Ahead Of Ram Navami Procession in Hyderabad, Siddiamber Bazar Mosque Covered with Cloth
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 April 2024
Ahead of Ram Navami procession in Hyderabad, mosque
covered with cloth (Image: Shaik Nizamuddin Laeeq)
-----
·
Ahead Of Ram Navami Procession in Hyderabad,
Siddiamber Bazar Mosque Covered with Cloth
·
Hezbollah Flag Flies, US Flag Burns as Calls for Death
to US Sound at NYC Protest
·
Ghanaian Man Stages Half-Naked Demonstration Against
Anti-Gay Bill
·
Anti-Palestine Policies in West Intertwined with
Rising Islamophobia: Expert
·
Sources Deny Saudi Arabia’s Participation in
Intercepting Iranian Attacks on Israel
----
India
·
Pak National Completes Term in UP Jail, Mohammad
Masroor Set To Be Sent Back After 15-Yr Sentence
·
Israel-Iran crisis: US NSA Jake Sullivan visit to
India postponed
·
BJP persecuting Muslims, SP not doing justice either:
Mayawati
------
North
America
·
Pentagon chief pushes support for Israel, Mideast
stability in calls with counterparts
·
Decision to retaliate against Iran attacks rests with
Israel, says Pentagon
·
Biden, Iraqi PM agree on talks for US-led coalition
withdrawal
-------
Africa
·
Nigeria recovers $28.8M linked to suspended poverty
alleviation minister
·
No end to death and suffering as Sudan conflict enters
its second year
·
Aid groups warn of looming famine in Sudan
·
Islamic State-linked attackers kill at least 11 people
- officials say
·
Morocco: Arabic calligraphy exhibition celebrates
Islamic heritage
---
Europe
·
Belgium Pushes to Expel Controversial Palestinian
Activist ‘Hate Preacher’, Mohammed Khatib
·
Italy warns that Israeli retaliation for Iranian
attack could lead to spiral of violence
·
Portugal PM says not ready to recognize a Palestinian
state
·
UK PM’s absence marks significant turnout dip at
Downing Street’s Eid celebration
·
Muslim student at 'Britain’s strictest school' loses
High Court challenge to prayer ban
---
Arab
World
·
Islamic Arts Biennale announces participants for
Al-Musalla Award
·
Saudi Shoura speaker visits Jordan to strengthen ties
·
Foundation stone laid for Prophet’s Biography Museum
in Islamabad
·
Saudi Arabia: Ramadan sermons reach 1 billion Muslims
across the globe
·
Gulf funds’ strong buying lifts QSE 77 points; Islamic
equities outperform
---
Pakistan
·
Nikah Case: Imran Khan’s Lawyer Seeks Contempt of
Court Proceedings Against Complainant’s Counsel
·
Child Marriage Act: LHC Annuls Gender-Based Age
Criteria
·
India suspected to be behind attack on Tamba: Naqvi
·
Pakistani police warn Afghan migrants to leave
Balochistan in a day
·
Pakistan PM, MWL chief honour outstanding young Qur’an
memorizers
---
South
Asia
·
System of Only Jihadists and Talibs is a Mistake, Says
Deputy Interior Minister
·
Abdul Baqi Haqqani: Modern Sciences Key to Escape from
Dependency
·
50 killed and 185 injured during Eid traffic incidents
in Afghanistan
·
Torkham border closed to Afghan patients without legal
documents
·
Mujahid: Current White Flag Sufficient for Now
·
Publish list of 60 lakh jailed activists, or apologise
·
Myanmar conflict: 5 more BGP members take refuge in
Bangladesh
·
Group of Afghans living abroad in Kabul for talks with
Kabir
---
Mideast
·
Iran Closed Nuclear Facilities in Wake of Israel Attack:
IAEA Chief
·
Iran to respond to any fresh Israeli mistake ‘within
seconds’: Deputy FM
·
Mass graves discovered at Gaza’s Shifa hospital and in
Beit Lahiya
·
Hamas Says No Deal Without Israeli Withdrawal from
Gaza, Return of Displaced
·
Lebanese officials charge Mossad killed Hamas
financier
·
Several Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on
mosque in Jabalia in northern Gaza
·
Netanyahu shuns phone calls from Western leaders on
Israeli response to Iran’s attack: Report
·
Israeli army says it hit buildings in southern Lebanon
used by Hezbollah
·
Islamic unity a must to stop Israel's atrocities,
Erdogan tells Qatari emir
---
Southeast
Asia
·
China’s Top Diplomat Wang Holds Call with Iranian Counterpart
·
Johor Govt Calls on State Islamic Religious Dept to
Prepare Special Sermon on Importance of Praying for Fellow Muslims
·
Japan resumes funding for UNRWA with $35m donation
·
Marsudi presses for conflict de-escalation in talks
with Iranian FM
·
Middle East conflict: Impact minimal so far, govt to
continue monitoring situation - PM
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ram-navami-procession-hyderabad-mosque-covered/d/132147
------
Ahead Of Ram Navami Procession in Hyderabad,
Siddiamber Bazar Mosque Covered with Cloth
Ahead of Ram Navami procession in Hyderabad, mosque
covered with cloth (Image: Shaik Nizamuddin Laeeq)
-----
16th April 2024
Khan Sameer
Khan
Hyderabad: Ahead of the Ram Navami Shobha procession
in Hyderabad, the Siddiamber Bazar mosque has been covered with cloth.
The procession is set to commence from the
Seetharambagh temple at 9 am and conclude at Hanuman Vyamshala Koti at 7 pm.
It will traverse through various areas including
Mangalhat, Dhoolpet, Begum Bazaar, Siddiamber Bazaar, Gowliguda, PutliBowli,
and Koti before reaching its destination at Hanuman Vyamshala.
Security arrangements
To avoid any untoward incident during the Ram Navami
procession, the Hyderabad Police are implementing extensive security measures.
Approximately 1,800 personnel, comprising various
units like the Commissioner’s Task Force, Rapid Action Force, City Armed
Reserve, tear gas units, mounted police, and local police, will be deployed.
Additionally, select areas will have companies of the Central Armed Police
Forces (CAPF) present.
Senior police officials convened a meeting with the
Sri Ram Navami Shobha Yatra Committee to discuss security arrangements.
Mohd Ashwaq, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police
(Southwest), outlined the security strategy. He mentioned that police personnel
would be stationed on rooftops, and checkpoints would be set up at critical
locations to closely monitor the procession. The entire event will be under
constant surveillance from the command and controlcenter.
Raja Singh is scheduled to lead the Rama Navami
procession in Hyderabad. Recently, he organized a volunteer meeting for the
yatra.
On Saturday, via his social media handle, he wrote,
“Today, a volunteer meeting was convened to ensure the success of the grand
procession scheduled for Shri Ram Navami on April 17, 2024, starting from
Akashpuri Hanuman Temple, Dhoolpet.”
Raja Singh added, “A sincere thanks to all Ram
devotees committed to making this event a grand success by their
participation.”
Ahead of the Ram Navami processions, more mosques and
dargahs in Hyderabad are likely to be covered with cloth.
Source:
siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/ahead-of-ram-navami-procession-in-hyderabad-mosque-covered-with-cloth-3009498/
-----
Hezbollah Flag Flies, US Flag Burns As Calls For Death
To US Sound At NYC Protest
Within Our Lifetime leader
Nerdeen Kiswani calls for Intifada to the backdrop of a Hezbollah flag after
being released from jail.
(Photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X)
------
APRIL 16, 2024
The American flag was set on fire to calls for the
death of the United States during the worldwide economic blockade protests in
New York City on Monday, according to footage published by the Independent
journalist going by the handle Luis Documents.
The American flag of a counter-protester was set on
fire and had to be put out by nearby police officers, the video uploaded to X
showed.
Moments after the fire was extinguished, a masked man
emerged from the crowd to scream, “Death to America.”
In the background, a protester could be seen carrying
a Hezbollah flag.
Pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime posted a
video on Telegram of demonstrators calling for Intifada as they marched through
the city.
“Long live the intifada,” chanted protesters.
Protesters marched on the New York Stock Exchange,
Broadway, Barclay’s Center, Borough Hall, and through City Point Mall. In front
of Borough Hall, a protest held up a sign of a person with a rifle, with the
title “bring the genocide home.”
Source:
jpost.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-797321
-----
Ghanaian Man Stages Half-Naked Demonstration Against Anti-Gay
Bill
Human rights advocate -Texas Kadir Moro
------
Apr - 15 - 2024
Florence Adom Asamoah
A Ghanaian human rights advocate, Texas Kadir Moro,
has embarked on a half-naked solo demonstration against the passage of the
anti-LGBTQ+ bill by Parliament.
The human rights advocate, who started his solo
demonstration through some principal streets of Accra and ended it at the
Independence Square, is of the view that society should be fair in dealing with
homosexuals since adultery and fornication are practised in the country without
any sanction attached.
Parliament on Wednesday, February 28, 2024,
unanimously passed the controversial legislation which prohibits lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion,
advocacy, and funding in the country.
The anti-LGBTQ bill if assented to by the President
will, among other things, impose sanctions on willful promotion and engaging in
LGBTQ activities in the country.
The bill proscribed a minimum sentence of six months
and maximum three years for persons caught in the act of same-sex activities.
However, persons found guilty of willful promotion or
advocating or funding the activities of LGBTQ will, upon conviction, face three
years minimum and five years maximum imprisonment.
Texas Kadir Moro who had some placards with
inscription such as "Proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family bill;
the pot calling the kettle black”, "Send homosexuals to churches and
mosques for prayer and deliverance and not the prison for propagation of the
act", and "If you fear Ghana will incur the wrath of God because of
homosexuality; read Quran verse 17:32 and Leviticus 20:10-12" to drum home
his message.
In a speech, he said, “Yes we agree that homosexuality
is a sin that God abhors to the highest apogee, equally so is fornication and
adultery which our society has embraced so much that men happen to flaunt their
side chicks and women their boos.”
For him, homosexuals should be treated fairly as those
who fornicate, commit adultery or engage in other illicit sexual activities
such as premarital sex.
Source:
graphic.com.gh
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/half-naked-solo-demonstration-against-anti-lgbtq-bill.html
------
Anti-Palestine Policies In West Intertwined With
Rising Islamophobia: Expert
File photo/ Photo: Yeni Safak
-------
Ahmet Gençtürk
15.04.2024
The West’s anti-Palestine policies and perspectives,
generally portrayed as solidarity with Israel, are closely intertwined with
rising Islamophobia in those nations, according to a prominent political
scientist.
“There is an important geopolitical dimension in this
state of affairs. The idea is if you weaken the Muslims, their resilience,
their institutions, there would be less support for the Palestinian cause,”
Farid Hafez, a leading expert on Islamophobia and visiting professor of
international studies at Williams College in the US, told Anadolu.
“By identifying Palestinians with extremism through
Islam – even though the Palestinian population includes significant portions of
Christians and seculars – the pro-Israel, Zionist establishment in the West
tries to suppress voices supporting Palestine, be it in media, business or on
university campuses.”
This misrepresentation of Palestinians is a “very
deliberate and cynical undertaking” that goes hand in hand with the push to
depict Israel as an extension of Europe and the only democracy in the Middle
East, he said.
“Islamophobia is used in this as a trick to reframe
the (Palestinian) struggle for territory, which is political, as a cultural,
religious and civilizational one,” said Hafez.
He pointed out that this was not always the case,
using the entangled history of Jews in Europe to illustrate the point.
“Jews and Muslims were excluded in Europe and
eventually expelled from the Iberian peninsula in the late 15th century, where
they constituted a significant portion of the population, or forced to convert
to Christianity,” he said.
“The persecution of those Jews who stayed in Europe
mostly continued for hundreds of years, as Christian White Europe saw them as
the Oriental within Europe through the lens of racism. Only after 1948, when
Israel was founded as an extension of European imperialism in the East, the
status of Jews was elevated and Muslims turned into new major outsiders.”
Islamophobia’s march to the center
Islamophobia, once dismissed as an extremist tendency
limited to the margins, is now a central issue in Europe, as major political
forces, including some center-left parties, are “embracing Islamophobic claims
and putting them into practice,” according to Hafez.
The views and policies of the far-right and parties on
the center of the political spectrum are converging, he said, with their main
differences being over “how to address the Muslim question.”
While the far-right proposes completely getting rid of
Muslims, which is impossible to do without genocide, the centrist parties are
adopting a longer-term strategy, he explained.
“Their idea is a different one, which is to get rid
only of the few Muslims they perceive as a threat. Then reform all of the rest,
to be fully obedient and succumb to the state and not resist in any form –
completely assimilate them,” he said.
A particular case of European political othering
rooted in Islamophobia would be Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as
seen through the polemics of Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders targeting
him, said Hafez.
