RSS-Linked Vedic Schools Expand Hindutva Footprint in Muslim-Majority Bangladesh
New
Age Islam News Bureau
04
May 2023
The Vedic
Schools function from 9 to 11 am every Friday and Saturday, which are weekly
holidays in Bangladesh. Image: Twitter
----
South Asia
• UN Says Future of Afghanistan’s Media in the Balance
• Press Freedom Index: Why Afghanistan Outperformed
India, Who Measures It, And How Accurate Is The Data
• Taliban Interfering With NGO Work in Afghanistan:
Report
• Political Dialogue among Afghans is Key Solution to
the Crisis, Says US Envoy
• China’s Investment in Afghan Lithium Sector: Broad
Geo-Economic
--------
Europe
• '2 Muslim Night Riders' Honoured With Community
Pioneers Awardat the British Muslim Awards
• Crawley Mosque prays for King and country in
Coronation celebrations
• Russian ally calls on US to review sanctions policy
• West cannot stay silent on Kremlin drone attack but
won’t admit anything – experts
--------
India
• Noise Pollution by Mosque: Bombay High Court Tells
Cops to Comply With Norms
• ‘Moral policing’ in Karnataka: Muslim youth assaulted
for talking to Hindu girl, 4 held
• India keen on strengthening ties with Kingdom in
trade, tourism and technology
• NIA Carries out Raids across J&K, Detains Two to
Probe Conspiracy to 'Commit Terror Acts'
• YSRCP Muslim Leaders Meet at Party Office in Tadepalli
--------
Arab World
• Global Islamic finance industry to grow by 10% in
2023-2024
• Shura Council Speaker Meets with Algerian Foreign
Minister
• Saudi Arabia reports 176 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
• Saudi ministry, SAP launch training program to develop
national digital capabilities
• Saudi Foreign Ministry condemns storming of cultural
attache building in Khartoum
• Saudi Shoura Council speaker holds talks with Algerian
People’s National Assembly speaker
• Tabuk will host first edition of Camel Avenue festival
• Islamic Affairs Ministry Inaugurates Holy Quran
Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil
--------
Pakistan
• FM Bilawal consults PDM, JI leaders ahead of India
visit
• Chinese FM to visit Islamabad for Pakistan-China
strategic dialogue
• PM Shehbaz touches down in UK to attend King Charles'
coronation ceremony
• Minister Talha rejects free, VIP Hajj
--------
North
America
• In ‘Operation Ezra,’ Canadian Jews Helped Yazidis
Fleeing Islamic State Persecution
• CAIR Demands Terror Watchlist Be Shut Down After
Muslim Mayor Is Uninvited From White House Ramadan Event
• CAIR Joins Call by 51 Human Rights Groups for Release
of American Muslim Scholar from Egyptian Prison, Calls on State Dept. to Demand
Release
• CAIR Files Suit against Dept. of State over Denial of
Religious Accommodation for Muslim Employee
• Call for Establishing Muslim Heritage Month, Combating
Global Islamophobia and Watchlist Oversight
• Islamic Development Bank Institute Organizes its 17th
Global Forum with Focus on Disruptive Solutions for Economic Resilience
--------
Mideast
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Round of Confrontation with
Enemy Has Ended, but March of Resistance Continues
• Chairman of the Knesset NSC: We Are Being Held Captive
By Hamas and Islamic Jihad
• UN states urged to support call for International
Court of Justice opinion on Israeli occupation
• KANS to Honour Young Researchers of Islamic World in
3rd Scientific Competition
• Palestinian UN envoy lauds Islamic Jihad member who
died on hunger strike
• IMF's Jihad Azour evades presidential query, stresses
staff-level agreement at Dubai panel
• Heavy fighting in Khartoum as power struggle rages
• Israeli military kills 3 wanted Palestinians in West
Bank
• Deadly bus crash with truck kills 14, injures 25 in
Egypt
• Sudan’s descent into chaos shatters illusion of safety
for war-weary Syrians
--------
Africa
• Arab League, African Union andUN Intensify Efforts For
Peace In Sudan
• Buhari Has Taken Nigeria 100 Years Backward, Says Buba
Galadima
• I see my role as delivering hope for millions of
people – Adesina
• Hundreds of thousands try to flee Sudan as fighting
continues
• Sahel region singled out on World Press Freedom Day
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Nazri Says Ouster Rumours Make Foreign Investors Wary
Of Malaysia
• S.Korea, Indonesia to seek stronger economic ties,
push for green growth
• Agong, Raja Permaisuri wish Buddhists ‘Happy Wesak
Day’
• Bring up Borneo Aviation Authority proposal to
Cabinet, says Zahid
--------
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/rss-vedic-hindutva-bangladesh-muslim/d/129702
------
RSS-linked Vedic Schools expand Hindutva footprint in Muslim-majority Bangladesh
The Vedic
Schools function from 9 to 11 am every Friday and Saturday, which are weekly
holidays in Bangladesh. Image: Twitter
----
Samir K
Purkayastha
4 May, 2023
A group of
children is rote-learning 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita under an open sky in
a rural setting. This scene of early initiation to the tenets of Hinduism is
from a Vedic school in Dinajpur district of Muslim-majority Bangladesh, a
country where the Hindu population is declining at an alarming rate.
There are 353 such
informal learning centres for children called Vedic Schools across Bangladesh
set up by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-linked outfit working to expand
the Hindutva ideology in the neighbouring country.
“The idea is to
instil a sense of Hindu pride from an early age in order to promote and protect
our religion, which is facing an existential crisis in Bangladesh,” said
Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, the secretary general of the grand alliance.
Gobinda Chandra
Pramanik
Gobinda Chandra
Pramanik, secretary general of the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance.
The outfit
feels the need for early initiation to religion as Hindu youth are allegedly
falling prey to “love jihad” and becoming “indifferent” to their religion.
“Many Hindus
are disowning their religion by marrying people from other faiths. It is very
difficult to get devoted Hindus here,” Pramanik told The Federal, defending his
organisation’s ‘Vedic venture’ to mould the children into staunch Hindus.
Equipping
children to answer questions
Apart from
introducing children to Hindu religious texts, another important aspect of
teaching in these schools is to equip them to answer the most-frequently asked
questions on Hinduism by non-Hindus.
“This is
important because Hindu children are often being teased and taunted by their
non-Hindu friends by posing questions like ‘why do Hindus worship cows or
believe in idols’,” said Pramanik, also a leader of the Bangladesh chapter of
the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The VHP is part
of the larger Sangh Parivar spawned by the RSS. “Though overtly we function as
an independent organisation, we are an affiliate of the VHP,” Pramanik said
about the Mohajote or the BJHM.
The Vedic
Schools function from 9 to 11 am every Friday and Saturday, which are weekly
holidays in Bangladesh. The student strength in the schools varies from 25 to
50, depending on the Hindu population in the area. The teachers are mostly
local volunteers.
“We neither
take any fee from students nor do we pay any remuneration to teachers because,
in Hindu philosophy, imparting knowledge is considered as repaying of social
debt,” Pramanik added. The classes are often conducted in the premises of local
temples.
Goal unite
Hindus in Bangladesh
The BJHM was
formed in 2006 to “unify all Hindus of Bangladesh” to be a strong
socio-religious and political community.
“In India, the
role of organisations in the Sangh Parivar is segregated. For instance, the VHP
is a religious organisation while the BJP is a political party. But here in
Bangladesh, the Mohajote does multitasking,” Pramanik claimed.
One of the
political endeavours of the BJHM is to convince the 7 per cent Hindus in
Bangladesh not to consider themselves as a vote bank of the Awami League.
The Hindu
population in Bangladesh as per the 2011 census was 8.54 per cent. It dropped
to 7.95 per cent in 2022. In 1981, Bangladesh had 12.13 per cent Hindu
population. It
However, the
Hindu population in the region started declining even before the Partition.
From 33 per cent in 1901, it slumped to 28 per cent in 1941.
To protect the
Hindu population, the Mohajote is now demanding re-instatement of reserved
seats in Parliament and a separate electoral system for Hindus.
Demand for
reservation
In the East
Pakistan Provincial Assembly, 72 seats (69 for Hindus, two for Buddhists, and
one for Christians) were reserved for minorities until 1954. To elect them,
separate voting used to take place exclusively for minorities.
As the Hindu
population has dwindled since 1954, the Hindu outfit is now demanding that 50
of the country’s 350 parliamentary seats be reserved for the Hindus, failing
which it has threatened to boycott the national elections due in
December-January.
To press for
its demand, it is spearheading a movement holding frequent demonstrations and
mobilisation drives. The BJHM has an organisational presence in all 64
districts of Bangladesh and is further expanding its base to all the wards.
There are
currently 18 Hindu MPs in Bangladesh.
Source: thefederal.com
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https://thefederal.com/exclusive/rss-linked-vedic-schools-expand-hindutva-footprint-in-muslim-majority-bangladesh/
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UK Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak Holds Downing Street Reception for UK Muslim Community
Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak attends a reception to mark Eid Al Fitr in 10 Downing
Street. Photo: Downing Street / Twitter
-----
Soraya Ebrahimi
May 04, 2023
UK Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak hosted a gathering for members of Britain's Muslim
community at Downing Street on Wednesday evening.
The event was
held to celebrate last month’s Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
The Prime
Minister took the opportunity to thank guests for their contribution to the
country and their communities.
In April, Mr
Sunak sent his “warmest wishes” to Muslims in the UK and around the world as
they marked Eid Al Fitr.
“Eid is a
timely opportunity to acknowledge the shared values which bind us together,
particularly your compassion and dedication to contribute to charity and
philanthropy,” he said.
“This was
evident earlier this year, through the community’s outstanding response to
support the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.”
He also paid
tribute to the contribution the Muslim community has made to the country.
“Whether it be
in business, sports, media, our public services, or, of course, our NHS and
armed forces, British Muslims are helping to make the country the success it
is,” he said.
“Eid Mubarak to
everyone observing it today.
“I look forward
to welcoming representatives from the British Muslim community to Downing
Street to celebrate.”
Source: thenationalnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2023/05/03/rishi-sunak-hosts-downing-street-reception-for-uk-muslim-community/
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‘The Kerala
Story’ Should Not Be Screened, Says Kerala State Muslim Youth League General
Secy
Kerala
Muslim Youth General Secretary PK Firos, (Photo: Instagram)
-----
3 May, 2023
Amish Mahajan
On Wednesday,
Kerala General Secretary of Muslim Youth League PK Firoz said that the film
‘The Kerala Story’ should not be screened as it insults Muslims, Kerala and
girls. This film should not be screened. The film is about the hatred of others
towards a particular religion or community. You can be critical and sarcastic.
But don’t hate. This is an insult to Muslims, Kerala and girls.
Firoz further
said, ‘We intend to expose the hypocrisy of the film. We have now partially
succeeded in this. Because earlier, the filmmakers claimed that 32000 girls
from Kerala were converted. Now they have modified it into a story. Of three
girls, People in Kerala, India and around the world believe this is fake
propaganda. He had to turn his back on insulting Kerala.
Firoz alleged
that the film would create a communal divide between religious groups and that
inciting hatred and fear in a section is an offence under the Indian Penal
Code. The film should not be banned. The question is, can anything be shown in
the name of film and creative expression? The film intends to create a
competition between different religious groups. When a non-Muslim watches a
film, he will naturally develop a fear of associating with Muslims. Thus
inciting hatred and fear between a class is an offence under the Indian Penal
Code. Can anything be shown even if it spreads hatred if it is called a film?
This film is not in the scope of a film. It is a matter of competition between
different religious groups”, Firoz said.
He further
said, “Unfortunately, under the central government, the censor board allowed
the film’s screening. So we don’t expect any further action against it from the
censor board or other agencies. We are not going to politicize the issue.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain petitions
seeking a stay on the release of the film ‘The Kerala Story’ in theatres and
OTT platforms and allowed the petitioners to approach the Kerala High Court.
A bench of
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha noted that a
similar petition is pending before the Kerala High Court and asked them to
approach the High Court with their pleas. The High Court is scheduled to hear
the case against the film on May 5. Advocate Vrinda Grover mentioned before the
bench the plea seeking urgent listing yesterday, saying the film is releasing
on May 5. The petition mentioned by Grover has sought modification of the
film’s disclaimer, saying that it is completely fictional. The bench, however,
asked him to approach the High Court, where a similar petition is pending.
Source: newsx.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.newsx.com/the-kerala-story/
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Saudi Arabia
Executes Young Shia Man, Manhal Al-Ribh, Nearly Seven Years after His Arrest
An execution
is about to take place using the method of hanging [Patrick Feller/Flickr
-----
May 3, 2023
The Saudi
Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that a death sentence against a young
man from the Shia minority had been carried out, nearly seven years after his
arrest.
The ministry
said that it had carried out the death sentence against Manhal Al-Ribh, who was
convicted of "joining a terrorist cell seeking corruption in the
country".
Al-Ribh was
convicted of shooting at security vehicles with intent to kill and possessing
weapons and ammunition with the aim of disturbing security.
He was also
charged with hiding a wanted person and supporting his ideology, in an indirect
reference to the Shia cleric Nimr Al-Nimr who was executed by Saudi authorities
in 2016.
Al-Ribh is the
20th person to be executed by Saudi authorities this year.
The European
Saudi Organisation for Human Rights warned that the execution of Al-Ribh, who
was not involved in the killing of any security personnel, contrary to what had
been stated in the official statement, raises concerns about the implementation
of more executions.
According to
the organisation, there are 63 detainees, including nine minors, who face the
death penalty.
Saudi Arabia
had previously accused Shia detainees of being loyal to Iran and taking orders
from it. There has been no change to their plight since the Saudi-Iranian
reconciliation deal two months ago.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230503-saudi-arabia-executes-young-shia-man/
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SC Disposes Of
Suo Motu Notice of Hazaras’ Killings after Govt Assurance To Help
Pakistan
Supreme Court
-----
May 04, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The
Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday abolished the condition of attestation of forms of
Hazara community by the members of national or provincial assemblies as well as
chairmen union councils for acquiring passports and computerised national
identity cards (CNICs).
A three-member
SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial, disposed of a suo motu case
on targeted killings of the Hazara community members after the federal
government promised to resolve the issues of the community.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1066828-after-govt-assurance-to-help-community-sc-disposes-of-suo-motu-notice-of-hazaras-killings
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South Asia
UN Says Future
of Afghanistan’s Media in the Balance
By
Fidel Rahmati
May 4, 2023
On World Press Freedom Day, the UN expressed
grave concern for the Media’s future in Afghanistan, where journalists are
compelled to operate in an environment of fear and intimidation.
“On World Press
Freedom Day, the United Nations expresses serious concern for the future of
Afghanistan’s media, with journalists forced to work in a climate of
intimidation and fear amid increased restrictions by the Taliban de facto
authorities,” the UN said a statement.
Many media
professionals have left Afghanistan since August 2021, and the country’s
economic turmoil has affected the industry. Numerous media outlets have shut
down, and female journalists have been disproportionately impacted because of
additional restrictions that have made it almost impossible for them to do
their jobs.
UNAMA has
documented numerous human rights violations against journalists and media
workers by the de facto authorities over the past 18 months. Arbitrary arrests
and detentions, ill-treatment and threats have been employed to suppress freedom
of expression.
The UN
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva,
said World Press Freedom Day was a moment to show solidarity with the Afghan
journalists still attempting to maintain independent reporting in the country.
“Journalists
are forced to make editorial decisions based on fear, not public interest. It
is sadly part of a wider trend of declining freedom of expression and access to
information,” Otunbayeva said.
“The persistent
intimidation, threats, and attacks on journalists are unacceptable. We urge the
Taliban de facto authorities to guarantee the freedom and independence of the
media and the safety of journalists, women and men alike.”
Afghanistan
dropped from 122 on the 2020 World Press Freedom Index of Reporters without
Borders (RSF) to 156 (out of 180) in the 2023 report.
On the other
hand, on World Press Freedom Day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
declared that “the world must stand with journalists as they stand for the
truth.”
“All our
freedom depends on press freedom. However, in every corner of the world,
freedom of the press is under attack.” He continued by saying, on World Press
Freedom Day and every day, the world must stand with the journalists as they
stand for the truth,” he said.
“Stop detaining
& imprisoning journalists for doing their jobs. Stop the threats &
attacks. Stop the lies & disinformation. Stop targeting truth &
truth-tellers. As journalists stand up for truth, the world must stand with
them,” he added.
A new report by
the Afghanistan Journalists Centre (AFJC) showed that the situation of the
media in the country has deteriorated, and the violence cases increased by 64
per cent in 2022.
The research
reveals that between May 2022 and May 2023, at least 213 instances of violence,
threats, and incarceration of journalists were reported in the nation.
