Pakistan’s Jamiat-e-Islam Leader: Islamic Emirate to Rule Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Within Months
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 Jun 2024
·
Pakistan’s Jamiat-e-Islam Leader: Islamic
Emirate to Rule Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Within Months
·
'Sharpening Communal Assaults by BJP After Poll
Setback': CPI(M) Condemns Spate of Attacks Against Muslims
·
'Genocidal Denial': US House Passes Amendment
to Bar Citing Gaza Death Toll
·
Muslim Independents in Birmingham Rule Out
Election Pact to Oust Labour
·
How A New Tech Academy Is Helping Saudi Arabia
Train Its Next Generation of App Developers
Pakistan
·
Pakistan Decides Tit-For-Tat Response to US
House ResolutionWhich Calls for an Inquiry into The February 8 General
Elections
·
Pakistan Can Cross Border to Hunt
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan: Defence Minister
·
Threat to Desecrate Quran: Sahiwal Man Sent On
14-Day Judicial Remand
·
Seven injured in Quetta grenade attack
·
Pakistan to 'attend' UN-hosted Doha talks on
Afghanistan
·
Iddat case: PTI slams verdict against Imran
Khan, Bushra Bibi
·
Iddat case: Court rejects Imran Khan, Bushra
Bibi's pleas to suspend sentence
--------
India
·
76 Trainees from Saudi Arabia’s Naval Forces
Train with Indian Navy
·
Reasi and the ‘years-old’ issue of cross-border
terror
·
Homes Demolished, NSA Invoked Over Cow
Slaughter Allegations in Madhya Pradesh
--------
North America
·
Harvard Looks to Combat Antisemitism,
Anti-Muslim Bias After Protests Over War In Gaza
·
Busy with Ukraine war, Russia ignoring growing
Islamist terror threat, experts say
·
Biden Will Allow Iran To Run Absentee Voter Stations
on American Soil for Islamic Republic’s ‘Sham Elections’
·
Israeli colonization of mainstream Western
media
·
NATO Selects Mark Rutte of the Netherlands as
Next Secretary General
--------
Europe
·
Muslims in Rural England Consider How to 'Vote
for Gaza' In UK General Election
·
Germany approves draft to deport dangerous
refugees
·
Islamic State Report and Infographic on Recent
Operations in the Congo
·
Yemen Houthis say they targeted ship in Haifa
port with Islamic Resistance in Iraq
·
Housing Association Helps Transform Garden At
Telford Mosque 'For The Good Of The Community'
--------
Arab World
·
Jeddah University develops AI device that
detects preterm births
·
Saudi Arabia participates in 57th UNCITRAL
session
·
From Paris to Jeddah — diversity shines at
World Music Day
·
Madinah’s Al-Ghars Well site receives visitors
following developmental works
--------
Mideast
·
Hezbollah Secretary General: Iranians Will
Prove through Presidential Elections the Islamic Republic’s Might
·
Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Imam Indicted On Charges of
Incitement to Terrorism
·
Hezbollah and Islamic Group leaders discuss
regional security and Gaza support
·
Islamic Jihad blesses qualitative operation
carried out by "Jenin Battalion"
·
Kurdish imams already on trial face a new
investigation
·
Finance minister says Israel to promote West
Bank settlement
·
UNICEF says deal agreed with Israel to boost
Gaza water supply
·
Palestinians flee as Israeli forces return to
Gaza’s north
·
US targets petrol tankers over Iran nuclear
‘escalation’
--------
Africa
·
Mali Civil Society Lauds War Crimes Conviction
of Islamist Police Chief
·
Your action illegal – Lawyer berates Soun for
issuing query to Chief Imam
·
Experts warn: 755,000 facing famine in war-torn
Sudan
·
Police clash with protesters in Kenya as
military patrols the streets
--------
South Asia
·
FM Muttaqi and UNAMA Head Confer on Key Issues
for Doha Meeting
·
China Calls For Improved Education For Girls In
Afghanistan
·
UN delays Afghanistan special representative
appointment at Doha meeting
·
US State Dept confirms representatives’ participation
in Doha meeting
·
Herat Governor Meets UNICEF Head to Discuss
Education and Water Project Initiatives
·
Deputy PM Kabir Engages Islamic Emirate
Ministers on Commitment to Public Service
--------
Southeast Asia
·
Indonesia-EU Relations Much Bigger Than Just
Trade: Envoy
·
Indonesia Awaits US, China’s Ratification of
Nuclear Ban Treaty
·
Indira fails in suit to arrest Muslim convert
ex-husband, recover daughter
·
Governance, digitalization key to developing
Islamic insurance: VP
·
Indonesia’s Oldest Pilgrim, 109, Arrives Home
from Mecca
·
BDS demands Bruno Mars to call out Israeli
atrocities or face boycott for upcoming KL concert, netizens divided
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Pakistan’s
Jamiat-e-Islam Leader: Islamic Emirate to Rule Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Within Months
June 27,
2024
The
leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam announced that within three to four
months, the “Islamic Emirate” will rule over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Fazl-ur-Rehman
stated in the National Assembly of Pakistan that the Taliban will take over
North and South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and other
areas.
The
leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam criticized the “Operation Resolve”
military operations during his speech in the National Assembly on Wednesday,
June 26th; the country’s prime minister and interior minister, Shahbaz Sharif,
also attended this session.
This
Pakistani cleric stated, “The decision of military operations against
semi-regulars is a move towards instability.”
He has
opposed terrorism since 2010 and emphasizes that terrorism has not only
decreased but also increased.
This
Taliban sympathizer claims that Pakistan is conducting military operations to
please China.
Following
his 2024 election defeat, Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader has
intensified criticism of the government and military. Fazl-ur-Rehman aligns
with Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to pressure Shahbaz Sharif’s
cabinet, opposing Operation Resolve against the Pakistani Taliban.
Since
August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed increased activities by the
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in various regions, including Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The TTP has conducted numerous attacks targeting
security forces, government installations, and civilians, escalating security
concerns.
Militant
groups affiliated with TTP have carried out multiple bombings and ambushes,
destabilizing the region. The Pakistani military has intensified operations to
counter these threats, resulting in clashes and casualties on both sides.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistans-jamiat-e-islam-leader-islamic-emirate-to-rule-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-within-months/
--------
'Sharpening
Communal Assaults by BJP After Poll Setback': CPI(M) Condemns Spate of Attacks
Against Muslims
27 June
2024
File
photo of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury with Polit Bureau members
Prakash Karat and Brinda KaratCredit: PTI Photo
--------------
New
Delhi: The CPI(M) on Thursday strongly condemned the spate of attacks against
Muslims in various parts of the country in the period since the election
results were announced.
"Such
sharpening of communal assaults following the setbacks suffered by the BJP in
the Lok Sabha elections highlight the fact that the BJP and the Hindutva
communal forces will intensify their attempts at polarisation with a renewed
vengeance," the ...
The
CPI(M) asked all its units to remain vigilant against "unscrupulous
manoeuvres" by the BJP and other communal outfits. Party units throughout
the country should organise protest actions immediately against the vicious
attempts at vitiating the at...
The
party cited instances in Raipur, Aligarh Mandala, Akbarnagar, Vadodara and
Nahan where Muslims were targeted.
In
Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, three Muslim men transporting bullocks were
branded as cow-smugglers and killed by so-called cow-vigilantes while in
Aligarh, a Muslim man was beaten to death on allegations of theft, it said.
In
Madhya Pradesh's Mandala, 11 houses of Muslims were demolished within 24 hours
after alleged reports of “beef” being recovered from their refrigerators. In
Lucknow’s Akbarnagar, a predominantly Muslim area, homes of over a thousand
families were b...
People
belonging to the Hindu community in the neighbourhood have come out in open
protest against the allotment of a flat to a Muslim woman in a low-income group
housing complex under the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme in Gujarat’s
Vadodara, the CP...
In
Himachal Pradesh’s Nahan, it said, the shop of a Muslim was looted and
vandalised after allegations that he had sacrificed a cow during Eid-al-Adha. A
case has also been registered against him for the alleged cow slaughter. All
the other 16 Muslim...
In
Delhi’s Sangam Vihar there are reports of residents fleeing the area after
provocative speeches made by members of Hindutva outfits, following the
recovery of a cow carcass near a place of worship, it added.
Source: deccanherald.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/sharpening-communal-assaults-by-bjp-after-poll-setback-cpim-condemns-spate-of-attacks-against-muslims-3083190
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'Genocidal
denial': US House passes amendment to bar citing Gaza death toll
28 June
2024
File
photo shows the U.S. House of Representatives chamber (By Getty Images)
--------------
The US
House of Representatives has approved an amendment that would prevent State
Department officials from citing casualty figures from the Gaza Health Ministry
as the Israeli regime's genocidal war on the besieged strip rages on.
The bill
which was passed on Thursday now awaits Senate consideration.
The
amendment has been met with strong opposition from Palestinian-American
Representative Rashida Tlaib, who labeled the decision "absolutely
unconscionable" and indicative of a broader trend of dehumanization of
Palestinians in the legislative body.
"Since
1948... there has been a coordinated effort, especially in this chamber, to
dehumanize Palestinians and erase Palestinians from existence," Tlaib
stated in her House floor speech on Wednesday.
The
"Israeli apartheid" regime, she maintained, is carrying out a
"genocide in Gaza, and in real time, and this amendment is an attempt to
hide it."
"This
is genocide denial,” she stressed.
"My
colleagues want to prohibit our own US officials from even citing the
Palestinian death toll. So let me read it into the record. Here are the latest
casualties of Palestinians killed: 37,718 Palestinians, including more than
15,000 Palestinian children and more than 86,377 Palestinians have been
injured," citing figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.
Assistant
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf has previously
testified that the actual death toll could be higher than reported, with many
missing and presumed deceased under the debris of buildings bombed by Israeli
forces since October 7.
The
amendment initiative was led by Representatives Jared Moskowitz, Josh
Gottheimer, Joe Wilson, Mike Lawler, and Carol Miller. Representative Barbara
Lee also voiced her objections on the House floor, noting that the Gaza Health
Ministry's data is "often the only information available about what is
happening on the ground in Gaza."
"Israel
has sealed Gaza's borders barring foreign journalists and others who can offer
this reporting," Lee said. "The journalists and medical professionals
who are there are unable to account for all of the bodies trapped under rubble
and discovered in mass graves."
World
Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier expressed confidence in
the accuracy of the agency's figures, stating last month that the overall data
remains consistent.
The
amendment comes amid Washington's strong support for Israel amid the regime's
war on Gaza. The US has supplied arms to Israel and vetoed several resolutions
at the United Nations Security Council that demanded a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel
launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement
Hamas launched the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying
entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of
bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
Tel Aviv
has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal
strip into a humanitarian crisis.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/06/28/728288/--Amendment--passed--to--state--department--to--prevent--funds--to--cite--Palestinian--public--health--ministry
--------
Muslim
Independents in Birmingham rule out Election pact to oust Labour
27 JUN
2024
The
three Hall Green and Moseley Independents Shakeel Afsar, Babar Raja and
Mohammad Hafeez
----------------
A bid to
unite three Independents on a single pro-Palestine platform in Hall Green and
Moseley to try to oust Labour's Tahir Ali has failed. Babar Raja, one of the
trio, said the area was crying out for change and needed a unity candidate, not
a split vote, to ever hope to take the seat.
But
rivals Mohammad Hafeez, who describes former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as
leader, and Shakeel Afsar, supported by George Galloway-backed Independents
Akhmed Yakoob and Jody McIntyre, say they won't back down. Their views are too
far apart, they say.
Raja had
written an open letter to them, saying he would be willing to stand aside and
throw his weight behind one of them if they can agree who is best placed to get
votes. But Hafeez, in his first BirminghamLive interview, and Afsar have made
it clear they will take the fight to the polls.
Said
Hafeez: "I think it is wrong to put pressure on people to behave in a
certain way when we live in a democratic civil society." He said he was
aware of conversations among some community members to push for a single
consensus candidate majoring on the Gaza conflict, but was unwilling to
concede, adding: "Just because we are both Muslims and pro Palestine does
not mean we stand for the same things."
Former
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, expelled from the party after standing as an
Independent, has endorsed Hafeez. His campaign is being run by former West
Midlands Labour regional director Fadel Takrouri, as previously revealed in the
Inside Birmingham with Jane Haynes newsletter. We understand other Labour party
members in the area have recently left the party to back Hafeez's campaign.
In a
video taken on the campaign trail, Corbyn says to Hafeez: "We are fighting
for the same thing, for justice, for peace, for equality and even more for hope
for young people growing up in debt, insecurity and expensive housing and it
requires our voices." In response Hafeez says: "And an inspirational
leader like yourself Jeremy, that has allowed me to put my profession to one
side, come out on the streets, stand with you and we can do this
together."
He adds:
"You stand for the same sort of things as most of Britain does and we need
to get our voice heard...you're our leader and we support you, we are in this
together."
Afsar
said he believed Hafeez was more 'pro Labour and pro LGBT' than he was and has
previously described him as a possible plant in the constituency to divide the
vote, a claim Hafeez fiercely denies. Hafeez, a barrister at St Phillip's
Chambers, said he had set aside his job to run a campaign focussed on improving
a community that had been neglected for too long, and with a broader remit than
rivals who he said were focused only on chasing the Muslim vote.
"I
hope my campaign is cross-community, and that I reach out to every part of the
society. Other election candidates are focussed on one group - the Pakistani
Muslim communities - and that is not what a future MP should do. I am running a
campaign to pull everyone together."
He
added: "I've focussed my campaign on the area from Camp Hill island to
Robin Hood island, on my area, and not got involved in anyone else's...my
constituents is what matters to me. One thing is becoming clear, if there is
anyone who's really got a possibility of taking on the Labour Party here in
this constituency, then it is me. What is needed is a candidate who will
promote community cohesion, not divide us."
Championing
free school meals would be a way to affect every child in the constituency; the
council tax rises affect every home, he said. While the Muslim community
accounts for about half of the population here, there are many more communities
that must not be overlooked, who have also been neglected, he said.
He said
he has reached out and met with women's groups and organisations, fuelled by
his work on honor crimes and domestic violence. "The other candidates
appear to be focusing very high energy only in the Asian Muslim
community...that's not what an MP does. I also believe that the Government is
trying to isolate communities from each other, to divide, and we have to bring
everyone together."
Hafeez
said he was born and grew up in the Hall Green constituency, and was the first
in the family to attend university, funding his education working in retail,
restaurants and as a taxi driver. He qualified as a barrister and has 25 years
experience in the sector, serving as a Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS in
the West Midlands.
"Throughout
my career, I have handled some of the most serious and sensitive cases,
including murders, serious sexual offences, complex frauds, and serious public
order offences. The lack of investment in crime prevention strategies and
rehabilitation programmes exacerbates social tensions and perpetuates cycles of
criminal behaviour," he said, pledging to focus on prevention.
He
pledged to lobby to reduce NHS waiting lists, ensure better pay for the nursing
sector, and improve overall healthcare access and quality for residents. He
also pledged to push for a revision of university tuition fees and advocate for
policies that support free school meals and address inequalities in our
education system. On housing he has pledged to fight for greater access to
housing, including private, affordable, and social housing, and improved
standards of housing for tenants.
Critics
have expressed anger that he has not been more transparent to voters about his
links to Reliance Social Housing CIC, the biggest provider of exempt supported
accommodation in the city.
The
sector has been the focus of mass complaints and concerns, with areas across
Hall Green and Moseley declared as hotspots thanks to an explosion in the
number of properties designated as 'exempt' - in part fuelled by the rise of Reliance.