“Erdogan represents the other religious Europe that
has no place in a Western, white imaginary. And people of Turkish origin living
in Europe are often seen as a fifth column, a puppet of Türkiye with no
independent agency,” he added.???????
Source:
aa.com.tr
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/anti-palestine-policies-in-west-intertwined-with-rising-islamophobia-expert/3192029
-------
Sources Deny Saudi Arabia’s Participation In
Intercepting Iranian Attacks On Israel
Objects are seen in the sky
above Jerusalem after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, in
Jerusalem April 14, 2024. Photo: Reuters
------
April 15, 2024
RIYADH: Informed sources denied to Al Arabiya on
Monday Saudi Arabia’s participation in intercepting Iranian drones during its
attack on Israel on Saturday.
Israeli news websites had published statements
attributed to an official Saudi website stating that the Kingdom participated
in the recent defence coalition that confronted the Iranian attacks.
“There is no official website that published a
statement about Saudi participation in intercepting attacks against Israel,”
the sources told Al Arabiya.
Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel on
Saturday evening into Sunday morning and described the attack as a response to
several crimes, including the strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1.
Tehran indicated that the attack targeted military
targets, while the Israeli army announced that it intercepted 99 percent of the
Iranian missiles.
Source:
arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2493631/saudi-arabia
---
India
Pak National Completes Term InUP Jail, Mohammad
MasroorSet To Be Sent Back After 15-Yr Sentence
16th April 2024
Neha Khan
Gorakhpur: Pakistani national Mohammad Masroor a.k.a
Mansoor Ahmad Guddu, 43, is all set to be repatriated to Pakistan.
He was convicted of visa violation in 2013 and is
currently lodged in Gorakhpur jail.
Mohammad Masroor has obtained a no-objection
certificate from the Ministry of External Affairs, according to Gorakhpur jail
superintendent Dileep Pandey.
Pandey mentioned that Masroor has served the maximum
15-year sentence for the visa violation, and the jail authorities have
communicated with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to initiate the
necessary legal procedures and make the final decision regarding his release.
Masroor was arrested by Bahraich police in 2009 while
attempting to enter India through the porous India-Nepal border in the
district.
Following interrogation, the police filed a charge
sheet against Masroor for espionage, violating passport and visa regulations,
and also planning an attack on India in 2010.
Source:
siasat.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.siasat.com/pak-national-completes-term-in-up-jail-set-to-be-sent-back-3009607/
----
Israel-Iran crisis: US NSA Jake Sullivan visit to
India postponed
April 16, 2024
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has
postponed his visit to India this week in view of the evolving situation in
West Asia following escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran.
The senior Biden administration official was scheduled
to hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on the
progress in implementation of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging
Technologies (iCET) besides other issues.
It was the second time this year that Sullivan has
postponed his trip to India.
“Due to ongoing events in the Middle East, NSA
Sullivan has postponed his trip to India this week,” a US embassy spokesperson
said.
“NSA Sullivan looks forward to holding the iCET annual
review at the next earliest possible date and remains personally committed to
advancing our deeply consequential and multifaceted partnership with India,” he
said.
The spokesperson said US President Joe Biden too looks
forward to the next meeting of Quad leaders.
“Similarly, the President looks forward to the next
meeting of the Quad leaders and continuing our efforts with India to deliver
results for the American and Indian people, as well as our partners, in support
of our shared vision for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Quad leaders’ summit was planned in India in
January.
However, it could not take place as Washington
conveyed to India that Biden would not be able to travel.
Source:
indianexpress.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/us-nsa-jake-sullivan-visit-india-postponed-9272929/
---
BJP persecuting Muslims, SP not doing justice either:
Mayawati
April 16, 2024
Campaigning for her party candidate Irfan Saifi in
Moradabad, BSP supremo Mayawati on Monday targeted the BJP, accusing it of
“persecuting” Muslims in the name of religion. She also targeted the Congress
and Samajwadi party parties, saying the old “drama and empty rhetoric” will not
work in this election.
Addressing a rally in Moradabad, the BSP chief said:
“The condition of Muslims and other minorities is not good. It is bad and
pathetic. In the past few years, it is because of the BJP and RSS governments
that their development and uplift have been affected. Their oppression in the
name of ‘dharm’ (religion), especially Hindutva, is at its peak.”
“Wherever there are BJP governments — at the Centre
and in the states — the people are perturbed by their policies. Like the
Congress, the BJP too is a casteist party and their policies are tailored to
suit their capitalist friends. The BJP has no concern for the Dalits, Muslims,
and adivasis (tribals). The BJP does nothing for either the economic betterment
of Dalits, Muslims and adivasis, or ensuring the development of areas inhabited
by them,” she added.
Claiming that her party has done justice to the
minority community in the distribution of tickets for the Lok Sabha polls,
Mayawati hit out at the Samajwadi Party (SP), accusing it of neglecting
Muslims’ interests. “We have fielded candidates as per the demographic
constitution of a constituency. Like in places where there are more Hindus, a
Hindu candidate has been fielded, and Muslim candidates where the Muslims are
more in numbers… But the Samajwadi Party has done the opposite. Where Muslims
are more in number, it has given tickets to Hindus… For instance in Moradabad.
This has been the culture of Samajwadi Party,” she said.
While the BSP has fielded Irfan Saifi from Moradabad,
SP has given the ticket to Ruchi Veera after denying the ticket to its sitting
MP ST Hassan. The BSP has fielded Muslims in four Lok Sabha constituencies
under the Moradabad division. The party has fielded Zeeshan Khan from Rampur,
Muzahid Hussain from Amroha, and Shaukat Ali from Sambhal.
Source:
indianexpress.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bjp-persecuting-muslims-sp-not-doing-justice-either-mayawati-9272474/
---
North
America
Pentagon chief pushes support for Israel, Mideast
stability in calls with counterparts
16.04.2024
WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held
calls on Monday with counterparts in the Middle East and Europe, expressing
support for Israel after attacks from Iran but also stressing regional
stability to prevent conflict from spreading, the Pentagon said.
Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at
Israel on Saturday after an allegedly Israeli strike on its embassy compound in
Syria. Nearly all of the drones and missiles were downed before reaching
Israeli territory.
The US was not informed by Iran in advance about its
attack on Israel and Washington did not seek a conflict with Tehran, the
Pentagon said.
Israel faced pressure from allies to show restraint
and avoid an escalation of regional conflict as it considered how to respond to
Iran’s barrage. Israel’s military chief of staff said the country would
respond.
Austin held separate calls on Monday with Bahrain’s
crown prince and prime minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa as well as
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius
and Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah. In those calls, he
condemned Iran’s attacks and said Washington did not seek an escalation of the
conflict, according to the Pentagon.
Austin told his counterparts that “while the United
States does not seek escalation, we will continue to defend Israel and US
personnel,” the Pentagon said. In the call with Gallant, according to the
Pentagon, he expressed support for Israel’s defense and “reaffirmed the
strategic goal of regional stability.”
“Whether or not Israel decides to retaliate against
Iran is something for Israel to decide,” a Pentagon spokesperson told reporters
earlier on Monday.
The Axios news site reported that Gallant had told
Austin that Israel has “no choice but to respond” to Iran’s attack, given the
use of ballistic missiles.
According to sources quoted in the report, Gallant
also told Austin that “Israel won’t accept an equation in which Iran responds
with a direct attack every time Israel strikes targets in Syria.”
Iran launched an unprecedented direct assault on
Israel late on Saturday, firing more than 300 attack drones and missiles.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, Iran’s attack comprised 170 drones, 30
cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles — 99% of which were intercepted by
air defenses.
Most of the projectiles were intercepted before they
reached Israel, with the help of the United States, Jordan, and other allies,
and the sole injury was a Bedouin girl, who was struck and seriously wounded by
falling shrapnel in the Negev desert. The IAF’s southern Nevatim base suffered
minor damage to infrastructure, the IDF said, but continued to function during
the attack.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi
Halevi warned late Monday that Iran’s missile and drone attack on the country
“will be met with a response.”
The comments were made as he met soldiers at the
targeted Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel.
“Iran wanted to harm the strategic capabilities of the
State of Israel — that is something that had not happened before,” he said.
“We are looking ahead, we are considering our steps,
and this launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the
territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response,” he declared.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pentagon-chief-pushes-support-for-israel-mideast-stability-in-calls-with-counterparts/
----
Decision to retaliate against Iran attacks rests with
Israel, says Pentagon
Diyar Guldogan
15.04.2024
Retaliating against Iran's attack on Saturday will be
a decision made by Israel, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday.
"I don't want to get into hypotheticals. At this
point, whether or not Israel responds to Iran's attack, of course, is something
for Israel to discuss and to decide," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.
When asked has Israel informed the Pentagon if it
plans to respond to the Iranian attack, Ryder said he is not going to speak for
Israel.
The US does not want to see escalation, he stressed,
adding Washington will take necessary measures to protect its forces in the
region and to defend Israel.
Reiterating that the US does not seek conflict with
Iran, Ryder said: "When it comes to any type of Israeli response, and
again, I'm not going to speak for the Israelis. That is a decision for them to
make in terms of what they do, if they do it and how they do it."
Iran launched more than 300 missile and drone attacks
across Israel on Saturday evening in a retaliation to airstrike on the Iranian
consulate in Syrian capital Damascus on April 1 in which seven members of
Revolutionary Guards including two generals were killed.
Ryder said the US was not informed by Iran in advance
about Saturday's attack.
"We were not given specifics by Iran, into my
knowledge, any specifics in terms of exact times, dates," he added.
"We obviously have a robust intelligence network that provides indications
and warning. But to answer your specific question: No, Iran did not tell us
when and where they were going to attack".
Source:
aa.com.tr
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/decision-to-retaliate-against-iran-attacks-rests-with-israel-says-pentagon/3192643
----
Biden, Iraqi PM agree on talks for US-led coalition
withdrawal
16 Apr 2024
WASHINGTON, April 16 — US President Joe Biden and
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said yesterday they would keep
working towards the withdrawal of a US-led anti-jihadist coalition in the
country.
Their meeting at the White House came amid soaring
tensions in the Middle East after Iraq’s neighbour Iran launched a massive
aerial attack on US ally Israel over the weekend.
The US-led military coalition was formed in 2014 to
fight the Islamic State group — the year the jihadists overran nearly a third
of Iraq’s territory and swaths of neighbouring Syria.
Iraq has been trying to stay out of regional tensions
amid the six-month war waged by Israel against Iran-backed Palestinian
militants in Gaza, following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
Armed groups linked to Iran, including some based in
Iraq, have since carried out a series of attacks on facilities belonging to the
United States, which is Israel’s main ally.
Iraq, hoping not to be consumed by US-Iran hostility,
strongly protested a US drone strike in February that killed an Iraqi militia
leader, carried out in retaliation for an attack that killed three US service
members in Jordan.
But tensions have since subsided between Washington
and Baghdad, and they resumed talks on the future of the coalition.
In a joint statement, Biden and Sudani said they
discussed the “natural evolution” of the coalition “in light of the significant
progress that has been made in ten years.”
They would now look at issues including the continued
threat from IS, the needs of the fragile Iraqi government for support, and
bolstering Iraqi security forces, they said.
“The two leaders affirmed they would review these
factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq
would end,” they said in the statement.
The aim would be to move to a bilateral agreement that
could still keep some US troops in Iraq.
The United States currently has some 2,500 troops in
Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the coalition.
Biden and Sudani, making his first visit to Washington
since taking office in 2022, also discussed the fractious situation in the
region following Iran’s attack on Israel.
At the start of their meeting in the Oval Office,
Sudani urged “restraint” on all sides to “stop the expansion of the area of
conflict.”
US forces based near the northern Iraq city of Erbil
were involved in the operation to counter the attack, using a Patriot missile
battery to shoot down an Iranian ballistic missile. — AFP
Source:
malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2024/04/16/biden-iraqi-pm-agree-on-talks-for-us-led-coalition-withdrawal/129034
----
Africa
Nigeria recovers $28.8M linked to suspended poverty
alleviation minister
Timothy Olanrewaju
16.04.2024
Nigeria's anti-corruption commission announced Monday
that it recovered $28.8 million from the suspended minister of poverty
alleviation, who is currently being investigated for fraud.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
spokesperson Dele Oyewale said the probe of suspended Minister of Poverty
Alleviation and Humanitarian Affairs Betta Edu uncovered a "web of
fraudulent practice."
"So far, 32.7 billion naira ($28.43 million) and
$445,000 have been recovered during the investigation into the activities of
the suspended minister and ministry officials," Oyewale disclosed.
He said the commission is equally investigating
commercial banks in the country indicated in the fraud as the probe continues.
Edu and some top government officials were suspended
by President Bola Tinubu in January for the diversion of funds meant for aid to
the poor into private accounts.
