‘2047 India towards Rule of Islamic India’: Terror Module Planning To Target PM Modi Busted; Terrorists Being Trained In Phulwari Sharif, Patna
New Age Islam News Bureau
14 July 2022
Police recovered documents titled ‘2047 India Towards
Rule of Islamic India’
-----
• Biden Lays Wreath at Israel’s Holocaust Memorial
• US Invites Family of Slain Journalist Abu Akleh to
Washington: Official
• Hezbollah Chief Vows ‘No One’ Will Extract Oil From
Maritime Zones If Lebanon Barred
• Togo Experts Aim to Prevent Islamist Insurgents from
Recruiting Youth
India
• Gyanvapi Case: Petitioners Rely On SC Ruling on
Namaz, Tell Court 1991 Act Not Applicable
• Bihar ABVP Man Gets Death Threat from Purported
Islamic Extremist; Lodges FIR
• With ‘Bulldozer-Shaped Kanwar’, Meerut’s Hindus and
Muslims Want To Send A Message Against ‘Divisive Politics’
• Plea challenging Places of Worship Act
‘mischievous’: AIMPLB to Supreme Court
• Gyanvapi case: Plaintiffs don’t seek possession of
mosque property, contends lawyer
• Is Yogi 2.0 all about bulldozers & anti-Muslim
politics? View inside govt is just the opposite
• Sunday holiday restored in schools in
Muslim-majority areas of Jharkhand
• Srinagar: Islamic State claims involvement in cop
murder
• Another batch of 21 Afghan Sikhs, Hindus to land in
Delhi today
• Karnataka Hijab ban: Supreme Court to list appeals
against HC verdict
• Supreme Court denies blanket stay on demolition
drives
--------
Mideast
• US, Israel to Sign Joint Pledge on Denying Nuclear
Weapon To Iran
• Iran Urges S. Korea to Immediately Release Frozen
Assets
• President Rayeesi Underscores Iran's Resolve to
Stand Firm in Talks with World Powers
• Iran Dismisses France's Threat of Deadline in Talks
• Security Forces Dismantle Terror Group in Northwest
of Iran
• Iran, Russia Seeking Further Increase Cooperation in
Nuclear Industry
• Iran demands ‘strong’ economic guarantees to revive
2015 nuclear deal: Minister
• Biden arrives in Israel at start of Mideast tour
--------
North America
• White House would like East Jerusalem consulate, but
talks ongoing: Official
• US, Israel announce new tech partnership in health,
climate
• US President Joe Biden says still committed to
restoring Iran nuclear deal
• Biden vows to keep IRGC on terror list, says using
force against Iran is possible: Israeli TV
--------
Arab World
• Beirut port blast victims’ families file lawsuit in
US
• President Sheikh Mohamed says UAE will continue to
support global energy security
• Russia highly values cooperation with Saudi Arabia
in OPEC+: Kremlin spokesman
• Egypt’s Sisi, Saudi king hold talks ahead of Biden’s
visit
--------
Africa
• Muslim-Muslim ticket is work of God, says Adamu as
Ganduje tackles ex-SGF
• Muslim-Muslim ticket will plunge Nigeria into chaos,
Kaduna PFN warns
• Lagos Assembly clarifies secret passage of Sharia
Bill
• Ignore religion or Muslim, Christian agitation, vote
competence – Akeredolu
• Head of Libya’s National Oil Corp ignores government
order firing him
--------
Europe
• Dutch Journalist Says She Was Deported From Iraqi
Kurdistan
• Swedish court verdict in Iran prison executions
trial due Thursday
• Iran says in talks with Belgium for release of
diplomat convicted of terrorism
• EU welcomes UN bid to extend cross-border aid to NW
Syria
--------
Pakistan
• UNGA to Continue UNSC Reform; Pakistan Urges for
Reconciliation of Divergent Stands
• Pakistan court bars Army from claiming ownership of
state land
• IMF says staff-level agreement reached with Pakistan
for release of $1.17bn loan tranche
• PML-Q strives to bring Imran, powers that be on
‘same page’
• Imran Khan urges voters to protect Pakistan from
‘American slaves’ on July 17
• Saudi crown prince ‘accepts’ Sharif’s invitation to
visit Pakistan
--------
South Asia
• Uzbekistan to Host 2-Day Conference on Afghanistan
• 4 Cholera-Related Deaths Reported in Southern
Afghanistan
• Flight from Pakistan Takes 181 Afghans to the
Netherlands
• Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund Receives $2.2 Million
Contribution from Switzerland: OCHA
• Afghanistan: Taliban bars humanitarian aid from
entering Bamyan province
--------
Southeast Asia
• Amid ‘Haj Cartel’ Claims, MACC Chief Says Yet To Get
Complaints about Tabung Haji
• Moderate the hours for religious studies in primary
schools
• Family livid over decision to appeal RM3.1mil award
in botched circumcision case
• Tajuddin will clarify envoy status, says PM
• Ramasamy not entitled to raise public interest
issues, says Naik
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
‘2047 India towards Rule of Islamic India’: Terror
Module Planning To Target PM Modi Busted; Terrorists Being Trained In Phulwari
Sharif, Patna
Police recovered documents titled ‘2047 India Towards
Rule of Islamic India’
-----
Rohit Kumar Singh
Patna
July 14, 2022
A suspected terrorist module has been busted in Patna
and two suspected terrorists have been arrested. According to cops, the module
was planning to make India an Islamic nation by 2047. There was also a plot to
target Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit on July 12.
The arrested duo was identified as Athar Parvez and Md
Jalaluddin.
The suspected terrorists were being trained in
Phulwari Sharif 15 days ahead of PM Modi’s visit. They held meetings on July 6
and 7 to plot ways to target PM Modi. The Bihar Police conducted raids at the
Phulwari Sharif office of the suspected terrorists.
During the raid, the police found incriminating
documents, one of them titled — ‘2047 India towards Rule of Islamic India’.
25 PFI pamphlets were also recovered from them.
The Intelligence Bureau got information that a
possible terrorist module was operating in the Phulwari Sharif area of Patna,
after which police and central agencies raided the Naya Tola area on July 11
and arrested both the suspected terrorists.
Investigations revealed that most of the youths who
visited the place used to come from Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu and many other states to take training in terror plotting.
Police have revealed that the arrested duo used to get
money funding from many Islamic countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and
Turkey to run anti-national campaigns while staying in the country.
Retd Cop Among Arrested
"The arrested persons have been identified as
Mohammad Jallauddin, a retired Jharkhand police officer, and Athar Parvez. They
have links with PFI. Jallauddin was earlier associated with Students' Islamic
Movement of India (SIMI)," Phulwari Sharif Assistant Superintendent of
Police (ASP) Manish Kumar said.
"They were teaching locals how to use swords and
knives and also instigating them for communal violence. An investigation has
revealed that people from other states were visiting them in Patna. Those
visitors used to change their names while staying in hotels in the Bihar
capital to conceal their identities," he said.
Source: India Today
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original story:
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Biden Lays Wreath at Israel’s Holocaust Memorial
Israeli Prime Minister
Yair Lapid, US President Joe Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog attend a
memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust
Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem, on July 13, 2022. (Reuters)
-----
13 July, 2022
President Joe Biden visited Israel’s national
Holocaust memorial Wednesday to pay his respects to the six million Jews killed
by Nazi Germany and collaborators during World War II.
During his stop at Yad Vashem, Biden rekindled the
eternal flame of remembrance, laid a wreath and met with two Holocaust
survivors -- Rena Quint, 86, and Giselle Cycowicz, 95. A children’s choir sang
a poem by Hannah Szenes, a female Jewish resistance fighter who was captured by
the Nazis in Hungary and executed at the age of 23.
During the wreath laying, Biden held his hand over his
heart.
Biden stood solemnly throughout the ceremony but grew
animated during his chat with the two women. He listened closely while kneeling
on one knee, held their hands, smiled and gave each woman a kiss.
As he wrapped the 10-minute meeting, he said to one of
the women. “My mother would say, ‘God love you dear. God love you.’”
Biden was joined by Prime Minister Yair Lapid and
Defense Minister Benny Gantz, both of whom are children of Holocaust survivors.
Israel was established as a sanctuary for Jews in 1948
in the wake of the Holocaust. About 165,000 survivors live in Israel, and Yad
Vashem is a standard stop for visiting world leaders.
Source: Al Arabiya
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original story:
--------
US Invites
Family of Slain Journalist Abu Akleh to Washington: Official
People
light candles during a vigil in memory of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu
Akleh (REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma/File Photo)
----
13 July,
2022
US
President Joe Biden’s administration has invited relatives of slain Al Jazeera
journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to Washington, an American official said
Wednesday, as Biden arrived in Israel.
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken “has invited the family to the United States to be able
to sit down and engage with him directly,” Biden’s National Security Advisor
Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One, which later touched down in
Israel shortly past 1200 GMT.
Abu
Akleh, a Palestinian-American, was killed while covering an Israeli army raid
in the occupied West Bank in May.
The
United Nations has concluded the Palestinian-American journalist was killed by
Israeli fire.
Washington
has agreed this was likely, but also said there was no evidence the killing was
intentional.
Abu
Akleh’s family has voiced outrage over the Biden administration’s “abject
response” to her death.
Lina
Abu Akleh, Shireen’s niece, confirmed she had spoken to Blinken on Wednesday.
“We
got a call a few hours ago, around noon-time and we reiterated our demands and
our request to meet the president on his arrival” in Jerusalem, she told AFP.
She
said the family voiced its “disappointment” with Washington’s July 4 statement
on Abu Akleh’s killing that appeared to clear Israeli forces of intentional
wrongdoing.
Blinken
gave no indication as to whether the family would meet a top US official while
Biden’s delegation was in Jerusalem, Lina Abu Akleh said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Hezbollah
Chief Vows ‘No One’ Will Extract Oil From Maritime Zones If Lebanon Barred
Photo
REUTERS
----
14 July,
2022
The
head of Hezbollah warned on Wednesday that “no one” would be allowed to operate
in maritime oil and gas fields if Lebanon was barred from its “rights” in
extracting from areas off of its own coast.
“If
you don’t give us the rights that our state is asking for ... then we could
flip the table on everyone,” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised
address.
“If
you want to get to a formula where this country is barred from taking advantage
(of these fields), then no one will be allowed to extract gas or oil and no one
will be able to sell gas or oil,” Nasrallah said.
Lebanon
is locked in US-mediated negotiations with Israel to delineate a shared
maritime border that would help determine which oil and gas resources belong to
which country.
Israel
has already begun work at the Karish oil field through a vessel operated by
London-based Energean.
On
July 2, Hezbollah launched three unarmed drones towards the vessel, which
Israel intercepted.
Nasrallah
said it was the “first time” such an attack had taken place and that it was
meant to alert workers aboard the vessel that it “is not a safe area.”
He
hinted at further attacks, saying his group has military capacities on land, in
the air and at sea, and could deploy a “large number” of weaponised drones
simultaneously.
Nasrallah
threatened “Karish and beyond Karish,” echoing a statement he made a few weeks
before a month-long conflict with Israel in 2006 when he threatened “Haifa and
beyond Haifa.”
The
group subsequently launched rocket attacks on Haifa. Wednesday marked the
16-year anniversary of the start of the 2006 conflict.
Nasrallah
also insisted that Lebanon had a “golden opportunity” in the next two months to
secure its maritime rights before Israel completed work at Karish.
He
urged Lebanese officials use his group as leverage, saying Hezbollah was
Lebanon’s “only strong point.”
“The
resistance is telling you, make use of me. Take advantage of me... Tell the
Americans that these guys don’t answer to anyone, they’re uncontrollable – say
whatever you want. Say it,” Nasrallah said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Togo
Experts Aim to Prevent Islamist Insurgents from Recruiting Youth
Photo:
VOA News
----
July
13, 2022
LOME,
TOGO —
Authorities
in Togo are working to prevent their small, West African nation from becoming
the next country in the region to struggle with a violent, spreading, Islamist insurgency.
Saturday’s
deadly explosion could mark a turning point if it’s confirmed that the seven
minors killed were the first civilian casualties in the conflict.
Togo’s
military did not immediately confirm the cause but local media reported the
victims were killed when an improvised explosive device went off.
In
June, Togo declared a state of emergency in its northern Savanes Region after
Islamist militants attacked near the border with Burkina Faso in May, killing
eight troops and wounding 13.
They
were the first recorded deaths from terrorism in Togo, a country of 8 million
people wedged between Ghana and Benin on the West African coast.
An
al-Qaida-affiliated group fighting in Burkina Faso and Mali claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Recruiting
But
Togo authorities are also concerned that Islamists are recruiting disaffected
youth for domestic terrorism and have formed the Inter-ministerial Committee
for the Prevention and Fight Against Violent Extremism (CIPLEV).
Ouro-Bossi
Tchacondoh, the committee’s rapporteur, said the group exists to capitalize on
the thoughts and requests of the local population. He said it centralizes
information and sends it to a committee of ministries that analyzes it and
delivers its conclusions to the government. He said his group aims to find and
study the vulnerabilities that can attract citizens or, more specifically,
young people to violent extremism.
While
there are no confirmed reports of Togolese being recruited by insurgents,
analysts say dealing with the emergence of terrorism means going beyond
security operations.
Michel
Douti, an independent security expert working with Togo’s committee against
extremism, said Togolese security forces have the men and the women necessary
for the fight against violent extremism. But no country in the world is immune
to this phenomenon, Douti said. More important, he said, is the collaboration
between security forces and the local population.
Aid
groups, including religious ones, are also looking at ways to prevent Togolese
youth from being recruited.
Initiatives
for youths
Stanislas
Namitchougli, who is with the Episcopal Council for Peace and Justice in
Dapaong, northern Togo, said the council has initiatives that help young people
avoid being influenced by extremist groups. He said they are working with the
U.S.-based Catholic Relief Services on a study that shows how youth might join
these groups because of lack of jobs or education.
Namitchougli
said they are also trying to build some basic infrastructure like markets and
schools to give economic opportunities to youth considered prone to violent
extremism.
Security
experts on Africa’s Sahel region note that Islamist violence has been
spreading, despite security crackdowns, including by neighboring military
governments in Burkina Faso and Mali.
Jeannine
Ella Abatan, a researcher on violent extremism and security in the Sahel at the
Dakar office of the Institute for Security Studies, said, "This already
shows the capacity of violent extremist groups to actually stage attacks in those
countries to instrumentalize the porosity of borders to go to those countries
but also pose explosive devices.
"In
Benin we have a number of attacks with improvised explosive devices. But beyond
these attacks, at the ISS, what we’ve been doing is actually to look at the
extension of violent extremism beyond what we see as attacks, because for us
that is only the tip of the iceberg.”
The
Togolese government is also working with Western partners and Gulf states to
train their military and fund projects to help locals.
