 7 attack, Israel and Saudi Arabia were close to completing a normalization
agreement, building off the Abraham Accords, which were originally conceived by
its architect Jared Kushner and which both of us were involved in advising and
negotiating.
Source: Time.Com
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Iran says reviving nuclear deal ‘useless’
December 09, 2023
TEHRAN: Iran said Saturday that attempting to revive
its landmark nuclear deal with world powers that was effectively scrapped by
former US president Donald Trump was increasingly “useless.”
“Today, the more we advance, the more the JCPOA
becomes useless,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a speech to
students at the University of Tehran, using the initials of the official name
of the nuclear deal.
But while the deal was signed with several world
powers — including China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany — it was rendered
effectively useless when the United States unilaterally withdrew under Trump in
2018.
Source: Arab News.Com
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Iran begins trial of Swedish EU employee detained in
2022
December 10, 2023
STOCKHOLM: An Iranian court has begun the trial of a
Swedish national employed by the European Union who was detained last year,
Sweden’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
“I have been informed that the trial of Johan Floderus
has begun in Tehran,” Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Swedish news
agency TT.
“The Swedish charge d’affaires was at the court but
was refused the right to participate in the trial. Sweden has ... requested the
right to be present when the trial resumes.”
Source: Www.Arab News.Com
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Israel to seek US military backing? Biden govt fears
‘broader conflict’ with Iran, Lebanon-based Hezbollah amid Gaza war
09 Dec 2023
By Sayantani Biswas
Israel-Palestine war: The war between Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's Israel and Hamas fighters from Palestine's Gaza, has
entered the third month. Israel's attack on Gaza resumed after a brief pause.
Now, US authorities have flagged that the Israel-Gaza's armed conflict will
trigger a bigger conflict, including Lebanon and expanding throughout the
Middle East.
US President Joe Biden administration officials at
multiple government agencies have in recent days expressed concerns that Israel
may be seeking American military aid for fighting in Lebanon, reports
Huffington Post.
Such a step would mark a major escalation, almost
certainly proving extremely deadly for civilians in both Lebanon and Israel. It
could also force a confrontation with Iran, a regional heavyweight that backs
the powerful Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
Israel’s possible actions in Lebanon would be just the
latest kindling for a major Mideast conflagration, following a string of
attacks tied to Iran against U.S. troops in the region, says Huffington Post.
Source: Www.Livemint.Com
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South
Asia
China seeks COP28 fossil fuel deal 'acceptable' to all
Dec 9, 2023
DUBAI: Major oil importer China said Saturday it was seeking
a deal on the future of fossil fuels at the COP28 climate summit that was
acceptable to all sides.
"We all want to work together to find language
that points to the right direction of further efforts, reflects inclusiveness
to the maximum extent and also is acceptable to all parties," China's
climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua told reporters at the summit in Dubai.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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UN special rapporteur condemns lack of accountability
for crimes in Afghanistan
Dec 10, 2023
KABUL: The United Nations Special Rapporteur for
Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, condemned the lack of accountability for war
crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations, TOLO News
reported.
Richard Bennett, during a conference on
'Accountability for Crimes Committed in Afghanistan', said the country, for
decades, has been experiencing impunity for violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law.
"I would like to stress the importance of this
event, as accountability is the bedrock of the human rights system and
Afghanistan has been experiencing impunity for decades ... for war crimes,
crimes against humanity, and violations of human rights or international
humanitarian law," the UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan said.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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India's subtle engagement with Taliban-led Kabul
signals shift in ties
Anirban Bhaumik
10 December 2023
New Delhi: The black-red-green flag of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan fluttered high at the country’s embassy in New Delhi
for more than two years after the Taliban militants had marched into Kabul and
dislodged the government headed by M Ashraf...
The diplomats of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan in New Delhi, however, refused to pledge loyalty to the new
regime in Kabul. So did their counterparts in most of the foreign capitals.
However, nearly two-and-a-half years later, Fa...
Mamundzay, who had taken over as Kabul’s envoy to New
Delhi in 2020, also alleged that he and his colleagues had “faced a difficult
choice” given the “constant pressure” from the Taliban and India to “relinquish
control” of the embassy in New Delhi. ...
Source: Www.Deccanherald.Com
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'All Human Are Born Free and Equal': UN Urges Taliban
to Uphold Human Rights in Afghanistan
By: Rohit
DECEMBER 10, 2023
The UN mission in Afghanistan on Sunday called on the
Taliban to embrace and uphold human rights obligations as the cornerstone of a
stable, peaceful and prosperous future for the country. This appeal coincided
with Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted
by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, with Afghanistan
among the UN members supporting its adoption. The landmark text declares that
“all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” and inspired
the human rights treaties that followed.
“On this special anniversary, I would like to remind
the de facto authorities that Afghanistan as a state remains party to
international human rights treaties that are an essential part of international
law and in which Afghanistan has had an historic role,” said Roza Otunbayeva,
the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the
UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in a statement on Sunday.
Source: Www.News18.Com
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What Will It Take for Taliban to Gain Recognition From
China, Others?