Hafeez was chief operating officer for the company through Covid up to late
2022. It now oversees more than 4,000 city 'exempt' properties and over 11,000
tenants. It was the conduit for more than £114 million in 'exempt' housing
benefits last year.
Asked
about his connection to the firm, Hafeez confirmed his involvement but said his
chief operating officer role ended in late 2022: "As a lawyer with my
skill set and background, people come to me for advice, guidance or help, and
that is what happened here. I help different entities including charities and
schools."
In his
letter Raja says he has supported the Labour Party for 20 years and campaigned
for the liberation of Palestine and Kashmir since 1993. He said his support
wavered when Keir Starmer failed to recognise the resolution on Kashmir passed
under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership; and then failed to support a ceasefire
resolution over Gaza.
"The
Muslim community is deeply disappointed with three separate independent
candidates making Gaza a central issue in their campaigns. If we unite behind a
single candidate, 99% of the Muslim community is willing to support us. I am
willing to step down unconditionally if one of you agrees to be the candidate.
We can then hold a joint press conference."
Labour's
Tahir Ali, despite reaching out via his campaign team and directly on multiple
occasions, has so far failed to agree to discuss his campaign with
BirminghamLive.
Here's
the full list of candidates standing for Birmingham Hall Green:
Tahir
Ali - Labour
Zain
Ahmed - Green Party
Shakeel
Afsar - Independent
Mohammad
Hafeez - Independent
Izzy
Knowles - Liberal Democrat
Henry
Morris - Conservative
Stephen
McBrine - Reform UK
Babar
Raja – Independent
Source: birminghammail.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/muslim-independents-birmingham-rule-out-29421059
--------
How a
new tech academy is helping Saudi Arabia train its next generation of app
developers
June 27,
2024
RIYADH:
Saudi designers and entrepreneurs are making bold strides in the field of
artificial intelligence, helped along by training schemes, mentors and new
technologies provided by some of the world’s leading tech companies.
Silicon
Valley heavyweight Apple recently unveiled a new program to train students to
use the latest emerging technologies, creating opportunities for Saudi Arabia’s
tech-savvy workforce of the future.
The
Apple Developer Academy in Riyadh is among the institutions that will implement
this training. Not only is it the first in the Middle East and North Africa
region — it is also the only all-female academy of its kind in the world.
“Our
mission is to empower female developers in KSA and the region, with skills for
the tech jobs of tomorrow,” Ohood Al-Nayel, director of the Apple Developer
Academy, told Arab News.
“We aim
to pioneer new frontiers in education. By empowering more women to be leaders
in technology, we hope Saudi Arabia can become a hub for AI research,
entrepreneurship and development in the region.”
Established
as part of a collaboration between Apple and Tuwaiq Academy, the scheme is
currently accepting 200 learners per year for its nine-month “The Academy”
program, 330 for “The Foundation” four-week program, and 50 for its second-year
visionary program.
Scheduled
to launch this autumn, the new custom-built core curriculum will teach students
and alumni how to build, train and use machine-learning models across Apple
devices.
“We have
three goals,” Al-Nayel said. “The first is to teach our developers to always
use and advocate for use of native tools like Xcode, Swift, and Apple
frameworks, as this is important for iOS and app development.
“Our
second goal is to produce local Arabic apps that apply accessibility. Our final
goal is not just to teach our learners how to code, but to instill in them a
passion for lifelong learning and give them the tools to drive meaningful
change.
“We want
our graduates to leave equipped with both strong technical skills and an
innovative, entrepreneurial spirit that can transform any industry.”
Courses
will include the fundamentals of AI technologies and frameworks, core machine
learning and its ability to deliver fast performance on Apple devices, and
guidance on how to build and train AI models from the ground up.
Students
will learn from a guided curriculum and project-based assignments that include
assistance from hundreds of mentors and more than 12,000 academy alumni
worldwide.
With a
focus on AI, learners will be able to apply the latest technology to fields as
diverse as healthcare, education and transport.
Although
the curriculum is yet to begin, students are already incorporating AI models to
innovate the app market.
One
example is the “Artector” app, developed by Farah Al-Amri, Lujain Yahya, and
Baynah bin Hathlin for art lovers who are visually impaired.
They
found that the application programming interfaces of a current AI model
contained biases and did not reflect the true nature of a given artwork. The
team therefore trained their own AI model to better analyze art and describe it
using a voiceover feature.
The app
functions as a visual tour guide, Al-Nayel said, providing an accessible
auditory alternative.
“Users
can explore various artworks and gain insights into their historical context,
artistic techniques and symbolic meanings by accessing detailed descriptions
either by reading or listening,” she said.
“This
app enhances the art appreciation journey, enabling users to engage with and
comprehend art pieces more effectively.”
Other
apps include “PiClean,” which helps students clean up their surroundings and
enhance environmental awareness, and “iSpeak,” which helps people conquer their
fear of public speaking and communicate more clearly.
By
encouraging this kind of innovation, the academy wants students to learn
important skills to contribute to local businesses and communities, and
increase opportunities for developers, designers and entrepreneurs to build the
growing iOS app economy.
“Our
curriculum is agile and customized yearly based on feedback from regional
industry leaders so learners gain skills that are applicable in the Saudi job
market,” said Al-Nayel.
The
latest technologies and application programming interfaces unveiled at Apple’s
Worldwide Developer Conference — WWDC24 — in San Francisco earlier in June
offered students access to powerful new tools.
Xcode
16, for instance, raises the bar in developer productivity. New features and
performance improvements like Swift Assist streamline coding tasks and
encourage students to explore new frameworks and innovate freely.
Swift 6
also introduces enhancements designed to improve code clarity and simplify
concurrent programming.
“At
Apple, we see coding as a universal language and believe in empowering
developers, creators, and entrepreneurs across the world with tools and
technologies that will allow them to create phenomenal experiences,” Susan
Prescott, vice president of developer relations at Apple, said in a statement.
“With
the introduction of a curriculum dedicated to AI and other new technologies we
introduced this week, we’re excited to see what students will build to share
with their communities and the world.”
The new
core curriculum will be provided to thousands of students and alumni across 18
developer academies in six countries — Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy,
South Korea and the US.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2539046/saudi-arabia
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Decides Tit-For-Tat Response to US House ResolutionWhich Calls for an Inquiry
into The February 8 General Elections
June 27,
2024
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is considering a reciprocal action in response to the resolution
passed by the US House of Representatives, which calls for an inquiry into the
February 8 general elections.
Foreign
Minister Ishaq Dar, while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, said:
"In response to [US Congress], we will also bring about a resolution. We
must show our sovereignty, we must show our unity, we must show that we mean
business. This [resolution] makes no sense."
The US
House of Representatives, earlier this week, in an overwhelming majority, voted
to demand a "full and independent investigation of claims of interference
or irregularities" in the polls.
The
resolution HR 901 was passed by a massive 368 against seven votes on Tuesday,
which makes 85% of the total American lawmakers in the legislature.
The move
triggered a strong response from Islamabad, with the Foreign Office saying it
“stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and
electoral process in Pakistan”.
The
resolution said it was to express support for democracy and human rights in
Pakistan and requested the government to uphold democratic and electoral
institutions, human rights, and the rule of law.
It also
condemned "any effort to subvert the political, electoral, or judicial
processes of Pakistan."
In his
speech today, Dar maintained that the Pakistani parliament could also pass
resolutions on matters related to other nations, but the South Asian country
refrains from such things.
"I
believe that the [US] should reciprocate mutual dignity and respect," Dar
said, noting that a draft resolution has been prepared, which would be shared
with the parliamentary leaders — from the treasury and opposition benches.
"We
should come in unity with a clear resolution against the US resolution,"
the deputy prime minister said.
While
rejecting the impression that Pakistan faces isolation at the international
level, he reminded the house that Pakistan was recently elected as the United
Nations Security Council's non-permanent member, showing the global community's
trust in the incumbent government.
Meanwhile,
the PTI, whose members won a majority number of seats in the National Assembly,
welcomed the US resolution, terming it a move in the right direction.
"A
positive push in the right direction, along the lines of our own constitution,
for democracy, rule of law, civilian control over our armed forces (not vice
versa), personal freedoms, etc," PTI's Arif Alvi said on X.
Moving
on, Dar said Pakistan would use the UNSC's forum effectively to raise the
Kashmir dispute and the situation in Gaza.
In
response to a member’s query, the minister said that relations with Afghanistan
are on the priority agenda of the government and they are in contact with the
Afghan government.
"Dates
are also being worked out for his visit to Kabul," Dar shared.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1204115-pakistan-decides-tit-for-tat-response-to-us-house-resolution
--------
Pakistan
Can Cross Border to Hunt Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan: Defence Minister
June 28,
2024
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR:
Amid a surge in terror incidents, which Pakistan blames on the banned
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership hiding in Afghanistan, Defence
Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday hinted at the possibility of cross-border
strikes to eliminate militant hideouts in the neighbouring country.
The
defence minister’s statement came on the same day as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s
warning about the critical security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The JUI-F
chief said that things had reached a point where even the police could not go
out at night due to the presence of armed men.
In an
interview with Voice of America, the defence minister said Islamabad could
strike terror havens in Afghanistan and it would not be against international
law since Kabul had been “exporting” terrorism to Pakistan and the “exporters”
were being harboured there.
He said
though the TTP was operating from the neighbouring country, its cadre, about a
few thousand in number, “are operating from within the country” and blamed the
PTI government for bringing these militants back.
The
minister also ruled out any chances of dialogue with the banned outfit, saying
that there was no common ground.
Speaking
about ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’, he said parliament would be taken on board in this
regard and the concerns of political parties would also be addressed. The
minister also blamed civilians for not being able to build on the successes of
operations conducted by the army in the past.
In
separate remarks to Geo News, the minister said Islamabad would “stringently
enforce international laws at its borders with Afghanistan” to restrict the
movement of smuggled goods.
The
media outlet reported him as saying that the decision would also “thwart the
infiltration of terrorists”.
“All
traffic from Afghanistan will only be allowed entry into Pakistan with a valid
passport and visa,” he said.
Fazl
opposes operation
As the
government expressed its intention to deal with Afghanistan with an iron hand,
the Maulana compared its case to Iran.
Issues
with Iran were resolved within a week of both countries conducting air strikes
inside each other’s territories, he said, asking why Afghanistan was not being
dealt with in the same manner.
Addressing
a press conference at his party’s provincial headquarters after a grand tribal
jirga, the JUI-F leader said Islamabad was making its decision about Kabul
based on anger and emotions, adding that issues between states could not be
resolved in haste or through threats as it would only result in further
deterioration of bilateral relations. “When people questioned establishment
over law and order situation, they simply shift the blame to Afghanistan,” he
claimed.
Speaking
about the situation in KP, he said there were more militants in certain regions
than in the past. According to the Maulana, “The jirga expressed its lack of
trust in the operation and declared that this was not Azm-i-Istehkam, rather
Adam-i-Istehkam (instability).”
The
JUI-F chief said that these armed men control traffic, set up roadblocks and
collect tolls from motorists. Besides, he said that police across the southern
districts of the province find themselves besieged in police stations after
dusk. “They are not allowed to perform their duties outside the police station
during night,” he said.
The
Maulana said that the people of KP, from Waziristan to Swat, had rendered
matchless sacrifices and suffered displacement due to military operations. He
said that those who were now returning home had nothing left there.
“About a
year and a half ago, the government issued tokens worth Rs400,000 for destroyed
houses and Rs160,000 for partially damaged houses to tribesmen, but the
affectees have yet to receive any money so far,” he said.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1842400/pakistan-can-cross-border-to-hunt-ttp-defence-minister-asif
--------
Threat
to desecrate Quran: Sahiwal man sent on 14-day judicial remand
June 28,
2024
LAHORE:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Sahiwal sent a Christian man on 14-day judicial
remand in a case of desecration of Holy Quran.
Okara
City A-Division police had registered a case under section 295-A of the
Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 against
Chand alias Chanda Masih on behalf of the state.
According
to the FIR, the suspect was hurling threats at his brother and sister to set
the Holy Quran on fire over a domestic issue to implicate them in blasphemy. “I
will burn the Holy Quran and the Muslims will approach him (his brother) and
his family and kill them,” the FIR quotes the suspect as saying.
The
police arrested the suspect last Monday and presented him before an ATC in
Sahiwal on Tuesday to seek his physical remand to complete the investigation.
However, the ATC sent the suspect to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Okara
District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Aziz told Dawn that the sister of the
suspect had contracted marriage with a relative who had converted to Islam.
The
suspect threatened his sister that he would desecrate the Holy Quran and falsely
implicate her and her husband in blasphemy if she did not end the marriage.
He said
the police arrested the suspect, who confessed to having threatened his sister
and her husband with desecration of the Holy Quran and a case was registered
against him.
He said
the incident took place late on Saturday night, adding that the security of all
the churches in the district would be increased during Sunday prayers.
The DPO
said that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands. He said
the suspect had been sent on a 14-day judicial remand by an ATC three days ago.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1842387/threat-to-desecrate-quran-sahiwal-man-sent-on-14-day-judicial-remand
--------
Seven
injured in Quetta grenade attack
June 28,
2024
QUETTA:
Seven people were injured when some unidentified motorcyclists lobbed a hand
grenade at a vehicle carrying members of security forces, but the grenade
missed the target and exploded on Brewery Road, injuring passersby on Thursday
evening.
According
to police, some unidentified men on motorcycles attempted to target the
personnel of Frontier Corps in the Killi Ibrahimzai area of the provincial
capital as they were patrolling the area.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1842404/seven-injured-in-quetta-grenade-attack
--------
Pakistan
to 'attend' UN-hosted Doha talks on Afghanistan
June 27,
2024
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan will be part of the United Nations-hosted talks on Afghanistan in Doha
which is scheduled for this weekend, Geo News reported citing sources on
Thursday.
Earlier
this month, Taliban authorities also confirmed their participation in the third
round of the Doha talks scheduled to start on June 30, a Taliban spokesperson
had told AFP after snubbing an invitation to the previous round.
The
sources said Pakistan's Special Representative on Afghanistan Asif Durrani and
Ahmad Naseem Warraich, assistant secretary for West Asia in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, will represent Pakistan in the talks.
It
should be noted that Pakistan has times and again requested the Taliban
government to stop cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan into Pakistan by
preventing its territory from being used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) and other terrorist groups.
The
diplomatic sources said the Afghan Taliban’s interim government had boycotted
the second Doha talks of 2024 over the participation of women and civil society
representatives.
It would
be the first time that Afghanistan’s interim administration will sit face to
face with special representatives on Afghanistan from different parts of the
world, they maintained.
The
sources said prior to the Doha talks, the United Nations held consultations
with representatives of the Afghan civil society present inside and outside
Afghanistan.
After
completion of the talks, representatives of the civil society members and women
would hold discussion with the special representatives on Afghanistan on July
2.
“In the
third Doha talks, progress on recognising the Afghan Taliban and Afghanistan's
interim government is out of the question,” the diplomatic sources added.
Restrictions
on women’s rights continue to prevent Afghanistan’s “reintegration” into the
international community, a senior UN official said on June 21, noting the
Taliban’s participation in upcoming talks in Doha is not legitimisation of the
isolated government.
Since
their 2021 return to power, Taliban authorities have not been formally
recognised by any nation.
Restrictions
on women and girls, particularly in education, “deprive the country of vital
human capital” and lead to a brain drain that undermines the impoverished
country’s future, Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in the country,
UNAMA, told the UN Security Council.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1204147-pakistan-to-attend-un-hosted-doha-talks-on-afghanistan
--------
Iddat
case: PTI slams verdict against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi
June 27,
2024
ISLAMABAD:
Reacting to the rejection of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan
and his wife Bushra Bibi's appeals in the iddat case, the former ruling party
has announced challenging the verdict in the high court.