Meanwhile, one
person was killed, 21 were injured, six people were physically harassed, 115
people were threatened, and 70 journalists were detained, of which at least two
journalists, Murtaza Behbudi and Khairullah Parhar, are still captivated by the
de facto authorities.
Since the
Taliban regained power in the country, the past two decades’ achievements in
Media and “free media activity” has lost as the 65 % of journalists and media
workers have lost their jobs, NAI said.
Source: khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/un-says-future-of-afghanistans-media-in-the-balance/
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Press freedom
index: Why Afghanistan outperformed India, who measures it, and how accurate is
the data
03 May, 2023
On World Press
Day, India slumped by 11 places to rank 161 among 180 nations in the new World
Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders – an international
organisation advocating free and reliable information.
The downward
slide continues even as the Narendra Modi government maintains that it does not
subscribe to the findings of the “non-transparent” index while questioning the
RSF’s methodology. RSF has termed it an attempt to “destabilize” the index.
What is the
index about? How is the score calculated? Are autocracies safer than
democracies for journalists? Do more detentions or arrests mean a lower
ranking?
Newslaundry
takes a look.
Methodology and
sample size
The index
evaluates the environment for journalists and covers 180 countries. Until 2021,
RSF would rate countries under seven categories, but there are five “contextual
indicators” on which countries are now scored, from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).
These are political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural
context and safety – with a total of 117 questions and sub-questions.
The “safety”
segment has questions related to journalists’ murder, detention, harassment,
etc.
Once the
indicators are collated, countries are mapped into five categories: good
situation (85-100 points), satisfactory situation (75-85), problematic
situation (65-75); difficult situation (45-65) and very serious situation
(below 45). India is in the last.
But who is
answering these questions and what’s the sample size?
The government
think tank Niti Aayog, in a 2020 note, claimed that questions are answered by
“18 freedom of expression NGOs, many of which are funded by the RSF, and a
network of around 150 correspondents, and researchers, jurists and human rights
activists”. This means, the note claimed, one respondent is asked to assess one
country.
However, RSF,
in an email reply to Newslaundry, said the number of respondents, claimed by
the government, is “made up” and it stands close to 10 for each country,
translating into around 1,800.
“I don’t know
where this data comes from, but it is totally made up. Since 2013 at least, all
respondents have always been individuals (journalists, academics, experts,
etc.). No NGO as such is a respondent. The figure of 150 does not correspond to
anything,” said Daniel Bastard, head of the Asia-Pacific desk at RSF.
Last year,
replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Information and Broadcasting
Minister Anurag Thakur spoke about why the government differed on the index.
“The government does not subscribe to its (RSF) views and country rankings and
does not agree to the conclusions drawn by this organisation for various
reasons including very low sample size, little or no weightage to fundamentals
of democracy, adoption of a methodology which is questionable and
non-transparent, etc.” he had said.
From rank 80 to
161 over two decades
In its
introduction to the India profile, RSF says that “press freedom is in crisis”
in the country because of “violence against journalists, the politically
partisan media and the concentration of media ownership” since 2014 when the
Narendra Modi government was voted to power.
India’s rank
has dropped 11 places to 161 – its worst. In 2014, the country was ranked 140.
In 2002, the rank was more palatable at 80.
The study also
provides separate rankings of countries with each indicator.
For example,
India performed the worst in “security” and has been ranked 172. It stood at
143 on “social”; 144 on “legislative”; 155 on “economic”; and 169 on
“political”.
RSF explains
India’s “security” assessment. “India is one of the world’s most dangerous
countries for the media. Journalists are exposed to all kinds of physical
violence including police violence, ambushes by political activists, and deadly
reprisals by criminal groups or corrupt local officials,” reads RSF’s India
page. It raises concerns over “online attacks” by supporters of Hindutva;
“terrifying coordinated campaigns of hatred and calls for murder are conducted
on social media”; targeting of women journalists; a “worrisome” situation in
Kashmir; and “provisional detentions for several years”.
The “political”
indicator examines media autonomy vis-à-vis political pressure, media’s
acceptance in holding the government accountable and “the level of acceptance
of a variety of journalistic approaches satisfying professional standards”.
Newslaundry had
earlier reported that no foreign correspondent (non-Indian) has been allowed to
report from Kashmir since 2019 and it was rare for the government to approve
permits for them in restricted and prohibited areas spanning Northeast and
border states.
Newslaundry reached
out to the government for comment. Two officials from the Press Council India
could not meet because they were “busy” while another from the Information and
Broadcasting Ministry remained unavailable for comment.
Detentions and
murders
The RSF “barometer”
on “victims of abuses” index shows that one journalist – Shashikant Warishe of
Mahanagari Times – has been killed and 12 detained over the period the country
was assessed.
India, as
mentioned above, ranks 172 in the “security” indicator. Interestingly, Belarus,
where 46 journalists remain under detention, is four places above India.
Another example is Afghanistan, where seven journalists are under detention,
two have been killed and one disappeared. It is placed at 161. It’s followed by
Egypt with 25 cases of “abuses”. But all three have performed better on the
“security” index. What explains this? One reason could be that the index also
gives weightage to online trolling, targeting, harassment and threats.
Unsurprisingly,
murder has more weightage than detention and other “abuses” in the index.
Democracy and
press freedom
According to
the Democracy Index of 2022, India is a “flawed democracy”, at the 46th
position. The “flawed democracy” category is followed by “hybrid regimes” and
“authoritarian regimes”. However, several of these countries have a better
press freedom ranking.
Uzbekistan has
an authoritarian regime but with a ranking of 137 performs much better than
India’s 161 when it comes to press freedom.
Closer home,
Afghanistan, with the disappearance of the last vestiges of democracy, has come
on top at 152. In Latin America, journalists working from Venezuela are safer
than India’s. In the Maghreb, Libya is better than India.
When asked
about if the form of governance has any impact on the press index, Bastard
said, “The RSF ranking does not judge the political system but the situation in
180 countries and/or territories. It is based on an analysis of five
indicators...it therefore includes the political context but is not restricted
to it.”
Be it that as
it may, the index is a damning commentary on India’s deteriorating freedom of
the press.
Source: newslaundry.com
Please
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https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/05/03/press-freedom-index-why-afghanistan-outperformed-india-who-measures-it-and-how-accurate-is-the-data
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Taliban
interfering with NGO work in Afghanistan: Report
May 3
A Taliban
fighter recently fired his rifle into the air at a food distribution event in
Afghanistan, an example of their harassment of nongovernmental groups operating
in the country, a report from a US watchdog said Wednesday.
The Taliban
last December barred Afghan women from working at NGOs, allegedly because they
were not wearing the hijab — the Islamic headscarf — correctly and were not
observing gender segregation rules. In April, they said this ban extended to UN
offices and agencies in Afghanistan.
The measure is
being actively enforced by the country’s intelligence agency, which reports to
the Taliban’s leadership in Kandahar, although their chief spokesman says there
are no obstacles for U.N. operations in Afghanistan.
The latest
quarterly report from the watchdog for US assistance to Afghanistan, SIGAR,
cited examples of Taliban interference and harassment of NGOs, including the
rifle incident.
Organizations
face security risks and harassment at Taliban checkpoints, unannounced Taliban
visits to NGO offices, repeated requests for information on work plans,
budgets, operations, and personnel, and demands for increased involvement in
project decision-making and implementation.
The April ban
on women working for the United Nations likely signals that they will “continue
to interfere” in NGO operations to the detriment of the Afghan people,
according to the report.
The U.N. told
SIGAR that, in addition to the challenges posed by specific Taliban policies,
weak Taliban governance and tension between central and provincial authorities
make an effective humanitarian response difficult to implement.
“This
dysfunction is expected to limit the ability to implement policies which
sustain critical public and basic services and reduce needs,” the report said,
with the U.N. telling the watchdog that a “more restrictive environment lies
ahead.” Aid agencies have been providing food, education and health care
support to Afghans in the wake of the Taliban takeover in August 2021 and the
economic collapse that followed it. But distribution has been severely affected
by the Taliban edict banning women from working at NGOs — and, now, also at the
U.N.
The Economy
Ministry, which supervises NGO work in Afghanistan, rejected the SIGAR claims.
Ministry spokesman Abdul Rahman Habib said there were no reports of checkpoint
harassment or other interference.
A “special
procedure” to improve NGO performance and solve problems has been shared with
all aid agencies and U.N. offices in Afghanistan, he said, without providing
further details on the procedure.
He also
reiterated that the December order, issued by the ministry, remains in place.
Afghan women are permitted to work for NGOs in certain sectors, such as health
and education, but not others.
SIGAR’s report
follows a closed-door U.N. summit on Afghanistan that the world body described
as an event where nations and organizations were trying to reach unified
stances on human rights, governance, counterterrorism and anti-drug efforts
related to Afghanistan.
The Taliban
were not invited to the meeting, which was held in Qatar. AP
Source: tribuneindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/taliban-interfering-with-ngo-work-in-afghanistan-report-504452
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Political
Dialogue Among Afghans is Key Solution to the Crisis, Says US Envoy
By Nizamuddin
Rezahi
May 4, 2023
U.S. Special
Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West has said that participants at the
Doha meeting agreed that political dialogue among Afghans is a central part of
the solution to all challenges.
On Wednesday,
Thomas West on Twitter said that the Doha talks were not about the recognition
of the Taliban’s de facto regime. However, the focus was identifying shared
interests and how to collectively approach the Taliban and deal with critical
issues including terrorism, repression of women and girls, devastating
humanitarian crisis, and drug trafficking in Afghanistan.
He further
added that countries may have different priorities for these interests,
however, the general consensus was on intra-Afghan dialogue to find a solution
to the Afghan crisis. The senior U.S.
diplomat reiterated that recognition of the Taliban was not part of the
discussion, however, the special envoys discussed ways to engage with the
Taliban and address key challenges Afghanistan is currently plagued with.
Prior to the
Doha talks, protests were seen in Afghanistan and overseas, demanding the
participants not recognize the Taliban’s de facto regime. Protestors had warned
that recognizing the Taliban means recognizing gender apartheid.
The UN-led
meeting took place behind closed doors between May 1-2 in Doha Qatar, chaired
by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and special envoys of 25
countries and international organizations.
The United
Nations had neither invited the Taliban representatives nor anyone from the
exiled Afghan political factions or civil society activists.
Suhail Shaheen,
the head of the Taliban’s office in Qatar described Doha Talks as “single-sided
and ineffective”. Afghanistan is an independent country and its interests
should be heard at such high-level meetings, instead of being ignored, he
added.
Source: khaama.com
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China’s
Investment in Afghan Lithium Sector : Broad Geo-Economic
May 4, 2023
Written by:
Noman Hussaini, Freelance Journalist
The recent
offer by China-based Gochin Company to invest USD 10 billion in Afghanistan’s
lithium mining sector, estimated to be worth more than USD 1 trillion, is
apparently a broad Chinese strategy to control country’s mineral resources,
particularly, its lithium deposits which are critical global mineral supply
chains. According to the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the
Chinese company has also offered to invest in several other Afghan
infrastructure projects, including tunnels, hydro-electric dam and highways if
it is awarded the lithium mining contract.
After the
Taliban takeover of Kabul, Beijing has been looking to increase its economic
footprint in Afghanistan and control its natural resources. Chinese
corporations and officials have been in contact with Taliban officials to
renegotiate and restart previous mining and oil contracts. Earlier, on January
6, the Taliban signed a deal with Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas
Company (CAPEIC), a contract to extract oil from the Amu Darya basin. The deal
will see an investment of USD 150 million in the first year and USD 540 million
over the next three years. Greater presence in Afghanistan provides China with
an opportunity to strengthen its regional power and influence.
According to
Sayed Mehdi Munadi, an international affairs analyst based in France and a
former Afghan diplomat who was stationed in Beijing, China is also extracting
Afghanistan’s natural resources through illegal workarounds, bribery and
smuggling. His statement has been strengthened by recent reports of Taliban
authorities arresting 5 men, including two Chinese nationals, for allegedly
trying to smuggle an estimated 1,000 tonnes of lithium-bearing rocks out of the
country via Pakistan. According to Mohammad Rasool Aqab, a senior official at the
Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the rocks, which contained up to 30% of
lithium, were secretly extracted from Nuristan and Kunar, two of the several
Afghan provinces along the bordering Pakistan.
With more than
half of the world’s electric vehicles sold in the country, China’s appetite for
lithium and cobalt is skyrocketing. Chinese companies manage nearly two-thirds
of the global lithium processing and refining, which is a potential supply
chain risk for other countries. With significant share of mineral processing
capacity, China is stepping up downstream investments to maintain its control
over lithium and other minerals. In the last five years, Chinese companies have
made significant investments in lithium mining in Latin America including Argentina,
Bolivia, Mexico and Chile.
Besides,
Chinese companies are also turning into Africa, including Zimbabwe, Namibia and
Congo, for mineral assets. Africa produces about two-thirds of the world’s
cobalt and 10% of its copper, while the exploration of lithium resources
is in the early
stage. Despite risks like political instability, inadequate laws &
regulations, corruption, poor infrastructure and problems associated with early
stage exploration, Chinese investors are keen to invest in the continent’s mineral
resources to take a head start over the Western countries.
Concern over
access to critical minerals is at an all-time high after Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine and escalating tensions between the West and China. China is attempting
to build a dominant position in minerals like cobalt, lithium and rare earth
metals that are crucial for the new age energy transition. Analysts point out
that Chinese companies invested in lithium supply in Africa and Latin America
even when lithium prices were low as their long-term strategy to secure supply
of rare earth elements. China is not only investing in mines overseas but also
investing in building domestic refineries to process their output.
According to
David Deckelbaum, MD for Sustainability & Energy Transition at New York
based Cowen Inc., China has spent somewhere between USD 60 – 100 billion over
the last decade to build its lithium industry by subsidising the production of
cheap EVs and helping companies invest in lithium mining and refining
infrastructure.
The Chinese
move, a long-term strategy to spread its geo-economic interests and garner
market dominance, poses a strategic and security challenge for other countries
looking to transit to green energy. In 2019, for example, China had used rare
earths as a threat during its trade war with the US, when it threatened to cut
off supplies to the US.
Even though
China does not have anywhere close to the world’s largest lithium reserves, the
country is dominating the global lithium battery supply chain. The International
Energy Agency puts China’s share of global refining capacity at 58%. UBS AG
expects Chinese-controlled mines to raise output of lithium to 705,000 tonnes
by 2025 from 194,000 tonnes in 2022. That would lift China’s share of the
mineral critical to electric-vehicle batteries to 32% of global supply, from
24% in 2021. It could increase supply chain risks for other countries, which
now need to decrease their dependence on Chinese lithium supply and establish a
secure, independent supply of lithium before it is too late. There is a very
real threat that China would control the lithium market as OPEC did with
petroleum.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/chinas-investment-in-afghan-lithium-sector-broad-geo-economic/
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Europe
'2 Muslim Night
Riders' Honoured With Community Pioneers Awardat the British Muslim Awards
3rd May
By Muhammad
Khan
Two cyclists
who have inspired people to 'get on their bikes' have been honoured at the
British Muslim Awards.
Ahtisham and
Nooralom from Burnage and Levenshulme respectively, the founders of 2 Muslim
Night Riders started cycling at night and visited popular landmarks and tourist
attractions in Greater Manchester when the first lockdown happened over two
years ago.
They won the
'Community Pioneers of the year' award for promoting healthy living and
advocating mental health while cycling and having fun at the same time.
Nooralam said:
“First of all we want to thank Allah, and send salutations on our beloved
Muhammad (saw) and we thank our parents and our teacher Shaykh Ahmad Dabbagh
for inspiring and guiding us on how to contribute positively to society. His
famous saying is to ‘Be fruitful wherever Allah has planted you’.
“To get the
award was great, we actually didn't expect to win and it's very humbling to see
the work we started two years ago and where it has gone now.
“Our message
has reached a national level and many different organisation have contacted us
from the Manchester city council, to the UK national cycling network.
“Many young
teens and adults join us on our local rides. It’s all documented on our YouTube
channel and promotes cohesion all across the board regardless of colour, race
or fitness level. Cycling is for everyone, regardless of background or fitness
level. Our ethos is ‘Be simple be you.’
“Our objectives
include: Engaging the community from all
backgrounds, promoting health and fitness and encouraging the young generation
to be active by walking or cycling rather than spending all their time in front
of the TV or computer games.
He said. “We
also create videos to show and motivate others to get on their bikes.
“Winning this
award gives us encouragement and the support to do more as this is just the
beginning.
“We find it
quite amazing that what we started two years ago has come to manifest and be
recognized all across the UK and internationally.”
Nooralam said:
“We have come across many wonderful people on our journeys and we interact with
people from different backgrounds regardless of colour or religion.”
