Sanskrit Mantras In Ajmer Mosque called Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, Soon, BJP MP Stirs Row
New Age Islam News Bureau
09 January 2024
BJP Lok
Sabha MP from Jaipur City Ramcharan Bohra
------
·
Sanskrit
Mantras In Ajmer Mosque called Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, Soon, BJP MP Stirs Row
·
Malaysian
Preacher Says Sleeping With Stuffed Toys, Like Teddy Bear Or Doll, Is 'Haram'
For Adults
·
Dutch
Anti-Islam Lawmaker Geert Wilders Withdraws 2018 Proposal To Ban Mosques,
Qur’an
·
‘We Pray
For End To War In Churches Damaged By Israeli Attacks,’ Say Palestinian
Christians
·
Pro-Palestinian
Protesters Block New York City Bridges, Tunnel
-----
India
·
Vacate
Mosques Built On Demolished Temples, Or Face Repercussions, Warns Karnataka BJP
Leader
·
Ex-Envoy
Ajay Bisaria: ISI Tipped Off India In 2019 About Qaeda Plot To Hit Kashmir
·
Ahead Of Urs,
Ajmer Dargah Khadims Urges PM To Ensure Safety & Security
·
Lakshadweep
a tropical paradise? Not to its own Muslim-majority population
·
Farooq
Abdullah hopes for end of hate against Muslims after Ram temple consecration
------
Southeast Asia
·
Malaysia
DPM Zahid Commends Sabahans As Best Example Of Religious Harmony After Imam
Offers Dua At Christmas Open House
·
Putrajaya
To Raise Awareness To Increase Reporting Of Sexual Offences Against Children
·
Nadma:
Number of flood victims in Johor, Pahang increases to 8,462 people at noon
-----
Europe
·
French
far-left leader calls on Macron to get ‘angry’ over possible Israeli aggression
against Lebanon
·
Israeli
settlements undermine peace in Middle East, German foreign minister says
·
‘Indiscriminately
Striking’ Civilians Is War Crime, Pope Says In Major Speech
·
Jews,
Muslims and Christians join together in protest for Palestine
·
Bosnian
Serbs show solidarity with provocations against Muslims
------
Mideast
·
Pro-Palestine
Activists Set 'Global Day Of Action' On January 13 To Stop Israel’s Gaza
Genocide
·
Islamic
Jihad airs propaganda clip claiming to show hostage alive in Gaza on Jan. 5
·
Israeli
army shows underground ‘weapons factory’ in Gaza
·
Israeli
strike in southern Lebanon kills Hezbollah commander Wissam Hassan al-Tawil
·
Pure blood
of Gazans will hasten Israel’s downfall: Iran Army chief
·
World
should not allow Netanyahu to drag region into wider war: Jordan
·
UN says
‘very concerned’ about high number of journalists killed in Gaza
·
Blinken
lands in Tel Aviv for talks with Israel on Gaza conflict
-----
North America
·
Ex-White
House interns call on Biden to force immediate Gaza ceasefire
·
US wants
to save Israel, not region
·
Blinken on
diplomacy push in Israel as it says war to continue all year
·
Biden will
not fire Pentagon chief Austin, Trump calls for removal
·
Pentagon
says not planning a US withdrawal from Iraq
----
South Asia
·
The Goal
of ISIS is to Destabilize Region and Harm Civilians: IEA Deputy PM
·
3,000
Anti-Terrorist Operations Conducted in 2023: Islamic Emirate
·
Islamic
Emirate Supports Industrialists and Manufacturing Sector: Azizi
·
Envoys of
Japan, Korea, Malaysia, KSA, Palestine, Argentina, 13 Other Countries
Congratulate Bangladesh PM
·
BNP has
nothing to do except wait for next five years: Quader
·
Switzerland
to reopen Kabul Humanitarian Aid Office by Summer 2024
·
Islamic
Emirate’s PM Meets Pakistan’s Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman
·
Reject All
Forms Of Violence, UN Urges Bangladesh
·
Yunus
should apologise to his workers: PM
-----
Pakistan
·
Pakistan
Rejects Religious Designation By US As Biased, Arbitrary
·
Kabul asks
Pakistan to ‘stop being cruel’ to refugees
·
Court
freezes properties of Malik Riaz, PTI leaders in £190m case
·
PM orders
swift action against smuggling of commodities
·
Bahrain
lauds Pakistan Army's counter-terrorism achievements
·
Pakistan
strongly condemns Kabul terrorist attack causing multiple deaths
·
Incarcerated
Imran Khan arrested in GHQ attack case as well
·
‘No
intention to harm Pakistan’, Afghan PM tells Fazl
·
Cipher
case: Robkar for IK’s release on bail issued
-----
Africa
·
Bolivia
Says Will Join South Africa's ICJ Case Against Israel For Genocide In Gaza
·
Muslims
Task FG on Moral Ethos for Economic Prosperity
·
Plateau:
Muslim Community Pays Solidarity Visit To Mutfwang Over Christmas Eve Attacks
·
Over 30
Travellers Kidnapped By Terrorists Who Blocked Abuja-Kaduna Road For About One
Hour
·
Philanthropist
donates new mosque to Chief Imam at Agogo
·
Sexual
harassment: Court remands suspended UNICAL prof in prison
-----
Arab World
·
Student
Demonstrations In Amran In Solidarity With Palestinian People
·
Emir of
Qatar Calls for Protection of Civilians in Gaza War
·
Saudi FM
discusses Gaza with Dutch counterpart, EU’s Borrell
·
Saudi FM,
EU official discuss Gaza situation in Al Ula
·
Islamic
Civilization Village project to boost visitor experience in Madinah
·
Blinken
meets Saudi crown prince before heading to Israel
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sanskrit-mantras-ajmer-mosque-bjp/d/131484
-----
Sanskrit Mantras In Ajmer Mosque called
Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, Soon, BJP MP Stirs Row
BJP Lok
Sabha MP from Jaipur City Ramcharan Bohra
------
Jan 9, 2024
JAIPUR: BJP Lok Sabha MP from Jaipur
City Ramcharan Bohra stirred a controversy on Monday as he said the day was not
far when Sanskrit mantras would again be recited at the Adhai Din KaJhonpra, a
functional mosque in Ajmer.
Addressing the 78th foundation day
programme at the University of Rajasthan, presided over by Governor Kalraj
Mishra, the BJP MP claimed the 12th century mosque was built over a Sanskrit
university, whose remains can still be seen there.
"It is historical truth that this
university was built by Maharaja Vigraharaj Chauhan (who ruled Ajmer from 1150
to 1164) and was named Saraswati KanthaBharanam Sanskrit University. Adhai Din
ka Jhonpra was built over that university in 1194, after Muhammad Ghori's
governor Qutb-ud-Din Aibak demolished it on his directions," Bohra said.
According to the website of Jodhpur
circle of Archaeological Survey of India, Adhai Din ka Jhonpra was built by
Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi, on the ruins of a Hindu temple.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/sanskrit-mantras-in-ajmer-mosque-soon-says-bjp-mp-stirs-row/articleshow/106649023.cms
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Malaysian Preacher Says Sleeping With
Stuffed Toys, Like Teddy Bear Or Doll, Is 'Haram' For Adults
Cover image
via Pinterest & Berita Harian
------
09 Jan 2024
FOR most of us, growing up with a
favourite teddy bear or doll is seen as something normal and part and parcel of
being a baby or toddler.
However, recently, popular preacher
Ustaz Azhar Idrus has warned that sleeping with such toys is considered haram
(forbidden).
According to Kosmo, he reminded parents
and guardians not to allow their children to sleep with toys or dolls, such as
teddy bears.
“These days, many young girls sleep with
such toys, and this is forbidden and not permissible. These toys are only for
children to play with,” he said in a video of a recent lecture session.
“Why do even our young women, aged 18 to
20, sleep with teddy bears or dolls on their heads? It is because they see
celebrities doing it. Fathers, when you look into your daughter’s room, if
there are such toys, it is considered forbidden,” he added.
He also said that angels would not visit
homes with such toys.
He said these toys were only allowed for
children who have not reached puberty.