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
India
Gyanvapi case: Petitioners rely on SC ruling on namaz, tell court 1991 Act not
applicable
July
14, 2022
Relying
on a 1994 ruling of the Supreme Court, which held that it is not mandatory for
Muslims to offer prayers in a mosque, advocates for the petitioners from Hindu
side on Wednesday told a Varanasi court that the Places of Worship Act, 1991,
does not apply in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case while arguing
for the right to offer prayers in the mosque premises.
District
Judge A K Vishvesh is hearing a plea filed by Rakhi Singh and four other women
from the Hindu community. The petitioners have sought the court’s nod to
worship Maa Shringar Gauri, a deity understood to be within the Gyanvapi mosque
premises, every day.
In
the 1994 ruling — Ismail Faruqi versus Union of India — the apex court held
that a mosque is not an “essential part of the practice of the religion of
Islam”, and that namaz can be offered anywhere.
Responding
to the plea in Varanasi court, the Muslim petitioners had argued that the plea
is not maintainable, as the Places of Worship Act, 1991, prohibits conversion
of any place of worship and mandates maintenance of the religious character of
any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.
The
Hindu side, however, argued that the Places of Worship Act will not apply in
the present case.
“…it
is relevant to mention that the principle of ‘first in existence’ or ‘prior in
existence’ is the paramount consideration for determining the right of worship
at a particular place where two communities are claiming right to worship,” the
Hindu side argued.
While
hearing the Gyanvapi issue in May, the Supreme Court had said that the court
will have to consider various nuances of the Act, including ascertainment of
the religious character of a place.
“But
the ascertainment of a religious character of a place, as a processual
instrument, may not necessarily fall foul of the provisions of Sections 3 and 4
(of the Act)… These are matters which we will not hazard an opinion in our
order at all,” Justice D Y Chandrachud had said while hearing the Gyanvapi
issue.
“All
the more reason why, on the basis of evidence… let’s allow” the proceedings, he
had noted.
In
the present case before the district judge, the Hindu side is trying to
establish a case through evidence to ascertain the real religious character of
Gyanvapi mosque.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bihar
ABVP Man Gets Death Threat from Purported Islamic Extremist; Lodges FIR
13th
July 2022
BHAGALPUR:
An office bearer of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bihar on
Wednesday lodged a complaint with the police about a death threat he received
from a purported Islamic extremist.
Bhagalpur
city Superintendent of Police Swarn Kant said an FIR has been registered on the
basis of a complaint received from Kunal Pandey, co-convenor of the ABVP for
the Bhagalpur-Banka region.
Pandey
told reporters that the letter was delivered by the postal department at his
house in a village falling under Jagdishpur panchayat of Bhagalpur district.
Waving
a copy of the two-page letter, Pandey said the sender had "expressed
outrage that I had been speaking in favour of a temple at Gyanvapi in Varanasi
and against the killing of Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal".
Gyanvapi
Mosque is adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
It
is alleged that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb demolished the temple to build the
mosque in the 16th century.
Two
men beheaded Kanhaiya Lal at his shop in Rajasthan's Udaipur on June 28 and
posted videos online saying they are avenging an insult to Islam.
They
were arrested.
"The
sender (of the letter) has also given his name and address and claims to be
associated with Ghazwa e Hind Islam," said Pandey.
The
name of the purported jihadi organisation is drawn from a phrase disputably
attributed to Prophet Muhammad which is used in the propaganda around
"India's Islamization".
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
With
‘bulldozer-shaped kanwar’, Meerut’s Hindus and Muslims want to send a message
against ‘divisive politics’
by
Amit Sharma
July
14, 2022
Hindu
and Muslim families in Meerut’s Sadar area have come together to make a
bulldozer-shaped kanwar for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra, which is beginning from
July 14.
The
15-feet tall and 75-kilo heavy kanwar is being made at an estimated cost of Rs
45,000. It will be taken to Haridwar on a specially decorated truck to bring
the holy water from the Ganga river. “We have decided to prepare the bulldozer
kanwar this year because, in the second stint of Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath, this heavy machine has emerged as a powerful tool to teach lessons to
criminals and those working to drive a wedge between the two communities,” said
Abhishek Agarwal, the founder of the Om Shiv Mahakaal Sewa Samiti, which is
co-funding the bulldozer kanwar .
According
to Ashraf Khan, a resident of the Sadar, Hindu and Muslim families in the area
have been jointly making kanwars for the last 10 years and so. “None of us do
this job for monetary gains. The joint show by both the communities during
Kanwar Yatra is a loud message for those political parties, which always try to
sow the seeds of communal disharmony for political gains,” said Ashraf.
Rajpal
Singh, the chief of the Samajwadi Party’s Meerut unit, said that the message
from the people of Sadar is loud and clear against the divisive politics of the
BJP and its allied outfits. “The UP government has banned the sale of meat in
open along the Kanwar Yatra route. It is nothing but a clear message to a
particular community that they are being discriminated on communal lines… Over
the years, Kanwar Yatras were being taken out in a cordial atmosphere. But the
decision of the BJP CM is a deterrent to the amity,” Singh said.
During
the Bakrid namaz at the Shahi Idgah in Meerut last week, Shahr Quazi Jainus
Sajjidin called for “extinguishing the fire of hatred with the water of mutual
respect to each other”.
“Our
Constitution has guaranteed equal rights to people of all castes and creeds,
but unfortunately those commandments are being ignored, which is pushing our
country to the precipice of turmoil,” said the Shahr Quazi.
“Do
not get swayed by those who fan the politics of communal hatred. Stay calm and
watchful because nothing lasts forever,” Maulana Wasim Abbas had said during
the Bakrid namaz on Sunday.
Meanwhile,
a local BJP leader defended the government’s decision to ban the sale of meat
along the Kanwar Yatra route.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Plea
challenging Places of Worship Act ‘mischievous’: AIMPLB to Supreme Court
Jul
14, 2022
By
Abraham Thomas
The
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has approached the Supreme Court
to become party to a petition that challenges the validity of a three-decade
old law which prohibits filing lawsuits to reclaim any place of worship
existing as on the date when Indian became independent, except ‘Ram
Janmabhoomi’ at Ayodhya.
The
validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 is pending a
challenge in the top court based on a petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The SC issued a notice on the
petition on March 12 last year seeking response from the Centre after Upadhyay
alleged that the law violated Article 25 (right to practice and propagate
religion) and Article 26 (right to manage religious affairs) of the
Constitution, besides being discriminatory to religious communities by barring
them from approaching courts to restore their places of worship. It even
questioned the Centre’s power to enact such legislation.
Terming
such a petition “mischievous”, the AIMPLB moved an application last week in
Upadhyay’s petition, claiming that the Act was brought by Parliament to put an
end to “ancient and stale claims” relating to places of worship, and maintain
public peace, tranquility and strengthen secularism.
“To
rake up issues relating to conversion of places of worship is fraught with dire
consequences of the breach of public order and disturbance of public tranquility
and peace,” the AIMPLB application, filed through advocate MR Shamshad, read.
Referring
to the communal riots that took place in Mumbai after the Babri Masjid
demolition three decades ago, the application said, “Our country has witnessed
bloodbaths after the controversy erupted in respect of Babri Masjid... Such
disputes disturb the social fabric of the society by polarizing the people on
the ground of religion.”
The
application quoted the Ayodhya title suit judgment decided by the apex court in
November 2020, where the five-judge bench ruled, “Places of Worship Act imposes
a non-derogable obligation towards enforcing our commitment to secularism under
the Indian Constitution.”
The
AIMLB denied there was any violation of Articles 25 or 26, or even access of
citizens to approach the Supreme Court, while also reminding that the
petitioner is “wreaking vengeance” on the present generation of Muslims who
played no part in inflicting such alleged insults on Hindus of the distant
past. Upadhyay’s petition detailed attacks by past Muslim rulers who conquered
India and destroyed temples.
“The
present petition (by Upadhyay) seems to be mischievous in nature as it has been
the stated objective of the BJP as per VInay Katiyar (BJP leader) who has been
quoted to have said – temple building at Kashi and Mathura is very much on our
agenda... This has been the stated objective of Sangh Pariwar since 1990 and
even Upadhyay’s petition admits this stated position,” the plea by the Muslim
body stated.
The
application referred to the recent suit filed by Hindu women seeking right to
worship at the Gyanvapi mosque in Lucknow and a similar relief being sought in
Mathura with respect to the Shahi Eidgah mosque. It also referred to similar
petitions seeking survey of mosques protected under the Places of Worship Act
to declare them as Hindu temples.
Linking
the present PIL filed by Upadhyay with the aforementioned ‘trend’, the AIMPLB
said, “There appears to be a trend of filing the PIL petitions selectively targeting
the issues relating to a particular minority community with intention to use
the pendency of such cases to fuel hate politics on the ground.”
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi
case: Plaintiffs don’t seek possession of mosque property, contends lawyer
14th
July 2022
By
Namita Bajpai
LUCKNOW:
Continuing with the argument to counter the Muslim side’s submissions
challenging the maintainability of Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi mosque case for the
second consecutive day on Wednesday, veteran Supreme Court lawyer Harishankar
Jain claimed in the court of Varanasi district judge that the plaintiffs were
seeking neither the possession of so-called mosque’s property nor the rights to
worship on its premises.
“We
are demanding the rights for worshipping at those points on the Gyanvapi
premises where deities were worshipped till 1993”, said Jain while representing
the four women petitioners in the case.
The
hearing in the case will continue on Thursday also when advocates of women
plaintiffs will continue their argument, said district government counsel
(civil) Mahendra Prasad Pandey.
After
the lawyers of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the Gyanvapi mosque management
committee, had completed their argument and submissions to challenge the
maintainability of the petition filed by five women seeking worshipping rights
at Shringar Gauri and other deities on Gyanvapi mosque premises, the
counter-argument by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain commenced on Tuesday.
Detailed
counter-argument by veteran lawyer Harishankar Jain at 2 pm on Wednesday and
continued for 2.15 hours or the restoration of their personal rights and that
the hearing in the case would continue on Thursday.
During
his submissions, Jain said that he had duly informed the court that the women
plaintiffs had filed the petition for their own rights and not the whole
society. “Hence there was no need to file representative suit,” said Jain.
Against
the claim of AIM that this suit should be filed in High Court, Vishnu Shankar
Jain said that by referring an order of three-judge bench of the Supreme Court
issued in 1995, it was informed to the court that for the enforcement of
article 25 (freedom of practicing religion), one could approach civil court.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Is
Yogi 2.0 all about bulldozers & anti-Muslim politics? View inside govt is
just the opposite
D.K.
SINGH
14
July, 2022
Lucknow:
The Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Minority Morcha president Jamal Siddiqui was
in for a surprise as the party’s national executive meeting wrapped up in
Hyderabad on 3 July. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath walked up and
sat beside him to get a picture clicked together. The two were then seen
engrossed in a conversation.
An
eavesdropper said Yogi was asking Siddiqui about the Minority Morcha’s plans in
UP. Hours before that, Yogi had addressed the BJP’s apex decision-making body,
saying how Muslims, especially women, were voting for the party in UP.
BJP
leaders are perplexed see the UP CM’s new avatar, who is interested in wooing
the Muslim vote bank. For his political rivals, Yogi is anti-Muslim. They got
more ammunition when he unleashed the police on anti-Citizenship (Amendment)
Act protestors and sent bulldozers to Muslims’ houses.
Visit
the CM office in Lucknow’s Lok Bhawan. Those working closely with him project a
different image: “Dilli media sees everything in Hindu-Muslim binary. Go to the
streets and talk to people. You will see how wrong you are,” they say.
A
close aide of the CM told ThePrint that Yogi was hoping to get more votes from
Muslim women in the last assembly elections as welfare schemes came to their
doorsteps. But for Karnataka’s hijab row, the BJP would have got “at least 10
per cent” more votes from Muslim women, Yogi was said to have told his aides.
When
the video clip of a hijab-clad Mandya student, Muskan, chanting Allahu Akbar
before a Jai Shri Ram-shouting crowd, went viral, the UP CM was apparently
upset.
“In
a private conversation, Yogi ji said, ‘She is just a child. What do you expect
her to do when you wave (saffron) gamchha at her and shout (Jai Shri Ram)? It’s
totally unnecessary. Don’t our Hindu women wear ghunghat when they see elderly
men in their homes? These things will stop once women get educated’,” a Yogi
confidant recounted. “He can’t say this in public, obviously.”
They
narrated another story. Yogi, before he became CM, was sifting through marriage
invitations people usually send to Gorakhnath temple. He picked one sent by a
former Congress legislator, a Muslim. “He decided to attend it. The Congressman
was overwhelmed to see Yogi ji there.”
These
stories didn’t square with Yogi’s image. How do you explain the bulldozers
demolishing Muslims’ houses?
Navneet
Sehgal, additional chief secretary, Information & Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, grabbed the question. “That is because the media is distorting
facts,” he said, producing details of the notices that had been sent to Javed
Ahmed in Prayagraj before bulldozers were sent.
“All
these demolitions are as per law. All procedures are being followed. How come
Delhi media doesn’t see bulldozers razing illegal farmhouses (on the Yamuna’s
flood banks) in Noida?” Sehgal told ThePrint.
He
would rather talk about the $1 trillion economy goal. The UP government is
examining bids from seven companies to appoint a consultant to prepare the
roadmap. These include Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India, Grant Thornton India,
Boston Consulting Group, Invest India, NABARAD Consultancy Services, JCL Infra
Private Ltd., and Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa.
Sehgal
listed a host of labour reforms and other initiatives taken by the government
to attract investments. There are already some big-ticket investors — Infosys,
Adani Enterprises, Reliance, Microsoft, Samsung, and you name it.
“Yogi
Adityanath 2.0 is about development, employment and infrastructure. We need to
make UP a $1 trillion economy. For that, UP needs to grow at 20 per cent, and
that’s why law and order become so important. When industries know that UP has
no law-and-order problem, they will come and invest,” said Sehgal.
The
UP government’s advance estimates of GSDP for 2021-22 stand at $254 billion and
it will have to grow fourfold to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2027, say
experts.
Sehgal
was confident though: “Why not? Many other countries have grown very fast. UP
can also do it.” UP was No 2 in India’s ease of doing business rankings in
2020. “We are not No 1 because we did not have commercial courts. We are
setting them up now.”
The
$1 trillion economy remained a common refrain when ThePrint visited the police
headquarters to meet Prashant Kumar, additional director general, Law and
Order.
How
come the UP police targets only Muslim dons — Atiq Ahmad in Prayagraj, Mukhtar
Ansari in Ghazipur?
He
dismissed the question: “We have to make UP crime-free. We will make UP out of
bounds for criminals, be it Hindus or Muslims.” The ultimate objective, he
said, is to provide an environment where investors feel totally safe.
Yogi
Adityanath himself monitors day-to-day developments. Around 9.30 pm, before he
retires for the day, the CM holds a review meeting with the additional chief
secretary (home), Awanish Awasthi, the director general of police, Prashant
Kumar, and some other senior officials. The message Yogi keeps repeating, say
officials, is “zero tolerance to crime”.