On April 9, the anti-corruption commission announced
the recovery of $24 million from the minister.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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---
No end to death and suffering as Sudan conflict enters
its second year
April 15, 2024
ROBERT BOCIAGA
CAIRO, Egypt: Compared with other ongoing conflicts,
Sudan’s crisis, now entering its second year, is a forgotten calamity,
overshadowed by the more geopolitically significant wars in the Middle East and
Ukraine.
The power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces
under Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces
commanded by Mohammed Dagalo has more than just thrown Sudan into chaos.
What began as a fight between two competing military
factions during Ramadan last year has spawned one of the world’s largest
humanitarian disasters.
Once brothers in battle who jointly toppled the
country’s democratic transition, they ended up disagreeing over the integration
of the RSF into the country’s military.
Once fighting erupted in the capital Khartoum on April
15 last year, the battleground expanded all the way to Darfur and other
vulnerable states. Attacks, airstrikes, artillery, and gunfire reverberated
across several other territories, shattering Sudan’s already-tense peace.
Sudan was reeling from overlapping crises when the
conflict erupted. A year later, nearly 9 million out of Sudan’s 45 million
population have been internally displaced, with a further 1.7 million seeking
refuge abroad, according to the International Organization for Migration.
More than half of the country is in dire need of
humanitarian assistance as food shortages caused by the war threaten to unleash
a famine.
Many of these figures may be underestimations due to a
communication blackout across Sudan.
“From conflict fatigue to inherent biases, the Sudan
conflict struggles to break through the noise of other global crises,” Dalia
Abdelmoniem, Sudanese analyst, told Arab News, pointing out that media
personnel are barred from entry, making the reliance on social media a
double-edged sword that hinders comprehensive coverage and awareness.
She said the effort to draw more international
attention to Sudan’s crisis is hindered by its complexities, which results in
the country’s potential for democratic renewal as well as its humanitarian
needs getting a short shrift.
Sudan’s dwindling economic importance in global terms
is also a factor. UN estimates suggest a decline of more than one-third in
economic activity during the initial weeks of the conflict, resulting in $9
billion in damage and another $40 billion in looted property and goods.
Gibril Ibrahim, Sudan’s finance minister, has said
there was a 40 percent contraction in Sudan’s economy in 2023, with an
additional 28 percent decline projected for 2024. State revenues plunged by 80
percent while international trade saw a 23 percent decline in 2023.
In addition to the economic toll, over 60 percent of
Sudan’s agricultural land lies unusable.
Abdelmoniem also sheds light on the challenges faced
by aid agencies operating in Sudan. From issues with travel permits and visas
to the lack of security for aid convoys, “the road to providing assistance is
fraught with obstacles.”
There have been, however, important developments on
the battlefields recently. In mid-February, Sudan’s war entered a new phase
following a significant breakthrough by the army in central Omdurman, the
nation’s largest city. This comes at the end of a 10-month siege on a military
district known as the Corps of Engineers, signifying the SAF’s first major
offensive success in the ongoing war.
“The ability of the SAF to end the siege and establish
contiguous supply lines … is certainly a major offensive success for the SAF
and a morale and strategic setback for the RSF,” Ahmed Khair, a Sudanese
analyst with Sudan Research and Consultancy Group, told Arab News.
“Khartoum is at the center of this conflict and is
where the forces of the RSF are largely concentrated; the ability of the SAF to
make gains in Omdurman will most certainly weaken the RSF militarily and
politically.”
Both the SAF and the RSF have been accused of war
crimes by international bodies. This internal strife has led to consequences
not only in the geopolitical arena but also in the social fabric of Sudan.
Experts and activists say that Sudan’s silent crisis demands the world’s
attention, urging a reevaluation of the priorities that dictate global
headlines.
So far, the international community has only failed
Sudan, providing just a fraction of the humanitarian help needed. This may
force Sudanese individuals to migrate further north, choosing the perilous
Mediterranean path, as analysts warn. And this is not the first time the
Sudanese are fleeing.
In 2003, Hafiz Youssef Adam, a Sudanese from the
persecuted Fur tribe, decided to migrate to Greece through Syria and Turkiye,
having experienced torture and harassment at the hands of Sudanese government
forces.
Though he now resides in Athens, Adam told Arab News
that “authorities in Greece create administrative hurdles” for people like him,
and that “there are no integration measures for Sudanese refugees in Europe.”
When he visited Sudan a few days before the recent war
broke out, he saw widespread looting and ongoing militarization on the streets,
a sign of the events that were about to turn Sudan into a bloody battleground.
“I pray for my family and the whole country to see the
military rule come to an end because they determine this racist system that
prevails and benefits them,” he said.
While he has been able to find employment as a
blacksmith, asylum-seekers often struggle to get their documents authenticated
and learn the language.
“Many (others) drift into informal employment,
particularly in the agriculture sector of the economy,” Pal Nesse, a special
adviser at the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Arab News. “Large numbers
struggle to make a decent living and make ends meet.”
In contrast, Ukrainian refugees have mostly enjoyed a
warmer welcome in European countries, leading to debate about whether or not
the EU’s migration policies are tinged by racism.
Other experts claim that Europe’s resources are not
strained at all, as reiterated by politicians, and the continent should do more
to address migration. “Europe is a wealthy continent,” Jean-Baptiste Metz, head
of operations at the Norwegian humanitarian aid organization Drop in the Ocean,
told Arab News.
“There is definitely a way to improve the EU state
members’ capacities and responsibilities.”
Studies have shown that the integration of refugees
could benefit both the host country and refugees themselves. In 2013, Denmark
successfully adopted a policy to train and employ refugees in occupations
suffering from labor shortages.
In the future, Sudanese refugees could return to their
homeland with much-needed new skills and contacts during the difficult
reconstruction period.
Nesse advised that “more alternative legal pathways
for refugees and asylum-seekers should be established. There should also be
alternative pathways for migrants not necessarily seeking protection but
primarily employment.”
However, time has only seen European politics turn
against refugees, who are often blamed for various issues from economic crisis
to unemployment to crime.
Nesse hopes that the West will address both immediate
and long-term needs by supporting Sudan’s ceasefire and peace processes.
“Additionally, there is a crucial requirement for
humanitarian assistance, development funding, and favorable trade and tariff
regulations.”
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Aid groups warn of looming famine in Sudan
15 April 2024
Famine in Sudan is imminent as the civil war nears its
second year, pushing the country toward famine in the coming months.
A statement from UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, released on Monday, appeals for desperately-needed aid.
The UN OCHA Sudan has warned at least 37 percent of
the population at crisis level or above suffer from hunger.
Save the Children says about 230,000 children,
pregnant women and newborn mothers could die of malnutrition in the coming
months.
Food production and distribution networks have broken
down and aid agencies are unable to reach the worst-stricken regions.
Nearly 9 million people have been forced to flee their
homes either to safer areas inside Sudan or to neighboring countries, according
to the United Nations.
Civil war in Sudan between the military, chaired by
General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
exploded into street clashes in the capital in mid-April 2023.
Source:
presstv.ir
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---
Islamic State-linked attackers kill at least 11 people
- officials say
15 April 2024
A local official in eastern Congo says
extremist-linked rebels attacked villages over the weekend, killing at least 11
people, torching vehicles and taking possessions
The assaults, which occurred on Saturday, were
confirmed by the mayor on Sunday. These rebels have been active in the border
region near Uganda for some time.
The United Nations recently reported that nearly 200
people have lost their lives in the area this year alone.
In one area, 11 bodies were recovered from four
different places in the commune of Mulekera, according to the mayor, Ngongo
Mayanga. Mulekera is near Beni town in North Kivu province.
Eastern Congo has been ravaged by conflict for decades
as more than 120 armed groups fight for control of valuable mineral resources
and some try to protect their communities.
Mass killings by rebels are frequent. The violence has
led over 7 million people to flee their homes, the U.N. has said.
Source:
africanews.com
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---
Morocco: Arabic calligraphy exhibition celebrates
Islamic heritage
15 April 2024
Tracking the journey of writing the Quran through
various stages in history. This was the aim of an exhibition held in
northwestern Morocco
Items on display date back to the Andaluzian period,
the Ottoman period and even the 8th century.
The president of the Moroccan Club for Manuscripts,
Coins and Stamps in the city of Safi was particularly proud of one piece in the
exhibit.
"We have a small copy of the Quran, the smallest
Quran with a length of 20 millimeters, a width of 17 millimeters and a height
of 12 millimeters, covered with gold water and written with gum
Arabic," Said al-Jedyani said.
"This copy of the Quran is not read with the
naked eye, only with a microscope. Also, one of the most important antiques in
this exhibition is an astronomical painting on deer skin which shows that the
heart of the globe is Mecca."
According to Islamic belief, the Quran is the world of
Allah which was revealed by an angel to the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca and
Medina.
Said al-Jedyani who has his own collection, said that
each item has a story behind.
"This collection that I own includes some items
that I bought when I traveled to some cities, some that I acquired at auctions
and some that were given to me by my friends from outside Morocco."
The Quran was printed in the late 1800s, but the
handwritten copies remain highly prized for both its artistic and historical
value.
But the deterioration in preserving the art of
calligraphy could endanger the handwritten copies.
"We see a serious deterioration in the art of
calligraphy. Perhaps it is on its way toward going completely extinct, so most
of the important calligraphers and those who still practice this profession are
suffering in silence without getting any care, even though they practice this
ancient art. The reasons are related to globalization."
Items featured at the show include graduation
certificates, written on wooden pla: ques, that were once handed to students
who memorized the entire sacred scripture of Islam.
The exhibition was held in the city of Safi during the
month of Ramadan.
Source:
africanews.com
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----
Europe
Belgium Pushes To Expel Controversial Palestinian
Activist ‘Hate Preacher’, Mohammed Khatib
15 April 2024
Belgium’s government on Monday said it wanted to
revoke the refugee status of the head of a network supporting Palestinian
prisoners, whom it accused of being an “extremist hate preacher.”
Mohammed Khatib is the coordinator in Europe for
Samidoun, a controversial organization close to Palestinian Islamist groups
that was banned in neighboring Germany after allegedly celebrating the October
7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
Belgium’s Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration,
Nicole de Moor, announced that she had asked the immigration services to
withdraw the refugee status of Khatib, whom she said was “known as an extremist
hate preacher.”
“The asylum procedure is intended for people fleeing
war or unjust persecution. There is no place for people who represent a danger
to society,” she said.
“Even if someone has already been recognized as a
refugee, if that person turns out to be an extremist, recognition can be
withdrawn.”
De Moor said the request was based on “information
provided by the security services,” without giving any further details.
In March, lawmakers in the neighboring Netherlands
criticized their government for not preventing Khatib from attending a rally in
the country.
Samidoun describes itself as a network that “builds
solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners’ movement and its struggle for
freedom.”
In November, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser
announced she was dissolving the German branch of the Samidoun Palestinian
Prisoner Solidarity Network, which she said “supports and glorifies” groups
including Hamas.
Samidoun was behind an October 7 action in which a
group of people handed out pastries in a Berlin street in celebration of
Hamas’s attack.
That same day, Samidoun published a “Calendar of
Resistance for Palestine” on its website, with links to celebratory events
around the world and a call for “all Palestinian, Arab, and international
supporters of Palestine to escalate their organizing and struggle to stand with
the heroic Palestinian resistance and confront colonial Zionist violence and
imperialist complicity.”
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7
massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel
by land, air, and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages,
mostly civilians.
Vowing to destroy Hamas and return the hostages,
Israel launched a wide-scale offensive in Gaza that the Hamas-run territory’s
health ministry says has killed at least 33,729 Palestinians, mostly women and
children. These figures cannot be independently verified, and are believed to
include both civilians and Hamas members killed in Gaza, including as a
consequence of terror groups’ own rocket misfires. Israel says it has killed
more than 13,000 terrorists inside Gaza and a further 1,000 in Israel on October
7.
The IDF says 260 soldiers have been killed in the
ground operation in Gaza since October 7.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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---
Italy warns that Israeli retaliation for Iranian
attack could lead to spiral of violence
Ahmet Gencturk
16.04.2024
Italy has warned that any retaliation by Israel for
Iran’s attack on the country over the weekend could lead to a spiral of
violence, local media reported Monday.
"We hope that Israel, strengthened by its
military victory, will want to make common sense prevail by desisting from
further reactions that could trigger a spiral of violence harmful to everyone,”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during a hearing of the Italian
parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission.
“We demand that Iran and affiliated groups cease their
attacks and stand ready to take further measures in response to any new
destabilizing initiatives,” he added.
Speaking at the same hearing, Italian Defense Minister
Guido Crosetto said that Iran’s attack increased the risk of collateral damage
in the Red Sea and Lebanon, where Italy has a warship and troops, respectively
in the scope of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission.
On the risk of possible escalation deriving from
Israel's possible reaction, he said “I am not and do not want to call myself
pessimistic, but I am certainly worried: there could be a reaction from Israel
and a new spiral of violence and war could still be triggered.”