“Only young children are allowed to play
with these toys. Also, hanging toy figures in cars, such as monkey or spider
figures, are not allowed. Only place them on the seat for young children to
play with so they do not disturb us while driving,” he added. – The Vibes,
January 9, 2024
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/100613/haram-to-sleep-with-teddy-bears-dolls-says-popular-preacher
-----
Dutch Anti-Islam Lawmaker Geert Wilders Withdraws
2018 Proposal To Ban Mosques, Qur’an
Dutch
election winner Geert Wilders announced that he’s withdrawing legislation that
he proposed in 2018 that calls for a ban on mosques and the Qur’an. (File/AFP)
------
January 08, 2024
THE HAGUE: Far-right Dutch election
winner Geert Wilders made a key concession to potential coalition partners on
Monday, announcing that he’s withdrawing legislation that he proposed in 2018
that calls for a ban on mosques and the Qur’an.
The move came a day before talks to form
the next government were set to resume following the November election. The
abandonment of the bill could be critical in gaining the trust and support of
three more mainstream parties that Wilders wants to co-opt into a coalition
along with his Party for Freedom, known by its Dutch acronym PVV.
One of those parties’ leaders, Pieter
Omtzigt of the reformist New Social Contract, has expressed fears that some of
Wilders’ policies breach the Dutch Constitution that enshrines liberties,
including the freedom of religion.
During a parliamentary debate last year
after the PVV won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament
in the Nov. 22 general election, Wilders flagged a softening of his party’s
strident anti-Islam stance.
“Sometimes I will have to withdraw
proposals and I will do that,” Wilders said in the debate. “I will show the
Netherlands, the legislature, Mr. Omtzigt’s party — anybody who wants to hear
it — that we will adapt our rules to the constitution and bring our proposals
in line with it.”
Wilders is due to resume coalition talks
on Tuesday with Omtzigt, and the leaders of two other parties — the center-right
People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte
and the Farmer Citizen Movement led by Caroline van der Plas.
Among three pieces of legislation axed
by by Wilders Party for Freedom was one dating back to 2018 that proposes
banning “Islamic expressions.” The text of the bill labels Islam a “violent,
totalitarian ideology” and proposes bans on mosques, the Qur’an, Islamic
schools and the wearing of burqas and niqabs.
Wilders didn’t immediately comment
further on the decision to withdraw the legislation, which his party announced
in a brief statement.
The three laws were proposed to
parliament by Wilders in 2017, 2018 and 2019, but never garnered a majority in
the lower house.
In an assessment of the proposed ban on
Islamic expressions, the Council of State, an independent watchdog that
evaluates legislation, called on Wilders to scrap it.
“The Advisory Division advises the
initiators to abandon the bill,” the council said in advice published in 2019.
“It is not compatible with the core elements of the democratic constitutional
state; elements that the initiators intend to protect.
Source: arabnews.com
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the full text of the
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2438206/world
----
‘We Pray For End To War In Churches
Damaged By Israeli Attacks,’ Say Palestinian Christians
Orthodox
Christians celebrate Christmas with divine service at the Church of Saint Porphyrius
in Gaza City, Gaza on January 06, 2023. ( FILE PHOTO - Anadolu
-----
Hosni Nadim
08.01.2024
Palestinian Christians taking shelter in
the St. Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, which witnessed great destruction as a
result of Israel's violent attacks, said they pray for the war to end.
Israeli attacks, which have been going
on for more than three months, have destroyed the bells of the St. Porphyrius
Church, which dates back to 425 AD and is considered the third-oldest church in
the world.
Nowadays, no church bells are heard,
only warplanes and bombing sounds.
Christian denominations following the
Eastern calendar, including the Orthodox denomination, celebrate Christmas on
Jan. 6-7 every year.
Approximately 70% of Christians in the
Gaza Strip belong to the Greek Orthodox denomination, while the rest are of the
Latin Catholic denomination.
The joy that Palestinian Christians feel
during the holidays has been replaced by grief over their losses and fear and
anxiety regarding their future.
Christians in the Gaza Strip, like all
other Palestinians, could not escape Israel's devastating attacks and heavy and
intense bombardment, which led to the death of many.
Prayers for war to end
RimonKattan, 45, took shelter in the St.
Porphyrius Church with about 20 of his relatives due to Israel's attacks on the
Gaza Strip.
"Christian families took shelter in
churches, the houses of God, to protect themselves from the bombardment,”
Kattan told Anadolu.
“We no longer dream of anything other
than the end of the war,” he said, adding: “The holiday is a sacred day for us,
but the end of the war is now more important.”
Kattan said he hopes that the Gaza Strip
will see peace soon.
No celebrations due to Israeli attacks
Kattan emphasized that Israeli attacks
prevented Christians living in Gaza from attending the Christmas celebrations
held at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
“Gazan Christians used to pass through
the Beit Hanoun (Erez) border crossing with Israel's permission and attend the
celebrations held at the Nativity Church,” Kattan said.
"We would turn on the church
lights, pray on the night of the holiday, visit family and friends, and go to
places to celebrate,” he recalled.
The Palestinian Christians announced the
cancelation of all Christmas celebrations, including not lighting Christmas
trees for the first time in Palestine's history since the Nakba of 1948.
Exodus of Christians from Palestine
Issa Thaljieh, a Greek Orthodox priest
in the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, said Israel's attacks on
the Gaza Strip caused the exodus of Christians from Palestine.
“Jesus Christ's message of love and
peace was sent to the world from Bethlehem, but today there is no peace in his
own land,” he told Anadolu.
“The situation is currently very
difficult, massacres are carried out against children, people are killed, and
the survivors are trying to live without food, water and shelter,” Thaljieh
said, stressing that “all of this is happening for no reason.”
“The number of Christians in the Gaza
Strip has decreased due to wars, and it has decreased in Bethlehem due to
economic hardship,” he said.
Thaljieh pointed out that “the Israeli
army bombed mosques, churches, hospitals and houses in Gaza,” adding that
“there is no safe place in the region anymore.”
"Our prayers are with Gaza. Our
hearts are with our people there,” the priest said.
Attacks on churches
Israeli attacks have targeted a number
of churches in the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli sniper on Dec. 16 killed a
mother and her daughter and injured seven others in the only Catholic church in
the Gaza Strip, said the local Latin Catholic Church authority.
Moreover, the St. Porphyrius Church was
bombed by Israel on Oct. 19, where 18 Palestinians, most of them children and
women, lost their lives.
The casualties included both Christian
and Muslim Palestinians sheltering in the church.
At least three churches were severely
damaged due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to previous
statements by the government media office in Gaza.
Christmas, one of the oldest holidays in
Christianity, is celebrated on Dec. 25 by Protestants, Catholics and some
Orthodox Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar, and on Jan. 7 by
Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar.
Around 45,000 Christians live in the
Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including 40,000 in the West Bank,
850 in the Gaza Strip, and 4,000 in Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian
Central Bureau of Statistics.
Israel has launched air and ground
attacks on Gaza following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian
resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, killing at least 22,835
Palestinians and injuring more than 58,400 others.
Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to
have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in
ruins, with 60% of the enclave's infrastructure damaged or destroyed and nearly
2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and
medicines.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-----
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Block New
York City Bridges, Tunnel
Pro-Palestinian
demonstrators block a Brooklyn Bridge roadway during a 'Shut it Down for
Palestine' protest in New York City, U.S., January 8, 2024. REUTERS/Shannon
Stapleton Acquire Licensing Rights
------
January 08, 2024
NEW YORK: Pro-Palestinian protesters
blocked several New York City bridges and a tunnel on Monday to demand an
immediate cease-fire in the three-month-old Israel-Hamas conflict.
Dozens of demonstrators sat in the
roadway and chanted slogans while holding up traffic on the Brooklyn, Manhattan
and Williamsburg bridges across the East River, as well as at the Holland
Tunnel connecting New York City with New Jersey across the Hudson River, local
media reported.
The Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey, which operates the Holland Tunnel, said on its website that the lanes
to New Jersey were closed “due to police activity.”
Video posted on social media showed
protesters chanting: “NYPD, KKK, IDF they’re all the same,” referring to the
New York Police Department, Ku Klux Klan and the Israel Defense Forces.
