New
Age Islam News Bureau
03
November 2021
(File
photo) Pakistan PM Imran Khan Photograph :( AFP)
-----
• Targeted
violence against Muslims in Tripura: Supreme Court advocates and Human Rights
Activists’ Investigation Report
• Afghanistan:
Nearly 20 Killed, Dozens Injured As Twin Bombings Hit Kabul's Biggest Hospital
• United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom Chief Expresses Concern
over Attacks on Muslims in Tripura
• France
Bars Council of Europe's Campaign against Anti-Muslim Hate Speech
Pakistan
• Militancy,
sectarian violence engulfs Pakistan after Taliban takeover in Afghanistan
• SC
Refuses Group of Pilgrim's Plea to Visit Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in Pak for Guru
Nanak Dev's 551st Birthday
• Pak-Afghan
trade resumes as Chaman border reopens
• 99
TLP workers released from Adiala Jail
• Pakistan
NSA rules out visiting India to attend conference on Afghanistan
--------
India
• In
West Bengal’s Malda Muslims Fund Hindu Co-Villager’s Final Farewell, Brought
the Deceased from Secunderabad
• J&K
govt sacks DSP, school principal for terror links
• J&K
gets SIA for speedy probe in terror-related cases
--------
South Asia
• ISIS-K
Claims Responsibility For Kabul’s Attack On Hospital
• Senior
Taliban commander among dead in hospital attack: Official
• Islamic
Emirate Denied Reports that ISIS has Recruited Former Troops
• Taliban
bans use of foreign currency in Afghanistan
• US
trying to set up military bases near Afghanistan: Russian minister
• Taliban
promise progress on girls’ schooling soon
• Key
Taliban commander among those killed in Kabul attack
--------
North America
• Muslim-Americans
more philanthropic than general population: study
• Last
of California students stranded in Afghanistan make it out
--------
Europe
• Afghan
inspires other refugees with mini robot creation in Greece
• Turkey
rescues 256 asylum seekers pushed back by Greece
--------
Arab World
• Archaeologists
Excavate Pre-Islamic Kingdoms in Saudi Arabia
• Israel
launches missile attack targeting area on outskirts of Syria’s Damascus: TV
• Lebanon
says it wants dialogue with Saudi Arabia, not demands about Hezbollah
• Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman stresses GCC relations in virtual cabinet session
• Bahrain’s
Crown Prince visits Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at COP26
• Arab
Coalition says 115 Houthis killed in airstrikes around Yemen’s Marib
--------
Mideast
• Islamic
Jihad Threatens Israel with Open War If Any Palestinian Inmate Dies
• Islamic
Republic of Iran has a say in world: Ayatollah Ramazani
• 18
people arrested in Turkey on charges of coop. with ISIL
• Iran
Blasts UN Human Rights Rapporteur's Silence on US Sanctions
• Israel
looks to pass budget in major test for new government
--------
Africa
• Islamic
seminary students meet Sheikh Zakzaky in Abuja
• Sudan’s
Burhan ‘hijacked and betrayed’ aspirations of Sudanese people: Feltman
• UN
chief voices concern over Ethiopia's state of emergency
• Gunmen
kidnap 4 university lecturers, children in Nigeria's capital
--------
Southeast Asia
• City
MPs Urge DBKL To Reverse Latest Liquor Ban For Infringing On Non-Muslims
• In
court, woman born in Pahang to Muslim refugee parents from Cambodia bids to
join siblings as Malaysian
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistan-activists-tehreek-labbaik-elections/d/125704
--------
Pakistan
to Free More Than 2,000 Jailed Activists and To Allow Tehreek-e-Labbaik
Pakistan to Contest Elections
(File
photo) Pakistan PM Imran Khan Photograph :( AFP)
-----
By
Asif Shahzad and Mubasher Bukhari
November
2, 2021
ISLAMABAD,
Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pakistan is to free more than 2,000 jailed activists of a
banned Islamist militant group and allow the movement to contest elections,
under a deal with the government struck to end weeks of violent clashes,
negotiators on both sides said.
In
return, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan has agreed to shun the politics of
violence and withdraw its longstanding demand to have France's ambassador
expelled over the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad by a
French satirical magazine, they told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The
caricatures have triggered repeated demonstrations by the group to protest at
what it considers blasphemy.
Prime
Minister Imran Khan's government banned the TLP after its protests turned
violent earlier this year, designated it a terrorist group and arrested its
chief Saad Rizvi.
The
government and the movement said at the weekend they had reached an agreement
to help end the clashes, but neither side gave details. read more
Two
members of the TLP's negotiating team and one from the government side told
Reuters the centrepiece of the deal was to lift the ban and allow the group to
contest elections.
"The
state has acknowledged that the TLP is neither a terrorist group nor a banned
outfit," another member of the TLP negotiation team, Bashir Farooqi,
separately told local Dunya News TV.
In
addition, the government has agreed not to contest the release of the group's
jailed leader as well as nearly 2,300 activists and to remove their names from
a terrorist watch list, the three negotiators told Reuters.
Punjab
province Law Minister Raja Basharat said nearly 1,000 of the activists had
already been released.
Information
Minister Fawad Chaudhry did not respond to a request for comment.
The
settlement came after seven police officers were killed and hundreds more were
wounded as they confronted thousands of TLP demonstrators marching up
Pakistan's busiest highway from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital
Islamabad.
The
group, which can mobilise thousands of supporters, was born in 2015 out of a
protest campaign to seek the release of a police guard who assassinated a
provincial governor in 2011 over his calls to reform blasphemy legislation.
read more
It
entered politics in 2017 and surprised the political elite by securing over 2
million votes in the 2018 election.
The
next national election is scheduled for 2023, and analysts expect political
groups to start gearing up from early next year.
Despite
the agreement, TLP demonstrators have refused to clear the Grand Trunk Road
highway, which they have blocked for more than two weeks, until the government
showed good progress on the agreement, its leaders said.
Source:
Reuters
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Targeted
Violence against Muslims In Tripura: Supreme Court Advocates And Human Rights
Activists’ Investigation Report
A
fact-finding team led by a group of lawyers said several mosques and shops run
by Muslims in Tripura had been targeted as a “result of irresponsibility of the
administration” and extremist organisations.
| Photo Credit: PTI
-----
03rd
November 2021
NEW
DELHI: After the recent communal violence in Tripura, a group of Supreme Court
advocates who visited the state to investigate the incident released a report
on Tuesday and alleged that it was a "targeted violence against
Muslims".
Several
reports of attack on members of the minority community, vandalism, arsoning of
houses, shops and other properties owned by them have been reported from Tripura
in the past four days. Following this, a team of advocates from the SC and
human rights activists Ehtesham Hashmi, Amit Srivastav, Ansar Indori and Mukesh
visited the northeastern state.
Advocate
Hashmi said: "Protests were held in 51 places in Tripura over incidents of
attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Violence started after the
demonstrations. The fact which has come to light before us primarily indicates
that if the government had taken appropriate steps on time, the incident would
not have assumed such formidable form."
The
report released by the team showed that Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and
Hindu Jagran Manch held protests and rallies after several Durga Puja pandals
and temples in Bangladesh were vandalised on October 15.
As
per the report, at least 12 mosques, nine shops, three houses of the minority
community members were targeted during the protests. The fact-finding team
found out that such incidents could have been prevented had the police and
administration handled the situation strictly.
"Four
days before this incident, Muslim organisation Jamaat-E-Ulema (Hind) met with
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Dev and informed him that such incidents could take
place and there is a danger to the peace between Hindus and Muslims. Despite this,
the government not taking any action is tantamount to sponsoring this
violence," said the team in the report.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Afghanistan:
Nearly 20 killed, dozens injured as twin bombings hit Kabul's biggest hospital
November
3, 2021
Taliban
fighters check on injured comrades at the entrance of the emergency hospital in
Kabul [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]
-----
Multiple
explosions have rocked Afghanistan’s capital, leaving at least 19 people dead
and dozens of others injured, as the war-ravaged country continues to grapple
with fresh security challenges.
The
two back-to-back powerful attacks were reported at the entrance of the 400-bed
Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital, the country’s biggest military hospital, in
central Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan area, interior ministry spokesman Qari Saeed
Khosty said.
The
explosions, followed by indiscriminate gunfire, led to chaos inside and outside
the busy hospital, reports quoting eyewitnesses said.
At
least 43 had been wounded in the attack until last reports came in. The
casualty toll is likely to mount as many have been admitted to hospitals in a
critical condition, reports said.
Khosty
said the Taliban’s special forces had rushed to the scene to secure the area.
Afghanistan’s
private TV Tolo News, citing an Italian NGO that runs a separate hospital in
Kabul, said the hospital had received some ten people with injuries from the
blast site.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but according to
Kabul-based Bakhtar News Agency, a number of Daesh terrorists had entered the
hospital and clashed with security forces.
The
hospital had come under terrorist attack in 2017, when gunmen disguising as
medical personnel killed at least 30 people.
There
have been a series of terrorist attacks across Afghanistan in recent weeks,
mostly claimed by the Daesh terrorist group, which is engaged in fierce power
rivalry with the Taliban.
Today’s
attack is the worst since the twin bombings outside the Hamid Karzai
International Airport in Kabul late August, which killed at least 175 people.