Iran on Saturday launched an airborne attack on Israel
in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic compound in the
Syrian capital. It reportedly fired more than 300 drones and missiles, with
almost all intercepted by the air defense systems of Israel and its allies –
the US, France and the UK.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said
the reprisal on Israel was "necessary and appropriate" and was aimed
at military targets. Israel has vowed to respond to the attack.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
vowed that any further Israeli attack will be met with a “stronger” and
“extensive” response.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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---
Portugal PM says not ready to recognize a Palestinian
state
April 16, 2024
MADRID: Portugal is not ready to recognize a
Palestinian state without a concerted EU approach, its new premier said Monday
in Madrid after meeting his Spanish counterpart who is seeking support for the
cause.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has visited
several nations in recent days to try to drum up support for the move, repeated
his plan to recognize Palestinian statehood in the coming months, either
together with other nations or alone.
But Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who
took office in March, said his government would wait for the European Union and
the United Nations to work out a common position on the issue before advancing.
“We don’t go as far as other governments do with
regard to recognizing the state of Palestine,” he told a joint news conference
in Madrid as he stood alongside Sanchez.
“We believe that this understanding should be built on
a multilateral basis within the European Union and the United Nations.”
Both leaders condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel
over the weekend and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“The events of this weekend reaffirm what we have been
advocating for months now,” Sanchez said.
“Two paths open up before us. One leads to an
escalation of war that could lead us to the abyss, and the other involves
demanding a ceasefire from all parties to then immediately launch a peace
process,” he added.
On March 22, Spain issued a statement with Ireland,
Malta and Slovenia on the sidelines of an EU leaders summit, saying they were
“ready to recognize Palestine” in a move that would happen when “the
circumstances are right.”
During his visit to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar
earlier this month, Sanchez said Madrid could on its own officially recognize
the state of Palestine by the end of June this year.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
UK PM’s absence marks significant turnout dip at
Downing Street’s Eid celebration
April 16, 2024
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was notably
absent from an annual Eid party held at Downing Street on Monday, which saw a
turnout significantly smaller than usual, the BBC reported.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron had earlier publicly
encouraged people to attend after some threatened to boycott the celebration in
protest at the government’s support for Israel.
The gathering, reportedly about half its typical size
with roughly 50 attendees, saw the absence of major Muslim charities and
influential business figures.
Most notably absent were several high-profile guests,
including Baroness Warsi, Britain’s first female Muslim Cabinet minister, who
is known for her vocal criticism of the situation in Gaza.
Of those present, many displayed symbols of solidarity
with Palestine, such as small badges featuring the Palestinian flag or
wristbands featuring the keffiyeh pattern.
Attendees expressed mixed feelings about their
decision to participate, with some deliberating over ethical considerations and
consulting with family before attending.
One woman told the BBC that she did not want to miss
the opportunity of being invited to Downing Street for the first time, but that
Israel’s war in Gaza “has not been forgotten.”
Another stated that he had attended the event for
years and “thought about it; thought what it was about. And what I thought was
that Downing Street is marking Eid, and it is a celebration I believe in.”
He added to the BBC: “So I came. I understand why so
many boycotted, but for me the right thing was to come.”
Those who attended were “surprised” that Sunak did not
attend. The event is held annually, and the prime minister has always hosted
it.
Sunak said on Sunday that he was “looking forward” to
meeting those invited, who were selected from prominent Muslims in charity,
business and politics.
Guests were this year received by Deputy Prime
Minister Oliver Dowden.
The prime minister’s office told the BBC that Sunak
“had business in parliament” and could not host nor attend the party.
Guests leaving the event reported seeing “no MPs.”
One told the BBC: “I saw parliamentary candidates, but
no MPs. They may have been there but I didn't see them.”
The absences were believed to be the first significant
boycott of a Downing Street event.
American Muslims boycotted an annual iftar at the
White House earlier this month, citing the support of the US for Israel.
Source:
arabnews.com
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---
Muslim student at 'Britain’s strictest school' loses
High Court challenge to prayer ban
Kelly-Ann Mills
16 Apr 2024
A Muslim student at a school dubbed Britain’s
strictest has lost a High Court challenge against its ban on prayer rituals.
The pupil, who cannot be named, took legal action
against Michaela Community School in Brent, north west London, claiming the
policy was discriminatory and "uniquely" affects her faith due to its
ritualised nature. She alleged that the school's stance on prayer – one of the
five pillars of Islam – was "the kind of discrimination which makes
religious minorities feel alienated from society", a judge was told.
The case against the free school was heard at the High
Court in London in January. Mr Justice Linden is due to issue his written
ruling over the case on Tuesday. The pupil's lawyers previously said the
"prayer ban" unlawfully breached her right to religious freedom,
adding that it made her feel "like somebody saying they don't feel like I
properly belong here".
The court was told the pupil, referred to only as TTT,
is making a "modest" request to be allowed to pray for around five
minutes at lunchtime, on dates when faith rules required it, but not during
lessons. The student also challenged allegedly unfair decisions to temporarily
suspend her from school. The school's lawyers claimed its prayer policy was
"justified" and "proportionate" after it faced death and
bomb threats linked to religious observance on site.
They added that the governors and headteacher at the
school which has 700 pupils, about half of whom are Muslim, had "a margin
of latitude, discretion or judgment" over its policies. During a two-day
hearing, the school's founder and headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh said on
social media that it was defending its "culture and ethos" along with
decisions to "maintain a successful and stable learning environment where
children of all races and religions can thrive".
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, she said the
school decided "to stop prayer rituals when some pupils started them,
against a backdrop of events including violence, intimidation and appalling
racial harassment of our teachers". The court was told that Ms
Birbalsingh, a former government social mobility tsar, first introduced the
policy in March last year, with it being backed by the governing body in May –
allegedly "on the basis of misinformation and errors".
In March 2023, up to 30 students began praying in the
school's yard, using blazers to kneel on. Lawyers for the school said students
seen praying outside contributed to a "concerted campaign" on social
media over the school's approach to religion, with there also being a
since-removed online petition attracting thousands of signatures. The court
heard the school was targeted with death threats, abuse, "false"
allegations of Islamophobia, and a "bomb hoax".
Reversing the school's "emergency" ban would
again expose it to "an unacceptable risk of threats", its lawyers
said, adding that it avoided "the logistical disruption and detriments to
other school activities". The court was told "Muslim children were
observed to be applying peer pressure to other Muslim children to act in
certain ways", with the school claiming that allowing prayer rituals
risked "undermining inclusion and social cohesion between pupils".
Following the hearing, Ms Birbalsingh told The Sunday
Times the legal process was "taking a massive toll" and argued the
school should "be allowed to be secular". She told the paper the
school will "definitely appeal if we lose", adding: "I will not
divide children according to race and religion; it will not happen under my
watch."
Source:
mirror.co.uk
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-muslim-student-britains-strictest-32417071
---
Arab
World
Islamic Arts Biennale announces participants for
Al-Musalla Award
April 15, 2024
RIYADH: The Diriyah Biennale Foundation on Sunday
announced the names of this year’s Al-Musalla Award participants, an
international architectural design competition under the Islamic Arts Biennale.
The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale will
take place in Jeddah from January-May 2025 and is dedicated to the arts of
Islamic civilization, connecting its past to its present.
The 2025 edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale will
take place in the Western Pilgrims Hall at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah but
will have an expanded focus on Islamic cultural architecture. In its second
edition, the Islamic Arts Binneale aims to launch this new award for creating a
“musalla” — a small prayer space or mosque.
The competition invites international architects to
compete in creating the design of the space, to be built on the biennale site.
The teams selected to partipate include AAU Anastas
Engineering Office from Palestine, Sahel Al-Hiyari from Jordan, East
Architectural Studio from Lebanon and the UAE, the Saudi company Dabbagh
Architectural Engineering, and Asif Khan from the UK.
They were each chosen to participate in the
competition based on their past work and proven experience and knowledge in the
fields of Islamic art and architecture.
The teams are each required to submit a proposal
design for the prayer and gathering space that is versatile, sustainable, and
meets all requirements.
There are a few guidelines the participants must
follow in the process, including building the space using no less than 50
square meters.
The winner of the award will be announced later this
year by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation judging committee which includes Prince
Nawaf bin Ayyaf who serves as the chairman of the committee.
He said the award encourages teams to find new ways to
integrate the latest building techniques in representing and examining
innovative models for architecture while utilizing traditional crafts and time
and place.
He added he hopes that the competition will produce an
unforgettable landmark, which will be a source of inspiration for others to
participate in future editions of the award, celebrating sustainability,
creativity, comprehensiveness, and ingenuity in design.
The CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Aya
Al-Bakri, confirmed that creating a space through the competition calls for
innovation that is closely linked to the goal of the foundation, which seeks to
implement creative ideas in various fields.
She explained that Al-Musalla Award comes in
cooperation with the Abdul Latif Al-Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture, which
addresses new ideas for designing mosques around the world and encourages
innovative planning, design, and technical ideas that can shape the identity of
mosque architecture in the 2st century.
The chosen design will be witnessed by visitors from
around the world to the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale for four
months in the Western Pilgrims Hall in Jeddah.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Saudi Shoura speaker visits Jordan to strengthen ties
April 15, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council Speaker Dr.
Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh arrived in Jordan on Monday for an official
visit.
Al-Asheikh leads a delegation from the council who
were officially invited by Ahmed Safadi, the speaker of Jordan’s House of
Representatives.
Upon his arrival at Queen Alia International Airport
in the capital Amman, he was received by Safadi, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to
Jordan Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, and several senior officials of the
Jordanian House of Representatives.
In a statement, Al-Asheikh commended the progress and
cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Jordan in various fields. He emphasized
that the leaderships of both countries are keen to strengthen and consolidate
bilateral relations to meet the aspirations of their brotherly peoples.
He praised the Shoura Council’s use of parliamentary
diplomacy to promote relations between Saudi Arabia and other countries,
through which the council seeks to build bridges that consolidate relations,
share views, and highlight the Kingdom’s positions on various issues and
events.
During the visit, Al-Asheikh will hold talks with
Safadi, focusing on enhancing cooperation in parliamentary fields, unifying
efforts by coordinating common positions and visions in regional and
international forums and platforms, and strengthening mechanisms of dialogue
and parliamentary cooperation. He will also meet with Senate President Faisal
Al-Fayez, Senate officials and other senior officials in Jordan.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Foundation stone laid for Prophet’s Biography Museum
in Islamabad
April 15, 2024
RIYADH: Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr.
Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa recently attended the closing ceremony in
Islamabad to honor, under the patronage and in the presence of Pakistani Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the winners of a Qur’anic competition for young
memorizers under the age of 10.
Sharif and Al-Issa then laid the foundation stone for
a branch of the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and
Islamic Civilization, an extension of its main headquarters in Madinah.
The ceremony, attended by Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to
Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, opened with a recitation from the Qur’an by
Irshadullah bin Muti’e, the competition winner.
Sharif praised the pivotal role played by the MWL in
advancing Qur’anic education, highlighting the stature of the Kingdom and its
leadership in the global Islamic sphere.
He underscored Pakistan’s embrace of the forthcoming
Museum of the Prophet’s Biography, recognizing its potential to advance Islamic
principles worldwide and deepen understanding of Prophet Muhammad’s life.
“This museum will serve as a pilgrimage destination
not just for Pakistanis, but for people worldwide,” Sharif said, affirming that
the Pakistani people would deeply appreciate the museum, a gift from Saudi
Arabia.
In his address, Al-Issa celebrated the young Qur’an
memorizers, emphasizing Pakistan’s deep-rooted commitment to Qur’anic education
and the religious dedication of its population.
He said that Qur’anic schools and institutions
throughout the Islamic world should not focus merely on memorization but also
on imparting understanding and insight into its meanings.
The ceremony culminated in the distribution of prizes
to outstanding participants throughout Pakistan, followed by a visual
presentation about the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography
and Islamic Civilization.
Source:
arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2493551/saudi-arabia
---
Saudi Arabia: Ramadan sermons reach 1 billion Muslims
across the globe
April 16, 2024
Cairo: Sermons delivered at Islam’s two holiest
mosques in Saudi Arabia during this past sacred month of Ramadan reached up to
1 billion Muslims around the world via digital transmission, a Saudi official
has disclosed.
Chief of the Presidency for Religious Affairs at the
Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Saudais added that
the state agency had achieved a “qualitative leap” in harnessing advanced
technology in supporting its digital message for the outside world in the lunar
month of Ramadan that started on March 11 and ended on April 9.
He explained at a ceremony in Mecca that the sermons
given prior to the weekly noon congregation prayers on the four Fridays of
Ramadan reached around 1 billion Muslims the world over via the Haramain
platform tasked with transmitting sermons, seminars, and lectures from the two
holy mosques via 14 languages.