The
Imran Khan-founded party slammed the district and sessions court's
"ridiculous" decision to reject the pleas seeking suspension of the
sentences handed down to party founder and his wife in the iddat case.
Speaking
outside the court in Islamabad, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan said that
the party will be challenging the verdict in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
"We
will challenge this verdict in the high court at once," the National Assembly
opposition leader said while lamenting the "politicisation and
weaponisation" of private matters between a husband and a wife.
The
party's reaction comes after Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced
the verdict, reserved on Tuesday, with the hearing on the central plea related
to the annulment of their conviction set to take place on July 2.
The PTI
founder and Bushra were each sentenced to seven years in prison in February
earlier this year after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent as
Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, moved the court against the couple's
marriage.
The
couple were indicted in the iddat case on January 16, 2024. After a 14-hour
hearing in the Adiala jail, the trial court reserved its verdict on February 2
and handed out seven years imprisonment each to Khan and Bushra on February 3.
In the
10-page order today, the court mentioned that there was no reason to suspend
the sentence.
"...[there
is] no ground for suspension of [the] sentence is available to both the petitioners.
Accordingly, both the petitions under section 426 Cr.PC are dismissed," it
said.
Continuing
his media talk, Ayub fired a broadside at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and
recalled that he had unequivocally communicated to the premier on the assembly
floor that no talks would be held unless Khan, Bushra, senior party leaders
including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Sanam Javed and all those currently
incarcerated are freed and their charges are withdrawn.
"God
willing, our movement will speed up in future and we will protest
everywhere," he added.
Meanwhile,
the party, reacting to the district and session court's verdict said:
"Absolutely ridiculous [...] A case that is unprecedentedly despicable in
both our country's as well as Islamic history; has been globally condemned and
brought immense embarrassment to Pakistan."
"Every
single individual responsible for fabricating and carrying this case will go
down in the dirtiest, darkest alleys of history," read the statement
issued on the party's official X account.
Khan,
who is currently incarcerated at the Adaila jail in Rawalpindi, was likely to
be released if the verdict was in his favour. The PTI founder remains acquitted
in the Toshakhana and cipher cases, respectively, while his guarantee in £190m
pounds has also been approved.
The
former prime minister has also been granted bail in the May 9 cases registered
in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad. On the other hand, the Federal
Investigation Agency also twice interrogated him in jail regarding an
anti-state post shared on X, formerly Twitter. There is, however, no new case
against the PTI founder.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1204142-iddat-case-pti-slams-verdict-against-imran-khan-bushra-bibi
--------
Iddat
case: Court rejects Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi's pleas to suspend sentence
June 27,
2024
ISLAMABAD:
In a major upset for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his
wife Bushra Bibi, a district and sessions court in Islamabad Thursday rejected
their pleas seeking suspension of sentences in the iddat case.
PTI
founder and Bushra were each sentenced to seven years in prison in February
earlier this year after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent as
Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, moved the court against the couple's
marriage.
Additional
Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict on the appeals against the
sentence today, which was reserved on June 25.
Meanwhile,
the hearing on the main plea challenging the conviction in the case is set to
take place on July 2.
In the
10-page order, the court mentioned that there was no reason to suspend the
sentence.
"...[there
is] no ground for suspension of [the] sentence is available to both the petitioners.
Accordingly, both the petitions under section 426 Cr.PC are dismissed," it
said.
In
response to the verdict issued by the lower court, PTI Secretary General Omar
Ayub Khan said: “[We] will challenge the verdict in the high court
immediately.”
Following
the announcement, PTI workers began protesting outside the district and
sessions court and also blocked the road. The protesters include women, who
chanted slogans in favour of the PTI founder.
Meanwhile,
heavy police deployment was also present outside the court.
Khan,
the deposed prime minister who was ousted from power via the opposition's
no-confidence motion in April 2022, has been facing a slew of charges ranging
from corruption to terrorism since his removal as the premier.
He has
been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in the
Toshakhana case and subsequently sentenced in other cases ahead of the February
8 elections.
Despite
securing relief in other cases including £190 million reference and Toshakhana,
and acquittal in the cipher case earlier this month, the former premier remains
behind bars due to his conviction in the iddat case.
Khan has
also been granted bail in the May 9 cases registered in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and
Faisalabad. On the other hand, the Federal Investigation Agency also twice
interrogated him in the jail regarding an anti-state post shared on X, formerly
Twitter. There is, however, no new case against the PTI founder.
What is
the iddat case?
The case
first came to the surface when a petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, had claimed that
Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married
Khan on January 1, 2018, despite the fact that her iddat period — the time a
woman goes into isolation after her husband dies or divorces her — had not ended,
"which is against the Sharia and Muslim norms."
A
district and sessions court in Islamabad then rejected the plea. The court
termed the petition “inadmissible” and said that it fell outside its
jurisdiction, prior to which the petitioner withdrew his plea.
Later,
Bushra’s former husband Khawar Maneka had filed a complaint against the
"un-Islamic marriage" of Khan and Bushra in the court of Civil Judge
Qudratullah on November 25, 2023, under the under Sections 34, 496, 496-B of
the Pakistan Penal Code.
The
couple were indicted in the iddat case on January 16, 2024. After a 14-hour
hearing in the Adiala jail, the trial court reserved its verdict on February 2
and handed out seven years imprisonment each to Imran and Bushra on February 3.
The case
was also earlier heard by Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand against whom Maneka
had indicated a lack of confidence, seeking transfer of the case to the court
of Judge Majoka by the Islamabad High Court.
The
former first couple was represented by their lawyers Salman Akram Raja, Salman
Safdar and Usman Gill in the case. Meanwhile, Advocate Zahid Asif argued on
behalf of Maneka, opposing the appeals against the suspension of the sentence.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1204080-iddat-case-court-rejects-imran-khan-bushra-bibis-pleas-to-suspend-sentence
--------
India
76
trainees from Saudi Arabia’s naval forces train with Indian navy
June 27,
2024
RIYADH:
Trainees from the King Fahad Naval Academy of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces have
joined the First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy at Southern Naval Command
in Kochi.
The
76-strong group is the second batch of trainees to undergo training with the
1TS, with the first attending in May–June 2023.
“This is
the second time Saudi navy officers are being trained at this facility in
Kochi, India. Last year, we had 55 Saudi cadets for similar training,” said
Suhel Ajaz Khan, Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
“We are
happy at growing defense cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. It
indicates mutual trust and depth of our growing bilateral relations,” he added.
The
Saudi Naval Forces trainees joined 1TS on June 24. A statement from India’s
Ministry of Defense said they were warmly welcomed by Senior Officer 1TS, Capt.
Anshul Kishore, during an inaugural address outlining the four-week long
training program.
The
curriculum ranges from basic seamanship to simulator-based training during the
harbor phase. The sea phase focuses on practical exposure to the nuances of
life at sea. The trainees will also be familiarized with sail training.
The
cadets will train alongside their Indian counterparts, fostering camaraderie
and mutual understanding between both groups.
RSNF
Chief of Staff Adm. Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily visited Southern Naval Command
in January during an official visit. The Kingdom and India have long enjoyed
friendly bilateral relations and there is now a steady growth in defense
cooperation between New Delhi and Riyadh.
In
January 2023, in an article for Arab News on Indian Republic Day, N. Ram Prasad
— then deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh — said
cooperation continued to increase as the two countries explored new avenues to
cement their growing partnership, with a focus on making the world a safer and
more secure place.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2538981/saudi-arabia
--------
Reasi
and the ‘years-old’ issue of cross-border terror
In
India’s responses to Pakistan-backed terror, New Delhi needs to sharpen its
definition of what is an ‘unacceptable’ terror attack
June 28,
2024
VIVEK
KATJU
The
Reasi terrorist attack of June 9, the day the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi,
took his oath of office for a third term, is reminiscent of the attack on the
Consulate General of India (CGI), Herat, Afghanistan on May 23, 2014, three
days prior to his first swearing-in. Nine pilgrims lost their lives in the
attack in Reasi (in Jammu and Kashmir) and 41 were injured. Fortunately, the
four Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who attacked CGI Herat were detected in time.
One of the terrorists who reached the door of the building was neutralised by
an alert Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan. The terrorists had come with
the intention of taking hostages and a long-haul operation to coincide with Mr.
Modi’s oath-taking ceremony. Clearly, both attacks had the same objective: to
embarrass and enrage Mr. Modi and India on a day of great political
significance.
The
possibility of the Reasi attack’s links with terrorist groups in Pakistan
remains high. The Jammu division has witnessed many terrorist incidents over
the past few months, including after the Reasi attack. They profile the persistence
of the terrorist challenge India has faced for almost 35 years especially in
J&K. How far has the country succeeded in dealing with this grave problem?
Pakistan
and separatists in J&K were encouraged by the success of the Afghan Jihad.
Pakistan thought that if a superpower could be defeated by Afghan Islamist
groups, other such groups could be used to pressure India in Kashmir through
mass uprisings, violence against minorities, and terrorist actions against
prominent personalities and the security forces, leading this country to
abandon Kashmir. The Indian state and its security forces took time to craft
defensive counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism approaches in the first half
of the 1990s.
The
Pakistan Army and its political class are committed to the “Kashmir cause”. In
the late 1980s and early 1990s, both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto who became
Pakistan’s Prime Ministers in turn were supportive of the promotion of
separatism in J&K by the army and intelligence agencies, through the use of
terror. Ms. Bhutto decided not to hold talks with India in 1994 unless India
was willing to purposefully engage Pakistan on J&K in a manner Pakistan
prescribed. Consequently, there was no dialogue between the two countries while
she was in office. Mr. Sharif became Prime Minister in 1997, for the second
time. He decided to change Ms. Bhutto’s policy and engage India.
Pakistan
desired a structured dialogue with India which would focus on all issues —
humanitarian, conflict resolution and the development of cooperative
mechanisms. Within this rubric, its focus was on ‘disputes’, J&K being the
priority. However, India wished to discuss Pakistani terrorism as a separate
issue in the dialogue process. By the mid-1990s, India had gained the
confidence to manage Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in J&K. While it was
exacting a toll in lives and had disrupted normalcy, the apprehension that
Pakistan would take the State out of India’s grip had gone. The decision to
hold Assembly elections in J&K in 1996 was a signal that while the
application of force to counter terrorism was necessary and would continue,
there was space to begin political activity.
India’s
choosing diplomacy, dialogue
Thus, a
combination of force and the restoration of political activity was used to
address the problem in Kashmir: a problem within India’s internal jurisdiction.
Distinct from the problem in Kashmir was the issue of Kashmir. This related to
the recovery of the State’s territory in Pakistani control. Under the Simla
Agreement of 1972, India was committed to resolving this issue peacefully,
through negotiations. However, in 1972, the idea that Pakistan would promote
terrorism through Islamist non-state actors under its control had not been
contemplated. Hence, the constraints imposed by the Simla Agreement became void
once Pakistan resorted to terrorism and India could legitimately treat
Pakistani terrorism as a ‘strategic’ issue, i.e., one which required the
application of force in the external sphere. However, India chose the path of
diplomacy and dialogue.
India
and Pakistan agreed on the mechanics of a bilateral composite dialogue in
September 1998. The composite dialogue listed ‘terrorism and counter-narcotics’
as one of the eight issues of engagement. It became clear to India from the
very first bilateral exchange on this issue in October 1998, that Pakistan was
unwilling to address India’s concerns. This has continued to remain Pakistan’s
attitude because the calibrated use of terrorist groups against India became a
part of its security doctrine from the 1990s. Pakistan has adopted this
approach for, if nothing else, it has meant pinning down an estimated two lakh
security personnel in J&K to handle terrorism. That is a conservative
number.
From
1998 to 2016, all three Prime Ministers — Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh
and Narendra Modi — pursued the path of diplomacy, as part of the Composite
Dialogue, to address Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Indeed, Dr. Manmohan Singh
tried to insulate the larger bilateral relationship by establishing with
Pakistan a joint anti-terrorism mechanism, but it went nowhere.
The
problem with the diplomatic approach was that public opinion in India was for
military action after an ‘unacceptable’ terrorist attack or provocative and
‘unacceptable’ Pakistani action. However, governments chose only to withdraw
from the dialogue process. A prominent illustration of this proposition was
witnessed after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack when Dr. Manmohan Singh opted
out of the dialogue process; he chose to garner global diplomatic support
against Pakistan. There was public pressure to take kinetic action but he opted
not to. Earlier, India had seriously considered using its military forces
against Pakistan in December 2001, as a reaction to the terror attack on
Parliament. It was the bravery and the sacrifice of Parliament’s security
personnel which had prevented the killing of a number of Indian political
leaders. The A.B. Vajpayee government mobilised the Indian armed forces but
eventually decided not to go to war because President Pervez Musharraf gave an
assurance that Pakistan would not use territory under its control to promote
terrorism against India. It did not keep its word.
The use
of pre-emption
Where
India actually departed from the use of diplomacy and used military force
against Pakistani terrorism was after the Pulwama attack of 2019. It undertook
the Balakot aerial strike (2019) and also announced a doctrine of pre-emption.
Earlier too it had used force in a limited way by way of undertaking surgical
strikes in the wake of the Uri terrorist attack of September 2016. Despite
these undertakings, the ambiguity on the use of force remains. Obviously,
kinetic action is to be undertaken against an ‘unacceptable’ attack. Besides,
the doctrine of pre-emption is based on the right to take out terrorist targets
if preparations are being made in Pakistan to launch an ‘unacceptable’
terrorist attack. The question is what is ‘unacceptable.
It may
be also pointed out that India used the full strength of its defence forces to defeat
Pakistan’s regular military intrusion in Kargil in 1999, but that situation
obviously did not come within the rubric of terrorism. Hence, sustained kinetic
action did not pose a dilemma.
Pakistan’s
use of terrorism against its neighbours is generally recognised by the major
powers. Its reliance on plausible deniability has not been sustainable for
years. India too has given material linking Pakistani terrorist groups to
terrorist incidents but Pakistan has not taken action against them. This was clear
after the Mumbai terrorist attack. After the Pathankot airbase attack in
January 2016, India allowed a Pakistani team which included an Inter-Services
Intelligence officer to visit the airbase. However, Pakistan again did not take
the investigation forward. Despite these cases, it is important to pursue the
practice of sharing information and evidence in terrorist cases to ensure the
credibility of Indian assertions with the international community.
After
the Reasi attack, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed the
ambitious intention of finding a “solution to years-old cross-border
terrorism”. He could begin the process of putting a curb on Pakistani terror by
pointing out to the international community that the first step on an
escalatory ladder between nuclear countries is the use of terror.
Vivek
Katju is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/reasi-and-the-years-old-issue-of-cross-border-terror/article68341431.ece
--------
Homes
demolished, NSA invoked over cow slaughter allegations in Madhya Pradesh
Police
action comes after a man complained that he had seen some people slaughtering a
cow and when he opposed it, he was attacked
Written
by Anand Mohan J
June 27,
2024
madhya
pradesh cow slaughtering, homes demolished in morenaPolice team claimed to have
seized beef and cow skin from a house in the Bengali colony in Noorabad village
(File Photo)
A team
of district administration demolished the houses of two men accused of cow
slaughter in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district, said the police, adding that the
houses were “completely illegal” and built “without permission”.
The case
had come to the fore on Friday evening after a villager identified as Anipal
Gurjar had complained to the police that he had seen some people slaughtering a
cow and when he opposed it, he was attacked by them.
Later in
the night, a police team reached the Bengali colony in Noorabad village in the
district and claimed to have seized beef and cow skin from a house. In total
the police claimed to have seized two sacks of bones and beef, besides the cow
skin, from the house.