Roshan Noorzai
December 10, 2023
WASHINGTON — China’s recent decision to accept the
credentials of the Taliban ambassador to Beijing, without having formally
recognized Afghanistan’s new rulers as the legitimate government, is both
paradoxical and transactional, experts say.
The Taliban foreign ministry announced December 1 that
the director-general of the protocol department of the Chinese Foreign
Ministry, Hong Lei, had accepted the credentials from Taliban Ambassador
Asadullah Bilal Karimi.
In this photo provided by the Taliban, newly appointed
Taliban ambassador Assadullah Bilal Karimi is reportedly presenting his
credentials to Hong Lei, director-general of the protocol department at China's
Foreign Ministry, in Beijing on Dec. 1, 2023.
The following week, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs’ spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said, “Afghanistan should not be excluded
from the international community.”
Source: Www.Voa News.Com
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Mukti Bahini fighter's kin 1st IMA graduate from
Bangladesh
Dec 10, 2023
DEHRADUN: Mohammed Abir Hassan, 23, of Bangladesh, was
beaming with pride while graduating from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) as
he became the first officer cadet (OC) from his country to achieve the feat. He
was among the 29 OCs from 12 friendly countries to graduate from the academy on
Saturday.
Hassan's late grandfather Mohammed Taju Mia, fought
for the country's independence in 1971 as a fighter of Mukti Bahini, a
'guerilla resistance movement' comprising members of the military, paramilitary
and civilians in the then-East Pakistan against the Pakistani forces.
He told TOI: "My dream came true today. What has
added to my joy is that I'm also the first in my family to become an army
officer. If alive, my grandfather would have been proud of me."
Source: Times Of India.Com
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Maharashtra: Bangladeshi man arrested for running sex
racket in Palghar
09 December 202
Palghar: Police in Maharashtra's Palghar district on
Saturday claimed to have busted a sex racket with the arrest of a Bangladeshi
national.
The racket was operating for the last two years and
nearly 250 women and girls were pushed into flesh trade through it, said an
official.
The Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of Mira-Bhayander Vasai
Virar police commissionerate had received a tip-off that Ashok Das (54), a
Bangladeshi national, was running a sex racket from a Mhada colony in
Nalasopara area, said Assistant Commissioner of P...
Source: Deccan Herald.Com
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SGPC to approach Bangladesh envoy over restoration,
‘maryada’ of gurdwaras
Dec 10, 2023
A day after Bangladesh High Commissioner Mohammad
Mustafizur Rahman announced that he would speak to his government to allow
annual Sikh jathas to historic gurdwaras in Bangladesh, the SGPC has shown
keenness to send jathas to the neighbouring nation.
Among the Sikh shrines, Dhaka-based Gurdwara
Nanakshahi is the most famous. Situated inside Dhaka University, it is believed
that Guru Nanak Dev had visited the place during one of his ‘udasis’ and later,
the Sikh sangat raised Gurdwara Nanakshahi at the place.
The visiting envoy said he would speak to his
government over allowing members of the Sikh community to pay obeisance at
historic gurdwaras in his country.
Source: Www.Tribuneindia.Com
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1971: The birth of an air force and the first strike
back
TRINANJAN CHAKRABORTY
09.12.23
On the evening of December 3, 1971, war came to India.
At around 5.30pm in the evening, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched raids on
Indian Air Force (IAF) bases across north and western India. Amritsar,
Pathankot, Srinagar, Halwara, Faridkot and Agra as well as the IAF radar at
Barnala were raided by Pakistan Air Force pilots.
But unlike in 1947 or 1965, India was not caught
unawares this time. As early as the night of March 25, 1971, when the West
Pakistani administration of Yahya Khan launched the brutal crackdown on the
Bengali-speaking population of East Pakistan – starting an endless inflow of
refugees into India – a third armed conflict in less than 25 years between the
subcontinent neighbours had become inevitable.
In the intervening months, Indian defence
establishment had not been sitting idle. A resistance movement had taken shape
in East Pakistan, comprising Bengali-speaking civilians as well as policemen
and defence personnel. This rag-tag bunch of fighters was named Mukti Bahini
(Freedom Force) and was given a semblance of structure by the Indian
establishment: Army, BSF and the Research Analysis Wing (RAW). Employing
guerrilla fighting techniques, the Mukti Bahini, armed by India, made life
miserable for the West Pakistani army and their local collaborators.
Source: Www.Telegraph India.Com
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Southeast
Asia
PM Anwar: Islamic movements must work harder to
enlighten people
10 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — The Islamic movements need to
work harder, and be more organised and diligent in enlightening the people,
said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, in a Facebook post today, said that when
knowledge is limited and there is strong pressure from Western thinking, the
movement needs to focus on enhancing deeper understanding.
He said this at the Melakar Nahdah Ummah dinner and
speech, in conjunction with the Ijtimak Harakiy Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia
(Wadah), which was co-organised by the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM)
and the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students (PKPIM), in Putrajaya, last
night.
Source: Www.Malay Mail.Com
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300 Rohingya Muslims Fleeing Myanmar Arrive in
Indonesia
December 10, 2023
ACEH BESAR, INDONESIA —
Two boats carrying more than 300 Rohingya Muslims,
including emaciated women and children, arrived at Indonesia's northernmost
province of Aceh on Sunday morning after being adrift for weeks.