The
UP Police have identified 62 “mafias” involved in contract killing, extortion,
liquor smuggling, et al. They are constantly “monitored” and their “economic
empire destroyed”. Most of them are in jail but their associates who remain
outside must face the heat.
How
many of them are Muslims? As if Prashant Kumar was expecting this question, he
passed on a sheaf of papers containing details of the ‘mafias’. “See for
yourself. We don’t discriminate.”
ThePrint
randomly picked a page. It had five names — Rizwan Zahir, Devendra Singh,
Sundar Bhati, Singhraj Bhati, Ankil Gujjar and Amit Kasana. On another page,
there were three names — Sanjiv Maheshwari, Akash Jat and Muneer. Maheshwari
was serving a life sentence, Jat sentenced to 10 years of jail in two different
cases and Muneer given death sentence in one case and 10 years’ imprisonment in
another case. The worth of their seized properties under the Gangster Act was:
Maheshwari-Rs 4 crore, Jat-Rs 33 lakh and Muneer-Rs 35.6 lakh.
“Our
goal is clear. We won’t allow criminals to operate in Uttar Pradesh. Absolutely
zero tolerance to crime,” said Prashant Kumar.
New
buzz in power corridors
While
the CMO and the police headquarters make most of the headlines in UP, a sense
of urgency and purpose could be felt in other government offices, too. On a hot
morning in the Ganna Kisan Sansthan office in Dali Bag, five minutes’ drive
from Lok Bhawan, Sanjay Bhoosreddy, additional chief secretary, Excise, was
busy in a marathon meeting on developing wineries in UP. He could take some
time out to explain how these wineries would help farmers get the best price
for the fruits they produce.
“Our
new excise policy is the best in the country,” said Bhoosreddy. The government
expects to mop up Rs 41,000 crore in excise revenue in 2022-23.
Talk
about high-end stores selling premium alcoholic beverages in a state run by a
monk and he smiles: “Yogi ji doesn’t want any advertising or anything that
would encourage drinking.”
On
a personal note, aren’t you planning to return to Delhi and become a secretary?
“I’ve [got] full job satisfaction here. There is so much to do. I can tell you
Yogi ji is the best thing that’s happened to UP,” said Bhoosreddy as he
returned to his files.
Later
in the evening, getting to meet Public Works Department (PWD) minister Jitin
Prasada was a challenge. His official meetings were over after 9 pm.
“How
difficult it is to catch a minister in Lucknow! Kya gossip hai Lucknow mein
(what’s the gossip in Lucknow)?” asked this reporter. “Yahan gossip nahin, kaam
hota hai (There is work, no gossip here),” said Prasada as he started listing
his ministry’s initiatives.
That
wasn’t the gossip one was looking forward to. The subject needed to change.
“Why doesn’t your family stay with you?” asked the reporter. “Where is the time
for the family? It’s not the Manmohan Singh government (in which he was a
minister). It’s the Yogi Adityanath government. Everybody has to work 24×7,”
said Prasada. It was time to wind up the conversation. He had early morning
engagements.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Sunday
holiday restored in schools in Muslim-majority areas of Jharkhand
13th
July 2022
By
Mukesh Ranjan
RANCHI:
Jamtara district education superintendent in Jharkhand has passed directions to
ensure that weekly holidays are given on Sunday instead of Fridays in schools.
The
DSE, issuing show-cause notices to block education officials, has also asked
them explain why they did not inform their seniors about it earlier.
Notably,
as many as 100 schools under Karmatand and Narayanpur blocks in Jamtara were
being forced by the villagers to observe weekly holiday on Fridays instead of
Sundays, citing reasons that Muslims are in majority and hence, it should
function accordingly. The change in weekly holiday could also be seen mentioned
on the notice boards of these schools.
The
report was also carried prominently in The New Indian Express.
In
a letter addressed to school education and literacy secretary on July 9, the
district education superintendent had informed that “Barring the schools
notified as ‘Urdu schools', all other schools have been directed to ensure that
Sundays are observed as weekly holidays.” Show-cause notices have also been
issued to the concerned block education officials asking them why they did not
inform the department about such practices earlier, it added.
In
the showcase notices issued to the block education officers by the DSE, it has
been asked that despite the schools being visited by them regularly, they
failed to inform the district education office that many of the schools are
being run on the lines of ‘Urdu’ schools due to which such a situation arose.
“Why departmental action should not be taken against you. Therefore, you are
directed to explain that under what circumstances, such kind of irresponsive approach
was shown by you,” stated the letter issued to block education officers.
Principals
and teachers, posted in these blocks also asserted that they have received a
letter asking them to give weekly holidays on Sundays only. “We have received
the letter on Monday itself with a direction to ensure that weekly holidays are
given only Sundays at any cost. Immediately after receiving the letter, we held
a meeting with the school management committee and other teachers and staffs on
Tuesday during which we told them about it and a decision was taken to
implement it from this week only”, said a teacher posted at an Utkramit High
School under Karmatand Block in Jamtara, requesting anonymity. It is also being
ensured that the word ‘Urdu’ is deleted, which was added deliberately by the
villagers with the names of schools, he added.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Srinagar:
Islamic State claims involvement in cop murder
Muzaffar
Raina
14.07.22
The
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack in Srinagar on Tuesday
evening that killed an assistant sub-inspector of police, marking a fresh
attempt by the global terror group to make inroads into Kashmir.
The
group released a purported video of the attack through its propaganda arm Amaq,
showing grainy footage captured by a body camera.
The
7.15pm attack at the busy Lal Bazar locality in Srinagar city killed ASI
Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and injured two other policemen.
The
attackers escaped taking advantage of the security relaxations for the
three-day Eid-ul-Azha, officials said. Many policemen take leave to celebrate
the festival with their families.
Officials
said this was the third attack since 2020 featuring militants’ use of body
camera footage, seen as an attempt to “glamorise” militancy and win recruits.
An
official said three militants are believed to have carried out the attack, with
one of them wearing a body camera. Two of the militants fired with their
pistols at the policemen at an inactive checkpoint as several vehicles passed
by.
Al
Qaida and the Islamic State have tried to make their presence felt in Kashmir
in the past through local franchises such as the Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind and the
Wilayat-e-Hind, respectively.
Neither
group has been able to gain much of a foothold in the face of resistance by the
security forces as well as by Pakistan and the militant groups sponsored by it.
‘Militant’
son
Mushtaq,
56, is the second police officer killed by militants in two years. He had in
April 2020 lost his son Aqib, 21, to a purported gunfight in his home district
of Kulgam. Aqib was an engineering student at a Chandigarh college.
The
police had described Aqib as a “militant associate” and refused to hand his
body over to his family, despite his father’s pleas, as part of a
three-year-old strategy to pre-empt funeral processions turning into massive
protests. The family had denied that Aqib had militant links.
Hundreds
took part in Mushtaq’s burial at Shouch village, Kulgam, on Tuesday night.
Village numberdar (head) Abdul Hameed Lone said Mushtaq had been heartbroken
after losing his son.
“He
(Aqib) had arrived home a few minutes before his death. The forces buried him
secretly at a far-off village (in a graveyard reserved for militants) despite
his father’s plea that he was not a militant,” Abdul Hamid said.
Source:
Telegraph India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Another
batch of 21 Afghan Sikhs, Hindus to land in Delhi today
by
Divya Goyal
July
14, 2022
Another
batch of 21 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus will land in Delhi on Thursday as the
evacuation and shifting of Afghan minorities to India continues.
A
commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air, will arrive at Delhi
airport’s Terminal 3 on Thursday, ferrying 21 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus,
including an infant, said Puneet Singh Chandhok, president of the Indian World
Forum. “An infant who has been facilitated without a visa is also part of the
group,” he said.
The
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), in coordination with Indian
World Forum and Government of India, is facilitating the evacuation of
distressed Afghan minorities. The SGPC is bearing the airfare and will also provide
aid to legitimate people seeking rehabilitation in India.
Officials
of SGPC and Afghan Hindu and Sikh community leaders will be present at the
airport to receive them. After their arrival, they will proceed to Gurdwara Sri
Guru Arjan Dev, Tilak Nagar, New Delhi.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/afghan-sikhs-hindus-land-in-delhi-from-kabul-8028232/
--------
Karnataka
Hijab ban: Supreme Court to list appeals against HC verdict
July
14, 2022
The
Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to list appeals challenging the Karnataka
High Court decision upholding the Hijab ban in educational institutions in the
state for hearing next week.
Chief
Justice of India N V Ramana told Advocate Prashant Bhushan: “Let us see,
sometime next week it will come before appropriate bench.”
Bhushan
told the bench that the matters were filed in March this year and are yet to be
taken up for hearing.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Supreme
Court denies blanket stay on demolition drives
Jul
14, 2022
By
Utkarsh Anand
The
Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to stay the demolition of properties using
bulldozers throughout the country, noting that an “omnibus” order by the top
court could restrain municipal authorities from acting against all unauthorised
constructions.
A
bench of justices BR Gavai and PS Narasimha expressed its indisposition to
accept a plea made by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, which pressed for a generic
directive to stop demolition across the states until the court decided the
Muslim body’s petition alleging violation of people’s rights.
“What
omnibus order can be passed? Nobody disputes that the rule of law has to be
followed. But look at it from another angle. If under municipal laws the
construction is unauthorised, can an omnibus order be passed to restrain municipal
authorities?” the bench asked senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who appeared for
Jamiat.
Dave,
on his part, had pleaded for an interim order against employment of bulldozers
by several state governments to raze properties of those suspected of involvement
in criminal activities. As the bench set down the matter for a detailed hearing
on August 10, he argued that an interim order was required to ensure more
houses were not demolished by police as a punitive measure against the accused.
“The
question is what relief this court can give today to a poor man who will have
nothing left if his house is demolished before the court hears the case on the
next date,” said the senior counsel.
To
this, the bench asked him: “Can we pass an omnibus order?”
Dave
replied: “Why not? The entire Sainik Farm (an upmarket locality in Delhi) is
illegal and nobody has touched it in 50 years. What remedy does a poor person
have when his house is demolished? We aren’t governed by the jungle law. Let
some order be passed.” The senior lawyer added that the problem is that a
particular community (Muslims) is targeted in these demolition drives.
But
the bench refrained from issuing any order. “The question also is whether an
omnibus order will stand... We will hear it whenever the counsel are ready,”
said the court, fixing the next hearing for August 10.
Jamiat
Ulama-I-Hind filed two petitions in the top court in April against the practice
of using bulldozers to pull down residential and commercial properties of
persons suspected to be involved in criminal incidents such as riots.
The
first petition, filed by advocate Kabir Dixit, urged the Supreme Court to issue
appropriate directions to the Union government and all states that demolition
cannot be used as a punitive measure against persons purportedly involved in
crimes.
Jamiat’s
second petition, filed by advocate MR Shamshad, specifically raised the issue
of an anti-encroachment and demolition drive at Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area, four
days after a communal violence broke out in the locality on the day of Hanuman
Jayanti, leaving eight policemen and one civilian injured. By its orders on
April 20 and April 21, the Supreme Court restrained Delhi’s municipal body
concerned from carrying out any demolition drive in riot-hit area until its further
orders.
Subsequently,
two more applications were moved in the court by Jamiat on June 13, complaining
against demolition of properties of people accused of allegedly participating
in violent protests against remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leaders Nupur Sharma (who was later suspended by the party) and Naveen Jindal
(who was expelled) on Prophet Mohammed. While hearing these applications on
June 16, the top court remarked that demolition of properties must take place
in accordance with law and not as a retaliatory measure. It also sought replies
from the state of Uttar Pradesh and municipal authorities of two of its cities
where the demolitions took place.
All
these matters came up for hearing on Wednesday when Dave commenced his arguments
by calling it an “extraordinarily serious issue”. He cited newspaper reports to
contend that houses of accused in cases of murder and kidnapping were
reportedly demolished in Assam and Madhya Pradesh. “Demolition of houses merely
because somebody is accused in a crime is not acceptable in our society. We are
governed by rule of law,” he added.
Also
appearing for the organisation, senior advocate CU Singh lamented that despite
the pendency of the matter before the apex court, police officers in several states
were announcing demolition on loudspeakers before pulling down the houses of
the accused.
At
this, solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh
government, objected to arguments based on newspaper reports. He referred to
the state’s affidavit in the matter, pointing out all the instances of
demolition complained against were done following due process and the
individuals affected have already taken recourse to their legal remedies.
“These
show-cause notices were issued much before the alleged riot took place (on June
2). Also, merely because you participate in a riot, doesn’t give you immunity
from municipal laws. Let us not create a sensationalised hype,” added the SG.
Senior
counsel Harish Salve, who appeared for municipal bodies of Prayagraj and Kanpur
where the demolitions highlighted by Jamiat took place, defended the coercive
process while opposing issuance of any interim order. “Can this court make an
order somebody’s property won’t be demolished even if it is in violation of the
municipal law? Or, can the court pass an order that his house cannot be
demolished because he is an accused in another case?” asked Salve.
At
this point, the bench said that the matter requires to be heard in detail and
decided finally. It asked all the parties to file their affidavits in the
matter by August 10.
In
its counter affidavit filed on June 21, the UP government maintained that no
property was demolished in the state as a measure to punish people accused of
participating in violent protests against remarks by the BJP leaders on Prophet
Mohammed, adding bulldozers razed illegal constructions in accordance with the
municipal laws and after providing due opportunity to the violators.
The
state justified the action by its municipal authorities in Kanpur and Prayagraj
where three properties were demolished close on the heels of the violent
protests, against now suspended BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and expelled BJP
leader Naveen Jindal for their remarks on Prophet Mohammed, rocked these cities
on June 3 and June 10.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
US,
Israel to sign joint pledge on denying nuclear weapon to Iran
14
July ,2022
US
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid will sign a joint
pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons on Thursday, closing ranks after
long-running disputes between the allies over global diplomacy with Tehran.
Biden,
who is visiting Jerusalem, said on Wednesday he was open to “last resort” use
of force against Iran - an apparent move toward accommodating Lapid’s calls on
world powers to present a “credible military threat” against Israel’s arch foe.
The
United States and Israel have separately made such veiled threats against Iran
- which denies seeking nuclear weaponry - for years. Formally articulating the
rhetoric could enhance the sense of deterrence and mutual commitment to action.
The
show of Israel-US resolve may also offer Biden a boost when he continues on to
Saudi Arabia on Friday. Riyadh has its own Iran worries, and Biden hopes to
parlay that into an Israeli-Saudi rapprochement under US auspices.
“I
think what you’ll see in the joint declaration is a pledge and a commitment
never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and that we’re prepared to use
all elements of our national power to ensure that outcome,” one US official
said.
In
2015, Iran signed an international deal capping projects with bomb-making
potential. In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump quit the pact, deeming it
insufficient, a withdrawal welcomed by Israel.
