Prophet Remark: Iran Calls for Attention to Sensitivities of Muslims; NSA Reaffirmed Offenders Will Be "Dealt With In Such A Way That Others Will Learn A Lesson"
New Age Islam News Bureau
09 June 2022
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi interacts with Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in New Delhi
PTI Picture
----
• Enact Law to Punish Those Who Target Symbols Of
Islam to "Spread Hatred in the Country": Darul Uloom Deoband
• Intel Points at Pakistan Role As More Nations from
Islamic World Join Protest over Prophet Remarks
• Sri Lankan Govt Allows Muslims to Perform Hajj If
They Pay In Foreign Currency
• What Is At Risk for India with the Crisis in Its
Relations with the Muslim World, Explains a Veteran Diplomat
• Demonise Muslims but Live off Muslim-Majority
Countries; “BJP’s Assumption that what’s said In India Stays in India Is
Turning Out To Be Wrong
• Delhi Police Registers FIR against Several People over
Hate Messages on Social Media
• PM Modi’s Photos Plastered on Dustbins in Muslim
Countries, Thunders Maharashtra Chief Minister
• India Tightens Security After Terrorists Threaten
Attacks Over Anti-Muslim Remarks
• ‘Idgah Grounds’ In Chamrajpet Is Ours, Have Records,
Says Central Muslim Association
• Bengal Imam Body Calls for Stringent Legal Action
against Nupur Sharma over Prophet Remarks
• Man held for misbehaving with Muslim vendor in
Kanpur
• Remarks on Prophet: Naseeruddin Shah appeals PM to
“stop the poison”
--------
Pakistan
• 'Biggest Protest in Pakistan's History' Within Next
Few Days: Imran Khan
• Imran Khan re-elected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
chairman
• Imran Khan Condemns Comments against Prophet, Urges
Pakistan Govt To Cut Ties With India
• President Alvi appoints Ahad Cheema as adviser to
the PM on establishment
• Gilani challenges Sanjrani’s election as Senate
chairman
• 150 Sikh pilgrims arrive from India to attend Jorr
Mela
--------
South
Asia
• India to Consider Reopening its Mission in Kabul without
its Senior Diplomats
• Former Minister of Education aka Founder of “Ghost
Schools” Returns to Afghanistan
• Iran Hands Over the Military Equipment of the
Previous Government to the Taliban
• Former government officials return to Kabul at
Taliban invitation
• Taliban Introducing New Uniform for Afghan Police
--------
Arab
World
• Saudi Arabia welcomes IAEA's resolution on Iran
• YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria deploy US-made anti-tank
TOW missiles
• Turkish forces 'neutralize' 7 PKK terrorists in
northern Iraq
• Cybercriminals Selling UAE Personal Data on Dark
Web, Making Millions: Study
• Explosive drone detonates in Iraq’s northern city of
Erbil
--------
Mideast
• Imam Khamenei: Zionism Is an Obvious Plague for
World of Islam Which Should Be Exposed
• Iranian foreign minister’s India visit overshadowed
by row over anti-Islam remarks
• Iranian Envoy Blasts US for Targeting Ordinary
People by Sanctions
• Senior MP: Possible IAEA Resolution to Affect Iran's
Partnership in Vienna Talks
• Tajik PM: Horizon of Cooperation with Iran Broader
than Ever
• Iran denounces ‘political, unconstructive’ IAEA
resolution
• Houthis slammed for ignoring power cuts in Yemen’s
Hodeidah
--------
Africa
• Algeria Suspends Treaty of Friendship and
Cooperation with Spain
• Owo Church Killers Want to Pit Christians against Muslims,
Says ACF
• Sudan begins post-coup crisis talks without key civilian
bloc
• Tunisia denies diplomatic talks with Israel
--------
North
America
• US Warns Tehran against Turning off IAEA Cameras as
Resolution to Censure Iran Passes
• US think tank Brookings puts retired general with
links to Qatar on leave
• Iraq’s parliament passes emergency food bill
• US has no plans to support normalization efforts
with Syria’s Assad: Diplomat
--------
Europe
• Türkiye, Montenegro Share Possibility for Intensive
Regional Cooperation: Montenegrin President
• UN envoy arrives in Yemen for talks on besieged city
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Malaysian Haj Pilgrims to Arrive In Mecca from
Tomorrow
• Selangor Sultan decrees Bon Odori should go ahead
after audience with Jais, Shah Alam City Council reps
• Umno’s dilemma: when to call for GE15
• Let Bon Odori fest proceed, Selangor sultan tells
Jais
• Selangor sultan calls on Idris to attend Bon Odori
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/prophet-muhammad-nupur-muslims-nsa-iran/d/127208
--------
Prophet Remark: Iran Calls for Attention To
Sensitivities Of Muslims; NSA Reaffirmed Offenders Will Be "Dealt With In
Such A Way That Others Will Learn A Lesson"
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi interacts with Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in New
Delhi
PTI Picture
----
09.06.22
India and Iran on Wednesday held wide-ranging talks
focusing on enhancing trade, connectivity and counter-terror cooperation even
as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian raised the issue of
controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad made by two former BJP spokespersons.
An Iranian readout of Abdollahian's talks with
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said the foreign minister hailed the
Indian people and the government for their respect for Prophet Mohammad as well
as for their religious tolerance and historical coexistence between various
faiths.
It said Abdollahian announced that Iran prefers
"no limits" for expansion of ties with India.
The Iranian foreign minister, who is on a three-day
visit to India, also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The crisis in Ukraine and the situation in Afghanistan
were among the key issues that figured in the talks Abdollahian had with
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
On Afghanistan, the two sides reaffirmed the
importance of providing immediate humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people
and reiterated the need for a representative and inclusive political system in
support of a peaceful, secure and stable Afghanistan.
The two sides also signed an agreement on mutual legal
assistance in civil and commercial matters.
The Iranian readout of Abdollahian's talks with Doval
said the foreign minister raised the issue of the controversy triggered by the
comments on Prophet.
It said the NSA reaffirmed the Indian government's
respect for the founder of Prophet Mohammad, saying offenders will be
"dealt with in such a way that others will learn a lesson".
"Abdollahian hailed the Indian people and
government for their respect for the divine faiths, especially the Prophet
Mohammad and also for the religious tolerance, historical coexistence and
friendship among followers of various religions in the country," the
readout said.
It stated the Iranian foreign minister called for
attention to the sensitivities of Muslims, adding he said "Muslims are
satisfied with the stance of Indian officials in dealing with the
culprits."
The BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson
Nupur Sharma and expelled the party's Delhi unit media head Naveen Jindal for
allegedly making derogatory comments.
Iran has been a key country for India in the Gulf
region.
The two sides have been jointly focusing on improving
connectivity between South East Asia and Central Asia.
At a connectivity conference in Tashkent last July,
Jaishankar projected Iran's Chabahar Port as a key regional transit hub.
Located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the
energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the Chabahar port is being developed by
India, Iran and Afghanistan to boost connectivity and trade ties.
India has been in touch with Iran over the
developments in Afghanistan following its takeover by the Taliban on August 15.
The Ministry of External Affairs said both sides
acknowledged the significance of bilateral cooperation in the field of regional
connectivity and reviewed the progress made at the Shahid Beheshti terminal of
the Chabahar port.
"The sides agreed that the Chabahar port has
provided much needed sea-access to landlocked Afghanistan and has also emerged
as a commercial transit hub for the region, including for Central Asia,"
it said.
"They reaffirmed their commitment to continue to
cooperate on the development of Chabahar Port. Teams from both countries will
be meeting soon to address operational aspects," it added.
The MEA said the two ministers also discussed
international and regional issues, including Afghanistan and reaffirmed the
importance of providing immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of
Afghanistan.
It said they also reiterated the need for a
representative and inclusive political system in support of a peaceful, secure
and stable Afghanistan.
The MEA said Jaishankar appreciated the role of Iran
in facilitating India's medical assistance to Afghanistan, including supply of
COVID-19 vaccines to Afghan nationals residing in Iran.
The Iranian statement said Abdollahian described
security and military ties between the two countries as "suitable"
and pitched for further expansion of the cooperation including to fight
terrorism at the bilateral and regional levels and also to help the people of
Afghanistan.
The talks between Jaishankar and Abdollahian focused
on overall bilateral ties.
"Wide ranging discussion with FM @Amirabdolahian
of Iran. Reviewed our bilateral cooperation, including in trade, connectivity,
health and people to people ties. Exchanged views on global and regional issues
including JCPOA, Afghanistan and Ukraine," Jaishankar tweeted.
It is the first visit to India by a senior minister of
a member nation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation after the
controversial remarks triggered anguish in the Arab World.
Abdollahian's visit to India came days after Iran
joined Kuwait and Qatar in summoning the Indian ambassadors over the remarks
against Prophet Mohammad by Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal.
Since then, several countries including Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Bahrain,
Maldives, Malaysia, Oman, Iraq and Libya denounced the comments.
The Iran nuclear deal also figured in the talks.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, was finalised in 2015 between Tehran
and several world powers including the EU.
It was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions. The
US had withdrawn from the deal in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
There have been fresh efforts now to restore the deal.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Enact Law to Punish Those Who Target Symbols Of Islam
To "Spread Hatred In The Country": Darul Uloom Deoband
Photo: The Times of India
---
Jun 9, 2022
MUZAFFARNAGAR: Darul Uloom Deoband has demanded strict
legal action against all those who made objectionable statements against symbols
of Islam to "spread hatred in the country". This comes days after
Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind made a similar demand.
The move follows several Arab and Islamic countries
condemning the controversial remarks made against Prophet Muhammad by former
BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and the party's (now expelled) Delhi unit media
head Naveen Jindal.
Darul Uloom VC, Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani,
issued a statement on Wednesday saying, "I strongly condemn the insulting
remarks on our beloved Prophet. Religious sentiments of the followers of any
faith cannot be provoked in the name of freedom of expression. Insulting the
Prophet will not be tolerated by Muslims, in India or abroad."
He urged the government to "frame a law to deal
with cases where religious symbols of Muslims are targeted".
The Darul Uloom VC further said, "India is a
secular country and people here have been living together for centuries. These
communal and extremist elements are not only harming the country's social
harmony but also disturbing the nation's secular fabric and ethos".
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Intel Points at Pakistan Role As More Nations from
Islamic World Join Protest over Prophet Remarks
People chant anti-India slogans to condemn the
derogatory references to Prophet Muhammad in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday.(Photo |
AP)
----
08th June 2022
By Yeshi Seli
NEW DELHI: More Muslim countries have joined the
chorus of protests against the derogatory statement a former spokesperson of
BJP made on the Prophet recently.
The countries that have marked their protests now are
Indonesia, Maldives, Iraq, Malaysia, Libya, Turkey and Egypt. A total of 15
countries have so far voiced their displeasure, besides the OIC and GCC.
It is learnt that the ruling party has now issued
instructions to its members to avoid speaking against any religion.
Meanwhile, the government has upheld its views that it
treats all religions with respect. This is the communication that has been sent
to some of the nations who had not just expressed their displeasure but also
summoned the Indian envoy posted in their respective country.
"It is one of those episodes where the backlash
was far more than one would have imagined, but it will also help others in
India refrain from making such comments," said an expert on Islamic
politics.
In the midst of all these protests, a press note
purportedly issued by terrorist organisation al-Qaida, has appeared in social
media in which the organisation has threatened violent retaliation, including
bombings, to avenge the insult to the Prophet.
Meanwhile, India’s intelligence agencies have alleged
Pakistan’s role behind the anti-India hashtag on social media – that led to
this furore. They have verified 750 unique bot accounts who have run these
anti-India campaigns with the backing of Pakistan’s PTI party.
While the day was full of events that ranged from more
countries raising protests against the comment has emerged the voice of a
supporter of the suspended BJP spokesperson, Nurpur Sharma.
Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, has gone ahead and
extended his support to the suspended spokesperson. Wilders has termed the anger
of the Islamic countries as 'ridiculous’ and has gone ahead and said India
should not have apologised.
Interestingly, amidst all this hullabaloo, Iran’s
foreign minister is in India at present to meet the External Affairs Minister,
Dr S Jaishankar. This is the first visit of an OIC leader after the controversy
around the comment began.
Source: New Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Sri Lankan Govt Allows Muslims To Perform Hajj If They
Pay In Foreign Currency
Muslim pilgrims arrive at
King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastal city of
Jeddah on June 5, 2022, prior to the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of
Makkah. (AFP)
----
Mohammed Rasooldeen
June 08, 2022
COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government has announced that
Muslims would be allowed to perform Hajj this year provided they pay their
travel costs in foreign currency, as the country faces its worst economic
crisis in recent memory.
Last month, Sri Lanka’s umbrella association of
pilgrimage organizers said its members would suspend operations because the
cost of sending worshippers to Makkah — estimated at $10 million — would be too
high for the country to bear when it is struggling with the worst financial
downturn since independence in 1948, and has already defaulted on its foreign
debt repayments.
The suspension was conditionally lifted by Religious
Affairs Minister Vidura Wickremanayake on Tuesday, following consultations with
Muslim parliamentarians and Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed, who also
oversees Middle Eastern affairs.
“At the request of the Muslim groups led by Minister
Ahamed, we have decided to fulfil the quota of pilgrims by requesting them to
pay for their Hajj package in foreign currencies, which will not affect our
national economy,” Wickremanayake told Arab News.
“I have requested the central bank to work out the
modalities of working out this pilgrimage and they would help them find an easy
passage to and from Makkah this year.”
Muslims make up almost 10 percent of the country’s
population of 22 million, which is predominantly Buddhist.
This year, the country has been allocated a quota of
1,585 pilgrims to perform the Hajj, after Saudi Arabia announced it would allow
1 million foreign and domestic Muslims to travel to the holy sites in Makkah.
While it is unlikely that Sri Lanka would fill the
entire quota, Ahamed, who discussed the issue with Wickremanayake, said that
even sending a reduced number of pilgrims this year would help the country keep
its allocation. This year’s number is already lower than in 2019, before the
coronavirus pandemic upended Hajj travel.
“Since the pilgrims have been asked to pay for their
package in foreign currencies, we cannot expect to make use of the full quota
this year. But it’s good to take some pilgrims to keep Sri Lanka’s quota intact
for next year too when things would get eased,” Ahamed told Arab News.
“Three years ago, we got a Hajj quota of nearly 4,000
and this year we do not want to miss this 1,585 quota for Lankan pilgrims.”