Ramadan is noted for intense worshipping. The month
usually marks the peak of Umrah at the Grand Mosque in Mecca that witnessed in
this past Ramadan the flocking of the faithful in large numbers from outside
the kingdom due to a host of facilities recently introduced by the kingdom.
Around 30 million Muslims from inside and outside
Saudi Arabia are estimated to have performed Umrah in Ramadan, a Saudi official
said earlier this week.
To cope with the influx, Saudi authorities adopted a
series of measures to help worshippers perform rites smoothly and comfortably.
The circumambulation courtyard of the mosque around the Holy Kaaba and the
ground floor were designated for Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan.
Likewise, authorities allocated certain gates of the
sprawling mosque for pilgrims’ entry and exit to stave off overcrowding.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, meanwhile, said
no permit was issued for performing two or more Umrahs in Ramadan, urging the
faithful to make do with one lesser pilgrimage.
The ministry explained that the restriction aimed to
ease congestion, give others the chance to undertake Umrah and help in crowd
management.
Source:
gulfnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-ramadan-sermons-reach-1-billion-muslims-across-the-globe-1.102186573
----
Gulf funds’ strong buying lifts QSE 77 points; Islamic
equities outperform
APRIL 15, 2024
The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Monday opened the week
on a stronger note with its key index gaining more than 77 points on strong
buying interests, especially in the transport and
The Gulf institutions were seen net buyers as the
20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.78% to 9,921.37 points, although it touched an
intraday high of 9,943 points.
The Arab individuals’ increased net buying had its
influence in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 8.4%.
More than 78% of the traded constituents extended
gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR4.19bn or
0.73% to QR575.42bn on account of large and midcap segments.
The foreign retail investors turned net buyers in the
main market, which saw as many as 3,880 exchange traded funds (sponsored by
Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across two deals.
The domestic institutions’ weakened net selling had
its say in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Islamic stocks were seen gaining faster than the
other indices in the market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The Total Return Index grew 0.78%, the All Share Index
by 0.68% and the All Islamic Index by 1.01% in the main bourse, whose trade
turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The transport sector index shot up 3.31%, telecom
(1.15%), real estate (0.88%), industrials (0.77%), consumer goods and services
(0.39%) and banks and financial services (0.33%); while insurance declined
0.93%.
Main gainers in the main bourse included Qamco, Gulf
Warehousing, Widam Food, Nakilat, Medicare Group, Lesha Bank, Masraf Al Rayan,
Dlala, Inma Holding, Meeza, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Al Faleh
Educational Holding, Al Khaleej Takaful, Ooredoo and Milaha. In the venture
market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Qatar Insurance, QLM, Commercial Bank,
Qatar Islamic Insurance, Ahlibank Qatar and Industries Qatar were among the
losers in the main market.
The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of
QR28.15mn compared with net sellers of QR7.01mn on April 14.
The Arab individual investors’ net buying increased
marginally to QR5.37mn against QR5.11mn the previous day.
The foreign retail investors were net buyers to the
extent of QR3.3mn compared with net sellers of QR6.91mn on Sunday.
The domestic institutions’ net profit booking weakened
noticeably to QR5.5mn against QR13.21mn on April 14.
The Gulf individuals’ net selling shrank perceptibly
to QR0.58mn compared to QR0.74mn the previous day.
However, the foreign institutions’ net selling
strengthened significantly to QR17.25mn against QR6.98mn on Sunday.
The Qatari individuals turned net sellers to the tune
of QR13.69mn compared with net sellers of QR29.74mn on April 14.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for
the second straight session.
Trade volumes in the main market soared 85% to
214.63mn shares, value by 101% to QR652.65mn and deals by 82% to 21,168.
The venture market saw 14% contraction in trade
volumes at 0.24mn equities, 33% in value to QR0.36mn and 13% in transactions to
36.
Source:
gulf-times.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/680698/business/gulf-funds-strong-buying-lifts-qse-77-points-islamic-equities-outperform
----
Pakistan
NikahCase: Imran Khan’sLawyer Seeks Contempt of Court
Proceedings Against Complainant’s Counsel
2024-04-16
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding
chairman Imran Khan’s lawyer in the Nikah case against him and his wife Bushra
Bibi, on Monday, told the court that the complainant’s counsel left the
courtroom without its permission; therefore, contempt of court proceedings
should be initiated against him.
Salman Akram Raja, while arguing before district and
sessions judge Sharukh Arjumand during the hearing of appeals filed by Khan and
his wife Bushra Bibi against the verdict in the “Iddat” case against them, said
that the court has not yet fixed a date for the next hearing then how Rizwan
Abbasi, the counsel of the complainant, Khawar Maneka, left the courtroom.
He requested the court to implement the law, as Abbasi
left the hearing without permission of the court. Abbasi is so confident that
his request for adjournment of the hearing will be approved, he said.
Raja said that Abbasi was using delaying tactics. He
(Abbasi) did not appear before the court during the previous two hearings and
now he was requesting the court to adjourn the hearing for another two weeks,
he said, adding that the hearing should be adjourned till Tuesday (today) or
Wednesday.
The judge asked the complainant’s counsel can it be
adjourned until 25. To this, Abbasi agreed to adjourn the hearing of the case
till April 25; however, Khan’s lawyer adopted the stance that what is this? He
(Abbasi) requested to adjourn the hearing for 15 days and you have adjourned
for 10 days, Raja said. When Abbasi left the courtroom, Khan’s lawyer said that
so far, the court had not fixed a date for the next hearing then how Abbasi
“ran away” from the court.
PTI lawyers Usman Gull Riaz, Naeem Haider Panjotha,
Niazullah Niazi, and deputy prosecutor Adnan also appeared before the court.
PTI secretary general Omar Ayub also attended the hearing.
Earlier, during the hearing, Abbasi read out the
judgment of the trial court before the court. He said that he would start his
argument but it will not complete today. He requested the court to adjourn the
hearing for arguments till the first week of May.
Khan’s counsel opposed Abbasi’s request regarding the
adjournment of the hearing till the first week of May.
The judge asked Abbasi now you start arguments. Abbasi
told the court that he would argue about Section 496 of CrPC. Some things were
told the court contrary to the facts, he said, adding that in this case, he
would take support of a black law dictionary. According to two witnesses in
this case nikkah of Khan and Bushra Bibi was solemnized during Iddat, he said,
adding that evidence is available that both husband and wife were aware of
taking place of nikkah during Iddat. He said that he has proved that the nikkah
solemnized on January 1, 2018, the marriage was illegal. According to Islamic
law the duration of Iddat is 90 days, he said.
PTI founding chairman’s lawyer was annoyed over the
argument made by Abbasi. The complainant’s counsel also made such kind of
argument in the trial court, he said. The judge asked Abbasi how much time he
needs to complete the argument. He will require four to five hours to complete
the argument, he said. The court adjourned the hearing of the case till April
24.
Source:
brecorder.com
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40298679/nikkah-case-iks-lawyer-seeks-contempt-of-court-proceedings-against-complainants-counsel
---
Child Marriage Act: LHC annuls gender-based age
criteria
April 16, 2024
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has struck down
the section that deals with gender-based age distinction in the Child Marriage
Act, 1929, and directed the Punjab government to revise the legislation.
The high court declared it “discriminatory” the
specific portion of the legislation — Section 2(a) and (b) of the 95-year-old
Act — which fixes different legal ages for males and females eligible for
marriage which is 18 and 16 years respectively, as per a 5-page verdict given
by Justice Shahid Karim on Monday.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the
aforementioned law was replaced by the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint
(Amendment) Act, 2015, for to criminalising the child marriage in the province.
The court observed that there was a need to take
effective steps against child marriages as the marriage laws were meant to
primarily keep in view the “social economic and educational factors rather than
religious”.
“The extract set out above makes a compelling case
based on physiological and sociological factors for the executive to step up
and take effective measures to counter the debilitating effect of child
marriage,” it read.
The LHC judge observed that all citizens were equal in
accordance with the law, blocking passage to any kind of discriminatory action
with any citizens, but the distinction between the legal age criteria for
eligibility of marriage for males and females in the Act was “discriminatory”.
The provincial government has been ordered to amend
the Act within 15 days in accordance with the court order. “In sum, the words
in section 2(a) viz. “if a male ….and if a female is under sixteen years of
age” being unconstitutional are held to be without lawful authority and of no
legal effect. They are struck down,” the LHC’s verdict read.
“The Govt of Punjab (its relevant department) is
directed to issue the revised version of 1929 Act (based on this judgment)
within the next fifteen days,” it concluded. The verdict was given on a
petition seeking amendments to the Child Marriage Act, 1929, over apparent
distinction drawn on the basis of gender. The petitioner stated that the
Constitution grants equal rights to the men and women.
Meanwhile, the provincial advocate general also
narrated some facts regarding adverse effects of child marraiges in the society
which “deprives a child of the right to education, deaths of mothers aged
between 15 and 19 due to pregnancy and childbirth related complications, as
well as perpetuation of the cycle of poverty and inter-generational cycle of
malnutrition.”
Source:
thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1178877-child-marriage-act-lhc-annuls-gender-based-age-criteria
---
India suspected to be behind attack on Tamba: Naqvi
April 16, 2024
LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said
India was suspected to be behind the attack on Amir Sarfraz Tamba who allegedly
tortured to death an Indian terrorist Sarabjit Singh in jail in 2013.
“Police are investigating the firing on Amir Tamba and
so far, they suspect India is behind it. India was involved in four other
murder incidents on a similar pattern as well. However, it will not be suitable
to say anything until the investigation is complete,” he said addressing the
media at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) office in Lahore.
During a televised interview on April 5, Indian
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh admitted to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led
government’s policy of orchestrating killings in Pakistan. He said India will
enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over the border after trying to carry
out terrorist activities in the country.
During the presser, Mohsin Naqvi said that steps were
being taken to increase counters at the Lahore airport so that time taking
immigration process could be made easier for people. He said that he had also
talked to Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif in this regard, adding that electronic
gates would be introduced so that passport scanning process could be done
without immigration officer.
Regarding over billing of electricity bills, Mohsin
Naqvi said that he had talked to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in this regard
and he had assured that no pressure in this regard would be tolerated and
extend full support to FIA to overcome this issue.
He said, “We have an evidence that 830 million units
had been over billed in Lesco and FIA Lahore has done good job in this regard.”
He said this over billing was done in government offices, industry and even to
a common man who consumed only 300 units.
He said that the XEN had been arrested who used to
over bill consumers using 300 units, adding that it was very unfortunate. The
federal minister said that campaign against over-billing would continue till
this practice come to an end and steps against over-billing would be taken
across the country.
He said that as far as cyber side was concerned huge
revamping would be carried out in the FIA on cyber side. Recruitment process on
vacant posts in the FIA would be completed, he added.
He said that work against power theft was being
carried out on a massive scale but still a lot more had to be done in this
regard. The interior minister said that steps to overcome power theft in
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be taken with the support of the
Ministry of Power.
About human trafficking, Naqvi said that a lot of work
was being carried out to stop it but more efforts were required in this regard.
To a question, he said that there would be no political pressure in FIA.
He said that Sindh police were working aggressively
against street crimes in Karachi. He said that there should be laws which could
help to stop improper use of social media.
Meanwhile, police officials have confirmed Amir Tamba
is alive but in critical condition at an unknown hospital. His brother Junaid
said that he was unaware of the whereabouts of his brother. Earlier, his death
was erroneously reported.
According to the content of the FIR, complainant
Junaid Sarfraz said he lived on the ground floor of the house with his family,
while his brother Amir alias Tamba lived in the upper portion. At around
12:40pm, two armed men entered his house, went to the upper floor and fired
multiple shots at Amir.
He added that upon hearing the gunshots, he rushed
upstairs and found his brother in a pool of blood. The masked shooter and his
accomplice, who was wearing a helmet, fled the scene. They were riding a Honda
125cc motorbike and escaped. Junaid said the police were informed about the
attack, and his brother was rushed to a local hospital with three bullet
wounds.
Source:
thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1178874-india-suspected-to-be-behind-attack-on-tamba-naqvi
----
Pakistani police warn Afghan migrants to leave
Balochistan in a day
Fidel Rahmati
April 15, 2024
According to a media report, authorities in the
Balochistan province have issued a warning for Afghan migrants, indicating that
they should voluntarily leave villages in the province by Tuesday.
Police stated that Afghan migrants with Afghan
citizenship cards and registration cards are subject to this warning, as
reported by the Afghanistan international.
Afghan migrants said on Monday that police have warned
if they don’t leave Baluchistan’s villages by 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday,
April 16th, they will be forcibly expelled.
According to the report, police have warned villages
such as Kraz, Nav Bazar, and Pishin in Balochistan to evacuate and return to
Afghanistan voluntarily.