Iran
has since ramped up some nuclear activities, putting a ticking clock on world
powers' bid to return to a deal in Vienna talks. Israel now says it would support
a new deal with tougher provisions. Iran has balked at submitting to further
curbs.
“The
only thing worse than the Iran which exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons
and if we can return to the deal, we can hold them tight,” Biden said in an
Israeli TV interview on Wednesday.
Some
Israeli as well as Gulf Arab officials believe the deal’s sanctions relief
would provide Iran with far more money to support proxy forces in Lebanon,
Syria, Yemen and Iraq. They are also skeptical about whether the Biden administration
will do much to counter Iran's regional activities.
The
US official, asked if Thursday’s declaration is about buying some time with
Israel as Washington pursues negotiations with Iran, said: “If Iran wants to
sign the deal that has been negotiated in Vienna, we have made very clear we’re
prepared to do that. And, at the same time, if they’re not, we will continue to
increase our sanctions pressure, we will continue to increase Iran's diplomatic
isolation.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Urges S. Korea to Immediately Release Frozen Assets
2022-July-14
Baqeri
wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that he had told South Korea’s First Vice
Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun-dong in a phone call that “the Iranian
gov't and people expect the new admininstration to immediately unfreeze our
assets to provide a basis for improving bilateral ties”.
The
senior diplomat noted that the South Korean side had stated that Seoul is exploring
a new way to resolve the problem.
Tehran
has repeatedly demanded the release of its frozen assets in several countries,
including in South Korea, but Seoul has looked at Washington for a permit to
repay its debt.
Seoul
and Tehran are holding working-level consultations seeking ways to resolve the
issue of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea due to US sanctions.
The
frozen asset issue started in 2018 when former US President Donald Trump
withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal and reinstated economic sanctions against
Iran.
Iranian
officials stated the South Korean government is obliged to unfreeze the
country's frozen funds, stressing that unilateral US sanctions cannot justify
Seoul’s inaction in repaying debts to Tehran.
The
two sides had previously agreed to use the funds for purchase of humanitarian
items by Iran, something that has again been prevented as a result of Korea’s
commitment to honor the sanctions.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010423000090/Iran-Urges-S-Krea-Immediaely-Release-Frzen-Asses
--------
President
Rayeesi Underscores Iran's Resolve to Stand Firm in Talks with World Powers
2022-July-13
The
Iranian president made the remarks addressing the cabinet meeting today.
"The
Americans should see the facts to learn from the past and not to repeat the
failed experience of the maximum pressure policy on the Iranian nation,"
President Rayeesi said, referring to the recent statements by the US officials
on the ongoing talks in Vienna.
"They
claimed that Iran should return to the nuclear deal this is while Iran has
never withdrawn from the JCPOA," he added.
The
Iranian president said that the Americans have repeatedly said that the
pressure they imposed on the Iranians was unprecedented, but the spokesperson
of the State Department has officially announced that these pressures did not
work in any way and failed shamefully.
He
advised Americans not to speak to Iranians with the language of coercion, and
said that Iran has always acted rationally in the negotiations with the world
powers and presented its reasonable demands.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, President Rayeesi referred to the US officials' regional tour,
and said that if the American officials' visits to the regional states are
aimed at strengthening the position of "the Zionist regime" and
normalizing its relations with certain countries, their efforts "will not
in any way bring about security for the Zionists".
The
Iranian president reiterated that Iran is watching the region closely, and
said, "Tehran has repeatedly told those who convey US messages to Iran
that the slightest move against Iran's territorial integrity will face a
decisive response."
In
a relevant development earlier this month, President Rayeesi reiterated that
removal of sanctions against his country is a prerequisite for striking a deal
with the world powers.
President
Rayeesi made the remarks in a meeting with Lithuania’s accredited ambassador to
Tehran Richard S Digotis.
During
the meeting, he slammed the US and its allies for adoption of an anti-Iran
resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors
amid the JCPOA revival talks.
Rayeesi
said the "brazen" move by the US and European states run counter to
the rules of the JCPOA and talks about its revival.
"The
removal of cruel sanctions against Iran will prepare the ground for an
agreement and cooperation," he underscored.
President
Rayeesi emphasized that the western countries should remain committed to their
undertakings as per the JCPOA.
"As
verified by all observers, the Islamic Republic of Iran has lived up to its commitments
based on the agreement but instead, the US has withdrawn from this deal and the
European countries have also reneged on their commitments," he said.
The
IAEA's Board of Governors adopted the resolution on June 8, accusing Iran of
not cooperating with the agency. The resolution was approved with 30 votes in
favor, two against and three abstentions.
It
came as Iran and the five remaining parties to the multilateral deal,
officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have held
several rounds of negotiations in the Austrian capital of Vienna since April
last year to restore the agreement, which was unilaterally abandoned by former
US President Donald Trump in May 2018.
In
quitting the agreement, Trump restored sanctions on Iran as part of what he
called the “maximum pressure” campaign against the country. Those sanctions are
being enforced to this day by the Joe Biden administration, even though it has
repeatedly acknowledged that the policy has been a mistake and a failure.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Dismisses France's Threat of Deadline in Talks
2022-July-13
"Iran's
clear message is that we are committed to the process of multilateral diplomacy
to resolve disputes," Kana'ani stated.
The
spokesman added that "Iran has fully fulfilled its responsibilities and
commitments", and it was "the US government that left the agreement
illegally and unilaterally and outside of its responsibilities, it refused to
implement its commitments".
"The
one who is in the position of demanding and questioning is Iran, and Tehran
does not grant this right to the parties to be in the position of questioning
and threatening," the diplomat continued.
Colonna
stated on Tuesday there were only a few weeks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal
with world powers. She told lawmakers the situation was no longer tenable, and
accused Iran of using delaying tactics and, during talks in Doha two weeks ago,
of going back on previously agreed positions.
Kana'ani
also called on all the relevant parties, especially the US as the party
responsible for the crisis gripping the agreement, to adopt a “constructive”
approach so that the negotiations process can bear fruit.
The
spokesman also said the time and place of the future negotiations will be
determined soon.
"We
hope that it will be possible to conclude negotiations in the future with a
constructive approach and with the goodwill of all negotiating parties,
including the United States, which is the main responsible for the conditions
governing the negotiation process," he added.
Iranian
officials have repeteadly stressed that Tehran has no deadline for reaching an
agreement with the world powers, and stated the country's team of negotiators
are only after a good agreement.
Iran
and the five remaining parties to the nuclear deal, officially known as the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have held several rounds of
negotiations in the Austrian capital of Vienna since April last year to restore
the agreement, which was unilaterally abandoned by former US President Donald
Trump in May 2018.
In
quitting the agreement, Trump restored sanctions on Iran as part of what he
called the “maximum pressure” campaign against the country. Those sanctions are
being enforced to this day by the Biden administration, even though it has
repeatedly acknowledged that the policy has been a mistake and a failure.
EU
Deputy Foreign Policy Chief Enrique Mora coordinated the indirect negotiations
between Iran and the US in Qatar's Doha in late June aimed at resolving the
differences hindering the revival of the 2015 agreement.
Iran
has blasted the US for insisting on previous positions during the Doha talks,
stressing that the path of diplomacy is still open.
In
a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman
Al Thani in Tehran in early July, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir
Abdollahian blamed Washington for failure in arriving at a deal in Doha talks,
and refuted the US claim that Iran’s negotiators have raised demand irrelevant to the nuclear
deal in the negotiations.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010422000593/Iran-Dismisses-France's-Threa-f-Deadline-in-Talks
--------
Security
Forces Dismantle Terror Group in Northwest of Iran
2022-July-13
The
10 terrorists were tasked with several missions for destruction, explosion, and
attack on vital and economic centers and facilities of the country, the
ministry said in a statement, adding that the group also planned to cause chaos
by setting up roadblocks to cause disorder and also to extort people and
especially successful local entrepreneurs.
The
terrorist group was entering the country through the border areas of West
Azarbaijan, it added.
The
ministry noted that all advanced technical and communication items and war
cargo, including all types of individual weapons, RPGs, grenades, TNT, and
related ammunition were seized.
In
a relevant development on Friday, The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
forces identified and dismantled a terrorist network in Northwestern of the
country.
Iranian
security forces have recently demolished several teams of spies, arms
trafficking gangs, terrorist teams, affiliated to foreign states.
Back
in mid-March, Iranian forces disbanded a team of spies affiliated to Israel in
the Northwestern province of West Azerbaijan. Also in July, the Iranian
security forces had dismantled a terrorist group affiliated to the Israeli spy
agency, Mossad, and captured its members.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010422000742/Secriy-Frces-Dismanle-Terrr-Grp-in-Nrhwes-f-Iran
--------
Iran,
Russia Seeking Further Increase Cooperation in Nuclear Industry
2022-July-13
During
the meeting between Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Chief Mohammad
Eslami and Deputy Rosatom State Corporation for Atomic Energy of Russian
Federation Nikolai Spassky in Tehran on Tuesday, the two sides discussed ways
to expand bilateral peaceful nuclear cooperation.
In
the meeting, Eslami invited his Russian counterpart Alexey Likhachev to visit
Tehran in the current year.
During
the talks, Iranian and Russian delegations, headed by AEOI Spokesman Behrouz
Kamalvandi and Spassky, discussed the development of bilateral relations in
various nuclear fields.
Rosatom
had participated in the construction of the first nuclear power plant in
Bushehr and now is also participating in construction of second and third units
of the nuclear power plants.
In
late 2021, Eslami visited Moscow to discuss bilateral ties and mutual
cooperation with Likhachev.
Years
earlier in 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined his country's
determination to construct up to eight nuclear reactors for Iran.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
demands ‘strong’ economic guarantees to revive 2015 nuclear deal: Minister
13
July ,2022
Iran
wants “strong” economic guarantees before returning to compliance with the 2015
nuclear deal, Tehran’s top diplomat said in an interview published on
Wednesday.
Iran’s
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran’s demand for economic
guarantees is one of the remaining unresolved issues in indirect talks between
Iran and the US aimed at reviving the 2015 deal.
“We
demand strong economic guarantees. If a western company signs a contract with
its Iranian counterpart, they must be guaranteed the project will go ahead and
they will receive compensation,” Amir-Abdollahian said in an interview with
Italian newspaper la Repubblica.
During
indirect talks with the US in Doha last month, Iranian negotiators proposed
putting off the issue of removing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) from the US Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list – a key Iranian
demand – for the time being, he said.
“We
proposed an idea to the Americans: to postpone the issue related to the [FTO]
list. But we have to make sure that at least the Iranian companies whose
contribution is necessary for Iran to enjoy the benefits of the agreement are
taken off the list. We are not asking for anything beyond the nuclear
agreement,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
Iran
will reconnect the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cameras monitoring
its nuclear sites that it disconnected last month “whenever the negotiations
come to some result,” he said, adding that Tehran disconnected the cameras “as
a response to an unfair resolution sought by the US, Britain, France and
Germany which aimed to put pressure on us during the negotiations.”
The
IAEA last month adopted a resolution – submitted by the US, Britain, France and
Germany – criticizing Iran for failing to cooperate with the UN nuclear
watchdog.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Iran’s foreign ministry’s spokesman said Tehran continues to
exchange messages with the European Union, which coordinates talks between the
US and Iran, and that the time and location of the next round of talks would be
determined “soon.”
The
latest round of indirect talks between the US and Iran took place in Doha last
month, with the two sides negotiating indirectly through EU envoy Enrique Mora
as Tehran refuses to negotiate directly with Washington.
Prior
to the talks in Doha, which lasted two days and ended without any progress, the
US and Iran had engaged for over a year in indirect talks in Vienna aimed at
reviving the 2015 deal.
Negotiations
stalled in March, reportedly over an Iranian demand to have the IRGC removed
from the US FTO list. The US had designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist
organization under former President Donald Trump in 2019.
The
2015 deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
Trump
withdrew Washington from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions on
Tehran, saying the deal failed to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and
regional activities and did not block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Biden
arrives in Israel at start of Mideast tour
Ahmed
Asmar
13.07.2022
US
President Joe Biden landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday at the
start of his Middle East tour.
Biden
was welcomed at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, his deputy
Naftali Bennett and President Isaac Herzog, according to The Times of Israel
newspaper.
"You
need not be a Jew to be Zionist," Biden said upon his arrival, repeating
past comments he made about Israel.
"This
is my tenth visit, and every chance I have to return to this ancient land is a
blessing because the connection between the American people and Israeli people
is deep," Biden said. "The connection between the Israeli people and
the American people is bone deep, and generation after generation that
connection grows as we invest in each other and dream together."
Lapid,
for his part, described Biden's visit as historic as "it expresses the
unbreakable bond between our two countries."
The
Israeli premier called Biden “one of the best friends Israel has ever known,”
and referred to the US president calling himself a Zionist in the past.
Biden
will visit the West Bank as part of his tour where he will meet with
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/biden-arrives-in-israel-at-start-of-mideast-tour/2636153
--------
North America
White
House would like East Jerusalem consulate, but talks ongoing: Official
13
July ,2022
The
White House would like to see a US consulate for the Palestinians open in east
Jerusalem, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday as
President Joe Biden made his way to the region.
“Our
position is that we would like a consulate in East Jerusalem. Obviously that
requires engagement with the Israeli government. It requires engagement with the
Palestinian leadership as well. And we will continue that engagement on this
trip,” Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force 1.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US,
Israel announce new tech partnership in health, climate
13
July ,2022
The
US and Israel announced on Wednesday a new advanced technology partnership
ahead of President Joe Biden’s trip to the region.
“A
Strategic High-Level Dialog on Technology will be established by the countries’
national security advisers that will focus on strategic technologies artificial
intelligence, quantum and solutions to global challenges such as climate change
and improving pandemic preparedness,” said a joint statement from Biden and
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
President Joe Biden says still committed to restoring Iran nuclear deal
13
July ,2022
President
Joe Biden says he remains committed to resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal,
saying “the only thing worse than the Iran that exists now is an Iran with
nuclear weapons.”
Biden
spoke to Israel’s Channel 12 TV in an interview broadcast shortly after his
arrival in the country on Wednesday at the start of a Middle East tour that
will also take him to Saudi Arabia.
Israel
was a staunch opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal and welcomed then-President
Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from it, which led to the
deal’s unraveling.
Biden
called that decision a “gigantic mistake,” pointing out that Iran had
accelerated its nuclear program since the US withdrawal from the agreement.
“They’re
closer to a nuclear weapon now than they were before,” he said.
Iran
insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though UN experts and Western
intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program
through 2003.
The
nuclear deal lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for strict limits on and
monitoring of its nuclear activities.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Biden
vows to keep IRGC on terror list, says using force against Iran is possible:
Israeli TV
July
14, 2022
RIYADH:
Using military force to deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was not out
of the question “if that were the last resort,” US President Joe Biden said on
Israeli television on Wednesday.
The
president, however, declined to say if he had any communication with Israeli
leaders regarding possible military responses.