Protesters at the Holland Tunnel carried
banners that said “Lift the siege on Gaza,” “Cease-fire Now” and “End the
occupation.”
The protests were organized by Jewish
Voice for Peace, the Palestinian Youth Movement and the New York chapter of the
Democratic Socialists of America, among other groups, they said on X, formerly
called Twitter.
“The siege on Gaza needs to end and I’m
ready to put my body on the line to end it,” said one protester as she was led
away by a police officer with her hands behind her back, video showed.
Israel’s campaign in Hamas-run Gaza has
so far killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, local health officials say, while
Israel says Hamas holds more than 100 hostages of 240 seized during its Oct. 7
attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people.
Israel accuses Hamas of operating among
civilians and has released videos and photos it says support the claim. Hamas,
which is sworn to Israel’s destruction, denies the accusation.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2438251/world
-----
India
Vacate Mosques Built On Demolished
Temples, Or Face Repercussions, Warns Karnataka BJP Leader
08th January 2024
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party leader
KS Eshwarappa stoked a controversy after he asked Muslims to voluntarily vacate
mosques allegedly built on demolished temple lands if they do not want to face
repercussions.
Speaking at a Hindu workers' convention
in Belagavi, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka said, "Be it
today or tomorrow, once the court verdict is delivered on the disputed lands
including the one in Mathura, we will proceed with construction of temples. It
would be better if you (Muslims) would voluntarily vacate."
“If not, devotees of Lord Rama will
demolish them, irrespective of the consequences,” he said.
He also said, "The repercussions,
including how many will get killed and what will happen, we don't know."
Eshwarappa said the Shahi Idgah mosque
in Mathura and the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi were built on Hindu temples and
once the courts deliver their verdicts, they will be demolished.
He also challenged anyone to build a
single mosque in the place of a temple anywhere in the country. “It may have
been possible in the past, but not now,” he said.
This is not the first time Eshwarappa
has made such hate comments against the Muslim community.
Last year, he said 'not a single mosque'
built after destroying a temple will be spared.
"Those mosques built after
destroying our temples won’t be spared. Not a single such mosque will stand in
this country. This is my personal opinion," news agency IANS quoted
Eshwarappa as saying.
"I will pledge and say India will
become a Hindu nation," Eshwarappa had said.
"On January 22, the whole world
will look towards Ayodhya. The court proceedings on the matter of the Kashi
Vishwanath temple are in favour of Hindus. The order for a survey has been
granted for the Krishna temple in Mathura. Everything will happen one after the
other," he added.
During the 2023 Karnataka state
elections, Eshwarappa stirred controversy when he said that the BJP would not
need a single Muslim vote to win the elections.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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Ex-envoy Ajay Bisaria: ISI tipped off
India in 2019 about Qaeda plot to hit Kashmir
Shubhajit Roy
January 9, 2024
Pakistan’s spy agency ISI had tipped off
India through the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about an al-Qaeda plot
to carry out an attack in Kashmir in June 2019, which turned out to be genuine,
former Indian envoy Ajay Bisaria has revealed in his latest book.
In his book, titled “Anger Management:
The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan”, published by
Aleph Book Company, Bisaria says that the Indian envoy was used as a channel
since ISI was taking no chances and wanted no repeat of Pulwama, and it wanted
to make it clear at a political level that it was not involved with the revenge
attack being planned.
The Pulwama attack took place in
February 2019, in which 40 Indian security personnel were killed, prompting air
strikes by India at Balakot, and a military response by Pakistan air force.
Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra
Modi was re-elected for a second term in office in 2019, Bisaria writes, “A few
days later in June, I received a phone call in Islamabad at two in the morning.
My caller was a contact close to the ISI and I assumed he was calling me simply
because he was up late like most folks in Islamabad awaiting the sehri meal in
the month of Ramzan. The call had a more serious purpose, it was to tip me off
with a specific input about al-Qaeda planning an attack in Kashmir. On 23 May,
a terrorist, Zakir Musa, had been killed in the town of Tral in Kashmir’s now
famous Pulwama district.”
He said that Musa, whose funeral drew
more than 10,000 mourners, had been an associate of slain terrorist Burhan
Wani, but had split from the Kashmir-focused militant group, Hizbul Mujahideen,
to declare his allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2017. Al-Qaeda was apparently about to
avenge Musa’s killing.
“I asked if this information had been
conveyed through the normal military channels, the DGMO hotline. I was told it
might have been, but that the ISI leadership was keen to escalate the
information to my level so that I could convey this to India. At this point,
Asim Munir was the DG of the ISI. I passed on this information to India,
concerned this was some kind of game,” he writes.
“It turned out that this was a genuine
enough tip-off when an attack was indeed attempted close to the predicted time
and place. This was an unusual input that Pakistan seemed to be giving to
India. One theory about why the high commission was used as a channel was that
the ISI was taking no chances and wanted no repeat of Pulwama; it wanted to
make it clear at a political level it was not involved with the revenge attack
being planned, but was only giving India a friendly tip-off with a piece of
intercepted intelligence,” he writes.
Another surmise was that “General (Qamar
Javed) Bajwa, the army chief, through the ISI, was trying to improve the
atmospherics in the relationship in the run-up to the Bishkek summit of 14
June, hoping that Pakistan’s sincerity about trying to better relations would
register on the Indian side. Perhaps coincidentally, a day before the attack,
the ISI chief, Asim Munir, lost his job.”
Bisaria served in Pakistan as India’s
High Commissioner from 2017 to August 2019 – when he was expelled by the
Pakistan government in response to the abrogation of Art 370. His book, which
is part memoir and part history, and is a study of the diplomatic engagement
between India and Pakistan, hit the bookstores on Monday.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ex-envoy-ajay-bisaria-isi-tipped-off-india-in-2019-about-qaeda-plot-to-hit-kashmir-9100849/
----
Ahead of Urs, Ajmer Dargah Khadims urges
PM to ensure safety & security
8th January 2024
Jaipur: Khadims of the Ajmer Dargah on
Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to ensure the safety
and security of people visiting the shrine for Urs from January 13 to 21.
“The 812th Urs of Hazrat Khwaja
Moinuddin Hasan Chishty is commencing from 13th January, 2024, to 21th January,
2024, and people from all over the world irrespective of caste, creed, colour
and religion will be visiting the shrine to celebrate the Urs,” the Anjuman
Syed Zadgan’s secretary Sarwar Chisty said.
“Kindly make sure that no untoward
incident takes place in our country,” he said in the letter to the prime
minister.
Chisty also wished Urs Mubarak to Prime
Minister Modi.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/ahead-of-urs-ajmer-dargah-khadims-urges-pm-to-ensure-safety-security-2952172/
-----
Lakshadweep a tropical paradise? Not to
its own Muslim-majority population
09.01.24
K.M. Rakesh
ious issues such as interference in our
livelihood, food habits, education system, religious practices and our very way
of life,” Asif Ali, Kavaratti unit joint secretary of the Nationalist Congress
Party and former panchayat member, told The Telegraph on Monday.
“We are all for development and revenue
generation through responsible tourism, but we have been facing an
unprecedented ordeal over the past three years since the current administrator
took charge.”
PrafulKhoda Patel, who assumed charge in
December 2020, has ushered in several unpopular reforms.
These include excluding beef from school
midday meals, banning cow slaughter, an anti-goonda law that is seen as a
tactic against dissenters, a push for lifting prohibition, shutting down local
dairy farms to allegedly favour Amul, and retrenching about 3,500 government
employees.
Beef was restored to the midday meal
menu following a Supreme Court order last May, while the liquor policy is
awaiting implementation.
Lakshadweep’s directorate of education
issued an order last month replacing the Kerala board syllabus in the
archipelago’s schools with the CBSE curriculum.
“Our children will not be learning in
the Malayalam medium from the next academic year although Malayalam is our main
educational language here,” Ali rued.
These were some of the points raised in
a memorandum that the NCP’s Lakshadweep state committee submitted to the Prime
Minister during his recent visit to the islands.
Lakshadweep Lok Sabha member Mohammed
Faizal P.P. had earlier written to Union home minister Amit Shah and education
minister Dharmendra Pradhan for a relook at the curriculum change.