The
police have registered a case against nine people under the Madhya Pradesh
Anti-Cow Slaughtering Act, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the
Indian Penal Code provisions for rioting, assaulting and intimidation. Later,
the stringent National Security Act (NSA) was also invoked against the accused
after the recovery of cow meat. So far, six people have been arrested in the
case and three are absconding.
According
to the police, “Three people involved in the case are absconding, and a search
operation is underway in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to nab them…the accused involved
in the case are not natives of Morena district and had settled here in search
of work.”
After
the incident, the local administration had surveyed the village of the accused,
following which a team razed the houses of the two accused and foundations of a
third house.
“According
to the revenue officials, the houses of the accused are illegal and were built
without permission. Notices were also issued for the same but no one responded
to it, as a result of which the houses were demolished and a police force was
dispatched to coordinate with the local administration,” said a police officer
familiar with the matter.
According
to officials, the local gram panchayat had also issued them a notice in the
past. “After that, the accused were again given a notice on June 22, but they
neither responded nor removed the encroachment, after which, on the orders of
the Gram Panchayat, their houses were demolished with the help of the police
and the district administration,” said the official.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cow-slaughter-allegations-madhya-pradesh-demolition-nsa-9417645/
--------
North America
Harvard
looks to combat antisemitism, anti-Muslim bias after protests over war in Gaza
June 27,
2024
CAMBRIDGE,
Mass. (AP) — Two task forces charged with proposing ways to combat anti-Muslim,
anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism at Harvard University
have delivered preliminary recommendations to the school’s interim president
Alan Garber.
The
recommendations issued Wednesday focus on more than a dozen areas where the
school can act quickly, officials said.
“We must
strengthen our ties with a sustained commitment to engaging each other with tact,
decency, and compassion,” Garber wrote.
The
recommendations follow a tough academic year for the university that ended with
student protests over Harvard’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
While
each task force reported hearing very different experiences from community
members, some common themes emerged, including a perception that the university
has fallen short of its stated values, specifically those that celebrate
diversity while respecting differences.
“Intentional
engagement with diversity is a very important skill that all our students
should have, regardless of what school they attend. Not having those skills and
the tools to engage has serious consequences for our world,” Ali Asani,
co-chair of the Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and
Anti-Palestinian Bias, said in a statement.
Jared
Ellias, co-chair of the Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, said Harvard has
to appreciate its global ambitions mean it’s going to bring together “a
gigantically different group of people where what they have in common is their
excellence.”
He said
teaching students doesn’t mean sugarcoating conflict among peers, instructors,
and future colleagues, neighbors, and friends.
“I think
we have to start being more intentional in saying that we aren’t going to agree
with every idea that everybody has, and we’re not going to agree with every
version of the world that people might want to create,” he said.
School
officials said the recommendations emphasize the need to create a safe
environment for community members in part by publicly denouncing the
consequences of harassment, including doxxing — the publication or release of
private information as an act of punishment or retaliation.
The task
force also recommended a Harvard-wide audit of academic resources related to
Islam, the Middle East, and Palestine studies, as well as Arab, Middle Eastern,
and Islamic studies across the university’s faculties.
Many
Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and pro-Palestinian Harvard affiliates said they
felt unsafe physically and in terms of their careers as students, faculty, and
staff in expressing their opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the report
said.
Those
involved in the task forces also asked the school to act against what they
described as the derision, social exclusion, and hostility that Jewish,
Israeli, and pro-Israel community members have experienced.
“Training
for instructional staff and at student orientation programs must clarify the
difference between a challenging classroom atmosphere, which is healthy and constructive,
and a threatening one, which is toxic,” said Derek Penslar, co-chair of the
Task Force on Combating Antisemitism.
The task
force also called for greater antisemitism awareness training.
Another
recommendation is that the school improve kosher and halal food options in the
dining halls.
“All of
our students deserve convenient access to tasty and nutritious food,” Penslar
added. “So long as Harvard does not provide these forms of accommodation, it is
signaling that religiously observant Jewish and Muslim students are not welcome
here.”
Harvard
University announced the task forces in January as it struggled to manage its
campus response to the Israel-Hamas war,
The
formation of the task forces followed the resignation of Harvard president
Claudine Gay, who faced a backlash over her congressional testimony on
antisemitism as well as plagiarism accusations.
Some
Jewish students filed a lawsuit against Harvard earlier this year, accusing the
school of becoming “a bastion of rampant anti-Jewish hatred and harassment.”
Toward
the end of the academic year, pro-Palestinian students and activists
established encampments on university campuses around the country including at
Harvard. At some campuses, police were called to dismantle those sites.
Protesters
at Harvard voluntarily took down their tents last month after university
officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment. Protesters
remained at odds with the university after the school announced that 13
students who participated in a protest encampment would not be able to receive
diplomas alongside their classmates.
At
Harvard’s commencement, hundreds of students in graduation robes walked out of
Harvard Yard chanting “Free, free Palestine.”
Source: apnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://apnews.com/article/harvard-antisemitism-antimuslim-antipalestinian-bias-reports-478ede074448ce1425db344bf13d22f4
--------
Busy
with Ukraine war, Russia ignoring growing Islamist terror threat, experts say
June 27,
2024
While
the world has been focused on Russia’s two-year war in Ukraine, Sunday's
attacks in Dagestan, a majority-Muslim republic in Russia’s North Caucasus
region, were just the latest reminder of Moscow’s long-running conflict with
radical Islamists.
Gunmen
in Dagestan’s two largest cities — the regional capital, Makhachkala, and
Derbent — targeted a police post, two Orthodox churches and a synagogue,
killing 21 people, including an Orthodox priest and 16 police officers. Dozens
more were injured.
According
to Dagestan’s regional head, Sergei Melikov, five attackers were killed.
While
there has been no direct claim of responsibility for the attack, the
South-Central Asian regional branch of the Islamic State jihadist group
welcomed the attack as a response to its call for such strikes.
“Our
recent call did not keep us waiting long,” said a statement which appeared on
Al-Azaim Media, a Russian-language channel associated with Islamic State in
Khorasan Province (also known as IS-K or ISIS-K), as quoted by the Washington
Post.
“Our
brothers from the Caucasus let us know that they are still strong. They showed
what they are capable of,” the statement said.
IS
claimed responsibility for an earlier attack in March on the Crocus City Hall
concert venue in Moscow that killed 145 people. Unnamed U.S. officials were
quoted as saying ISIS-K recruited the four gunmen who conducted the assault,
identified as citizens of Tajikistan.
Last
October, just weeks after Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis in neighborhoods
adjoining the Gaza Strip, a mob at Dagestan’s Makhachkala Airport, including
people carrying Palestinian flags and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” tried to find
people who had arrived on a flight from Israel to prevent them from entering
Dagestan.
The
airport incident suggested that Islamist radicalism has not dissipated among
separatists in the North Caucasus, including those in Chechnya who fought two
wars against Moscow in the mid-1990s and 2000s.
Yet
Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the incident on “agents of Western
special services” in Ukraine, who he said were “trying to inspire pogroms in
Russia” in order to weaken it, The Associated Press reported.
While
Putin blamed “radical Islamists” for the Crocus concert hall attack, he also
implicated Ukraine and accused the United States of “trying to convince its
satellites and other countries of the world that there is supposedly no trace
of Kyiv in the Moscow terrorist attack."
Experts
interviewed by VOA’s Russian Service said the Kremlin’s focus on prosecuting
its war against Ukraine means it has taken its eyes off the terrorist threat.
“From
the point of view of the country’s leadership, the main thing is the war in
Ukraine. The rest is secondary,” said Alexander Cherkasov, chair of Russian
human rights organization Memorial, which was ordered to close by a court in
Moscow in December 2021.
Memorial,
together with the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine, and Ales Bialiatski,
director of the Viasna Human Rights Center in Belarus, were awarded the 2022 Nobel
Peace Prize.
“The
[Russian] security forces who look for ‘saboteurs’ in [Ukraine’s] Kherson
region and uncover oppositionists in Russia have no time to deal with real
terrorists,” he said.
That
view was echoed by Sergei Lukashevsky, a veteran of Russia’s human rights
movement who for 14 years headed Moscow’s Sakharov Center, named after
Soviet-era dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.
“Naturally,
the special services now have a main task related to the interests of the
regime in the occupied [Ukrainian] territories. Their attention to everything
else is on a residual basis,” said Lukashevsky, who fled with his family to
Germany after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February
2022.
“We see
PR work during which the authorities reassure the population. Therefore, all
the blame for various terrorist attacks is placed not on international
terrorism but on the United States, the West and Ukraine. But this is all pure
propaganda. Such measures cannot extinguish the manifestations of radicalism,”
Lukashevsky told VOA.
He
pointed to another factor that has raised the threat of terrorism inside
Russia: a flood of illegal weapons from the war in Ukraine.
“The
number of illegal guns has increased noticeably since the start of the war in
Ukraine,” Lukashevsky said. “So, there is absolutely nothing surprising in the
events in Dagestan. They were quite easily predicted.”
Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that armed Islamist radicalism was on the rise
in Dagestan, insisting “the kind of criminal behavior that we saw yesterday in
Dagestan is not supported by society, either in Russia or in Dagestan,” the
Washington Post reported.
While
Putin has not publicly commented on the Dagestan attacks, some officials,
including Federation Council head Valentina Matviyenko and Leonid Slutsky,
chairman of the foreign affairs committee in parliament’s lower house claimed
the attacks were planned from abroad.
Abdulhakim
Gadzhiev, a Dagestani member of the State Duma, was more concrete, claiming the
attacks were connected to the special services of Ukraine and NATO countries.
However,
Dmitry Rogozin, a Federation Council senator who is known for his pro-Kremlin
and anti-Western views, warned against falling back on that blame game.
“I
believe that if we attribute every terrorist attack involving national and
religious intolerance, hatred and Russophobia to the machinations of Ukraine
and NATO, then this pink fog will lead us to big problems,” he wrote in post on
Telegram. “In someone else's eye we see a speck, but in our own, we cannot see
a log. It's about time.”
Source: voanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.voanews.com/a/busy-with-ukraine-war-russia-ignoring-growing-islamist-terror-threat-experts-say/7676121.html
--------
Biden
Will Allow Iran To Run Absentee Voter Stations on American Soil for Islamic
Republic’s ‘Sham Elections’
June 27,
2024
The
Biden administration will allow Iran — designated as a state sponsor of
terrorism since 1984 — to set up more than 30 absentee voter stations in
America in the upcoming presidential election this Friday to replace President
Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
Iran’s
rigged election includes six candidates who were cherry-picked by the Islamic
Republic’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, the Sun reported, after more than 80
others had attempted to join the race.
An
Iranian Foreign Ministry director, Alireza Mahmoudi, said that Tehran is
planning to set up the stations at Washington and New York, Voice of America
reported, as Iran says that America accounts for 30 percent of its overseas
population — more than any other country.
For
years, Iran’s repressive government has led to a surge in emigration, the
Migration Policy Institute notes, and while Iran’s population doubled from 1979
to 2019, the number of emigrants grew threefold.
“Calling
out the Islamic Republic’s rigged elections while also permitting it to take
place on U.S. soil is not only contradictory but also sends the wrong message to
the Iranian people who have boycotted the regime’s sham elections,” a research
analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Janatan Sayeh, said.
“Instead,”
Mr. Sayeh added, “the United States should join Canada and Iran’s civil society
in curbing the regime’s effort to falsely portray itself as legitimate and
popular amongst its people.”
America
should be standing with the Iranian people rather than their authoritarian
government, a Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow, Behnam Ben
Taleblu, said.
“For
almost a decade, Iranians have been taking to the streets not for reform but
for wholesale revolution against the structure of power in Tehran,” he noted.
“This phenomenon is coterminous with historic lows in presidential and parliamentary
election turnout.”
The
Biden administration is citing the ballot stations being allowed in both 2021
and under President Trump in 2017, VOA reported.
“We have
no expectations that Iran’s election will be free or fair,” a State Department
representative tells the Sun, adding that foreign governments carrying out
election activities in America must follow regulations.
“We
respect the right of Iranian citizens and the diaspora protesting Iran’s
elections,” the representative added. “The Iranians have always conducted
polling activity in the United States; this is not new.”
The
State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator, Elizabeth Richard, warned
earlier this year that Iran has “long been directly involved in attack plotting
against the U.S. homeland and U.S. personnel and activities” and said recent
years have seen a “rise in plotting attacks against American citizens or on
American soil.”
“Iran
also continues to support a range of proxies, who are engaged in terrorist
plots and activities in the Middle East and beyond,” she wrote in a statement
before the House Homeland Security Committee. Hamas would not have been able to
carry out its devastating October 7 terrorist attack without Iran’s long-time
assistance, funding, and training.”
Source: nysun.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.nysun.com/article/biden-will-allow-iran-to-run-absentee-voter-stations-on-american-soil-for-islamic-republics-sham-elections
--------
Israeli
colonization of mainstream Western media
27 June
2024
Western
media outlets, having been colonized by Israel, misrepresent the truth about
the struggle for the Liberation of Palestine, with an intrinsic bias toward
Israel.
The
Leader of the Islamic Revolution summed up the media's role as a Zionist
bulwark in a letter to US students protesting against the complicity in
genocide of their respective universities.
On May
30, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution published a letter he had written to
protesting students on US campuses.
The
letter began: 'as the page of history is turning, you're standing on the right
side of it'. Amongst his words of advice was a statement about the role of the
media, ‘the global Zionist elite, who own most US and European media
corporations, or influence them through funding and bribery, has labeled this
courageous, humane resistance movement, as terrorism’.
To
Western ears, this may sound like an exaggeration or a simplistic account of
how the media works, but let us examine the various elements of the media
system and how it is influenced.
The
first, and perhaps the most important element to note, is that setting the tone
of coverage in Western media is the role of official sources, defining what is
deemed legitimate violence and what is not.
Thus, in
the case of Palestine, Zionist regime sources have a built-in advantage over
those of the resistance.
This is
why we see the overwhelming blanket coverage of Zionist inventions like the 40
beheaded babies claim or the mass rape thesis, or even the claim that Hamas
killed 1,200.
These
claims have been debunked time and again since October 7, but they still retain
a meaningful grip on the Western imagination.
Even
more fundamental than that is the definition of terrorism, which is embedded in
the counterterrorism apparatus of most of the countries in the West
For
example, between 2003 and 2015, neoconservative counter-terror policies were
adopted by the UK, EU, Netherlands, France, and Spain.
These
policies moved away from a law enforcement approach and adopted a policy based
on radicalization in which non-violent ideas, values, and, practices come to be
seen as suspect and are subject to state sanctions.
A
fundamental and primary threat is seen to come from Islam, but concepts such as
‘Islamism’ and ‘Islamic Terrorism’ derive in origin substantially from the
efforts of Zionist intellectuals, with a specific impetus from Benjamin
Netanyahu himself, via a conference organized in 1984 in Washington D.C.
As a
result, because official sources inside a particular country are more dominant
than those of a foreign power, such as the Zionist entity, any news about
political violence or Islam, the security and intelligence sources of France,
Spain, or the UK predominate, but Zionist assumptions have already been baked
into these policies.
The
mainstream media is locked into a structure of misinformation about political
violence, which itself is influenced by the Zionist entity and by the
structural preference for the views of genocidal Zionists over those of their
victims.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/06/27/728241/Western-media-colonized-by-Zionism
--------
NATO
Selects Mark Rutte of the Netherlands as Next Secretary General
2024-06-27
KABUL(BNA):
North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO), the military alliance formed by the
United States, Britain, the European Union, and several other nations, has
announced the appointment of it’s new Secretary General to succeed Jens
Stoltenberg.
The new
Secretary General of this organization is Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, who
may start his work after October 1st.