In
an interview with N12, Biden said he was also committed to keeping Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard on the US Foreign Terrorist Organization list even if that
scuttled the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
Biden
and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid will sign a joint pledge to deny Iran
nuclear weapons on Thursday, closing ranks after long-running disputes between
the allies over global diplomacy with Tehran.
The
United States and Israel have separately made such veiled threats against Iran
– which denies seeking nuclear weaponry – for years. Formally articulating the
rhetoric could enhance the sense of deterrence and mutual commitment to action.
“I
think what you’ll see in the joint declaration is a pledge and a commitment
never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and that we’re prepared to use
all elements of our national power to ensure that outcome,” one US official
said.
Biden
arrived in Israel on Wednesday in a regional tour which will also see him
attend a GCC summit in Saudi Arabia.
When
asked why his administration was so determined to resurrect the deal, which
most US allies in the region oppose, Biden said: “The only thing worse than the
Iran that exists now is an Iran with nuclear weapons.”
Blaming
his predecessor Donald Trump for canceling the deal, Biden said Iran was now
more dangerous as a result.
“They
are closer to a nuclear weapon now than they were before,” Biden said.
In
2018 Trump withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — signed
in 2015 by Iran and the P5+1 group of countries China, France, Russia, the United
Kingdom, the United States and Germany — because of Iran’s dangerous behavior
in the Middle East. Most US allies in the region welcomed the move by the
previous president.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2122006/middle-east
--------
Arab World
Beirut
port blast victims’ families file lawsuit in US
13
July ,2022
Families
of some of the victims of Beirut’s deadly port blast have filed a $250 million
lawsuit against an American-Norwegian firm suspected of involvement in bringing
the explosive material to the port, a Swiss foundation announced on Wednesday.
Accountability
Now, which says its mission is to support Lebanese civil society efforts to put
an end to the impunity of the country’s leaders, said the lawsuit was filed
Monday.
There
are nine plaintiffs who are either Americans or relatives of an American, the
group said.
The
move comes as a domestic investigation in Lebanon has been stalled since
December, following legal challenges brought by officials wanted for
questioning against the investigative judge working on the case.
Hundreds
of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers
that had been improperly stored in the port for years, exploded on August 4,
2020 killing nearly 220 people, injuring over 6,000 others and causing damage
worth billions of dollars.
The
Lebanese probe shows that most government officials knew of the dangerous
material stored at the port.
Accountability
Now said the $250 million lawsuit filed in Texas names US-Norwegian geophysical
services group TGS, which owns the British firm Spectrum Geo, saying it had
entered into a series of “highly profitable but suspicious contracts with the
Ministry of Energy in Lebanon.”
It
added that in 2012, Spectrum chartered the Moldavian flagged vessel Rhosus to
come to Beirut while carrying 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate on board.
“This
claim will force TGS to disclose Spectrum’s communications with various third
parties who are all relevant to the investigations in Lebanon,” said Zena
Wakim, lawyer for the Foundation Accountability Now who assisted the
plaintiffs.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President
Sheikh Mohamed says UAE will continue to support global energy security
13
July ,2022
President
of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on
Wednesday that the UAE would continue to support global energy security as a
reliable energy provider.
“We
will continue to solidify [the UAE’s] position as a reliable energy provider
and supporter of global energy security which is a backbone for global economic
growth and development,” Sheikh Mohamed said.
In
his first televised speech since being elected president on May 14, Sheikh
Mohamed said that diversifying the economy is an essential strategic necessity
for development plans in the country.
“Hence
it’s important to expediate economic development efforts to build a globally
active economy. We will continue to strengthen the UAE’s economic
competitiveness and [work toward] achieving the best global rankings.”
Sheikh
Mohamed also said that empowering the country’s citizens has always been the
country’s top priority.
“Ensuring
our people have everything they need to live fulfilled, comfortable, and happy
lives, remains the basis of all our future plans,” he said.
He
also highlighted the role of residents who view the UAE as their second home
and voiced his appreciation for their contributions in the country.
Praising
the legacy of presidents Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohamed said the UAE will continue on the path
laid down by the two late leaders.
“Thanks
to their [legacies], the UAE today has a developed, comprehensive and
sustainable system which has become a source of inspiration and hope to people
in the region and the world.”
Highlighting
the UAE’s strong relations with countries across the world, Sheikh Mohamed said
the UAE will continue to build on the reputation it has gained regionally and
globally.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Russia
highly values cooperation with Saudi Arabia in OPEC+: Kremlin spokesman
13
July ,2022
Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia, the world’s second largest oil
exporter after Saudi Arabia and the world’s biggest exporter of natural gas,
highly valued cooperation with Saudi Arabia within the framework of OPEC+ group
of world’s leading oil producers.
The
Kremlin also said on Wednesday that it hoped President Joe Biden’s visit to
Saudi Arabia would not be used to try to foster anti-Russian relations, just as
the US seeks to convince Riyadh to boost oil production amid soaring prices.
White
House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Biden will
make the case for greater oil production from OPEC nations to bring down
gasoline prices when he meets Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia this week.
“We
are within the framework of the OPEC + agreements, and we highly appreciate the
work that we manage to do with our partners, including with leading partners
such as Saudi Arabia,” he told a daily conference call with reporters. “We
highly appreciate our relations and our interaction with Riyadh and we
certainly hope that the building of relations and the development of relations
between Riyadh and other world capitals will in no way be directed against us.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Egypt’s
Sisi, Saudi king hold talks ahead of Biden’s visit
13.07.2022
Egyptian
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz held talks
over the phone on Wednesday to discuss regional and international developments.
The
Egyptian Presidency said in a statement that discussions between the two
leaders also dwelt on issues of common interest.
Last
month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Egypt as part of a
regional tour that also included Jordan and Türkiye.
Wednesday’s
talks between the Egyptian and Saudi leaders came ahead of a planned visit by
US President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia on July 15 as part of a regional tour
that also includes Israel and the West Bank. Biden arrived in Israel earlier
Wednesday.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Muslim-Muslim
ticket is work of God, says Adamu as Ganduje tackles ex-SGF
14
July 2022
•
My foundation never forced Christians to accept Islam, Ganduje replies Babachir
Lawal
•
Akeredolu, APC stakeholders ask Nigerians to ignore religion, choose competence
•
Insensitive politicians will be punished over Muslim-Muslim ticket,
Olawepo-Hashim warns
•
Blame Buhari, 1999 Constitution for criticisms against Muslim-Muslim ticket,
says Ohanaeze ex-scribe
Amid
passionate reactions since its announcement on Sunday, National Chairman of the
All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has described the party’s
Muslim-Muslim ticket as the work and will of God, saying Christians in the
country, who are agitated by the choice need not fear.
The
APC Chairman stated this, yesterday when he led the party’s National Working
Committee (NWC) on a courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at his
residence in Daura, Katsina State.
The
former Nasarawa State governor said the visit was to brief President Buhari on
what transpired in Osun State on Tuesday during the party’s governorship mega
campaign.
According
to Adamu, the party went through a rigorous practical assignment on the
selection process before arriving at the Muslim-Muslim ticket. He described
Senator Kashim Shettima as a Nigerian who doesn’t need to be either Muslim or
Christian before being selected as running mate to a presidential candidate.
While
appreciating Christians in the country for showing interest in the
Muslim-Muslim ticket, Adamu asked citizens to face the realities of the
country’s policies.
The
APC Chairman said the party is working hard and praying to win the forthcoming
2023 general elections, adding that the ruling party will win Saturday’s Osun
governorship election as a pointer to its victory in 2023.
GOVERNOR
Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has dismissed the claim of the former Secretary
to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, that the Ganduje
Foundation is being used to forcefully convert Christians to Islam.
While
rejecting the choice of Shettima as running mate to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,
presidential candidate of the APC, Lawal had accused Ganduje of attempting to
Islamise Nigeria. The former SGF had claimed that the foundation was created
with the sole aim of forcing some Christian faithful to join Islam.
However,
in a statement, yesterday, which the state Commissioner for Information, Malam
Muhammad Garba, issued, Ganduje said the comment was totally false, while he
urged the former SGF, Christian party members and other Nigerians to be mindful
of their utterances, especially on religious matters.
He
said: “It was unfortunate that at a time when the country needs to be united
for national development and religious tolerance, a man of Babachir’s caliber,
who is highly respected, would spread falsehood without much consideration to
his position in the APC and close relationship with the party’s flagbearer,
Tinubu.
“Going
by its activities, the foundation is not faith-based but purely philanthropic
in which case, non-Muslims also stand to benefit from the services it renders.
“Ganduje
Foundation was set up about 40 years ago and is engaged in philanthropic,
humanitarian and charitable activities that included medical, support and
assistance to the needy in the society, particularly, the orphans and the
physically challenged, medical outreach to attend to those with diabetes,
hypertension, malaria, dental as well as ante-natal and maternal care,” the
statement said.
The
statement added that since its establishment, the foundation has built many
schools, and healthcare centres, distributed free school uniforms and
instructional materials to new intake in primary schools and constructed
boreholes and mosques.
Others
include the distribution of food items to the orphanage and Muslim communities
during the Sallah and fasting period.
The
governor, according to the statement, assured that the Muslim-Muslim ticket
would not in any way result in the neglect of Christians.
AHEAD
of the general elections, the Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN),
has called on Nigerians to vote for competence, adding that the faith of the
vice president doesn’t affect performance in any government. Akeredolu, who
expressed confidence that Tinubu would rescue the nation, noted that the work
stops on the president’s table.
“Muslim-Muslim
ticket has nothing to do with performance. Let’s vote for someone that can do
something. The work stops at the table of the president. It is the president
that you are voting for. He decides what happens.
“Whether
it’s a Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian, it should not matter to us in the
South because we fought for this. I have no doubt that given the opportunity,
from what he has done in Lagos, Tinubu will turn things around for the better,”
he said.
He
spoke at the swearing-in of two new commissioners, which took yesterday at the
Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure. The new
commissioners are: Sowore Akinwumi Samson and Ologbese Adeboboye.
ALSO,
APC national stakeholders, yesterday, called on Nigerians to assess Tinubu and
his running mate, Shettima, on the basis of competence and not religion.
Led
by Mr Aliyu Audu, the group, at a press conference in Abuja, maintained that
the uproar over the decision by Tinubu to settle for Shettima was uncalled for
as it was well thought out. The group expressed optimism that a Tinubu-led
presidency would not administer the country on the basis of ethnic and
religious biases.
“It
is on this basis that we call on patriotic and well-meaning Nigerians to see
this as a confirmation that our next president will not shy away from making
tough decisions when the needs arise and that such decisions would be made in
the best interest of our collective success while also taking every sentiment
into consideration.”
HOWEVER,
in reaction to the controversies surrounding the choice of Shettima as running
mate by Tinubu, a former presidential aspirant and a chieftain of the party,
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, on Wednesday, warned that Nigerians, including opinion
moulders, should not allow religion to further divide the country.
Olawepo-Hashim,
a presidential candidate of the Trust Party in the 2019 elections, issued the
warning in a statement titled: ‘2023: No need to divide the country over
religion, insensitive politicians would be punished.’
According
to him, the political aspiration of anybody does not worth the disruption of
the unity and peace of Nigeria.
He
said: “While we all have the right to express ourselves, we should avoid
incendiary comments that can further pose a huge challenge to our national
integration objectives. Let us quietly make our decisions and express such
decisions with our votes.”
Olawepo-Hashim
added that political parties who were “insensitive to the national concerns and
take some segments of the population for granted must be ready to be punished
by the electorate at the polls. That is a democracy, there is no need for
quarrel.”
He
maintained that every party must work hard towards the general election to
ensure that they were in good reckoning with the electorate, adding that “those
who have bought delegates must know they will have an uphill task buying an
estimated 40 million potential voters who may turn out at the next election.”
Olawepo-Hashim
cited statistics from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
which stipulated that as of 2019, there were 84 million registered voters,
while as at June 27, 2022, the ongoing registration figures were as follows:
Fresh registrants: 10,487,972; completed registration: 8,631,696; male:
4,292,690; female: 4,339,006; People With Disabilities: 67,171 and youths:
6,081,456.
He
said: “Anyone, who loves his or her party and loves Nigeria must ensure that
their parties do the right things. Buying up delegates at the party conventions
is the cheapest thing to do, the general election is a different ball game.
National security is at stake, not just anything will pass.”
A
former Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nduka Eya, said that the
1999 Constitution and the method of administration of President Buhari should
be blamed for the opposition against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.
He
stated that the lopsided Constitution, which favours a section of the country
and President Buhari’s style of governance have resurrected religion and
ethnicity in politics, thereby creating deep divisions that were not the case
in 1983 when the late MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe ran a Muslim-Muslim
presidential ticket and were voted overwhelmingly by Nigerians.
Speaking
to newsmen in Enugu State, yesterday, he stated that the last seven years have
deepened suspicion among Nigerians following the abandonment of federal
character principles in the appointment and delivery of the programmes of the
present administration.
“I
can tell you that Nigeria has become a failed state in his hands. This is the
first time a president has decided to jettison the federal character, which is
a constitutional matter, to administer the country and things can no longer
move. In his security architecture, he has ensured that some sections of the
country are not considered in appointments even when the country was built on a
tripod. Things have moved from bad to worse. To get into certain offices, you
are considered based on where you come from and your religion,” he said.
Eya,
a former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, however, advised Nigerians to
play down the issue of the same religion ticket and concentrate on asking the
different political parties, especially the APC and PDP their scorecards in the
past 20 years.
A
socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, has described the
Muslim/Muslim ticket as an unacceptable move that is capable of creating
unprecedented chaos in the country. He made this known in a statement,
yesterday, in Lagos, adding that the move is an affront to the sensibility of
Nigerians.
He
cautioned that apart from being uncivilised in the country’s political space,
“Nigeria though a secular state, religion has come to play a central stage in
our political structure.”
Onitiri
emphasised that APC shouldn’t plunge the country into religious turmoil. “Never
again will Nigerians tolerate afflictions we are currently going through,
resulting in daily killings, maiming and kidnapping all over the country.
“We
are already witnessing a failed state where ISWAP, Boko Haram, herdsmen and
terrorists massacre innocent and defenceless Christians and other innocent
citizens for free. None of them was arrested or prosecuted while our military
turn the other face when these atrocities are being committed,” he alleged.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/muslim-muslim-ticket-is-work-of-god-says-adamu-as-ganduje-tackles-ex-sgf/
--------
Muslim-Muslim
ticket will plunge Nigeria into chaos, Kaduna PFN warns
14
July 2022
Declares
it barbaric, unacceptable
Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Kaduna State chapter, has said that the political
leaders promoting the Muslim-Muslim ticket ahead of the 2023 elections want to
polarise Nigeria further and plunge it into chaos.
Rising
from an emergency meeting in Kaduna, yesterday, PFN leaders accused those
involved of undermining the country’s unity.