P.P. Rahim, a former CPM local committee
member in Kavaratti, echoed Ali. “The scrapping of the Malayalam medium in the
schools is a huge blow to our people, who have traditionally headed to Kerala for
higher education,” he told this newspaper. The few undergraduate and master’s
courses offered by Calicut University at three of its centres on the islands
have been shifted to the University of Pondicherry.
“All this is being done to cut our
umbilical cord with Kerala, which we call our mainland. We share so much with
Kerala, including language; we have marital ties and depend on Kerala for
higher education and healthcare,” Rahim said.
“The draft law (in August 2023) to lift
prohibition on an archipelago where almost everyone is Muslim has the ulterior
motive of disrupting our traditions. Why else is an administrator from Gujarat
(a dry state) trying to pump liquor into Lakshadweep?”
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/lakshadweep-a-tropical-paradise-not-to-its-own-muslim-majority-population/cid/1992477
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Farooq Abdullah hopes for end of hate
against Muslims after Ram temple consecration
08 January 2024
Jammu: National Conference president
Farooq Abdullah on Monday expressed hope the consecration ceremony at the Ram
temple in Ayodhya on January 22 will pave the way for an end to the hatred
against the Muslim community in the country.
Abdullah asserted that he had always
praised Lord Ram from his heart.
“Who goes or not (to attend the
consecration event in Ayodhya) is their choice [but] I hope that with the
opening of the temple doors, the hearts of the people will also open and the
hatred, which is spread against the Muslims will end.This is my prayer and the
lord will hear my voice,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a public
meeting here.
The former chief minister said he is not
afraid of criticism or losing votes on his remarks about Lord Ram
“Ram is as much mine as yours. I have
gone through a translation of the holy Quran by a Pakistani scholar and he has
also talked about Ram saying he wanted all to move together with brotherhood
and love," said Abdullah.
“Mahatma Gandhi used to say that he
wants India to be Ram ‘Rajya’. There is nothing wrong with it. I have sung
‘bhajan’ (praises) of Ram in various temples over the years from my heart and I
am not afraid of anyone’s criticism or losing vote bank because I know if we
have to save Bharat and the state (J&K), we have to join our hands to move
forward,” he added.
Abdullah said that all people have to
stand before the almighty after death and the doors of heaven will only open
when you testify that “we have done a right thing” or otherwise everyone will
go to hell.
Without naming the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), the National Conference chief said the elections are near and
there are some who will come and seek votes on the Ram temple chanting “Jai
Siya Ram'.
“They are the ones who are
differentiating people on the basis of religion, caste and creed and spreading
hatred,” he said.
Source: deccanherald.com
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia DPM Zahid Commends SabahansAs
Best Example Of Religious Harmony After Imam Offers DuaAt Christmas Open House
08 Jan 2024
Julia Chan
KOTA BELUD, Jan 8 — Deputy Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi held up Sabah for demonstrating its
religious tolerance and harmony after witnessing an imam recite a Muslim prayer
during a Christmas open house celebration here today.
The Umno president looked visibly
impressed at the sight that took place during the Christmas celebration in
Taginambur in the district of Kota Belud, which has a strong Kadazan Dusun
Murut demographic group who are largely Christian, though the larger Kadamaian
area surrounding it has a sizeable Bajau Sama or land Bajau population whose
religion is Islam.
“This is something unique. In the
peninsula, this may be a problem. But not here in Sabah. Well done to Sabahans,
to Kadamaian, and to Kota Belud,” he said to applause at the Christmas party
organised by United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko).
Zahid, who is federal rural and regional
development minister, had been invited to attend by Upko president Datuk
EwonBenedick who is also Kadamaian assemblyman.
Zahid reminded everyone not to play up
the ethnic and religious differences among Malaysians, but to appreciate and
preserve these traits.
“We don’t want politicians, NGOs,
leaders or individuals who are too obsessive to come and put our differences
between us.
“In Islam, Allah says life has a lot of
variety. We should not just get to know, but honour and respect these
differences. You have your religion, I have my religion. In order for our
religions to be respected, we must respect other religions too,” he said.
Zahid also said that such tolerance and
respect would be welcome in the political arena too, where there was a place
for differences of opinions and views, as long as the bigger picture of the
people’s wellbeing did not come after political interests.
“Petty political issues and such should
be dealt with in the best possible manner. It's impossible for us to agree 100
per cent, impossible to satisfy everyone 100 per cent.
“It's true that we can have different
opinions, different views, but what's important is to prioritise the interests
of the people and not make the people pay a high price due to political
differences and political interests,” he said.
He paid tribute to Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim for prioritising stability in the country.
“Stability should be maintained because
it will result in the country’s development through foreign investments,
domestic investments that will reduce unemployment, decrease the inflation
rate, stabilise prices of goods, and most importantly, ensure the well-being
and empowerment of the people. That is the goal,” he said.
Source: malaymail.com
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Putrajaya to raise awareness to increase
reporting of sexual offences against children
By Ida Lim
09 Jan 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — The federal
government will be raising awareness among the public about their legal
obligation and need to report sexual crimes against children to the
authorities.
In a joint statement today, Law and
Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Education
Minister FadhlinaSidek noted a worrying increase in the number of child victims
in reported sexual offences cases from 2017 to 2023.
In these seven years, there have been
6,990 child victims.
In 2023 alone, there were 1,570 cases;
this includes 110 cases involving children under age six.
One of the government's major challenges
currently is the issue of a lack of reporting of such cases to the authorities,
especially by children themselves, the minister said.
Noting that the Malaysian police's
statistics show that over 80 per cent of sexual offences against children
involve individuals known to the child victims, the ministers said every member
of society “plays an important role to protect our children from the growing
threat of sexual offences”.
Amid such challenges, the Prime
Minister's Department's Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) together with the
Education Ministry today held a meeting attended by both ministers, along with
representatives from BHEUU, the Education Ministry, the Attorney-General's
Chambers, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), the Social Welfare
Department, and the police.
“The objective of that meeting is to
organise a strategy towards tackling the urgent issue in relation to the lack
of reporting of sexual offences against children,” Azalina and Fadhlina said.
They noted the meeting is part of
efforts for the unity government's mission to fight sexual offences against
children and increase public awareness, including among children themselves.
According to the statement, the
Education Ministry is currently working to increase awareness among both students
and educators about legal provisions on this issue, and to create an effective
and child-friendly reporting mechanism for institutes of education, following
its launch of a guideline on managing sexual wrongdoings last September.
"To facilitate the implementation
of this effort, the Legal Affairs Division will sign a Note of Cooperation with
the Ministry of Education Malaysia," the two ministers said.
The ministers also said a comprehensive
awareness campaign involving all related sectors and agencies in this effort to
curb such crimes would be launched in the near future, and that the awareness
campaign will be spread nationwide with the aim of emphasising each
individual's responsibility to report incidents of sexual abuse against
children.
"Section 19 of the Sexual Offences
Against Children Act (Act 792) clearly provides that failure to report such
crimes is a crime, and this provision clearly shows how important it is for
Malaysians to be the government's eyes and ears in tackling this issue," they
said.
Section 19 makes it a crime to not
report to the police about the commission of a sexual offence against children
or about the intention of any person to commit sexual offences against
children; and those found guilty of this offence can be punished with a maximum
fine of RM5,000.
The ministers said the awareness
campaign will also include the approach of "Training of Trainers",
where teachers and community leaders will be trained on effectively detecting
and reporting cases of sexual offences against children that happen in schools.
"The Unity Government is committed
to work together with Malaysians to overcome the challenge of lack of reporting
of sexual offences against children in order to continue cultivating a safe
environment for our children," they said.
Source: malaymail.com
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Nadma: Number of flood victims in Johor,
Pahang increases to 8,462 people at noon
09-01- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The number of flood
victims in Johor and Pahang recorded a slight increase to 8,462 people at 74
relief centres (PPS) as of noon today compared to 8,366 people at 73 PPS in the
morning.
According to the latest report on the
disaster situation in the country issued by the National Disaster Control
Centre of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Johor recorded 7,297
flood victims.