One of Islam’s five main pillars of faith, the Hajj
was restricted over coronavirus fears to just 1,000 people residing in Saudi
Arabia in 2020. Last year, the Kingdom allowed 60,000 domestic participants,
compared with the pre-pandemic number of 2.5 million.
Prospective Sri Lankan pilgrims have to file their
applications with the Ministry of Religious Affairs by Friday.
“I have asked those interested to make the necessary
applications to the department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs on or
before June 10,” said Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, director of the ministry’s
department overseeing the logistics.
“There are 86 Hajj travel operators and some 15
reputed agents will be selected from them and the operations will be
streamlined through them,” he added.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2099401/world
--------
What
Is At Risk for India with the Crisis in Its Relations with the Muslim World,
Explains a Veteran Diplomat
An
angry activist stomps on a poster of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) official in
Mumbai, India, on June 6, 2022, during a protest against her blasphemous
comments on Prophet Mohammed. (REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas)
-----
Nadia
Al-Faour
June
09, 2022
DUBAI:
The Indian government led by Narendra Modi is facing arguably its toughest
diplomatic test in the nine years it has been power, as the Islamic world boils
with anger and Muslim countries voice outrage over disparaging remarks made by
a ruling BJP party official about the Prophet Muhammad during a recent TV
debate.
With
at least 16 Islamic-majority countries expressing their objections via tweets,
official statements and summons to Indian diplomats, the BJP was forced to
suspend Nupur Sharma, the party’s national spokesperson, and expel another
official for screenshot of her offensive comment in a tweet.
Earlier,
protests in the northern Indian city of Kanpur against her comments left more
than 40 people injured when the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, a Hindu
nationalist hard-liner, came down heavily on the demonstrators.
Sharma’s
remarks, made on May 27 during a TV debate on a dispute being heard in court,
gained currency when a clip of her outburst was shared on Twitter by a
journalist and fact-checker.
After
her sacking, she wrote that she was withdrawing her remarks “unconditionally”
and that it was “never my intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.” But
many saw her apology as too little too late.
A
number of retired Indian diplomats have since spoken out on the incident,
warning that the crisis in India’s relations with the Islamic world is serious,
and urging introspection by the Modi government instead of resorting to
cosmetic measures.
The
former diplomats say that the Modi government ought to realize that it cannot
continue to do what it wishes at home with impunity and still enjoy good
relations with Islamic or Western countries.
“On
numerous occasions we have seen abuse of India’s Muslim community and attempts
to erase the country’s Islamic heritage. There is a long tradition of other
countries not interfering in the domestic affairs of another country, but when
you get into abuse of the holy prophet, it is a no-go area,” Talmiz Ahmad, a
retired Indian diplomat, author and political commentator, told Arab News.
“At
some point, people abroad will say: Enough is enough. I believe this time has
come. You cannot persecute a certain community at home and also pretend you
have a high moral stature abroad. It doesn’t work like that.”
India’s
foreign ministry has issued a statement saying that the offensive tweets and
comments “did not, in any way, reflect the views of the government. These are
the views of fringe elements.”
The
first task for the governing BJP is to defuse what the Indian opposition sees
as a diplomatic crisis of its own making.
Calling
for “respect for beliefs and religions,” the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs
said it “reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of
the Islamic religion, and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and
symbols.”
The
ministry welcomed the action taken by the BJP to suspend Sharma from her job.
Qatar
demanded that India apologize for the “Islamophobic” comments and summoned the
Indian ambassador to the foreign ministry on the second day of an official
visit by India’s Vice president Venkaiah Naidu and a business delegation aimed
at boosting trade.
Kuwait
also summoned the Indian ambassador, while a supermarket in the Gulf state
pulled Indian products from its shelves in protest at the comments. The UAE,
Bahrain and Iran were among other Middle East countries traditionally friendly
to India that made their objections known in various ways.
Egypt’s
Al-Azhar Mosque condemned Sharma’s remarks as “a real terrorist action that
helps to push the entire world to devastating crises and bloody wars,” and
urged the UN to take action to protect minority rights in India amid what it
described as “intensifying hatred and abuse toward Islam in India and against
Muslims.”
Putting
the official condemnations into context, Javed Ansari, a senior Indian
political reporter and commentator, told Arab News: “Prophet Muhammad is
Islam’s most revered and most sacred figure. The religion owes its existence to
him, spreading the word of Allah.
“Hence
Muslims worldwide, including in India, refuse to tolerate any disparaging
remarks about him.
“While
they accept in principle the right to free speech, they believe that free
speech does not give anybody the right to insult or make disparaging remarks
about the prophet. They believe that their sentiments and beliefs must be
respected.”
For
the Indian government, the danger of allowing the anger in the Muslim world to
fester cannot be overstated. Annual trade between India and six Gulf
Cooperation Council countries stands at $87 billion. Saudi Arabia is the
second-largest exporter of oil to India, after Iraq, while Qatar supplies 40
percent of India’s natural gas requirements.
At
a macro level, according to Ahmad, remittances from the Indian community in the
GCC countries bring in revenues that cover over a third of the Indian
government’s annual oil import bills. He describes India’s ties with the bloc
encompassing trade, logistics, energy and investment as substantial, adding
that for New Delhi the real danger lies not in a boycott of Indian goods but a
possible adverse impact on the recruitment of Indian workers.
An
estimated 8.5 million Indians work in the GCC bloc, constituting the largest
expatriate community in each member country. Every year they send roughly $35
billion in remittances that support 40 million family members in India. It is
said that each employed Indian in the Gulf has at least four or five
individuals relying on their earnings abroad.
Noting
that the relationship between the Gulf and India go back 5,000 years, Ahmad
said it is unlikely that the diplomatic backlash will inflict long-term damage
to the ties that bind India with Arab Gulf and other Muslim-majority countries.
“Indians
are the number one community in the GCC and the majority community in certain
countries, and that is because we have adopted accommodation and moderation,
and completely rejected any involvement in local politics. This is the
community’s strength,” Ahmad said.
“I
personally feel there will be a degree of course correction. Certain advice and
warnings have been given. I believe course correction is well on the way and
likely to work on both sides for mutual advantage.”
Having
said that, Ahmad, who served as India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the
UAE during 2000-11, added: “In the Gulf, we have some of the most cherished
friends of India. I wish that their senior leaders and diplomats had quietly
counselled certain officials in India that there will be negative consequences
for bilateral relations if continued abuse is directed at a certain community
in the country.”
For
its part, he said, “India’s ruling party should take a deep review of its
domestic policies and convince India’s friends (in the Muslim world) that
corrective action is being taken. We need to go back to the scenario of India
as a pluralistic, multi-cultural and moderate nation that is democratic and
accommodative."
On
the upside, Ahmad says, India is fortunate to have “a towering intellectual and
a very well experienced diplomat who is highly respected globally and at home”
like Dr. S Jaishankar as the foreign affairs minister.
“I
am confident that he will be advising the powers that be that you cannot
separate domestic from foreign policy. One impinges on the other,” he said.
Looking
to the future, Ahmad said: “Our foreign and domestic policies must be in sync.
We must go back to the core principles of this nation, which are pluralism,
multiculturalism, moderation and accommodativeness.”
Source: Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2099821/middle-east
--------
India
Demonise
Muslims but Live off Muslim-Majority Countries; “BJP’s Assumption that what’s
said In India Stays in India Is Turning Out To Be Wrong
Devadeep
Purohit
09.06.22
Heading
out to shop, Tanwir Alam, an Indian emigrant in Kuwait, ran into a heap of
Indian rice, tea and spices at Al-Ardiya Co-operative Society on the outskirts
of Kuwait City.
The
goods had been taken off the shelves and covered with plastic sheets with
printed signs in Arabic announcing the authorities’ decision to remove Indian
products at a time outrage has swept West Asia over now-axed BJP spokespersons’
denigrating comments on Prophet Mohammed.
“This
is my 23rd year here. I have never seen anything like this,” said Alam, who
grew up in Patna and studied management in Aligarh Muslim University before
immigrating to the Gulf.
“India
has always had a special place in this country.… The local people here trust
Indians, irrespective of their religion, more than Pakistanis, Bangladeshis or
for that matter Egyptians who speak the same Arabic language. Over the past few
days, that trust seems to have been shaken and that’s evident from the reaction
of the government and people on the street,” added Alam, now the general
manager of Sama Al Kuwait Tours and Travels.
As
many as 15 countries in the region and elsewhere have either summoned the
Indian ambassador or issued statements denouncing the derogatory comments of
Nupur Sharma and Navin Jindal.
The
Narendra Modi government has been fighting the fire by citing the rare
disciplinary action taken by the BJP and holding aloft a school
composition-style statement from the party declaring its allegiance to the
basic principles that any civilised group is expected to uphold.
The
uncharacteristic scramble by the Modi government has drawn attention to the
latent compulsions that forced its hand and invited the question whether the
BJP is genuinely apologetic.
“The
BJP is trying to woo capital from the Islamic world.… Already the Abu
Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group (the multinational conglomerate headed by
Yusuffali M.A. from Kerala) has proposed a Rs 2,500-crore investment in Uttar
Pradesh. The business linkages between some of the top business houses in India
with sovereign wealth funds are growing. There is a corporate interest angle to
India’s reaction,” said an academic who specialises in West Asia’s economic
ties with India.
But
the academic, who did not want to be named so that he could speak freely, added
that the BJP and the Centre should have taken stronger steps against the
spokespersons if they wanted to convince others that they were sincere about
the secular declarations made in the party’s statement.
“Nupur
Sharma has played by the BJP rule book of divisive politics and that’s apparent
from the reactions of its troll army on social media.... The (disciplinary)
action seems, at least till now, to be intended to protect certain interests,”
the expert said.
While
the Islamic world, especially the Gulf countries, is an important bloc because
of the remittances that the expatriates send back home and India’s dependence
on these nations for its energy requirements, some analysts think larger
concerns are also at play.
“The
remittance story is known to everyone, but there is also a lesser-known fact —
that the immigration pattern from India has changed over the last few years,
with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar emerging as the new supply centres of emigrants
who have so far come mostly from states like Kerala. The remittance from the
Gulf to villages in Uttar Pradesh has increased manifold in the past few
years,” said another expert on migration and West Asian countries.
“Can
the BJP government afford a backlash if the emigrants face the consequences of
the controversial remarks?” he asked.
Several
Indians living in the Gulf — the size of the Indian diaspora there is around 90
lakh, which is about 28 per cent of overseas Indians — told this correspondent
that their local friends had been asking them tough questions about India’s
secular credentials after the derogatory comments of Sharma and Jindal went
viral.
Kareem
Irfan, three-time president of the Federation of Indian Muslim Association in
Kuwait, cited instances of the contracts of low-skill immigrants from India
being terminated or not renewed and imports from India being suddenly
cancelled.
“From
our end, we are trying to convince the local people that those who made the
comments were punished by the party and later tendered apologies.… I have
personally attended some post-dinner discussion sessions, a tradition in the
Arab world, and tried to convince people. But my friends here want to hear from
the top leadership of India, which has been silent till now,” said Irfan, who
has spent around four decades in Kuwait, a country that has over 1 million
Indians.
According
to Irfan, most of these Gulf countries follow a non-interfering foreign policy
and that’s why they have hardly commented on the reports about attacks on
Muslims in India, treating them as an internal matter of the country.
“But
an insult to Prophet Mohammed is something else and that’s why you see this
kind of reaction,” said the emigrant from Hyderabad.
While
most Indians living in the Gulf are praying for speedy closure of the matter,
political observers think the controversy has exposed a side of India that the
BJP doesn’t want the world to see.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Delhi
Police registers FIR against several people over hate messages on social media
09.06.22
The
Delhi Police said on Wednesday that it has registered a case against some
people who are allegedly spreading messages of hate, inciting various groups
and creating situations which is detrimental for the maintenance of public
tranquillity.
According
to hindustantimes.com, suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's name figures
in the list. Others named in the FIR, registered by the Intelligence Fusion and
Strategic Operation (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell, are Naveen Kumar Jindal,
Shadab Chauhan, Saba Naqvi, Maulana Mufti Nadeem, Abdur Rehman and Gulzar
Ansari, the police said.
The
FIR is against several individuals cutting across religions, Deputy
Commissioner of Police (IFSO) KPS Malhotra said.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Modi’s Photos Plastered on Dustbins in Muslim Countries, Thunders Maharashtra
Chief Minister
June
8, 2022
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s photos are plastered on dustbins in some Arab
countries and India has been subjected to great humiliation owing to the
Bhartiya Janata Party’s ‘tinpot spokespersons’, Maharashtra Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray thundered here on Wednesday.
Taking
strong umbrage at the discomfiture to the Indian Prime Minister, Thackeray said
while the BJP and its spokespersons cannot be said to speak on behalf of India,
they ended up bringing disgrace to the country.
“Why
did they need to make comments on the Prophet Mohammed? Just as our gods are
dear to us, they also revere their gods…. Why should you show hatred towards
any other religions…. India is now facing protests in all Muslim countries and
the PM’s photos are stuck on garbage bins, bringing shame to the country,”
Thackeray roared.
Replying
to the state Opposition BJP’s barrage of criticism of the Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVA) government of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, Thackeray
said it was ‘unfortunate’.
“Those
whom we trusted and made them sit in our laps for 25-30 years are now our
enemies…. Those against whom we fought for so many years are today our friends,
they respect us and have joined hands strongly for the state’s progress,”
Thackeray said, indirectly expressing his gratitude to the MVA allies.
Rebuffing
the BJP’s questions on his ‘Hindutva’, he countered by asking “who are they to
question our Hindutva credentials?” at a mammoth rally in this tourism hub.
“Our
Hindutva does not teach hatred for any religion…. Our Hindutva is like Ram in
the heart and work in the hands…. Don’t teach us Hindutva,” Thackeray shot
back.
Referring
to the recent ‘Jan Aakrosh rally’ organised by the BJP in Aurangabad to
highlight the water problems in this Marathwada hub, Thackeray said that “angst
was not for water” but for losing power and directed at him personally.
“They
have been deadlines after deadlines for the MVA government to collapse, but in
the past two-and-half years it has not happened, nor will it happen. That
‘aakrosh’ (anger) is directed against me and my government which is working
successfully on the path of development,” said Thackeray.
It
was because of this frustration at losing power in 2019 that the centre is targetting
MVA leaders with central agencies like ED or CBI and dared the BJP to deploy
these investigation arms in Jammu & Kashmir where the Kashmiri Pandits are
being forced to leave their home again.
He
also dared those wanting to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside his home to go to
Kashmir and chant the Hindu prayers there.