The
Chairman, Emmanuel Bako, stated: “I have noticed, with great dismay, the
consistent disregard for our heterogeneous nature in Nigeria by our political
players. This is done in the face of the increasing weakness of the bond of
unity.
“It
is not only against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but
against God’s plan. The new trend of fielding party flag bearers from the same
faith is not consistent with our federal system. It has the potency to polarise
our beloved nation at this crucial moment that all true citizens are searching
for unity.”
According
to him, both Muslims and Christians are suffocating under the highest level of
insecurity, leading to reduced life expectancy in Nigeria.
“Apart
from this, the religious fault lines in the past seven years have been widened.
The responsibility of all political parties at this moment should be on
strengthening national integration and not otherwise.
“I
see this as an irresponsible decision and a disregard for our diversity. I wish
to state that it is not acceptable. It is obvious that the decision is taken to
cover up for the failure of government and to also spite other religions,” he
said
Bako
called on all peace-loving citizens to reject the “evil pattern” that is
gradually getting entrenched.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/muslim-muslim-ticket-will-plunge-nigeria-into-chaos-kaduna-pfn-warns/
--------
Lagos
Assembly clarifies secret passage of Sharia Bill
July
13, 2022
By
Nsikak Nseyen
The
Lagos House of Assembly has denied a report that it secretly passed a Sharia
Bill to get Northerners support for the All Progressives Congress, APC,
presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu.
The
Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Mr Setonji
David, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that an online media had reported that the
assembly hurriedly passed a bill to set up Sharia courts, paving way for Sharia
law in Lagos state which had been signed into law by the current state
governor.
David,
representing Badagry II, said the report was a mere figment of the imagination
of the writer and a total lie from the pit of hell.
The
spokesperson said no informed person should believe such lies against the
assembly that was above the common standard of excellence, adding that the news
was far from the reality.
He
said: “The attention of the Lagos state house of assembly has been drawn to a
malicious and unfounded report making the rounds on social media.
“That
the assembly has secretly passed a sharia law in a deal to get Northern support
for Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate.
“We
will not have dignified the writer of this hate speech but in order to set the
records straight, this is a mere figment of the imagination of the writer and a
total lie from the pit of hell.
“No
informed person should believe this lie against the assembly that is above the
common standard of excellence. The news is far from reality.
“Some
people are just mischievous. Spreading all sorts of untrue stuff. Is it
possible to pass a law under cover?
“The
process of law making is universal and very open. You cannot pass a law without
subjecting it to public hearing in Lagos state.”
David
urged residents of the state and Nigerians as a whole to take the peddlers of
this unfounded report as uninformed, and uneducated people who needed to be
schooled about the law making process.
He
said Tinubu was a fast selling product across the country and does not need any
law from the state to further endear him to all Nigerians.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/07/13/lagos-assembly-clarifies-secret-passage-of-sharia-bill/
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Ignore
religion or Muslim, Christian agitation, vote competence – Akeredolu
July
13, 2022
By
Abdul Babajide
Governor
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Wednesday, called on Nigerians to vote for
competence, adding that the faith of the Vice President does not affect
performance in any government.
Akeredolu,
who expressed confidence that the Presidential Candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will rescue the nation,
noted that the work stops on the President’s table.
“Muslim-Muslim
ticket has nothing to do with performance. Let’s vote for someone that can do
something. The work stops at the table of the President. It is the President
that you are voting for. He decides what happens. Whether it’s a Muslim/Muslim
or Christian/Christian, it should not matter to us in the South because we
fought for this.
“I
have no doubt that given the opportunity, from what he has done in Lagos,
Asiwaju Tinubu will turn things around for the better, ”he said.
The
Governor spoke at the swearing-in of two new Commissioners, Sowore Akinwumi
Samson and Ologbese Adeboboye Joseph in the state.
He
charged them to shun distractions from members of their families, friends and
political associates.
The
governor said he was excited to have personalities imbued with the requisite
capacity for the advancement of the cause of good governance.
Daily
Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Head
of Libya’s National Oil Corp ignores government order firing him
13
July ,2022
The
head of Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla, ignored a government
order sacking him on Wednesday as he returned to Tripoli from the Hajj
pilgrimage, but said he would make a speech later.
The
Government of National Unity (GNU) issued a decision on Tuesday to install
Farhat Bengdara in place of Sanalla at the head of a new NOC board, raising
concerns the state oil producer is being pulled into Libya’s political
standoff.
Prime
Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah also set up a committee to manage the transition
to the new board, according to a statement published on the oil ministry
website.
However,
an NOC statement upon Sanalla’s return from Hajj continued to describe him as
the chairman and made no mention of the decision to sack him.
Control
over Libya’s oil revenues through NOC and the central bank has been the biggest
prize for warring factions since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that began years
of chaos.
This
year the eastern-based parliament has appointed a new government under Fathi
Bashagha to replace Dbeibah, who has refused to cede power and remains in
control of government ministries in Tripoli.
The
power struggle - and questions over the legitimacy of all Libya’s political
institutions - mean any major national decisions such as replacing the NOC
board may prompt broad pushback.
On
Tuesday, NOC also said it was resuming exports from two ports closed by an oil
blockade and hoped to restart other shuttered facilities soon.
However,
groups involved in the shutdowns rejected that statement on Wednesday in a
video message. The groups had previously demanded that Dbeibah quit in favor of
Bashagha and diplomats say they are aligned with eastern commander Khalifa
Haftar.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Dutch
journalist says she was deported from Iraqi Kurdistan
14
July ,2022
A Dutch
journalist said she was deported from Iraq’s autonomous region of Kurdistan on
Wednesday, blaming her expulsion on Turkey’s reaction to her coverage of an
outlawed Kurdish party.
Frederike
Geerdink covers Kurdish and political issues in Turkey for Dutch media. Her
Twitter bio touts her inside knowledge of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) --
a pro-Kurdish group designated a “terrorist” organization by Ankara and its
Western allies.
Geerdink
tweeted Wednesday that she was on her way to Kobane, a Kurdish-majority town in
Syria near the Turkish border, when she was stopped by authorities.
“I
am being deported from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I almost crossed the
border into northeast Syria when suddenly... I was put in a car with police and
brought to Erbil airport, where I’m now,” Geerdink said.
“Erdogan’s
arm is long,” she said, blaming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The
journalist was detained by Turkey in January 2015 for “distributing terrorist
propaganda” for the PKK rebels.
In
September of the same year, Geerdink was arrested again while covering clashes
between the Turkish army and PKK rebels. An official said she had entered a
restricted zone, and she was subsequently deported.
Her
expulsion from Turkey drew condemnation from the Dutch Association of
Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists, who called the actions
of the Turkish government “very alarming and contrary to international law”.
Geerdink
took aim at authorities in Kurdistan on Wednesday over her removal.
“It
is utterly sad that the authorities in the Kurdistan region in Iraq are so
afraid of a woman with a pen,” she tweeted, adding that local journalists “are
being jailed more often than ever”.
According
to a foreign ministry spokesperson quoted by the Dutch news agency ANP, the
consul general in Erbil is in “close contact” with the journalist.
“We
believe that journalists should be able to do their work anywhere in the world,
that’s why we have stressed the importance of press freedom,” he said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Swedish
court verdict in Iran prison executions trial due Thursday
14
July ,2022
A
Swedish court on Thursday will deliver its verdict in the high-profile trial of
a former Iranian official accused of taking part in the mass execution and
torture of political prisoners in the 1980s.
Hamid
Noury, who was arrested at a Stockholm airport in 2019, is charged with war
crimes for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners at the
Gohardasht prison in Karaj, Iran, in 1988.
Amnesty
International has put the number executed on government orders at around 5,000,
saying in a 2018 report that “the real number could be higher.” Iran has never
acknowledged the killings.
Noury,
who denies the charges, is the only person so far to face trial over the purge
that targeted members of the Iranian People’s Mujahideen, which was fighting in
parts of Iran, as well as other political dissidents.
Noury
faces a maximum life sentence if found guilty. His lawyer was not immediately
available for a comment.
The
trial has focused unwelcome attention on Iran’s hardline President Ebrahim
Raisi, who is under US sanctions over a past that includes what Washington and
activists say was his involvement as one of four judges who oversaw the 1988
killings.
Raisi,
when asked about the allegations, told reporters after his election in 2021
that he had defended national security and human rights.
The
case has soured relations between the two countries with Iran calling the trial
“illegal.”
“Sweden
should provide the grounds for the release of Noury as soon as possible,”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told a news conference on
Wednesday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
says in talks with Belgium for release of diplomat convicted of terrorism
13
July ,2022
Tehran
is in close contact with Brussels over the case of Assadollah Assadi, an
Iranian diplomat currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in Belgium on
terrorism charges, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
“Dialogue
and political consultations with the Belgian authorities [over Assadi’s case]
are ongoing,” Iranian state media quoted foreign ministry spokesman Naser
Kanani as saying.
“There
is close communication and consultation in the judicial field with the Belgian
government,” he said, adding: “With the actions that have taken place and the
efforts that we have made so far, we hope that we will soon witness the release
of this valuable Iranian diplomat.”
Last
week, Belgian lawmakers gave initial clearance to a controversial prisoner
exchange treaty with Iran that could lead to Assadi’s release.
The
prisoner swap treaty would allow Belgium and Iran to exchange jailed nationals.
The
treaty has drawn sharp criticism from former and current US and European
officials, as well as Iranian dissidents and rights activists.
Assadi
was found guilty of attempted terrorism in February 2021 over a thwarted bomb
attack in 2018 in France against a rally of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran (NCRI), a French-based Iranian opposition group.
He
was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium and is currently serving his
sentence there.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
welcomes UN bid to extend cross-border aid to NW Syria
Merve
Aydogan
13.07.2022
The
UN Security Council's extending the authorization to use crossing point of Bab
al-Hawa from Türkiye to Syria for humanitarian deliveries is "an important
outcome," the EU officials said on Wednesday.
On
Tuesday, the UNSC agreed to extend its mandate for badly needed cross-border
aid deliveries from Türkiye’s Cilvegozu border crossing to Bab al-Hawa in
northwestern Syria for six months, until January 10, 2023, with a further
extension of an additional six months requiring a separate resolution.
"This
is an important outcome for the 4.1 million Syrian men, women and children,
including 2.8 million internally displaced, in north-west Syria who depend on
the vital humanitarian assistance delivered through this mechanism to help them
survive.
"At
the same time we urge the members of the UNSC to uphold their commitment to
renew the resolution for 6 months in December to ensure cross border assistance
is sustained in the midst of winter," EU foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell and Janez Lenarcic, the European commissioner for crisis management,
said in a joint statement.
There
is "no adequate alternative to cross-border assistance" to meet the
humanitarian needs in Syria, EU officials said, adding that "the extension
of the use of Bab al-Hawa crossing point is a humanitarian imperative to
preserve the functioning of a critical humanitarian lifeline for millions of
Syrians."
"The
European Union will continue to advocate for all parties to depoliticise and
allow unimpeded and continued delivery of humanitarian aid to all those in
need," it added.
For
the past two years, the Bab Al-Hawa crossing near Türkiye’s border has been the
only point of entry for UN aid into Syria. The mechanism, which expired on
Sunday, was extended earlier in the day.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-welcomes-un-bid-to-extend-cross-border-aid-to-nw-syria/2635910
--------
Pakistan
UNGA
To Continue UNSC Reform; Pakistan Urges For Reconciliation Of Divergent Stands
July
13, 2022
The
General Assembly Tuesday decided that intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on
enlarging the UN Security Council will continue during its upcoming 77th
session,
With
the 193-member body’s President, Abdulla Shahid, saying that the negotiating
process this year has made progress towards agreement on reforming the
15-member Council.
“We
have made progress this year. This is clear,” Shahid said, ahead of the
unanimous adoption of a draft oral decision to rollover the IGN process to
upcoming session that begins in September this year.
Pakistan’s
UN Ambassador Munir Akram concurred with Assembly president’s assessment about
the progress achieved.
“We
agreed that the areas of convergence have been broadened, and divergences have
been further reduced through the IGN process this year,” he added.
Full-scale
negotiations to reform the Security Council began in the General Assembly in
February 2009 on five key areas, the categories of membership, the question of veto,
regional representation, size of an enlarged Security Council, and working
methods of the council and its relationship with the General Assembly.
Despite
a general agreement on enlarging the Council, as part of the UN reform process,
member states remain divided over the details.
The
so-called Group of Four — India, Brazil, Germany and Japan — who seek for
themselves permanent seats on the Council have shown no flexibility in their
push for expanding the Council by 10 seats, with six additional permanent and
four non-permanent members.
On
the other hand, the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, which
firmly opposes additional permanent members, has proposed a new category of
members — not permanent members — with longer duration in terms and a
possibility to get re-elected.
The
Security Council is currently composed of five permanent members — Britain,
China, France, Russia and the United States — and 10 non-permanent members
elected to serve for two years.
In
his remarks, Ambassador Akram said that slow pace of progress in Security
Council reform “is not due to any deficiency in the procedure or process; it is
due to the inflexible position adopted by a few individual States which have
come into the negotiations with the pre-determined goal of fulfilling this
ambition to become new permanent members of the Security Council, regardless of
the principles of sovereign equality.”
In
contrast, he said the UfC has demonstrated the greatest flexibility in these
negotiations and shown its willingness to explore imaginative ways to reconcile
divergent positions.
The
Pakistani envoy said the UfC looks forward to continuing its constructive
participation in the IGN process at the next session in order to further
broaden the areas of convergence and narrow the areas of divergence.
“We
hope all Member States and groups will demonstrate similar flexibility. If so,
we can reach agreement on Security Council reform in the near future,” he said.
However,
Ambassador Akram expressed surprise at the reference in the Assembly
president’s letter forwarding the draft decision, “encouraging” Member States
to move gradually towards “text-based negotiations”, saying that this advice is
gratuitous; it does not reflect the consensus or even a majority sentiment within
the UN membership.
“It
is beyond the PGA’s (president of General Assembly) mandate to convey such
advice,” he added.
”
We see this only as an expression of your personal view which has no bearing on
the continuing work of the IGN,” Ambassador Akram said in remarks aimed at
Abdulla Shahid, who is from Maldives .
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
court bars Army from claiming ownership of state land
Jul
14, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad high court on Wednesday barred Pakistan Army from claiming
ownership of state land and declared that armed forces have neither power nor
jurisdiction to engage, directly or indirectly, in business ventures of any
nature outside their composition.
In
a detailed 108-page judgment related to land encroachment by armed forces in
Islamabad’s Margalla Hills National Park area, HC Chief Justice Athar Minallah
declared the construction of the Navy Golf Course in the protected area of the park
illegal and instructed the defence ministry to conduct an inquiry into it. The
court directed the defence secretary to conduct a forensic audit to assess the
damage that illegal encroachments and construction on park area caused to the
natural habitat and national exchequer.