One boat, which had been at sea for about 1½ months
and carrying 135 passengers, arrived at a beach in Lamreh village in Aceh Besar
Regency. Shahidul Islam, a 34-year-old survivor, said they left their refugee
camp in Bangladesh. "The boat was sinking. We had no food or water
left."
The other boat carrying nearly 180 people docked at a
beach in Blang Raya village at Pidie Regency. It has been adrift in the Andaman
Sea without adequate supplies for about 27 days. Mahmud Husein, 25, a survivor,
said he gave 40,000 taka ($363) to the boat owner to help him leave Bangladesh.
Source: Www.Voanews.Com
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Philippines arrests member of pro-Islamic State
militant group over Catholic mass bombing
9 Dec, 2023
A member of a pro-Islamic State militant group has
been arrested over the bombing of a Catholic mass in the southern Philippines,
a military commander said on Saturday.
The man – identified as Jafar Gamo Sultan – was
detained during a hunt for four suspects believed to be behind the attack on
worshippers in Marawi, the country’s largest Muslim city, which was besieged by
militants in 2017.
Source: Www.Scmp.Com
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At govt’s anniversary fest, PM Anwar says no way for
Opposition to sneak into power again
By Muhammad Yusry
10 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim today said his administration was strong and stable enough to see off
any attempts by the Opposition to seize control and become a backdoor
government.
Saying his administration would not fall victim to
“tebuk attap”, a Malay euphemism for a break-in, Anwar said the supermajority
the national unity government has in Parliament will see it through to the end
of its term.
“Those who always think like that, their roof is made
out of attap. In Putrajaya now, it is made of concrete. Any efforts from the
Opposition will fail,” he said during the Malaysia Madani dialogue session at
the Madani Government One Year Anniversary Programme closing ceremony, here.
Anwar was responding to an attendee who suggested that
the parties in the national unity government consolidate into a single entity
to prevent attempts to engineer a change of government again through
defections.
Source: Www.Malay Mail.Com
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Johor Sultan vows to fight corruption during his term
as 17th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
By Hajar Umira Md Zaki
10 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim
Iskandar has said that among his focus when he takes on the duty as the 17th
Yang Di-Pertuan Agong is to stop corruption.
In an exclusive interview with the Singapore Straits
Times, he said ensuring there is no disunity in the country will be his biggest
challenge.
“You know, people contribute hundreds of millions
before elections. How do you pay them back? Giving them mega projects. That’s
not going to be the case the moment I’m there. Too bad, who asked you to give?”
he asked, referring to kickbacks.
Source: Www.Malay Mail.Com
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Mujahid refutes claims of factions in Amanah ahead of
party elections
10 Dec 2023
IPOH, Dec 10 — Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah)
vice-president, Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof, today refuted claims that there was a
split in the party, amid rumours of a leadership change during the Amanah
National Convention, scheduled for December 23-24.
He said the issue of factions did not arise, as the
positions of the top five leaders, including the president, would be determined
by consensus among the 27 National Leadership Committee members, to be chosen
by representatives.
“There is no issue of factions, because these 27
selected members will decide who is eligible to be the president. So, there’s
nothing unusual about appointing the president from among those 27 individuals,
based on merit,” he said at a press conference after officiating the Amanah
Perak Convention, here today.
Source: Www.Malay Mail.Com
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Sarawak deputy premier: Stricter rules for state govt
contractors help reduce number of sick projects
By Sulok Tawie
10 Dec 2023
DALAT, Dec 10 — Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure and
Port Development (MIPD) has drastically reduced the number of sick
infrastructure projects by strictly enforcing rules for the contractors
undertaking state government jobs, its minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said
today.
He said one of the rules require the contractors to
start their work within a month after the handing over of the sites, failing
which their contract will be terminated.
Uggah, who is also the Deputy Premier, said the rules
for the contractors undertaking the state government projects is that they must
expedite their completion.
Source: Www.Malay Mail.Com
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Ministries need to appoint chief information security
officer to combat data breaches, says minister
10 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — It is important to establish
the Chief Information Security Officer position within every ministry to
effectively address the issue of data breaches following recent incidents such
as the breach of the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) database.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said
the responsibility for this change lies with the Chief Secretary, chief executive
officers, and the highest echelons of ministries while citing cyber threats as
a challenge and that the government must safeguard the security of ministries’
data in light of evolving cyber risks.
In addition, he said numerous modules within ministries’
websites require enhancement or renewal, necessitating the formulation of a
specific plan at the ministry level.
Source: Www.Malay Mail.Com
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Europe
Anti-Islam hate crimes up 68% in the West Midlands
by Qarrar Somji
09-12-2023
There has been a 68% increase in hate crimes against
Muslims in the West Midlands since the Middle East conflict erupted in early
October, says Witan Solicitors, based on data gathered through a Freedom of
Information request to West Midlands Police.
Figures from West Midlands Police covering cities such
as Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country show that 37
Islamophobic offences were recorded in October this year, compared with 22 in
the same period last year.
Muslims make up around 30% of the second city’s
population and the increase in anti-Islam hate crimes in some of the UK’s most
densely populated Muslim areas is alarming. Generally, these areas represent
diverse and harmonious communities, but the recent rise undermines the
multiculturalism that the UK values.