On
the much-anticipated issue of rechristening Aurangabad as ‘Sambhajinagar’,
Thacekray said it was his father – the late Balasaheb Thackeray who had made
the promise, and vowed to honour it soon.
“We
are committed to change the name of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar, but that will
not solve the water problems or the bad roads here. It will be renamed when it
befits the city and even Chhatrapati Sambhaji would find it ideal,” Thackeray
assured.
Source:
The Statesman
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
tightens security after terrorists threaten attacks over anti-Muslim remarks
08 June,
2022
India
tightened public security on Wednesday after the circulation of a letter
warning of terrorist attacks to avenge derogatory remarks about the Prophet
Mohammad by an official of the ruling Hindu nationalist party.
Several
Indian media groups shared the June 6 letter attributed to al-Qaeda’s branch in
the Indian subcontinent (AQIS) in which threats were made to carry out suicide
bombings in Indian states to defend, it said, the honor of the Prophet.
A
federal home ministry official said intelligence agencies were checking the
authenticity of the threats issued by AQIS.
“We
have also ordered state police to ensure public gatherings or protests are not
allowed as they could be targeted by the militant group,” a senior home
ministry official in New Delhi said.
The
security threat surfaced days after a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made comments about Prophet Mohammad during
a TV debate.
BJP
spokeswoman Nupur Sharma’s remarks sparked uproar among Muslims in India and
triggered diplomatic protests from Gulf countries demanding an apology from the
Indian government.
Sharma
has been suspended from the party while another spokesman, Naveen Kumar Jindal,
was expelled over comments he made about Islam on social media.
Police
in northern India arrested a BJP youth leader for posting anti-Muslim comments
on social media, along with 50 other people who took part in sporadic unrest
among minority Muslims in parts of India last week over Sharma’s remarks.
India’s
foreign ministry said on Monday the offensive tweets and comments did not in
any way reflect the government’s views.
Instructions
have been issued to several senior members of the BJP to be “extremely
cautious” when talking about religion on public platforms.
But
domestic outrage gained fresh momentum after leaders from the Middle East
including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, who demanded apologies from New Delhi
and summoned diplomats to protest against the remarks in the TV debate.
The
influential 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a
statement that the insults came in the context of an increasingly intense
atmosphere of hatred toward Islam in India and systematic harassment of
Muslims.
India’s
minority Muslims have felt more pressure on everything from freedom of worship
to hijab head scarves under BJP rule. There were Hindu-Muslim clashes during
religious processions recently, following deadly riots in 2019-20.
The
new controversy has become a diplomatic challenge for Modi who in recent years
has cemented strong relations with Gulf nations.
Islamic
rights groups in India said that it was the first time influential foreign
leaders had spoken out against what they called humiliations experienced by the
minority community.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
‘Idgah
Grounds’ In Chamrajpet Is Ours, Have Records, Says Central Muslim Association
09th
June 2022
BENGALURU:
The Central Muslim Association (CMA) on Wednesday claimed to have “all the
documents” to prove that the ‘Idgah Grounds’ in Chamrajpet belonged to them and
would provide the same to BBMP if and when asked for it. The BBMP on Monday
claimed that the ground was a “BBMP Playground” which Muslims were allowed to
use on two occasions in the year while the rest of the days it was up to the
BBMP Joint Commissioner West who would accord permissions sought from parties
seeking to use the grounds for their respective events. The claim reportedly
followed some Hindu right wing organisations seeking clarifications from the
BBMP as to whom the grounds belonged to, and why Muslims were given exclusive
access to hold their festival events there.
The
Zahiruddin Ahmed, General Secretary, CMA , told TNIE , “The land has been with
CMA from 1871. The Corporation (now BBMP) claimed it as theirs in the Supreme
Court as well in the High Court, but the verdict was in our favour. The land
was originally 10.10 acres, including a burial ground. But as the area was
developing, the burial ground was shifted and only two acres and a few guntas
of land, on which the Idgah stands, is still with us. If anyone wants, we will
show the documents.”
Recently,
the Hindu Janajagruthi Samithi, a Hindu right-wing outfit, contended that in
2006, in the proceedings of a committee comprising MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan,
BJP leader Premila Nesargi, MLA RV Devaraj, a DCP and an ACP, it was stated
that the land could be used by others for the purpose of Ganesha festival,
Dussera, Independence Day, among others, as well.
“Zameer
Ahmed Khan had also signed the proceedings copy then, but now, the corporation
is not giving permission for other events,” said Mohan Gowda, President of the
samithi, adding that if the land belonged to the Wakf Board or others, why was
there a request to repair the Idgah wall to fix cracks from corporation?
However, the CMA committee has rejected the 2006 committee meeting proceedings
saying it could lead to confusion.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bengal
Imam body calls for stringent legal action against Nupur Sharma over Prophet
remarks
Suryagni
Roy
Kolkata
June
9, 2022
The
Bengal Imam Association on Wednesday urged the Centre to charge former BJP
spokesperson Nupur Sharma with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)
for her Prophet remarks.
"Nupur
Sharma has no right to speak about our Prophet in the way she did. We urge the
Indian government to take harsh legal action against her. We want UAPA imposed
on her, and she should be arrested," said Md Yahya of the Bengal Imam
Association.
The
Imam Association also called on all mosques and imams to protest against
Nupur's statement on Friday.
"We
also request all mosques in the state to protest on Friday against her
statement after the namaz," said Md Yahya.
THE
NUPUR SHARMA CONTROVERSY
Former
spokesperson of the BJP, Nupur Sharma, came into the line of fire after she
commented on Prophet Muhammad during a TV news debate. The remarks stoked a
massive row and multiple cases were registered against her for hurting
religious sentiments.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Man
held for misbehaving with Muslim vendor in Kanpur
Jun
9, 2022
Kanpur:
The Kanpur Commissionerate have police arrested a man on the charges of
misbehaving with a Muslim vendor in Govind Nagar area of the City on Wednesday.
One Tushar Shukla has been arrested in connection with a viral video, wherein
he could be heard hurling expletives and forcing him to remove his cloth shop
from the footpath.
The
incident came to light after a video of the same went viral on social media. In
the video, an elderly man could be seen sitting on a footpath outside a closed
shop and setting up his shop with garment boxes. In the meantime, a man arrives
there and starts misbehaving with the elderly vendor asking him to remove the
shop.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Remarks
on Prophet: Naseeruddin Shah appeals PM to “stop the poison”
9th
June 2022
New
Delhi: Amid global condemnation over BJP leaders comments on Prophet Mohammad,
veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Wednesday said he hopes good sense prevails
and the “hate wave” against Muslims dissipates even if that doesn’t happen in
his lifetime.
In
an interview to a news channel, the multiple National Award winner also
appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in and “stop this poison from
spreading”.
“I
would appeal to him (PM) to knock some good sense into these people. If he
believes what was said at the ‘Dharam Sansad’ in Rishikesh, then he should say
so. If he does not, then he should say so,” he said.
The
BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its
Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against
the Prophet.
Amid
protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement
aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these
members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the
insult of any religious personality.
The
controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling
for a boycott of Indian products.
“What
the Indian government did was too little, too late. It was a week before they
even opened their mouths and said anything condemning these kinds of
statements.
“These
kinds of statements in a country like Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan,
which we hope to include in ‘Akhand Bharat’ some day, would result in a death
sentence because it would be considered blasphemous. Here, there was not a sound
from the top and absolutely no acknowledgement of the hurt caused to millions
of believers,” Shah told NDTV.
After
her suspension from the ruling party, Sharma issued an “unconditional apology”,
something the senior actor dubbed “insincere”.
“It’s
hardly meant to assuage hurt feelings. I wouldn’t be surprised if such a hate
speech occurs again. It’s ironic you talk of peace and unity, you get locked up
in jail for more than a year. You talk of genocide and you get a slap on the
wrist. There are double standards working here. It’s like the double-think of
George Orwell’s ‘1984’.”
Shah
said Sharma was not a “fringe element” as the BJP has claimed.
He
also argued that it was “high time” that sensible Hindus spoke up against the
hate towards the Muslim community.
Shah
said he puts “complete responsibility” on TV news channels and social media for
“propagating hate”.
“It’s
a manufactured hate. It’s a kind of venom that begins to spew when you are
confronted with somebody with an opposite opinion… I wonder how long it is
before the shivlings start to be searched under every church,” Shah said in an
apparent reference to the ongoing case of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in
Varanasi.
He,
however, condemned death threats against Sharma and her family, who are now under
Delhi Police’s protection.
“This
route (threats) is wrong. That’s why Pakistan and Afghanistan are in a mess. We
do not want to emulate these countries but willy-nilly are we doing so. Not
(for) just slaughtering a cow but on the suspicion of slaughtering a cow people
are being lynched, untouchables who were skinning a dead cow are whipped in
public. These are not the kinds of things that used to happen in India, but in
barbaric Islamic countries.”
Asked
if the Khans – Shah Rukh, Salman and Saif – can open up about their thoughts
today, Shah said he can’t speak for these Bollywood stars.
“They
would be risking too much but I don’t know how they explain it to their
conscience about it. I think they have too much to lose.”
He
also praised Shah Rukh, his co-star of many films such as “Chamatkar” and
“Chaahat”, for handling media scrutiny with grace last year when his son Aryan
was arrested in connection with a drugs case.
He
also noted that instead of being acknowledged for all the work done during the
lockdown, Sonu Sood gets raided.
Asked
to comment on how the film industry was cozying up to the government, Shah said
they want to be on the winning side.
“It
does look like the BJP is going to stay on the winning side for a while. It’s
nothing new…”
Calling
“The Kashmir Files” an “almost fictionalised version of the suffering of the
Kashmiri Hindus”, the actor said the government is promoting it instead of
ensuring the security and rehabilitation for the community.
“It
is propaganda and people are willingly participating in it. I fear there will
be more such pseudo-patriotic films (in future).”
Shah
further said he doesn’t feel marginalised as a Muslim in India as he comes from
privilege as a senior actor with social capital.
“I’m
certainly not disgruntled, or unhappy in the country. This has been the country
I’ve been brought up in, taught to love, the country I’ve been told I belong
to, and I feel I belong to. I’m luckily in a position where I can’t be
marginalised.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/remarks-on-prophet-naseeruddin-shah-appeals-pm-to-stop-the-poison-2344957/
--------
Pakistan
'Biggest
protest in Pakistan's history' within next few days: Imran Khan
Jun
9, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he would within the
next few days finalise the date for the "biggest protest in Pakistan's
history".
"We
have to go all-in for our campaign for true freedom in the next phase. I will
give a date within the next few days," Dawn newspaper quoted Khan as
saying.
Addressing
the PTI's National Council meeting in Islamabad, Imran Khan said his party is
consulting with its lawyers but called on party workers to be prepared.
"It will be the biggest protest in the country's history. This is our
right."
"I
have told all party organisations to be prepared. We are waiting to get the all-clear
from the Supreme Court. As soon as that is done, I will give the date,"
Khan said.
Following
his ouster from power, Khan has been holding several rallies, reiterating the
foreign conspiracy allegations and his rebuke of the "selected
government" against the Shehbaz Sharif government.
During
a recent rally, the beleaguered PTI chief even said Pakistan could "break
up into three parts" if the establishment did not take the right
decisions.
In
an opinion piece for Dawn, Pakistan analyst Zahid Hussain said such reckless
statements by a former prime minister raise serious concerns about his motives.
"He
would prefer military intervention to the political process taking its own
course. His destructive populist politics is extremely dangerous not only for
democracy but also for national security," said Hussain.
On
Wednesday, Pakistan Defense Minister Khwaja Asif said Wednesday that Imran Khan
was attempting to reach out to the establishment to escape a difficult
situation.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan re-elected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman
Jun
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Former prime minister Imran Khan was on Wednesday re-elected unopposed as the
chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after his challengers had
withdrawn in his favour. The election of 69-year-old Khan was held during the
meeting of the party's National Conference in Islamabad. The elections of the
senior office bearers were held following a directive by the Election
Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold intra-party polls by June 13.
Apart
from Khan, Umar Sarfaraz Cheema and Naik Muhammad were the other two contenders
who were running for the top post of chairman. However, both opted to withdraw
in favour of the former premier, allowing him to become chairman of the party.
Among
others, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was re-elected as the
vice-chairman of the party, while former planning minister Asad Umar was one
again elected as the secretary-general.
After
the elections, Khan addressed the party workers and leaders at the party's
National Council Meeting where he vehemently criticised the government,
alleging that the incumbent rulers would "not do anything without the
approval of the United States".
"They
are afraid that if America is disgruntled with them, then they will suffer the
same fate as the Russian oligarchs," he said, and alleged that his rivals
had stashed billions of dollars in foreign bank accounts.
He
also said to give within a few days a date for the "biggest protest"
in the history of Pakistan. "We have to go all-in for our campaign for
true freedom in the next phase. I will give a date within the next few
days," he said.
He called
on party workers to be prepared for the protest which he said was a "jihad
for the nation."
Khan
also castigated the current government for increasing the prices of petroleum
and asked the government why it had not approached Russia to ink an agreement
for supplying cheap oil. He said that his government had negotiated a deal for
cheap oil.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan Condemns Comments Against Prophet, Urges Pakistan Govt To Cut Ties With
India
08
JUN 2022
Imran
Khan has condemned the controversial remarks made by now-suspended and expelled
BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammad and asked the Pakistan government to sever
ties with India and take a harsh position on the issue.
The
ousted prime minister, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI), made the demand on Tuesday while addressing the lawyers’ convention in
Islamabad.
He
said the Pakistan government should follow the Arab countries and take a strong
position against the Narendra Modi government.
"The
government should sever ties with India," he said. "Indian products
should be boycotted."
On
Monday, Khan strongly condemned the "hateful attack by a BJP
spokesperson" on the Prophet and accused the Modi government of
"deliberately following a policy of provocation and hatred towards Muslims
in India including inciting vigilante violence against them."
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday
condemned the "hurtful" remarks against the prophet of Islam.
The
ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated the
Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and
Kashmir on August 5, 2019. India’s decision evoked strong reactions from
Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.
Over
a dozen Muslim countries have condemned the controversial remarks made by
now-suspended and expelled BJP leaders against the Prophet.
The
BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its
Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against
the Prophet.
Amid
protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement
aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these
members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the
insult of any religious personality.