Kota Tinggi recorded the highest number
of flood victims, totalling 4,676 people at 26 PPS, followed by Kluang (1,591
people at 13 PPS), Johor Bahru (847 people at five PPS), Segamat (75 people at
four PPS), Kulai (86 people at one PPS) and Pontian (22 people at one PPS).
In Pahang, the number of victims
increased to 1,165 people at 24 PPS in three districts compared to 1,042 people
at 22 PPS this morning.
A total of 485 victims are at nine PPS
in Maran, 447 victims at eight PPS in Rompin and 232 victims at seven PPS in
Pekan.
A PPS was also opened in Kuching,
Sarawak, to accommodate 38 people whose homes were destroyed in a fire.
Meanwhile, several rivers in Johor
recorded a dangerous level, including Sungai Skudai in Johor Bahru, Sungai
Johor (Johor Bahru), Sungai Johor (Kota Tinggi), Sungai Johor (Kulai), Sungai
Endau (Kluang), Sungai Perak (Hulu Perak, Perak), Sungai Arau (Arau, Perlis)
and several rivers in Pahang, namely Sungai Kuantan (Kuantan), Sungai Pahang
(Pekan), Sungai Pahang (Jerantut), Sungai Pahang (Maran) and Sungai Rompin
(Rompin).
Some 60 roads are closed due to flood,
damaged or collapsed bridges and landslides, including Jalan Kota
Tinggi-Mersing di Kota Tinggi, Johor; Jalan Sungai Sam to Dabong, Jeli in
Kelantan; Jalan Bukit Jugra in Kuala Langat, Selangor and
JalanJalanSalong-Chini in Pekan, Pahang. –Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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Europe
French far-left leader calls on Macron
to get ‘angry’ over possible Israeli aggression against Lebanon
UmitDonmez
09.01.2024
French hard-left leader Jean-Luc
Melenchon urged President Emmanuel Macron on Monday to get “angry" over
possible Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
In a social media post, Melenchon, who
heads the La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, noted that signs of an
Israeli attack against its northern neighbor are increasing.
“Signs are growing of (Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's aggression against Lebanon. Don't touch Lebanon!
700 French peacekeepers are threatened with assassination like so many UN
personnel in Gaza. Don't touch Lebanon! Macron must be angry!” he said.
A senior leader of the Lebanese
Hezbollah group was killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah announced that Wissam al-Hassan was targeted in the village of
Khirbet Selm, without providing further details on the circumstances of his
death.
Earlier in the day, the Lebanese
National News Agency reported that two people were killed in an Israeli drone
strike on a car in the area.
The Lebanese-Israeli border has been the
scene of exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel since Oct. 7 last year.
The daily clashes have been the deadliest since the two sides went to war in
2006.
The assassination earlier this month of
senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri has also raised fears of a possible
escalation of the conflict. Al-Arouri was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, but
Israel has not claimed responsibility.
According to the information, analysis
and investigation site IciBeyrouth, the French ambassador to Lebanon,
HerveMagro, announced on Jan. 4 that Macron’s special envoy in Lebanon,
Jean-Yves Le Drian, will soon visit Beirut to continue the mission of the Group
of 5 (France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar) aimed at
resolving the ongoing presidential crisis in Lebanon.
During a visit to the Maronite League
headquarters, Magro emphasized that France is "making efforts to ensure
that Lebanon is not drawn into the ongoing escalation in the region. He was
referring to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas,
especially in the Gaza Strip.
Source: aa.com.tr
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Israeli settlements undermine peace in
Middle East, German foreign minister says
Anadolu staff
08.01.2024
German Foreign Minister AnnalenaBaerbock
criticized on Monday Israel’s policy of constructing and expanding illegal
settlements on occupied Palestinian territories.
“The construction of settlements is
illegal. It undermines lasting peace and endangers the two-state solution and
thereby endangers Israel's security,” Baerbock told reporters during her visit
to a village in the West Bank.
“Palestinians must be able to live in
security, dignity and self-determination, in their own land,” she added.
The minister underlined that a lasting
peace can only be achieved by a two-state solution, which would enable a secure
Israel and an independent, democratic Palestinian state to exist peacefully
side by side.
During her visit, Baerbock met
Palestinians living in the Al-Mazra'ah al-Qibliyah village, which is surrounded
by several Israeli settlements.
She called on Israeli authorities to
take measures to protect Palestinians from attacks by extremist Israeli
settlers.
“It is the responsibility of the Israeli
government to implement and enforce the rule of law when there are attacks on
people who live here legitimately,” she said.
Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians
in the occupied West Bank have soared to its highest level since the escalation
of the Israel-Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.
Extremist settlers carried out 2,410
attacks last year, according to the Palestinian authorities. At least 22
Palestinians were killed by settlers, 10 victims were killed over the past
three months. Hundreds of Palestinians were also forcibly displaced from their
lands.
Source: aa.com.tr
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‘Indiscriminately striking’ civilians is
war crime, pope says in major speech
2024-01-09
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, tackling
conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine in his yearly address to diplomats,
said on Monday that “indiscriminately striking” civilians is a war crime
because it violates international humanitarian law.
Francis, 87, made his comments in a
45-minute address to Vatican-accredited envoys from 184 countries that is
sometimes called his “state of the world” speech.
In it, he also talked about conflicts in
Africa and Asia, migration crises in the United States and Latin America,
climate change and the persecution of Christians.
Expressing concern that the war between
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip could spread in the
wider Middle East, he called for a “ceasefire on every front, including
Lebanon”.
He condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7 cross-border
attack from Gaza into southern Israel as an “atrocious” act of “terrorism and
extremism”, and renewed a call for the immediate liberation of those still
being held by in Gaza.
In remarks linking the two high profile
conflicts, Francis said modern warfare often does not distinguish between military
and civilian objectives.
There is no conflict that does not end
up in some way “indiscriminately striking” the civilian population, he said.
“The events in Ukraine and Gaza are
clear proof of this. We must not forget that grave violations of international
humanitarian law are war crimes, and that it is not sufficient to point them
out, but also necessary to prevent them.
“There is a need for greater effort on
the part of the international community to defend and implement humanitarian
law, which seems to be the only way to ensure the defence of human dignity in
situations of warfare,” he said.
Israel’s military campaign in densely
populated Gaza has so far killed 22,835 Palestinians, according to Palestinian
health officials. Israel says 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage
and around 240 were taken hostage.
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have
been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Perhaps we need to realise more clearly
that civilian victims are not ‘collateral damage’, but men and women, with
names and surnames, who lose their lives,” Francis said.
The pontiff also said a resurgence of
antisemitism since the start of the Gaza war was a “scourge” that must be
eliminated from society.
Source: brecorder.com
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Jews, Muslims and Christians join
together in protest for Palestine
Jan. 8, 2024
Lily Lowndes
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - People from across
religions and perspectives showed up to Promenade Park on Sunday to call for a
permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Local organizers have been setting up
daily events for the past three months in support of Palestine, from protests,
to online events, to educational sessions.
Some speakers called on their community
to continue to show up in bigger ways.
“Are our actions truly showing our
oppressed brothers and sisters that we see you, we hear you, and we will stand
for you? Or will we go about our lives acting as if things are normal?” said
Omar Heif, a speaker at the protest.
Heif is a member of the University of
Toledo chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Toledo Chapter of
American Muslims for Palestine.
He said this issue is not a Jew vs.
Muslim issue, nor is it an issue for just one group of people. Speakers
including different religious leaders and organizations all showed up to speak
about their support for Gaza.
“We call on our Christian, Jew, Muslim
brothers and sisters to show out and basically show their support,” Heif said.
Looking out at the large crowd, Heif
called for collective action, drawing inspiration from a leader who believed in
that same message.
“Because like Dr. King said, no one is
free until we all are free,” Heif said.
Throughout the event, community members
recalled personal connections to Palestine, urged people to register to vote
and call their representatives, boycott certain companies, and overall spread
one rallying cry.
“Just free Palestine, that’s about it,”
Heif said.