Senior
Taliban officials have unequivocally blamed the US for the resurgence of Daesh,
which ironically coincided with the botched exit of the US-led coalition forces
from Afghanistan mid-August.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom Chief Expresses Concern
over Attacks on Muslims in Tripura
03.11.21
USCIRF
Chair @nadinemaenza
----
The
chairperson of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) has expressed concern over last week’s attacks on Muslims in Tripura
and urged the Union government to “stop violence against religious
communities”.
The
violence took place during a rally taken out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on
October 26 in North Tripura in protest against the attacks on Hindus in
Bangladesh. The High Court of Tripura has initiated a suo motu PIL.
On
Monday, USCIRF chairperson Nadine Maenza tweeted: “USCIRF is concerned about
ongoing violence in #Tripura against #Muslims, which some regard as retaliation
for attacks against #Hindus in #Bangladesh last month. The Indian government
must stop violence against religious communities.”
This
was amplified by the USCIRF from its Twitter handle, as was a similar tweet by
commission member Anurima Bhargava: “USCIRF is particularly alarmed about
reports from #Tripura of mobs desecrating mosques & torching properties of
#Muslims. The Indian govt must bring those responsible for instigating &
engaging in religious violence to justice & must prevent further attacks.”
The
USCIRF is an independent and bipartisan federal government entity created under
the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act to monitor the universal right to
freedom of religion or belief overseas.
While
fellow travellers of the Narendra Modi government tend to see an international
conspiracy in such comments from watchdogs like the USCIRF, the fact is that
the commission had also expressed deep concern about the attacks on Durga Puja
festivities and the communal violence in Bangladesh last month.
At
the same time, the USCIRF acknowledged the measures taken by the Sheikh Hasina
government in Bangladesh to crack down on those responsible for the violence.
The Modi government, too, had acknowledged these measures, noting publicly soon
after the first incidents were reported that the Bangladesh government was
taking action in these cases.
While
the Indian government has received flak for not being more vocal on the
violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, officials maintained that since Dhaka
was taking action there was no reason why India should be issuing public
statements and making things difficult for the Hasina government.
Over
600 arrests have been made and Prime Minister Hasina herself had taken the lead
in speaking out against the attacks.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
France
Bars Council of Europe's Campaign against Anti-Muslim Hate Speech
‘Wearing
a headscarf is encouraged in the campaign's video. Photo AA.com
-----
Yusuf
Ozcan
03.11.2021
PARIS
France
has barred a campaign launched by the Council of Europe against anti-Muslim
hate speech.
Speaking
to LCI TV, Sarah El Hairy, the minister of state for youth and engagement
attached to the minister of national education, youth and sport, said the
campaign by the council’s Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Division shocked
her.
The
campaign is against the values of France, El Hairy claimed.
"Wearing
a headscarf is encouraged in the campaign's video. We condemn this. France
conveyed its disapproval of this campaign [to the Council of Europe] and the
campaign was cancelled."
They
have defended secularism and religious freedom, but this campaign defended the
headscarf, she added.
After
France ensured the cancellation of the campaign, the Council of Europe deleted
the related posts on its campaign's Twitter account.
The
European Commission provided funding for the campaign as part of the law,
equality and citizenship program, according to the Le Figaro daily.
The
Council of Europe launched the campaign against the discrimination of women
wearing headscarves Thursday.
Images
of women wearing headscarves were shared on the Twitter account of the
Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Division with the slogans "Freedom is in
the headscarf," "Bring joy & accept hijabs" and "Beauty
is in diversity as freedom is in the hijab.”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-bars-council-of-europes-campaign-against-anti-muslim-hate-speech/2410319
Germany:
Muslim Afghan ‘refugee’ destroys statue of Christ inside pro-migrant Lutheran
church
November
02, 2021
On
Oct. 28, a 25 years old Afghan, who came to Germany in the autumn of 2015
during the height of the migrant invasion as a refugee, desecrated a local
church building in the Thuringian town of Nordhausen. The man entered the
Evangelical (Lutheran) St. Maria Frauenberg Church and began grabbing
furniture, pews, crucifixes and ornaments, dragging them out in front of the
entrance, and piling them up on the street.
He
did not spare the centuries-old crucifix either that was taken down by local
churchgoers during World War II to protect it from allied bombing raids. During
the incident, the Afghan smashed the wooden statue of Christ attached to the
cross, ripping off its hands and legs.
It
is an irony that the congregation belongs to the German Lutheran Church (EKD)
that is one of the largest financial donors to the migrant smuggling boats in
the Mediterranean, such as the Sea Watch NGO, which are responsible for
bringing tens of thousands of economic migrants to European shores. One of the
lead clerics within the EKD, Thies Gundlach, remarked in the past that the work
of migrant rescue boats presents a missionary opportunity for the church. There
is little evidence of an influx of new churchgoers from primarily Muslim
migrants arriving in Germany. Instead, the German evangelicals appear to be
instrumental in destroying their own places of worship and religion.
This
is the impression Pastor Klemens Müller may have had as he looked out of his
window on the day of the incident, and saw the Afghan destroying his church.
When he rushed down to confront him, the Afghan calmly explained to the priest
that it is necessary for him to empty the church of Christian symbols because
of “religious differences.” He proceeded to describe the Christian faith as
fundamentally wrong, and that the claim that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is
a mistake, which is why he felt that it was his duty to empty the church
building of any Christian symbols and furniture.
The
pastor asked him what he would do if he went to Afghanistan and cleared out a
mosque in the same manner. The pastor said that the man refused to consider it
on those terms. Müller said there was no real dialogue the man was willing to
listen to.
After
the Afghan stopped speaking with the pastor, who was barely a few weeks into
his job, the migrant reportedly calmly walked back into the church and finished
the acts of destruction that he started earlier.
It
is unclear why the pastor did not call the police immediately or tried to stop
the man from desecrating his congregation’s place of worship, but given the
cultural and political climate in Germany, there is a fair chance the pastor
was concerned about whether contacting the police would direct scrutiny back on
him for being culturally or racially insensitive.
Only
after the destruction was complete did the church secretary finally dare to
call the police, who promptly arrived at the scene, took the intruder’s
personal details, and then let him go. A complaint was filed, but as the man is
living in Germany under refugee status, it is unlikely he has the money to pay
for the substantial damage he caused. There is also no chance he will be
deported back to Afghanistan since, due to the Taliban takeover in the Central
Asian country, all deportation flights have been stopped. The perpetrator will
most probably get away with the act of vandalism and a blatant attack on the
freedom of religion with impunity.
Any
German vandalizing a mosque could expect to be charged with hate-crimes, yet
the German media only spoke of “religious differences” in explaining the
possible motives behind the crime. The Nordhausen local paper wrote about
damage to the valuable crucifix during “transport works.” The paper also
claimed that it cannot be determined whether the figure of Christ on the cross
was smashed intentionally or by accident. Although the difference between the
two cases is rather artificial, as the act of knocking a statue off a wall and
forcibly dragging it out of a building, then throwing it on a pile of rubbish
contains very few instances in which it could be labeled an “accident.”
Despite
the man clearly admitting the attack was religiously motivated, the police
appear to claim at the same time that it was not the case.
“What
I see at least is that is not a religiously-motivated attack, although the
suspect argued it was in this direction, and he also has an Islamic belief,”
said police spokesperson Patrick Martin. The police appear to be acknowledging
reality and denying it all in one sentence — highly emblematic of the political
and social perception around sensitive issues such as Islam and immigration in
modern Germany.
The
St. Maria Frauenberg Church itself operates an “open church” policy with
prolonged opening times and free entry to the church building for anyone. It is
unclear if that policy may be revisited in the future. For the local press in
Nordhausen, the moral of the story seems to be only that “the work on tolerance
among world religions seems to be urgently required.”
However,
the Nordhausen district administrator Matthias Jendricke (SPD) was not so
conciliatory in his assessment of the attack on the church. In a statement he
said that “I condemn this trespassing with property damage in the strongest
possible terms. Such behavior is the reason why I made a plea in the summer not
to accept any further refugees from Afghanistan. Most of them reject our
culture. It is a mistake to think that they would want to integrate well, as
yesterday’s incident proves once again. In addition, we currently have no way
of deporting people who have committed criminal offenses to their home country,
because there are no longer any flight connections to Afghanistan. We don’t
need a new admission contingent for Thuringia, and we won’t solve Afghanistan’s
problems if we bring unlimited numbers of people to us.”
“What
I see at least is that is not a religiously-motivated attack, although the
suspect argued it was in this direction and he also has an Islamic belief,”
said police spokesperson Patrick Martin.
Source:
RMX News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Militancy,
sectarian violence engulfs Pakistan after Taliban takeover in Afghanistan
02nd
November 2021
ISLAMABAD:
After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the complexities including militancy
and sectarian violence are widely arising in the country, according to a media
report. Pakistan's government hinted earlier at these challenges, but its voice
is muted after what it perceives as its "strategic victory" with the
group that it sheltered for long taking power in Kabul.
According
to Al Arabiya Post, these complexities depend on two factors -- one, Taliban
themselves encounter more extremist Al Qaida and local affiliates of the
Islamic State-Khorasan and other, the Kabul government is unwilling to curb their
ideological allies, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In
Pakistan, the Imran Khan-led government is facing challenges from the TTP that
are from the Deobandi section of Islam and from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan
(TLP) that belongs to the rival Barelvi section.