Earlier, the Pakistani government announced that
Afghan migrants with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and Proof of Registration (PoR)
cards would not be expelled from Pakistan, but now provincial authorities in
Balochistan say even legal migrants will be expelled.
Proof of Registration and Afghan Citizenship Cards are
identity documents for Afghan migrants, allowing them to live legally in
Pakistan. These cards are valid throughout Pakistan.
Since November last year, Pakistani authorities have
forcibly deported over 700,000 Afghan migrants from the country, exacerbating
the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan. These migrants now face
numerous challenges, including shortages of food, shelter, and employment
opportunities.
The Afghan migrants deported from Pakistan in recent
months find themselves confronting a multitude of difficulties. With limited
access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and employment
opportunities, they struggle to rebuild their lives amidst the ongoing
humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
While the Pakistani government had announced it would
soon begin the second phase of expelling Afghan migrants from Pakistan.
The current Taliban regime has remained silent on the
issue, refraining from making any comments or statements regarding the
situation.
Source:
khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistani-police-warn-afghan-migrants-to-leave-balochistan-in-a-day/
----
Pakistan PM, MWL chief honor outstanding young Qur’an
memorizers
April 15, 2024
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz
Sharif and Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of
the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa attended the
closing ceremony of the annual Al-Maher Qur’an Competition in Islamabad,
capital of Pakistan. The ceremony was held to honor winners of the competition
held for the young memorizers under the age of 10.
Sharif and Al-Issa also attended a ceremony to lay the
foundation stone for the project of a branch of the Museum of the Prophet’s
Biography and Islamic Civilization, of which the main branch is located in
Madinah.
The ceremony was attended by several ministers and
senior scholars of Pakistan, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Muhammad
Ishaq Dar, Minister of Religious Affairs Salik Hussain, and Saudi Ambassador to
Pakistan Nawaf Al-Malki, along with university professors and students, and
memorizers of the Holy Qur’an and their families.
Speaking on the occasion, the Pakistani prime minister
expressed his gratitude to MWL for its pioneering and unique Islamic role, as
well as its efforts in taking care of memorizers of the Holy Qur’an, and its
endeavors to spread the Islamic religion’s true values. He also commended the
MWL’s presence and influential global role, referring to the Kingdom’s status
among the Pakistani people, as well as its influence, its leadership of the
Islamic world, and its great efforts in serving humanity in general.
In his speech, Al-Issa said: “Today, we are delighted
to meet with the young memorizers of the Holy Qur’an, under the patronage and
presence of the prime minister of Pakistan, within the framework of the Islamic
duties of his government, which attaches great importance to preserving the
Holy Qur’an."
The prizes were given away to winners of the
competition, which lasted for a whole year at the Pakistani national level
under the supervision of specialized judging committees. Then, attendees
watched a presentation about the exhibition and the museum.
Source:
saudigazette.com.sa
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/642102/SAUDI-ARABIA/Pakistan-PM-MWL-chief-honor-outstanding-young-Quran-memorizers
-----
South
Asia
System of Only Jihadists and Talibs is a Mistake, Says
Deputy Interior Minister
Mohammad Yousuf Hanif
April 15, 2024
Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Deputy Minister of the
Interior said that the current government system cannot be built solely on
clerics and students; modern science education is also a serious necessity.
At a student exhibition of the Mechanical Institute in
Khost province, he emphasized the need for trained professionals in every
sector.
At the exhibition, the handmade creations of the
students from the Mechanical Institute of Khost were displayed.
“A system is not built only with clerics, and I
repeat, if my elders and I are mistaken that the system can be built only with
the likes of me, the jihadists and talibs, then that mistake is theirs to
celebrate, and we do not agree with it,” said the deputy minister of Interior,
Mohammad Nabi Omari.
Meanwhile, the Chargé d'affaires of the Islamic
Emirate's embassy in the United Arab Emirates also emphasized modern science
education at the event, stating that the country's problems could be solved by
training specialists in modern and religious sciences.
“'Every official who has a responsibility within the
Islamic Emirate is dedicated and aware that as long as God maintains this
system, you will see a progressive Afghanistan in the shortest possible time,”
said Badrudin Haqqani, the chargé d'affaires of the Islamic Emirate's embassy
in the United Arab Emirates
Furthermore, officials from this institute have
requested the provision of additional facilities for these students.
“The Mechanical Institute has many needs. Its building
is in poor condition and lacks the necessary equipment for workshops,” said
Mazlum Sabri, administrator of the Mechanical Institute of Khost.
“This was supposed to be built in two and a half
months, but due to various problems, including economic ones, it was delayed;
this pickup-shaped vehicle was built in 14 months,” said Noor Wais Khan, a
student at the Mechanical Institute of Khost.
Several students from the Mechanical Institute in
Khost, who had displayed dozens of their handcrafted creations at this
exhibition, also called for support from officials and aid organizations.
Source:
tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-188317
----
Abdul Baqi Haqqani: Modern Sciences Key to Escape From
Dependency
April 15, 2024
The head of the National Examination Authority, Abdul
Baqi Haqqani, emphasized the importance of contemporary education along with
religious studies.
During the entrance exams for the master's and
doctoral programs at the Afghan International Islamic University(AIIU) in
Kabul, Abdul Baqi Haqqani said that Afghanistan will not achieve
self-sufficiency without the presence of universities focused on modern
sciences.
"If we possess the religious sciences but lack
modern sciences, the goal of religious sciences—which is the free worship of a
Muslim, self-sufficiency, and liberation from the dominance of non-muslims and
from dependence—will not be fulfilled,” Abdul Baqi Haqqani said.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani said that due to the recent wars,
Afghanistan has fallen behind in both religious and modern sciences, and now
must take advantage of the current opportunity.
He also stated that the Islamic Emirate is striving to
bring Afghanistan to a comparable position in the field of science to other
countries around the world.
"We are striving to develop this country, move it
out of dependency, and progress in tandem with other countries around the
world," he said.
"We strive to employ teaching methods for you
that are consistent with international standards and meet the demands of
today's era," said Abdul Malik Niazi, the deputy of AIIU.
In this examination, eighty candidates participated,
who are aim to compete in two faculties and three programs, out of which
seventy who achieve high scores will be admitted to the university.
"If they offer discounts on our master's and
doctoral programs and provide the promised discounts to government employees,
that would be good," said Mohammad Moqim, a test taker.
Officials at the AIIU pledged that they will provide
an educational environment that meets international standards and offers triple
the value in services and beneficial programs for the students’ tuition fees.
Source:
tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-188319
----
50 killed and 185 injured during Eid traffic incidents
in Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
April 15, 2024
The General Traffic Department reports that during the
day and night of Eid, 102 traffic incidents occurred in various parts of
Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of 50 lives.
This department stated on Monday, April 15th, in its
newsletter that during the 4-day Eid ul-Fitr holidays, 50 individuals lost
their lives in 102 traffic incidents across the country, with an additional 185
individuals injured.
The Traffic Department of the Ministry of Interior of
Afghanistan added in its statement that among the traffic incidents during the
day and night of Eid, 25 men, 8 women, and 13 children lost their lives.
According to the newsletter, out of the 185 injured
individuals in traffic incidents during Eid in the country, 118 were men, 34
were women, and 33 were children.
The Department also added that, based on conducted
investigations, failure to adhere to traffic rules and regulations, excessive
speeding, lack of visibility, and children driving vehicles were among the
primary factors contributing to the occurrence of traffic incidents.
According to information from the Traffic Department,
Herat with 19 incidents, Ghazni with 11 incidents, and Paktia with 10 incidents
topped the list of provinces with the highest number of traffic incidents in
the country.
Source:
khaama.com
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/50-killed-and-185-injured-during-eid-traffic-incidents-in-afghanistan/
---
Torkham border closed to Afghan patients without legal
documents
Fidel Rahmati
April 16, 2024
Officials in Nangarhar province say that once again,
the Torkham border crossing has been closed to Afghan patients by Pakistan.
National radio and television reported on Tuesday,
April 16th, that from today onwards, patients without legal documents such as passports
and visas will not be allowed entry into Pakistan.
According to the reports, around 7:00 PM last night,
April 15th, Pakistan closed its borders to patients.
However, the national radio and television report
states that from today onwards, patients without legal documents such as
passports and visas will not be allowed entry into Pakistan.
This comes as previously the Pakistani government
allowed entry to patients lacking legal documents, especially cancer patients.
The closure of the Torkham border crossing to patients
occurs while, due to the lack of advanced healthcare facilities in Afghanistan,
some citizens travel to Pakistan for treatment.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Authorities in Balochistan
province have issued a warning for Afghan migrants, urging them to leave
villages in the region voluntarily by Tuesday. Afghan migrants holding Afghan
citizenship cards and registration cards are particularly targeted.
Amidst these warnings, Afghan migrants revealed that
police have threatened forcible expulsion if they fail to vacate Baluchistan’s
villages by 8 a.m. local time on April 16th. Villages like Kraz, Nav Bazar, and
Pishin are specifically instructed to evacuate and return to Afghanistan.
Initially, the Pakistani government assured that
Afghan migrants possessing Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and Proof of Registration
(PoR) cards would not face expulsion. However, provincial authorities in
Balochistan have now announced plans to expel even legal migrants, intensifying
the plight of over 700,000 Afghan migrants deported since November last year.
Source:
khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/torkham-border-closed-to-afghan-patients-without-legal-documents/
----
Mujahid: Current White Flag Sufficient for Now
April 15, 2024
The Islamic Emirate addressed questions regarding the
destiny of the nation's tricolor flag, explaining that the flag's design is not
permanent and that any governing regime has the authority to select the
country’s flag.
Zabihullah Mujahid the spokesman of the Islamic
Emirate said that Afghanistan's flag is presently white, and its design may
change in the future following a collective agreement at an appropriate time.
"We currently have a white flag, and it is
sufficient. If in due time, collectively, something else is agreed upon, then
that too will be used," said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Spokesperson of the
Islamic Emirate.
However, some political analysts said the nature of a
country's flag is important in representing its identity to the world and say
that the citizens should have a role in deciding which flag to choose.
"The Islamic Emirate should also call for a grand
assembly of the people and obtain authority from the citizens on which flag
they choose as their national flag. Whatever decision the people make, the
government must accept it,” said Zakiullah Mohammadi, a university lecturer.
"The decision regarding the tricolor flag should
be made by the Afghan nation, or how the parliament should be formed; the
people should decide,” said Mohammad Matin Mohammad Khel, a political analyst.
Following the return to power of the Islamic Emirate
in the country, the national tricolor flag was replaced with the white flag of
the Islamic Emirate. However, the future fate of this flag remains uncertain.
Source:
tolonews.com
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---
Publish list of 60 lakh jailed activists, or apologise
Apr 16, 2024
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has
challenged BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam's statement that the
government has filed cases against 60 lakh leaders and activists of BNP.
He also asked Mirza Fakhrul to provide the list of
jailed BNP leaders and activists.
"How did the number of jailed activists increase
from 20,000 to 6 million? They should immediately publish the list of 6 million
prisoners; otherwise, Mirza Fakhrul will have to apologise before the nation
for lying," said Quader while briefing reporters at AL president's
political office in the capital's Dhanmondi yesterday.
Talking about Mujibnagar Day on April 17, the ruling
party leader said, "It [April 17] is the oath day of the first government
of independent Bangladesh… But BNP does not recognise it."
"BNP was created to destroy the spirit of
Bangladesh's independence. They aim to attack the very existence of
Bangladesh," Quader also said.
When asked whether the measures to control commodity
prices during Ramadan will continue, he said, "As long as the public needs
it, it will continue in the interest of the people."
Source:
thedailystar.net
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---
Myanmar conflict: 5 more BGP members take refuge in
Bangladesh
Apr 16, 2024
Five more members of the Myanmar Border Guard Police
(BGP) have taken shelter in Bangladesh amid the ongoing conflict between the
Myanmar junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine state.
They entered Bangladesh Sunday night through
Kharangkhali and Jhimongkhali border under Whykong union in Teknaf said Lt Col
Mohiuddin Ahmed, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)
battalion-2 in Teknaf.
BGB seized their weapons and took them into custody,
the BGB official said.
Earlier in the same day, nine BGP members took shelter
in Bangladesh. Two of them were undergoing treatment as they crossed the border
with injuries, he added.
On March 11, 179 BGP members took refuge in Bangladesh
through the Jamchhari border in Bandarban'sNaikhongchhari upazila. They are
currently under BGB custody in Naikhongchhari.
On February 15, 330 Myanmar nationals, including 302
BGP officials and four of their family members, two army personnel, 18
immigration members, and four civilians, who had entered Bangladesh were
returned to their country.
The conflict claimed two lives on February 5, killing
a Bangladeshi woman and a Rohingya man in the explosion of a mortar shell
(fired from Myanmar) in Bandarban's Ghumdhum.