Source:
Outlook India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President
Alvi appoints Ahad Cheema as adviser to the PM on establishment
Tahir
Sherani
June
9, 2022
President
Arif Alvi on Thursday appointed Ahad Cheema, a former civil servant and senior
bureaucrat, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's adviser on establishment.
Cheema's
was the first high profile arrest in Punjab by the National Accountability
Bureau (NAB) before the general elections of 2018. The bureau had arrested him
on February 21, 2018, when he appeared before its investigation team in an
inquiry about Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme.
Later,
the NAB also initiated inquiries regarding the LDA City scam and assets beyond
means against him. He was granted bail in all three cases in April last year.
A
notification issued by the Cabinet Division today, a copy of which is available
with Dawn.com, states: "In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1)
of Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the
president, on the advice of the prime minister, has been pleased to appoint
Ahad Khan Cheema, as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment, with the
status of federal minister, with immediate effect."
The
development comes days after Cheema resigned from the civil service while
expressing his distrust of his employer, the government of Pakistan, for acting
as a silent spectator when he was roped into a "politically motivated
campaign spearheaded by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ahead of the
2018 general election and his ordeal all along".
The
newly-appointed minister had served 38 months (Feb 2018 to April 2021) in jail
while being under trial in different NAB references.
On
June 4, the Prime Minister's Office accepted the resignation/ retirement from
service.
Sources
had told Dawn that the premier, who had placed Cheema on important projects
with new standards of speed, quality and efficiency during his stint as Punjab
chief minister, had tried to convince him to continue his service on a senior
and important position, but he declined all offers over the maltreatment meted
out to him.
Cheema
had joined the Pakistan Administrative Service (erstwhile DMG) in 2001 and had
served under the chief ministership of Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Shehbaz Sharif
and proved his mettle in executing many a public-interest project within the
stipulated time frames. These projects included Bhikki coal-fired power plant
and several projects in Lahore as Director-General Lahore Development
Authority.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Gilani
challenges Sanjrani’s election as Senate chairman
Nasir
Iqbal
June
9, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday requested the Supreme
Court to set aside the March 15, 2021 election to the office of Senate chairman
in which Sadiq Sanjrani was declared successful.
In
his petition, moved through his counsel Farooq H. Naek, Mr Gilani challenged
the March 31, 2021 Islamabad High Court order rejecting a similar plea.
Backed
by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Mr Gilani had won the March 3, 2021
Senate election from Islamabad against Dr Hafeez Shaikh, a candidate of the
then PTI government. The PDM later fielded Mr Gilani for the coveted post of
Senate chairman.
President
Dr Arif Alvi had on March 11 nominated Senator Syed Muzzafar Hussain Shah as
the presiding officer to conduct the Senate chairman election, who according to
the petition, had hostile attitude and bias towards the PPP for a long time.
The
petition alleged seven votes were rejected unlawfully and as a result Mr Gilani
secured 42 votes whereas Mr Sanjrani got 48. This showed that there was a
difference of merely six votes between the two candidates and if the seven
rejected votes were counted, Mr Gilani might emerge as the returned candidate,
the petition argued.
On
March 31, 2021, the IHC had rejected an intra-court appeal by holding that the
ruling of the presiding officer was immune under the Constitution since it
deals with the internal affairs of the Senate.
The
petition contended that the high court had failed to appreciate that the voters
were asked to put a stamp mark in the box of their candidate of choice and the
petitioner’s polling agent, at the outset during the count, had specifically
taken the plea before the presiding officer that the voters had rightly stamped
the mark within the box which was required under the
rules/guidelines/instructions. But, it regretted, the presiding officer
arbitrarily rejected seven votes with mala fide intention and for ulterior
considerations.
The
petition emphasised that the high court had failed to appreciate and consider
the mala fide intent of the presiding officer floating on the surface of record
prima facie showing that neither the process of poll was fair nor just or
impartial.
It
was tainted with malice and the presiding officer was hell-bent on facilitating
the then ruling party by abusing the due process of law and his official
authority/powers.
The
petition argued that the high court had also failed to appreciate that “in a
politically polarised environment, intervention by the courts and that too in
disregard to constitutional provisions was likely to have profound
ramifications in the context of the confidence of the people relating to
impartiality of the judicial branch”.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1693902/gilani-challenges-sanjranis-election-as-senate-chairman
--------
150
Sikh pilgrims arrive from India to attend Jorr Mela
June
9, 2022
LAHORE:
Around 150 Sikh pilgrims on Wednesday arrived in the country from India to
perform rituals of Jorr Mela at Gurdwara Punja Sahib at Hasanabdal.
The
Sikhs from across the country and abroad gather at Gurdwara Punja Sahib, the
third holiest site in the Sikh religion, to mark Shaheedi Jorr Mela, on the
416th death anniversary of their fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
Evacuate
Trust Property Board (ETPB) Additional Secretary Rana Arshad, Deputy Secretary
Imran Gondal, former Pardhan Sardar Bhushan Singh and others received the
pilgrims at the Wagah border.
ETPB
Chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani said that the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak
Committee would organise the religious rituals according to the schedule, while
the government was responsible for the security of the pilgrims.
Sikh
pilgrims’ leader Sardar Sikhmandir Singh says Pakistan is their second home and
no one can stop them from visiting the country.
“We
come here to attend our religious ceremonies as it is the land of our Gurus,”
he says.
The
pilgrims will leave for Hassanabdal by train to attend ceremonies at the
Gurdwara Punja Sahib. They will visit Nankana Sahib on June 10 to visit
Gurdwara Sacha Sauda.
They
will return to Lahore on June 13 from Nankana Sahib and visit Gurdwara Darbar
Sahib at Kartarpur on June 15.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1693831/150-sikh-pilgrims-arrive-from-india-to-attend-jorr-mela
--------
South
Asia
India
to Consider Reopening its Mission in Kabul Without its Senior Diplomats
By
Saqalain Eqbal
08
Jun 2022
According
to Indian media, Indian officials are evaluating the security situation in
Afghanistan, and the possibility of reopening its mission. A few Indian
diplomats may return to Kabul to resume consular services and monitor relief
distribution.
As
reported by the sources, the embassy’s reopening plan does not include sending
senior diplomats; instead, the embassy will likely function primarily with
employees for liaison purposes, which could include consular services.
The
Hindustan Times, one of India’s most widely circulated daily newspaper,
reported on June 8 that the decision did not imply engagement with or
recognition of the Taliban, quoting Foreign Ministry officials.
Consistent
with the Indian reports, during the delegation’s meeting with Taliban Foreign
Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, the resumption of Indian consular activities in
Kabul was discussed.
Christian
Fair stated three days ago that the Taliban had not discontinued their
long-standing ties with ISIS, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Muhammad, putting
India’s security at risk and rendering the Taliban unable to protect Indians in
Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Former
Minister of Education aka Founder of “Ghost Schools” Returns to Afghanistan
By
Saqalain Eqbal
08
Jun 2022
Farooq
Wardak, the former Education Minister who was accused of establishing “ghost
schools” in conflict areas, has been welcomed by the Taliban, after returning
to the country.
Officials
claimed a former Afghan minister who left when the Taliban took control of the
country last year returned on Wednesday after receiving security assurances as
part of the Islamist group’s effort to bring back high-profile figures.
Farooq
Wardak has returned to the country due to the efforts of the Taliban commission
for Return and Communications with Former Afghan Officials and Political
Figures, which was established to encourage officials to return to the country.
Wardak
had returned from Turkey, according to Ahmad Wasiq, the Taliban commission for
Return and Communications with Former Afghan Officials and Political Figures’
spokesman.
“The
majority of authorities are considering returning,” the former Minister of
Education said, adding that he felt respected and happy in his country, though
he noted that a small group may not choose to return.
Farooq
Wardak is well-known among former government ministers for embezzling international
aid and funds to the Ministry of Education, widespread corruption, and budget
deficits for nonexistent schools.
He
was the Minister of Education for a long time, and the term “ghost schools” was
coined to refer to the nonexistant schools for which he had siphoned millions
of dollars from the ministry’s budget, and it quickly spread in the media.
In
fact, the phrase “ghost schools” was first introduced in a report by the US
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which accused
Farooq Wardak of establishing “non-existant schools in conflict zones”.
According
to SIGAR, the US Agency of International Development alone has provided about
$770 million to the Afghan Ministry of Education since 2015, with the exclusion
of the international community and international organizations.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Hands Over the Military Equipment of the Previous Government to the Taliban
By
Saqalain Eqbal
08
Jun 2022
According
to the Taliban-controlled media, the Iranian government has handed over to
local Taliban forces all the military equipment transferred to Iran during the
fall of the previous Afghan government.
The
equipment was returned to Taliban officials in the port of Islam Qala on
Tuesday night, according to a report released by Bakhtar News Agency on
Wednesday morning, June 8.
The
Bakhtar report did not specify the quantity of equipment, but photographs
provided show rangers, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled tanks, and trucks
loaded with weapons.
During
the intensification of the conflict and the fall of the republic, a significant
number of security forces and jihadi commanders from Herat province entered
Iran with military equipment.
Following
the fall of the Afghan government, military equipment is said to have been
smuggled out of Afghanistan and into neighboring countries, mostly Pakistan.
Recent
allegations claim that US weapons used in Afghanistan were smuggled across
Pakistan to Indian Kashmir. According to reports, Indian officials discovered
the weaponry.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Former
government officials return to Kabul at Taliban invitation
June
08, 2022
KABUL:
Afghanistan’s former education minister, who fled as the Taliban took over the
country last year, returned to Kabul on Wednesday, following the return of
other high-ranking officials this week, after security assurances from the new
administration.
Tens
of thousands of Afghans and most former government officials left the country
after its Western-backed administration collapsed when the Taliban seized
control in mid-August.
Ghulam
Farooq Wardak is the latest returning official.
Others
are Daulat Waziri, the former spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, and
Amanullah Ghalib, the former head of Afghanistan’s national power company, who
arrived in Afghanistan during the past few days.
Bilal
Karimi, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration, told Arab News
after Wardak’s arrival that a commission set up to negotiate the return of
high-profile Afghans abroad was in touch with former officials and that
authorities “hope all Afghans come back to their country.”
“The
situation has improved now, and Afghans can return to their country without any
issue,” he said. “Influential, clean, and committed personalities can live in
the country and will enjoy all rights under the new government.”
Wardak,
who spoke to the media after landing at Kabul airport, said that a “large
percentage” of those who left Afghanistan would like to come back and serve
their country.
“I
feel proud, dignified, and happy in my own country. I live here, and I will die
here. I will be with the people of this country,” he said. “A tiny percentage
of Afghans who left the country may not wish to come back.”
Waziri,
who returned on Sunday, told reporters he expected the Taliban to “open their
arms” to all Afghans as he thanked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — the
Taliban government — for inviting him to return.
“I
thank the IEA leaders for contacting me as I wished to come back to
Afghanistan. I am against war. I worked in all regimes,” he said. “I hope for
peace, unity, and working together to build the country.”
Officials
are returning to the country as Taliban authorities, unrecognized by foreign
governments, have been under pressure to form an inclusive government to win
international recognition.
In
April, the chief Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, announced plans to
convene a loya jirga — a large assembly of Afghan leaders that has
traditionally been a forum to discuss and reach a consensus on important
political issues.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2099631/world
--------
Taliban
Introducing New Uniform for Afghan Police
Ayaz
Gul
June
08, 2022
ISLAMABAD
—
Afghanistan’s
ruling Taliban group unveiled a new uniform for its national police force
Wednesday, saying the move will lead to improved security in the conflict-torn
country.
“In
the first stage, 20,000 uniforms are being distributed [among police forces] in
Kabul and Kandahar provinces. The number will reach up to 100,000 in the next
two weeks,” Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor told a televised news
conference in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Since
returning to power nearly 10 months ago, the Taliban have relied on their
widely feared insurgent-turned-security force to handle law and order across
Afghanistan amid persistent criticism that the absence of a police uniform and
a lack of police training are encouraging the men to indulge in criminal
activities or misuse of power.
“This
special uniform that you are seeing today will help counter security spoilers
and provide better safety to our fellow citizens,” Deputy Interior Minister
Noor Jalal Jalali told reporters, while some police officers wearing new
uniforms lined up behind him.
The
dark green uniform carries the Taliban’s white flag with black Arabic lettering
displaying Islam's main tenet on the sleeves It reads, “There is no God but
Allah. Mohammad is the messenger of God.”
The
Islamist hardline group used the flag during its previous rule in Afghanistan
from 1996 to 2001, when only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates recognized the Taliban government, amid widespread human rights abuses
and the exclusion of women from public life.
The
disbanded U.S.-trained and -funded Afghan police forces were using grey-blue
uniform, with the traditional tri-colored republican flag on the sleeves.
The
Taliban seized power last August as the then-Afghan government and its
Western-backed national security forces collapsed in the face of Taliban
battlefield advances just days before the final U.S.-led foreign troops
withdrew from the country.
No
country has yet recognized the new Taliban government, known as Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan, mainly because of human rights and terrorism concerns.
The
all-male Taliban cabinet has rolled back many human rights Afghans enjoyed over
the past 20 years, particularly those of women.
They
have abolished the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replaced it with the
Ministry of Vice and Virtue, tasked with interpreting and enforcing the group’s
version of Islam in the country.
The
Islamist rulers have barred girls from resuming secondary school education
across most of Afghanistan and female employees from returning to their jobs in
some government departments. Afghan women have been ordered to cover up fully
in public, including their faces, and not to travel long distances or leave
Afghanistan unless accompanied be a close male relative.
Human
rights defenders are urging the United States and other Western nations to
press the Taliban to reverse their new rules for women if they want legitimacy,
respect, financial assistance and relief from international sanctions.
Heather
Barr with Human Rights Watch emphasized in a statement Tuesday that as long as
“there are things the Taliban want, there is leverage" the international
community can use to press the group to review its human rights-related
polices.
“What
is happening right now in Afghanistan is the most serious women’s rights crisis
in the world today, and the most serious women’s rights crisis since 1996, when
the Taliban took over the last time. There is no time to lose,” Barr said.
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-introducing-new-uniform-for-afghan-police/6608513.html
--------
Arab
World
Saudi
Arabia welcomes IAEA's resolution on Iran
Omar
Alothmani, Hamdi Yıldız
09.06.2022
Saudi
Arabia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday welcomed the UN nuclear watchdog's
resolution criticizing Iran.
Riyadh
called on Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
and resolve outstanding issues without delay, the state news agency SPA
reported.
Iran
"must" comply with its obligations under the safeguards deal, and the
necessity to cooperate with the agency to resolve outstanding nuclear issues,
the ministry said in a statement.