TTP
is consolidating itself with help from Kabul and the TLP has unleashed its
"Long March" from Lahore to Islamabad. Experts and human rights
bodies fear that the inevitable socio-religious fall-out will be sectarian
violence in the country, Al Arabiya Post reported.
The
number of the violence registered in the portal "Violence Register
Database Pakistan"
In
the Christian community there are 304 incidents of violence against Pakistani
Christians, specifically attacks on places of worship and persons; targeted
killings, kidnappings, sectarian attacks, mob violence, bomb blasts, rapes and
forced conversions between 2005 and 2021.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
SC
Refuses Group of Pilgrim's Plea to Visit Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in Pak for
Guru Nanak Dev's 551st Birthday
Nov
2, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court has refused to entertain the plea by a group of
pilgrims seeking to visit Gurudwara Nankana Sahib and other gururdwars in
Pakistan on the occasion of the 551st birthday of Guru Nanak Dev.
The
petitioner Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar had moved the top court against the
October 18, 2021 communication of the Ministry of Home Affairs which declined
its proposal to allow a Jatha (group of people) of 55 pilgrims to visit Sikh
religious places in Pakistan either from October 23, 2021, to November 1, 2021,
or from November 1, 2021, to November 11, 2021.
The
ministry had said there have been certain restrictions on movement due to
Covid-19 and asked the petitioner to consider joining the Jatha from November
17, 2021, to November 26, 2021, for visiting gurudwaras in Pakistan on the
occasion of Gurpurab and asked it to send the proposal through stategovernment
of Punjab.
While
refusing to interfere with the decision of the Centre, a bench of Justices SK
Kaul and MM Sundresh noted that due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,
certain restraints were put on the persons who wish to go to Pakistan.
"In
our view, the aforesaid forms part of the practical administrative domain of
the government to spread the visit of Jathas over a period of time. It is the
say of the petitioner that they are older persons and they can be accommodated.
They could have made a further representation if they are so pleased. It is not
as if the petitioner is not being permitted to visit but their proposal is
sought through the channel of the state government of Punjab for the period in
question.
"We
are thus of the view that there is no infringement of the Constitutional right
for invocation of the jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution of
India which would enable us to interfere with the aforesaid process. The writ
petition is dismissed accordingly," the bench said.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pak-Afghan
trade resumes as Chaman border reopens
Saleem
Shahid
November
3, 2021
QUETTA:
Pakistani and Afghan authorities reopened the Chaman border on Tuesday after
nearly a month, allowing goods transport and citizens of both countries to
cross after clearance from security and customs officials.
The
Chaman crossing — a major transit point for truckers moving fruit exports from
the southern Afghan city of Kandahar — reopened after a final round of talks
between Pakistani and Afghan authorities at Spin Buldak on Monday evening.
The
Taliban authorities in Kandahar had closed the border on October 5, without
informing the Pakistani border authorities on the issue of border crossing
without travel documents.
Chaman
and Kandahar residents allowed to cross the border on showing identity, travel
papers, says official
Heavy
cement blocks and boulders placed at the entry points were removed on Tuesday
morning as the border remained open from 8am till 5pm without break.
“The
border is opened to all kind of traffic and the people for crossing into
Pakistan and Afghanistan,” a senior security border official said. He explained
that Afghan authorities removed all huge cement blocks and other barricades
they had put on the border to facilitate border crossing without any hurdle.
Several
thousand Pakistani and Afghan citizens who were waiting to return to their
countries crossed the border after completing the procedure agreed upon by the
authorities on the two sides. “Crossing of border is allowed on showing Afghan
national identity cards (Terkeera) and Pakistan CNIC, belonging to Chaman and
Kandahar,” the immigration officials said, adding that a large number of people
from both sides crossed the border.
With
the reopening of Chaman border, Afghan transit trade resumed as trucks carrying
goods were allowed to cross after clearance. “Hundreds of trucks crossed into
Pakistan from Afghanistan and into Afghan areas after customs clearance,”
customs officials told Dawn.
Both
countries were deprived of millions of rupees of customs duty and other taxes
due to the border closure for 27 days.
Several
rounds of talks between officials of the two sides had been held in Chaman and
Spin Buldak, but remained fruitless as Kandahar Governor Yousaf Wafa insisted
that Afghan nationals be allowed to cross into Pakistan without travel
documents.
Thousands
of Pakistanis and Afghan citizens, including patients, were stranded on both
sides of the border while all trade between the two countries, including Afghan
transit trade, also suffered. Hundreds of trucks carrying goods, including
fresh fruits and vegetable, were stuck due to the month-long closure of the
Chaman crossing.
Members
of business and trade community had staged several protests during the past
month against the closure. Even traffic on the Quetta-Chaman National Highway
had been blocked to press the authorities to reopen one of the main Pak-Afghan
border crossings.
Vice
president of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Imran Khan Kakar
welcomed the decision to reopen the border at Chaman and said people involved
in trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan had suffered losses of millions of
rupees during the past 27 days.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1655606/pak-afghan-trade-resumes-as-chaman-border-reopens
--------
99
TLP workers released from Adiala Jail
November
3, 2021
RAWALPINDI:
As many as 99 activists of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)
arrested in Rawalpindi and Islamabad were released from Adiala jail on Tuesday,
two days after the government and the banned outfit reached an agreement.
A
police official said those detained under section 16 of the Maintenance of
Public Order (MPO) were released but workers against whom first information
reports (FIRs) had been registered would have to obtain bail from courts.
He
said there were seven TLP arrested activists against whom FIRs had been
registered previously. However, no FIR was registered during the recent
crackdown against any TLP activist in Rawalpindi.
Earlier,
the capital administration issued the release orders of 41 TLP workers.
Officials
of the administration said separate orders were issued from the office of the
deputy commissioner withdrawing the detention orders.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1655556/99-tlp-workers-released-from-adiala-jail
--------
Pakistan
NSA rules out visiting India to attend conference on Afghanistan
Nov
3, 2021
Pakistan
National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf on Tuesday said he would not travel
to India for an upcoming conference on Afghanistan on November 10 as he
dismissed India’s role as a “peacemaker” in the war-torn neighbouring nation.
India extended the invitation to Pakistan to attend the regional conference on
Afghanistan being hosted by Indian NSA Ajit Doval.
Yusuf
said that he will not travel to India to attend the conference hosted by India
on Afghanistan on November 10, Express Tribune newspaper reported. According to
sources, even China has so far not confirmed participation and is unlikely to
be represented physically in the conference.
In
response to a question during a press conference, Yusuf said that a “spoiler”
could not take on the role of a “peacemaker”, the report said. Earlier,
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed the invitation from India but said the
decision would be taken at an appropriate time. India has also invited Russia,
Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for the conference.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
In
West Bengal’s Malda Muslims Fund Hindu Co-Villager’s Final Farewell, Brought
the Deceased from Secunderabad
03rd
November 2021
By
Pranab Mondal
KOLKATA: At a time when the country is witnessing
politics of polarisation, a non-descript village in West Bengal’s Malda has set
up an example of brotherhood between two communities. Muslim residents of
minority-dominated Gargari village in Harishchandrapur police station area
raised funds to bring back the body of their Hindu neighbour, Chandan Mahaldar
(38), who had gone to south India in search of job after becoming jobless last
year because of lockdown and died in Secunderabad (Telangana) three days ago
after falling off a speeding train. They also shared shoulder to carry the body
for cremation.
“Chandan
was a poor villager like us. He was our neighbour. His family is in distress
and what we did was nothing extraordinary. We stood by one of our neighbour’s
family,’’ said Hasan Ali.Chandan’s wife Pratima said her husband had left home
to bring back smile on the faces of his family members. “I thought I would
never be able to see his face for the last time. But the way our neighbours
stood beside me setting aside their religious belief, I will never forget it,”
she said.
Chandan
had returned home last year after nationwide lockdown was announced. “A few
days later, my father-in-law passed away. My husband and I borrowed from local
money lenders and started selling vegetables. But it did not prove effective.
He borrowed money from a local contractor and left home to work as a
construction worker,” recounted Pratima.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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J&K
govt sacks DSP, school principal for terror links
M
Saleem Pandit
Nov
3, 2021
SRINAGAR:
The J&K government has terminated the services of two employees — a deputy
superintendent of police and a school principal — for their terror links.
Official
sources said services of Feroz Ahmad Lone, DSP (Prison), and Javid Ahmad Shah,
principal of government higher secondary school in Bijbehara were terminated on
Monday.
Lone,
who was appointed as DSP (Prison) in 2012, was charged with facilitating a
meeting between two youths and a jailed terrorist commander, who was arrested
by NIA. He was accused of misusing his official position by facilitating
issuance of passes to the two youths, who had come to meet the terrorist in
Srinagar jail.
“It
was in this meeting that a criminal conspiracy was hatched to send the duo to
Pakistan for arms training,” an official claimed, adding that both were,
however, arrested before crossing over to the neighbouring country.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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J&K
gets SIA for speedy probe in terror-related cases
Sanjay
Khajuria
Nov
3, 2021
SRINAGAR:
The Jammu & Kashmir government has given a go-ahead for the formation of a
State Investigation Agency (SIA) to effectively investigate terror-related
cases as well as coordinate with central agencies.