Their plan
going forward is to work with other communities outside Manchester and cycle to
other cities and towns and create a video log on their channel showcasing
different cities such as Liverpool, Blackburn and Rochdale. They plan to interview community members and
leaders on their journeys.
Nooralam also
won an award for Corporate Achievement of the year for his company
Mediawise.co.uk
Source: asianimage.co.uk
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Crawley Mosque
prays for King and country in Coronation celebrations
By Ellis Peters
3rd May 2023
The celebratory
campaign is being led by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, one of the oldest
established Muslim communities in the UK that built the first purpose-built
mosque in London in Southfields, as well as Britain’s biggest mosque - the
landmark Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, south London.
The community
is also sponsoring posters on London’s iconic buses to drive home a message of
goodwill for the Coronation. Buses are running across the capital from May 4
with the message: ‘Congratulations Your Majesty!’ and carry the Coronation logo
and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK logo.
Noor Mosques as
well as Ahmadiyya Mosques across Britain will be filled with prayers for His
Majesty The King. Mosques will also be sharing food, running fun activities for
children and making special donations to local food banks as part of The Big
Help Out campaign on May 8.
In a special
message His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the Worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim community, expressed his heartfelt and sincere congratulations
to the King. His Holiness also noted that in 1902 the founder of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community offered special thanks and prayers on the Coronation of HM
King Edward VII.
His Holiness
noted that freedom of religion was a hallmark of the British nation as
reflected in the reign of HM Queen Victoria. His Holiness noted that this
commitment has continued since, including during the reign of HM Queen
Elizabeth II. His Holiness welcomed the fact that HM King Charles has also
expressed the need for respect for religions.
His Holiness
said: “I pray that the occasion of His Majesty’s Coronation proves not only a
means of bringing people of different nations together but also a means of
fostering a spirit of trust and mutual understanding in society and between
nations.
“It is my
prayer that may God Almighty through His Grace and Beneficence, keep our
honoured King safe and in good health. May his reign be one of peace and
prosperity for the world, and may the attributes of justice, tolerance and
freedom of belief forever remain the guiding principles of the British
Monarchy. Ameen”
Rafiq Hayat,
National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, said: “The Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community throughout the UK will mark this historic occasion with public
celebrations in mosques and prayers for the wellbeing of the King and country.
“We are
delighted to sponsor messages on London buses to celebrate this occasion as a
further expression of our loyalty to the country.
“It is an
Islamic injunction to be loyal to your nation and the Coronation provides a
magnificent occasion to declare our commitment to supporting our King.”
Adeel Shazad,
President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Crawley based at Noor Mosque
said:
“We are sharing
the joy of the nation on this historic day and are delighted to express our
happiness and gratitude to God. We are inviting our friends and neighbours to
join in the celebrations with us and pray that God grants His Majesty King Charles
III a long life and that we can continue to live in peace under his reign.”
Ahsan Ahmedi,
the External Affairs Secretary of the Ahamdiyya Muslim Community Crawley and
the local events organiser, added: “A key principle taught by Islam and
exemplified by the Holy Prophet of Islampbuh is always to be loyal to your
nation. We do this by engaging our men, women and especially our children to be
involved in community engagement programs, raising money for charity and also
to be well educated so they in turn contribute to the nation’s economy.
Source: sussexexpress.co.uk
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Russian ally
calls on US to review sanctions policy
3 May, 2023
The US and its
EU allies should re-evaluate their treatment of third-party nations with regard
to sanctions, Kazakh Ambassador to Washington Yerzhan Ashikbayev said on
Tuesday.
America and its
allies should treat all countries that comply with their sanctions policies
equally and take their interests into account, he stated.
“Kazakhstan
remains fully transparent, with our American, European, and UK partners
committed to ensuring sanctions compliance and equally not facilitating
sanctions evasion,” Ashikbayev said at a Central Asian development conference
hosted by the Washington-based Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute.
The US should
ensure “equal and unbiased treatment to those countries that comply with
sanctions policies, providing a level playing field for all stakeholders,” he
suggested, adding that there are many cases that require the “special
attention” of not only Western “sanctioning authorities” but also political
decision-makers in Washington, London, and Brussels.
The diplomat
noted that many regional neighbors have been subjected to a number of
restrictions by the West, thereby hampering economic activity in the region.
“A quick look
on the political map would reveal that Central Asia is encircled by
sanctions-hit jurisdictions, and it is an extremely difficult issue for Central
Asians, it is a matter of economic survival,” Ashikbayev said. He called on
Western nations to “think of Central Asia and Kazakhstan in particular not only
in purely legalistic terms but also understanding the broader context.”
The ambassador
also warned that “the future of Central Asia is not in confrontation or
affiliation with some of the Great Powers but rather in the synergy of those
relations.”
Ashikbayev
criticized the US and Western countries for viewing his nation through the lens
of other interests in the region, such as the Caspian energy policy or the
fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.
“It is high
time [our partners] addressed this deficiency by developing a realistic
Central-Asia-focused regional strategy,” he said. “Our vision in Kazakhstan and
Central Asia is to be neither a chessboard nor a field for the Great Power
contest but rather a space of cooperation and progress, a space of synergy.”
Astana plans to
“pay the utmost attention to the development of constructive, predictable, and
friendly relationships with both our immediate neighbors, such as Russia and
China, but also with our distant partners, such as the US,” the ambassador said.
Kazakhstan is a
member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a regional union of post-Soviet
countries that also includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. The bloc
has a customs union and a functioning single market for goods, services,
capital, and labor.
The US and its
allies in Europe and elsewhere have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia
over its military campaign in Ukraine, targeting its banking and financial
sectors, as well as other industries. The West has also threatened third-party
nations that help Russia evade sanctions with secondary restrictions.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/575750-kazakhstan-us-review-sanctions-policy/
--------
West cannot
stay silent on Kremlin drone attack but won’t admit anything – experts
3 May, 2023
A Ukrainian
drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s working residences in the
Kremlin has shaken the status quo in the ongoing conflict between Moscow and
Kiev, a group of experts told RT following the incident. It could also lead to
a dangerous escalation possibly involving the use of nuclear weapons, they
warned, adding that Russia is bound to retaliate.
Thomas Roeper,
a German author and war correspondent currently residing in St. Petersburg,
said he was “quite surprised” to hear of the attack, since it clearly violated
“an unofficial agreement not to bomb, not to attack places where the leading
politicians are.”
“There is no
doubt that Russia will have to retaliate,” said Ralph Niemeyer, the head of the
German Opposition Group for German Sovereignty and Constitution. “There will be
further escalation, even up to the threat of the use of nuclear [weapons],
which I think is still possible,” he added.
A Turkish
professor of international law and an expert on terrorism, Mesut Hakki Casin,
suggested that an escalation may have been the goal of the people who planned
the strike. The forces behind the attack might have sought to put the ongoing
conflict between Russia and Ukraine “at the center of European warfare” and
potentially even provoke Moscow into launching a tactical nuclear strike, he
told RT.
“It’s a very
unacceptable and a very, very dirty game,” the Turkish analyst warned. Casin
also said Kiev may not have been alone in planning and organizing the strike.
“This is an organized international attack,” he said.
Ukraine’s
Western backers will not be able to ignore the incident in any case, Niemeyer
believes. The German opposition figure still anticipates that the US and its
allies will try to downplay the incident and “say it was not the Kiev regime,
it was not [President Vladimir] Zelensky’s people,” as they did with the Nord
Stream pipeline sabotage.
According to
Roeper, the attack could also affect relations between Kiev and Washington if
the Ukrainians did not inform their backers about the planned attack in
advance.
“Maybe
Washington was not informed, and maybe it was. We will see by the reaction. If
Washington was not informed, there will be some angry reaction because this is
a quite big danger to attack the president of a nuclear power,” the journalist
said.
Two drones
targeted the Kremlin in an attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning. One
exploded over the Senate Palace, which houses the Russian Presidential
administration. The second fell in the grounds of the Kremlin, not far from the
president’s official primary workplace, the Great Kremlin Palace. Moscow blamed
the incident on Ukraine and has reserved the right to retaliate. Kiev denies
any responsibility.
Source: rt.com
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--------
India
Noise Pollution
by Mosque: Bombay High Court Tells Cops to Comply With Norms
By: Express
News Service
Mumbai | May 4, 2023
On Tuesday, the
police submitted a report that a distance between the hospital and the mosque
is 90 metres and was within the 100 metres criteria for silence zone under
Noise Pollution Rules. Thereafter, the bench asked the zonal DCP to remain
present in the court.
May 4, 2023
The Bombay High
Court Wednesday pulled up Mumbai Police asking them to strictly comply with the
laws and past orders regarding noise pollution violation while hearing a plea
against use of louspeakers by a mosque during early morning.
A division
bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Sharmila U Deshmukh was hearing
a plea by lawyer Reena Richard, resident of Thakur Village, Kandivali (East),
who made several complaints to Samta Nagar Police station and had posted live
videos on Twitter to show that a mosque is using loudspeakers during early
morning hours, despite there being restrictions on use of loudspeaker between
10pm and 6am and the area in question being a silence zone. As per rules, a
silence zone is an area comprising not less than 100 metres around hospitals,
educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area where the
decibel level should not exceed 50 decibels in the day time and 40 decibels at
night.
Richard
submitted that ESIS Hospital was nearby and the area did fall under the silence
zone. She submitted that though she again complained to the police station
concerned, no action was taken hence she approached the HC.
On Tuesday, the
police submitted a report that a distance between the hospital and the mosque
is 90 metres and was within the 100 metres criteria for silence zone under
Noise Pollution Rules. Thereafter, the bench asked the zonal DCP to remain
present in the court.
On Wednesday,
the police officer in charge of the said zone submitted before the court that
the police had taken suo motu steps to deal with the issue.
After
Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde told the bench that the said area
was not a silence zone, the bench said that it was contrary to the report
submitted and the police have to comply with the norms and earlier directions.
The bench said
that since there was a hospital within stipulated limited of 100 metres, the
authorities were bound to follow the HC directions. “You have to comply with
the rules and judgements of this court. They have to be strictly followed and
if you do not take action we will issue contempt (proceedings) against you,”
the bench said orally.
The bench asked
the police to file an affidavit in reply to the plea by June 9.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please
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--------
‘Moral
policing’ in Karnataka: Muslim youth assaulted for talking to Hindu girl, 4
held
The incident
happened at Puttur in the Dakshina Kannada district. When Mohammed Parees was
talking to his classmates, the accused called him aside and allegedly assaulted
him
May 3, 2023
Karnataka moral
policingThe incident occurred around 1 pm when Mohammed Parees, aged 17-18, was
at a juice parlour with his female classmates from the government
pre-university college in Puttur. (File)
In a suspected
moral-policing incident, a Muslim youth was allegedly assaulted by four people
for talking to a Hindu girl at Puttur in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district
Tuesday. The police have arrested the four assailants.
The incident
occurred around 1 pm when Mohammed Parees, aged 17-18, was at a juice parlour
with his female classmates from the government pre-university college in
Puttur. One of the girls was reportedly from a different faith. While Parees
talked to his classmates, the accused called him aside and allegedly assaulted
him. Parees was later treated at a hospital and is said to be stable.
Following a
complaint, the Puttur town police began an investigation, leading to the
arrests. The police identified the four accused as Dinesh Gowda, Prajwal,
Nishanth Kumar, and Pradeep. Gowda is an auto-rickshaw driver in the city,
while the others are college students. The police charged them under several
sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including unlawful assembly, rioting,
kidnapping, and criminal intimidation.
The incident
has come at a time when the Karnataka Congress has promised to take “decisive
action” against the Hindu right-wing group Bajarang Dal for “spreading hatred
amongst communities” if the party is voted to power in the Assembly elections
slated for May 10.
In the
manifesto released Tuesday by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress,
in the section titled Law and Justice, said law and Constitution are
“sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like
Bajrang Dal, PFI (Popular Front of India) or others promoting enmity or hatred,
whether among majority or minority communities”.
Source: indianexpress.com
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India keen on
strengthening ties with Kingdom in trade, tourism and technology
May 03, 2023
RIYADH: India’s
Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V.
Muraleedharan said India’s economic ties with Saudi Arabia “have progressed
from being an energy partnership to a diversified commercial collaboration.”
Speaking to
Arab News during an interview in Riyadh on Tuesday, the visiting minister said:
“Our bilateral trade has witnessed significant growth in the last few years and
exceeded $50 billion in the last fiscal year. Both India and Saudi Arabia are
vibrant economies having a good growth projection and their trade engagements
are bound to multiply in the coming years.”
Bilateral
investment exchanges have also multiplied and Saudi direct investments in India
are valued at approximately $3 billion. “There are indirect investments of
around $5 billion in the Vision Fund where the Public Investment Fund is a
major partner. Similarly, Indian investments in the Saudi economy are projected
to experience steep growth and have already reached nearly $2 billion.”
He said the two
countries “are keen to move the momentum of our economic partnership forward by
deepening and diversifying our collaboration in finance, IT, construction and
logistics.”
The Indian
government is keen to strengthen partnerships with Saudi Arabia in what
Muraleedharan described as the 3Ts — “trade, tourism and technology.” The four
joint working groups under the Committee on Economy and Investments —
Agriculture and Food Security, Energy, Technology and Information Technology,
and Industry and Infrastructure — are all closely involved, he said.
India is one of
the world’s fastest growing major economies, the minister said. “After
manifesting resilience and quick revival, India’s economy surpassed the UK last
year, to become the world’s fifth-largest economy. With this growth rate, it is
projected to become a $40-trillion economy by 2047 which happens to coincide
with the centenary of India’s independence.”
During his
visit, the minister met with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Waleed A. Elkhereiji, Deputy Minister for International Affairs Dr. Adnan
Al-Nuaim, and Deputy Minister for Skills and Training Dr. Ahmed Al-Zahrani.
“During my
meeting with Waleed Elkhereiji, I reviewed all aspects of India-Saudi Arabia
bilateral relations. All matters pertaining to the Indian community in the
Kingdom were reviewed with Saudi officials.”
He said he had
a significant interaction with Indian community members in the Kingdom during
the course of his visit. “The Indian community members act as a living bridge
between India and Saudi Arabia. Their contributions to both countries are both
highly commendable and extremely valuable.”
Bilateral
relations between the Kingdom and India have gone on for 77 years and have
“witnessed unprecedented growth in the last few years.” Driven by the dynamic
leaderships in both countries, “India and Saudi Arabia now enjoy a holistic
partnership which includes all major areas of cooperation including political,
economic, defense and security, cultural, and strong people-to-people ties.”
He underlined
the fact that “both countries are closely working together on intra-regional
and international platforms which include the GCC and the G20.”
The Strategic
Partnership Council agreement was signed in 2019, during the visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia. Ministerial-level meetings of both the
Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation, and the
Committee on Economy and Investments concluded last year in September. “They
laid the groundwork for the high-level meeting likely to happen this year
itself which will be chaired by Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman,” the minister said.
Highlighting
the robust and burgeoning defense ties, Muraleedharan said: “Our two countries
are cooperating in an unprecedented manner. In 2021, we held the first
bilateral naval exercise ‘Al-Mohd Al-Hindi.’ The second exercise will be held
soon in Saudi Arabia. Several fighter aircrafts of the Indian Air Force made
their first-ever landing in Saudi Arabia this year. A number of delegations
from both countries are visiting each other. Overall, we have developed a high
level of trust and confidence between the defense establishments on both sides.
We are also exploring cooperation in newer areas such as space.”
The great
changes Saudi Arabia has experienced because of Vision 2030 is noticed
particularly by the minister. “Saudi Arabia is going through a massive
transformation under the visionary and futuristic leadership of Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman. We are happy that there are a number of opportunities for
collaboration in economics, socio-cultural activities, sports, and in the
entertainment sector.”
As India hosts
the G20 this year, the chosen theme is “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” The
country is hosting more than 200 meetings in more than 50 cities across 32
workstreams. These include the meetings of the Finance Track, the Sherpa Track,
13 Working Groups, two Initiatives of the Research Innovation Initiative
Gathering (RIIG and G20), along with various engagement groups. “These meetings
will bring together ministers, government representatives, civil societies,
parliamentarians, think tanks, women, youth, labor, businesses and researchers
from all the G20 countries,” he said.
Regarding
Operation Kaveri, which was the evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, he
praised Saudi Arabia. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the
Saudi leadership and Saudi authorities for their fullest cooperation in
Operation Kaveri.”
Last week, on
the instruction of India’s prime minister, Muraleedharan traveled to Jeddah to
oversee the evacuation process. “I must place my appreciation on record for the
excellent support of the Saudi authorities. Saudi Arabia made the evacuation
process look easy, which was in fact difficult, in light of the complexities
involved. Full credit must go to the Saudi authorities,” he said.