The
IAEA adopted a resolution criticizing Iran for refusing to provide answers
about traces of enriched uranium found at three undeclared sites.
The
35-member IAEA Board of Governors passed the resolution brought by the US, UK,
Germany and France with 30 votes in favor. Russia and China voted against the
resolution, while India, Libya and Pakistan abstained.
Iran's
Foreign Ministry in a statement late Wednesday termed the adoption of the
resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors meeting in Vienna,
Austria as "political, incorrect and unconstructive."
Earlier
in the day, Iran's nuclear agency announced that it has turned off two cameras
at one of its nuclear sites, saying they were operating beyond the safeguards
agreement between Tehran and the IAEA.
Talks
between Iran and world powers in Vienna to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, known
as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have been stalled amid key
disagreements between Tehran and Washington.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/saudi-arabia-welcomes-iaeas-resolution-on-iran/2609237
--------
YPG/PKK
terrorists in Syria deploy US-made anti-tank TOW missiles
Omer
Koparan
08.06.2022
MANBIJ/AZAZ,
Syria
The
YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria's Manbij region which they have occupied
have been seen in possession of US-made anti-tank TOW missiles, with their
barrels aimed at Türkiye's Operation Euphrates Shield area.
According
to the photos and videos obtained by Anadolu Agency, terrorists were seen
observing the area towards Jarablus, which is controlled by the Turkish Armed
Forces and the Syrian National Army.
Among
some Russian- and US-made weapons, one of the YPG/PKK terrorists was spotted
with the TOW missile, known as the most effective weapon against armored
vehicles.
TOW,
a US-made anti-tank missile, can be effective against armored vehicles on land
in harsh environments or conditions.
The
YPG/PKK terror group often mounts attacks on Jarabulus, Afrin, and Azaz from
the Manbij and Tal Rifat areas in Syria.
The
YPG/PKK terrorists often target Turkish security forces who provide security in
the areas of Operation Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, and Peace Spring, and
try to infiltrate the positions of Syrian opposition fighters from regions that
the terror group was supposed to withdraw from under the agreements with the US
and Russia.
Since
2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across
its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and
enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive
Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
forces 'neutralize' 7 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq
Jeyhun
Aliyev
08.06.2022
Turkish
security forces “neutralized” seven PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the
National Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The
terrorists were targeted in the Operation Claw-Lock zone, the ministry said on
Twitter.
Turkish
authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question
surrendered or were killed or captured.
Türkiye
launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target PKK terror organization's
hideouts in Iraq’s northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions.
It
was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in
2020 to root out terrorists hiding in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border
attacks in Türkiye.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Cybercriminals
selling UAE personal data on dark web, making millions: Study
09 June,
2022
A
new study by cybersecurity company NordVPN has analyzed one of the dark web
markets that has illegally sold $17.3 million worth of personal data – with the
research showing UAE’s payment card data is the fifth most expensive globally,
costing twice as much as the world’s average.
Among
the more than 720,000 items of data sold globally on the website, passports,
personal IDs, driving licenses, email, payment card data, mobile phone numbers,
online accounts, bank account logins, and crypto accounts are included as well
as other personal data.
Once
an individual's data are put up for sale on the dark web, it is incredibly
difficult to get them removed. Most people have no idea that their data are
being sold in this way until it's too late. This is why data breaches can be so
dangerous, according to Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at
NordVPN.
“This
one market is just the tip of an iceberg,” he said. “There are over 30,000
websites on the dark web at the moment. Keep in mind that only four percent of
the entire internet belongs to the surface web that is available to any user
online.”
He
added, “The market that was analyzed in our case study was chosen because it
was used by some big hacker groups in the past.”
The
study was conducted in partnership with third-party cybersecurity researchers
with an aim to warn users about the possible dangers of illegal activities
people take part in on the dark web.
Average
prices of found UAE items and data
It
found payment card data from the UAE cost about $20, twice as much as the
world’s average ($10) and is the fifth most expensive in the world. UAE payment
cards are so expensive because of the country's image as a financial center,
said Warmenhoven.
Many
hackers believe that if they can hack UAE cards - they can steal a lot of
money, he said.
Other
data that could be guessed were sold at much lower prices. United Arab Emirates
mobile phones are sold at $10. Another easy way for hackers to steal a user’s
data or digital asset is credential stuffing (when the leaked password or email
is used to get access to other platforms).
That
is why online accounts come at a low price: a hacked Netflix account can be
bought for a little over $10, an Uber account for about $12, and a Twitter
account for as little as $2.
Crypto
wallets and investment accounts cost more than payment processing accounts and
even more than some of the bank accounts. For example, Qatar National Bank
account can be bought for as little as $10. With an average price of $394, the
most expensive crypto account data is from Binance, followed by Kraken ($383).
Payment processing accounts (e.g., PayPal) have an average price of $100.
Some
criminals also buy emails in batches and use them for phishing attacks or other
malicious purposes.
“The
broad scope of the data offered on these criminal markets shows the importance
of taking charge of your security and privacy online,” said Warmenhoven. “Your
cybersecurity is in your hands.”
He
added, “If you know the risks and equip yourself with the right tools and
information, you’ll maximize your chances of keeping yourself and your family
secure.”
Stay
vigilant
Warmenhoven
also said hackers get lots of data by targeting the websites and services you
share your data with.
If
a site or a service asks you for sensitive data, ask tough questions about how
the company secures it and what it will do if its data is breached.
Warmenhoven
said resident should also educate themselves.
“You
can do a lot individually to protect your data. This will depend vastly on
where you spend your time online, but you can be proactive and research ways to
stay safe on the devices and services you use.”
One
side of the coin is knowing how to protect your data, said Warmenhoven, and the
other is knowing how to react quickly and effectively when your sensitive data
is used without your permission.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Explosive
drone detonates in Iraq’s northern city of Erbil
09
June, 2022
A
drone exploded in Iraq’s northern city of Erbil on Wednesday injuring three
people and damaging several cars, according to a statement by Kurdistan’s
counter-terrorism service.
The
explosive drone detonated on Pirmam road in Erbil’s outskirts at 9:35 p.m. Iraq
time, the statement said.
Two
security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drone was shot
down.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility.
A
security source said earlier that a drone attack targeted the US consulate but
did not give further details.
Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told Kurdish Prime Minister Masoud Barzani in
a phone call that Baghdad will cooperate with Erbil to hold the perpetrators
accountable, according to a statement.
“Bomb-laden
drone hit Erbil-Pirmam road, causing civilian injuries and damage,” the UN
Assistance Mission for Iraq said on Twitter. “Iraq does not need
self-proclaimed armed arbiters. Asserting State authority is essential. If the
perpetrators are known, call them out and hold them to account.”
Last
month, Iran Revolutionary Guards artillery fire hit an area north of Erbil,
targeting what Iranian state television described as terrorist bases.
Also,
in March the Guards attacked the capital of the Kurdish region with a dozen
ballistic missiles in an unprecedented assault on the capital of the autonomous
Iraqi Kurdish region that appeared to target the United States and its allies
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Imam
Khamenei: Zionism is an obvious plague for world of Islam which should be
exposed
June
9, 2022
In
a meeting with Hajj officials on June 8, 2022, Imam Khamenei said that Hajj is
a pillar of human life. He said that it contains important messages and lessons
for various aspects of human beings’ individual and social life. The Leader of
the Islamic Revolution, considered the Zionist Regime “an obvious plague for
the world of Islam” which needs to be “exposed in any way possible”.
The
Leader described Hajj as being a divine, wise program, which has different aspects
and dimensions from other religious programs. He explained, “The Holy Qur’an
describes the wisdom of the Hajj pilgrimage in one short sentence that means
‘the pillar of human life.’ Hajj includes teachings and practices that teach
human beings and the next generations how to select the pillars in their
lives.”
Imam
Khamenei said that teaching “coexistence, a simple lifestyle and the avoidance
of likely sins that require that one to be more vigilant” are important lessons
to be learned from the Hajj pilgrimage. He advised all pilgrims and officials
involved in this spiritual trip to appreciate this great blessing and be
grateful for this pilgrimage. He said that this means carrying out their
responsibilities with the intention of getting closer to God. He also said that
the officials must conduct their actions firmly, with piety and innovatively.
He
also urged Hajj pilgrims to become ready internally for this spiritual trip and
to avoid unpleasant actions such as spending their time in the shops. He said, “The
real souvenir of the Hajj pilgrimage is recitation of the Qur’an, saying one’s
prayers and circumambulating Masjid al-Haram. So the pilgrims should not waste
their precious time doing useless deeds.”
In
referring to the fact that Hajj is a symbol of the unity of the Islamic nation,
the Supreme Leader said, “Everyone should make all-out efforts to prevent the
disruption of Muslim unity, because creating discord between the Shi’a and the
Sunnis is one of the tricks used by the English.”
The
Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that promoting good, enlightening
communications with pilgrims from other countries and using good Qur’anic
recitations are among the areas where efforts can be made to enhance unity. He
also emphasized that the Zionists are a blight that is currently affecting the
world of Islam. He said, “Revealing the Zionists’ conspiracies and plans during
the Hajj pilgrimage is a great necessity. The Arab and non-Arab states, who
have pursued normalization of ties with the Zionist regime in line with the
United States’ policies and in contradiction to the wishes of their own
nations, should be aware that such meetings will bear no fruit except their
being exploited by the Zionist regime.”
Imam
Khamenei also referred to the grave duties of the host government and the
necessity of their working in such a way that is to the benefit of the Islamic
nation. He said, “Ensuring the safety of all pilgrims, especially the Iranian
pilgrims, and preventing the tragedy that took place in the past by increasing
their spending, is one of the Islamic Republic’s serious demands.” At the end,
he asked the Hajj officials to put the issue of reducing the number of days
needed to carry out Hajj on their agenda and to find a solution to this
problem.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
foreign minister’s India visit overshadowed by row over anti-Islam remarks
Syed
Zafar Mehdi
09.06.2022
TEHRAN,
Iran
Iran's
foreign minister during his maiden state visit to India on Wednesday held
wide-ranging talks with senior Indian officials, including Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian's visit came as New Delhi is facing a diplomatic storm over
Islamophobic remarks made by spokespersons for India's ruling Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP).
Iran
was one of the Muslim-majority countries that summoned Indian envoys to lodge
an official protest over the matter.
In
a tweet late Wednesday, Iran's top diplomat said he was "pleased" to
"advance the bilateral strategic dialogue," adding the two sides
agreed "on the need to respect divine religions, Islamic sanctities, and
to avoid divisive statements."
According
to a statement issued by Iran's Foreign Ministry, Amir-Abdollahian and his
Indian counterpart Jaishankar discussed a wide range of strategic issues and
the potential for expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two
sides.
The
two officials emphasized the need to "prepare a roadmap to advance
comprehensive strategic relations" between the two countries.
They
also discussed "closer regional cooperation" with a focus on peace
and stability in Afghanistan and the need to help the crisis-stricken country
overcome an economic quagmire, the statement noted.
The
development of the strategic Chabahar Port in southeastern Sistan and
Baluchestan province, transportation, and corridors also figured in their
discussions.
Amir-Abdollahian
also met with Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday. In the meeting, both enumerated
various areas of cooperation between the two countries.
In
a tweet later, Modi termed the talks "useful on the further development of
centuries-old civilizational links between India and Iran."
Amir-Abdollahian's
first meeting of the day was with Ajit Kumar Doval, India's national security
adviser, during which both officials stressed developing ties in various areas.
Iran,
Amir-Abdollahian said, has no barriers to expanding its relations with India,
while drawing Doval's attention to the sensitivity of Muslims regarding their
religious figures.
Doval,
for his part, expressed regret over the recent controversy involving the senior
BJP spokespersons and said the wrongdoers shall be dealt with strictly.
Amir-Abdollahian
became the first high-ranking foreign official to visit New Delhi since the
controversy erupted last week, which came as a big embarrassment to the
Modi-led government in New Delhi.
While
bilateral and regional issues figured prominently in discussions between the
two sides, Amir-Abdollahian's visit was overshadowed by the controversy over
the anti-Islam remarks.
Upon
his arrival at New Delhi Airport on Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister said he
expected to hear Indian leaders speaking about the peaceful coexistence of all
religions and sects while referring to the derogatory remarks about Islam and
Prophet Mohammad.
On
the sidelines of his first official visit to New Delhi since assuming office
late last year, Amir-Abdollahian also met with a group of senior clerics from
the Shia and Sunni communities, in which he stressed the need to defeat
conspiracies and threats through unity and coexistence, the Foreign Ministry’s
statement noted.
He
said the recent controversy was "not worthy of India," which has been
a "land of love and tolerance.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Envoy Blasts US for Targeting Ordinary People by Sanctions
2022-June-8
"The
effects that these unlawful US actions have had on ordinary people of Iran are
well known and well documented. For instance, although medicines and medical
devices are technically not subject to sanctions, in practice humanitarian
exemptions for medicine appear ineffective and nearly nonexistent due to the
real or alleged fear of secondary sanctions, civil and criminal charges, the
persistent fear among producers and suppliers and the restrictions in the
processing of payments. This is the situation in an area that is technically
not subject to sanctions but has been affected by US violation of its
commitments. States, in particular E3 and EU member states who have repeatedly
expressed their support for the JCPOA should also think to what extent they have
practically materialized their support including through means and measures to
actually mitigate these negative effects?" Qa'ebi said, addressing the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on Verification
and Monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations
Security Council resolution 2231 (2015).
"One
cannot genuinely express support for the JCPOA while implementing illegal US
sanctions or holding Iranian funds frozen in its jurisdiction. That verbal
support and this actions are simply self-contradictory," he added.
The
full text of Qa'ebi's comments are as follows"
In
previous meetings of the Board, my delegation has explained in detail, the root
causes of the situation that we are facing now regarding the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). We reiterate that it is methodologically
incorrect and logically imprudent, to expect a different outcome, when the same
causes exist. I would like to elaborate more on this fact:
The
report of the Director General, as contained in document GOV/2022/24, as stated
in its first paragraph, is on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s implementation of
its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) and on matters related to verification and monitoring in Iran in light
of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015). These commitments are mainly
reflected in the Annex I of Annex A of UNSCR 2231.
What
is usually ignored is that there are reciprocal commitments for other JCPOA
participants mainly the United States and EU/E3 predominantly introduced in
Annex II of the same Resolution. Have we had an international agency to monitor
proliferation of illegal sanctions, the report on violations of commitments by
the US and EU/E3 in light of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015) would have
been a long one.