The
Jammu and Kashmir home department in an order issued on Monday said the SIA,
which will be headed by a director, will be mandated to probe terror offences
like terror finance and false propaganda and those under the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The
Counter Intelligence units of Kashmir and Jammu, both under the CID department
of the police, will also be the police stations under the new SIA for
registering of terror-related cases, it said. The CID chief will be the
ex-officio director of the SIA, the order said.
According
to the order, in-charge of police stations will mandatorily intimate the SIA
immediately upon registering a terror-related case and about any such cases
where any terrorism linkage surfaces during the probe.
If
any case is not taken by the NIA, the director general of police (DGP), having
regard to the gravity of the offence and progress of the probe, will determine
in consultation with SIA whether it is fit to be investigated by the agency and
transfer the probe, it said.
“However,
if there is a difference of opinion, the DGP shall take a decision, while
recording the reasons in writing,” the order said.
If
the case is not handed over to the SIA and local police continue to probe it,
the police headquarters will ensure that the SIA is informed about the progress
of investigation at regular intervals, it said.
Giving
an edge to the SIA, the order said if the agency is of the opinion that an
offence related to the “scheduled crimes” has been committed, it can register
an FIR keeping the DGP informed.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South Asia
ISIS-K
claims responsibility for Kabul’s attack on hospital
03
Nov 2021
Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan (ISIS-K) took responsibility for the attack on
Sardar Muhammad Daud Khan military hospital in the Afghan capital on Tuesday,
November 2, and claimed that the attack has left tens of the Taliban fighters
killed.
A
Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi has said that three Taliban fighters, three
women, and a child were killed and five people more were wounded in the attack.
Bilal
Karimi has added that the Daesh (ISIS-K) fighters wanted to enter the hospital
and kill civilians but the Taliban fighters prevented them and killed all five
assailants.
As
per reports, the group attack that was conducted on Tuesday afternoon left 22
killed and over 50 wounded.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/isis-k-claims-responsibility-for-kabuls-attack-on-hospital-57457/
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Senior
Taliban commander among dead in hospital attack: Official
03
November ,2021
A
Taliban military commander in Kabul was among the fighters killed when his men
responded to an ISIS attack on a hospital, officials said Wednesday.
Hamdullah
Mokhlis, a member of the hardline Haqqani network and an officer in the Badri
Corps special forces, is the most senior figure to have been killed since the
Taliban seized the capital.
“When
he got the information that Sardar Daud Khan Hospital was under attack, Maulvi
Hamdullah (Mokhlis), the commander of the Kabul corps, immediately rushed to
the scene,” the Taliban media official said.
“We
tried to stop him but he laughed. Later we found out that he was martyred in
the face-to-face fight at the hospital,” he added.
At
least 19 people were killed on Tuesday in the attack claimed by the Taliban’s
hardline rivals, the IS-K, on Kabul’s main military hospital.
The
attack began with a suicide bomber detonating his explosives near the
facility’s entrance before gunmen broke into the hospital grounds.
As
part of the response, Kabul’s new rulers deployed their special forces to the
roof of the building in a helicopter captured from Afghanistan’s former
US-backed government.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
Emirate Denied Reports that ISIS has Recruited Former Troops
2021-11-03
Kabul
(BNA) Sources affiliated with the Islamic Emirate say that ISIS has no
permanent presence in Afghanistan and that the joining of a number of former
Afghan soldiers to the group is unrealistic.
Bilal
Karimi the deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate called foreign media
reports about the former security forces joining ISIS propaganda, saying that
ISIS had no fixed position in Afghanistan and would be suppressed by Islamic
Emirate forces even if it made any move.
He
stressed that ISIS in Afghanistan does not have the capacity to recruit people.
This
statement is in response to the news published by a number of Western media
that a number of former soldiers have joined forces with ISIS.
The
Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, claims that US-trained intelligence and
military agents of the former Afghan government are registering to join ISIS.
The
newspaper said that some trained Afghan soldiers who are under threat from the
Taliban have signed up to join ISIS.
But
these statements have been denied by the news sources of the Islamic Emirate.
Earlier,
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said that a number of
countries were promoting ISIS in Afghanistan, while a number of political
analysts said that circles outside Afghanistan were trying to magnify ISIS in
Afghanistan. By magnifying this group, they introduce Afghanistan as a
dangerous country for others.
Source:
Bakhtar News
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https://bakhtarnews.af/islamic-emirate-denied-reports-that-isis-has-recruited-former-troops/
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Taliban
bans use of foreign currency in Afghanistan
Nov
3, 2021
KABUL:
In a move that is certain to cause further disruption to the Afghanistan
economy that is already on the brink of collapse, the Taliban has announced a
complete ban on the use of foreign currency in the country and warned of action
for violating the order, reported Al-Jazeera.
"The
Islamic Emirate (Taliban) instructs all citizens, shopkeepers, traders,
businessmen and the general public to ... conduct all transactions in Afghanis
and strictly refrain from using foreign currency," the news channel quoted
the statement by Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid as saying.
"Anyone
violating this order will face legal action," the statement further read.
According
to the channel, the US dollar is the widespread medium of exchange in
Afghanistan's markets. The bordering areas use the currency of neighbouring
countries like Pakistan for trade purposes, reported the news channel.
Notably,
Afghanistan's access to more than USD 9.5 billion has been blocked by the US,
the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the Taliban
take-over in Kabul on August 15.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
trying to set up military bases near Afghanistan: Russian minister
Nov
3, 2021
KABUL:
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said that President Vladimir Putin
has told his American counterpart Joe Biden at the Geneva Summit that the country
is against the US attempts to form agreements with Central Asian countries to
deploy the US military on their territory, reported TOLOnews.
The
foreign minister claimed that the US is continuing the efforts to establish
military bases in a country neighbouring Afghanistan, reported the news channel
citing his interview with the Russian Television.
The
proposals have been sent to Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, however, the
countries rejected the proposal, according to TOLOnews.
"Well
aware of the Americans' intrusiveness, I do not rule out that they will be
pressing for the same aim from different sides. I've heard that they have been
trying to persuade India to grant the Pentagon some opportunities on the Indian
territory," the news channel quoted Lavrov as saying.
Meanwhile,
various reactions came up on the US proposals for the deployment of the forces.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban
promise progress on girls’ schooling soon
November
3, 2021
KABUL:
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said it would announce good news soon on older
girls being allowed to go back to school, but urged the international community
to help it fund the process as most external aid has been halted.
Ensuring
rights for women and girls has been one of the most sensitive issues facing the
Taliban since they seized power in August, with international bodies demanding
proof they were being respected before any discussion of formal recognition of
the new government.
In
September, the hardline Islamist movement drew global condemnation when it
allowed boys to return to the classroom but told older girls to stay home until
conditions permitted their return.
“Inshallah
we will have a good announcement for the whole country, the whole nation,”
Waheedullah Hashimi, Director of External Programmes and Aid at the Ministry of
Education, said in an interview.
In
some northern areas, girls have already resumed their education but others are
forced to study in hiding and heavy scepticism remains with countries from the
United States to Russia demanding they match promises with action.
“Our
Ulema (religious scholars) are working on it, and soon inshallah, we will
announce it to the world,” Hashimi said.
The
effective ban on educating girls beyond primary school echoed decisions by
Taliban’s previous government, between 1996-2001, when women were largely shut
out of paid employment and girls were not allowed to go to school.
Hashimi
said the movement was committed to educating girls and was working on ways of
getting them back to school. He said no women teachers had been laid off, and
that this was “a positive message to the world that we are working on a mechanism.
We are not working on deleting them from our schools and universities.”
However,
Hashimi also said that education, like other areas of government, had been hit
hard by the abrupt withdrawal of foreign support following the collapse of the
Western-backed government in August and he appealed for aid to be restored.
“If
they truly want to see girls in schools, they ought to help us now,” Hashimi
said.
While
education spending had been increasing slowly under the last government, a
UNESCO report said that external aid represented almost half the education
budget in 2020.
As
well as the issue of girls’ education, Hashimi said the ministry was working on
a new curriculum for schools to bring them into line with the principles of
Islam, local culture, and international standards.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1655602/taliban-promise-progress-on-girls-schooling-soon
--------
Key
Taliban commander among those killed in Kabul attack
03
Nov 2021
Hamdullah
Mukhles, a key and senior commander of the Taliban and one who entered Arg
(Presidential Palace), now Prime Minister’s office for the first time on August
15 killed in Kabul’s Tuesday, November 2 attack on the hospital.
The
Taliban did not say anything about his killing though, sources have confirmed
that Mullavi Hamdullah Mukhlis was among dozens killed in Kabul.
Mukhlis
was reportedly appointed as commander of military corps in Kabul and was one of
the prominent commanders of the Taliban.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/key-taliban-commander-among-those-killed-in-kabul-attack-6856858/
--------
North America
Muslim-Americans
more philanthropic than general population: study
Michael
Gabriel Hernandez
02.11.2021
WASHINGTON
Muslim-Americans
are more philanthropic than the general population, a study has indicated.
Sponsored
by the Islamic Relief USA non-profit, the Oct. 26 survey from Indiana
University–Purdue University Indianapolis’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative,
found that on average, Muslims gave $1,810 to faith-based causes compared to
$1,138 given by non-Muslims.
When
looking at non-faith-based causes, Muslims gave $1,400 compared to non-Muslims
who donated $767. Unlike non-Muslims, however, Muslims gave more to overseas
causes than domestic, the study found.