India’s prime
minister is personally monitoring Operation Kaveri, he explained. “He is
committed to transporting all Indian citizens from Sudan to their Motherland and
is making all-out efforts to ensure the safety and security of all Indians
stranded in Sudan.”
“So far, we
have safely rescued approximately 3,100 Indian nationals from Sudan. Our navy,
air force, embassy officials and community volunteers have done — and are doing
— a tremendous job in this regard. Indian Ambassador Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan is
coordinating the evacuation operations with involved personnel in Jeddah. We
may be able to complete the evacuation operation soon,” he added.
India has
prioritized the following topics for its G20 presidency:
- Green
Development, Climate Finance and Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)
- Accelerated,
Inclusive & Resilient Growth
- Accelerating
Progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Technological
Transformation & Digital Public Infrastructure
- Multilateral
Institutions for the 21st century
- Women-led
development
Source: arabnews.com
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NIA Carries Out
Raids Across J&K, Detains Two to Probe Conspiracy to 'Commit Terror Acts'
Jehangir Ali
03/MAY/2023
Srinagar: Two
suspects, including one woman, were detained in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday,
May 2, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in an alleged conspiracy by
Pakistan-based outfits to “commit terror acts” and “create communal disharmony”
in the union territory, officials said.
Witnesses and
locals said that the NIA sleuths, accompanied by local police and CRPF
personnel, carried out raids at 12 places in J&K on Tuesday, including in
Poonch district where a woman, identified as Shahaz Akhtar, was picked up for
questioning from her native Khanetar village, according to reports.
Reports said
that the woman was brought to a police station where the NIA sleuths questioned
her. It was not immediately known whether she was released or continues to
remain in custody. The agency has not issued any statement on the detention.
Last month, one
of the worst terror attacks on a moving vehicle of security personnel in Jammu
and Kashmir was carried out in Poonch district, which is located along the Line
of Control with Pakistan. Five army soldiers lost their lives in the deadly
attack while one was critically injured. At least six persons have been arrested
in Poonch so far for their alleged involvement in the attack.
During a visit
to the district in connection with the ongoing probe in the Bhatta Durian
attack, Director General of J&K Police Dilbag Singh said that it was
“impossible” for the terrorists to carry out the attack without local support.
Around 200
people have so far been questioned in the case, prompting allegations by former
J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti that people of Poonch were living under
“oppression” in the aftermath of the attack as they were being “arrested,
tortured and questioned”.
Meanwhile, an
NIA team also swooped down on the double-storied, rundown residence of Mohammad
Ramzan Bhat, 65, in Sozieth village, some 14 km from the city centre Lal Chowk
in Srinagar, in the wee hours of Tuesday, and detained his son Mohammad Ishaq
Bhat. He was later set free.
The raid
occurred at around 5:30 am, moments after Dar had returned home after offering
morning prayers at a local mosque, catching the entire village off-guard, “I
could hear the main gate opening. In no time, nearly a dozen sleuths were
outside. One of them knocked on the door,” Ramzan, a farmer, told The Wire.
As Ramzan
opened the door, one of the NIA officials pulled out a photo of Ishaq from his
pocket, asking Ramzan whether this was his son and his whereabouts, while other
officials entered the building. “I told him that he was sleeping and the
officer asked me to lead the way to the room,” he said, stressing that the
officers were polite throughout the raid.
Ishaq was brought
down from the second storey and the agency confiscated his phone along with the
mobile devices of all the family members. Barring Ishaq, the devices of all the
family members were returned later. “The raid lasted nearly three hours. One
officer was continuously penning something on paper. A lady officer was also
accompanying them,” Ramzan said.
After searching
the house, the NIA sleuths announced that they were detaining Ishaq who was
taken to the agency’s local unit in Srinagar’s Church Lane where he was set
free on Tuesday afternoon. “There is darkness all around in Kashmir, so I am
glad that my son has come back,” Ramzan said, surrounded by nearly a dozen male
neighbours who had come to congratulate the family on their son’s release.
“It is really a
miracle that he has been released. Otherwise so many Kashmir youth have been
arrested and their families came to know about their whereabouts after days or
even weeks,” an old man told Ramzan, who nodded in agreement.
Ramzan claimed
that the agency didn’t find anything in their house and left empty-handed. “We
are a poor family with meagre means. I have four sons but none of them have
been involved in stone pelting or militancy. It is because my son was not
tainted that he has been returned,” he said.
Source: thewire.in
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YSRCP Muslim
leaders meet at party office in Tadepalli
Mr. Amzad
Bhasha said that the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy gave 4%
reservation to the Muslim minorities in the State.
May 04, 2023
SAMBASIVA RAO
M.
The YSRCP has
been giving highest priority to the Muslim community in the State, but the TDP
is spreading false propaganda against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy,
observed the party general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.
He along with
Deputy Chief Minister Amzad Bhasha, MLC Lella Appireddy and other leaders
addressed a meeting with the party Muslim minority leaders at Tadepalli in
Guntur district on Wednesday.
He called upon
the Muslim leaders to react properly against the criticism of the TDP national
president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Mr. Ramakrishna
Reddy said that Mr. Jagan made a Muslim leader as Deputy Chief Minister, gave
opportunities as MLAs, MLCs, appointed on the nominated posts. He also said
that the YSRCP government was committed to enacting a new law or change the
existing one if required.
Mr. Amzad
Bhasha said that the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy gave 4%
reservation to the Muslim minorities in the State. He said the TDP was
misleading and confusing the Muslim community by spreading false propaganda
against the YSRCP, in view of the ensuing general elections. He appealed the
Muslim leaders not to believe the comments of the TDP leaders and carefully
observe the good that had happened in the last four years.
Source: thehindu.com
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Arab World
Global Islamic
finance industry to grow by 10% in 2023-2024
May 2, 2023
The global
Islamic finance industry is expected to grow by around 10 per cent in
2023-2024, despite the economic slowdown, after posting a similar expansion in
2022 mainly led by the GCC countries, according to S&P Global Ratings
report.
The report says
the sector continued to expand in 2022, with assets up by 9.4 per cent compared
with 12.2 per cent in 2021, supported by growth in banking assets and the sukuk
industry.
"Structural
weaknesses still curb the industry's broader geographical and market
appeal," S&P said.
S&P also
said that corporates are likely to contribute to issuance volumes, particularly
in countries such as Saudi Arabia, where governments have announced
transformation plans.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230502-global-islamic-finance-industry-to-grow-by-10-in-2023-2024/
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Shura Council
Speaker Meets with Algerian Foreign Minister
03 May, 2023
The Speaker of
the Shura Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh,
met with Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad
Ahmed Attaf, as part of his visit to the People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria.
During the
meeting, the Shura Council Speaker praised Algeria's significant development,
pointing to the importance of continuing and activating the bilateral meetings,
especially the parliamentary cooperation between the Shura Council and the
Algerian Parliament.
For his part,
the Algerian Foreign Minister welcomed the Speaker of the Shura Council and his
accompanying delegation, expressing his aspiration to strengthen relations and
cooperation between the two countries. He also stressed the existence of many
opportunities to enhance joint work between them in many fields. Attaf added
that the parliamentary relations between the Shura Council and the Algerian
National and People's Assembly are very important and will contribute to
raising the bilateral relations between the two countries to broader levels.
The two sides
reviewed several issues of common interest between the two countries and ways
to develop and strengthen their relations.
The official
delegation accompanying the Speaker of the Shura Council attended the meeting.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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Saudi Arabia
reports 176 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
May 03, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia reported 176 new cases of
COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Health. As a result, the
total number of cases in the Kingdom over the course of the pandemic grew to
841,196.
The authorities
also confirmed one new COVID-19-related death, raising the total number of
fatalities to 9,645.
Of the new
infections, 51 were recorded in Riyadh, 25 in Jeddah and 10 in Dammam. Several
other cities recorded fewer than 10 new cases each.
The ministry
also announced that 200 patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the
total number of recoveries to 827,475.
It said 4,076
COVID-19 cases were still active, adding that 6,673 PCR tests were conducted in
the past 24 hours.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi ministry,
SAP launch training program to develop national digital capabilities
May 03, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology in collaboration with Germany-based
technology giant SAP Global launched a specialized training program aimed at
qualifying national digital talent through both virtual and in-person journeys.
The program
launch in Riyadh on Wednesday was attended by Vice Minister at the Ministry of
Communications and Informational Technology Haytham Al-Ohali and a number of
company officials and constitutes one of the outcomes of a memorandum of
understanding that was signed between the two parties at the global tech
conference LEAP. The MoU aims to strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a
regional technology hub and the largest digital talent incubator.
Speaking to
Arab News after the program launch, Faris Al-Saqabi, deputy minister of future
jobs and capabilities at the Ministry of Communications and Informational
Technology, said: “As proud as we are of our accomplishment today and this
partnership, we are also eager to witness young talents work to be future
engineers and realize their ambitious goals that will help shape our country’s
journey toward Vision 2030.”
The program, he
said, will offer an educational experience “at the intersection of technology,
business and the humanities, building multi-dimensional competencies that will
enable participants to be future-ready, to contribute to the journey of digital
transformation and to become lifelong learners.”
Al-Saqabi
added: “During this exceptional experience, participants will acquire both
technical skills and soft skills in artificial intelligence, machine learning,
data analysis, various SAP software technologies, leadership and
communication.”
The program
will target 55 trainees from Saudi Arabia in basic and emerging technologies,
drawing from talent pools in leading national entities such as NEOM, Qiddiya,
the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry
of Sports, Riyadh Airports, the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical
Co., the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Solutions by STC
and Saudi Entertainment Ventures.
It will feature
the participation of a selection of top graduates from the Saudi Digital
Academy who are beneficiaries of the Future Skills initiative by the Ministry
of Communications and Informational Technology, which offered specialized
courses for students to excel in the digital sector as part of the Vision 2030
Human Capability Development Program.
The launch of
the new training program with SAP highlights the ministry’s keenness to support
and empower persons interested in pursuing a career in digital technology and
equip them with the tools, including training in SAP software, to do so.
SAP software
involves data analysis, machine learning, AI, metaverse, quantum statistics and
application development using SAP HANA, an in-memory, column-oriented,
relational database management system developed by SAP SE.
The Ministry of
Communications and Informational Technology aims to develop digital
capabilities in the Kingdom, to invest in the growth of its future projects,
and to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and investment in the digital
sector, according to Saudi Vision 2030.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Foreign
Ministry condemns storming of cultural attache building in Khartoum
May 03, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi
Arabia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned Tuesday’s storming of the Saudi
cultural attache building in Khartoum by an armed group.
A statement
released by the ministry said that the group sabotaged devices and cameras in
the building and then seized property and disrupted systems and services.
The ministry
expressed the Kingdom’s condemnation of the act in Sudan and called for respect
for the sanctity of diplomatic missions. Its statement added that it was
holding the attackers responsible for their acts.
Saudi Arabia
has renewed the call to halt military escalation in Sudan, end the violence,
and provide the necessary protection for diplomats, residents, and Sudanese
civilians.
Fighting
between Sudan’s army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support
Forces, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has continued despite the
US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire.
Saudi Foreign
Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Tuesday had a phone call with Moussa Faki
Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, to discuss attempts
to end the violence.
The parties
also discussed the importance of preventing the escalation of the conflict and
protecting Sudanese civilians.
They also spoke
about latest developments in the African continent, in addition to discussing
regional and international matters and issues of common interest.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Shoura
Council speaker holds talks with Algerian People’s National Assembly speaker
May 03, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh
Abdullah Al-Asheikh held talks with the speaker of the Algerian People’s
National Assembly, Ibrahim Boughali, in Algiers on Wednesday.
During the
meeting, Al-Asheikh highlighted the depth of relations between Saudi Arabia and
Algeria and said he looking forward to strengthening and developing them at all
levels and in various fields.
He stressed the
importance of increasing joint work between the Shoura Council and the People’s
National Assembly and increasing the level of coordination between them in
parliamentary forums.
He added that
meetings and visits between officials of the two councils which would help to
strengthen and develop relations between them should be scheduled.
Boughali
praised the progress and development experienced by Saudi Arabia under the
leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He also praised
efforts made and constructive roles played by the Kingdom to establish security
and stability in the region and the world. Al-Asheikh and Boughali reviewed
issues of common interest and parliamentary cooperation between the two
assemblies.
Source: arabnews.com
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Tabuk will host
first edition of Camel Avenue festival
May 03, 2023
RIYADH: Preparations are in full swing to
launch the first edition of the 10-day Camel Avenue festival in Tabuk,
following an agreement between the region and the Camel Club.
Prince Fahd bin
Sultan bin Abdulaziz, governor of the Tabuk region, confirmed that both
parties’ capabilities would be harnessed to ensure the success of the festival
and further its legacy as a market with the potential to attract opportunities.
Fahd bin Falah
bin Hathleen, chairman of the board of directors of the Camel Club, praised
Tabuk’s efforts to prepare for the festival and welcome guests and camel owners
in the region.
The festival
aims to stimulate the economy, develop the sector and raise the value of
camels.
Source: arabnews.com
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Islamic Affairs
Ministry Inaugurates Holy Quran Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil
03 May, 2023
The Ministry of
Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the General Secretariat of
Exhibitions and Conferences, has inaugurated the "Holy Quran Exhibition in
Sao Paulo, Brazil" in cooperation with the Centre for Islamic Call for
Latin America and the Caribbean. The eight-day exhibition is being held in the
vicinity of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque.
Acting Deputy
Director of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Islamic Cultural Centre in
Argentina Ayed bin Hassan Al-Rabie attended the inauguration ceremony.
Guests toured
the exhibition and had the opportunity to see a wide variety of versions of the
King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran in Madinah, and 77
issuances of interpretations of the meanings of the Holy Quran. They could also
see electronic applications, such as the 3D virtual Hajj and Umrah application,
and visit the Holy Mosques via virtual reality technology.
Source:
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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/6fe24cdd941f438bab4dd4acd807ca7c
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Pakistan
FM Bilawal
consults PDM, JI leaders ahead of India visit
May 04, 2023
Ahead of his
first-ever India visit, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday
took into confidence heads of multiple political parties — including coalition
partners and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief — via telephonic conversations.
Bilawal is set
to leave for India later today to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled to be held in Goa, India
between May 4 and 5.
The foreign
minister telephoned Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Ameer Maulana Fazlur
Rehman, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal,
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui,
Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq and National Party (NP) leader Tahir
Bizenjo.
He consulted
with them over his two-day Goa visit.
SCO meeting
According to a
statement issued by the Foreign Office, the FM will attend the SCO moot at the
invitation of the current chair, Minister for External Affairs of India Dr S
Jaishankar.
"Our
participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan's commitment to the SCO charter
and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its
foreign policy priorities," the FO spokesperson said.
Sources in the
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that the foreign minister — accompanied by
a delegation — will depart for Goa from Karachi via a chartered flight.
The sources
privy to the development said that the Indian civil aviation authorities
contacted the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) and finalised the route
for the special plane.
In addition to
deliberating upon important regional and international issues and signing some
of the institutional documents, the council will finalise the agenda and
decisions to be adopted by the 17th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting
scheduled to take place in New Delhi on July 3-4 2023.
The meeting
will also witness the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with five
countries namely Bahrain, Kuwait Maldives, Myanmar and UAE to become Dialogue
Partners of SCO.
On the
sidelines of the SCO, FM Bilawal will also meet his counterparts from friendly
countries.
Besides
Pakistan, SCO member states include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India.
SCO's major
objectives include promoting mutual confidence and good, neighbourly relations
among member states, strengthening regional peace, security, and stability, and
creating a framework for effective cooperation in the fields of politics, trade
and economy, culture, science and technology, education, energy,
transportation, tourism, and environmental protection, etc.
Since becoming
a member in 2017, Pakistan has been actively and constructively contributing to
all SCO activities to realise its multi-sectoral aims and objectives in a mutually
beneficial manner.
No bilateral
meeting with Indian leaders
Last week, FM
Bilawal dismissed speculations surrounding his India visit and clarified that
it should not be "misconstrued in terms of bilateral ties" between
the two neighbouring countries.
Bilawal, while
speaking to Geo News, said that he did not make any request for arranging a
meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We are
committed to the SCO charter and this visit should not be seen as a bilateral
one but in the context of SCO. Our participation at the meeting reflects
Pakistan’s continued commitment to the SCO charter and process and the
importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy
priorities," Bilawal was quoted as saying.
He had said
that they cannot let India further isolate Pakistan.
It will be the
first visit to India by a top Pakistani official since then-prime minister
Nawaz Sharif attended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in in
2014.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Chinese FM to
visit Islamabad for Pakistan-China strategic dialogue
May 03, 2023
The Foreign
Office said Wednesday that Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang would pay a
two-day official visit to Islamabad from Friday (May 5) at the invitation of
his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to hold strategic dialogue.