I
do encourage all colleagues who follow this issue to spare some time and read
sections 3 and 7 of Annex II of Annex A of the UNSCR 2231. I do believe that
this reading practice will be worthwhile in order to create a more balanced and
realistic approach towards the current status of the JCPOA and will ultimately
put the current report of the Director General into its appropriate context.
The appropriate context in which the notions like “reciprocal commitments”,
“balance of obligations” and “available remedies” is also considered while
taking note of the report of Director General on this matter.
Following
its unprovoked unilateral and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA, the US
re-imposed sanctions against Iran. Its current unilateral sanction regime
against Iran contains extra-territorial sanctions which prohibit non-US
nationals and non-US companies from trading with and investing in Iran. Foreign
legal and natural persons who do not comply with the US extra-territorial
legislation are faced with a range of consequences, including access
restrictions and penalties. Thus, these sanctions not only put pressure on
operators worldwide but also interfere with the sovereign foreign policy
choices of States and international organizations who support the JCPOA and
trade with Iran. This extra-territorial application of unilateral sanctions is
itself, violation of the international law, let alone violation of the US
commitments under UNSC Res 2231.
Mr.
Chairman,
The
fact that these sanctions are in violation of the JCPOA is self-explanatory. To
put it simply, the US had basically done whatever they have committed in the
JCPOA not to do and had undone whatever they have committed in the Deal to do.
But one might ask why these sanctions imposed by the US are violation of
international law?
A
brief response would be that they are imposed, not only without having any
foundation in the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, but clearly to the
contrary of it which instructs lifting of those sanctions. They also constitute
unlawful economic coercion which is in violation of the principle of
non-intervention. With these sanctions, the US coerces foreign natural and
legal persons through the extra-territorial application of its domestic law and
interferes with regulatory powers of other international actors but it thereby
also aims to influence the policy choices of other sovereign states in line
with its own foreign policy preferences.
One
should not overlook the fact that, unlike Iran, which only after more than one
year of strategic patience and prudence in continuing full implementation of
its commitments, started to gradually resort to the only available remedy,
which is withholding performance of the reciprocal commitments, as a general
rule of law and as enshrined explicitly in paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA,
the US withdrew from the JCPOA and violated all of its commitments while Iran
was fully implementing its obligations confirmed by 15 consecutive reports of
the IAEA Director General.
Therefore,
the action of the US cannot be considered a lawful retorsion or countermeasure.
They are merely “abuse of power” which violate norms of jus cogens and
definitely undermine the UN Charter.
The
effects that these unlawful US actions have had on ordinary people of Iran are
well known and well documented. For instance, although medicines and medical
devices are technically not subject to sanctions, in practice humanitarian
exemptions for medicine appear ineffective and nearly nonexistent due to the
real or alleged fear of secondary sanctions, civil and criminal charges, the
persistent fear among producers and suppliers and the restrictions in the
processing of payments. This is the situation in an area that is technically
not subject to sanctions but has been affected by US violation of its
commitments. States, in particular E3 and EU member states who have repeatedly
expressed their support for the JCPOA should also think to what extent they
have practically materialized their support including through means and
measures to actually mitigate these negative effects?
One
cannot genuinely express support for the JCPOA while implementing illegal US
sanctions or holding Iranian funds frozen in its jurisdiction. That verbal
support and this actions are simply self-contradictory.
Mr.
Chairman,
On
the content of the Report, I would like to re-emphasize that all the nuclear
remedial actions taken by Iran are in line with our rights and obligations
under the NPT. As it is mentioned in the report of the Director General,
contained in document GOV/2022/24, and confirmed by DG in his recent press
conference, the Agency has regular access to the nuclear facilities in Iran
according to the Safeguards Agreement. The Agency continues to verify the status
of construction of the Arak heavy water research reactor. The Agency also
continues to verify the inventory of enriched uranium in Iran and monitors and
verifies all activities related to nuclear fuel manufacturing in Iran. The
details in the reports of the Director General are a strong manifestation of
the unprecedented level of transparency in Iran’s nuclear program and
activities.
Furthermore,
as a result of constructive consultations between the Director General and the
Vice-President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) on 15
December 2021, innovative terms were agreed in relation to the Agency’s
monitoring and surveillance equipment under the JCPOA. This agreement is very
important because based on it, the surveillance data from all Agency cameras
installed for activities in relation to the JCPOA, as well as its on-line
enrichment monitors, electronic seals or installed measurement devices, will
continue to be stored and made available to the Agency, as appropriate.
As
transparency measures, Iran has continued to issue long-term visa for
inspectors, has provided proper working space for the Agency at nuclear sites
and facilitated the use of working space at locations near nuclear sites in
Iran .
Mr.
Chairman,
The
JCPOA talks which were held here in Vienna provided a unique opportunity for
the JCPOA participants and the US to prove their candid intention to get back
to full implementation of their commitments through lifting all inhuman and
illegal sanctions in an effective and verifiable manner. It is yet to be
observed whether the current US administration is ready to abandon the infamous
maximum pressure policy and its protracted addiction to use unilateral coercive
measures, respect international law, implement its sanctions lifting
commitments in a full, effective and verifiable manner and take all necessary
decisions that this might entail.
The
United States should realize that they need to address the concerns arising
from their previous malpractice, the least of which is that the future
performance of their commitments can be relied on.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Senior
MP: Possible IAEA Resolution to Affect Iran's Partnership in Vienna Talks
2022-June-8
If
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors approves a
resolution against Iran, Tehran will reconsider participation in the Vienna
talks with the G4+1 group, Jalalzadeh said.
He
added that the Islamic Republic will definitely give a strong response to
efforts that are aimed at pressuring the country through the IAEA’s Board of
Governors, noting that the recent visit of the IAEA chief to Israel has proved
once again that the Agency is more a political body rather than a technical
one.
Jalalzadeh
also said the West has failed to force Iran to make concessions in talks and it
is pressuring the country via the IAEA.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh had also warned earlier this week
that any resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency will
negatively affect the country's cooperation with the IAEA.
Khatibzadeh
said that Iran will respond proportionately to any action in the IAEA meeting,
reiterating that any move against Iran will adversely affect Tehran’s
cooperation with the agency.
He
said the IAEA director-general has unfortunately issued a hasty report on Iran
that he had earlier given before the European parliament.
Khatibzadeh
added that Iran declared at the same time that given the fact that the third
round of bilateral talks was not over yet, the conclusion presented by IAEA
chief Rafael Grossi was such that it had been decided in advance the report had
to be biased.
“We
have held three rounds of talks up until now and we once gave our views and reposes
in writing," he said.
Grossoi’s
report is inaccurate and ignores Iran’s moves and at the same time it seeks to
insinuate an unlikely and weird narrative about Iran’s plans, which is mostly
based on claims that show footprints of the fake Zionist regime, Khatibzadeh
said.
He
added that Iran accepts neither the IAEA report nor the efforts by the European
troika to push for an anti-Iran resolution at the board of governors.
Khatibzadeh
also urged members of the board to be wary of the Zionist regime’s ill-intentions.
“We
wouldn’t prejudge but we will give a proportionate response to any move,"
he underlined.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian warned on Sunday that those who
support or sponsor adoption of a resolution against Iran at the IAEA will
account for its consequences.
“Those
who push for anti-Iran resolution at IAEA will be responsible for all the
consequences,” Amir Abdollahian wrote on his twitter page.
“We
welcome a good, strong and lasting agreement,” he added.
“It's
within reach if US/E3 (Washington and the European trio) are realistic,” Amir
Abdollahian said.
Iran
has also repeatedly cautioned in the past that adoption of an anti-Iranian
resolution was counterproductive to ongoing talks aimed at reviving a 2015
nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The
remarks came a day before a meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors. The event
is reportedly set to adopt an anti-Iran resolution, drafted by Britain, France,
Germany, and the US, to accuse the Islamic Republic of withholding cooperation
with the agency.
The
expected adoption of the resolution also comes following a trip by Grossi to
the Israeli-occupied territories.
Iran
has previously cautioned the IAEA against allowing the Israeli regime—which is
leading a constant bid aimed at incriminating Iran’s nuclear work—against
allowing Tel Aviv to influence the agency’s independent mandate and
decision-making.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tajik
PM: Horizon of Cooperation with Iran Broader than Ever
2022-June-8
During
the meeting in Dushanbe on Tuesday, Rasulzoda said that the horizon of the two
countries’ cooperation is now broader than ever before.
He
announced Dushanbe’s readiness for unprecedented economic and business ties.
Rasulzoda
also assured Mehrabian that he is well aware of the competence and high quality
of the technical and engineering services of the Iranian companies at rational
prices.
He
appreciated Iran for hosting the ceremony in which 17 cooperation documents
were signed, saying that those documents pave the way for a lot broader mutual
cooperation.
Mehrabian,
for his part, said that the Iranian companies are ready to implement technical
and engineering projects in Tajikistan.
Mehrabian,
who is also the Iranian head of the Joint Iran-Tajikistan Economic Cooperation
said that Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
believes that the Iranian and Tajik nations are relatives, announcing the
Iranians’ readiness for assisting their Tajik brethren.
He
announced the Iranian companies’ conditions, their highly competing prices for
offering services, and high quality products.
Also
in a meeting with Tajikistan's Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin on
Tuesday, Mehrabian said that Iran is ready to cooperate with Tajikistan in
modern technologies.
During
the meeting, the two sides referred to the successful holding of an
international conference entitled "water for sustainable
development", and stressed that the agreements made during a recent visit
to Iran by Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon is the base for promotion of
trade relations between the two countries.
They
also underlined the need for activating the private sectors of Iran and
Tajikistan as the driving force of expansion of bilateral relations.
Iranian
and Tajik officials signed several cooperation documents in different areas
during President Emomali Rahmon's visit to Tehran last month.
17
cooperation documents were endorsed by the two countries' senior officials in
the presence of Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi and Tajik President
Emomali Rahmon.
The
agreements are in the fields of politics, economy, trade, transportation,
investment, new technologies, environment, sports, energy, judiciary, education
and research, and tourism.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010318000491/Tajik-PM-Hrizn-f-Cperain-wih-Iran-Brader-han-Ever
--------
Iran
denounces ‘political, unconstructive’ IAEA resolution
09 June,
2022
Iran
denounced as “political” and “unconstructive” Thursday a resolution adopted by
the UN nuclear watchdog censuring it for failing to cooperate.
“Iran
condemns the adoption of the resolution presented by the United States,
Britain, France, and Germany at the Board of Governors meeting of the
International Atomic Energy Agency as a political, unconstructive and incorrect
action,” a foreign ministry statement said.
Iran
already announced it had disconnected some IAEA cameras monitoring its nuclear
sites in anticipation of the watchdog’s adoption of the Western-drafted censure
motion Wednesday.
The
motion -- the first to criticize Iran since June 2020 -- was approved by 30
members of the IAEA board of governors, with only Russia and China voting
against it.
The
resolution came after the Vienna-based IAEA raised concerns about traces of
enriched uranium previously found at three sites Tehran had not declared as
having hosted nuclear activities.
“The
adoption of the resolution, which is based on the hasty and unbalanced report
of the director general of the IAEA and on false and fabricated information
from the Zionist regime (Israel), will only weaken the process of cooperation
and interaction between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the agency,” the
foreign ministry statement said.
“Iran
has taken reciprocal practical steps due to the non-constructive approach of
the agency and the adoption of the resolution, including the installation of
advanced centrifuges and the deactivation of cameras.”
In
a statement on Wednesday, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation stressed that it
was continuing to abide by the safeguard agreement with the IAEA.
“More
than 80 percent of the agency’s existing cameras are operating according to the
safeguard agreement and will continue to operate just as before,” it said.
Foreign
ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh condemned the resolution in a tweet,
insisting Iran has “the world’s most transparent peaceful nuclear programme.”
“The
initiators are responsible for the consequences. Iran’s response is firm &
proportionate,” he said.
After
the adoption of the resolution, the US, Britain, France and Germany urged Iran
“to fulfil its legal obligations, and cooperate with the IAEA.”
Iran
struck a deal with major powers in 2015 setting limits to its nuclear
activities in return for relief from international sanctions -- but the agreement
has been in disarray since then US president Donald Trump abandoned the
agreement three years later and reimposed sanctions.
In
response, Iran began rolling back on its commitments under the deal from 2019.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Houthis
slammed for ignoring power cuts in Yemen’s Hodeidah
SAEED
AL-BATATI
June
08, 2022
AL-MUKALLA:
Yemen human rights activists, government officials, and others have taken part
in a social media campaign to draw international attention to the suffering of
people in Houthi-held Hodeidah, which is experiencing long power outages and
soaring temperatures.
Yemenis
said the Houthis, who have generated billions of Yemeni riyals in revenue from
oil tankers entering Hodeidah’s port since April 2, were spending little to no
money on addressing the intensifying power cuts or other basic services in the
city.
Using
the hashtags #Hodeidahisdying and #Hodeidah_is_ disaster_city, people posted
images of half-dressed men and children sleeping outdoors or on the roofs of
their houses to escape the heat.
“Our
forgotten people in Hodeidah are the biggest victims of Houthi arrogance.
Hunger, sickness and unfairness. They lack the most basic of their rights as
the bounties of their land go to others,” tweeted journalist Akram Tawfeek.
Muneir
Mohammed, an activist who was detained in a Houthi-run prison in Hodeidah,
recounted his days behind bars during the summer and said that this season in
the city was “part of hell.”
“I
stayed in the prisons of the Houthi militia in Hodeidah for several months, and
they were the worst days I ever lived. The heat (not) only burns the skins, but
melts bones and guts,” Mohammed said.
International
aid organizations said at least 70 percent of the country’s goods and 80
percent of humanitarian assistance to Yemen went through the city’s ports.
In
late 2018, the government and Houthis signed the UN-brokered Stockholm
Agreement. Under the deal, the Houthis agreed to deposit revenues from fuel and
goods ships into the central bank in Hodeidah.
The
proceeds would be used for paying government employees in Houthi-controlled
areas in exchange for the government stopping a military offensive on Hodeidah.
In
July 2020, the government accused the Houthis of looting nearly $160 million
from the central bank branch in Hodeidah and refusing to pay the salaries of
government employees.
Residents
in Hodeidah and officials said that looted money was transferred to Sanaa to
fuel the Houthis’ military operations, leaving people in Hodeidah battling long
power cuts during the hot weather.