Asked
what motivated them to give, more than 85% of Muslim-American respondents said
they donate "because I feel compassion toward people in need"
compared to about 75% of non-Muslims who said the same.
Still,
60% of Muslims cited tax deductions as a motivating factor, compared to just
over 50% of non-Muslims.
Muslims
make up around 1% of the overall US population. The web-based survey included
about 2,000 adults, half of which were Muslim, from across the US.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Last
of California students stranded in Afghanistan make it out
03
November ,2021
The
last of several Afghan refugee families who had resettled near San Diego only
to end up trapped in their homeland during summer visits amid the Taliban
takeover in August have made it safely out of the country, school officials
said on Tuesday.
The
final stranded family group consisting of four students from the Cajon Valley
Union School District and their mother made their way to Kabul, the Afghan
capital, and took a flight to Doha, Qatar, according to district spokesman
Howard Shen.
He
said the group, stuck in Afghanistan since August after the Taliban swiftly
seized power, got out of the country “with lots of assistance,” but he declined
to elaborate on the precise means of their departure.
A
statement from the school district, located in the San Diego suburb of El
Cajon, said the stranded family were helped by various aid organizations and
government officials who asked not to be named.
School
district community liaison representatives, working with staff from their local
member of Congress, Darrell Issa, a Republican, had previously arranged exits
for 19 other immigrant students and their parents likewise trapped during
vacation visits to Afghanistan, according to the statement.
Afghan
refugees account for a few hundred of the 17,000 students enrolled in Cajon
Valley schools.
District
officials said such families likely saw the summer of 2021 as their last, best
chance to safely pay a return visit to Afghanistan to see loved ones before the
US military pulled out but ended up caught in the ensuing chaos when the Afghan
government abruptly fell.
The
superintendent of the San Juan School District in Sacramento County has said
nine local Afghan refugee families, comprising a total of 24 students, were
still stranded in Afghanistan under similar circumstances and in need of
rescue.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Afghan
inspires other refugees with mini robot creation in Greece
Derya
Gulnaz Ozcan
03.11.2021
An
Afghan refugee who moved to Greece five years ago became an inspiration for
other migrants with a mini robot he created through his own means while
struggling to hold onto life.
Saidullah
Karimi lives in the capital Athens with his physiotherapist wife, Shaista
Karimi, and their four children aged 11, 14, 22 and 23.
Karimi
told Anadolu Agency that he decided to produce the robot, which he named
Athens, in order to show what refugees can achieve when given the opportunity
and how they can benefit society.
Karimi,
who worked as an orthopedic technician in Afghanistan for more than 20 years,
now works as a translator for a non-governmental organization to support his
family while keeping ties to his profession, which he has dedicated himself to
for years.
Recalling
the difficulties they faced in their initial days after arriving in Athens,
Karimi said they had a "very frustrating time."
"The
economy was not good here, especially for refugees. Because we're unable to
speak or understand the language. I also looked for an orthopedics workshop
where I could practice my profession, but unfortunately, I couldn't find
it," he said.
Changing
image of refugees
He
said his effort was not just to stand on his own two feet, but also to change
people's perceptions about refugees and to inspire and encourage other
immigrants.
"I
was depressed because I couldn't find work. When I applied for jobs in some
orthopedic workshops, they laughed at me and refused to hire me. I am now sure
if it was for economic reasons, or there were other reasons. However, when I
was grieving at home, I decided to demonstrate to them the capabilities of
refugees," he commented.
Noting
that the robot production phase took a year, Karimi said the idea for a robot
production came to his mind while he was drinking a soft drink, and noticed
that the bottle had a "proper shape" to make a thigh bone.
"Then
I started to draw a design and then began making the robot," he said.
Karimi
informed that the robot is made entirely of recyclable waste materials, which
sends a message about environmental consciousness.
The
robot is a prototype with sensors in its eyes and can move its head right and
left by following hand movements, he explained and added that if given the
opportunity, it may be transformed into a device that helps children with
walking difficulties and teaches them how to walk.
Karimi,
who reads books and conducts lessons to children at the refugee camp on Samos
Island, stressed the need of providing support to refugee children living in
challenging circumstances.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Turkey
rescues 256 asylum seekers pushed back by Greece
02.11.2021
Turkey
on Tuesday rescued some 256 asylum seekers who were illegally pushed back to
Turkish waters by Greece.
Of
the asylum seekers, the Turkish Coast Guard rescued 99 off the coast of Kusadasi
in the western Aydin province, plus 157 others off the coast of the Aegean
province of Izmir.
Turkey
and human rights groups have denounced Greece’s practice of pushbacks, saying
that in addition to violating international law, the pushbacks endanger innocent
asylum seekers, including women and young children.
In
a separate development, Turkish security forces held 32 irregular migrants in
the northwestern province of Kirklareli.
Turkey
has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into
Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkey-rescues-256-asylum-seekers-pushed-back-by-greece/2410021
--------
Arab World
Archaeologists
excavate pre-Islamic kingdoms in Saudi Arabia
02/11/2021
AL
ULA, Saudi Arabia--Amid the arid desert and mountains of Al Ula in northwest
Saudi Arabia, archaeologists are working to excavate the remnants of the
ancient and long-forgotten kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan.
Al
Ula, a flagship tourist destination since it opened in 2019, is known chiefly
for the majestic tombs of Madain Saleh, a 2,000-year-old city carved into rocks
by the Nabateans, the pre-Islamic Arab people who also built Petra in
neighbouring Jordan.
A
team of French and Saudi archaeologists is now focused on excavating five nearby
sites related to the Dadanite and Lihyanite civilisations, important regional
powers that flourished 2,000 years ago.
“It’s
a project that really tries to unlock the mysteries of (these) civilisations,”
said Abdulrahman Al-Sohaibani, who is co-directing the Dadan archaeological
mission.
Dadan
is mentioned in the Old Testament and the Lihyanite kingdom was one of the
largest of its time, stretching from Medina in the south to Aqaba in the north
in modern-day Jordan, according to the Royal Commission for the project.
Spanning
roughly 900 years until 100 CE, the kingdoms controlled vital trade routes but
very little is known about them. The team is hoping to learn more about their
worship rituals, social life and economy.
Previous
excavations had been limited to the main sanctuary area, said Jerome Rohmer, a
researcher with the French National Center for Scientific Research.
Source:
The Arab Weekly
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thearabweekly.com/archaeologists-excavate-pre-islamic-kingdoms-saudi-arabia
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Israel
launches missile attack targeting area on outskirts of Syria’s Damascus: TV
03
November ,2021
Israel
launched an aerial attack with a number of missiles targeting an area on the
outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus, Syrian state TV said early on
Wednesday citing a military source.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Lebanon
says it wants dialogue with Saudi Arabia, not demands about Hezbollah
03
November ,2021
Lebanon’s
foreign minister said Saudi Arabia was dictating impossible terms by asking the
government to reduce the role of Iran-backed Hezbollah, adding Beirut’s row
with Riyadh be resolved if the kingdom agreed to a dialogue with the new
Lebanese cabinet.
“If
they just want Hezbollah’s head on a plate, we can’t give them that,” the
minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
“Hezbollah
is a component of politics in Lebanon. It has a regional armed dimension, yes,
but this is beyond what we can resolve,” he said.
Lebanon
is facing its worst rift yet with Gulf Arab states, spurred by a minister’s
critical comments about the intervention in Yemen that described the war there
as futile.
Saudi
Arabia and some Gulf Arab allies have reacted angrily to the remarks made by
the information minister in an interview last week, which he’d filmed before
taking up his position in cabinet.
Riyadh
expelled Lebanon’s ambassador, banned all imports from Lebanon and recalled its
envoy for consultations.
Kuwait
and Bahrain followed suit by expelling the top envoys in their own capitals,
while the United Arab Emirates withdrew all its diplomats from Beirut.
Saudi
Arabia has said its actions were driven not just by George Kordahi’s comments
but rather were rooted in its objection to the increasing dominance of
Hezbollah over Lebanese politics.
The
row is part of a longstanding feud between Saudi Arabia and Iran that has
played out in proxy conflicts across the region, from Yemen to Syria to Iraq.
Gulf
states are traditional aid donors to Lebanon but for several years have been increasingly
dismayed by Hezbollah’s expanding power, and have so far been loathe to help
rescue Lebanon from a devastating economic crisis.
Mutual
dialogue
On
Tuesday, Bou Habib told Reuters he believed mutual dialogue between Lebanon and
Saudi Arabia was the only way forward to solving the dispute. But he added that
there had been no meetings on any level between both parties since Prime
Minister Najib Mikati’s cabinet was formed on Sept 10.
“There
has been no dialogue (with Saudi Arabia) even before the problem with minister
Kordahi ... the Saudi ambassador here never communicated with us,” Bou Habib
said.
“He
(the Saudi ambassador) was here and was communicating with a lot of Lebanese
politicians, but he wasn’t communicating with us,” he said.
“We
need to know what they want... we prefer dialogue to dictates.”
Kordahi
has refused to resign over the incident, but Bou Habib said it was unclear
whether his resignation would solve the rift with Saudi at this point, although
it could be enough for others in the Gulf.
The
only offer on the table towards a resolution so far has come from Qatar, whose
Emir met Mikati in Glasgow on the sidelines of the COP26 meeting on Monday, Bou
Habib said.
“There
is the possibility of a Qatari mediation,” Bou Habib said, but added that it
was in the initial stages and that the Qataris had not spoken with the Saudis
yet over the matter.