NATO has
32 member countries, including 30 European countries and two other North
American countries, the United States of America and Canada.
In 2021,
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan achieved victory over NATO, a military
alliance engaged in various global conflicts since its establishment including
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan largely centered on occupation efforts.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/nato-selects-mark-rutte-of-the-netherlands-as-next-secretary-general/
--------
Europe
Muslims
in rural England consider how to 'vote for Gaza' in UK general election
27 June,
2024
For
British Muslims living in rural England and moved by events in Gaza, casting
their vote in the upcoming UK general election feels like dropping a pebble in
a blue ocean of conservatism.
The
governing Conservative Party has been known as the 'party of the countryside'
for centuries due to its advocacy of rural issues, such as farming subsidies,
wildlife conservation, and support for the local high streets.
Apathy
towards the two main political parties - the right-wing Conservatives and
centre-left Labour Party - ahead of the 4 July poll has reached all corners of
the country, and one of those is Wiltshire, southwest England, known best for
the UNESCO World Heritage site of Stonehenge and 'Wiltshire roasted ham' found
in many supermarket sandwiches across the UK.
Less
known is that Wiltshire is home to the second-largest Moroccan community in the
UK outside London.
The New
Arab travelled to Trowbridge to meet some of UK's Muslim community who have
forged a small but significant presence in the rural town, and found voters
grappling with a range of domestic, social, and international issues.
A small
but growing Muslim community
Trowbridge
has a population of 37,000 and is the county town of Wiltshire. In 1997, the
Moroccan migrant community established the town's first mosque, and it later
became twinned with the northeast Moroccan city of Oujda in 2006 - the first
town in England to do so.
Today,
the Muslim population in the predominantly white and Christian area has slowly
grown. According to the most recent 2021 UK census, 0.7 percent of Wiltshire's
population identifies as Muslim, up from 0.4 percent in 2011.
It has
developed since the 1990s, when Mohammed Miri left Oujda followed in the
footsteps of other young Moroccans who had moved to Trowbridge for work,
finding a job at an education suppliers warehouse in the rural town.
"We're
still a very small minority to be honest," Mohammed told The New Arab,
standing alongside his wife Imane at a gathering to celebrate the Islamic
festival of Eid al-Adha, organised by the Wiltshire Islamic Community Centre.
Gaza
'number one' priority over local worries
For the
first time, the 52-year-old will not be voting Labour on 4 July and will
instead cast a 'protest vote'.
Mohammed
knows that the South West Wiltshire constituency has been a Conservative seat
for years, but feels strongly that the UK's two main political parties have
taken the wrong stance on the war in Gaza.
The
eruption of the Gaza conflict and Sir Keir Starmer's apparent backing of Israel
"with a blank check" prompted Mohammed to divert from Labour, a party
traditionally supported by British Muslims.
The
Moroccan-British family say they are encouraging people to "vote Green at
least", referring to the progressive climate-centred party. Mohammed and
Imane have noticed similar grievances shared about the Labour Party on their
social media feeds.
Since
October, Rishi Sunak's Conservative-led government has not wavered from its
American allies and stood with Israel, even as calls to stop arms sales grew
louder at home after three British citizens were among seven aid workers killed
by Israeli drones in April.
Rosabel
Crean
"I
liked Labour, especially when Jeremy Corbyn was party leader," Mohammed
recalled. "He was a man of his word, I felt that he was honest."
Imane
noted other concerns for the family ahead of the election. She is worried about
the housing crisis in Wiltshire, now that their four children are growing out
of the two-bed social housing they were allocated by the council after a long
wait years ago.
Mohammed
was recently made redundant, and he conceded that the cost of living and
housing were both major worries, but, he said, the Gaza conflict is still their
"number one" priority.
'Always
voted Conservative'
Finance
officer Shazuli Iqbal and his wife Souhaina moved from London to Trowbridge
nearly 20 years ago when there "was not even a single shop" in the
town.
Originally
from Sri Lanka, 55-year-old Shazuli is chairman of the Wiltshire Islamic
Cultural Centre which organised the Eid Al-Adha event in Trowbridge last
weekend.
Around
100 people enjoyed the festivities, which included a barbecue, homemade South
Asian dishes, Turkish music, and a bouncy castle.
Speaking
to The New Arab while manning the dessert stand, Souhaina, a science teacher at
a local secondary school, said she had "always voted Conservative".
Working
in schools, she explained, has left her feeling passionately about investment
in education.
"We
don't even have enough glue sticks," she remarked, before adding that
teachers are "not paid enough".
When it
comes to schools for special educational needs and disabilities, Suhaina
particularly worries about funding and resources gaps which have plagued the
field for years.
The
family's 16-year-old son has special needs and Suhaina says Wiltshire is a
"black hole" in support for special needs schools.
But this
year, Suhaina says she will vote differently. She named issues like getting
doctor or dentist appointments, something regularly cited among the British public,
and Sunak's 'Stop the Boats' campaign, as well the situation in the Middle
East, have all pushed her to rethink.
"Even
though it doesn’t affect us directly, it is surrounding us," she said of
the war in Gaza. "We did boycott lots of stuff; like we didn’t shop at
Next, stopped KFC and Coca Cola," the mother of three said.
Protest
vote
Suhaina's
husband Shazuli will likely cast a "protest vote" in response due to
the main parties' positions on Gaza, who he said need to be more balanced,
citing the disparity in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - when
Western governments widely condemned Moscow - to their backing of Israel’s
invasion of Gaza.
Since
Sunak announced the election last month, no parliamentary candidate has reached
out to the Islamic centre, Shazuli said, although added that the previous MP
Andrew Murrison had attended events in the past.
Shazuli
will join Mohammed in his drift towards a protest vote.
"In
Trowbridge you always meet Conservative voters, but we’re just making a point,"
Mohammed said.
"One
thing the leaders should know about us Muslims," he continued. "Is
that standing with this Gaza conflict has hurt us a lot, impacted us a
lot."
Source: newarab.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.newarab.com/news/muslims-rural-england-consider-gaza-uk-general-election
--------
Germany
approves draft to deport dangerous refugees
June 27,
2024
The
German government has officially approved a draft proposal by the Ministry of
Interior aimed at expelling dangerous migrants, specifically those who
sympathize with terrorism.
German
media reported that the draft presented by the country’s Interior Minister was
endorsed in the German Cabinet yesterday, Wednesday, June 26th.
According
to this resolution, migrants who in any way praise terrorism will be expelled
from Germany.
According
to Deutsche Welle, activities on social networks praising or endorsing
terrorism—even in the form of a single comment—are considered a crime.
Nancy
Faeser, the German Interior Minister who prepared this draft, told the media:
“Hate spreaders […] who mentally live in the Stone Age have no place in our
country.”
The
media group Funke reported that according to Ms. Faeser, “Anyone who does not
have a German passport and praises terrorist acts here should be expelled as
far as possible.”
The
proposal to expel dangerous migrants has been approved by the German Cabinet at
a time when several cases of violent acts with Islamic motivations by Muslim
migrants have been reported in this country.
In one
of these incidents, an Afghan migrant attacked a gathering of migrants in
Mannheim, Germany, with a knife, resulting in the death of a police officer and
several other protesters being injured.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/germany-approves-draft-to-deport-dangerous-refugees/
--------
Islamic
State Report and Infographic on Recent Operations in the Congo
Jun 21,
2024
Alongside
the editorial in this week's issue of al-Naba' on the Islamic State's 'jihad in
the Congo,' the same issue has also published a report and an infographic on
the group's recent operations in the Congo. These operations follow the exact
same formula as what the group does in Mozambique: namely, targeting Christian
villages because of their religious identity, killing and displacing the
inhabitants while burning some property and seizing others. In addition, the
group characterises the national army as 'Crusader'. As in Mozambique, this
ideological framing of the insurgency needs to be taken seriously and not
dismissed as a propaganda cloak.
Below
are the translated report and infographic. Parenthetical insertions in square
brackets are my own.
[Click
here to continue reading]:
https://www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/islamic-state-report-and-infographic
Source: aymennjawad.org
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://aymennjawad.org/2024/06/islamic-state-report-and-infographic-on-recent
--------
Yemen
Houthis say they targeted ship in Haifa port with Islamic Resistance in Iraq
June 26,
2024
Yemen’s
Houthis said, on Wednesday, they targeted a ship in Israel’s Haifa port with a
number of drones in a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in
Iraq, Reuters reports.
The
operation targeted the Portuguese-flagged container ship,”MSC Manzanillo”, the
Houthi group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said in a televised speech on
Wednesday.
The
Israeli military is not aware of any such incident, a spokesperson said, and
there was no indication of anything unusual at Haifa port.
The
Houthi group has been launching drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes
since November, in what it says is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The
Houthis first launched drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes in November.
In dozens of attacks, they have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at
least three seafarers.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240626-yemen-houthis-say-they-targeted-ship-in-haifa-port-with-islamic-resistance-in-iraq/
--------
Housing
association helps transform garden at Telford mosque 'for the good of the
community'
28 JUNE
2024
Wrekin
Housing Group and KRM Contractors have transformed the garden at Telford
Central Mosque in King Street, Wellington.
Wrekin,
which provides 'affordable' homes for more than 28,000 people across Telford
and Wrekin, Shropshire and Staffordshire, worked with KRM to overhaul the space
and upgrade the garden.
The
space is now being enjoyed by community members and volunteers for a wide range
of uses, including a gardening club and wellbeing activities.
The area
was cleared by members of Wrekin’s ground maintenance team whilst KRM
Contractors donated its time and materials to install a canopy.
The work
has been carried out as part of Wrekin’s 'social value offer' as it is
currently developing two multi-million pound affordable housing schemes in
Wellington.
Wrekin
is working in partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council, Homes England, The
Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Lovell as part of a £16m
regeneration project at High Street that will include 67 new affordable homes.
Work is
also underway to build 76 new affordable homes for older people at the site of
the former New College, opposite the mosque.
Enise
Goring-Piskin is a Wrekin tenant who attends Telford Central Mosque. She said:
“I’m so pleased by this wonderful development which will enable much more use
of the garden for so many groups of people in all weathers.
“The
canopy will help develop the garden for the good of the community and local
wildlife.
"Our
next step is to plant some climbing plants to grow up around the columns and to
lay a deck on the ground.
"All
the people I have talked to are very grateful to and impressed by Wrekin and
KRM’s significant contribution to the welfare of our community.”
Sam
Hine, social value and inclusion manager at Wrekin, said: “It’s great to see
our contractors giving something back to the community.
"We
always try to ensure social value from our developments and work with all our
contractors and the local community to see what we can collectively offer.
“KRM
have gone above and beyond and have given hours of free labour and thousands of
pounds' worth of materials to create this garden which everyone is delighted
with.
“Good-quality
outdoor space boosts mental and physical wellbeing. The work ourselves and KRM
have carried out will open the door to a range of fulfilling activities for the
local community and will provide a calming space for them to spend time. We’re
excited to see the difference this makes.”
Alan
Rumbles, KRM director, said: “It is always extremely rewarding to help local
causes and it is nice to put something back in to the community where we are
working.
"We
take a great pride in our work and it is nice to see that by working together
with partners like Wrekin, we can deliver wider benefits for local people.”
Source: shropshirestar.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/telford/wellington/2024/06/28/housing-association-and-local-firm-help-transform-garden-at-mosque-for-the-good-of-the-community/
--------
Arab World
Jeddah
University develops AI device that detects preterm births
June 28,
2024
JEDDAH:
The University of Jeddah has developed a device that can detect preterm births
using artificial intelligence technologies combined with the internet,
according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The
device calculates the percentage of amniotic fluid inside the fetal sac and
identifies potential problems at an early stage, the SPA reported on Wednesday.
This
allows for timely medical interventions to help promote fetal lung development
and placental health.
The
innovation was achieved by Dr. Qamar Nayteh and Dr. Youssef Al-Sohafi from the
university’s College of Computer Science and Engineering.
The two
doctors received a gold medal and an international award at Romania’s recent
International Exhibition of Inventions, Innovations and Technology.
“This
demonstrates the efficiency of Saudi innovations and their ability to compete
on the global level,” the report stated.
“It uses
the advanced technologies of ultrasonic sensors and AI to ensure high accuracy,
avoiding false alarms, and the ability to monitor remotely,” it stated.
It also
allows health professionals to follow up on a patient’s condition via mobile
phone applications, which reduces the need for frequent hospital visits.
It has a
user-friendly interface that allows pregnant women to monitor amniotic fluid
levels at home, the report stated.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi
Arabia participates in 57th UNCITRAL session
June 28,
2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia is taking part in the 57th session of the UN Commission on
International Trade Law, which is taking place at the world body’s headquarters
in New York until July 12, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The
Kingdom is being represented at the session by the National Competitiveness
Center, and experts are also attending from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, Ministry of
Investment, the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, the Board
of Grievances, and the Bankruptcy Commission.
Assistant
Minister of Commerce Abdulaziz Al-Duhaim, who is also the head of the Saudi delegation,
spoke of the partnership between the Kingdom and the UN, which is represented
by the Office of Legal Affairs.
He
pointed out how the partnership had led to financial contributions to the
UNCITRAL Trust Fund, which had helped to support many legislative and
procedural developments in the Kingdom’s commercial and investment environment.
He added
that this cooperation had also resulted in several legislative achievements,
most notably the Kingdom’s accession to the UN Convention for the International
Sale of Goods, and the signing of the UN Convention on the International
Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships.
It had
also resulted in developing many new commercial systems projects in the
Kingdom, including the Commercial Transactions System Project, the Commercial
Registry System Project, the Trade Names System Project, and the introduction
of rules regulating cross-border bankruptcy procedures.
Al-Duhaim
said that the Kingdom would continue to work to strengthen the legislative,
commercial and economic environment, and would seek to adopt the best global
practices and experiences, under the provisions of Islamic Sharia, the
provisions of its basic systems and judicial principles, its strategic
interests and priorities, and its international partnerships and cooperation in
priority areas.
He said
that his country would also continue its effective role as the largest economy
in the Middle East, and one of the 20 biggest in the world.
The
Kingdom is participating in the meetings within the framework of its membership
of the organization for the period 2022-2028.
The
opening session witnessed the election of the chairman and vice chairmen,
following decisions taken by the committee.
Among
several topics being discussed are the draft statute for the advisory center;
draft tools for reducing and mitigating disputes; draft provisions for
automated contracting; and legal issues related to the use of distributed
ledger technology in trade.
UNCITRAL
aims to address and remove obstacles in commercial transactions resulting from
national laws regulating international trade. It works to formulate globally
accepted rules, agreements and laws, enact unified commercial laws, and also
provides assistance in law reform projects.
Source: arabnews.com
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From
Paris to Jeddah — diversity shines at World Music Day
June 27,
2024
JEDDAH: A World Music Day event organized by the
French Consulate in Jeddah and the French Embassy in Riyadh featured local and
French artists across a variety of genres.
The
musical evening at the Jeddah Cultural Club included electronic, soul, deep
house, pop and more on the theme of “Franco-Saudi Friendship.”
First
established in France in 1982 under the patronage of then-Minister of Culture
Jack Lang, who now serves as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris,
the Fete de la Musique is celebrated in over 100 countries. Musicians at every
level are invited to perform everywhere, from concert halls to the streets.
In
Jeddah, two female voices were honored — Nadeen Linjawi, otherwise known as
Fulana, and Canine, the brainchild of French composer and singer Magali Cotta.
Fulana,
a rising Saudi singer, gave the opening performance and expressed her gratitude
at being invited to represent the sound of young Saudis.
“Music
has been my entire life; I don’t remember a time where I have ever been my most
authentic self except here (on stage). This is the truest me,” she said.