Waleed
Al-Qudaimi, Hodeidah's deputy governor, said the Houthis had recently looted
billions of Yemeni riyals from the Electricity Support Fund in Hodeidah and
transferred the sums to Sanaa, adding that the proceeds were supposed to go
toward maintaining the city’s electricity grids or buying new ones to meet the
demand for power during the summer. “Hodeidah and its people are facing death
and pain due to the continued looting of their revenues,” Al-Qudaimi said.
Residents
said electricity was available for three hours a day and the widespread cuts
had affected all sectors, including hospitals where patients were dying due to
the lack of air conditioning.
“The
situation in Hodeidah is very difficult. Patients are dying due to power cuts.
We demand the UN and its envoy force the party that controls Hodeidah to
address power outages,” a Hodeidah journalist who is currently based in Aden
told Arab News on condition of anonymity.
From
the Houthi-controlled city, where protests are brutally suppressed, people
protested anonymously online or relayed their ordeal to friends or relatives
outside the country.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2099606/middle-east
--------
Africa
Algeria
suspends treaty of friendship and cooperation with Spain
08
June, 2022
Algeria
has suspended its 20-year-old treaty of friendship, good neighborliness and
cooperation with Spain, state media reported on Wednesday.
No
reason was given for the decision, which was taken by Algeria’s top security
council.
But
tensions are simmering between Algiers and Madrid over recent Spanish comments
on Western Sahara as Spain has shifted closer to Morocco’s position on the
conflict there.
In
April, the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, Western Sahara’s independence
movement, said it was severing ties with Spain after Madrid backed Morocco’s
plan giving autonomy to the former Spanish colony.
Algeria
is a key gas supplier to Spain, and is expected to review prices for any new
gas contract with Spanish firms, a source familiar with the matter told
Reuters.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Owo
church killers want to pit Christians against Muslims, says ACF
09
June 2022
Northern
Christians deplore the failure to tame insecurity
Arewa
Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed shock over the killing of worshippers at
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, urging the Federal
Government to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.
The
Northern socio-cultural group, in a statement, yesterday, by its Secretary-General,
Alhaji Murtala Aliyu, asserted that the perpetrators were on a mission to pit
Christians against Muslims to plunge the country into crisis.
Lamenting
that the level of security challenges in the country is heightening by the day,
the ACF noted Christian and Muslim faithful as targets in their places of
worship.
It
stated: “ACF is shocked over what it considers the most barbaric and implacable
human act, in recent times.”
According
to the Arewa leaders, the killing of innocent worshippers at St. Francis Xavier
Catholic Church, on the first service week ushering in the month of June, could
best be described as an unimaginable erosion of inhumanity enveloping the
nation.
“The
ACF frowns on such animalistic attack on a peace-loving community,” it added.
IN
the same vein, the Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians (CNNC) has observed
the inability of the Federal Government to overcome killings, kidnappings and
other criminal activities the country has emboldened terrorists to challenge
Nigerians unabated.
In
a statement, yesterday, CNNC Chairman, Steven Bangoji, alleged that the
government imported bandits for the 2015 elections under an agreement it has
not fulfilled its part of the bargain, adding that some government
functionaries were beneficiaries of the ransom collected by bandits.
He
also alleged that the government failed to give the criminals the agreed
territories, by ejecting the indigenous people.
The
statement alleged: “Government imported them for the 2015 election under an
agreement which government has not fulfilled its part of the bargain. Some
government functionaries are beneficiaries of the proceeds of the ransoms being
collected.
“Nigerians
have become used to hearing every day how many people have been killed or
kidnapped and with the expected response from the government to apprehend and
deal with the perpetrators. We are beginning to conclude that the government
and the military are overwhelmed.”
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/owo-church-killers-want-to-pit-christians-against-muslims-says-acf/
--------
Sudan
begins post-coup crisis talks without key civilian bloc
08 June,
2022
Sudan
on Wednesday began UN-facilitated direct talks between rival factions hoped to
resolve a political crisis sparked by last year’s coup, but with a critical
civilian bloc refusing to participate.
“It
is important to not let this moment slip,” United Nations special
representative Volker Perthes told reporters in Khartoum. “We are asking
everybody to work with one another in good faith.”
Sudan
has been rocked by deepening unrest, near-weekly protests, a violent crackdown
that has killed over 100 people and a tumbling economy since the October 25
power grab led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The
military takeover derailed a fragile transition to civilian rule that had been
established following the 2019 ouster of president Omar al-Bashir.
The
UN, African Union and regional bloc IGAD have since March been pushing for
Sudanese-led talks to break the political stalemate.
On
Tuesday, Burhan hailed the talks as a “historic opportunity” and called on political
factions “to not stand as a stumbling block.”
Burhan
last month lifted the state of emergency imposed since the coup, and
authorities have in recent weeks released multiple civilian leaders and
pro-democracy activists.
Perthes
welcomed the measures, but said “more can be done.”
Wednesday’s
talks were attended by military officials, representatives from several
political parties, and senior members from ex-rebel groups.
But
Sudan’s main civilian bloc, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) – which was
ousted from power in the coup – as well as the influential Umma party have
refused to take part.
Members
from the resistance committees, informal groups which emerged during the 2019
protests against Bashir and which have led calls for recent anti-coup rallies,
were also absent.
The
meeting “does not address the nature of the crisis” and any political process
should work on “ending the coup and establishing a democratic civilian
authority,” the FFC said in a statement earlier this week.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tunisia
denies diplomatic talks with Israel
Adel
al-Thabti
09.06.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia
on Thursday shot down reports of diplomatic talks with Israel, blasting them as
"rumors spread by sites affiliated with Israel."
In
a statement, Tunisia’s Foreign Ministry denied “what some websites affiliated
with the occupying Israeli entity are promoting about false allegations about
the existence of diplomatic talks with Tunisia."
"These
websites have been spreading these rumors in repeated attempts to harm the
image of our country and its firm position in support of the inalienable
Palestinian right and the statute of limitations," it added.
"Tunisia
is not interested in establishing diplomatic relations with an occupying entity
... as (Tunisia) supports the Palestinian brothers in their struggle until
their legitimate rights are restored,” the statement said.
On
Wednesday, Arab media outlets, citing Israeli website Hayom, reported news of
"diplomatic talks between Tunisia and Israel regarding a possible
normalization rapprochement."
There
was no official comment on the reports from the Israeli side.
Since
September 2020, under a controversial initiative known as the Abraham Accords,
the Arab states of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan have
signed deals to normalize relations with Israel.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tunisia-denies-diplomatic-talks-with-israel/2609408
--------
North
America
US
warns Tehran against turning off IAEA cameras as resolution to censure Iran
passes
08
June, 2022
The
UN watchdog agency approved a resolution put forth by the US and European
allies on Wednesday calling for Iran to take action on an “urgent basis” to
fulfill its legal obligations toward the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), while Washington stressed it was not looking for any escalation.
The
resolution to censure Iran was approved overwhelmingly. China and Russia were
the only countries to vote against the move, which calls for Tehran to answer
questions about traces of nuclear material found at three different sites
across the country.
“It
is essential that Iran provide the IAEA with all information and documents
deemed necessary by the IAEA in order to clarify and resolve its questions,” US
Ambassador to the IAEA Laura Holgate said at the board of governors meeting
earlier in the day.
“We
are not taking this action to escalate a confrontation for political purposes.
We seek no such escalation,” she added.
The
US had been holding off on such a move against Iran at the IAEA with the hopes
that it would be able to convince Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which
the US withdrew from under former US President Donald Trump.
But
recent reports from the IAEA over the unexplained presence of uranium particles
at three different sites in Iran have raised fears in Washington that Tehran is
inching closer to being able to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Turquzabad,
Varamin, and Marivan are the three different sites that the IAEA has raised
questions over.
And
in recent days, Iran has threatened to respond to any attempts to criticize it
at the IAEA board of governors meeting. Now Iran says it will remove IAEA
surveillance cameras inside Iran.
Holgate
warned that if Iran reduced transparency in response to the latest resolution,
it would be counterproductive to the diplomatic outcome the US was looking for.
“Restricting IAEA access and attempts to paint the IAEA as politicized for
simply doing its job will serve no purpose,” she said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
think tank Brookings puts retired general with links to Qatar on leave
09 June,
2022
The
prestigious Brookings Institution placed its president, retired four-star
Marine Gen. John Allen, on administrative leave Wednesday amid a federal
investigation into Allen’s foreign lobbying.
Brookings’
announcement came a day after The Associated Press reported on new court
filings that show the FBI recently seized Allen’s electronic data as part of an
investigation into his role in an illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf
of the wealthy Gulf nation of Qatar.
An
FBI agent said in an affidavit in support of a search warrant there was
“substantial evidence” that Allen had knowingly broken a foreign lobbying law.
Allen had made false statements and withheld “incriminating” documents, the FBI
agent’s affidavit said.
Allen
has not been charged with any crimes and previously denied any wrongdoing.
Brookings
told staffers Wednesday that the institute itself is not under federal
investigation. The think tank’s executive vice president, Ted Gayer, will serve
as acting president.
“Brookings
has strong policies in place to prohibit donors from directing research
activities,” the email said. “We have every confidence in the Brookings team’s
ability to remain focused on delivering quality, independence, and impact.”
The
federal investigation involving Allen has already ensnared Richard G. Olson, a
former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan who pleaded guilty
to federal charges last week, and Imaad Zuberi, a prolific political donor now
serving a 12-year prison sentence on corruption charges. Several members of
Congress have been interviewed as part of the investigation.
The
new court filings detail Allen’s behind-the scenes efforts to help Qatar
influence US policy in 2017 when a diplomatic crisis erupted between the
gas-rich Gulf monarchy and its neighbors.
Allen’s
alleged work for Qatar involved traveling to Qatar and met with the country’s
top officials to offer them advice on how to influence US policy, as well as
promoting Qatar’s point of view to top White House officials and members of
Congress, the FBI’s affidavit says.
Brookings
is one of the most prestigious think thanks in the US.
Allen,
who was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution prior to becoming
president in late 2017, used his official email account at the think tank for
some of his Qatar-related communications, the affidavit says.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraq’s
parliament passes emergency food bill
08
June, 2022
Iraqi
lawmakers on Wednesday passed an emergency bill that will allow the government
to transfer public funds to meet urgent needs for food security as months of
political deadlock have left the country without a budget.
The
Emergency Law for Food Security and Development is meant to allocate 25
trillion Iraqi dinars ($17.14 billion) to the government to buy wheat, rice,
gas and energy, pay salaries, among other things.
Political
disagreement among parties have hindered the election of a president months
after an October general election from which cleric Moqtada al-Sadr emerged the
biggest winner, with his Shia, pro-Iran rivals receiving a hammering at the
polls.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
has no plans to support normalization efforts with Syria’s Assad: Diplomat
08 June,
2022
The
Biden administration has no plans to support efforts to normalize or
rehabilitate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or lift sanctions on the regime,
the top US diplomat for the Middle East said Wednesday.
Assistant
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf told US lawmakers that
Assad and “the coterie around him remain the single largest impediment” to a
political solution in Syria.
“The
ultimate responsibility for this continued tragedy rests with Bashar al-Assad,
backed by Russia and Iran, who brought his country to this terrible state and
remains intransigent, refusing to provide Syrians any hope for a better
future,” Leaf said in her testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
While
the Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken attention away from ongoing wars
around the globe, including in Syria, Leaf said she planned to make Syria “a
priority” within the State Department.
Leaf
was recently confirmed to her position after the process had been blocked for
one year due to political bickering between Republicans and Democrats on
Capitol Hill.
The
US diplomat said Washington would use all of its tools to press the Assad
regime, including the Caesar Act sanctions.
Shocked
that Assad was welcomed
Playing
down any efforts to rehabilitate Assad, Leaf and two senior senators blasted
countries that had welcomed the Syrian president.
Leaf
said she was “shocked” to see Assad welcomed by the UAE in March. He made his
first trip to an Arab country since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.
The
top Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch, said the
visit was “sickening.”
Reports
suggest that some Arab states believe that bringing Syria back into the Arab
League could drive a wedge between Damascus and Iran.
Syria’s
membership in the Arab League has been suspended since the war started.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Europe
Türkiye,
Montenegro share possibility for intensive regional cooperation: Montenegrin
president
Nazli
Yuzbasioglu
08.06.2022
Türkiye
and Montenegro as NATO partners share the possibility for intensive cooperation
on regional initiatives, Montenegro's president told Anadolu Agency.
Noting
that the two countries share "traditionally friendly relations," Milo
Dukanovic said the bilateral ties between Ankara and Podgorica have gotten
"increasingly richer" with each passing year.
He
also drew attention to the support and intense cooperation opportunities that
Türkiye and Montenegro have on other international platforms, especially the
UN, and in multilateral treaties.
"I
would say that we are using actually quite well the historical and cultural
background that we have, and this has actually been used to lay the foundation
for the new generations to work in the interest of our countries and to develop
new friendships," said Dukanovic.
Russia-Ukraine
war
Describing
Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine as "a brutal aggression of Russia against
an independent European country," Dukanovic said: "And what makes
this mistake even bigger is the fact that this aggression is being committed by
a country that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and the
country that should be respecting the Charter of the UN and the international
order."
He
further said Montenegro had a "prior negative experience" with
Russia's attempts to "control our future" back in 2016, when
Montenegro was "just about to join NATO."
"And
this was a time period when we had permanently on a daily basis high level
political messages from Moscow that Montenegro should not be joining NATO, and
that this would be bound to make our relations worse with Russia," he
said.
Dukanovic
recalled that Montenegro's "centuries-long tradition of interstate
relations" with Russia should also be taken into account.
"Recently
we celebrated three centuries of those relations. We do at the same time
respect that tradition and approach it responsibly. But, of course, at the same
time, we do not think that tradition should be a reason for us to renounce the
rights to decide about our own future ourselves," he said.
The
Balkan state leader stressed that Montenegro is an independent EU and NATO
member country that adopts the European value system, adding that each country
should "decide its own future."
"This
is why we do not think it's proper or appropriate to decide on behalf of any
other country about that country's future, which applies to Ukraine. We
especially strongly oppose these methods that are being used by Russia in
Ukraine, in an attempt to influence its future," he added.
'War
can't resolve political misunderstandings'
"It
is obvious that Russia has chosen the path of being destructive towards the
West and towards the Europe specifically," he said, adding that Russia is
trying to use focal points to implement that "aggressive or destructive
policy."
"And
for the implementation of its distracting doctrine for Europe, the Western
Balkans seemed like a fertile soil for Russia," the president said.