“There
is no other initiative.”
Qatar
has denounced the Kordahi comments but has not announced any diplomatic
initiative over the incident.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman stresses GCC relations in virtual cabinet session
03
November ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Kingdom’s Cabinet’s
virtual session on Tuesday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The
King briefed the Cabinet on two phone calls he made to Bahrain’s King Hamad bin
Isa Al Khalifa and to Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, where he
stressed the solidarity and deep-rooted relations among Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) states.
The
Cabinet session also addressed the G20 Leaders’ Summit which was held in Rome,
Italy, and Saudi Arabia’s affirmation at the summit of continuing its leading
role in economic and health upturn and recovery from global crises, as well as
its keenness to strengthen multilateral action to achieve prosperity in the
countries of the G20 and the entire world, SPA reported.
The
Cabinet reviewed recent meetings and talks that took place between Saudi Arabia
and several countries with the aim of developing and strengthening relations in
various fields, Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi said
in a statement to SPA.
The
press agency reported that the Cabinet also reviewed Saudi Arabia’s fifth
annual Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit last week that brought
together representatives of governments, companies, investors and innovators
from all over the world “to explore pioneering solutions in order address
challenges.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Bahrain’s
Crown Prince visits Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at COP26
03
November ,2021
Bahrain’s
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa visited Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the
26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland’s Glasgow,
where he was received by the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin
Bandar bin Sultan.
During
his tour of the Saudi pavilion, the Crown Prince of Bahrain was briefed on the
works of the coordination meeting of the Saudi delegation participating in the
conference, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Tuesday.
“The
Crown Prince of Bahrain praised the efforts being exerted by the Saudi
delegation in introducing the projects and measures taken by the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia within the programs of the Saudi Vision 2030 to combat climate
change,” according to SPA.
Saudi
Arabia’s Prince Khalid thanked the Crown Prince of Bahrain for his visit to the
pavilion.
During
its G20 Presidency last year, Saudi Arabia strengthened its leadership role
towards common international issues and contributed to the protection of the
planet, SPA said in a report.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Arab
Coalition says 115 Houthis killed in airstrikes around Yemen’s Marib
02
November ,2021
The
Arab military coalition backing the government in Yemen said on Tuesday that
115 Houthi fighters were killed in air strikes around the strategic city of
Marib.
The
Iran-backed Houthis rarely comment on losses, and AFP could not independently
verify the toll.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Mideast
Islamic
Jihad Threatens Israel with Open War If Any Palestinian Inmate Dies
2021-November-2
“We
fervently stand by the prisoners, and warn the Israeli occupation not to harm
their lives,” Mohammed Shalah, an Islamic Jihad leader, told Al-Mayadeen
television news network on Monday evening.
He
added, “The martyrdom of each of the prisoners would aggravate the situation
and will spare no one unharmed ... The resistance [front] would intervene and
take actions to protect [Palestinian] prisoners.”
Shalah
noted that Israel is well aware of the fact that Palestinian resistance
factions will not leave their loved ones defenseless in the regime’s prisons.
“We
will defend the captives with all available means. All options are on the
table,” he asserted.
“Our
current struggle is not less important than battles fought in the West Bank,
the Gaza Strip, Al-Quds, and elsewhere in Palestinian territories ... The
resistance will not back down. We are ready to start a direct war in case a
Palestinian inmate is martyred,” the Islamic Jihad leader pointed out.
“Prisoners
will see that all Palestinian groups and the entire nation are by their side,”
Shalah said, stressing that a joint operations room has been set up to monitor
the situation of Palestinian detainees.
Back
on October 23, the secretary general of the Islamic Jihad resistance movement
announced the group’s threats to go to war with Israel in support of its
prisoners forced the Tel Aviv regime to end its new suppressive policies toward
Palestinian detainees and make concessions.
“Some
250 of our inmates went on hunger strike a few days ago in protest at
restrictions imposed on them. Our message to the Zionists was very clear: We
will respond with force if you do not stop the criminal measures,” Ziad
Al-Nakhala stated during an interview with IRNA news agency in Tehran.
Following
our threats, Nakhala said, Israeli officials agreed to make concessions in
return for the non-disclosure of the matter, as it could have triggered
backlash inside the occupied territories.
The
Al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing, also said in a brief
statement on October 14 that it would go to war if Israel did not end the
punitive measures imposed on the movement’s prisoners after the heroic escape
of six Palestinians from a maximum-security Israeli detention center last
month.
“We
announce a state of general alert among the ranks of our fighters. We are
completely prepared and at the ready,” the statement read.
Nakhala
had also added that the Islamic Jihad was prepared to “go to war” with Israel
for its members imprisoned in Israeli jails.
“The
Islamic Jihad will not leave its members in Zionist prisons to be victims at
the hands of the enemy. Accordingly, we will stand with them and support them
with everything we have, even if this means we must go to war for their sake,”
he noted on October 13.
Islamic
Jihad official Tareq Ezaddin said on October 22 that “the prisoners decided to
suspend the hunger strike after they scored a victory against the
administration of the occupation prison authorities".
“The
victory is a turning point in the confrontation with the [Israeli] jailers,”
Ezaddin added.
Israeli
prison authorities keep Palestinian inmates under deplorable conditions lacking
proper hygienic standards. The prisoners have also been subjected to systematic
torture, harassment, and repression.
Many
Palestinian prisoners have resorted to hunger strikes to protest against harsh
prison conditions and Israel’s infamous “administrative detention”, under which
the regime incarcerates Palestinians without charge or trial for renewable
periods of three to six months.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
Republic of Iran has a say in world: Ayatollah Ramazani
November
3, 2021
“The
Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly said, “Relying on its
scientific knowledge, the Islamic Republic of Iran have a say in the world and
can negotiate with the six world powers.”
During
his visit to Lebanon, Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the
AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, visited the University of Islamic Maaref, and
met with Dr. Ali Aladdin, President of the University.
In
this meeting, Dr. Ali Aladdin, President of the University of Islamic
Education, stated, “This year is the seventh year of the university’s activity
in the field of science and academic education. The University of Islamic
Maaref is trying to gain its academic position in Lebanon more than other
universities, and Alhamdulillah, it has been successful in this regard so far.”
“The
University of Islamic Maaref makes every effort to simultaneously teach
science, culture and ethics to students in one format. Because we will succeed
with two wings of correct knowledge and Islamic ethics. Currently, the university
has 250 students, but our goal at the University of Islamic Maaref is to reach
10,000 students. We consider it obligatory for us to achieve scientific growth
with the cooperation of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly,” he continued.
Following
the meeting, while appreciating the good reception of the University of Islamic
Maaref from the delegation of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, Ayatollah
Ramazani praised the good use of two categories of correct and beneficial
science and cultural ethics, and noted, “I believe that good science cannot
succeed without good morals, and good morals cannot succeed without good
science. Relying on its scientific knowledge, the Islamic Republic of Iran have
a say in the world and can negotiate with the six world powers and relying on
the power of science in some fields of study, the Islamic Republic of Iran is
one of the top 10 countries in the world, and this power has frightened the
enemies of Islam.”
Source:
ABNA24
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
18
people arrested in Turkey on charges of coop. with ISIL
November
3, 2021
Turkish
security officials announced the arrest of 18 people in this country on charges
of taking membership in ISIL terrorist group and carrying out large-scale
terrorist activities in Turkey.
Turkish
authorities have detained 18 suspected ISIL members in wide-scale operations
across the country on Tue., Xinhua reported.
According
to the report, anti-terror teams launched simultaneous raids at 27 addresses in
Turkey's biggest city Istanbul, the southeastern provinces of Batman and
Sanliurfa, and the southern Adana province against a total of 21 suspects.
Those
targeted in operations were believed to provide financial support for ISIL and
act on behalf of the group in Istanbul, it noted.
So
far, 18 of them have been detained and operations are going on to apprehend the
remaining three, the report added.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//18-people-arrested-in-turkey-on-charges-of-coop-with-isil_1194860.html
--------
Iran
Blasts UN Human Rights Rapporteur's Silence on US Sanctions
2021-November-2
Qaribabadi
made the remarks while referring to Rehman’s excessive obedience for certain
countries, such as the United States and Sweden, which is documented in a
declaration by a group of independent UN special rapporteurs and technicians.
"Javaid
Rehman’s intentional silence about the status of the fundamental rights of the
Iranian patients, which is deteriorating due to the US sanctions, followed by
the support of some other countries, is repeated violation of the human rights
of the Iranian nation, and leaves room for no doubt about the biased nature of
his reports and lack of his independence, teaming him up with those who breach
the human rights, not those who defend the Iranian nation’s human rights,"
Iran's Judiciary Deputy Chief for International Affairs and Secretary of High
Council for Human Rights said.
He
added that "this rapporteur attaches value to any political declaration
against Iran", attends the gatherings of the terrorist groups, and bases
his reports on biased and deviated information, but is not yielding to
identifying the real cases of breaching the human rights of the Iranian nation,
leaving no doubt that the special rapporteur’s reports on Iran are based on
politicizing and need to be ended, he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
looks to pass budget in major test for new government
03
November ,2021
Israeli
lawmakers are set to begin marathon voting on Wednesday to try and pass the
first national budget in three years, a major test for the fractious coalition
government that was sworn in earlier this year after four divisive elections.