“People should not be blaming those in their
neighbourhoods for what is happening in the Middle East,” says Qarrar Somji,
director of the Birmingham-based law firm. “I hope that the police take action
to protect members of the community who may be vulnerable right now and
investigate properly. It’s crucial that everyone feels safe in our city,
regardless of their political or religious beliefs.”
Source: Centralbylines.Co.Uk
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Six Feet Over is a dazzling story of cultural tensions
in a French Muslim funeral home
Razmig Bedirian author image
Razmig Bedirian
Dec 10, 2023
The film marked its regional debut at the Red Sea
International Film Festival. It tells the story of Sofiane, the westernised son
of an Algerian diplomat who is studying in France.
Sofiane is eager to break away from his roots. He
insists on going by Sof, refuses to speak Arabic, and tallies the countries
he’s visited whenever he’s asked where is from. Trudging along an inebriated,
self-indulgent lifestyle, Sofiane’s future in France becomes threatened as his
school revokes his visa.
His father helps him land a job at a Muslim funeral
home to secure a work permit. Sofiane begins visiting Muslim households to wash
and prepare bodies for burial, working alongside the aloof El Hajj. The two
soon develop an odd relationship that forces Sofiane to acknowledge his roots.
Source: The National News.Com
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Germany’s Muslims fear rise in Islamophobia amidst war
in Gaza
December 9, 2023
by Allia Bukhari
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When Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis on 7 October in
the biggest attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust, Germany showed
unflinching solidarity with the State of Israel, supporting its “inalienable”
right to self-defence. It rightly condemned the loss of lives and capture of
hostages while calling for the latter’s immediate safe return. Berlin’s
Brandenburg Gate was illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag and a rally
was organised the next day in the capital, attended by several government
officials, in solidarity with the Jewish state to unequivocally condemn
anti-Semitism. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country’s “only place” is
at Israel’s side, referring to the special relationship between the two
countries due to Germany’s past — a stance he reiterated during his trip to Tel
Aviv and on a number of occasions, even after over 21,000 Palestinians, among
them more than 8,000 children, have been killed. With the temporary truce
ending, the death toll in Gaza has increased by 40 per cent compared with
before the humanitarian pause, according to Geneva-based non-profit
organisation Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor.
Source: Www.Middleeastmonitor.Com
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Dodik: Bosniaks want Sharia, the only Answer is RS
Independence
December 9, 2023
Constant demands to strengthen the unitary BiH lead to
the displacement of Serbs and the only answer to that and to the centralization
of BiH is the independence of Republika Srpska, said Milorad Dodik.
In his address at the International Conference
“Republika Srpska: Respect for Sovereignty and the Dayton Agreement”, he
thanked the participants for strengthening his belief that the RS will continue
its policy.
“The international community is not only the part that
appears in BiH and tries to speak with violence. Republika Srpska has shown the
best how it resists rigid policies in BiH.
Source: Sarajevotimes.Com
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How Sunak went from Rwanda plan critic to staking
future on it
Dec 10, 2023
In the spring of 2022, Rishi Sunak, then UK Chancellor
of the Exchequer, pored over details of a tough new immigration policy devised
by then PM Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel: to deport asylum
seekers to Rwanda. Sunak and his Treasury team didn't think much of the policy,
privately raising concerns with Downing Street and Cabinet colleagues about
whether it would work and if it provided value for money, six people involved
in the discussions said.
Now Prime Minister, Sunak has adopted the Rwanda plan
as his flagship migration policy as he seeks to stave off pressure from the
right of his governing Conservative Party and find divisions to close a
20-point polling deficit with the Labour opposition. That means his political
fate may now hinge on making work a policy he never loved - something members
of his own government fear may turn out to be a political miscalculation.
The signs aren't good. The government has paid Rwanda
$301 million so far, and no deportations have yet taken place. The UK courts
have ruled the plan unlawful, and the two senior ministers in charge of the
policy left the Cabinet demanding a harder line still.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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'Russia scales down New Year's celebrations to pay for
Ukraine war'
Dec 9, 2023
NEW DELHI: Several regional leaders in Russia have decided
to reduce their local New Year's celebrations, opting instead to allocate funds
towards supporting Moscow's military efforts in Ukraine. This decision reflects
a trend of utilizing existing municipal decorations for New Year's Eve, while
refraining from extravagant fireworks displays and large public gatherings, in
light of the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, a Newsweek report said.
In 2022, similar measures were taken by various
Russian cities, despite discouragement from Russian Deputy Defense Minister
Viktor Goremykin. Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin hosted a subdued celebration,
avoiding fireworks and large street concerts.
In a recent move, Novorossiysk Mayor Andrei Kravchenko
announced the cancellation of fireworks, stating that the funds would be better
used for equipping Russian soldiers. Sochi Mayor Alexey Kopaygorodsky also
called off New Year's fireworks, directing the savings towards military needs
and urging citizens to support this initiative as a gesture of solidarity with
soldiers and their families.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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Ebrahim Raisi meets Vladimir Putin, calls cooperation
with Russia important in Iran's neighbourhood policy
Dec 10, 2023
MOSCOW: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held a meeting
with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow. During the meeting, Raisi
expressed his satisfaction with the growing ties between Iran and Russia and
termed cooperation with Russia important in line with Iran's neighbourhood
policy.