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Source: 13abc.com
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Bosnian Serbs show solidarity with
provocations against Muslims
Mustafa Talha Öztürk
08.01.2024
Bosnian Serbs gathered on Sunday evening
in front of the police station in Srebrenica to show their solidarity with two
local Serbs detained for alleged provocation against Muslims.
The Bosnian Serbs were detained on
Sunday on the grounds that they shot at a Muslim Bosnian in Potocari, near
Srebrenica, while passing by his house.
The demonstration was held at the call
of Serbian Orthodox Church Priest AleksandarMladjenovic, who works in the
region.
Srebrenica Mayor MladenGrujicic and his
deputy MomciloCvijetinovic also attended the gathering.
"We came here to condemn the
pressure on the RepublikaSrpska police," Grujicic said in a statement,
referring to one of the two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, and
the part of the country where Srebrenica is located. Srebrenica is well known
for being divided in terms of religion between Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
"Our young people were detained for
no reason on charges of disturbing public order and peace, which they did not
do at all. This is the continuation of the violation of religious freedom and
rights of the Serbian people in Srebrenica," said Grujicic.
Some ethnic Serbian groups in Bosnia and
Herzegovina on Christmas Day, which was observed by Orthodox Christians over
the weekend, tried to incite Muslims in the country by carrying out anti-Islamic
actions.
Ultranationalist Serbian groups
organized a vehicle convoy and shouted insults at Muslims in Srebrenica.
While the convoy was passing by the
house of a Muslim citizen in Potocari, near Srebrenica, gunfire was opened.
Security camera footage of the house
owner showed that the fire was opened from a convoy moving under the control of
the RepublikaSrpska police.
Police said earlier that two people were
detained on suspicion of being involved in the incident.
Another provocative event took place in
the nearby town of Vlasenica, and police launched investigations.
Bosnian ultranationalist Serbs committed
similar provocations in the previous years by for instance throwing parts of
slaughtered pigs in front of the Srebrebica genocide memorial cemetery, where
victims of the 1995 genocide are buried.
Source: aa.com.tr
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------
Mideast
Pro-Palestine Activists Set 'Global Day
Of Action' On January 13 To Stop Israel’s Gaza Genocide
08 January 2024
Activists in a number of countries
worldwide have signed up to a global day of action that will see marches take
place on January 13 demanding an end to Israel’s genocidal campaign in the
besieged Gaza Strip.
The demonstrations will be held a day
before the 100th day of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.
Four percent of the population in Gaza
have been either killed, injured or gone missing since early October.
UK-based advocacy groups organizing the
initiative say the marches seek to mobilize people to demand a permanent
ceasefire.
Events are planned in dozens of cities
across countries including the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Denmark, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Japan, Indonesia, South
Korea, Australia, Brazil, Jordan, and Turkey, among others.
The Palestinian Forum, one of several
British groups organizing the move, said the growing number of cities joining
the global action “reflects a shared commitment to ending the violence in
Gaza.”
“Together, we stand united in the
#GazaGlobalAction campaign, sending a resounding message that the world demands
change, justice, and a future free from violence.”
The Palestinian Forum said the “grim
reality” in Gaza “underscores the urgent need for international attention,
humanitarian aid, and a concerted effort towards achieving a just and lasting
resolution to the conflict.”
Calls to join the global day of action
have been shared widely on social media using the hashtags #CeasefireNow
#EndTheSiege and #FreePalestine.
🏛️ Athens, your solidarity resonates globally! 🇬🇷 Thank you for joining #GazaGlobalAction against the Israeli
genocidal war on Gaza. On January 13, let's unite for peace. #CeaseFireNow
#Athens 🇬🇷🕊️ #GazaGlobalAction pic.twitter.com/l1H7mZ3uUb
— Palestinian Forum in Britain
(@PalForumUk) January 8, 2024
Ismail Patel, the chair of the
pro-Palestine Friends of Al-Aqsa group, has said the demonstrations principally
seek to “empower the international community to challenge Israel’s allies.”
“The global day of action hopes to
highlight the worldwide condemnation of Israel’s relentless bombing and siege
of Gaza, which is claiming around 300 lives daily, the ongoing ethnic cleansing
in the West Bank, the discrimination against Palestinians within Israel, the
dehumanizing of Palestinians by Israeli leaders, and Israel’s provocative
attacks targeting Syria and Lebanon,” Patel said.
Protests against Israel’s genocidal war
in Gaza are growing bolder in the United States.
The groups that have organized the
pro-Palestine day of action spearheaded protests against the US war on Iraq on
February 15, 2003. Those demonstrations were held in more than 600 cities
worldwide and drew in millions of people.
Since October 7, 2023, Washington has
already vetoed two UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in
Gaza.
In a last-ditch effort in December,
South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice,
accusing the regime of genocide in Gaza. The hearing is scheduled for January
11 and 12.
Israel has been bombing hospitals,
schools, supply vehicles and even UN-run facilities in Gaza since October 7.
The regime has also killed more than 23,000 people, most of them women and
children.
Source: presstv.ir
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Islamic Jihad airs propaganda clip
claiming to show hostage alive in Gaza on Jan. 5
8 January 2024
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror
group released a new propaganda video Monday purporting to show Israeli hostage
EladKatzir alive in the Gaza Strip on January 5, after he was kidnapped during
the October 7 Hamas onslaught.
Katzir, 47, was one of around 75
hostages taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, when some 3,000 terrorists
burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air and sea,
killing some 1,200 people and seizing over 240 hostages — mostly civilians — of
all ages under the cover of a deluge of thousands of rockets fired at Israeli
towns and cities.
In response, Israel vowed to eliminate
the terror group, and launched a wide-scale military offensive aimed at
destroying Hamas’s military and governance capabilities and securing the
release of the hostages, some of whom are being held by terror groups other
than Hamas.
The latest video shows Katzir mourning
the death of his friend Tamir Adar, whose death was announced on January 5, in
an apparent attempt to date the video. Adar was killed by Hamas terrorists on
Nir Oz on October 7.
Seemingly speaking under duress with
Hebrew music in the background, Katzir also called on the Israeli government to
do more to bring about his release.
His mother Hanna Katzir was also taken
hostage from Nir Oz on October 7 and was released as part of a week-long truce
deal in late November. His father Rami was killed in the massacre.
Extended members of hostage EladKatzir’s
family, outside the Defense Ministry compound in Tel Aviv, a new location for
families of hostages held in Gaza, on December 19, 2023. (Jessica
Steinberg/Times of Israel)
EladKatzir was also featured in a
previous Islamic Jihad propaganda video on December 20, alongside another
hostage, GadiMozes.
It is believed that 132 hostages
abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after
105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during the November pause in
fighting. Four hostages were released prior to that, and one was rescued by
troops. The bodies of eight hostages have also been recovered and three
hostages were mistakenly killed by the military.
The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed
the deaths of 25 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and
findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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Israeli army shows underground ‘weapons
factory’ in Gaza
January 09, 2024
BUREIJ, Palestinian Territories:
Israel’s military on Monday showed journalists what a spokesman described as a
cluster of weapons factories and tunnels used by Hamas militants in Gaza to
manufacture rockets.
Soldiers leading a media tour in Bureij
in the central Gaza Strip said that what looked like cement factories and other
industrial facilities were in fact used to make missiles and shells stored in
deep shafts.
Stood in a large hut with sunshine
streaking through the gaps in the wall, army spokesman Daniel Hagari held what
he said were detonators for rockets capable of hitting targets 100 kilometers
(62 miles) away — a range covering much of central and southern Israel.
He told reporters at the site that this
factory had been built around Salah Al-Din Road, a major north-south route also
used to transport humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
The army said in a statement issued
later that it was “the largest weapons production site found since the
beginning of the war.”
Some of the shafts were 30 meters (100
feet) deep and the tunnels formed a network that connected to Hamas fighters
throughout Gaza, the statement said.
Hagari told a press briefing that
Israeli troops “found, dismantled and are now destroying these facilities.”
Bureij, just south of Gaza city, was
home to tens of thousands of people before the Israel-Hamas war began in early
October, according to data from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
But many have fled the violence, and the
areas shown to journalists during the army tour looked abandoned with no
Palestinians in sight.