“It seems
that even when we are extremely happy to celebrate something luxurious or
artistic like music, it is important to remember that when we say
international, it often still applies only to those who don’t have to worry
about basic human needs. What’s more important is to remember how lucky we are,
be grateful for what we have, and send prayers for those who cannot celebrate
International Music Day.”
Linjawi
chose the name “Fulana”, which means “anybody,” because for her, the story she
tells through her music could be anyone’s story. Her songs revolve around loss
of identity, confusion, and loneliness.
In 2023,
she produced seven songs and performed in Jeddah (Balad Beast) and Riyadh
(Middle Beast), as well as Cairo, Amman, and New York during her “Notes on Swimming”
tour. Her album “Banatafkar” was produced with Wall of Sound.
In the
second part of the event, Canine took to the stage leading a group that
captivated the audience with a blend of electro-pop, soul and hip-hop, woven
through with surreal arrangements and deeply intimate lyrics.
The
performance also featured excerpts from influential French personalities such
as philosopher Gilles Deleuze, lawyer Gisele Halimi, and poet Charles
Baudelaire.
In an
exclusive interview with Arab News, Cotta shared insights into her creative
process, inspiration, and the evolution of her unique sound.
She said
the Jeddah event was “a journey exploring the core themes of hope, feminine
strength, nature, and the night, transcending the traditional concert format to
become an immersive experience.”
She
added: “I enjoy collaborating with other artists. My most beautiful
collaborations are with the musicians who accompany me on stage. Whether they
are instrumentalists or singers, they are wonderful performers and add their
sensitivity to the music I have written. Similarly, I consider the sound
engineers who mix my music to be creators in their own right.
“Unfortunately
we did not have time to collaborate with Fulana for this live performance, but
I hope it will happen soon! I was very surprised to find a Saudi female artist
in electronic music. I didn’t expect it, and it was a very pleasant surprise.”
Cotta’s
approach to music combines acoustic and electronic instruments. She explained
how she favors analog synthesizers for their organic warmth, while also
incorporating acoustic instruments like brass and strings for a more delicate
touch. This blend defies conventional boundaries, prioritizing emotional
resonance.
“I use
analog synthesizers rather than digital ones. Their sound is warmer and more
organic. Sometimes, I need even more warmth and fragility, which leads me
towards acoustic sounds. For me, there are no boundaries between acoustic and
electronic sounds. They just need to be as moving as possible at any given
point in the piece,” she said.
Cotta’s
message resonated with the Saudi audience. She expressed a desire to move them,
emphasizing the power of femininity and the group’s representation of musical
roles that are traditionally dominated by males.
“We want
to present a different image of what is expected of ‘femininity.’ For us,
femininity is connected to nature; it can be fragile, but it also possesses
immense strength,” she said.
Cotta’s
performance not only highlighted the Kingdom’s growing electro-pop scene, but also
underscored the universal language of music.
As for
the future, Cotta is currently working on her third album and preparing new
performances for the year ahead. She hopes to return to Saudi Arabia with a new
show.
On June
27, the French Embassy in Riyadh in partnership with Alliance Française, Beast
House and MDL Beast hosted a day-long event dedicated to promoting music
culture.
Beast
House came alive with rhythm, with the line-up including a special performance
by Canine as well as DJ sets by JOJ, Vinyl Mode, and D’JULZ.
Source: arabnews.com
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Madinah’s
Al-Ghars Well site receives visitors following developmental works
June 27,
2024
MADINAH:
Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in Madinah are always particularly interested in those
historic and archaeological monuments linked to Prophet Muhammad, seeking to
learn more about the sites and how their facilities have been developed over
the years.
The
Al-Ghars Well, which is located in Al-Awali neighborhood and close to the
Prophet’s Mosque, is one such example.
It has
undergone developmental works and improvements as part of a program that has
included several mosques and historic and archaeological sites and monuments in
Madinah.
The
program aims to preserve the sites’ architectural characteristics within a
tasteful restoration to enhance the visitors’ experience.
Visitors
to the Al-Ghars Well drink water from water stations and take photos.
A tour
of popular locations takes in many sites, including Uhud Martyrs Square and the
Al-Romat Mountain, as well as the mosques of Quba, Al-Qiblatain, Al-Khandaq,
Al-Ghamama, Al-Ijabah and Al-Saqiya.
Visitors
also search out the historic wells at which the Prophet Muhammad washed, drank
or performed ablution.
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Mideast
Hezbollah
Secretary General: Iranians Will Prove through Presidential Elections the
Islamic Republic’s Might
June 27, 2024
On the
fortieth day after the death of the Iranian President Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi and
his companions in the tragic incident, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan
Nasrallah addressed the memorial held in Tehran to mourn the martyrs.
Sayyed
Nasrallah offered again, on behalf of all the Resistance fighters and factions,
the martyrs families and the Iranian leadership and people deep condolences on
the major loss.
Undoubtedly,
the incident was very painful, yet believers always accept the fate decided by
Holy God, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed, adding that, as Imam Khamenei says,
threats must be turned to be chances.
Sayyed
Nasrallah recalled the martyrdom of General Qassem Suleimani and Hajj Abu Mahid
Al-Muhandis as a hard experience, stressing that it was exploited to invigorate
the Umma and the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
The
Iranian people proved, in face of this woe, during the funerals of the martyrs
to be loyal and wise and that the Islamic Republic is strong and consistent.
Such
incidents may destabilize any country, but Iran emerged from this experience
powerful and honorable, Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized.
The
Iranian people will also prove through its participation in the presidential
elections this power as well, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, hoping Holy God
helps Iran hold the elections successfully.
Sayyed
Nasrallah highlighted the strategic role of the Islamic Republic in the region
with respect to the Palestinian cause and the issues of Resistance and
liberation.
The
Islamic Republic is the impregnable dam in face of the world tyrants, Sayyed
Nasrallah emphasized.
Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi and members of the accompanying delegation, including
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, were martyred on May 19, 2024, after
a helicopter carrying him and his entourage crashed in Varzaqan region in the
northwestern province of East Azarbaijan.
Source: english.almanar.com
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Jerusalem’s
Al-Aqsa Imam Indicted On Charges of Incitement to Terrorism
27 June
2024
The imam
of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque denounced on Thursday a “fabricated” campaign
against him after being charged with inciting terrorism for allegedly praising
Palestinian gunmen who killed four Israelis, including a soldier.
Sheikh
Ekrima Sabri, 85, formerly mufti of Jerusalem and now head of the Supreme
Islamic Council in the city, preaches at the contested Jerusalem holy site.
Sabri
was indicted this week for inciting terrorism for comments he made that
allegedly supported an attacker who shot at guards in the West Bank settlement
of Maale Adumim, killing a soldier, in October 2022.
The imam
is also accused of praising a second attacker, Raad Hazam, who killed three
Israelis and wounded six others in an April 2022 shooting in Tel Aviv. The
28-year-old was later killed in a shootout with security guards.
“The
state attorney’s office submitted to the Jerusalem magistrate court an
indictment against… the former mufti of the city, after he incited terrorism
and praised terrorists,” the Justice Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
It said
Sabri had “praised and sympathized with terrorists” during a visit to Hazam’s
family home.
Sabri
denied the allegations, saying he merely offered condolences to the families of
the attackers after their deaths.
“This is
a false accusation; the indictment is fabricated and malicious,” he said.
“Offering
condolences does not mean that we support what the children did.”
Sabri’s
lawyer Khaled Zabarqa said his client had been targeted for political reasons.
“The
indictment is the result of political action and not legal action. The sheikh
has been persecuted for two years,” he told AFP.
The
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound sits on the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism.
The flashpoint site is considered the third holiest in Islam and the holiest in
Judaism.
The
site’s status is the emotional epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
and even perceived changes have ignited previous rounds of violence.
Jews are
officially only allowed to visit, but not pray.
Far-right
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir this month called for Jews to be
allowed to pray at the sensitive site, but higher officials have rebuffed the
idea, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the status
quo will not change at the site.
Times of
Israel Staff contributed to this report
Source: timesofisrael.com
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Hezbollah
and Islamic Group leaders discuss regional security and Gaza support
2024-06-28
Hezbollah's
Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, met with Sheikh Mohammed Taqoush,
the Secretary-General of the Islamic Group in Lebanon, to discuss recent
political and security developments in Lebanon and Palestine.
Sheikh
Abdul Majeed Ammar, a member of Hezbollah's Political Council, also attended
the meeting.
During
the discussion, the leaders focused on the latest events affecting the region,
highlighting the situation in Gaza.
Both
parties stressed the importance of "cooperation among resistance forces to
support Gaza's resistance efforts and its resilient population."
Source: lbcgroup.tv
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Islamic
Jihad blesses qualitative operation carried out by "Jenin Battalion"
[27/June/2024]
JENIN
June 27. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine blessed the
qualitative operation carried out by the Mujahideen of the Al-Quds Brigades in
the Jenin Battalion, which left one dead and 16 wounded in the ranks of the
enemy army.
The
movement explained in a press statement, today, Thursday, that this heroic
operation comes within the framework of the ongoing response to the escalating
crimes of the occupation against our people in the West Bank, Gaza and inside
prisons.
It
stressed that this operation confirms our people's adherence to their land and
sanctities in the face of the brutal terrorist war of extermination led by the
extremist Zionist government with American support and international silence.
The
commander of a sniper squad was killed and 16 "Israeli" soldiers were
wounded with varying degrees of injuries in the explosion of two explosive
devices during the storming of the city and camp of Jenin in the West Bank last
night. According to what the Israeli occupation army admitted.
Source: saba.ye
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Kurdish
imams already on trial face a new investigation
27 June
2024
23
clergymen, including the chairman, executives and members of the Religious
Scholars Assistance and Solidarity Association (DİAYDER) are standing trial for
allegedly "being members of an illegal organisation" (meaning the
PKK) and "making propaganda for an illegal organisation" for reading
sermons, preaching and providing aid to some families in need in Kurdish.
The
hearing of the case was held at the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul
Courthouse in Çağlayan on Thursday.
Ekrem
Baran, the chairman of the association, and some of the clergymen on trial and
their lawyers attended the hearing.
During
the hearing, the court committee stated that a new investigation had been
opened against 4 of the defendants and the investigation file was added to the
case file.
Taking
the floor at the hearing, lawyer Mesut Orak demanded that the allegations of
aiding "organisation-affiliated" persons be investigated and that the
persons receiving aid be heard at the hearing.
Stating
that these allegations are abstract, Orak said that the accounts of the aid
recipients would affect the merits of the case and added: "In this way, we
want to show this issue concretely."
The
court stated that they would evaluate this request and adjourned the trial to
3-4 October for the review of the investigation files against 4 defendants.
Source: anfenglish.com
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Finance
minister says Israel to promote West Bank settlement
June 28,
2024
JERUSALEM:
Israel’s hard-line finance minister said on Thursday that the government would
promote West Bank settlements and punitive measures against the Palestinian
Authority in response to Palestinian moves against Israel on the international
stage.
Finance
Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads a pro-settler party, said in a statement
that the government supported his proposal.
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which usually announces cabinet-level
decisions, did not issue any statements and was not reachable for immediate
comment.
Among
the steps Smotrich said he was advancing was the revoking of “various approvals
and benefits” for senior officials in the Palestinian Authority, approving new
settlement buildings, and retroactively sanctioning some Jewish settlements.
Source: arabnews.com
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UNICEF
says deal agreed with Israel to boost Gaza water supply
June 28,
2024
JERUSALEM:
The United Nations children’s fund said Thursday that Israel had agreed to
restore power to a key desalination plant in southern Gaza, which could provide
much-needed water to a million displaced people.
“UNICEF
confirms an agreement (with Israel) was reached to re-establish the medium
voltage feeder power line for the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant,” said
Jonathan Crickx, the agency’s spokesman in the Palestinian territories.
Water
has become scarce for the Palestinian territory’s 2.4 million residents since
war broke out nearly nine months ago.
More
than two thirds of Gaza’s sanitation and water facilities have been destroyed
or damaged, according to data cited by UN agencies, and only an intermittent
supply of bottled water has been allowed in since Israel imposed a punishing
siege on the territory.
The
plant in Khan Yunis, once resupplied with electricity, should produce enough
water to “meet what humanitarian standards define as a minimum intake of 15
liters per day of drinking water per person, for nearly a million displaced
people” in southern Gaza, Crickx said.
“This is
an important milestone, and we are very much looking forward to seeing it
implemented.”
Israel’s
coordinator for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, known as
COGAT, did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The
plant should be able to produce 15,000 cubic meters, or 15 million liters, of
water per day at full capacity, according to UNICEF.
After
Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant announced that he was imposing “a complete siege” on Gaza with “no
electricity, no water, no gas.”
Since
then, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated considerably, according to
aid groups working in Gaza.
Crickx
said it was vital to also see “generators and infrastructure to be delivered”
to address the damage to the war-battered territory, adding more than 60
percent of its water distribution systems have been damaged since October.
The Gaza
war started with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths
of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli
official figures.
Israel’s
military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 37,765 people, also mostly
civilians, according to data provided by the health ministry in the Hamas-run
territory.
Source: arabnews.com
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Palestinians
flee as Israeli forces return to Gaza’s north
June 28,
2024
GAZA
STRIP: Palestinians fled eastern Gaza City on Thursday under heavy bombardment
as the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for the area it had
previously declared clear of Hamas militants.
The
flare-up in the northern Gaza Strip’s Shujaiya district, which witnesses and
medics said caused numerous casualties, comes as fears grow of a wider regional
conflagration involving Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.
Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant, on a visit to Washington to discuss the Gaza crisis and
ways to avoid broader conflict in the Middle East, said Israel did not want war
but warned fighting on a massive scale would send Lebanon “back to the Stone
Age.”
In Gaza,
fighting has ground on despite comments Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu that the “intense phase” of the war — now nearing its 10th
month — was winding down.
Officials
and medics in the Hamas-run territory said Israeli strikes overnight and early
Thursday killed at least six people in northern Gaza, and the Israeli military
said it had “attacked terrorists” in Khan Yunis,” in the south.
In Gaza
City, a witness in Shujaiya who declined to be named told AFP the situation was
“frightening” as Israeli military vehicles approached amid air strikes and
shelling.
“Residents
are running through the streets in terror... wounded and martyrs lie in the
streets.”
The
military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, told residents and
displaced Gazans in the Shujaiya area to leave “for your safety,” in a message
posted on social media.
They
were asked to head south, to a declared “humanitarian zone” about 25 kilometers
(15 miles) away.
An AFP
photographer saw many leaving on foot, carrying their belongings as they walked
through rubble-strewn streets.
Hamas in
a statement said Israeli forces were “starting a ground incursion,” reporting
“several” dead as “thousands flee under relentless bombing.”
Muhammad
Ghurab, a doctor at Gaza City’s Al-Ahli hospital, said the facility had
received seven “martyrs including four children” and dozens who were wounded
“as the Israeli forces advanced to the east of Shujaiya neighborhood.”
Shujaiya
resident Omar Sukar said he saw strikes as Gazans were collecting drinking
water, which has been in limited supply due to an Israeli siege.
“The
water truck had just arrived when the shelling began,” he told AFP.
A
displaced Gazan woman, who asked not to be named, told AFP she was “devastated”
by the violence and destruction.
“We lost
our children and homes, and we keep fleeing from place to another.”
Beyond
the evacuation order announced by Adraee, the military declined to comment on
the fighting.
The war
started with Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the
deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on
Israeli figures.
The
militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the
army says 42 are dead.
Israel’s
retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,765 people, also mostly civilians,
according to data from Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel
in early January announced it had dismantled “Hamas’s military framework” in
Gaza’s north, which saw the most intense fighting in the early stages of the
war, but militants have since regrouped.