Failure
to pass the budget by November 14 would bring down the government and trigger
yet another election, giving former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his best
opportunity to swiftly return to power.
The
coalition includes eight parties from across the political spectrum and has a
razor-thin margin of 61 seats in the 120-member assembly. If Netanyahu and his
allies can peel away just one defector the budget could fail to pass, but most
expect it will, if only because the coalition is firmly united against him.
“The
moment the budget passes, this buys the government stability for several years,
and what it means for the opposition is disintegration,” Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett said earlier this week. “They are desperate to topple the budget and to
take us to a fifth election, this is their goal.”
The
Knesset, Israel’s parliament, is expected to begin voting on hundreds of
amendments in a marathon session leading up to a final vote Thursday or Friday.
The government has given itself a 10-day window ahead of the hard deadline in
case there are any surprises.
Israel
entered a prolonged political crisis after elections in April 2019, when a right-wing
party that had been allied with Netanyahu refused to sit in a government with
him. The next two years brought three more hard-fought elections with no clear
victor, as well as Netanyahu’s indictment on serious corruption charges, which
he denies.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Islamic
seminary students meet Sheikh Zakzaky in Abuja
November
3, 2021
A
group of Islamic seminary (Hawza Ilmiyah) students have met with the leader of
the Islamic Movement of Nigeria Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky.
During
the meeting that lasted several hours last week, the students who represented
their colleagues from other Islamic seminaries in Nigeria held talks with
Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife at his residence in the country’s capital Abuja.
They conferred on various issues including the recent developments in the
country.
Sheikh
Zakazky urged the Shia seminary students to increase their religious and
cultural activities adding that, “the Islamic society needs active and
compassionate scholars and students to their fellow human beings."
He
pointed out that the educated class must warn the Islamic Ummah against the
conspiracies of the enemies.
In
December 2015, Nigeria’s military launched a crackdown as part of a deadly
state-ordered escalation targeting the movement that Abuja has branded as
illegal.
The
campaign saw the troops attacking Zakzaky’s residence in the town of Zaria in
Kaduna, afflicting him and his wife with serious injuries that reportedly
caused the cleric to lose his left eye.
During
the crackdown, the military also attacked the movement’s members as they were
holding religious processions, with the government alleging that the Muslims
had blocked a convoy of the country’s defense minister.
The
movement has categorically rejected the allegation, and said the convoy had
intentionally crossed paths with the IMN’s members to whip up an excuse to
attack them.
The
violence led to the death of three of Zakzaky’s sons and hundreds of innocent
Muslims.
The
couple were kept in custody despite a 2016 ruling by Nigeria’s federal high
court that ordered their release from prison.
Amid
the long-drawn-out jail term, the couple were allowed to leave for India for
medical purposes. Their stay was, however, reportedly plagued by the state’s
interference aimed at preventing them from receiving proper medical treatment.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//islamic-seminary-students-meet-sheikh-zakzaky-in-abuja_1194892.html
--------
Sudan’s
Burhan ‘hijacked and betrayed’ aspirations of Sudanese people: Feltman
02
November ,2021
Sudan’s
top military general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has “hijacked and betrayed the
aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful, democratic country,” the US
special envoy responsible for Washington’s policy on Sudan said Tuesday.
Jeffrey
Feltman, the special envoy for the Horn of Africa, told reporters in a phone
call that the “immediate restoration of democratic governance in Sudan” was a
must.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Feltman
was in Khartoum last, hours before Sudan’s top military general seized power
and ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other government
officials.
Burhan
claimed he was protecting Hamdok, who is still under house arrest, and the
country from a civil war.
Feltman
said that the military and the civilians had “important roles” to play in the
transition. “We urge the military to release all civilians detained in
connection with the unacceptable events on October 25,” the US official said.
Feltman
also said that the international support, especially from the US, was based on
the transition moving forward.
“I
think that the [Sudanese military] generals will realize that they need the
support of the international community when it comes to issues such as economic
development debt relief, access to financing via the World Bank and the IMF,”
he added.
The
US and Europe have repeatedly called for Hamdok’s government to be restored.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US suspended economic aid and
assistance after the military coup.
Asked
by Al Arabiya English about concerns over Russia’s support for the military
takeover, Feltman said: “We were concerned by the initial Russian statements
after the takeover; they seemed to almost bless the takeover.”
But
he went on to note the UN Security Council statement, which Russia signed on
to. “[That] was much more in line with the international consensus,” Feltman
said, adding that Washington was in touch with Moscow over the Sudan file.
“I
can’t say our positions overlap entirely, but there is some similarity in that
we [both] want to see Sudan be stable, and we want to make sure that the
situation remains non-violent,” he said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
chief voices concern over Ethiopia's state of emergency
Servet
Gunerigok
03.11.2021
WASHINGTON
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern Tuesday about a nationwide
state of emergency in Ethiopia.
Guterres
"is extremely concerned by the escalation of violence in Ethiopia and the
recent declaration of a state of emergency," spokesman for the UN chief,
Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement. "The stability of Ethiopia and the
wider region is at stake.”
The
state of emergency came after an extraordinary meeting of the council of
ministers amid escalating clashes with the rebel Tigray People's Liberation
Front (TPLF) and Oromo Liberation Army - Shene (OLA-shene).
The
Ethiopian government declared a unilateral cease-fire on June 29 and pulled out
troops from Tigray, after which rebel forces expanded into the neighboring
Amhara and Afar.
Millions
have been internally displaced due to the conflict, according to the UN,
warning of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Over
the last couple of weeks, TPLF fighters have made gains, capturing new
territories and strategic towns deep in the Amhara and Afar regions.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/un-chief-voices-concern-over-ethiopias-state-of-emergency/2410301
--------
Gunmen
kidnap 4 university lecturers, children in Nigeria's capital
Olarewaju
Kola
02.11.2021
MAIDUGURI,
Nigeria
Gunmen
on Tuesday kidnapped four lecturers and a number of children from a university
in the Nigerian capital Abuja, officials confirmed.
In
a statement posted on the University of Abuja's website, spokesman Habib Yakoob
said the gunmen invaded the university staff lodging in the early morning and
abducted four lecturers and an unspecified number of children.
He
stated that university security authorities are working with law enforcement
agencies to free the kidnapped teachers and children.
The
Federal Capital Territory Police Command arrived on campus and beefed up
security both inside and outside the institution.
The
incident was the country's first major attack on an educational institution in
the country's capital. Students have been kidnapped in large numbers in the
country's northeast and central regions.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
City
MPs urge DBKL to reverse latest liquor ban for infringing on non-Muslims
02
Nov 2021
BY
KENNETH TEE
KUALA
LUMPUR, November 2 — Federal lawmakers here have urged the Kuala Lumpur City
Hall (DBKL) and the federal territories minister to reverse the decision to
prohibit the sale of liquor at all convenience stores, grocery stores, and
Chinese medicine halls.
After
the ban came into effect yesterday, the seven MPs said in a joint statement
that the ruling was inconsistent with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail
Sabri Yaakob’s “Malaysian Family” concept.
They
alleged the prohibition to be an attempt by the government to obstruct the
rights of businesses from operating effectively and disrespectful to the
cultures of non-Muslims who moderately consume hard liquor for either health or
culinary purposes.
“DBKL
and the minister must respect the way of life and cultures of all Malaysian
citizens, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.
“We
are unanimous that the new DBKL guideline to prohibit sundry shops, convenience
stores and Chinese medical halls from
selling hard liquor effective November 1 as unfair, oppressive towards business
owners and a burden to the non-Muslim communities.
“With
that, we are asking DBKL and the minister to consider reversing the new ruling
and respect the rights and freedom of non-Muslim communities in Kuala Lumpur,”
they said.
The
MPs are Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras), Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh), Fong Kui Lun
(DAP-Bukit Bintang), Datin Tan Yee Kew (PKR-Wangsa Maju), Hannah Yeoh
(DAP-Segambut), Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Kepong) and P. Prabakaran (PKR-Batu).
The
MPs said repeated attempts to meet with FT Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim
along with several business associations have been futile, and that the
minister appeared to be unconcerned with the plight and feedback from those
affected by the ruling.
Further
justifying the ban as being unreasonable, the MPs said businesses affected by
the ruling through the Associated Liquor Merchants Association of Malaysia have
always complied with the existing rulings on the sale of alcoholic beverages.
They
argued that guidelines such as restricting sale to non-Muslims above the age of
21 was sufficient to prevent any Muslims or adolescents from buying them.
With
the ban now enforced, the MPs noted that business owners would suffer in terms
of their revenue and ultimately affect the image of Kuala Lumpur’s status as a
World Class City that celebrates the diversity of its denizens.
“We
are also pleading with the government to be fair to everyone. Just because we
dislike something, we need to ban it when said things are a part of the customs
and culture of others.
“We
respect Islam and we are aware that alcohol is forbidden to Muslims but what is
forbidden for Muslims cannot be forced upon non-Muslims especially in the issue
of consumptions,” they added.
Shahidan
previously defended the ruling in the Dewan Rakyat, stating that the ban was to
ensure alcohol would not be made available in public places and to curb social
problems and ensure that those under age 21, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, would
not easily get their hands on alcoholic beverages.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
court, woman born in Pahang to Muslim refugee parents from Cambodia bids to
join siblings as Malaysian
03
Nov 2021
BY
IDA LIM
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The Court of Appeal heard yesterday an appeal by a 35-year-old
woman — born in a Pahang refugee camp to parents who were Muslim refugees from
Cambodia — to be recognised as a citizen of Malaysia.