Israeli bulldozers crashed through a
wrecked landscape, churning up tracts of dirt between badly damaged buildings
as they tried to flatten the land and secure the area.
Hagari said on Saturday that Israeli
forces had wiped out the Hamas military framework in northern Gaza and had
moved to central and southern areas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has insisted that the war cannot end until Hamas militants no longer pose a
threat to his country, while the United Nations has warned that the fighting
risks rendering the territory uninhabitable.
The war was triggered when Hamas
fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, resulting in about 1,140
deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli
figures.
The militants also took around 250
hostages, 132 of whom remain captive, Israel says. At least 25 are believed to
have been killed.
Israel has responded with relentless
bombardment and a ground invasion that have killed at least 23,084 people, most
of them women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Source: arabnews.com
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----
Israeli strike in southern Lebanon kills
Hezbollah commander Wissam Hassan al-Tawil
09.01.24
Euan Ward, Isabel Kershner, Andrés R.
Martínez
Hezbollah said on Monday that one of its
commanders was killed in a strike in southern Lebanon, adding to concerns about
a wider regional war as Israel battles Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Hezbollah identified the
commander as Wissam Hassan al-Tawil but gave few additional details. A Lebanese
security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the matter, said al-Tawil was a commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan
unit, which Israel says aims to infiltrate its northern border. The official
said he was killed in a strike in Khirbet Selm, a village in southern Lebanon,
14km from the Israeli border.
Israel did not immediately comment on
the attack.
A day earlier, the Israeli military said
that it had killed at least seven members of Hezbollah in strikes aimed at
destroying the Radwan unit and that it was ready to attack more of Hezbollah’s
positions. The continued cross-border skirmishes have fuelled concerns about a
broader regional war.
The Israeli military’s chief of staff,
Lieutenant General Herzl Halevi, said that its forces were determined to keep
pressure on Hezbollah and that if those efforts fell short, Israel was ready to
fight “another war”. “We will create a completely different reality, or we will
get to another war,” he said on Sunday.
Hezbollah attacks damaged an Israeli
military base on Saturday, one of the group’s biggest assaults against Israel
in months of back-and-forth strikes across the border. The powerful Lebanese
militia has pledged support for Hamas, which is also backed by Iran and has
engaged in small-scale attacks on Israel’s border since the war began three
months ago. In recent days, it has stepped up assaults on Israel in response to
the killing last week of a senior Hamas leader in Lebanon.
The rocket fire on the base, the Northern
Air Control Unit on Mount Meron, left it with significant damage, according to
accounts in the Israeli news media.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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-----
Pure blood of Gazans will hasten
Israel’s downfall: Iran Army chief
09 January 2024
The chief commander of the Iranian Army
says Israel is shedding the blood of innocent Palestinians to make up for its
“humiliating defeat” in the Gaza war, warning that the atrocities will only
speed up the regime’s demise.
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi made
the remarks on Tuesday, as 95 days of bloody aggression against the besieged
Gaza Strip has brought no success for the occupying entity.
“Under the support of the US and other
Western countries, the illegitimate Zionist regime is taking revenge on unarmed
and defenseless children, women and civilians for its heavy and historic defeat
at the hands of Hamas,” he said, referring to the Gaza-based Palestinian
resistance group.
“Of course, nothing will make up for its
(Israel’s) humiliating defeat. The pure blood [of the Palestinian people] will
hasten the downfall of the Zionist apartheid regime.”
Israel waged the genocidal war on the
Gaza Strip on October 7 after Hamas carried out an unprecedented operation
against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities
against the Palestinian people.
So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed
at least 23,084 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 58,926
others.
Thousands more are also missing and
presumed dead under the rubble in the Gaza Strip, which is under “complete
siege” by Israel.
Children and their families have marched
to the ICC headquarters in The Hague, demanding justice and an investigation
into Israeli crimes in Gaza.
Kerman carnage committed by those ‘not
capable of fighting’
Referring to the recent terrorist bomb
attacks in the Iranian city of Kerman, Mousavi said it was carried out by “the
black-hearted who are not capable of fighting in the field.”
On Wednesday, 91 people were killed and
hundreds injured in two explosions near the burial site of Iran’s late
anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani during a ceremony
marking the fourth anniversary of his assassination by the US. The Daesh
terrorist group claimed responsibility for the deadly bombings.
Source: presstv.ir
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----
World should not allow Netanyahu to drag
region into wider war: Jordan
09 January 2024
Jordan's foreign minister says the
international community should not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, whose regime is waging a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, to drag
the region into a wider war.
Ayman Safadi made the remarks in a
Monday phone call with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna.
He told France's top diplomat that the
threat of further spread of the war to other parts of the region is
"rising by the day," as Israel continues to wreak "death and
destruction in Gaza."
The regime started its brutal military
onslaught against the coastal territory following Operation al-Aqsa Storm by
Gaza's resistance movements. More than 23,000 Palestinians, most of them women
and children, have been killed and nearly 59,000 others injured so far.
Since the onset of Israel's military
aggression against Gaza, the regime has been also launching deadly attacks
against Lebanon, which have evoked strong retaliatory responses from the
Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.
The Israeli military admitted that an
air base on Mount Meron was damaged in a missile attack launched by Lebanon’s
Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Iraqi and Yemeni resistance
groups have been staging retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets to force
the Tel Aviv regime to stop both its military aggression and a simultaneous
siege that it has been imposing on Gaza.
A wider war would only "doom the
region to more conflict and destruction," Jordan's top diplomat said,
asserting, "Israel's aggression against Gaza has exceeded all the human,
legal, and moral limits."
The Iraqi resistance fighters strike
Israeli and American targets across the Arab country and neighboring Syria in
support of Gaza.
Stating that the far-right Israeli
regime seeks to get the West directly involved in a regional war in West Asa,
Safadi said there is no longer any pretext to prevent the United Nations
Security Council from adopting a mandatory resolution to end the war.
The Jordanian minister said the Security
Council's failure so far to impose a ceasefire in Gaza "reflects double
standards and a selective application of international law."
The United States, Israel's biggest
ally, has torpedoed the prospect of cessation of the Israeli aggression by
stonewalling ratification of all Security Council resolutions that called for a
permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Washington has been also providing Tel
Aviv with unbridled military support, arming Israel with more than 10,000 tons
of military hardware.
"Israeli war creating generation of
orphans"
In another development also on Monday,
Jordan's King Abdullah denounced the Israeli regime's "brutal war" on
Gaza saying, "More children have died in Gaza than in all other conflicts
around the world this past year."
"Of those who have survived, many
have lost one or both parents, an entire generation of orphans," he added.
The Jordanian king asserted that
Israel's "indiscriminate aggression" against the Gaza Strip would
never guarantee its security.
Since 7 October, more than 1,000
children have had one or both legs amputated in Gaza.
"How can indiscriminate aggression
and shelling bring peace? How can they guarantee security when they are built
on hatred?" Abdullah said as he was visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial
in Rwanda.
Rwanda's experience, he added,
"teaches us we must fight the dehumanizing rhetoric that fuels
conflict."
"Your story can be a beacon for us
all [by showing everybody] how the people of this country took action after
this unspeakable crime of crimes and worked towards reconciliation to heal old
wounds and prevent genocide from happening again," Jordan's king said.
Source: presstv.ir
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-----
UN says ‘very concerned’ about high
number of journalists killed in Gaza
09 January 2024
The United Nations has sounded a serious
alarm about the high number of journalists killed in the Gaza Strip amid the
Israeli regime's genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian territory.
The warning came on Monday, just one day
after two journalists died in an Israeli strike on their car in the southern
part of Gaza.
The journalists, who have been
identified as Hamza Wael al-Dahdouh, the son of al-Jazeera Gaza bureau chief
Wael Al-Dahdouh, and Mustafa Thuraya, were killed in the city of Khan Yunis on
Sunday.
Hamza and a group of journalists were en
route to the Moraj area northeast of the city of Rafah, which was designated a
"humanitarian zone" by the Israeli army but has experienced recent
bombings.
Dozens of media workers have been killed
since Israel’s invasion began three months ago.