The war
and siege have triggered a dire humanitarian crisis, with Gaza hospitals
struggling to function, and basic supplies hard to come by as the vast majority
of the territory’s 2.4 million people have been displaced.
UNICEF
announced Thursday an agreement with Israel to restart a power line that could
return a key water desalination plant in Khan Yunis to full operating capacity.
“This is
an important milestone, and we are very much looking forward to seeing it
implemented,” said Jonathan Crickx, spokesman for the United Nations children’s
fund.
In a
rare medical evacuation from Gaza, 21 cancer patients left through the Kerem
Shalom crossing on the Israeli border, a medical source in Egypt said.
It was
the first evacuation since the closure of the Rafah border crossing — a key
conduit for aid into Gaza — when Israeli forces took over its Palestinian side
in early May.
Months
of talks toward a truce and hostage release deal have so far failed as Israel
has rejected Hamas demands for a permanent end to fighting and full troop
withdrawal.
Israeli
protesters have piled pressure on Netanyahu’s government,with thousands
gathering in front of Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem on Thursday to call
for a hostage release deal, according to an AFP reporter.
US
officials have voiced hope a Gaza ceasefire could also lead to a reduction in
hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have traded near
daily cross-border fire since early October.
Tensions
have surged as Israel said this month that its war plans were ready, sparking
threats from Hezbollah that, in the event of all-out war, none of Israel would
be safe.
Germany
and Canada have advised citizens in Lebanon to leave.
In the
latest clashes on Thursday, Hezbollah said it fired rockets at an Israeli
military base and sent drones in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Lebanon,
one of which killed a fighter.
Israel
said its air defenses “intercepted most of the launches,” reporting no
casualties.
Israel
meanwhile dismissed a UN-backed report that said nearly half a million Gazans
faced “catastrophic” hunger.
Government
spokesman David Mencer said “claims regarding starvation” were designed to
“exert pressure on Israel.”
Source: arabnews.com
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US
targets petrol tankers over Iran nuclear ‘escalation’
June 28,
2024
WASHINGTON:
The US on Thursday announced sanctions against shipping companies for transporting
Iranian oil, saying it was a response to Tehran’s nuclear “escalation,” on the
eve of presidential elections in the Islamic republic.
“Over
the past month, Iran has announced steps to further expand its nuclear program
in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose,” Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said in a statement.
He said
the United States was imposing the sanctions “in response to these continued
nuclear escalations,” saying, “We remain committed to never letting Iran obtain
a nuclear weapon, and we are prepared to use all elements of national power to
ensure that outcome.”
The
State Department announced sanctions on three shipping companies for allegedly
transporting Iranian oil as well as 11 associated vessels.
The
sanctions block any assets of the companies in the US and criminalize US
transactions with them.
The
United States already has a sweeping unilateral ban on other countries buying
Iranian oil, imposed by former president Donald Trump when he withdrew from a
nuclear deal.
President
Joe Biden’s administration initially said it would restore the 2015 deal but
gave up after exhaustive negotiations with Tehran, major protests inside Iran
and, more recently, tension over Iran’s support for Palestinian militants
Hamas.
The UN
nuclear watchdog said earlier this month that Iran is further expanding its
nuclear capacities, with Tehran informing the agency that it was installing
more cascades at enrichment facilities.
Iran’s
cleric-led government denies seeking a nuclear weapon. Iran on Friday holds
elections for president after conservative Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a
helicopter crash.
Source: arabnews.com
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Africa
Mali
civil society lauds war crimes conviction of Islamist police chief
27-06-24
Civil
society associations and leaders of Malian society, in Bamako, followed the
trial of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz live from the International Criminal Court
(ICC) in The Hague on Wednesday.
After an
hour's reading of the verdict by the judge, Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz, the
former commissioner of the Islamic police during the occupation of Timbuktu by
armed jihadist groups linked to Al Qaeda, was found guilty of war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
The
decision came as a real relief for women's organisations, even if no sentence
has yet been pronounced against him, pending the reaction of his lawyers.
Haidara
Djeneba, a leader of a women's organisation in Mali, remains vigilant.
"At
least we can see that there is a trial. There is someone present who was
guilty. I insist (that there is) no impunity. We must punish, because
everything that has been done (by the accused) is inhumane", she said.
In 2012,
during the occupation of the city of Timbuktu in Mali by armed groups linked to
Al Qaeda, Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz was in charge of the Islamic police, and
under his orders, many people were subjected to torture, including the cutting
off the hands of suspected thieves, rape, forced marriage and public flogging.
"The
judges (of the ICC) are going to ask for input from legal representatives of
victims, the prosecutor's office and the defence and all parties, to determine
the sentence", said Margot Tedesco, ICC spokesperson.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/27/mali-civil-society-lauds-war-crimes-conviction-of-islamist-police-chief/
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Your
action illegal – Lawyer berates Soun for issuing query to Chief Imam
June 28,
2024
An
Ibadan-based lawyer, Barrister Abiodun Amole has declared as null and void the
query issued by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye to the Chief
Imam of the town, Sheik Teliat Yunus Ayilara.
Amole
noted that there is no law that says that a Chief Imam of a town must take
permission from the traditional ruler before he can embark on a journey.
Amole
made these declarations via a statement made available to DAILY POST on
Thursday.
It could
be recalled that the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye had issued a
query to the Chief Imam for going to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj exercise
without informing him.
https://dailypost.ng/2024/06/27/hajj-soun-of-ogbomoso-issues-query-to-chief-imam/
But, the
legal practitioner in his reaction, noted that the cleric is not in any way
whatsoever accountable to the monarch.
Amole
said, “Viewed strictly from the legal perspective, the issuance of a query by
the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye to the Chief Imam of the
predominantly Muslim town for traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj
without informing the monarch is clearly illegal and of no moment.
“There
is no law that provides that a Nigerian citizen shall inform or seek the
permission of another citizen before travelling or exercising his
constitutionally – guaranteed right to freedom of movement as enshrined in
Section 41(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as
amended).
“Furthermore,
article 13(1) & (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights &
Article 12(1) & (2) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights
also guarantee that right.
“The
right to freedom of movement is therefore a universal and inalienable right of
the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso which the Soun cannot deprive him unilaterally under
whatever guise.
“Notwithstanding
the alleged undertaking he made, the cleric cannot be deprived of his
constitutional right to freedom of movement.
“More
so, when the law is well settled that a statutory provision cannot be waived or
glossed over but must be given effect no matter what. The action of the Soun is
in the circumstance extra – constitutional, unjustifiable, null and void and of
no consequence or effect whatsoever.
“Constitutional
provisions are extremely sacrosanct, non-negotiable and must therefore be
strictly given effect at all times.
“In a
nutshell, the cleric is not in any way or manner whatsoever accountable to the
monarch as to how he exercises his constitutional right to freedom of
movement.”
Source: dailypost.ng
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https://dailypost.ng/2024/06/28/your-action-illegal-lawyer-berates-soun-for-issuing-query-to-chief-imam/#google_vignette
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Experts
warn: 755,000 facing famine in war-torn Sudan
27-06-24
International
experts portrayed a grim picture of war-torn Sudan in a report Thursday warning
that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months, amid relentless
clashes between rival generals.
The
conflict has created a hunger catastrophe at a scale not seen since the Darfur
conflict in the early 2000s, senior United Nations officials said.
The
latest findings come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or
IPC, an initiative set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia that now
includes more than a dozen U.N. agencies, aid groups, governments and other
bodies.
The
report said that 8.5 million people are facing extreme food shortages after 14
months of conflict in Sudan and that hunger has spread to the capital,
Khartoum, and Jazira province, once Sudan's breadbasket.
The
northeastern African country descended into chaos in April last year when
simmering tensions between the country’s military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah
Burhan, and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, commanded
by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and
elsewhere in the country.
The
devastating conflict has killed more than 14,000 people and wounded 33,000
others, according to the United Nations, but rights activists say the toll
could be much higher.
The
conflict created the world’s largest displacement crisis with more than 11
million people forced to flee their homes. Human rights experts working for the
United Nations said that both warring sides used food and starvation as a war
weapon.
The
report on hunger said people facing the highest level of starvation in the
coming months are in 10 provinces, including Khartoum; the Darfur and Kordofan
regions; and the provinces of Blue Nile and Jazira. The number was zero in June
2023 and it surged to 755,000 over the past year, it said.
“The
conflict has not only triggered mass displacement and disruption of supply
routes, market systems and agricultural production, it has also severely
limited access to essential humanitarian assistance, exacerbating an already
dire situation,” the report said.
Another
8.5 million people are classified in the second worst level of starvation, or
Phase 4, meaning that the risk of hunger-related death is rapidly increasing,
the IPC report said. Those people are facing extreme food shortages, acute
malnutrition and excessively high disease levels, it added.
Overall,
25.6 million people, more than half of the country’s 47 million population,
face “crisis or worse conditions” between June and September. It warned about a
risk of famine in 14 areas “if the conflict escalates further, including
through increased mobilization of local militias.”
“The
situation is especially critical for populations trapped in areas affected by direct
conflict and/or insecurity and lack of protection,” the report said. It
referred to Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Jazira where fighting raged for
months.
The
current crisis - unlike the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s - impacts the
whole country, and threatens to destabilize the entire horn of Africa region,
said Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program.
"We
urgently need a massive expansion of humanitarian access and funding so we can
scale-up our relief operations, and halt Sudan’s slide into a humanitarian
catastrophe," she said.
The
conflict has wrecked the country and created a crisis that will impact its
future for generations. At least 17 million children are out of school because
of the war. About 4 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition,
with 730,000 of those projected to be at imminent risk of dying, said UNICEF
Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“The
consequences of the violence, of the displacement of the, you know, lack of
food, the lack of security is just devastating for women and children in
Sudan,” Russell said in an interview after her trip to Sudan earlier this week.
She said UNICEF needs $840 million to continue its operations and help Sudan's
children.
“It’s
important for the international community to realize that we have to get more
resources to Sudan,” she said. “But we also need to push the parties,
hopefully, to peace. That’s really, at the end of the day. what we need
here."
The
conflict has been marked by atrocities, including rape, gang rape and ethnic-motivated
attacks, which rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against
humanity. In recent months, the fighting has expanded to new areas, including
agricultural centres such as Jazira province, which the RSF seized last year.
Tjada
D’Oyen McKenna, chief executive of the nongovernmental organization Mercy
Corps, said that the expansion of fighting has devastated food production, and
caused severe malnutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding
mothers, the chronically ill and older people.
“Sudan
has become one of the world’s largest and most ignored man-made tragedies,”
McKenna said. “This crisis demands urgent diplomatic efforts to ensure the
rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.”
QU
Dongyu, director-general of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, said
the IPC report reveled “a deepening and rapid deterioration of the food
security situation in Sudan with millions of people’s lives at risk.”
“We must
act collectively, at scale, with unimpeded access, for the sake of millions of
innocent lives hanging in the balance,” he said.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/27/experts-warn-755000-facing-famine-in-war-torn-sudan/
--------
Police
clash with protesters in Kenya as military patrols the streets
27-06-24
Kenyan
police on Thursday clashed with protesters in Nairobi before planned protests
against a contentious finance bill, despite the president's decision not to
sign it after the plans sparked deadly chaos in the capital and saw protesters
storming and burning part of the parliament building.
Protesters
who said last week that they would march to the State House on Thursday say
they still don't trust President William Ruto, who has said the tax hikes would
be withdrawn and budget cuts would be made.
Police
have hurled tear gas canisters at groups of protesters attempting to congregate
within the central business district. The military has been patrolling the city
despite a Wednesday court order that suspended their deployment to support
police during the protests.
Deputy
President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday urged the young protesters to call off
planned protests and give dialogue a chance.
The leaderless
movement began online with young people demanding that legislators reject the
proposed tax hikes. It later morphed into calls for the president's resignation
after the bill was passed. On Tuesday, thousands of protesters stormed Kenya's
parliament, burning parts of the building and sending lawmakers fleeing. Police
opened fire and at least 22 people were reportedly killed in the chaos.
Activists
were divided about the agenda of Thursday's protests. One protester, Boniface
Mwangi, urged others to peacefully march to parliament road where protesters
were killed to pay their respects. “Invasion of the State House isn’t a
solution," he wrote on X.
But
Francis Gaitho, one of the many activists mobilizing for the protests online,
insisted that young people should march to the State House.
Activists
and others warned that the stakes were higher than in past protests, because
Ruto vowed on Tuesday to quash unrest “at whatever cost".
Analyst
Javas Bigambo told The Associated Press that the discontent is partly because
Kenyans don't trust the president to implement the austerity measures he
announced on Wednesday.
“Kenyans
still have a problem with the economy and wastage in government," he said.
Bigambo
said Ruto’s U-turn should be a “lesson on humility” as his initial reaction on
Tuesday was “not stately and full of emotions” further agitating protesters. He
said the government should win back the populace by opening dialogue channels
and ensuring a consultative budgeting process.
Businesspeople
in Nairobi were standing guard outside their shops on Thursday to prevent
looting and vandalism, which took place during Tuesday's protests.
Major
roads leading to key government buildings, including parliament, have been
blocked.
Outside
Nairobi, protests have been reported in Mombasa, Kisumu, Migori and other major
towns.
U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday spoke with Ruto, thanking him
for taking steps to reduce tensions.
“The
Secretary underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint
and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into
allegations of human rights abuses,” a statement read.
Ruto has
been embraced by Washington as a welcome, stable partner in Africa, while
frustration grows elsewhere on the continent with the U.S. and other Western
powers.
In May,
Ruto went to Washington in the first state visit by an African leader in 16
years. On Tuesday, as the protests erupted, the U.S. designated Kenya as its
first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic act but one
highlighting their security partnership. Also Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan
police deployed to lead a multinational force against gangs in Haiti, an
initiative that brought thanks from U.S. President Joe Biden.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/27/police-clash-with-protesters-in-kenya-as-military-patrols-the-streets/
--------
South Asia
FM
Muttaqi and UNAMA Head Confer on Key Issues for Doha Meeting
2024-06-27
KABUL(BNA):
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently
held a meeting with Roza Otunbayeva, Head of UNAMA and her accompanying
delegation to discuss various issues, including the participation of Afghanistan
in upcoming Doha meeting along with several other topics.
In the
meeting, Minister Muttaqi announced that a delegation from the Islamic Emirate,
led by Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, will
participate in the upcoming Doha meeting. The delegation includes
representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and
Commerce, the head of the Islamic Emirate’s Political Office in Doha, and Da
Afghanistan Bank.
Foreign
Minister Muttaqi added that the Islamic Emirate’s delegation is fully prepared
to address critical agenda items, such as combating narcotics, financial and
banking sanctions, and overcoming obstacles hindering private sector
development.
It is
worth noting that Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, highlighted the upcoming Doha
meeting as an excellent opportunity for both sides to exchange views and engage
in productive dialogue.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/fm-muttaqi-and-unama-head-confer-on-key-issues-for-doha-meeting/
--------
China
calls for improved education for girls in Afghanistan
June 27,
2024
China’s
Special Representative for Afghanistan has called on the Taliban to uphold
their commitments regarding girls’ education and improve access to schooling in
Afghanistan.
Yu
Xiaoyong, China’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, made these remarks in
an interview with an Iranian media outlet.
Furthermore,
China’s Special Representative for Afghanistan added that the Taliban regime
has stated its interest in improving the situation of girls’ education.
Meanwhile,
it has been over a thousand days since girls above sixth grade in Afghanistan
have been deprived of attending school.
Recently
marking the thousand-day milestone of the ban on girls’ education in
Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in the country, expressed support for Afghan girls, stating, “We must
stand with girls.”