The
court stated that the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy have violated the law by
taking it into their own hands without realizing their responsibilities to the
nation and the state, which, according to Justice Minallah, was an ideal case
of weakening the rule of law.
“The
questions in hand manifest the wilful and brazen disregard and abuse of the
enforced laws by the very authorities and institutions created to protect the
rights of the citizens through the implementation of the enforced enactments
promulgated by the legislature,” the verdict read.
The
court, moreover, rejected the ownership claim of the Pakistan Army Directorate
on 8,068 acres of land in the national park and declared illegal the lease
agreement of Army’s farms directorate with a party to run a restaurant on a
hilltop in forests of the national park.
“It
is the responsibility of the state to take action against those who violate the
fundamental rights of the people. However, it is ironic that here state
institutions are involved in destruction of the Margalla Hills protected area,”
the order said, directing the authorities to take steps to repair the damage
already done to Margalla Hills to prevent it from further destruction.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
IMF
says staff-level agreement reached with Pakistan for release of $1.17bn loan
tranche
July
14, 2022
The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirmed on Thursday that it had reached a
staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the combined seventh and eighth reviews
for a $6 billion loan facility, a development that paves the way for the
release of the much-awaited $1.17bn.
The
deal materialised after Pakistan met the IMF’s demand that the country achieve
a primary budget surplus of Rs152 to revive the bailout package.
In
a statement on its website, the Fund said the agreement was subject to approval
by its Executive Board.
“The
IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the Pakistan
authorities for the conclusion of the combined seventh and eight reviews of the
extended funded facility (EFF) supported programme. The agreement is subject to
approval by the IMF’s Executive Board,” the IMF statement read.
It
added: “Subject to Board approval, about $1,177 million (SDR 894m) will become
available, bringing total disbursements under the programme to about $4.2bn.”
The
international money lender said a team led by IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan
Nathan Porter finalised the discussions with Pakistan and that it had also
agreed to consider extending its EFF, currently worth $6bn, till the end of
June 2023, as well as augmenting it by $720m to expand its size to $7bn.
The
statement said this decision was taken to support the programme’s
implementation, meet Pakistan’s higher financing needs in FY23 and catalyse
additional financing.
The
announcement by the IMF also comes a dy after after Finance Minister Miftah
Ismail told Dawn that talks with the money lender had concluded.
Soon
after the IMF released the statement, the minister also confirmed the news on
Twitter.
“I
want to thank the prime minister, my fellow ministers, secretaries, and
especially the Finance Division, for their help and efforts in obtaining this
agreement,” he said.
In
the same way, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Ismail and Foreign
Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, as well as their teams, for their efforts.
“The
agreement with the Fund has set the stage to bring [the] country out of
economic difficulties,” the premier said.
Policy
priorities
In
the statement issued today, the Fund noted that Pakistan was at a “challenging
economic juncture”.
“A
difficult external environment combined with procyclical domestic policies fuelled
domestic demand to unsustainable levels,” it said, adding that the resultant
economic overheating led to large fiscal and external deficits in FY22,
contributed to rising inflation, and eroded reserve buffers.
In
light of this, the money lender outlined “policy priorities” for Pakistan to
“stabilise the economy and bring [its] policy actions in line with the
IMF-supported programme”’.
These
priorities include the steadfast implementation of the budget for the current
fiscal year, reforms in the power sector, working out a monetary policy to
bring down inflation to “moderate levels”, reducing poverty and strengthening
governance.
With
regards to the budget for fiscal year 2022-23, the IMF noted that it aimed to
“reduce the government’s large borrowing needs by targeting an underlying
primary surplus of 0.4 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product), underpinned by
current spending restraint and broad revenue mobilisation efforts focused
particularly on higher income taxpayers”.
“Development
spending will be protected, and fiscal space will be created for expanding
social support schemes” under the new budget, it said, adding that the
provinces had agreed to support the federal government’s efforts to reach the
fiscal targets, and memoranda of understanding had been signed by each
provincial government to this effect.
The
IMF further highlighted that due to the “weak implementation” of the plan
previously agreed with it, Pakistan’s power sector circular debt flow was
expected to “grow significantly” to around Rs850bn in FY22, “overshooting
programme targets, threatening the power sector’s viability, and leading to
frequent power outages”.
Therefore,
it said, Pakistani authorities were committed to resuming reforms in the power
sector, including, “critically, the timely adjustment of power tariff”.
This
adjustment, it added, covered the “delayed annual rebasing and quarterly
adjustments, to improve the situation in the power sector and limit load
shedding”.
On
the recent monetary policy increase — wherein the State Bank of Pakistan
increased the interest rate by 125 basis points to 15pc — the IMF termed the
measure “necessary and appropriate”.
The
IMF stressed that the monetary policy “will need to be geared towards ensuring
that inflation is brought steadily down to the medium-term objective of five
per cent to seven per cent”.
It
further emphasised that the rates of export finance scheme (EFS) and long-term
financing facility (LTFF) — two major financing schemes — “will continue to be
linked to the policy rate” to enhance the monetary policy transmission. In this
connection, the IMF statement mentioned that the rates for EFS and LTFF had
been raised by 700 bps and 500 bps respectively over the recent months.
“Greater
exchange rate flexibility will help cushion activity and rebuild reserves to
more prudent levels,” the IMF said.
The
IMF further said: “To improve governance and mitigate corruption, the
authorities are establishing a robust electronic asset declaration system and
plan to undertake a comprehensive review of the anti-corruption institutions
(including the National Accountability Bureau) to enhance their effectiveness
in investigating and prosecuting corruption cases”.
Road
to the agreement
Pakistan
entered the IMF programme in 2019, but only half the funds have been disbursed
to date as Islamabad has struggled to keep targets on track.
The
last disbursement was in February and the next tranche was to follow a review
in March, but the government of ousted prime minister Imran Khan introduced
costly fuel price caps, which threw fiscal targets and the programme off track.
The
new coalition government has removed the price caps, with petrol and diesel
prices going up by as much as 66pc and 92pc in over a month.
On
June 21, Pakistan’s authorities and the IMF staff mission reached an
understanding on the current fiscal year’s federal budget to revive the stalled
loan programme after authorities committed to generating Rs436 billion more
taxes and gradually increasing the petroleum levy to Rs50 per litre.
As
a result, the IMF staff in a statement acknowledged that important progress had
been made over the federal budget. Based on this, Pakistan provided written
commitment from the provinces to provide Rs750bn in cash surplus to the Centre
to contain fiscal deficit within 4.9pc of GDP and help generate a Rs152bn
primary fiscal surplus.
Moreover,
Pakistan is now required to increase the electricity tariff by Rs7.91 per unit
besides direct pass-through of monthly fuel cost adjustments in a timely manner
to meet IMF demands.
On
June 28, Ismail had announced that Pakistan had received the Memorandum of
Economic and Fiscal Policies (MEFP) from the IMF for the combined seventh and
eighth reviews.
The
revised MEFP was based on budgetary measures announced by Ismail in his
winding-up speech on the revised budget in the National Assembly, envisaging
over Rs1.716 trillion (2.2pc of GDP) of fiscal adjustment, mostly through
taxation, including 10pc super tax on 13 industries and personal income tax covering
monthly incomes above Rs50,000 per month.
This
is on top of a fixed tax regime for sectors like retailers, traders, jewellers,
builders, restaurants, automobile and property dealers and so on.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PML-Q
strives to bring Imran, powers that be on ‘same page’
Waseem
Ashraf Butt
July
14, 2022
GUJRAT:
Some influential figures in the camp of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat have renewed
their efforts to bridge the gap between the head of their ally and ex-premier
Imran Khan and the powers that be, ahead of the July 17 vote.
The
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid is using its ‘good offices’ to help the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman and major power players patch up their differences, as
the PML-Q leadership considers it absolutely vital to win most of the seats in
the by-election to form its government in Punjab that would ultimately pave the
way for early general election.
Well-placed
sources told Dawn some senior PML-Q figures in the Parvez Elahi camp supporting
the PTI were making efforts for a patch-up but no breakthrough had been
achieved in this regard.
Stakes
are high for Mr Elahi, the Punjab Assembly speaker, who is a joint candidate of
PTI and PML-Q for the slot of Punjab chief minister against Hamza Shehbaz of
the PML-N.
“We
are making hectic efforts for the victory of PTI candidates in the by-polls, as
some Gujrat-based Q workers are busy in electioneering for the PTI in Lahore
and some other parts of Punjab as per the directions of the senior party
leadership,” a senior party leader said.
He
claimed that some “other channels are also being explored to ensure PTI-Q
victory as this is a do or die for us and Khan Sahib”.
A
senior politician and former federal minister Ijazul Haq, who also recently
held a special meeting with Mr Khan, Mr Elahi, Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh
Rashid, had already admitted that they had been making efforts for a
rapprochement between Mr Khan and the power corridors.
“Now
fresh efforts have been launched in this regard. Khan has been told to stop
making indirect references to the army chief,” the PML-Q leader disclosed.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1699541/pml-q-strives-to-bring-imran-powers-that-be-on-same-page
--------
Imran
Khan urges voters to protect Pakistan from ‘American slaves’ on July 17
July
13, 2022
JHANG:
Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that they are attempting to
protect the state against ‘slaves of the US’, as he urged voters and supporters
in the constituency to stand guard against alleged poll rigging in the upcoming
Punjab byelections.
He
said this while addressing a political rally in Jhang on Wednesday evening.
He
started off his speech by telling his supporters that they had to go back to
the polls because their candidate from this constituency had sold his
conscience and become a turncoat.
He
reiterated his rhetoric that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
had been planning to rig the upcoming polls and that they had co-opted the
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and a ‘Mr. X’ in Lahore and his accomplice, ‘Mr.
Y’, in Multan who are allegedly attempting to rig the elections.
The
former prime minister said that during his tenure, he had tried to introduce
electronic voting systems in the country to eradicate rigging.
“The
chief election commissioner also did not allow us to introduce electronic
voting machines,” he said, alleging collusion.
He
added that the powers that be wanted to retain a system of electoral rigging in
the country.
However,
the ex-premier said they would win the bypolls in Punjab – scheduled on Sunday
– despite that all forces have gathered against his party.
He
told the people, especially youngsters, to come out on the election day for
casting their votes as it would mar all plans of rigging.
PTI
chairman said that it was reprehensible that with only days to go in bypolls,
they were looking for ways to stop rigging in the bypolls in a country that was
formed on the basis of Islam.
He
added that the local government elections in Sindh were rigged to a level that
even the government’s coalition partners including MQM-P and JUI-F called it
out, claiming that the election commissioner of Sindh takes money from the
Sindh government.
He
said Yousaf Raza Gillani’s son – who is a national lawmaker – was caught
red-handed ahead of the Senate election while the chief election commissioner
lent a deaf ear to the Supreme Court’s order regarding the identification of
vote.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
crown prince ‘accepts’ Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan
July
13, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, “accepted” on Wednesday
the invitation from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit Pakistan.
Sharif
extended the invitation during a telephonic call with the prince wherein he
also conveyed warm greetings to the petro-rich nation’s head on the eve of Eid
ul-Adha.
He
expressed good wishes to the Prince and the people of Saudi Arabia. Sharif also
felicitated him on the successful Hajj and thanked the Saudi government for
taking care of the pilgrims, particularly those from Pakistan.
Pakistan
and Saudi Arabia have also agreed to pursue a joint strategy for the execution
of the decisions taken during Prime Minister Sharif’s visit to the kingdom in
April.
Both
leaders also discussed the ongoing bilateral projects and agreed to further
strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade and investment.
On
July 9, Sharif also invited the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to visit Pakistan which the latter “accepted with
great pleasure”.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South Asia
Uzbekistan
to Host 2-Day Conference on Afghanistan
By
Arif Ahmadi
14
Jul 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – Uzbekistan government will host a tow-day conference on
Afghanistan later this month, a statement of the country’s foreign ministry
said, where delegations from more than 20 countries will participate.
The
event that is scheduled for July 25-26 aims to facilitate approaches for
international communities to better engage in diplomatic relation with
Afghanistan, as well as promote peace and security in the country.
“The
main goal of the event is to develop a set of measures and proposals for the
approaches of the world community to promote stability, security, post-conflict
reconstruction in Afghanistan and its integration into regional cooperation
processes in the interests of the multinational Afghan people and the whole
world,” the statement reads, as TOLOnews quoted.
Analysts
believe “the attention of the world has been distracted,” saying international
community plays vital role on Afghanistan’s overall growth, including political
and economic sectors, and so they should not let the country be isolated from
the rest of the world.
“The
world is responsible to play an important role regarding Afghanistan in its
economic field to prevent Afghanistan from being side-lined and the collapse of
the political and economic systems,” said Wali Froozan, an economist, as local
media reported.
Highlighting
the agenda of the event, Nazak Meer Ziyarmal, an economist, said Afghan railway
line that connects Kabul to neighboring Pakistan will be one of the main topics
during the two-day conference in Uzbekistan.
“In
the economic area, the humanitarian aid, transit, unfinished projects of
Uzbekistan in Afghanistan, particularly the railway to Kabul and from Kabul to
Peshawar, will be the main agendas of the conference,” he said.
Meanwhile,
the Islamic Emirate officials said its delegation led by the acting Minister of
Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi will participate in the conference,
discussing joint-venture and bilateral ties among the other key topics.
“Following
an official invitation of Uzbekistan, a delegation led by Amir Khan Muttaqi and
comprised of members of ministries and sectorial organizations will attend and
the Islamic Emirate will express its needs,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy
spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
The
Kabul delegation “will also meet with several others on the side-lines of the
conference,” he added.
The
announcement came at a time the Taliban leadership has been repeatedly denied
of formal recognition though at least five countries maintained their
diplomatic ties with the group.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/uzbekistan-to-host-2-day-conference-on-afghanistan/
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4
Cholera-Related Deaths Reported in Southern Afghanistan
By
Saqalain Eqbal
13
Jul 2022
In
Shahwali Kot district of Kandahar province, in southern Afghanistan, 60 people
have reportedly contracted cholera, according to health officials.
Four
people died among those who were ill, according to Mohammad Haqbin, head of a
health facility in the Shahwali Kot district, who also told that the disease is
caused by drinking contaminated water.
According
to the Taliban officials, the disease has also spread in Helmand province, also
in southern Afghanistan.
There
are already 590 persons affected with this disease in Helmand province’s
Baghran district, with almost 18 deaths associated with the disease outbreak.
Officials
from the Ministry of Public Health stated that the cholera outbreak has been
recorded in the districts of Baghran and Shahwali Kot and has been associated
with the consumption of contaminated food and unclean water.
There
have also been fatalities related to the cholera outbreak in the Zabul
province’s Sewri and Day Chopan districts.
The
situation in Helmand and Kandahar provinces appear critical as local sources
say hospitals are overwhelmed with patients.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/4-cholera-related-deaths-reported-in-southern-afghanistan-57484/
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Flight
From Pakistan Takes 181 Afghans to the Netherlands
13
Jul 2022
By
Saqalain Eqbal
The
Dutch government announced Wednesday that a group of 181 Afghans had flown to
safety following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last year. They landed
in the Netherlands on a chartered flight from Pakistan, according to Dutch
media.