Dukanovic
underlined that the Western Balkan countries are "still not strong
enough" and that there is a "strong pro-Russian sentiment" based
on historical solid foundations in the population living in the region.
"So,
Russia is trying to play with those sentiments, I would say, in a manner which
is fully irresponsible."
He
underlined that the situation will continue until a "more reasonable
relationship" is established between the East and the West, and until the
dialogue on the relationship between Russia and Europe is renewed.
Dukanovic
said that Russia needs to meet "some preconditions" on Ukraine, such
as "stopping aggression and killing of people," as well as
reestablishing normal interstate relations between those two countries.
"Because
everyone has to understand today that a war has no means for resolving
political misunderstandings," he said, noting that the only possible way
for resolving any misunderstanding is a political dialogue.
"The
chaos in Ukraine today actually brings nothing but huge victims and
suffering," he said.
Stressing
the importance of taking urgent action regarding the situation in Ukraine for
the future of Russia-Europe relations, Dukanovic said "this is the only
thing that could guarantee that Russian destructive policy including towards
the Western Balkans would stop."
NATO
membership
Noting
that the matter of a NATO membership is "vitally important" for his
country, Dukanovic said: "Today it's clear to everyone that the war in
Ukraine is not just against Ukraine, it's also the war against the European
unity and European value system."
He also stressed that NATO
proved to be a "very reliable, secure collective security system" for
all the member states, as well as a "strong deterrent" against
threats, and the "strong guarantor of peace for those countries that are
still not NATO members but around it."
He
said thanks to the NATO membership, Montenegro is perceived nowadays by its
citizens, foreign investors and by the region as a "much more prosperous
and secure place than it used to be a couple of years ago."
"Such
perception is created by all the activities we have undertaken and implemented
in the past years and one of them being the reforms we have undertaken to be
able to join NATO."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
envoy arrives in Yemen for talks on besieged city
08
June, 2022
The
United Nations special envoy arrived in Yemen on Wednesday for talks on
reopening routes to a Houthi-blockaded city that has proved the thorniest
problem in implementing a fragile truce.
Swedish
diplomat Hans Grundberg flew into the capital Sanaa, held by the Iran-backed
Houthi militia since 2014, less than a week after the truce was renewed for a
second period of two months.
Yemen,
the Arab world’s poorest country, is witnessing what the UN calls the world’s
worst humanitarian crisis.
Grundberg
hailed the truce extension, calling it a “positive signal of the parties’
seriousness to uphold and implement the truce.”
“Yemenis
have seen the truce’s tangible benefits. We have witnessed a significant
positive shift, and we have a responsibility to safeguard it and deliver on its
potential for peace in Yemen,” he told reporters.
Grundberg
said he would meet the Houthi leadership to discuss proposals for reopening
roads into Taiz, Yemen’s third biggest city which has been largely cut off
since 2015.
“I
hope we will have constructive discussions on our proposal for reopening roads
in Taiz and other governorates, as well as economic and humanitarian measures
and the way forward,” he said.
Holding
talks on Taiz was one of the terms of the truce, along with resuming commercial
flights out of Sanaa and allowing fuel ships into the lifeline port of Hodeida,
which is also in the Houthis’ hands.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast
Asia
Malaysian
Haj pilgrims to arrive in Mecca from tomorrow
08
Jun 2022
MECCA,
June 8 — Malaysian Haj pilgrims are scheduled to arrive in Mecca in stages from
8 pm local time, tomorrow.
Manager
of Maktab 47, Roslan Jonet said they would receive about 295 pilgrims who
departed from Madinah via seven buses before being taken to the Abraj
Al-Janadriyyah building, here.
He
said this was the first group of pilgrims who departed from Malaysia on June 4.
“There
will be a small event to welcome the first group tomorrow before they perform
their umrah. In terms of accommodation, pilgrims will be grouped according to
their flight schedule and certain assessments including family ties,” he told
reporters after a briefing session on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) preparations
today.
So
far, a total of 1,940 Malaysian pilgrims have arrived in Madinah via seven
flights.
The
Abraj Al-Janadriyyah building houses two maktab (accommodation hostels), namely
Maktab 46 and 47, while the Qasr Al-Janadriah building houses Maktab 49 and
Land Premium, Maktab 48 and 50.
Roslan,
who is also TH Melaka director, said 30 staff or six staff for each maktab
would work round the clock to ensure the welfare and comfort of all pilgrims.
“Each
accommodation building has various facilities including management office,
pharmacies, health clinics, grocery stores and customer service counters,” he
added.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Selangor
Sultan decrees Bon Odori should go ahead after audience with Jais, Shah Alam
City Council reps
By
Radzi Razak
08
Jun 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, June 8 — The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) said the
Selangor Sultan has decreed that the Bon Odori Festival slated for next month
in the state capital should be allowed to proceed.
Its
director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah summoned
officers from Jais and the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) for an audience this
afternoon, during which they were reminded that all decisions must take into
consideration the diversity and beliefs of the state’s residents.
“His
Highness attended the event several years ago and did not find any elements
that could erode Muslim beliefs, as it is just a social event involving
Japanese businesses and their employees in Selangor,” he said in a statement
today.
Mohd
Shahzihan said the Sultan also encouraged the Jais and MBSA officers to attend
the event to experience it for themselves.
“His
Highness is of the view that many cultures have links with religion, but not
necessarily is religion part of a culture.
“His
Highness also stressed that the act of worship is different from the act of
observation,” he said.
Yesterday,
Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor advised Muslims not to
participate in the Bon Odori Festival for fear it could lead to “syirik”
(polytheism) practices.
His
comments echoed those of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk
Idris Ahmad who said Muslims should not attend the Bon Odori Festival, planned
for July 16 at the Shah Alam Sports Complex in Selangor, as it contains
elements of other religions.
The
PAS vice-president cited a study by the Malaysian Islamic Development
Department (Jakim) that purportedly found religious elements in the Bon Odori
Festival that were causing controversy online among Muslims.
Bon
Odori simply means the “Bon dance”, which is performed during Obon, an annual
event when Japanese honour the spirits of their ancestors.
Malaysia
is one of just a handful of countries where the festival is observed outside of
Japan. The festival was first organised here by Japanese expatriates to
introduce their country’s culture, arts, and cuisine to Malaysians.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Umno’s
dilemma: when to call for GE15
Murray
Hunter
June
7, 2022
In
the wake of the extraordinary electoral performances of the Umno-led Barisan
Nasional in the Melaka and Johor state elections, it would be prudent for them
to call an immediate federal election.
Based
on BN’s recent electoral results, they are set to win with a landslide, allowing
Umno to become the dominant electoral force if an election was held
immediately.
However,
here lies the dilemma. Umno is in the midst of a power struggle internally. On
one side, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has the power to select electoral candidates,
and on the other side, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has the sole
authority to request a dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat to pave the way for an
election.
This
stand-off is paralysing Umno’s ability to reap the benefits of its current
electoral popularity.
Malaysia
is coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, and four years of political turmoil
with a number of economic problems on the horizon. The rakyat are now facing
hard times, and worse is to be expected with rampant inflation, rising food prices
and chronic shortages. There are signs of increasing homelessness, business
shutdowns, bankruptcies and rising poverty.
Ismail
Sabri’s lacklustre persona
Symbolically,
Ismail’s return from the Washington Asean meeting was projected as returning to
Malaysia empty-handed. Social media compared Ismail to Indonesian President
Joko Widodo’s meeting with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who pledged to
consider investing in Indonesia. Recent social media remarks about Ismail’s
allegedly RM5,000 Burberry shirt added somewhat to the erosion of his public
image.
These
perceptions within the media are substantiated by the fact that Ismail has not
introduced any new initiatives or policies that resonate with the public. The
political appointments and cronyism under his watch are turning the public
against him. The push for Malay as a regional and official language used by
bureaucrats overseas makes Ismail look even more parochial.
Ismail’s
government appears to be surviving upon the MoU Pakatan Harapan signed with the
hybrid administration. His administration is made up of his Umno supporters and
those from PAS and Bersatu. PAS and Bersatu are seen by many grassroot Umno
supporters as political enemies, where the next general election is seen as an
opportunity to decimate them electorally.
The
Najib steam train
Former
prime minister Najib Razak, who has been convicted and sentenced to 12 years,
which is currently suspended pending appeal, has reinvented himself into the
“prime minister in waiting”.
Najib
is meeting heads of state and rubbing shoulders with the elite of the nation,
including royalty. On Johor election night, Zahid gave Najib the centre of
attention, even though it was Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and former
Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad’s roles that were most important in Umno’s
electoral win. Ismail was just left on the sidelines, as the crowds chanted
“bubar Parlimen” (dissolve parliament).
Najib
and Zahid have control of the Umno party machinery. A few weeks back, the
extraordinary Umno general assembly allowed the party constitution to be
changed, so no party elections need to be held until six months after an
election. This means that Zahid will go into the next general election as Umno
president.
At
the recent Barisan Nasional convention, attended by 4,000 delegates from Umno,
MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, Najib and Zahid were all gung ho about
holding an early election.
Najib
said at the BN convention that it was risky to delay the dissolution of
parliament, as he made that mistake back in 2018 by calling GE14, losing to
Pakatan Harapan. He went on to criticise the PH government for lying,
appointing incompetent ministers and calling them “cap ayam”, with the vigour
of someone on the campaign trial.
Najib
has resurrected himself as an electoral asset within the Malay heartlands, the
power base of Umno. This also flows onto a number of strategic mixed
constituencies, where the “malu apa Bossku” persona invites interest. Najib, of
late, has been also playing the role of unofficial opposition leader, taking up
issues the official opposition has been largely silent on. This has made him
detached from the current government’s mistakes and mismanagement.
Zahid
on the BN convention stage asked the crowd if there should be an election now,
and received a standing ovation which some claim was orchestrated to browbeat
his authority. Some of the upper hierarchy were seen remaining seated as Zahid
enjoyed the moment, indicating a deep division within Umno.
Notwithstanding,
Najib and Zahid are pushing for an early election for more than one reason. A
resounding BN victory with Umno firmly in stewardship may guarantee that Najib
will not face any jail time, and Zahid will not have his day in court.
As
time goes on, unless Najib and Zahid both beat the system, jail time looks more
likely. Thus, time is of the essence for the “court cluster”, while running for
a full-term ending September 2023 is in Ismail’s personal best interests.
Ismail
knows that even though the Umno Supreme Council has nominated him as their
prime ministerial candidate for the next election, this does not guarantee him
any claim to the tenure of office. Still fresh in everyone’s mind is Hasni
being quickly cast aside for Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Ismail,
and a number of his Cabinet supporters are talking down any early general
election. Nazri Aziz, Annuar Musa, Khairy Jamaluddin and even Azalina Othman
Said were quoted as talking about fixing inflation and solving the current
plight the rakyat are facing before having an election.
With
Ismail’s support theoretically, although not actually declining, there is an
opportunity for the anti-Ismail forces to stir things up and attempt the
forcing of a parliamentary dissolution. This, of course, would be very risky,
and bring the opposition into the key role of supporting the Ismail
administration. This would also leave the fate of the government in the hands
of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to either appoint another prime minister or
dissolve parliament.
It
is in the interests of the opposition to support Ismail, as they themselves are
in disarray and need time to reconfigure themselves. In addition, the longer
time before an election is called, the better chance there is to woo those who
deserted PH back to the fold, because of the economic hardship felt throughout
the community.
As
time goes on, plans to reconstitute policies like the goods and services tax
(GST) are being leaked out, angering sections of the public. All sides are
utilising social media to discredit the other side.
With
the economy deteriorating quickly, Umno’s expected electoral dominance may have
an Achilles heel.
Those
wary of this are now beginning to relook at PH in a rekindled enthusiasm, where
even former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is talking about the philosophy of
“anything but Umno” to unite the opposition.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2022/06/07/umnos-dilemma-when-to-call-for-ge15/
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Let
Bon Odori fest proceed, Selangor sultan tells Jais
June
8, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has instructed the
Selangor Islamic religious department (Jais) to allow the Bon Odori festival
scheduled for next month to proceed.
In
a statement, Jais said Sultan Sharafuddin also instructed Jais and Shah Alam
City Council (MBSA) officers to attend Bon Odori to “see for themselves” what
takes place at the festival.
Jais
director Shahzihan Ahmad added that the sultan himself had attended the
festival several years ago and did not find that it was detrimental to the
practice of the Islamic faith.
This
comes in the wake of religious affairs minister Idris Ahmad advising Muslims
not to take part in the annual festival, claiming that the celebration is
“influenced by elements of other religions”, following research by Jakim, the
Islamic development department.
However,
yesterday, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said the festival would go on
next month.
He
also said the state government would be in touch with the Japanese embassy and
researchers in relevant fields to get detailed information on the festival
since the government had never received any objections over the last 30 years.
The
annual Bon Odori festival, organised by the Japanese community in Malaysia, is
making a return after a two-year hiatus because of Covid-19. It will be held in
Shah Alam on July 16 and in Penang on July 30.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Selangor
sultan calls on Idris to attend Bon Odori
June
9, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has called on religious affairs
minister Idris Ahmad to attend the Bon Odori festival in Shah Alam to
“understand the difference between religion and culture”.
In
a Facebook post today, Sultan Sharafuddin said he did not want the minister to
use the Islamic development department (Jakim) to make “confusing and
inaccurate statements which could negatively affect the image and reputation of
the department”.
Idris
courted controversy on Tuesday when he told Muslims not to take part in the
Japanese community’s annual Bon Odori summer festival, claiming that the
celebration is “influenced by elements of other religions”.
The
celebration, organised by the Japanese community in Malaysia, is making a
return after a two-year hiatus because of Covid-19. It will be held in Shah
Alam on July 16 and in Penang on July 30.
Sultan
Sharafuddin reiterated that the festival had been held in the country for
decades and encouraged unity between Malaysians and Japanese residents.
“His
Highness attended such functions accompanied by the Japanese ambassador to
Malaysia in 2016. In his observation, His Highness has never seen religious or
ritualistic (syirik) performances (during the functions) that could distort the
beliefs of those present,” the statement read.
He
said the Selangor Islamic department and the Shah Alam City Council had been
ordered to attend the festival to get a clear picture and ensure that it did
not go against Islam.
He
also said all cultural forms practised by communities in the world were related
to religion but had shed their religious elements over the years.
“His
Highness does not want any quarters, especially politicians, to use religious
sensitivities for personal and political gain.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/prophet-muhammad-nupur-muslims-nsa-iran/d/127208