In the statement, the Iranian President's Office said,
"Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, president of Islamic Republic of Iran, in his
meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on 7 December while
expressing his satisfaction with the growing relations between the two countries,
called the cooperation with Russia as important in line with the Islamic
Republic of Iran's neighbourhood policy."
Emphasising the cooperation between Iran and Russia in
energy, agriculture and knowledge-based companies, Ebrahim Raisi spoke about
the good ground to take more effective measures in the development of
cooperation in line with the interests of the two countries.
Putin highlighted the impressive reception of Russian
businesspeople at Iran's trade fairs. He noted that the 20 per cent growth of trade
between the two nations with a turnover of USD 5 billion over the past year
indicates Iran and Russia's determination to open a new chapter in their
bilateral relations, according to Iranian President's Office.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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Africa
Islamic leaders send warning to Supreme Court ahead of
judgement on Kano gov’ship election
Goodness Adaoyiche
December 9, 2023
Some concerned Islamic leaders in Kano have warned the
Supreme Court against subverting the will of the people as it prepares to
deliver judgement on the state governorship election in a few days.
The group of Islamic clerics, led by Shiekh Nasiru
Jibrin, however, distanced themselves from any crisis that may arise over the
impending judgement.
They called on the stakeholders, “not to subvert the
will of the people of Kano state who came out massively to vote for Governor
Abba Kabir Yusuf (Abba Gida Gida) of Kano state.”
Source: Politics Nigeria.Com
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Nigerian prelate says Christians not at risk under
country’s new Muslim rulers
By Ngala Killian Chimtom
Dec 9, 2023
YAOUNDÈ, Cameroon – A leading Nigerian prelate has
said that the very structure of the state in Africa’s most populous nation is “dysfunctional”
and “not working,” including the division of the country into 36 states and the
role of the military in national affairs.
Despite fears under President Bola Tinubu and Vice
President Kashim Shettima, both Muslims, that Nigeria may be headed for
increased Islamization, Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto in the Muslim-dominated
north also said he’s convinced the new administration won’t “instrumentalize”
religion.
Despite heading a tiny diocese, Kukah has an outsized
presence in Nigerian public life. Holding a Ph.D. from the University of
London, he’s one of the most trusted and admired religious leaders in the
country, having served on a national commission for political reform, and
having led negotiations to end a conflict between the Shell corporation and the
Ogoni ethnic group over oil operations in the Niger Delta.
Source: Crux Now.Com
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South Africa: hundreds of miners trapped underground
by protesters
10-12-2023
Miners are blockading more than 400 of their
colleagues underground at a gold mine in South Africa on Friday, amid tensions
over a murder this week, the operator said.
The blockade of 447 miners underground has been taking
place since the end of the night shift on Thursday at the Springs Gold Mine,
east of Johannesburg, where more than 500 miners suffered the same fate for
almost three days in October, against a backdrop of rivalry between local
unions.
This new mobilization was launched after the murder
this week of a Gold Mine investigator who was working on the October blockade,
Ziyaad Hassam, the mine's legal manager, told AFP, denouncing a "hostage
situation".
According to police quoted by local media, the
55-year-old man was shot dead in his car on Tuesday. The police did not give a
motive for the killing.
Source: Africa News.Com
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What is Allah waiting on to intervene?
December 10, 2023
THE CHRISTIANS say Jesus, the Messiah, sent by God,
was crucified, ascended to Heaven, but will be coming back to redeem this world
where bloodshed by violent means occurs daily. The Jews are still waiting for
that messiah; they call him Moshiach. For, they say he is yet to come. Now,
what do the Muslims have to say about the lack of intervention from Allah to
stop the eternal bloodletting.
Founded by Muhammad, Islam is an Arab religion which
means submission, and Allah is the Arab word for God. It is regarded as the
“original religion of all mankind” who were created to serve Allah. According
to Muslims, Allah created the world in six days and sent prophets such as Noah,
Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad, who called people to worship only
Him, rejecting idolatry and all other gods. According to the Islamic statement
of witness, or shahada, “There is no god but Allah”.
Allah is also the master of the Day of Judgment, when
the good, especially believers, will be sent to their heavenly reward, and the
wicked, especially unbelievers, will be dispatched to hellfire. Muslims claim
to reject physical descriptions of Allah, yet the Qur’an (Islam’s Holy Book)
describes him as speaking, sitting on a throne, and having a face, eyes and
hands.
In their prayers and on other occasions (including
battles and street protests), Muslims declare that Allah is the greater than
anything else. Allah created the order of the universe in great detail to allow
man to grasp His greatness. He has power over all things, and encompasses all
things in His knowledge. Every event that has taken place since the creation of
time, until deep into eternity, was predetermined and ended in Allah’s sight.
Source: Jamaica-Gleaner.Com
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Mercy Aigbe: Why I converted to Islam
DECEMBER 9, 2023
In April, the movie star converted to Islam following
her marriage to filmmaker Kazeem Adeoti in 2022.