According to
the Foreign Office spokesperson, this would be the Chinese foreign minister’s
first official visit to Pakistan since assuming office.
FM Bilawal and
his Chinese counterpart will co-chair the 4th round of the Pakistan-China
Strategic Dialogue.
The strategic
dialogue is a structured mechanism that reviews bilateral cooperation in key
areas.
The two sides
will reaffirm the abiding vitality of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative
Partnership; develop a roadmap for multidimensional cooperation between
Pakistan and China; and discuss the evolving regional and global landscape.
The 3rd round
of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue took place in July 2021 in Chengdu,
China.
On Tuesday, the
Chinese foreign ministry announced that Foreign Minister Qin Gang will visit India
to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’
meeting to be held on May 4 and 5 in Panaji, the capital of Goa.
At the meeting,
Qin Gang will exchange views with other SCO member state foreign ministers on
the international and regional situation and SCO cooperation in various fields,
among other topics, to make full preparation for this year’s SCO summit, the
statement added.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1066715-chinese-fm-to-visit-islamabad-for-pakistan-china-strategic-dialogue
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PM Shehbaz
touches down in UK to attend King Charles' coronation ceremony
May 03, 2023
Prime Minister
Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday landed in United Kingdom's capital London for
representing Pakistan at the much-awaited coronation ceremony of King Charles
III.
Some 2,000
guests, including global royalty and world leaders, will be at Saturday's event
in central London, with huge crowds lining the route to and from Buckingham
Palace.
More than
29,000 police officers will take part in one of the UK's "most
significant" ever security operations for the coronation of King Charles.
Before
departing for the visit, the prime minister said he was en route to the Kingdom
whose leaders have been "great friends of Pakistan".
"The
UK-Pakistan relations are rooted in shared history & multifaceted bonds
that have grown stronger over the decades," the prime minister in a tweet.
"I will
also use the opportunity to attend the Commonwealth leaders' summit as well as
engage with other world leaders bilaterally," the prime minister said.
Geo News
reported that the prime minister is expected to return on Monday, while he is
also scheduled to meet Nawaz Sharif, who is his elder brother and Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz's supremo.
Thousands of
ceremonial troops will take part in a procession from Buckingham Palace to
Westminster Abbey as part of the coronation.
Dress
rehearsals took place overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The security
operation to protect the route to and from the abbey — dubbed Operation Golden
Orb — will include rooftop snipers and undercover officers, as well as
airport-style scanners, sniffer dogs, and a no-fly zone over central London.
Archbishop of
Canterbury, Justin Welby, will call on "all persons of goodwill in the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other realms
and the territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their
undoubted king, defender of all".
The order of
service will read: "All who so desire, in the abbey, and elsewhere, say
together: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your
heirs and successors according to law. So help me God."
British
parliamentarians, but also Canadians since the British sovereign is their head
of state, already swear allegiance to the monarch when they take office.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Minister Talha
rejects free, VIP Hajj
May 4, 2023
Minister for
Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Senator Talha Mehmood has
unequivocally made it clear that there will be no free or VIP Hajj for anyone,
as all pilgrims will be required to stay with common Hajj pilgrims in Saudi
Arabia, regardless of their status or position in society.
In response to
a point of order raised by Ms. Shagufta Jumani, the Minister for Religious
Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Senator Talha Mehmood, emphasized that the
government would not be providing free Hajj to any individuals. The ministry
had to surrender a quota of 7,000 to 8,000 pilgrims as it required a payment of
24 million dollars to Saudi Arabia. However, he offered to accommodate 200 to
400 intending pilgrims who were willing to pay their dues.
He further
explained that he had acquired a building at a cheaper rate of 1,700 riyals as
compared to the Hajj 2019 rate of 2,600 riyals. The minister also revealed that
he personally visited Saudi Arabia on his own expense.—INP
Source: pakobserver.net
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North
America
In ‘Operation
Ezra,’ Canadian Jews Helped Yazidis Fleeing Islamic State Persecution
BY AVI KUMAR
(May 3, 2023 /
JNS) Ayad Alhussein, 13 years old at the time, was reunited last November with
family in Winnipeg. The boy had escaped five years of captivity by the Islamic
State after he and his family were captured in Iraq. Three more years followed
before he was granted entry to Canada.
The family is
Yazidi, a religious minority. The boy’s sisters in Winnipeg had thought that he
was dead, and their reunion was bittersweet, CBC reported, as they didn’t know
if their parents or four other siblings were alive.
“We are in the
process of integrating him into the community,” Jamileh Naso, president of the
Canadian Yazidi Association, told JNS in March. “Given the mental and
psychological trauma he has been through, he is doing OK.”
The role that
Canadian Jews have played at the forefront of saving Yazidis fleeing Iraq and
helping them reunite with family in Canada remains relatively unknown. In March
2015, Winnipeg Jews launched “Operation Ezra” to raise awareness about Yazidi
suffering in the Middle East, and to sponsor a Yazidi refugee family coming to
Winnipeg, according to the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg website.
Michel Aziza,
who began chairing the operation from its get-go, told JNS that most people
knew nothing about Yazidi culture or people until the August 2014 Sinjar
Tragedy, when the Islamic State took over the region, killing thousands of
Yazidi men and taking the women captive.
“Operation
Ezra” is named after “Operation Ezra and Nehemiah” which brought Jews fleeing
Iraq in the 1950s, to Israel.
There used to
be about 700,000 Yazidis living in Iraq, with smaller pockets in Syria and
Turkey. Today, they are dispersed globally, with many living in the West.
‘We knocked on
many doors’
Jamileh Naso’s
sister Nafiya, who moved to Winnipeg as a child in the 1990s, reached out to
fellow Winnipeg Jews asking for help in August 2014. At the time, Nafiya told
JNS, the family was receiving calls from family, friends and community members
in Iraq begging for assistance.
“There were
around 180 Yazidis in Winnipeg at the time, and we decided that we can’t sit
still and had to take action,” she said. “So we knocked on many doors and found
the Jewish community.”
Soon, four Jews
were phone banking, trying to reach organizations seeking their help raising
money to sponsor a Yazidi refugee family. Within a few weeks, they raised twice
the amount they needed.
“Jews have been
persecuted for centuries, and they showed a lot of solidarity and compassion as
they were able to relate to us,” said Jamileh.
By 2018,
“Operation Ezra” encompassed some 40 entities, including synagogues, churches,
schools, social-service agencies and businesses. Most of those involved were
volunteers.
The name came
from Belle Jarniewski, the president of the Manitoba Multifaith Council told
JNS. It combines the Hebrew name Ezra, which means help, and reference to
Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, in which more than 120,000 Iraqi Jews were
airlifted to Israel between 1951 and 1952.
“Jews and
Yazidis were once neighbors in Iraq, and 60 years after Jews left, the Yazidis
also had to flee due to persecution,” said Aziza.
Yazidis were
persecuted long before ISIS came along, according to Jamileh Naso. “Being
caught in the tug of war between Sunnis, Shias and other groups, we never feel
safe in our homeland,” she said.
After raising
more than $1 million, the operation was able to sponsor more Yazidis and bring
them to Canada. With only so much that the private sector can do, there was a
need to lobby the government, according to Aziza.
Yazidis are a
predominantly Kurdish-speaking ethno-religious group whose traditional homeland
in the Sinjar Mountains is rumored to be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark.
Religious extremists consider their beliefs—rooted in ancient, Indo-Iranian
ethnic religion—to be akin to devil worship.
Most Yazidi
practices are passed down through oral tradition, and they don’t accept converts
or allow intermarriage. They pray in homes or rented spaces in Canada. “As the
community grows, we may build our own place of worship one day,” Jamileh said.
About 500
Yazidis live in Winnipeg, of an estimated 2,000 in Canada, many of whom arrived
thanks to “Operation Ezra,” according to Jamileh. “There are still many Yazidis
who have not yet been united with their loved ones,” she said, “and we will
continue to do what we can to help others to reunite.”
Source: jns.org
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.jns.org/in-operation-ezra-canadian-jews-helped-yazidis-fleeing-islamic-state-persecution/
--------
CAIR demands
terror watchlists be shut down after Muslim mayor is uninvited from White House
Ramadan event
CARLOS GARCIA
May 03, 2023
The Council on
American Islamic Relations is demanding that the federal government shut down
all terror watch lists after a Muslim mayor from New Jersey was uninvited to a
White House reception for a Muslim holiday.
It's also demanding
an apology.
Mohamed
Khairullah has been the mayor from Prospect Park, New Jersey, since 2005.
“What are we
going to do about the targeting of Arabs, Muslims, South Asians, by federal
agencies that are basically not telling us why we are being harassed at
airports, border crossings and now for me to be denied entry into the People’s
House is baffling,” Khairullah said.
Khairullah says
that the Secret Service would not clear him for entry into the White House, and
he was told to return home. He says that he has been previously harassed at
airports.
He is accusing
the Secret Service of racially profiling him, saying, “There’s no doubt in my
mind that at this point, my crime is my race, my religion and my name.”
Khairullah says
neither the White House nor the Secret Service has explained why he wasn't
allowed into the event.
The Secret
Service would only confirm in a brief statement that he was turned away but
offered no additional information.
“While we
regret any inconvenience this may have caused, the mayor was not allowed to
enter the White House complex this evening,” said a spokesperson for the USSS.
“Unfortunately we are not able to comment further on the specific protective
means and methods used to conduct our security operations at the White House.”
When asked
about the incident, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a
media briefing Tuesday that she would bring it up with the Secret Service but
went on to applaud the administration for meeting with 400 other Muslims.
"The
President was very proud to welcome nearly 400 Muslim Americans to the White
House to celebrate Eid yesterday,” Jean-Pierre said. “It was a meaningful
event, an opportunity to celebrate along Muslim leaders from across the country
who were here.”
Selaedin
Maksut, the executive director for the CAIR branch in New Jersey, called on
President Joe Biden to meet with Khairullah and apologize to him.
“We are asking
that the White House take this as an opportunity to, once and for all, to
disband the watchlist — to no longer have government agencies use this
discriminatory list in their vetting — or in their spying — of American
citizens,” Maksut said.
Source: theblaze.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.theblaze.com/news/cair-muslim-mayor-biden-disinvited
--------
CAIR Joins Call
by 51 Human Rights Groups for Release of American Muslim Scholar from Egyptian
Prison, Calls on State Dept. to Demand Release
May 3, 2023
(WASHINGTON,
D.C., 5/3/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined 51
human rights organizations in calling for the release Salah Soltan, an
Egyptian-American Islamic scholar imprisoned since 2017, and encouraged the
State Department to take action to ensure his freedom.
Soltan, a
former professor of Islamic Law at Cairo University and founder of the Islamic
American University in Michigan, was arrested in Egypt in 2013 on charges
related to his opposition to Egypt’s military coup. In 2017, a court sentenced
him to life in prison in a mass trial widely regarded as unfair and lacking in
due process. Soltan suffers from life-threatening health issues including heart
and liver diseases and has reportedly endured torture and other forms of ill
treatment from Egyptian authorities.
The
organizations calling for Soltan’s release, which include Human Rights Watch,
Amnesty International and other major international advocacy groups, believe he
was arrested in retaliation for the human rights advocacy work of his son,
Mohamed Soltan.
SEE: Human
rights organizations urge Cairo to release ‘arbitrarily detained’ Islamic Law
scholar
https://www.jurist.org/news/2023/05/human-rights-organizations-urge-cairo-to-release-arbitrarily-detained-islamic-law-scholar/
Egypt: Detained
Academic at Risk of Death
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/03/egypt-detained-academic-risk-death
“We call on the
State Department to demand that the Egyptian government end its unjust
imprisonment of Salah Soltan and all of the journalists, political activists,
religious scholars, and others imprisoned without due process of law,” said
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “Our nation should not send a
single dollar in military aid to the Egyptian government while it unjustly
imprisons thousands of people, including an American citizen.”
CAIR’s mission
is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice,
and empower American Muslims.
La misión de
CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam,
promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of
CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to
CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to
CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to
CAIR’s YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/cairtv
Follow CAIR on
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to
CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like
reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help
contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American
Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a
monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and
defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to
donate to CAIR.
If you would
like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here:
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email:
info@cair.com, CC ihooper@cair.com
Source: cair.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-joins-call-by-51-human-rights-groups-for-release-of-american-muslim-scholar-from-egyptian-prison-calls-on-state-dept-to-demand-release/
--------
CAIR Files Suit
Against Dept. of State Over Denial of Religious Accommodation for Muslim
Employee
Ismail Allison
May 3, 2023
(WASHINGTON,
D.C., 5/3/2023) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today filed a
lawsuit against the Department of State for its refusal to provide religious
accommodations to a Muslim employee.
Devin Brooks, a
Muslim man, keeps a well-maintained beard, as his sincerely-held religious
beliefs require. Brooks was hired as an Armed Uniformed Protection Officer with
the Bureau of Diplomatic Security by the State Department through Inter-Con, a
security services company. He accepted the position after being told his beard
would not be an issue.
SEE:
COMPLAINT
When in
mandatory training for his new position, Brooks was told that he would be sent
home if he did not shave his beard. Forced to choose between his faith and his
job, Brooks made the painful decision to shave. He then asked for permission to
maintain a beard the length of which would be determined by holding it with his
fist, a traditional length supported by many Islamic scholars.
The State
Department denied Brooks’ request, citing safety concerns, and later ended
Brooks’ employment, forcing him to find another job. He currently works in a
similar security position at another federal agency while maintaining a beard
without issue.
The Department
of State’s failure to accommodate Brooks’ reasonable accommodation request
violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act.
“The Department
of State’s so-called safety concerns are not an undue hardship,” said CAIR
Staff Attorney Zanah Ghalawanji. “A fist-length beard doesn’t pose a safety
problem, and we look forward to proving that in court.”
“Nobody should
be forced to choose between their faith and their job,” said CAIR Staff
Attorney Hannah Mullen. “The Department of State could have easily accommodated
Mr. Brooks. Bureaucracy and a lack of respect for religion are not defenses to
Title VII and RFRA.”
Washington,
D.C.-based CAIR offers a booklet, called “An Employer’s Guide to Islamic
Religious Practices,” to help employers gain a better understanding of Islam
and Muslims in the workplace.
CAIR: An Employer’s
Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
CAIR’s mission
is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice,
and empower American Muslims.
La misión de
CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam,
promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos
END
Source: cair.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-files-suit-against-dept-of-state-over-denial-of-religious-accommodation-for-muslim-employee/
--------
CAIR Community
Alert: Join 8th National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in D.C. on June
12-13 to Call for Establishing Muslim Heritage Month, Combating Global Islamophobia
and Watchlist Oversight
Ismail Allison
May 3, 2023
(WASHINGTON,
D.C., 5/3/23) – On Monday, June 12, and Tuesday, June 13, Muslims from across
the country will take part in the 8th annual National Muslim Advocacy Day on
Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This year, advocacy days participants will
focus their lobbying efforts on:
Hosted by the
U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of leading national
and local Muslim organizations, the advocacy days are expected to draw hundreds
of Muslim delegates from across the nation. This two-day event is designed to
connect national, regional, and state Muslim organizations and community
members with their elected representatives in Congress.
[NOTE: Last
year, more than 300 delegates from 20 states met with more than 200 elected
officials and congressional staffers during the seventh annual National Muslim
Advocacy Day.]
USCMO is
encouraging participants to register at least one month before the event, and
no later than Sunday, June 4.
All
representatives for national, state and local Muslim organizations and
communities are encouraged to register for this two-day advocacy event. Muslim
delegates and activists will meet with congressional offices to discuss the
most pressing issues impacting American Muslims in today’s political
climate.
Past
participants have posted photos and commentary about National Muslim Advocacy
Day on social media using the hashtag #MuslimHillDay.
Among the
issues being advocated for, USCMO advocacy day delegates will be calling on
Congress to reintroduce Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Jan Schakowsky and
Senator Corey Booker’s (D-NJ) Combating International Islamophobia Act
legislation to address the rise in incidents of Islamophobia worldwide.
Advocates will
also be supporting the reintroduction of a resolution recognizing July as
“Muslim-American Heritage Month” and celebrating the heritage and culture of
Muslim Americans in the United States.
For anyone who
would like additional advocacy techniques and a more in-depth rundown on the
advocacy day’s focused issues, there will be a series of online training
seminars for those registered before the event. USCMO will also provide a
day-of-event training at Congress for all participating Muslim community
members.
For more
information about the event or how your Muslim organization or community can
participate, please contact the USCMO at: advocacy@uscmo.org.
You can also
find more information on the history of the event and view videos from previous
years here.
CAIR’s mission
is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice,
and empower American Muslims.