Source:
thedailystar.net
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----
Group of Afghans living abroad in Kabul for talks with
Kabir
April 16, 2024
Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy prime
minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), met with a number of
representatives and elders of the Union of Afghans living in Europe who are in
Kabul at the moment.
The group, representing the Union of Afghans living in
Germany, UK, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Turkey, Norway as well as the United
Arab Emirates, shared suggestions and ideas of Afghans abroad with Kabir.
One of the delegation members, Dr. Khushal Rohi, said
that they have unions abroad and represent a large number of Afghans.
He said the Islamic Emirate has made considerable
progress and achievements in the last three years, which Afghans and the
international community are satisfied with.
According to him, the current system is the result of
many sacrifices and no one should be allowed to undermine and destroy it.
He added that Afghans living abroad have great
scientific and economic abilities that the Islamic Emirate can use for the
development of the country.
Rohi appreciated the economic and financial policy of
Afghanistan and said that Afghanistan has been saved from islands of power,
corruption, insecurity and extortion. According to him, no one in the region
and the world is in favor of war.
He added that the Islamic Emirate should remove its
cabinet from the caretaker mode and establish a permanent government. He also
called for girls and women to be allowed an education and to work.
Delegation members said that the conditions and
situation of Afghanistan is very different from what is reported in the media
and said they will convey the true picture of Afghanistan to the community of
Afghans living in Europe.
They added that there is a need to include other
strata in the government and strengthen its framework.
ZargaiMaliar, a member of the delegation, also spoke
and said that he is happy to be in Afghanistan and observe the progress being
made.
He said that the current opportunities for the
settlement and strengthening of the Afghan system has historical value and
there is a need to strengthen Afghanistan’s relations with Afghans and the
international community.
He said women should see themselves in the Islamic
system and women should be allowed to work and study.
He also said they are happy to be a bridge between
Afghanistan and the European Union and will work for the country’s recognition.
This delegation also promised to convey the position
of the Islamic Emirate to Afghans living in Europe and will encourage them to
visit their country and observe its progress closely.
Meanwhile, Kabir welcomed the delegation and said that
he hoped they were able to see the positive achievements made by the IEA.
He said that after the regain of power, a paralyzed
Afghanistan was left to the Islamic Emirate and the Islamic Emirate started “to
settle the country and activate and strengthen the system from scratch”.
He said that the majority of officials had been
expelled or were in the process of being expelled when the IEA’s Supreme Leader
announced a general amnesty and all the departments resumed their activities.
The political deputy said that the Islamic Emirate has
changed the ranks of security and the leadership of the departments and the
majority of security forces of the former government have left. However, a
number of them have remained and now serve in the ranks of the police and the
army, he said.
“The nation never wishes for the corrupt authorities
of the past to come back to power and does not want Afghanistan to become an
island of power and a center of usurpation, corruption and drugs,” said Kabir.
He said that after the announcement of the general
amnesty, “the Islamic Emirate set its priority on economic development and
infrastructure affairs, and in the past two years, Afghanistan has been moving
in a good direction in the fields of economic and commercial strengthening”.
According to him, Afghanistan had been affected by
occupation, war and violence for two decades, “seeds of disunity were planted
in our country, brothers and sisters were encouraged to enmity for personal
interests, and people were divided in the name of ethnicity, position and
language”. He added that with the arrival of the Islamic Emirate, “this
hypocrisy has disappeared.”
Kabir said that now Afghanistan is a single Afghan
nation with an Islamic system, and sinister plans and efforts to divide it have
failed.
He clarified that now is a good time to strengthen
national unity, and for the Islamic system to stand on its own feet.
He added that the protection of national sovereignty,
territorial integrity, national participation, independence and freedom are
guaranteed and Afghanistan is taking fast steps to move towards a better
future.
Kabir said that the priority of the Islamic Emirate in
Afghanistan is to provide a permanent policy and economic stability, to
consolidate national unity and to invest in it, and it is taking steps
according to the lessons of the past.
He added that the Islamic Emirate believes that
Afghanistan is the connecting point of the region and implementation of major
regional projects is impossible without the presence of Afghanistan, and they
want these projects to be implemented.
According to him, dozens of companies have invested in
Afghanistan and there are discussions with many other companies.
He said that the Islamic Emirate wants order and
stability in the region and the world. “Our position is that we respect the
independence and territorial integrity of countries and our independence should
be respected as well. The Islamic Emirate will never allow threats to be made
against anyone from Afghanistan.”
He told the delegation that today security is ensured
throughout Afghanistan, you can travel anywhere in Afghanistan without fear and
encourage Afghans living in Europe to return to their homeland.
He welcomed the proposal of the mentioned delegation
that they mediate between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and European
countries.
Source:
ariananews.af
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---
Mideast
Iran closed nuclear facilities in wake of Israel
attack: IAEA chief
April 16, 2024
United Nations: Iran temporarily closed its nuclear
facilities over “security considerations” in the wake of its massive missile
and drone attack on Israel over the weekend, the head of the UN’s atomic
watchdog said Monday.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a UN
Security Council meeting, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief
Rafael Grossi was asked whether he was concerned about the possibility of an
Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility in retaliation for the attack.
“We are always concerned about this possibility. What
I can tell you is that our inspectors in Iran were informed by the Iranian
government that yesterday (Sunday), all the nuclear facilities that we are
inspecting every day would remain closed on security considerations,” he said.
The facilities were to reopen on Monday, Grossi said,
but inspectors would not return until the following day.
“I decided to not let the inspectors return until we
see that the situation is completely calm,” he added, while calling for
“extreme restraint.”
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at
Israel overnight from Saturday into Sunday in retaliation for an air strike on
a consular building in Damascus that killed seven of its Revolutionary Guards,
two of them generals.
Israel and its allies shot down the vast majority of
the weapons, and the attack caused only minor damage, but concerns about a
potential Israeli reprisal have nevertheless stoked fears of all-out regional
war.
Israel has carried out operations against nuclear
sites in the region before.
In 1981, it bombed the Osirak nuclear reactor in
Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, despite opposition from Washington. And in 2018, it
admitted to having launched a top-secret air raid against a reactor in Syria 11
years prior.
Israel is also accused by Tehran of having
assassinated two Iranian nuclear physicists in 2010, and of having kidnapped
another the previous year.
Also in 2010, a sophisticated cyberattack using the
Stuxnet virus, attributed by Tehran to Israel and the United States, led to a
series of breakdowns in Iranian centrifuges used for uranium enrichment.
Israel accuses Iran of wanting to acquire an atomic
bomb, something Tehran denies
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2493876/middle-east
----
Iran to respond to any fresh Israeli mistake ‘within
seconds’: Deputy FM
15 April 2024
Iran's deputy foreign minister has warned that the
Islamic Republic would respond to any fresh Israeli "mistake" against
the country “within seconds.”
Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy foreign minister for
political affairs, made the remarks in a televised interview on Monday.
“In case of repetition of another mistake, they should
expect a harsher, faster, and more immediate response,” he said.
“This time, the Zionists should know this that they
will not have a 12-day-long timespace,” the official noted, adding, “The
response that they are going to receive [this time around] cannot be measured
by [such time standards as] days or hours, but [will come in a matter of]
seconds.”
On April 1, the Israeli regime committed a terrorist
attack against Iran’s diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital Damascus.
The Israeli attack resulted in the martyrdom of
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji
Rahimi, and five of their accompanying officers.
In retaliation, the IRGC targeted the occupied
territories late on Saturday with a barrage of drones and missiles. The
retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise, has inflicted damage on
Israeli military bases across the Palestinian occupied territories.
“If there is any [measure of] rationality within the
Zionist regime, they [will know this that they] must not repeat their strategic
mistake with another mistake,” Bagheri said.
The Zionists, the official stated, should know that if
their mistake concerning the Iranian consulate warrants such a crushing
retaliation, then their likely malign intentions against the Iranian soil would
“principally entail a much more vehement response.”
Amid speculation about the potential Israeli attack,
senior Iranian political and military leaders, including President Ebrahim
Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, have warned of a stronger
and more severe response.
Source:
presstv.ir
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---
Mass graves discovered at Gaza’s Shifa hospital and in
Beit Lahiya
15 April 2024
Teams of Gaza’s Health Ministry and Civil Defense
Forces have discovered two mass graves in the north of the Gaza Strip,
following a days-long search.
The first mass grave was discovered at Shifa Hospital
in Gaza City, and the second in Beit Lahiya.
At least nine bodies were found before the health
officials stopped digging, fearing that they could get targeted by the Israeli
drones hovering in the skies above them.
The uncovered bodies had not fully decomposed, which
indicated they had been killed recently.
Some of the people who had been killed and buried
appear to have been patients at the hospital and had medical bandages attached
to their bodies.
Doctors and staff from the hospital said they
witnessed killings and burials. Some people were killed outside the main gate
of the hospital.
Palestinian media reports say criminal investigation
teams along with the health ministry will continue the search for more bodies.
Israeli forces have attacked and besieged the Shifa
complex several times since October 7, leaving it largely in ruins.
In Beit Lahiya, another mass grave containing about 20
decomposed bodies was discovered. Witnesses and residents said the bodies
belong to the Al-Assaf family.
Hamas decries Israeli ‘war crimes’ at Shifa Hospital
The Palestinian resistance movement said the mass
grave includes “several decomposing bodies” Israeli forces hid under the rubble
before withdrawing from the medical complex earlier this month.
The latest discovery shows there are “no limits” to
what Israeli forces are willing to do, Hamas said.
The regime can keep committing crimes since the
international community remains silent in the face of this “genocide,” the
resistance movement said.
Hamas underscored Israel’s “clear and well-documented
war crimes” in the discovery of mass graves in Shifa, “cases of execution, and
the hundreds of bodies that remain under the rubble.”
Source:
presstv.ir
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---
Hamas says no deal without Israeli withdrawal from
Gaza, return of displaced
Anadolu Staff
16.04.2024
The Palestinian group Hamas insisted Monday that it
will not agree to the release of any hostages without the Israeli army's
complete withdrawal from Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to their
homes across the enclave.
"There is no concession on the complete
withdrawal (of the Israeli army from Gaza) and the free return of the displaced
people to their areas across the Gaza Strip," Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of
the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement.
"A permanent cease-fire is the only guarantee to
protect our people and stop the bloodshed and massacres," he added.
Al-Rishq warned that Israel seeks "a temporary
(cease-fire) agreement" to free its hostages and then to resume "the
war and genocide."
On Saturday, Hamas said it submitted its response to
Egypt and Qatar on the proposed cease-fire in Gaza with Israel and reiterated
its demands for a permanent cease-fire, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from
the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced and allowing more humanitarian aid
into the enclave.
Israel has killed nearly 33,800 Palestinians since an
Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were
killed and around 250 hostages taken.
A previous deal in November saw the release of 81
Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women
and 169 children.
The US, Qatar and Egypt have been since trying to
broker an agreement to release the remaining Israeli captives.
The conflict has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into
internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine,
while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.???????
Global calls for a cease-fire have been growing as the
war has entered its seventh month.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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----
Lebanese officials charge Mossad killed Hamas
financier
April 16, 2024
BEIRUT: A Lebanese minister and two senior officials
said preliminary findings suggest Israel’s Mossad spy agency was behind the
killing of a US-sanctioned Lebanese man accused of sending Iranian money to
Hamas.
The body of Mohammad Sarur, 57, was found riddled with
bullets in a villa in the Lebanese mountain town of Beit Mery last Tuesday.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi told Al-Jadeed TV
late Sunday that, “according to the data we have so far, (the killing) was
carried out by intelligence services.”
Asked whether he was referring to Mossad, Mawlawi
confirmed.
AFP has requested comment from Israeli government
officials but has received no response so far.
The US Treasury said in August 2019 that it had
sanctioned Sarur for funnelling “tens of millions of dollars” from Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards “to Hamas for terrorist attacks originating from the Gaza
Strip,” through Lebanon’s Hamas-allied Hezbollah.
The Lebanese group has been exchanging near daily
cross-border fire with the Israeli military since October 7 when Hamas launched
its unprecedented attack on Israel, triggering the war in Gaza.
A Lebanese judicial official and a security source
told AFP that Mossad likely masterminded Sarur’s killing, both speaking on
condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press.
“The preliminary results of the investigation indicate
that the Israeli Mossad was behind the assassination,” the security official
told AFP.
Initial findings “suggest the Mossad used Lebanese and
Syrian agents to lure Sarur to a villa in Beit Mery,” the official said, adding
that they had wiped fingerprints from the crime scene and used silenced
weapons.
The judicial official also told AFP that preliminary
information pointed to Mossad, but that the probe was ongoing, with
investigators collecting evidence “especially from communications data.”
The US Treasury said Sarur “served as a middle-man”
for money transfers between the (Revolutionary) Guards and Hamas “and worked
with Hezbollah operatives to ensure funds were provided” to Hamas’s armed wing.