Speaking in a recent interview with TVC, Aigbe said
she reconsidered her religious beliefs because of her love for Adeoti.
“I love my husband so much. I do not think any woman
would have gone through what I went through if it was not for love. I did not
have to,” she said.
Source: Lifestyle.Thecable.Ng
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‘Military yet to bomb south, east by mistake’ –
Renowned Sokoto-based Islamic cleric
Goodness Adaoyiche
December 9, 2023
A renowned Islamic scholar based in Sokoto, Sheikh
Bello Yabo, has expressed concerns over the constant bombing of innocent
citizens in the north by the military.
The Islamic cleric stated this while reacting to the
bombing of Maulud celebrants in Tudun Biri village of Kaduna State by the
military on Sunday.
“It was not the first time the bombs were dropped on
innocent people by security agencies, and they will claim it was a mistake,” he
said.
Source: Politics Nigeria.com
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DR Congo's opposition leader Katumbi, promises to
'liberate the country'
10-12-2023
Two weeks before the Democratic Republic of Congo goes
to the polls, the opposition leader Moise Katumbi has broadened his campaigns
in a bid to win the country's top seat.
In front of thousands of supporters, opposition
presidential candidate Moïse Katumbi promised to liberate the country by giving
jobs to young people and lowering the US dollar rate during his rally in the
capital Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"I've come to change the country, I've come to
liberate the country, sons of the Congo, what are we going to liberate
together? (Audience response: The country), what's the date? (Audience
response: the 20th). They say they don't have the money to rent planes, I said
I'd give them the money to organize the elections, did I do wrong? (Audience
response: No)," he said.
Source: Africa News.Com
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Arab
world
Islamic Jihad: Yemen’s announcement preventing ships
from reaching usurping entity is historic position
09/December/2023
GAZA December 09. 2023 (Saba) - The Islamic Jihad
Movement in Palestine praised the Yemeni position regarding preventing ships
heading to the usurping entity from passing as long as Gaza is deprived of
entry to vital supplies.
The movement said in a statement on Saturday evening:
“We see in the position of the Yemeni people, their leadership and their armed
forces, an authentic Arab and Islamic position.”
She stressed that the Yemeni decision comes at a
historic moment, and expresses the depth of the authentic belonging to the
Yemeni people and their valiant leadership.
Source: Www.Saba.Ye
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Arab and Islamic team pushes Washington for Gaza
ceasefire
December 09, 2023
WASHINGTON: A joint delegation of the Arab League and
Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on the US to change its mind
regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Zionist occupation forces have
killed over 17,000 Palestinians and injured at least 46,000 others. This came
during a press conference held by the delegation late Friday ahead of a meeting
at the US Department of State to look into how to halt the aggression on
Palestinian territory.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan
underlined the need to stop immediately the ongoing aggression on Gaza,
regretting that the international community does not give priority to this
matter. He also stressed that there should be a reliable roadmap for
establishing a Palestinian state, urging Washington to exert more effort to
shore up a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
The Saudi foreign minister also called for an
immediate increase in humanitarian and relief aid to the population of Gaza.
Following the press conference, US Secretary Antony Blinken met with Qatari
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al
Thani in advance of his meeting with the broader Arab and Islamic delegation.
They reiterated the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading and
committed to continuing close coordination on ongoing efforts to facilitate the
safe return of all remaining prisoners while sustaining humanitarian assistance
to civilians in Gaza.
Source: Kuwaittimes.Com
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Ministerial Committee Assigned by Joint Arab Islamic
Extraordinary Summit Holds Official Discussions with US Secretary of State
December 09, 2023
The members of the Ministerial Committee assigned by
the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit under the chairmanship of Prince
Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia have held official discussions with the Secretary of State of the
United States of America, Antony Blinken, in Washington.
With the participation of Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the State of Qatar, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ayman Al-Safadi,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sameh Shukri,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Riyad
Al-Maliki, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye Hakan
Fidan.
The members of the Ministerial Committee stressed
their call on the United States to play a broader role in pressuring the
Israeli occupation to implement an immediate ceasefire, as the ministers
expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the inability of the Security Council
to carry out its responsibilities and its failure to adopt a draft resolution
calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip for the second time due to the
United States using its “Veto” right.
Source: Alriyadhdaily.Com
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Beijing to host China-Saudi Investment Conference on
Tuesday
December 10, 2023
RIYADH: Beijing will host the China-Saudi Investment
Conference on Tuesday on the sidelines of a visit by Investment Minister Khalid
Al-Falih, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The conference aims to enhance the strategic partnership
between the two countries in investment, trade and the economy, and to support
China’s Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia with Africa and Europe.
They will review and discuss investment opportunities
and initiatives aimed at fostering increased cooperation between the two
countries.
Source: Arab News.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2423186/saudi-arabia
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Saudi aid chief meets World Bank Group delegation in
Riyadh
ARAB NEWS
December 09, 2023
RIYADH: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), met with a
delegation from the Executive Board of the World Bank Group in Riyadh, the
Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Al-Rabeeah, who is also the adviser at the Royal
Court, briefed the visiting delegation about the relief and humanitarian
efforts undertaken by the Kingdom through KSrelief in various parts of the
world.