La misión de
CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam,
promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of
CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to
CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to
CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to
CAIR’s YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/cairtv
Follow CAIR on
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national
Donate to
CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like
reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help
contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American
Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a
monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and
defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
If you would
like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here:
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email:
info@cair.com, CC ihooper@cair.com
END
Source: cair.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-community-alert-join-8th-national-muslim-advocacy-day-on-capitol-hill-in-d-c-on-june-12-13-to-call-for-establishing-muslim-heritage-month-combating-global-islamophobia-and-watchlist-oversight/
--------
Islamic
Development Bank Institute Organizes its 17th Global Forum with Focus on
Disruptive Solutions for Economic Resilience
03-05-23
JEDDAH, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, May 3, 2023/APO Group/ -- The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
Institute (www.IsDBInstitute.org) is organizing the 17th IsDB Global Forum on
Islamic Finance with a special focus on leveraging disruptive technologies to
build an inclusive and resilient future.
Under the theme
‘Disruptive Solutions for a Resilient Economy’, the forum will be held on 12
May 2023 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with the 48th
Annual Meetings of the IsDB Group.
H.E. Dr.
Muhammad Al Jasser, the Chairman of the IsDB Group, will deliver the keynote
speech, while former IsDB President H.E. Dr. Ahmad Ali will speak on the launch
of the book, ‘The Islamic Development Bank and Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Ali: History
of an Institution and Journey of a President’.
The book
documents the evolution and exceptional achievements of the Islamic Development
Bank under the leadership of Dr. Ahmad Ali over a period of four decades, from its
establishment in 1975 until his retirement in 2016.
This year’s
Forum will also feature the launching of a report titled ‘Islamic Financial
Services Industry Development Ten-Year Framework and Strategies: A Final
Review’. The report is a joint initiative of the IsDB Institute and Islamic
Financial Services Board (IFSB).
Two panel
sessions will be held on formulating proper policies to guide the application
of new financial technologies to reduce poverty and achieve shared prosperity.
The first panel
will present the current and future applications of digital vouchers, and
explore potential partnership opportunities to help create a more financially
inclusive community.
Speakers in
this panel are Dr. Mohamad Hammour, Chairman and MD of Guidance Financial Group
(https://apo-opa.info/3LMMJJf), and Member of the Institute’s Board of
Trustees; Mr. Rami Alkarmi, Founder, Abnewnormal ai Venture Studio
(https://apo-opa.info/3VvJCJa), and Member of the Board of Trustees; and Dr.
Peter D. Holden, Chief Corporate Development Officer at Beyond Limits Inc
(https://apo-opa.info/44pY3SL).
The second
panel will introduce and discuss the Sukuk Enhancement Fund as a product that
aims to support the Islamic finance ecosystems in IsDB member countries. The
panelists are Dr. Suminto Sastrosuwito, Director General of Budget Financing
and Risk Management, Ministry of Finance, Indonesia
(https://apo-opa.info/3Hw5uhK); Mr. Ijlal Ahmed Alvi, CEO, International
Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) (https://apo-opa.info/3HCDw3L); and Ms. Sabeen
Saleem, CEO, Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA)
(https://apo-opa.info/3LMSwyt).
The forum is
being co-organized with three knowledge partners, namely King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology (KAUST) (https://apo-opa.info/44j8ibL), Effat
University (https://apo-opa.info/42mGn8Q), and University of Business and
Technology (UBT) (https://apo-opa.info/3NAzflo), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
The full
program is available here (https://apo-opa.info/3VrGHkm).
Distributed by
APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).
Source: africa-newsroom.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/islamic-development-bank-institute-organizes-its-17th-global-forum-with-focus-on-disruptive-solutions-for-economic-resilience?lang=en
--------
Mideast
Palestinian
Islamic Jihad:Round of Confrontation with Enemy Has Ended, but March of
Resistance Continues
[03/May/2023]
GAZA May 03.
2023 (Saba) - Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesperson Tariq Selmi on Wednesday
affirmed that a round of confrontation with the Zionist enemy has ended, but
the march of resistance continues and will not stop, and it has proven its
commitment to defending the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian
Shehab News Agency quoted Salmi in a press statement as saying "Our brave
fighters have proven their loyalty and commitment to defending their people,
and al-Quds Brigades and the valiant resistance excelled in their response to
the assassination of Sheikh Khader Adnan, who wrote an unparalleled epic
heroism."
He added a
round of confrontation has ended, but the march of resistance continues and
will not stop, and little by little the dawn of freedom and victory is
approaching, God willing.
He continued
"Sheikh Khader Adnan will remain a symbol of the free, resistant approach
that refuses subservience and surrender, and his name will remain a flag for
all those who walk the path of freedom."
He said
"We promise our people and our nation that our path will not lead us
astray, and we promise our martyrs, prisoners and wounded that their life and
journey will remain a trust that we carry and that we will not neglect and that
we will continue to work for the sake of the prisoners and their freedom."
Selmi concluded
his statement as saying "Greetings to al-Quds Brigades, our resistance,
and the joint room, which presented a model in unity of stance and response to
the enemy's crime."
Source: saba.ye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3237886.htm
--------
Chairman of the
Knesset NSC: We Are Being Held Captive By Hamas and Islamic Jihad
May 4, 2023
MK Tzvika
Foghel (Otzma Yehudit), chairman of the Knesset National Security Committee, on
Wednesday escalated the attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
claimed that Netanyahu does not have the courage “to instruct the IDF to win”,
as he put it.
Speaking on
Reshet Bet radio, Foghel said that the members of his party "give up too
much and don't take initiative. We tried to change the policy and we didn't
succeed. We have reached our limits. We won't vote against the government, but
we will not vote with it either. I believe we can change the policy."
Asked whether
the crisis between the chairman of his party, Itamar Ben Gvir, and Netanyahu
will lead to the toppling of the government, Foghel responded, "As of this
moment, I will not do anything to topple the government, but I will not vote
automatically with it.We are the ideological backbone of the coalition and we
are unable to influence and promote the vision we came with - the Prime
Minister is preventing us from doing so."
"An entire
country is being held under threat here, we are captives of Hamas and Islamic
Jihad. We continue not to take the steps that are supposed to lead to the
deterrence and defeat of Hamas. Netanyahu does not have the courage to instruct
the IDF to win," Foghel said.
The interview
came after the Otzma Yehudit Party announced it had decided not to take part in
Knesset votes scheduled for Wednesday, in protest of what it deemed the
government's "weak response" to a spate of rocket attacks from the
Gaza Strip.
The party
announced that it will hold a special faction meeting in the city of Sderot,
near the Gaza frontier, following "the weak response in Gaza last
night."
MK Almog Cohen
from the party said he will open a parliamentary office in Sderot.
"The weak
response of the IDF certainly invites the next round [of fighting] that will
continue to harm the lives of our children and the normal way of life of the
residents of the Gaza frontier and the south as a whole," said Cohen.
Source: israelnationalnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370921
--------
UN states urged
to support call for International Court of Justice opinion on Israeli
occupation
May 04, 2023
NEW YORK CITY:
The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of Palestinian
People met on Wednesday to discuss a UN request for the International Court of
Justice to issue an advisory legal opinion on the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territories. The request was prompted by a letter from the
Palestinian government to the General Assembly.
Riyad Mansour,
Palestine’s ambassador to the UN, said the Palestinian government wants the
court’s opinion on the “prolonged military occupation,” the annexation of
Palestinian territories, the demolition of Palestinian homes, and the denial of
the right of Palestinians to self-determination, all of which are considered
illegal under international law.
The petition to
the court also addresses the issue of separate and discriminatory policies,
laws and road systems for Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Arabs, he added.
Representatives
of Indonesia, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa and Namibia expressed strong support
for Palestinian rights and said their countries will make submissions to the
court in support of the Palestinian position.
The committee,
which is chaired by Ambassador Cheikh Niang, Senegal’s permanent representative
to the UN, also discussed recognition of the Nakba, or “Catastrophe,” the word
Palestinians use to refer to their forced expulsion from their land in 1948
when the state of Israel was founded.
A number of
speakers reaffirmed the support of their countries for the Palestinian people
and their right to a free and independent state. Ahmad Faisal Mohammed, the
permanent representative of Malaysia to the UN, was elected vice chair of the
committee during the meeting.
“Malaysia has
the honor to accept the post of the vice chair of this committee in recognition
of Malaysia’s long standing support and contribution to the Palestinian cause,”
he said.
Palestinians
have long suffered “hardship” and “agony” in the pursuit of their inalienable
right to have their own independent state, the achievement of which is long
overdue, he added, and affirmed his country’s support for a “two-state”
solution that includes the establishment of a Palestinian state with East
Jerusalem as its capital.
Israel occupied
the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza and other Arab territories during the 1967 war.
In 1994, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israeli authorities signed
the Oslo Agreement, which called for a two-state solution to the conflict
between Arabs and Israelis.
Almost 30 years
later, Israel has instead become more entrenched in its occupation of the West
Bank by building more Jewish settlements, considered illegal under
international law, which makes a two-state solution much harder to achieve.
Mansour said
during the committee meeting that the recently formed Israeli government,
considered the most extreme and right-wing in the history of the state,
includes a “convicted terrorist,” a reference to National Security Minister
Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was convicted by an Israeli court in 2008 of supporting
terrorism and racism.
Israel
continues to mount relentless attacks on the Palestinian civilian population in
the occupied territories, Mansour said, as was especially evident during
Ramadan, when Israeli forces “desecrated” Muslim and Christian holy sites.
He also
highlighted the case of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who died in an
Israeli jail on Tuesday after an 87-day hunger strike in protest against his
administrative detention without charge. Palestinians have accused Israeli
prison authorities of murder for allowing his condition to deteriorate to such
a degree that he died in his cell.
Mansour said
the Palestinian mission at the UN has sent an extensive letter to the UN
Secretariat detailing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, including
the death of Adnan.
Niang, the
chair of the committee, said it was important “for all of us to make
submissions to the” International Court of Justice. It is “our moral duty for
us to do that; if we don’t do it, who else will,” he added.
He said that
the request to the court is an important legal strategy through which
Palestinians might achieve a measure of success in challenging the Israeli
occupation.
“This is a very
important milestone for the Palestinian cause and we should not miss it. We are
counting on all of us to do it,” he said.
The deadline
for states to make submissions to the court on the issue is July 25.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2297311/middle-east
--------
KANS to Honor
Young Researchers of Islamic World in 3rd Scientific Competition
May, 03, 2023
TEHRAN (Tasnim)
– Six young researchers from the Islamic world will be honored during the 2023
KANS (Knowledge Application and Notion for Society) Scientific Competition
closing ceremony, the head of the 3rd KANS Scientific Competition, Saeid
Sohrabpour, said.
Speaking at the
press conference of the 2023 KANS Scientific Competition for researchers and
scientists under 45 years of age, Sohrabpour elaborated on the details of this
round of the competition.
He first
pointed to the different activities of the Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation
(MSTF), which includes the Mustafa (PBUH) Prize, STEP (Science and Technology
Exchange Program), KANS, and Noor.
"Most of
the Muslim scientists have great effective collaborations with those in Western
countries. The Mustafa (PBUH) Science and Technology Foundation aims to foster
collaborations among the scientists inside the Islamic countries,"
Sohrabpour explained.
In this round
of the KANS scientific competition, a new section is added, titled "The
Future Scientist," devoted to researchers under the age of 30. Sohrabpour
pointed out, "One individual is selected to receive the award for this
section." The winner of "The Future Scientist" section in this
round of KANS is from Azerbaijan. "The participants had to send 3-5 minute
videos. The judges were university professors from around the country," he
noted.
According to
Sohrabpour, among the received works, 20 works from 12 countries reached the
final stage. In the final stage, 6 winners were selected.
"The final
judgment of these works was carried out online in April 2023 with the virtual
presence of the participants," he added. "The usefulness of the
participants' ideas is of great importance in this competition," he
emphasized.
The 3rd KANS
Scientific Competition ceremony will be held on May 9-12 concurrently with
International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX) 2023 in Pardis
Technology Park. Gholam Hossein Halvaei, Head of scientific and technological
cooperation development at the MSTF, gave a speech during the press conference,
pointing to other details about the event.
He briefly
talked about the selection process, stating that 3 rounds of judgment were
held. "We had 100 judges during the process," he said. "In the
second round of KANS competition," he pointed out, "we started to contact
different organizations. These organizations present some challenges and
problems. The KANS winners are linked to them so that their ideas may solve
those challenges in real-life. In the 3rd round of KANS scientific competition,
we received 78 challenges from 16 pavilions," he said.
During the
press conference, Halvaei revealed the geographical diversity of the six
winners of the competition in various categories. The winner in the "food
and agriculture industries" category hailed from Qatar, while "electricity,
electronics and robotics" and "health and medical equipment"
categories were won by candidates from Iran. The "information and
communication technology and artificial intelligence" and "mining and
mining industries" categories were won by contestants from Malaysia.
Halvaei also mentioned that the winners will present their works on the final
day of the KANS Scientific Competition ceremony, which will take place from
morning to afternoon.
The awarding
ceremony of the 3rd round of KANS Scientific Competition will be held on the
sidelines of the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX
2023) from May 9 to 12 at Tehran's Pardis Technology Park.
KANS scientific
competition is held biannually for researchers and scientists under 45 years of
age.
Source: tasnimnews.com
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Palestinian UN
envoy lauds Islamic Jihad member who died on hunger strike
04-05-23
NEW YORK — The
Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations told a UN panel on Wednesday that
the senior Islamic Jihad member who died while hunger striking in an Israeli
prison on Tuesday was a “hero prisoner.”
Speaking at a
meeting focused on Palestinian rights, Riyad Mansour accused Israeli
authorities of failing to provide proper medical care to Khader Adnan, a day
after he was found dead in his cell following an 86-day hunger strike. The
death set off a round of fighting between Israel and terrorist groups in the
Gaza Strip.
“We are
satisfied that the [secretary general] and the UN were alarmed about the fate
of Adnan Khader, the hero prisoner who lost his life after 44 years of his
life,” Mansour said.
“I believe that
the UN is seeking some kind of credible investigation as to why his life was
taken away from him through negligence from the Israeli occupying authorities,
negligence in health care, not addressing the needs of prisoners,” he added.
Adnan had
refused any medical care, the Israel Prisons Service said. The Physicians for
Human Rights group said it had examined Adnan shortly before his death, and
warned Israeli authorities that he was in critical condition, but said those
warnings “fell on deaf ears.”
Adnan was
accused of being a spokesperson and senior leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad,
an Iran-backed group designated as a terror organization by the US, EU, Israel
and other countries.
Though Adnan
had been charged with terror offenses and was awaiting trial, Mansour falsely
claimed that he was being held in administrative detention, a controversial
practice in which detainees suspected of terror offenses are held without
charge or trial.
“There has been
a massive onslaught against our prisoners,” Mansour said. “He was among the
hundreds who have been spending a long period of time under administrative
detention.”
Adnan had been
held under administrative detention in the past and a 2015 hunger strike he
launched while in custody had helped bring international attention to Israeli
use of the measure.
Mansour also
decried airstrikes Israel carried out against Gaza terrorists overnight in
response to dozens of rockets fired into Israel, without mentioning the rocket
attacks.
“Yesterday
there was a night of hell against our people in the Gaza Strip in which there
was aggression by the Israeli army and their aircraft,” he said during a
meeting of the UN Committee on Palestinian rights at UN Headquarters in New
York.
Mansour thanked
Egypt for mediating a ceasefire between the sides, without mentioning Qatar,
which was also reportedly involved in brokering the truce, along with the UN.
A UN
spokesperson said Wednesday that the UN special coordinator for the Middle East
peace process, Tor Wennesland, was actively engaged “with all concerned
parties, including the Palestinian Authority.”
Two UN special
rapporteurs, independent investigators for the UN, also linked Adnan’s death to
administrative detention in a Wednesday statement calling Israeli policies
“cruel” and “inhumane.”
Francesca
Albanese, a special rapporteur for rights in the Palestinian Territories who
has been accused of antisemitism, and Tlaleng Mofokeng, a UN expert on physical
and mental health, called for an investigation into Adnan’s death.
The special
rapporteurs’ statement also said Israeli authorities refused to provide Adnan
with medical care, without mentioning Israel’s claim that he had refused
treatment.
The statement
accused Israel of carrying out “colonial” policies meant to “control and
subjugate” Palestinians and accused Israel of war crimes. It did not mention
Adnan’s membership in Islamic Jihad or Palestinian rockets fired at Israel in
response to his death.
UN special
rapporteurs are supposed to be unbiased, but Albanese has repeatedly justified
violence against Israelis, made statements that sympathized with terror groups
and dismissed Israel’s right to self-defense.
US Congress
members, Jewish groups, and Israeli officials have repeatedly called for her
removal from office.