Most
of the immigrants who reached on Tuesday evening at an Eindhoven airport in the
Netherlands left Afghanistan by entering Pakistan over the land border, where
Dutch officials and the International Organization for Migration assisted them
in reaching Islamabad.
The
Afghans were reportedly unable to leave their country earlier because they
lacked appropriate travel papers, according to the Dutch government. They were
permitted entry into Pakistan by Pakistani authorities so they could go on to
the Netherlands, according to the Dutch media.
In
a statement released on Wednesday, the Dutch government expressed its
commitment to evacuate “as many eligible people as possible” from Afghanistan
who makes it to Pakistan.
The
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported earlier this month, that it had
relocated 1,801 Afghans to the Netherlands from late August 2021 and that
another 942 persons were waiting to be transferred, including 766 who still
remain in Afghanistan.
After
two decades of conflict, the US and coalition forces withdrew from Afghanistan
in late August 2021, and the Taliban seized power.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/flight-from-pakistan-takes-181-afghans-to-the-netherlands-37483/
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Afghanistan
Humanitarian Fund Receives $2.2 Million Contribution from Switzerland: OCHA
By
Saqalain Eqbal
13
Jul 2022
Switzerland
contributes an amount of $2.2 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund,
according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid
(UNOCHA).
UNOCHA
tweeted its appreciation to Switzerland on Wednesday, July 13th, for its
commitment of $2.2 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) to
support the impoverished people of Afghanistan.
UNOCHA
has also noted that Switzerland, since 2016, has contributed almost $12 million
to the people of Afghanistan through the AHF.
The
UN has deemed these aids crucial for averting the humanitarian and economic catastrophe
and saving lives in Afghanistan, and it has pledged to keep up its efforts to
send humanitarian aid to various areas of Afghanistan.
According
to the World Food Program, since the Taliban took control of the government,
half of Afghanistan’s population has experienced hunger.
International
assistance was significantly cut back after the Taliban were re-established in
Afghanistan, and the World Bank’s funding for development was severely
constrained.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Afghanistan:
Taliban bars humanitarian aid from entering Bamyan province
July
13, 2022
Taliban’s
atrocities continue to ascend in Afghanistan as the organization barred
humanitarian aid from entering the Bamyan as it denied the presence of
displaced people in the Province.
Many
displaced individuals are living on the outskirts of Yakawlang district,
according to sources in Bamyan, told Khaama Press that the displaced
desperately need assistance. The provision and distribution of shelter and food
assistance for the displaced people who live at a height of 2,700 meters in the
cold places of Bamyan province are essential and urgent, said UNHCR.
As
per the reports by Khaama Press, World Food Program (WFP), recent humanitarian
distributions sent by World Food Program (WFP) to the Balkhab were also
displaced.
Moreover,
the residents of this district have fled or were forced to leave, leaving only
the Taliban forces in place.
Taliban
forces in Balkhab district had been harassing women, reported local media,
adding that more than 27 thousand people have been displaced over the past two
weeks following recent fighting in the district of Balkhab in the Sar-e-Pul
province in the north of the country.
The
United Nations Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (UNOCHA),
too reported that more than 6,000 people from Balkhab have been displaced and
are now moving towards Bamyan where the situation is equally nasty, Khaama
Press reported.
The
situation of women and girls in Afghanistan reflects systematic violations of
rights directly resulting from the wilful adoption of measures and policies by
the Taliban, aiming at erasing them completely from all spheres of public life.
Afghan
women had enjoyed unfettered freedom in the country for so many years but are
now staring at a bleak future due to a number of restrictions imposed by the
Taliban governing aspects of their lives within ten months of Afghanistan’s
takeover.
After
the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, their forces, including
military and intelligence officers, have carried out many summary killings and
enforced disappearances.
There
is no indication that they have held forces responsible for abuses accountable.
Taliban
security forces in northern Afghanistan’s Panjshir province have unlawfully
detained and tortured residents accused of association with an opposition armed
group, according to Human Rights Watch.
Since
mid-May 2022, fighting has escalated in the province as National Resistance Front
(NRF) forces have attacked Taliban units and checkpoints.
The
Taliban have responded by deploying to the province thousands of fighters, who
have carried out search operations targeting communities they allege are
supporting the NRF.
Source:
The Statesman
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Southeast Asia
Amid
‘Haj cartel’ claims, MACC chief says yet to get complaints about Tabung Haji
By
Zarrah Morden
13
Jul 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 13 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has not
received any complaints to investigate Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) for alleged
misconduct over its selection of Muslim pilgrims for the Haj, its chief Tan Sri
Azam Baki said today.
He
was responding to an anonymous viral letter claiming a “Haj cartel” within the
Muslim pilgrimage fund that made made selective choices on Muslims to fill the
annual pilgrimage quote to Mecca.
“We
have not been informed [of the matter],” Azam told The Malaysian Insight today.
The
anonymous letter circulating on social media accused LTH chief executive
officer Datuk Seri Amrin Awaluddin of abusing his authority to enable the board
chairman Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar and his family to perform the Haj this year
without undergoing the proper screening procedures.
The
letter also claimed that Azman had advised LTH executive director Datuk Seri
Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman to appoint Azman’s nephew as a Haj officer.
Syed
Saleh, who is also the Malaysian Haj pilgrimage leader, denied the existence of
the alleged Haj cartel yesterday.
National
news agency Bernama reported Syed Saleh saying that any tour operator can apply
and applicants would be chosen yearly after a detailed screening and selection
process that involved meeting 10 conditions.
LTH
has also come under fire from the Malaysian Umrah and Haj Travel Agency
Association (Papuh) who similarly alleged that a cartel was running the local
Haj selection annually, sparking anxiety among local Muslims that they may not
be able to fulfil their religious obligations.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Moderate
the hours for religious studies in primary schools
July
13, 2022
Every
child has a limited number of hours in school. It is the duty of our education
system to ensure the optimum allocation of hours for key subjects. These are
subjects considered age-appropriate and meant to expose children to a world of
opportunities.
It
is worrying that we think it is appropriate to allocate about 16% of a primary
school child’s limited time for Islamic religious education, while at the same
time allocating only about 12% for mathematics, 7% for science, and 7% for
arts.
These
statistics are based on actual timetables gathered from several primary schools
in the Klang Valley for standards 2, 4, and 5; the percentages were calculated
only for instruction hours, excluding recess and assembly periods.
Comparison
with other countries
In
contrast, most European Union and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) countries allocate only about 5% for religious education and
about 17% for mathematics. This is based on a 2019 education report by the OECD
that had surveyed multiple countries.
There
is reason to believe that other countries may be allocating more time for
science and mathematics. However, data based on consistent methodology is
lacking, preventing a proper apple-to-apple comparison. For example, in some
countries, there is no mandated allocation of time for each subject; instead,
schools are given the flexibility to decide.
Some
may argue that children at this age are not prepared for abstract mathematical
concepts. If so, why do we think that they are ready for the more abstract
ideas of a religious education at a very young age?
With
this kind of bias, what are we preparing our children for? What kind of future
are we envisioning for our children and the nation as a whole?
Is
there any evidence to suggest that a higher emphasis on religion in primary
schools will produce a society with higher moral standards, or adults with
higher integrity?
When
we were growing up, we had religious education too. But it was simply
Pendidikan Islam. It didn’t take as much time in school as it does today.
Still, the majority of us turned out all right. Most people I know, from
primary school classmates to university friends, turned out to be decent
humans. Of course, some were relatively “bad hats” in their younger days, but
still, many of them grew up to be fairly decent.
So,
why this urge for a deeper and expanded religious curriculum?
Religionisation
of primary schools
Religion
started entering our schools in the 1980s in response to several international
geopolitical and domestic political events.
But
it was only in the mid-2000s that Pendidikan Islam in our public schools was
replaced by a new and expanded curriculum, splitting it into Jawi, Quran,
Arabic, and Fardhu Ain – also known as the J-QAF programme.
It
was an idea of the prime minister back then, which was expressed in a meeting
with the education ministry. A new and expanded Islamic religious curriculum
was subsequently developed and eventually endorsed for implementation from 2005
onwards with the aim of enhancing religious education in our public schools.
Reversing
this trend now is unlikely in Malaysia, a country where the three Rs (race,
religion, royalty) are considered taboo, preventing a proper and rational
discourse on these subjects. It’s a near-certainty that it will be political
suicide for any politician who attempts to reverse the trend.
Yet,
this is a must for a progressive and competitive future Malaysian economy.
This
is not to suggest, however, that we drop religion completely. Instead, there
needs to be a better balance. Given that they are children, the teaching
priorities should be about “learning how to learn”, encouraging curiosity, and
honing children’s critical thinking and creative skills.
Balance
needed
Religion
should be mostly the responsibility of parents. Schools can complement this by
focusing on a broad inter-religious understanding and inculcating values such
as morality, empathy, and citizenship. Parents may choose to send their
children to after-school classes should they wish their children to gain deeper
religious knowledge.
Some
of the hours saved in school can be redirected towards enhancing the time
allocated for mathematics, science, and/or arts. It is unfortunate that during
all these years, the teaching of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) appears to have been largely ignored and de-prioritised.
This
too, at a time when the world is on the cusp of a major industrial revolution
driven by technological breakthroughs in digital connectivity and artificial
intelligence.
It
is strange that many seem to accept this growing emphasis on religion in
schools as a good thing. In fact, some have even argued for more religious
education in our public schools. This is scary simply because religion evokes a
highly polarised debate in Malaysia.
The
reality is that many politicians will not hesitate to politicise this issue if
they can gain mileage and, in the process, sacrifice our education system for
their short-term, narrow self-interests.
By
the time we realise it, it may be too late. Remember, things that may seem
unimaginable today may be inevitable tomorrow if we don’t act now. It will be
deeply regretted if our schools are abused to further the political agenda or
personal leanings of any individual.
It
is time to re-think our education priorities and re-define the balance towards
achieving a progressive, competitive and modern Malaysia.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Family
livid over decision to appeal RM3.1mil award in botched circumcision case
Faisal
Asyraf
July
14, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: The family of a man whose penis was mutilated in a botched circumcision
when he was 10 is livid that the government wants to appeal a High Court
decision to award him RM3.1 million in damages.
Speaking
to FMT, the family’s lawyer, Zainuddin Abu Bakar, said his clients were
infuriated over the move to seemingly deny justice to the victim, who is now
22.
“He
was only 10 years old when the incident happened. He has been living with
depression because of the ordeal, and this latest announcement has made him
sadder,” said Zainuddin.
“He
is emotionally unstable right now,” he said, adding that the government should
have sympathy for what happened to his client.
Kuala
Lumpur High Court judge Akhtar Tahir awarded RM3.1 million in damages to the
man in April after ruling that the government and four other defendants – a
Kuala Lipis Hospital medical officer and its director and a Selayang Hospital
specialist and its director – had been negligent.
Yesterday,
the media reported that the government and the four defendants had filed an
appeal against the High Court’s decision.
Case
management before the Court of Appeal deputy registrar has been fixed for July
27.
According
to a Bernama report, the man filed the suit on July 19, 2018, through his
mother, claiming that the circumcision on Dec 13, 2010 was not done according
to the prescribed procedure, resulting in the head of the penis being severed.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Tajuddin
will clarify envoy status, says PM
Anne
Muhammad
July
13, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Tajuddin Abdul Rahman will clarify his status as ambassador to
Indonesia, the prime minister said after the Pasir Salak MP’s name was omitted
from a list of those appointed to head foreign missions.
“Tajuddin
will issue a statement,” Ismail Sabri Yaakob told reporters.
Yesterday,
the Yang di-Pertuan Agong presented letters of appointment to four new
Malaysian heads of missions at Istana Negara.
Bernama
reported that the newly-appointed heads of missions were to South Korea (Lim
Jay Jin), Japan (Shahril Effendi Abd Ghany), Saudi Arabia (Wan Zaidi Wan
Abdullah) and Iran (Khairi Omar).
The
report did not make any mention of Tajuddin.
The
omission of Tajuddin’s name from the list follows reports that Putrajaya had
dropped him as an envoy to the republic.
A
source confirmed with FMT that Putrajaya had a “change of heart” over
Tajuddin’s appointment, which came under heavy criticism, including from former
diplomats and civil society.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Ramasamy
not entitled to raise public interest issues, says Naik
July
13, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik said Penang deputy chief
minister II P Ramasamy is not entitled to raise public interest issues although
he is an elected representative.
Naik,
56, a permanent resident who lives in Putrajaya, said this when cross-examined
by lawyer Ragunath Kesavan, one of the counsel appearing for Ramasamy.
Ragunath:
Is the defendant (Ramasamy) a deputy chief minister?
Naik:
Yes.
Ragunath:
Is the defendant an elected representative?
Naik:
Yes.
Ragunath:
Then, is he not entitled to make statements on public interest issues?
Naik:
I disagree.
The
lawyer was referring to a Nov 8, 2019 news report published by The Malaysian
Insight news portal in which Ramasamy claimed that the arrest of 12 individuals
over their alleged involvement with the now-defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) was the work of Naik and his supporters.
He
said the report was defamatory as Ramasamy was clearly referring to him.
Naik
said he maintained that Ramasamy was also an LTTE supporter and that it was a
disgrace for him to be involved, more so because he holds the post of deputy
chief minister.
Ragunath:
Do you stand by the statement?
Naik:
Of course.
Naik
also disagreed with the lawyer who suggested that there was no proof that the
12 were linked to the LTTE.
Ragunath:
Nowhere was it shown that they were supporters of LTTE. Are you suggesting they
are guilty just because the police arrested them?
Naik:
They are allegedly involved.
(On
Feb 21, 2020, then attorney-general Tommy Thomas announced that charges against
the 12, including then Gadek assemblyman, G Saminathan, and Seremban Jaya
assemblyman, P Gunasekaran, would be dropped.)
Ragunath:
But you pleaded innocent when Indian authorities were investigating you.
Naik:
Yes.
Naik
is wanted in India to face charges with investigating authorities claiming that
he was involved in terrorism, causing enmity among religions and money
laundering.
He
also said the majority of Malaysian Hindus wanted him extradited to India,
supporting Indian prime minister Narendra Modi instead of Malaysia’s then prime
minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on the matter.
Naik
filed two separate suits, in October and December 2019, in which he sued
Ramasamy for libel over various statements which were allegedly defamatory.
In
the second suit, Naik alleged that Ramasamy had defamed him in comments made
about the LTTE which The Malaysian Insight published.
Naik
said the statements had caused him mental anguish, trauma and distress, and
that he was exposed to personal harm after Ramasamy’s statements allegedly
incited public anger.
He
said the statements also tarnished his image and damaged his reputation in the
eyes of the public.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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