He said that the center had implemented 2,625
humanitarian and relief projects in 94 countries worldwide, exceeding $6.483
billion in food security, health, education, shelter, support, and coordination
of humanitarian operations, water, environmental sanitation, and protection
sectors.
Source: Arab News.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2423121/saudi-arabia
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Riyadh conference to focus on digital innovation
ARAB NEWS
December 09, 2023
RIYADH: The second Operational Excellence Conference,
OPEXKSA, will begin on Dec. 12 in Riyadh, covering “global leadership in
operational excellence.”
Organized by the Saudi Saline Water Conversion Corp.,
the two-day conference emphasizes the role of digital transformation in
achieving operational excellence in business, serving as a key platform for
knowledge exchange.
The conference will highlight the significance of
artificial intelligence, the fourth industrial revolution, sustainability and
data in business performance.
Source: Arab News.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422956/saudi-arabia
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KSrelief projects help people in Pakistan, Lebanon,
Sudan
ARAB NEWS
December 09, 2023
RIYADH: Vulnerable communities in Pakistan, Lebanon
and Sudan are benefiting from assistance provided by the Saudi aid organization
KSrelief, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
KSrelief distributed 514 winter bags in the
Gupis-Yasin District of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, helping 3,598
members of the most vulnerable families in the flood-affected areas.
The distribution is part of the second phase of the
project to secure and distribute shelter materials and winter bags in Pakistan
for 2023-2024.
Source: Arab News.Com
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Makkah Route serves 618,000 pilgrims in 5 years
December 09, 2023
Riyadh: Growing numbers of Hajj pilgrims are benefiting
from Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Route initiative, which streamlines travel and entry
processes for visitors from partner countries.
A total of 617,756 Hajj pilgrims from Morocco,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkiye, and the Ivory Coast have so
far benefited from the initiative, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Launched in 2019 in Muslim-majority countries, the
scheme allows pilgrims to fulfill all visa, customs and health requirements at
their airport of origin, saving hours of waiting before and on arrival in the
Kingdom.
Source: Arab News.Com
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North
America
Islamic ministerial committee asks US to pressure
Israel for quick truce
DECEMBER 09, 2023
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, participated in an official
discussion session, held by members of the ministerial committee assigned by
the extraordinary Joint Arab-Islamic Summit, with US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken.
Also participating in the session, which was held in
Washington, DC, were Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah al-Saud, HE Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs in the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan Dr Ayman al-Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of
Egypt Sameh Shokry, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of
Palestine Riyad al-Maliki, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Turkiye Hakan Fidan.
During the session, members of the ministerial
committee stressed their call for the United States to play a broader role in
pressuring the Israeli occupation for an immediate ceasefire, expressing their
disappointment at the failure of the UN Security Council, for the second time,
to vote on a resolution for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for
humanitarian reasons, after the United States used its veto power.
Source: Www.Gulf-Times.Com
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Complaint says Muslim Arab American teacher was
discriminated against after put on leave over pro-Palestinian phrase in email
By Alaa Elassar
December 9, 2023
CNN—The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
has filed a discrimination complaint on behalf of a Black Muslim Arab American
teacher in Maryland, who was placed on administrative leave for her email
signature, which included a controversial phrase supporting Palestinian rights.
Hajur El-Haggan, a middle school math teacher employed
by the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) since 2015, was informed
November 20 by the principal at Argyle Middle School the county was placing her
on immediate leave because her email signature expressed political and personal
views, says the complaint filed Wednesday.
El-Haggan’s email signature included the phrase “From
the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” according to the complaint,
which described it as “a call for Palestinian freedom, dignity, and
self-determination. That means the ability to exist and move within the land
between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.”
Source: Us.Cnn.Com
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Nobel winner Mohammadi to start new hunger strike as
peace prize is awarded: family
Dec 9, 2023
OSLO: Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi will
begin a new hunger strike from her prison cell in Iran as the prize is awarded
in Oslo on Sunday, her family said Saturday.
Mohammadi, who has campaigned against the compulsory
wearing of the hijab and the death penalty in Iran, will go on hunger strike
"in solidarity" with the Baha'i religious minority, her brother and
husband told a press conference in the Norwegian capital on the eve of the
Nobel award ceremony.
"She is not here with us today, she is in prison
and she will be on a hunger strike in solidarity with a religious minority but
we feel her presence here," her younger brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi, said
in a brief opening statement.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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US okays small 'emergency' sale of ammunition to
Israel
Dec 9, 2023
WASHINGTON: The US state department has approved the
emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition, it said
Saturday.
The department said it had notified Congress on Friday
of a sale of 13,981 high-explosive 120mm tank cartridges and related equipment
worth $106.5 million.
That sale, while relatively small, comes amid heated
political debate over the Gaza war, with Republicans slowing a far larger Biden
administration request for new military spending for Israel and Ukraine, and
Democrats divided over the use of US weaponry against Palestinian civilians.
Source: Times Of India.Com
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Pakistan
PML-N frustrated at ‘snail-paced’ trial of Nawaz
Waseem Ashraf Butt
December 10, 2023
“The people of Pakistan have pinned high hopes on
Nawaz for their future which was evident from a rousing reception accorded to
him by a massive crowd in the Oct 21 rally PML-N organised at the
Minar-i-Pakistan to welcome the three-time prime minister upon his return,” she
said and added she was in tears to see the homecoming of Nawaz about whom
people commented “his politics is over”.