The UN is set
to hold its first official “Nakba” commemoration at UN Headquarters in New York
later this month. “Nakba” is the Arabic word for “catastrophe,” and is used by
Palestinians to recall the displacement and dispossession they experienced
during Israel’s creation and the 1947-1949 War of Independence.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-un-envoy-lauds-islamic-jihad-member-who-died-on-hunger-strike/
--------
IMF's Jihad
Azour evades presidential query, stresses staff-level agreement at Dubai panel
03-05-23
At a panel
discussion on the Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and North
Africa held in Dubai on Wednesday, Jihad Azour, the Director of the Middle East
and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressed
his concerns over the current economic situation in Lebanon.
The discussion
was moderated by Becky Anderson, who questioned Azour on whether he would be
the right person for the role of President of Lebanon, in order to lead the
country out of its current crisis.
While Azour
chose not to answer the question about his potential role as Lebanon's
president, he did speak on the dire state of the Lebanese economy, where
inflation has reached triple digits and the national currency has plummeted,
pushing many people into poverty. Azour pointed out that the economy's
inability to recover is due to a failure to address key issues that could
restore confidence and stabilize the situation.
Drawing from
lessons observed in the region, Azour emphasized that delaying essential
measures only reduces their impact and increases the challenges that need to be
addressed. In response to a question from an LBCI reporter regarding the
viability of the staff-level agreement with the IMF, Azour stated that the
roadmap laid out in the agreement remains valid for Lebanon to begin the
process of economic reform and transformation.
The IMF's
recent Article IV consultation, which assessed the state of the Lebanese
economy, concluded that addressing the country's financial system,
hyperinflation, and the need for structural reforms is crucial to its recovery.
Azour urged Lebanese authorities to accelerate the implementation of these
measures, stressing that such actions are necessary with or without IMF
support.
Azour also
suggested that Lebanon could use the staff-level agreement as a platform to
attract additional support from regional and global partners, which could help
accelerate the country's economic recovery.
Source: lbcgroup.tv
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Heavy fighting
in Khartoum as power struggle rages
May 04, 2023
KHARTOUM:
Fierce fighting could be heard in central Khartoum on Thursday as the army
tried to push back the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from areas
around the presidential palace and army headquarters, with a lasting cease-fire
appearing elusive.
Each side
appears to be battling for control of territory in the capital ahead of any
possible negotiations, though the leaders of both factions have shown little
public willingness to hold talks after more than two weeks of fighting.
Heavy
bombardments also rang out in the adjoining cities of Omdurman and Bahri. Both
sides had agreed to a seven-day cease-fire, which has been violated.
“Since
yesterday evening, and this morning, there are air strikes and the sounds of
clashes,” said Al-Sadiq Ahmed, a 49-year-old engineer speaking from Khartoum.
“We’ve got into
a state of permanent terror because the battles are around the centers of
residential neighborhoods. We don’t know when this nightmare and the fear will
end.”
The United
Nations, meanwhile, pressed Sudan’s warring factions on Wednesday to guarantee
safe passage of humanitarian aid after six trucks were looted and air strikes
in the capital undermined a supposed truce.
UN aid chief
Martin Griffiths said he hoped to have face-to-face meetings with Sudan’s
warring parties within two to three days to secure guarantees from them for aid
convoys to deliver relief supplies.
The United
Nations has warned that fighting between the army and RSF, which erupted on
April 15, risks causing a humanitarian catastrophe that could spill into other
countries. Sudan said on Tuesday that 550 people had died and 4,926 people
wounded so far in the conflict.
About 100,000
people have fled Sudan with little food or water to neighboring countries, the
UN says.
The army said
it killed RSF fighters and destroyed a number of vehicles “belonging to the
rebels,” after clashing with the group in the Bahri military region.
The army and
RSF joined forces in a coup two years ago and had shared power as part of an
internationally backed transition toward free elections and civilian government
before falling out over the transition.
The RSF accused
the army of breaching a cease-fire and attacking forces since dawn. It said the
army attacked its residential neighborhoods with artillery and aircraft in a
“cowardly manner.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2297431/middle-east
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Israeli
military kills 3 wanted Palestinians in West Bank
May 04, 2023
TEL AVIV: Israeli troops on Thursday killed
three Palestinians wanted in connection with a deadly attack against Israelis,
the Israeli military said, the latest bloodshed in a relentless wave of
violence.
Forces entered
the heart of the flashpoint city of Nablus in the early morning hours and
raided an apartment where the men were located, according to a statement from
the military. Troops and the suspects exchanged fire and the three men were
killed.
The military
accuses the men of being behind an attack last month on a car near a Jewish
West Bank settlement that killed a British-Israeli mother and two of her
daughters. It said two of the men, identified as Hassan Katnani, Maed Mitsri,
were members of the Hamas militant group. It described the third man killed,
Ibrahim Hura, as a senior operative who had assisted the other suspects.
The Palestinian
Health Ministry said three people were killed in the fighting but did not
immediately identify them.
The violence in
Nablus comes at a particularly sensitive time in the region, days after a
prominent Palestinian prisoner who was staging a lengthy hunger strike over his
detention died in Israeli custody. His death set off a volley of rockets from
militants in Gaza and airstrikes in the coastal enclave that killed one man.
The deadly
attack last month on the Israeli car shocked Israelis because in an instant it
reduced the Dee family from seven members to four. Hundreds of people packed
the funerals and the family’s father, Leo, has been a recurring figure in
Israeli media, saying he bears no hatred toward the killers of his family and
calling for national unity amid a deep societal rift.
Israel has been
staging near-nightly arrest raids into West Bank villages, towns and cities for
more than a year in an operation prompted by a wave of Palestinian attacks
against Israelis last year. Israel says the raids are meant to dismantle
militant networks and thwart future attacks. The Palestinians see the attacks
as further entrenchment of Israel’s 56-year, open-ended occupation of lands
they seek for a future independent state.
The raids have
been met by a surge in Palestinian attacks.
Some 250
Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the raids were launched.
Israel says most have been militants, but stone-throwing youth and people not
involved in the confrontations have also been killed.
During that
same time, nearly 50 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against
Israelis.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2297421/middle-east
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Deadly bus
crash with truck kills 14, injures 25 in Egypt
May 04, 2023
CAIRO: A passenger bus has slammed into a
slowly moving truck on a highway in southwestern Egypt, killing at least 14
people, officials and local media say.
The crash took
place late Wednesday in the New Valley province, according to its governor,
Mohamed El-Zamlout. Twenty-five others were injured, he added in a statement.
Seventeen
ambulances were dispatched to the accident scene to transfer victims to nearby
hospitals and morgues, he added.
The statement
did not elaborate what caused the crash.
A local daily,
El-Shorouk, quoted an unnamed official as saying that the bus slammed into the
truck which was “nearly parking” on the road. It reported that the bus was
carrying 45 people heading to the capital, Cairo.
Deadly traffic
accidents claim thousands of lives every year in Egypt, which has a poor
transportation safety record. The collisions are mostly caused by speeding, bad
roads or poor enforcement of traffic laws.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2297416/middle-east
--------
Sudan’s descent
into chaos shatters illusion of safety for war-weary Syrians
May 03, 2023
LONDON: From
the beginning of the protracted conflict pitting the regime against its
opponents, Syrians fled their country in droves. Some risked life and limb to
smuggle themselves and their families out of Syria over land, by sea, or any
other routes available to them.
Since 2014,
hundreds of thousands of Syrians from diverse ethnic backgrounds have managed
to escape the violence and atrocities of the civil war by moving to foreign
countries.
For Syrians who
had just begun to find a new, stable life in Sudan — where they had hoped that
violence and destruction would become a thing of the past — the eruption of
fighting, looting and displacement in the North African country seems proof
that the specter of war will follow them across borders.
On April 15, simmering enmity between the
Sudanese Armed Forces, commanded by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid
Support Forces, a paramilitary group headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, reached
boiling point.
Both sides
accused each other of starting the clashes that would soon overwhelm many of
Sudan’s cities and towns, and in particular, the capital Khartoum.
As the fighting
between the army and the RSF in Khartoum intensified, 15 Syrians were killed
within the first few days, according to diplomatic sources, and thousands found
themselves forced to flee their country of refuge.
“Displacement
is a word that has been haunting many Syrians of late,” Tarek Alabed, a Syrian
physician who used to live in Khartoum, told Arab News.
“A few days ago, I was forced to flee the
capital, Khartoum, to Port Sudan on the Red Sea in preparation for evacuation,”
he said, describing an “agonizing” scene there.
“Dozens of
buses arrived daily, carrying mostly Syrians.”
Referring to a
sight that saddened him, Alabed said: “Syrians accounted for the smallest
number of evacuees.”
According to
him, “only 40 out of over 2,000 people” boarding the ships on Friday were
Syrian.
“It was as if
war finds us wherever we go,” he said.
Syria’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement through the Syrian Arab News
Agency on April 26, saying that it was “following with great concern the
situation of Syrians residing in Sudan.”
The ministry
added that it had “made contacts with brotherly and friendly countries to
assist in the evacuation process,” highlighting that Saudi Arabia had enabled
the departure of hundreds of Syrians from the eastern city of Port Sudan.
“Not many
Syrians remain. Most of those whom I know have left,” said Ayham, a Syrian who
said he worked in foam manufacturing in Sudan and declined to be identified by
his full name.
Ayham, who arrived in Khartoum in 2017 along
with other young male compatriots trying to escape compulsory military service,
said many Syrians expect the situation to further deteriorate, leading to
massive waves of evacuees.
“The clashes
are taking place where the largest proportion of the Syrian community is
concentrated, such as the Kafouri district of Bahri, which has an RSF base,”
Ayham said.
“There is also
a substantial Syrian community in the Riyadh district, where clashes also
erupted, forcing most of them to vacate their homes.”
The Syrian
Embassy in Khartoum had estimated the Syrian population in Sudan at 30,000
people, the second largest non-Sudanese community, exceeded only by Yemenis,
according to Alabed, the physician.
He said that most Syrians resided in north
Khartoum and worked in the industrial, agricultural and investment sectors.
The shooting
did not stop even during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, despite humanitarian calls
for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire.
Though the
Syrian civil war has crossed the 12-year mark, Alabed said that when it comes
to terms such as “mortar shells,” “clashes,” “water-supply and power cuts,” and
“corpses on the roads,” “as Syrians we have not become inured to them. Still,
to relive those experiences is very painful – even for the Sudanese people.”
He continued:
“Although Sudan has a history of military confrontations, none of the clashes
in the past happened in the capital. This has been one of the worst experiences
we have lived through.”
The outbreak of violence on April 15 took
people in Khartoum by surprise. Reflecting on his experience, Alabed said: “In
many past periods, we had witnessed a kind of verbal tension between the two
parties to the conflict in Sudan, but those often ended when the parties held a
meeting. This happened only a day before the clashes began.
“It is true
that there were military reinforcements entering the capital and in Merowe in
the north, but people continued to live a normal life.
“The markets
remained open until late on that Ramadan night, but the next day, everyone woke
up to this unfortunate news.”
Syrians in
Khartoum could not be reached during the first few days of clashes owing to
power outages and internet connectivity issues.
“Khartoum today
is almost empty,” said Alabed. “Not only have foreigners vacated, but also
Sudanese people, (many of whom) have fled to distant, safer states.”
He said some were unable to leave due to a
lack of sufficient financial means and had to endure long hours of power cuts.
“We are (also)
approaching the third week of water cuts and the absence of basic goods and
services, which has caused a state of panic.”
As of Tuesday,
more than 500 people had been killed and another 4,000 wounded in the fighting,
according to Sudan’s health ministry. Foreign countries have been evacuating
their nationals over land, by sea and via special rescue flights amid the
violence and chaos.
Millions of
Sudanese, however, remain trapped in Khartoum, where food is running short.
More than 70 percent of the city’s health facilities have been forced to close
as a result of the fighting.
On Saturday Abdalla Hamdok, the former
Sudanese prime minister, said the conflict could become worse than those in
Syria and Libya, which have led to the deaths and displacement of hundreds of
thousands of people and caused instability in the wider regions.
“I think it
will be a nightmare for the world. This is not a war between an army and a
small rebellion. It is almost like two armies,” he said.
In an article
published on Saturday, the Norwegian Refugee Council described the situation in
Sudan as “the worst-case scenario,” noting that that fuel is running out, many
banks and shops have been robbed, and access to basic services, including
water, electricity, food and communication networks, are a challenge.
Ayham believes things are taking a turn for
the worse in Sudan “owing to the security chaos triggered by the political
developments,” adding that “gunpoint robberies are rife, and many Syrians have
been affected.”
Disruptions in
water and power supplies have compounded the problem of insecurity and
violence, forcing many bakeries in violence-torn areas to stay shut.
“Life in
general, in addition to the security situation, has become very difficult
within 10 days, so most Syrians either left for Port Sudan or fled to
neighboring states,” according to Ayham.
This is not the
first time that Syrians who have sought refuge in Sudan have packed their bags,
fearing unpleasant consequences — or, worse still, another war.
In the period
between the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011 and the overthrow of
longtime dictator Omar Al-Bashir in 2019, Sudan was a sanctuary for Syrians
fleeing violence and suffering and hoping to rebuild their livelihoods in a
distant country.
Between 2014
and 2019, Sudan welcomed some 300,000 Syrians, allowing them visa-free entry
and the rights to investment, education, healthcare and even citizenship. Local
media reported that 4,000 Syrians were granted Sudanese passports in 2016.
“Syrians started flocking to Sudan when many
embassies closed their doors to them,” Youssef, whose name has been changed for
security reasons, told Arab News from Damascus.
The attitude of
the Sudan government was in sharp contrast to that of even neighboring Lebanon,
where, according to Youssef, “the climate has been generally unwelcoming, and
the authorities require Syrians to have a sponsor after being in the country
for 15 days.”
However, when
Sudan’s transitional government took control in 2019, things changed for
Syrians, prompting thousands to leave, and an entry visa was imposed. Then,
following the military coup of 2021, “the number of Syrians in Sudan dropped
significant, to somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000,” said Ayham.
Traumatized by at least two experiences of war
and displacement, the Syrians fleeing Sudan because of the ongoing fighting are
not hopeful of returning any time soon.
“Unfortunately,
I do not believe there will be relief soon in Sudan, although I hope I am
wrong,” said Alabed, who came to Sudan after receiving a good job offer in the
medical field.
Explaining why
his prognosis about Sudan’s future is gloomy, he said: “I have recently started
to compare what is happening in Khartoum with the onset of the Lebanese civil
war of 1975. It turned out to be a prolonged conflict, and no side wanted to
end it.
Source: arabnews.com
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“Both sides
believe they can resolve the conflict, and, alas, civilians are the ones paying
the price.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2297291/middle-east
--------
Africa
Arab League,
African Union and UN intensify efforts for peace in Sudan
03-05-23
The head of the
Arab League held talks n Tuesday with a representative of Sudanese military
leader General Abdel Fattah Burhan at the organisation's headquarters in Cairo.
Speaking after
the meeting, Dafa’alla Al-Haj Ali said that the crisis in his homeland was an
"internal matter" and warned against any external interference.
“I am talking
to you now, and there are contacts regarding the completion of this truce, but
we want this truce to be with the participation of the political institutions
to which we belong, the first of which is the Arab League and also the African
Union, but that it takes place with their approval and in all its details, and
we do not accept anything imposed on us by whichever direction“, said Dafa’alla
Al-Haj Ali, special envoy of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, president of Sudan's
Sovereignty Council.
On Tuesday, the
African Union, in collaboration with the United Nations and IGAD, announced a
new concerted effort to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in Sudan
During the news
briefing at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, African Union
Commission Chairperson's chief of staff and AU's spokesperson for the Sudan
peace process Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt announced that the Union had agreed to
intensify towards a complete ceasefire in Sudan.
“We have agreed
on the necessity to intensify, collectively and individually, all our effort to
reach, as soon as possible, a complete and unconditional, efficient, inclusive
ceasefire all over Sudan. They (AU, IGAD, Ed.) agreed to intensify, by all
means, the effort to bring as soon as possible the humanitarian support for the
population inside Sudanese cities and all the borders of all neighbouring
countries where thousands of Sudanese have fled”, said the African Union
Commission Chairperson's chief of staff and AU's spokesperson for the Sudan
peace process Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt.
Thousands of
people have fled fierce fighting in central Khartoum for Sudan’s borders. Some
have been waiting for days in the open air to cross the Ashkit land crossing
into Egypt.
At least 447
civilians have been killed and more than 2,255 injured since the fighting
began, according to figures released on Monday by the Doctors’ Syndicate, which
tracks civilian casualties.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/03/arab-league-african-union-and-un-intensify-efforts-for-peace-in-sudan/
--------
Buhari has
taken Nigeria 100 years backward, says Buba Galadima
May 3, 2023
A chieftain of
the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Buba Galadima, has decried the
performance of President Muhammadu Buhari in the past seven years.