Azimah
Hamzah’s lawyer, N. Surendran, told the court that his client is stateless as
she is not a citizen of any country, while also highlighting that Azimah’s
refugee parents have already been granted Malaysian citizenship and that all
her siblings are Malaysians — leaving her as the only one in the family who is
not a citizen.
Based
on court documents including Azimah’s own affidavit, her parents and her elder
sister were Muslim refugees from Cambodia who had been accepted for settlement
in Malaysia since 1985, with the parents and elder sister placed in a refugee
camp in Cherating, Pahang until they left the camp in 1987.
It
was in June 1986 that Azimah’s refugee parents gave birth to her in the refugee
camp in Pahang.
Azimah,
her parents and all her siblings are all now in Malaysia. The parents were
permanent residents since November 1986 and became naturalised Malaysian
citizens in November 2008, while all Azimah’s four younger siblings — born in
Malaysia before the parents became citizens — are Malaysians because of the
parents’ status. Azimah’s elder sister became a Malaysian in November 2008 via
the Federal Constitution’s Article 15A where the government may register
persons aged below 21 as citizens in special circumstances as it thinks fit.
Azimah
had in 1998 applied for a Malaysian identification card when she was 12, but
the National Registration Department had in November 1999 said she was not
entitled to Malaysian citizenship by operation of law.
She
was then subsequently given a MyKas or a green identity card — introduced since
1990 by Malaysia for non-citizens who have temporary resident status — and
allowed to renew it several times before being denied subsequently. Over the
years, she had also made multiple attempts to obtain Malaysian citizenship
status.
Azimah
in October 2018 applied for Malaysian citizenship via Article 14(1)(b) of the
Federal Constitution, but her application was rejected in March 2019.
On
June 3, 2019, she then filed a lawsuit via a judicial review application
against the NRD’s director-general, the home minister and the Malaysian
government, to seek various court orders including a declaration to recognise
her as a Malaysian citizen and one to compel the issuance of a MyKad or
citizenship certificate.
The
High Court on March 11, 2020 dismissed Azimah’s lawsuit, which then led to this
appeal.
The
key law at the heart of appeal
In
the appeal hearing, Surendran said his client was mainly relying on Section
1(e) of Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution, read
together with the Constitution’s Article 14(1)(b).
Article
14(1)(b) states that those who are born after Malaysia was formed and who
fulfill any of the conditions in Part II of the Second Schedule are citizens by
operation of law or entitled to be Malaysians, with one of the conditions being
Section 1(e) which is that a person born within Malaysia “who is not born a
citizen of any country”.
Surendran
said that Azimah’s court case is essentially not about seeking Malaysian
citizenship to be granted to her, but an application for the court to make a
declaration to confirm that she is entitled to Malaysian citizenship by law.
Surendran
said his client has discharged her burden of proving that she falls under the
Section 1(e) situation, noting that it was undisputed that she was born in the
Cherating refugee camp in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia and that it was also
undisputed that she has lived in Malaysia “all her life” since her birth 35
years ago.
The
government in this case however holds the position that her parents were
Cambodians when she was born, and insist that she is not stateless.
Were
the refugee parents Cambodian when Azimah was born in Pahang?
The
Court of Appeal judges focused on the status and nationality of Azimah’s parents
at the time she was born.
The
judges examined Azimah’s birth certificate issued in June 1986, where she was
stated as being a non-citizen and with her race stated as Cambodian, and where
her parents were recorded with the same details and with “maklumat tidak
diperolehi” (information not obtained) stated for the parents’ identification
documents.
Asked
further by the judges, Surendran said it seems to be unclear what Azimah’s
parents’ nationality was at the time of her birth and also indicated that there
are no available additional documents — apart from a November 1986 entry permit
issued to the parents — to show the parents’ nationality then.
Surendran
further said Azimah had made an attempt to settle the question of whether she
is a Cambodian citizen or otherwise by asking the Cambodian embassy, which
confirmed in a September 18, 2018 certified letter that Azimah “has never been
holding Cambodian passport and identity documents”.
Surendran
said Azimah was definitely stateless without a doubt and fulfills the Section
1(e) condition, pointing out that this is clear from what the NRD had itself
said in a court affidavit.
In
the affidavit sworn on behalf of all three respondents, the NRD’s citizenship
division director claimed that Azimah is not a stateless person that would
qualify her to acquire Malaysian citizenship by operation of law, stating that
Azimah should make efforts to obtain a passport or other documents to “return
to Cambodia and obtain citizenship in Cambodia, since at her birth her parents were
still of Cambodian nationality”.
“It’s
quite clear from what the respondents are saying that she doesn’t have
Cambodian nationality now, this is their own statement of oath,” Surendran said
when asserting that this meant Azimah is stateless.
Asked
by the judges whether the Malaysian government’s assertion that Azimah’s
parents were Cambodian at her time of birth is backed by documents, Surendran
said there was a November 1986 entry permit issued to the parents (where both
were stated to be of Cambodian nationality) but also acknowledged that there
seems to be some discrepancy with the information here and Azimah’s birth
certificate.
But
going beyond such questions over the parents’ nationality when she was born,
Surendran argued that Section 1(e) only requires showing that one was born
within Malaysia and not being a citizen of any country as it is a provision
based only on the principle of jus soli or citizenship based on place of birth.
Surendran
also noted that the High Court had dismissed his client’s case by saying it was
bound by a previous Court of Appeal case — which had decided that both jus soli
and jus sanguinis (citizenship by lineage or based on parents’ nationality) had
to be fulfilled in order to fulfill the Section 1(e) condition.
But
Surendran argued it was an error for the Court of Appeal to say that the
parents’ nationality would also be relevant when deciding if someone fulfills
the Section 1(e) condition, arguing that the legislative history of the Federal
Constitution instead shows that Section 1(e) was intended to only require the
jus soli concept.
Government
argues parents were Cambodians, parents’ nationality relevant to prove
statelessness
Responding
to the argument that Azimah’s parents’ nationality was uncertain at her time of
birth, senior federal counsel Nik Mohd Noor Nik Kar who represented the
Malaysian government then argued it was not disputed at the High Court that her
parents’ citizenship was Cambodian.
Nik
Mohd Noor noted that it was said that Azimah’s parents were “refugees from
Cambodia” and that both were not Malaysian citizens when she was born.
Court
of Appeal judge Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera then asked how “refugees from
Cambodia” could be equated to having Cambodian citizenship, and Nik Mohd Noor
again said the parents could not be said to have had uncertain nationality at
Azimah’s birth since it was previously undisputed that they were Cambodians
then.
As
for whether Azimah was stateless when she was born, Nik Mohd Noor cited Article
4 of Cambodia’s citizenship laws to say that a legitimate child — regardless of
where they are born — would follow their Cambodian parents’ nationality and
obtain Cambodian citizenship.
Court
of Appeal judge Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said then highlighted that would be the
case under ordinary situations, but noted that Azimah’s case relates to
refugees coming to Malaysia who definitely could not return to their home
country and who were given protection by the Malaysian government.
As
Nik Mohd Noor agreed that this was why the Malaysian government gave protection
to Azimah’s parents and siblings, judge Kamaludin further asked: “Logically
speaking, now the parents have no more connection with Cambodia, because (they
are) refugees, how do you expect this applicant to go back to Cambodia and acquire
citizenship there?”
Court
of Appeal judge Datuk Gunalan Muniandy also suggested that a child would become
stateless if born to parents who are Cambodian nationals who are refugees, as
they would not be able to go back and acquire Cambodian citizenship.
Nik
Mohd Noor however argued that being refugees does not mean they would lose
their Cambodian citizenship status.
Nik
Mohd Noor cited the 1986 entry permit as documentation to show that Azimah’s
father’s nationality was Cambodian at that time, arguing that the burden has
now shifted on Azimah to show that her parents were not Cambodians and to show
that she and her parents were stateless.
Nik
Mohd Noor agreed that the entry permit was issued in November 1986 which was
after Azimah’s June 1986 birth, and also agreed that there were no other
documents available to show her father’s nationality to be Cambodian.
He
also argued that fulfilling Section 1(e) should be based on both a person’s
birth place and a person’s lineage or parents’ nationality, citing the Court of
Appeal decision referred by the High Court judge in dismissing Azimah’s case.
He
argued Azimah had not shown she was stateless by relying on the birth
certificate and the Cambodian embassy’s letter, noting that the embassy letter
did not say that Azimah never applied for Cambodian citizenship and also did
not say that her parents were not Cambodian citizens.
Judge
Vazeer also said it cannot be assumed that Azimah’s parents were Cambodians
because they left Cambodia, noting that Myanmar for example does not recognise
Rohingyas who left the country as being its citizens.
Nik
Mohd Noor also suggested that Azimah’s acquiring of Malaysian citizenship
should be through the right channels or correct legal provision such as
Azimah’s elder sister who became a Malaysian after applying under the different
constitutional provision of Article 15A, noting that there is also the
alternative provision of applying to be a naturalised Malaysian citizen via
Article 19.
Judge
Kamaludin and judge Gunalan suggested that advice should have been given on
what provision Azimah should have used to apply for citizenship, instead of
just rejecting her citizenship application.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
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