This
comes as the Taliban regime, since coming to power in August 2021, has banned
girls above sixth grade from attending schools. As of now, there has been no
indication of efforts to resume education for girls above sixth grade in
Afghanistan.
Amid the
Doha meeting, Afghanistan faces severe human rights challenges, exacerbated by
the absence of women’s representatives and human rights advocates. This
exclusion highlights ongoing concerns about inclusivity and rights protection
in the peace process.
The
decision not to invite these crucial voices has sparked international
criticism, underscoring the need for comprehensive and inclusive dialogue that
addresses the rights and representation of the people of Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/china-calls-for-improved-education-for-girls-in-afghanistan/
--------
UN
delays Afghanistan special representative appointment at Doha meeting
June 27,
2024
The UN
Security Council, in Resolution 2721 (2023), urged the UN Secretary-General to
appoint a Special Representative for Afghanistan. However, the agenda for the
third Doha meeting has excluded discussions on appointing this representative.
In a
recent press briefing, Rosemary DiCarlo, overseeing the third Doha meeting,
mentioned that pursuing the Security Council’s directive on appointing a
Special Representative for Afghanistan is currently on hold.
The
appointment of a Special Representative for Afghanistan was proposed by UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and was approved by a majority vote of 15
permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council in late December
last year.
The
resolution mandated the UN Secretary-General to appoint a representative with
expertise in human rights and gender issues to support Afghanistan’s
reintegration into the international community and uphold human rights
standards in the country.
The UN
included this directive in the agenda for the Doha series to allow country
representatives on Afghanistan matters to negotiate the appointment of a
Special Representative for Afghanistan. However, in a recent press briefing,
the UN Deputy Secretary-General stated that discussions on this matter have
been suspended.
According
to him, the process of appointing a Special Representative for Afghanistan is
“ongoing,” and Antonio Guterres is actively seeking a suitable candidate for
the role.
Expectations
were high that the appointment of a Special Representative for Afghanistan
would be a key topic at the third Doha meeting, but the agenda for the session,
scheduled for late June and early July, has been reduced to financial, banking,
and drug control issues.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.khaama.com/un-delays-afghanistan-special-representative-appointment-at-doha-meeting/
--------
US State
Dept confirms representatives’ participation in Doha meeting
June 27,
2024
The U.S.
State Department has announced that Thomas West and Rina Amiri, Washington’s
special representatives for Afghanistan, will participate in the upcoming third
Doha meeting.
Matthew
Miller, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, confirmed the country’s
representatives’ attendance at a press briefing held on Wednesday, June 26th.
The U.S.
has confirmed its participation in the Doha meeting at a time when the absence
of Afghan women and civil society representatives has drawn strong criticism.
Rina
Amiri, the U.S. special representative for Afghan women’s affairs, whose
attendance at the Doha meeting was confirmed by Matthew Miller the day before,
had previously stated in response to the agenda of the Doha meeting that
Afghan-related meetings without women’s participation would not yield results.
The
third Doha meeting is scheduled to take place in Qatar in the coming days, led
by Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General.
The
upcoming third Doha meeting comes amid ongoing concerns about the dire human
rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the restrictions on women and the
absence of their representation in crucial discussions.
International
criticism has mounted over excluding Afghan women and civil society members
from these dialogues, seen as pivotal for shaping the country’s future.
Despite
these challenges, international stakeholders continue to engage in efforts to
address the pressing issues facing Afghanistan, including protecting human
rights and including marginalized groups in decision-making processes.
The
outcome of the third Doha meeting will be closely watched as a barometer of
progress towards ensuring a more inclusive and rights-respecting future for all
Afghans.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/us-state-dept-confirms-representatives-participation-in-doha-meeting/
--------
Herat
Governor Meets UNICEF Head to Discuss Education and Water Project Initiatives
2024-06-27
Sheikh
Mawlana Noor Ahmad Islamjar, Governor of Herat, engaged in discussions with the
head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to address pivotal issues
related to child welfare and development initiatives within the region.
Governor
Islamjar, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for their invaluable services,
specifically in providing clean drinking water in the Kohsan district, and
underscored the importance of sustaining such cooperative efforts.
On the
other hand, the head of UNICEF stated that immediate attention to schools
damaged by the earthquake in the districts is one of their office’s top
priorities, and noted that thirty-five schools are currently under
reconstruction.
Meanwhile,
Herat Governor emphasized the urgency of addressing damaged schools and stated
that delivering effective services to the people is a top priority for the
local administration.
He reiterated
added that the local administration will provide all necessary facilities to
support better services for organizations.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/herat-governor-meets-unicef-head-to-discuss-education-and-water-project-initiatives/
--------
Deputy
PM Kabir Engages Islamic Emirate Ministers on Commitment to Public Service
2024-06-27
KABUL(BNA):
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, held a
significant meeting with the Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, the Acting
Minister of Finance, and several other senior officials from various Islamic
Emirate departments.
ARG
reported that Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs,
held separate meetings with Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, Acting Minister of
Mines and Petroleum, Mullah Mohammad Nasir Akhund, Acting Minister of Finance,
and several key officials from various Emirate departments.
In these
meetings, the officials briefed the Deputy PM Kabir on their respective areas.
They stressed that all officials and Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan are dedicated to providing better services to citizens, viewing it
as their fundamental duty.
During
these meetings, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Deputy PM for Political Affairs,
emphasized the commitment of officials to enhancing public services without
discrimination.
The
Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs concluded the meeting by issuing
directives aimed at improving administrative matters.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/deputy-pm-kabir-engages-islamic-emirate-ministers-on-commitment-to-public-service/
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesia-EU
Relations Much Bigger Than Just Trade: Envoy
June 27,
2024
Jakarta.
A European Union (EU) envoy said Thursday that the bloc’s relations with
Indonesia transcend trade and environmental regulations despite the prolonged
trade deal negotiations and the anti-deforestation law stealing the spotlight
in their bilateral engagements.
Indonesia
is currently trying to close the comprehensive economic partnership agreement
(CEPA) with the EU by next month. Negotiations for this overdue trade pact have
been ongoing for eight years. At the same time, Indonesia has expressed serious
concerns over the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), which can restrict
its palm oil from entering the European market. Amidst Indonesia’s disagreement,
EUDR never fails to rise up as a topic of discussion whenever government
officials of both sides meet.
However,
the CEPA negotiations and the environmental policies are not the only things
that can describe the bilateral relations, according to EU Ambassador to
Indonesia Denis Chaibi.
“Our
most significant engagement is in trade. We are doing intensive trade
negotiations,” Chaibi said in Jakarta, acknowledging that the EU’s
environmental regulations were also a pivotal issue in their bilateral
interactions.
“But
Indonesia-EU relations are much bigger than just trade and the environment,” he
added.
Chaibi
then went on to say that the EU had been supporting many Indonesian youth in
scholarship programs.
He also
talked of the $20 billion climate financing package: the Just Energy Transition
Partnership (JETP). The EU and some of the bloc’s member states --which are
JETP Indonesia donors -- plan on mobilizing $2.5 billion under the JETP. From
this amount, the European Investment Bank has pledged to provide up to €1
billion (around $1.1 billion) in loans to help Indonesia decarbonize its power
systems. The EU also vowed to earmark €25 million in grants and technical
assistance.
According
to Chaibi, the EU’s de facto capital Brussels recently hosted visits by Indonesian
delegates to learn more about renewable power generation as part of the JETP.
“We have
organized visits to show Indonesian officials to give ideas on how renewables
can feed Indonesian electricity grids. … We have had technical meetings to
compare the maps of forests to make sure we have the same data when discussing
deforestation,” Chaibi said, while adding that Indonesia-EU ties had matured
based on “engagements, exchanges, and respect”.
Indonesia-EU
trade totaled $30.8 billion in 2023 with exports from the Southeast Asian
country amounting to $16.7 billion. The EUDR-affected palm oil was among
Indonesia’s top exports to Europe.
The EUDR
mandates geolocation coordinates of where the palm oil is produced to prove
that it does not grow on deforested land. Coffee and timber, among others, are
also subject to this policy. The EUDR will officially come into full effect on
Dec. 30, 2024.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesiaeu-relations-much-bigger-than-just-trade-envoy
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Indonesia
Awaits US, China’s Ratification of Nuclear Ban Treaty
June 26,
2024
Jakarta.
Indonesia has long ratified the world’s anti-nuclear test treaty, and the
country is now hoping that the US and China will follow suit.
Foreign
Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi recently flew to Vienna for a meeting on the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). During her trip, Retno met with
Robert Floyd, the executive secretary to CTBTO -- the organization that
oversees the treaty. The CTBT bans all nuclear explosive testing. The document
is now waiting for ratification by eight other countries of the so-called
“Annex 2 states” before it can come into effect. Those states include major
powers China and the US, according to Retno.
“The
treaty will only be in effect if the Annex 2 states have completed their
ratification. … The CTBT is now waiting for ratification by eight Annex 2
states, namely China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and
the US before the treaty can enter into force,” Retno told reporters via a
recorded press statement.
“We also
agreed to continue to push for the treaty’s ratification by the other Annex 2
states,” Retno said, commenting on her meeting with Floyd
To this
day, as many as 187 countries across the globe have signed the CTBT, 178 of
whom have completed the ratification process, according to Retno. Papua New
Guinea was the latest country to ratify.
Annex 2
states refer to the 44 countries who negotiated the CTBT from 1994-1996, and
possessed nuclear power or research reactors. CTBT will enter into force 180
days after the Annex 2 countries have all ratified. Indonesia inked the treaty
in 1996, but it took over a decade before it ratified the CTBT in 2011.
The US
Senate did not approve the treaty in 1999. The country, however, has observed a
moratorium on nuclear explosive testing since 1992. Russia late last year said
they would withdraw from the CTBT, saying that it would put Moscow on “equal
footing” with the US who had not ratified the pact. At a UN Security Council
meeting in 2021, China claimed it would work towards bringing the CTBT into
force. Both China and the US are two of the recognized nuclear weapon states --
a term classifying the countries that had manufactured or denoted nukes prior
to 1967.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
Please click the following URL to read
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https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-awaits-us-chinas-ratification-of-nuclear-ban-treaty
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Indira
fails in suit to arrest Muslim convert ex-husband, recover daughter
Jun 28,
2024
M Indira
Gandhi has failed in her civil court action to compel the inspector-general of
police (IGP) and the police to arrest her Muslim convert ex-husband Muhammad
Riduan Abdullah and recover her daughter Prasana Diksa.
The
Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the kindergarten teacher’s lawsuit over the
police’s alleged failure to abide by a 2014 Ipoh High Court order.
Source: malaysiakini.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/710184
--------
Governance,
digitalization key to developing Islamic insurance: VP
June 27,
2024
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin accentuated that strengthening corporate
governance and digitalization is the key to developing the national Islamic
insurance industry.
"Corporate
governance must be improved so that services for consumers can be better. Apart
from that, community confidence and literacy as well as digitalization are key
to expanding the reach," he noted in a statement of the Vice President's
Secretariat.
He made
the statement while delivering his remarks virtually at the launch event of the
new logo of PT Reasuransi Syariah Indonesia (ReINDO Syariah) from the official residence
of the vice president in Jakarta on Thursday.
Amin
noted that currently, Indonesia is facing various risks due to climate change,
economic uncertainty, geopolitical conflicts, and health crises after the
COVID-19 pandemic.
"It
spotlights the importance of the presence of insurance as protection and risk
mitigation measures," he affirmed.
The vice
president further highlighted that insurance, especially Islamic insurance,
which prioritizes Islamic values by maintaining the principles of risk sharing,
fairness, and transparency, has huge potential to be developed and become a
choice for the public.
On that
occasion, he also highlighted the importance of implementing the spin-off
policy for Islamic business units to bolster the sector. Thus, more insurance
companies are expected to fully operate in line with Islamic values.
"I
ask all stakeholders to play an active role and cooperate in building the
Islamic insurance ecosystem that is effective and efficient, healthy, and
competitive so that this industry can become a supporter of the national
economy," he remarked.
He
expressed hope that through ReINDO Syariah, the insurance industry in Indonesia
would develop.
"Congratulations
on the launch of the ReINDO Syariah logo. Hopefully, ReINDO Syariah can continue
to grow and spur the development of the insurance industry, especially Islamic
insurance in Indonesia," the vice president remarked.
Source: en.antaranews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://en.antaranews.com/news/317073/governance-digitalization-key-to-developing-islamic-insurance-vp
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Indonesia’s
Oldest Pilgrim, 109, Arrives Home from Mecca
June 28,
2024
Ponorogo,
East Java. A 109-year-old man, who became the oldest Indonesian pilgrim during
the recent Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, arrived in his hometown of
Ponorogo, East Java, on Thursday evening, healthy and happy.
Harjo
Mislan spent 1 month and 13 days performing the annual Muslim ritual,
accompanied by his 66-year-old son, Sirmad.
As the bus
convoy carrying more than 600 pilgrims arrived in Ponorogo, family members
greeted him with emotional embraces.
Harjo
walked down the bus steps before resting in a wheelchair provided by his
family. Touched by the sight, others came to greet him and kiss his hand.
“I have
passed a century. I’m an old timer,” Harjo told reporters.
When
asked about his physical condition during the ritual in the Saudi holy cities
of Mecca and Medina, Harjo said he had a fever for a while but overall felt
fine.
“That’s
the only illness I got,” he said.
Source: jakartaglobe.id
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-oldest-pilgrim-109-arrives-home-from-mecca
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BDS
demands Bruno Mars to call out Israeli atrocities or face boycott for upcoming
KL concert, netizens divided
28-06-
2024
PETALING
JAYA: The upcoming Bruno Mars concert in Kuala Lumpur on September 17 has
sparked controversy among netizens over his alleged support for the Israeli
regime.
Boycott,
Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia, a pro-Palestinian movement advocating for
the boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, has taken to Instagram
to urge Mars to show his support for Palestine.
BDS
stated, “Bruno Mars is a talented artist, but talent is not an excuse to turn a
blind eye to the ongoing genocide of our fellow human beings.
“While
Palestinians have been and still are being ethnically cleansed from their
homeland, Bruno has been openly declaring his support for the oppressor – the
apartheid state of Israel.”
BDS
Malaysia further demanded that Mars take a stand: “We call on Bruno Mars to
stand with Palestine and condemn all the well-documented Israeli atrocities and
criminal acts against Palestinians.
“Or face
being cancelled until he does.”
This
follows Bruno Mars’ expression of love for his Israeli fans during his two-day
concert in Tel Aviv on October 4, 2023.
In
another post, BDS Malaysia urged Mars to use his influence to support
Palestine.
“Forget
‘talking to the moon’, Mr. Mars. Speak truth to power, to the world, and to
your own human heart. Let your words resonate with courage and clarity,
challenging the tyranny and injustice that has invaded precious lives,
occupying their every breath cruelly, unapologetically.”
BDS stated:,
“Just the way you are’ is not the way we are. So make your voice a weapon for
what is right because anything less is not welcome here.”
Accompanying
both posts were edited images of Bruno Mars appearing covered in blood in one
and holding a grenade in another, with captions reading “Say no to Bruno” and
“Zionists and supporters of genocide are not welcome in Malaysia.”
BDS’
postings have left netizens divided, with one netizen commenting: “You are not
amazing the way you are until you catch the grenade for the Palestinians, Bruno
Mars. Don’t come to Malaysia. Zionist are not welcome here!”
While
another netizen said: “Bruno you have to stand on the right side of humanity.
In
support of Mars, a netizen asked: “Where did he say he supports (Israel)?”
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local-news/bds-demands-bruno-mars-to-call-out-israeli-atrocities-or-face-boycott-for-upcoming-kl-concert-netizens-divided-IG12636248
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistan-jamiat-e-islam-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/d/132596