Mr Galadima,
who used to be a close ally of Mr Buhari, also claimed that the Nigerian leader
had taken the country 100 years backward.
Speaking during
an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Mr Galadima also disagreed with a
statement by a presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, who claimed that the
President would leave the country better off.
He said, “We
wished he had kept the country the way he met it. We would have applauded him
and even escorted him to Daura whenever he intends leaving office.
“The man has
taken Nigeria 100 years back, dividing Nigeria along religious lines, dividing
Nigeria along ethnic lines, crashing economic policies that had left the dollar
that he met at 157 naira per dollar, he is now leaving it at nearly eight
hundred. That is if you see the dollar to buy.
“Insecurity was
confined generally in the North-east except for some dark spots but today you
cannot travel to anywhere in Nigeria with your eyes closed. You have to spend
the night praying that God delivers you.
“Now if that is
the kind of Nigeria that Femi Adesina wants, then I pray to God to visit him
with what the common people suffer daily in Nigeria.
JaizBank
“My only regret
in this country is that Buhari has left Nigerian polity bedevilled by religious
and monetization issues which is worse than rigging because you can no more win
election on the basis of quality of service or credibility, basis of your pubic
service or the basis of what you had done but only on the basis of what you
have done.”
The NNPP
chieftain also accused religious leaders in the country of contributing to the
unsatisfactory outcome of the election.
“Of course, religious
leaders, both Christians and Muslims, were a disappointment during this
election.
“Instead of
preaching morality and telling Nigerians, that look this is what God expects
from a leader, they made themselves God, and thought they can install a leader
of their choice. They have utterly been disappointed,” he said.
He however,
advised the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to beware of people around him, who
would do anything to be in power.
Source: dailynigerian.com
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https://dailynigerian.com/buhari-nigeria-years/
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I see my role
as delivering hope for millions of people – Adesina
May 3, 2023
President of
the African Development Bank, AfDB, Group, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, says he sees
his role as the Bank’s President as delivering hope for millions of people.
Mr Adesina made
the remark while addressing Class of 2023 at Calvin University, Michigan, USA.
He said: “In
the past seven years, our work has impacted the lives of 350 million people. I
am excited that we have helped to connect 20 million people to electricity.
“On a field
trip to one of the project villages in Kenya not too long ago, I met one of our
beneficiaries. Her name is Grace. She was very excited.
“When she was
asked whether she knew AfDB President (that is myself), she said, I do not know
the President, I do not even know the AfDB; all I know is that we once were in
darkness, now we have light!”
“That is a
lesson there! Let your works and good deeds impact the lives of people,
especially those who will never know you.”
According to Mr
Adesina, the bank is building a Desert to Power initiative, a 25 billion
dollars investment to harness the power of the sun and deliver electricity for
250 million people.
He said when
completed, it would be the largest solar zone in the world, adding that ”it
will be a spark of hope for millions more like Grace”.
Mr Adesina
said: “Class of 2023, the present and the future belong to your generation.
Your creativity and dynamism will make a difference for good.
“In front of me
today, I see builders and shapers of hope. You have been well prepared to go
into the world to be the change makers. You have received a world class
education.
“You have been
exposed to great ideas, and you’ve worked alongside faculty and students from
all around the world.
“You are ready
and the world awaits you! A world that faces new challenges, many of them
happening simultaneously.”
Source: dailynigerian.com
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https://dailynigerian.com/role-delivering-hope-millions/
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Hundreds of
thousands try to flee Sudan as fighting continues
04-05-23
The U.N.'s
humanitarian chief arrived at Sudan’s main seaport on Wednesday, as thousands
of Sudanese and foreign nationals gathered there in hopes of fleeing by plane
or boat.
The battle for
control of Sudan erupted after months of escalating tensions between the
military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and a rival paramilitary group
called the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
On Wednesday
Martin Griffiths, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and
emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations, tweeted that he had spoken
with both leaders.
His arrival in
the Red Sea port came on the last day of a shaky truce, meant to expire at
midnight, that has done little to quell the fighting.
It also comes
amid increasing concern about the humanitarian situation for those trapped and
displaced by the fighting, which is the result of a power struggle between the
country's two top generals. But questions remain over how U.N. agencies can
operate with limited staff and supplies amid the chaos.
More than a
week after the brutal fighting erupted in the country's capital on Khartoum on
April 15, thousands of U.N. workers were evacuated from the city by way of a
land convoy to Port Sudan. Some U.N. offices paused their services, such as the
World Food Programme, after two of its workers were killed in fighting in
southern Sudan. The WFP has since said it will resume operations.
At a news
conference from Port Sudan, Griffiths said he is seeking guarantees from the
warring sides for the safe passage of humanitarian aid. He addressed criticism
that the U.N. had not been doing enough by saying it was “extremely difficult”
for it to operate in Sudan.
Six trucks
belonging to the World Food Program carrying aid to the western region of
Darfur were looted on the road, he said, and singled out Darfur and Khartoum as
badly in need of assistance.
“It’s not as if
we’re asking for the moon," Griffiths said in the online briefing.
"We’re asking for the movement of humanitarian supplies and people. We do
this in every other country, even without cease-fires.”
The conflict
has so far killed 550 people, including civilians, and wounded more than 4,900.
The fighting has displaced at least 334,000 people inside Sudan, and sent tens
of thousands more to neighbouring countries — Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, the
Central African Republic and Ethiopia, according to U.N. agencies.
More than
42,000 Sudanese who fled the war in their country have crossed into Egypt along
with 2,300 foreign nationals since the crisis began, according to the U.N.
refugee agency. Aid workers are increasingly concerned about lack of basic
services in these areas, and also in Port Sudan, some 400 kilometres from
Khartoum.
Many Western
countries have completed evacuations for their citizens from the country, with
France, Britain and now the United States using Port Sudan as a base for those
looking to leave. But citizens of other nations are still struggling to find a
way out.
An estimated
hundreds of Syrians, who came to Sudan fleeing their own country's civil war
over the past decade, are among the last foreigners to leave.
Tariq Abdel-Hameed,
a Syrian in Port Sudan, said a second Damascus-bound flight with a around 200
Syrians mostly pregnant women and sick people, is scheduled to take off from
Port Sudan later Wednesday.
He said the
first flight landed in the Syrian capital early Wednesday, with some 200
people, including 21 children, on board. He said more flights are scheduled in
the coming days.
For thousands
of Sudanese and foreigners flocking to Port Sudan, the city was the last stop
before leaving the country. Saudi warships have been ferrying mainly foreigners
but also dual Sudanese nationals and others across the Red Sea to the city of
Jeddah in the kingdom.
“It feels
really sad to be leaving behind a part of your life,” said Saadiya Abdulrahman,
a Sudanese-American woman from Khartoum, while waiting with her daughter for
their turn to board a Saudi vessel on Tuesday night. When their turn came, the
two first boarded a tugboat with dozens of others, to take them to the Saudi
ship.
“Khartoum has
become like a ghost town in some neighbourhoods because of all the
destruction,” said Salah Suleiman, a Sudanese from Khartoum who was among those
sailing to Jeddah.
The damage was
already evident last week when a local news outlet tweeted a video showing the
aftermath of fighting in the Shambat area of Khartoum.
And on
Wednesday, the fighting continued in and around Khartoum. Clouds of smoke were
seen over areas of active fighting, and residents-hiding in their homes-still
heard sounds of explosions, with the battles still seemingly centred around key
government buildings, such as the Presidential Palace.
There were also
increasing signs of lawlessness in many of the city's neighbourhoods, with
reports that more diplomatic facilities were being targeted. Armed men stormed
the building housing the office of Saudi Arabia’s cultural attaché in Sudan,
the kingdom said Wednesday.
A statement on
the state-run Saudi Press Agency said an armed group “destroyed equipment and
cameras, seized some of attaché's property and disrupted the attaché’s systems and
servers.”
Source: africanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/03/hundreds-of-thousands-try-to-flee-sudan-as-fighting-continues/
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Sahel region
singled out on World Press Freedom Day
03-05-23
On World Press
Freedom Day the journalists' rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was
concerned the Sahel region is in danger of becoming "Africa's biggest news
blackout zone."
In a gloomy
report published a month ago, Reporters Without Borders denounced a
"constant deterioration" in the working conditions of the local and
international press in the Sahel.
Thirty media
outlets, journalists' associations and freedom of expression organisations on
Wednesday called on the ruling juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso to protect
journalists in the face of growing threats.
Mali and
Burkina have been ruled by juntas since 2020 and 2022 respectively.
The 2023
edition of the World Press Freedom Report points in particular to the effects
of disinformation.
Christophe
Deloire, the Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, pointed to leaders
of digital platforms, such as Twitter's owner Elon Musk, who he said are not
concerned whether the information they distribute false or accurate.
"Reliable
information is being drowned out by a deluge of disinformation," says Mr.
Deloire, according to whom "we can perceive less and less the differences
between the real and the artificial, the true and the false.
"One of
the major challenges is to put democratic principles back into this gigantic
market of attention and content," he says.
In two thirds
of the 180 countries evaluated, the specialists who contribute to the ranking
"report the involvement of political actors" in "massive
disinformation or propaganda campaigns", according to RSF.
This is the
case of Russia, India, China and Mali.
Another
phenomenon is fake content created by artificial intelligence (AI).
Political
propaganda, economic manipulation, false content generated by artificial
intelligence: disinformation in the broadest sense is a major threat to press
freedom worldwide warns in its 21st annual ranking.
"Midjourney,
an AI that generates very high definition images, feeds social networks with
increasingly plausible fakes", underlines RSF, citing false photos of
Donald Trump's arrest "taken up virally".
We are also
witnessing "large-scale manipulative productions" by specialised
companies, on behalf of governments or companies.
In February, a
vast investigation by the investigative journalist collective Forbidden Stories
revealed the activities of an Israeli company called "Team Jorge"
that specialises in disinformation.
All these
"unprecedented manipulation capacities are used to weaken those who embody
quality journalism, at the same time as they weaken journalism itself",
warns RSF.
Without change,
the best rated country is Norway and the last one is North Korea. France is
24th and gains two places. Overall, the conditions for practicing journalism
are poor in 7 out of 10 countries.
Source: africanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/03/sahel-region-singled-out-on-world-press-freedom-day/
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Southeast
Asia
Nazri says
ouster rumours make foreign investors wary of Malaysia
By Shathana
Kasinathan
Thursday, 04
May 2023
KUALA LUMPUR,
May 4 — Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United States (US) Datuk Seri Mohamed
Nazri Abdul Aziz said that any attempt to topple the government of the day will
make it difficult for ambassadors to court foreign investors because the latter
will have the impression that the country is unstable.
According to
Astro Awani, Nazri said that it is the duty of ambassadors to help the
government to convince investors and bring more investment to Malaysia.
He said that a
country’s stability is a key concern for foreign investors.
“I fully
support the decree of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar regarding
the importance of maintaining the stability of the government.
“I am speaking
in my capacity as ambassador to the US, not as a politician.
“I believe
Malaysian ambassadors in other countries are also worried if there is an attempt
to overthrow the government because the country will be seen as unstable, and
investors will not be interested in coming to our country,” he was quoted as
saying by the news portal.
Nazri also said
that he has met many of the Malaysian diaspora in the US who fully support
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to eliminate corruption.
He said that
most want the current government to see its five-year term through to ensure
stability.
“These people,
even though they are abroad, still care about Malaysia’s stability.
“Everyone I met
supports the prime minister’s efforts to eliminate corruption.
“In fact, some
alleged that the reason why MPs want to topple the government of the day is
because they are the ones who are involved in corruption cases,” he was quoted
as saying.
Following that,
he advised MPs to respect the unity government that was decided by Yang
di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
He stressed
that MPs need to prove their loyalty to the Agong by working together to
maintain the stability of the country and not topple the government.
“We must
remember that the current government was formed according to the Federal
Constitution after no party or coalition was able to establish a government on
its own.
“So, the Yang
di-Pertuan Agong has carried out his duties according to the Constitution by
advising a unity government to be established and appointing Anwar as the prime
minister.
“MPs need to
prove to the people that they obey and uphold the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong who wants a stable government,” he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.
Yesterday,
Sultan Ibrahim voiced his concern following persistent rumours of the
government’s alleged instability despite six months having passed following the
conclusion of the 15th general election (GE15).
Sultan Ibrahim
decreed that the country’s people, economy, well-being and prosperity should be
prioritised.
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/04/nazri-says-ouster-rumours-make-foreign-investors-wary-of-malaysia/67615
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S.Korea,
Indonesia to seek stronger economic ties, push for green growth
2023-05-03
Seoul, May 3
(IANS) South Korea and Indonesia agreed on Wednesday to expand economic ties
amid the realignment of the global supply chain and seek growth based on green
technologies, the finance ministry said.
The agreement
came as Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho met his Indonesian counterpart, Sri Mulyani
Indrawati, onthe margins of the 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors
of the Asian Development Bank held in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, the
Ministry of Economy and Finance said.
During the
meeting, Choo noted South Korean companies have invested in a diverse range of
sectors in Indonesia, including the automobile, battery and petrochemical
industries, Yonhap news agency reported.
He requested
Jakarta continue its efforts to address possible economic challenges for Korean
companies, such as lowering tariffs for raw materials.
The two
countries also agreed to expand cooperation in the green sector by utilizing
South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund commitment to Indonesia.
Last year,
South Korea decided to more than double the ceiling on the low-interest rate
loans to Indonesia to US$1.5 billion over the 2022-26 period, compared with the
previous $600 million set aside for 2016-21.
First Vice
Finance Minister Bang Ki-sun, meanwhile, held a separate meeting with Bambang
Susantono, who heads Indonesia's ministry-level organization tasked with the
Southeast Asian nation's envisioned relocation of its capital from Jakarta to
Nusantara.
During the
meeting, Bang requested Indonesia give attention and support to South Korean
firms wishing to participate in the infrastructure projects needed for the
relocation.
Indonesia plans
to invest around 40 trillion won ($29.9 billion) for the relocation, which is
expected to be completed in 2045.
South Korea and
Indonesia celebrate their 50th anniversary of forging diplomatic ties this
year.
Source: investing.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://in.investing.com/news/skorea-indonesia-to-seek-stronger-economic-ties-push-for-green-growth-3626751
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Agong, Raja
Permaisuri wish Buddhists ‘Happy Wesak Day’
Thursday, 04
May 2023
KUALA LUMPUR,
May 4 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa
Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah
today wished the Buddhists in the country a Happy Wesak Day.
A poster of the
greetings by Their Majesties was uploaded on Istana Negara’s Facebook.
“May this
festival brings peace, happiness and prosperity to all Buddhists,” said Their
Majesties.
Wesak Day is celebrated
by Buddhists to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama
Buddha. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/04/agong-raja-permaisuri-wish-buddhists-happy-wesak-day/67576
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Bring up Borneo
Aviation Authority proposal to Cabinet, says Zahid
Thursday, 04
May 2023
KOTA KINABALU:
The proposal to establish a Borneo Aviation Authority for Sabah and Sarawak
should be brought to the Cabinet, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy
Prime Minister said this proposal should be handled and followed up by the
minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is
also Papar MP.
“I think on
this issue, I hope the minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak, who is also the
MP for Papar, will bring it to the Cabinet,” he said when asked about the
proposal by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan amid
high prices of air tickets during holidays.
Ahmad Zahid
said this during his visit to Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Kota Kinabalu, which has
since been renamed MRSM Tan Sri Musa Aman Kota Kinabalu, on Thursday (May 4).
Last week,
Jeffrey had made the suggestion to resolve "expensive and unreasonable"
airfares faced by people in the two states.
He said the
time has come to establish a body to regulate and look after the aviation
industry in Sabah and Sarawak and that there have been reports of issues and
delays in the handling of aviation matters in Sabah by the Civil Aviation
Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
Earlier, Ahmad
Zahid said efforts are being made to look into the extravagant airfare issue
for travels between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, especially during
festive and holiday seasons.
Among them were
discussions for the setting up of boutique airways not only between Sabah and
Sarawak, but also for travels from these two states to the peninsula.
He said the
Transport Ministry is also having negotiations with airline companies on
whether it was possible to not take supply and demand reasonings to set
airfares.
“I hope for the
coming Kaamatan and Gawai festivals, we will not see this issue arise again and
we will be monitoring the situation,” Ahmad Zahid said.
He said he had
taken note of grouses by Sabahans and Sarawakians about high airfares during
festive seasons, like the Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“We at the
federal level are very much concerned about these issues and are finding ways
to resolve them,” he added.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/05/04/bring-up-borneo-aviation-authority-proposal-to-cabinet-says-zahid
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URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/rss-vedic-hindutva-bangladesh-muslim/d/129702