Sarur “has an extensive history working at Hezbollah’s
sanctioned bank, Bayt Al-Mal,” the Treasury said.
In January 2019, the Lebanese army said it had
arrested a suspected Mossad agent over a failed bid to assassinate a Hamas
official in the country’s south a year earlier.
In the 1970s, Israel launched a targeted assassination
campaign against Palestinian militants in retaliation for the killing of 11
Israelis at the 1972 Munich Olympics, leaving several militants dead in Beirut.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2493806/middle-east
----
Several Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on
mosque in Jabalia in northern Gaza
Rania Abu Shamala
16.04.2024
Several Palestinians were killed and others injured
early Tuesday by Israeli airstrikes that targeted a mosque in Jabalia in the
northern Gaza Strip, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Medical sources said that “several martyrs and nine
wounded were transported to Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip as
a result of the Israeli occupation’s aircraft targeting the Al-Fakhoura Martyrs
Mosque located west of the Jabalia refugee camp.”
Israeli army vehicles also infiltrated the town of
Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, besieging a school sheltering displaced
people and opening fire on them, said WAFA.
Local sources reported an outage in communications and
internet services in Beit Hanoun coinciding with the incursion by Israeli
troops.
The news agency added that the Israeli army continued
firing heavy machine guns west of the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza as
well as artillery shelling in the eastern and northern regions of the Gaza
Strip.???????
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the
Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas
in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Nearly 33,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children,
have since been killed in Gaza, and nearly 76,500 injured amid mass destruction
and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population
into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water
and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or
destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International
Court of Justice, which in January issued an interim ruling ordering it to
ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and guarantee that
humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/several-palestinians-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-on-mosque-in-jabalia-in-northern-gaza/3192708
----
Netanyahu shuns phone calls from Western leaders on
Israeli response to Iran’s attack: Report
Zein Khalil
16.04.2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to
receive phone calls from Western leaders because he feared he would be exposed
to pressure that would prevent him from responding to Iran’s attack on Israel,
local media reported Monday.
Foreign leaders tried to schedule talks with Netanyahu
following Iran's missile and drone attack on Israel on Saturday but were
denied, according to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
It said Netanyahu only spoke with US President Joe
Biden on Saturday.
Netanyahu's office, however, did not comment on the
issue, KAN noted.
Israel’s Haaretz daily quoted an Israeli official who
said international pressure on Israel is big and significantly affects the
decision over attacking Iran.
Early on Monday, Israeli army Chief of Staff Herzi
Halevi said Israel will respond to the Iranian attack.
Iran on Saturday launched an airborne attack on Israel
in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike on its diplomatic compound in the
Syrian capital. It reportedly fired more than 300 drones and missiles, with
almost all intercepted by the air defense systems of Israel and its allies –
the US, France and the UK.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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----
Israeli army says it hit buildings in southern Lebanon
used by Hezbollah
Ahmed Asmar
16.04.2024
The Israeli army said Monday that it struck buildings
used by the Lebanese Hezbollah group in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the army said it bombed a building
used by Hezbollah members in Mays al-Jabal and another one in TayrHarfa.
It added that its troops also shelled an area near
Chebaa with artillery to “remove a threat.”
Hezbollah has yet to comment on the army's statement.
Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been exchanging fire
since last October amid growing tensions over Israel’s offensive on the Gaza
Strip, which has killed nearly 33,800 people.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-army-says-it-hit-buildings-in-southern-lebanon-used-by-hezbollah/3192722
---
Islamic unity a must to stop Israel's atrocities,
Erdogan tells Qatari emir
April 16 2024
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a phone call with
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, reiterated the need for the unity
of the Islamic world to stop Israel's ruthless attacks on Gaza.
Türkiye and Qatar relations, global and regional
issues, Israel's attacks on Gaza, and humanitarian conditions were discussed
during the call, according to a statement made by the Türkiye's Communications
Directorate on April 15.
Erdogan stated that the Islamic world should step up
its united efforts to stop Israel's atrocious attacks and ensure that Israel is
punished for its crimes against humanity.
In order to prevent the spread of tension in the
region, it is vital that Israel be reined in as soon as possible and act with
common sense, Erdogan said, according to the statement.
Erdogan and Al-Thani then congratulated each other on
last week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
Hamas's attack that sparked the Israeli offensive
resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli
figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive since Oct. 7 has killed
at least 33,729 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the
Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
More than six months of war have led to dire
humanitarian conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip, with 85 percent of Gaza’s
population having been displaced.
Source:
hurriyetdailynews.com
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-----
Southeast
Asia
China’s top diplomat Wang holds call with Iranian
counterpart
April 16, 2024
BEIJING: China’s foreign minister held phone
discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Beijing state media said Tuesday,
reporting that Iran said it was “willing to exercise restraint” after its
first-ever attack on Israel’s territory.
Israel has vowed to respond to the unprecedented
Iranian missile and drone strikes over the weekend, which have prompted appeals
for de-escalation by world leaders fearing wider conflict.
China is a close partner of Iran, its largest trade
partner, and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil.
The United States has repeatedly made public appeals
for China to use its influence over Tehran to manage tensions in the region,
which are currently turbocharged over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
During the call, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian briefed Wang
Yi on the April 1 attack on a consular annex of the Iranian embassy in the
Syrian capital Damascus, which Tehran says prompted its aerial assault,
Beijing’s state news agency Xinhua said.
Amir-Abdollahian told Wang that the United Nations
Security Council “did not make a necessary response to this attack” and that
“Iran has the right to self-defence in response to the violation of its
sovereignty”, according to a readout.
Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was “willing to exercise
restraint” and had no intention of further escalating tensions, adding the
current regional situation was “very sensitive”.
Wang said China “strongly condemns and firmly opposes
the attack” on the Iranian consular annex, Xinhua reported, and regards it as a
“serious violation of international law and unacceptable”.
The readout said China noted Iran’s statement that, in
response, it had taken limited action in “self-defence”.
“China appreciates Iran’s stress on not targeting
regional and neighbouring countries as well as its reiteration on continuously
pursuing a good-neighbourly and friendly policy,” Xinhua quoted Wang as saying.
“It is believed that Iran can handle the situation
well and spare the region further turmoil while safeguarding its own
sovereignty and dignity.”
Tehran’s foreign ministry readout said
Amir-Abdollahian briefed Wang on Iran’s “legitimate action” and “warned the
White House” that further attacks on Iran’s interests or security would invite
a “decisive, immediate and extensive” response.
‘Spillover effect’
The foreign ministers discussed the Israel-Hamas
conflict in the call, with Wang calling the current situation a “spillover
effect of the escalating conflict in Gaza”, according to Xinhua.
China, historically sympathetic to the Palestinian
cause, has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza since the war began when Hamas
militants attacked Israel on October 7.
That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people in
Israel, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least
33,797 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health
ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
“China is willing to maintain communication with the
Iranian side and jointly push for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement
of the Palestinian issue,” Wang said according to Xinhua.
Wang also held talks with his Saudi counterpart on
Monday, the news agency said.
The two foreign ministers agreed to work together to
avoid further escalation in the Middle East, it said.
Source:
brecorder.com
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----
Johor govt calls on state Islamic religious dept to
prepare special sermon on importance of praying for fellow Muslims
16 Apr 2024
KOTA TINGGI, April 16 — Expressing regret over a post
by a Facebook account owner allegedly insulting the His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim,
King of Malaysia, recently, the Johor government has urged the Johor State
Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) to prepare a special Friday prayer sermon
regarding the responsibility of praying for fellow Muslims.
Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman
Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the post by the individual, who claimed not to have
raised his hands when the prayer was read for the King after the Friday prayer
sermon, was feared to create a culture that would be followed by others.
“We have a responsibility to pray for fellow Muslims,
and it is mandatory to do so, what more for leaders, because the leaders also
pray for us,” he said when asked about the matter at a press conference after
officiating the ceremony to declare the results for the Sijil Darjah Enam Agama
(SDEA) examination at Sekolah Agama Bandar Kota Tinggi here today.
The owner of the Facebook account “Hezry Yasin” in a
recent post claimed not to have raised his hands when prayers were read for the
King and the royal family after the Friday prayer sermon at a mosque in Johor.
He also claimed that he only offered prayers for
leaders who placed religion as a priority and fought for and defended Islam
when it was threatened.
Yesterday, Johor Police chief CP M Kumar in a
statement said 36 police reports had been lodged over the post.
“All the complainants have had their statements
recorded, and the statements have been handed over to the Bukit Aman Classified
Crimes Investigation Unit,” he said. — Bernama
Source:
malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/04
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Japan resumes funding for UNRWA with $35m donation
April 15, 2024
LONDON: The Japanese government on Monday said it had
resumed its funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
and sent a donation of about $35 million to the organization.
The money will be used to provide vital supplies for
women and babies in the Gaza Strip, and medical services in the West Bank, the
Jiji Press news agency reported.
Japanese authorities suspended their funding for UNRWA
after Israeli officials in January alleged that 12 people working for the
agency, out of a total of 30,000, had played a part in the Oct. 7 attacks by
Hamas.
Japan, the sixth-biggest single donor to the agency,
and 15 other countries put about $450 million of funding on hold in response to
the allegation, throwing the agency’s operations in the war-torn Gaza Strip
into turmoil. The Japanese government had announced on April 2 that it was
lifting the suspension.
Some other countries that suspended payments to UNRWA
in the immediate aftermath of the allegation have similarly resumed funding,
including Australia and Canada.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2493721/world
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Marsudi presses for conflict de-escalation in talks
with Iranian FM
April 16, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister
Retno Marsudi called for conflict de-escalation in the Middle East during a
phone call with Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on
Monday (April 15).
Marsudi also spoke with partners in Saudi Arabia,
Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Germany
to urge those countries to use their influence to reduce tensions in the region
following the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.
"We are concerned seeing the developments of the
situation in the Middle East, and we believe that escalation will not bring
benefit to anyone," she remarked after attending a meeting to respond to
the conflict, at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, on Tuesday.
The minister emphasized the importance of making
diplomatic efforts, so that Iran and Israel exercise restraint and do not
trigger a conflict escalation.
She noted that all countries are currently calculating
the impact of an escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict on world oil prices,
prices of basic needs, and the exchange rate of their currency.
"We will continuously monitor the developments.
President Joko Widodo instructed to continue to make diplomatic efforts, so
that the relevant parties exercise restraint and avoid escalation," she
remarked.
Earlier, Marsudi had also held telephonic
conversations with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell and the High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Josep Borrell.
The latest hostility between Iran and Israel was
triggered by an attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1.
At least seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),
including two top generals, were killed in the attack.
Iran launched a retaliatory attack by firing dozens of
ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel on Saturday night (April
13).
According to Israel, the attack was able to be
neutralized and only hit an Israeli military air base, with no serious damage
incurred.
Source:
antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/310935/marsudi-presses-for-conflict-de-escalation-in-talks-with-iranian-fm
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Middle East conflict: Impact minimal so far, govt to
continue monitoring situation - PM
15-04- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
today assured that the impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict on the
Malaysian economy has been minimal thus far.
He noted that the opening of FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI,
the bechmark index of Malaysia’s stock exchange, was only slightly lower,
reflecting the regional trends.
“Nonetheless, the Madani government will continue to
monitor this situation very closely and take proactive measures to ensure the
security, welfare and well-being of all Malaysians.
“The interests of the country will be our primary
consideration,“ he said in a statement today.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister chaired a special
meeting of the National Security Council.
Deputy Prime Minister 1 Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin, Home Affairs Minister Datuk
Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad
Hasan, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali, and other
senior government officials also participated in the meeting.
Anwar said the meeting aimed at further discussing the
grave situation in the Middle East, building on the discussions held yesterday.
“The meetings held on two consecutive days show the
seriousness in which the Madani government views these developments as well as
the efforts that we will take to shield Malaysia and Malaysians from its
impact,” he added.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that the launching
of the drones by Iran is a legitimate act following the barbarous attack on the
Israeli Zionist regime against the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria.
“We are pleased to note the assurances given by the
Iranian government that unless further attacked by the Zionist Israeli regime,
this will be their only reaction.
“We join all of the civilised world to urge the
Zionist Israeli regime not to aggravate an already extremely tense situation
further. There are clear signs indicating that the world has no desire to see a
worsening of the situation,” he said.
Anwar said the key to resolving this issue is the just
and immediate resolution of the inhumane situation in Gaza.
Therefore, global attention must be devoted fully to
it, with no distractions, he said, adding that there must be a durable
ceasefire which will enable the passage of humanitarian aid.
In this connection, Malaysia’s latest contribution of
100 containers is expected to leave Malaysia on April 27, he noted.
Source:
thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/local_news/middle-east-conflict-impact-minimal-so-far-govt-to-continue-monitoring-situation-pm-AD12332435
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ram-navami-procession-hyderabad-mosque-covered/d/132147