She said people want to see Nawaz Sharif as a PM
because he strengthened Pakistan by constructing motorways, airports, power
plants, brought foreign investment through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) and other infrastructural projects.
She said the facilities being given to PTI leader
(Imran) in the jail on his demands should also be provided to all the prisoners
without any discrimination. Maryam Nawaz also hit back at demands of level
playing field by some political players, saying that she prays no one gets the
same level playing field as her father Nawaz Sharif got.
Source: Times Of India
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Verdict in Sara Inam murder case on Thursday
Malik Asad
December 10, 2023
ISLAMABAD: A trial court reserved the verdict in the
murder case of Canadian national Sara Inam, who was killed reportedly by her
ex-husband Shahnawaz Amir, son of politician and journalist Ayaz Amir.
District and Sessions Judge Nasir Javed Rana will
announce the judgement on December 14, almost a year after the gruesome
killing. Shahnawaz’s mother Samina Shah, former spouse of Ayaz Amir, was also
nominated as an accused in this case.
Concluding the arguments, Ms Shah’s counsel Nisar
Asghar said that the statement of Shahnawaz did not establish any role of his
mother in the murder. He said that there was no evidence to prove the charge
that she abetted the crime. He pointed out that the police did not submit her
fingerprint report to the court. He requested the court to acquit her in the
murder case.
Source: Dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1796577
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Former NA speaker re-arrested after getting bail in
May 9 violence case
December 10, 2023
MARDAN/SWABI: The police took former National Assembly
speaker and central PTI leader Asad Qaiser into custody again in Swabi district
on Saturday under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance after a local
court granted him bail in a case pertaining to the May 9 violent protests.
Mr Qaiser was re-arrested a few days ago by Mardan
police in a case wherein the party workers and leaders were charged with
ransacking a medical store during a violent protest in Mardan on May 9.
On Dec 7, the Peshawar High Court had directed the
government not to act until Nov 29 against the former NA speaker and some other
PTI leaders in all cases registered against them.
However, Swabi deputy commissioner Tariqullah ordered
30 days detention for the former NA speaker on Dec 8 under Section 3 of the MPO
Ordinance.
Source: Dawn.com
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PTI seeks immediate allocation of ‘bat’ symbol
Ikram Junaidi
December 10, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on
Saturday expressed reservations over the Election Commission of Pakistan’s
(ECP) “dilly-dallying tactics” in granting the party its election symbol, the
‘bat’.
The party has called for immediate action from the
electoral body to avoid further complications, stressing that it had already
submitted all the required documents to the commission after holding
intra-party polls.
In a statement, a PTI spokesperson emphasised the
urgency of the matter, urging the Lahore High Court (LHC) to expedite the
hearing of Barrister Ali Zafar’s petition to avert the “tragic death of
democracy”.
Mr Zafar’s petition challenges the ECP’s Nov 23 order,
which annulled PTI’s intra-party polls held in June last year, giving the
former ruling party 20 days for a fresh election if it did not want to lose its
electoral symbol. Subsequently, the party conducted the polls on Dec 2,
electing Barrister Gohar Khan as its new chairman.
Source: Dawn.com
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Justice Tariq Masood to head SC bench in military
trial challenge
Nasir Iqbal
December 10, 2023
ISLAMABAD: A six-judge Supreme Court bench will take
up on Dec 13 a set of intra-court appeals (ICAs) against its Oct 23 unanimous
verdict declaring the trial of 103 civilians in military courts for their
alleged involvement in the May 9 violence as against the Constitution.
The bench will be headed by Justice Sardar Tariq
Masood and comprise Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar,
Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Irfan
Saadat Khan.
The ICAs were moved by the federal government, the
defence ministry, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan governments
requesting the suspension of the operation of Oct 23 short order during the
ICAs pendency.
On Oct 23, a five-judge SC bench headed by Justice
Ijazul Ahsan had declared that the cases of the accused involved in the May 9
riots would not be tried in military courts but in criminal courts of competent
jurisdiction established under the ordinary or special law of the land.
Source: Dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1796628/justice-tariq-masood-to-head-sc-bench-in-military-trial-challenge
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Sindh govt orders registration of FIRs against
‘parking mafia’ in Karachi
Tahir Siddiqui
December 10, 2023
KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday finally
decided to launch a ‘massive’ crackdown on ‘extortion’ mafia working in the
name of charged parking and asked the municipal and development bodies to stop
the activity immediately and approach police for registration of FIRs against
those involved in illegal parking fee collection.
The decision was taken following a recent order issued
by a two-member bench of the Sindh High Court that had directed the Karachi
Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Development Authority and the district
municipal corporation to end illegal charged parking spots in the city to
ensure smooth flow of traffic on roads and streets.
The charged parking spots sprang up on roads,
footpaths, and other public and private places across the city leading to
traffic congestions.
Official sources said that the local government
department had directed that all illegal parking places established in the
boundaries of all towns should be stopped immediately.
Source: Dawn.com
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