"Very concerned by high death toll
of media workers in Gaza," the UN rights office said in a post on X social
media platform.
It added that killings of all journalists
in Gaza “must be thoroughly, independently investigated to ensure strict
compliance with international law, and violations prosecuted."
"…what we know is that many of them
(journalists) have died and we have repeatedly called for their profession to
be respected, so that they are able to do it freely and in safety,"
Florencia Soto Nino, a deputy spokeswoman for UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, told reporters on Monday.
A US-based rights advocacy organization
said in late December 2023 that the Israeli aggression on Gaza is the most
dangerous situation for journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ) said the first 10 weeks of the regime’s genocide were the deadliest
recorded ever for journalists, with the most journalists killed in a single
year in one location.
A US-based rights advocacy organization
said on Thursday the Israeli aggression on Gaza is the most dangerous situation
for journalists.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has also
filed its second complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for
Israeli war crimes against Palestinian journalists in Gaza.
The Paris-based press freedom group
filed the lawsuit in late December, asking the court in The Hague to
investigate the deaths of seven Palestinian journalists who were killed in Gaza
from October 22 to December 15.
The group said in a statement that
according to the information it collected, “these journalists may have been
deliberately targeted as journalists.”
Journalists killed in Gaza "may
have been deliberately targeted as journalists,” says Reporters Without
Borders.
According to the latest figures, nearly
110 journalists have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli
regime launched its military aggression against the territory on October 7.
The regime's genocide in Gaza has so far
killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, while
leaving nearly 59,000 injured.
Source: presstv.ir
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-----
Blinken lands in Tel Aviv for talks with
Israel on Gaza conflict
January 09, 2024
TEL AVIV: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken
arrived in Tel Aviv late Monday as part of a regional tour seeking to avert
regional escalation as Israel pounded Hamas-ruled Gaza and Lebanon’s Hezbollah
said an Israeli strike killed a top commander.
Palestinian militants reported fierce
ground combat in southern Gaza, where Israel says its focus has shifted along
with the territory’s centre three months into its war with Hamas.
Sirens sounded Monday in central and
southern Israel to warn of incoming rocket fire. And while battles raged in the
besieged Gaza Strip, the situation to Israel’s north has also caused increasing
regional and global concern.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, a
Hamas ally, have engaged in regular cross-border fire during the war that began
on October 7 with Hamas’s unprecedented attack against Israel.
On Monday, Hezbollah announced the
killing of a “commander” for the first time since October, naming him as Wissam
Hassan Tawil.
A security official in Lebanon,
requesting anonymity for security reasons, said Tawil “had a leading role in
managing Hezbollah’s operations in the south,” and was killed there by an Israeli
strike targeting his car.
The Israeli military said it struck
Hezbollah “military sites” in Lebanon on Monday, but did not immediately
comment on Tawil’s death.
His is the second high-profile killing
in Lebanon this month, following a strike in a Beirut stronghold of Hezbollah
last week which killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, heightening fears
of the conflict spreading.
On Monday the Israeli army also said it
had killed a “central figure” in Syria responsible for Hamas rocket attacks,
naming him as Hassan Akasha.
The October 7 attack by Hamas which
triggered the war resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas, considered a “terrorist” group by
the United States and European Union, also took around 250 hostages, 132 of
whom remain captive, Israel says. At least 25 are believed to have been killed.
Israel has responded with relentless
bombardment and a ground invasion that have killed at least 23,084 people,
mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.
‘Help Gaza recover’
Violence has also surged in the occupied
West Bank, where late Monday the Palestinian health ministry reported three
deaths by Israeli fire.
Israeli police confirmed three were
killed during a raid on Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, to arrest a
“wanted terrorist”.
Israeli forces and settler attacks in
the West Bank since October 7 have killed at least 333 Palestinians, according
to the Ramallah-based health ministry.
US Secretary of State Blinken, on his
fourth regional trip since the war began, met on Monday with Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman after talks in the United Arab Emirates and ahead of his
visit to Israel.
Before leaving Al Ula in Saudi Arabia,
Blinken said: “We agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help
Gaza stabilise and recover... and to work toward long term peace and security
and stability.”
Washington, Israel’s main ally and arms
supplier, has grown increasingly concerned over the war’s civilian death toll.
US President Joe Biden said Monday he
was working to get Israel to cut its military presence in Gaza, after
protesters calling for a ceasefire disrupted him during a campaign speech.
“I’ve been quietly working with the
Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza,”
Biden said.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of
militant group Islamic Jihad, reported “fierce clashes” on Monday, involving
machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, with Israeli troops in the southern
city of Khan Younis.
Islamic Jihad, which has fought
alongside Hamas in Gaza, later released a video it claimed showed an Israeli
hostage alive in its custody.
Israel’s military reported its forces
have “been working in recent days to expand” operations around Khan Younis and
said troops and warplanes struck 30 “significant” targets in the major city
overnight Sunday-Monday.
The fighting, now in its fourth month,
has reduced swathes of the narrow Palestinian territory to rubble, and prompted
international concern over dire humanitarian conditions.
The United Nations on Monday said it was
“very concerned by the high death toll of media workers”, a day after
Qatar-based Al Jazeera network said an Israeli strike had killed two of its
journalists, including the son of Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh.
The UN rights office called for the
deaths to be “thoroughly and independently investigated”.
‘Everyone going hungry’
The Israeli military on Monday showed
journalists what a spokesman described as a cluster of weapons factories and
tunnels in central Gaza used by Hamas to manufacture rockets.
Soldiers leading a media tour in Bureij
said that what looked like cement factories and other industrial facilities
were in fact used to make missiles and shells stored in deep shafts.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was
in Cairo on Monday to meet with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, a
mediator in the conflict.
Most of Gaza’s population has been
displaced, according to the United Nations, leaving people in overcrowded
shelters or tents in the winter chill.
Many have fled to Rafah in Gaza’s far
south, where a strike on Monday ripped open a car killing two of Dahdouh’s
nephews. He was recently wounded himself in a strike, and lost his wife and two
other children in an Israeli bombardment in the initial weeks of the war.
“They say Rafah is safe, but we don’t
see it is safe in Rafah. No place is safe,” said Mohammad Hejazy, overlooking
the blood-soaked road.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has
warned of the risk of famine and disease, with only minimal aid entering the
besieged territory.
Israeli rights group B’Tselem on Monday
said “everyone in Gaza is going hungry” as “direct results of Israel’s declared
policy”.
Washington has said Blinken will press
Israel on its compliance with international humanitarian law and ask for
“immediate measures” to boost aid to Gaza.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
North America
Ex-White House interns call on Biden to
force immediate Gaza ceasefire
January 08, 2024
LONDON: Former White House interns in
the US have signed an open letter urging President Joe Biden to support an immediate
ceasefire in Gaza, The Guardian reported on Monday.
Several of the interns worked in the
White House and the president’s executive office in 2022 and last year.
They are accusing Biden of having
“betrayed” his pledge to promote equality and justice while in office.
His unwavering support for Israel has
drawn criticism among factions of his Democratic Party, threatening his
prospects of re-election later this year.
A broad movement of Arab and Muslim
Americans, as well as progressive Democrats, have called on the party’s
leadership to change its stance on the Gaza war.
In the open letter, the former interns
said: “Consistently, you call upon young people to lead through the world’s
most pressing challenges. Yet our voices are ignored as our generation speaks
in solidarity with the majority of Americans and the world, underscoring the
contrast between the values we embraced together and the actions we now
witness.”
Polling in the US has revealed that most
Americans are dissatisfied with Biden’s handling of the war, with a notable
loss of support among young people.
The letter added: “Our dissatisfaction
with your actions reflects the sentiments of young people across the US —
individuals whom you credited as instrumental in securing your 2020 victory.
“We urge the president and vice
president to take concrete steps to end the conditions of apartheid, occupation
and ethnic cleansing in Gaza by: Standing with our allies around the world in
demanding a permanent ceasefire, ending unconditional military aid to Israel,
securing the release of Israeli and Palestinian hostages alike, and labeling
Israel’s recent actions as war crimes.
“Anything less than these measures
undermines the justice we collectively aspired to achieve.”
The letter also demonstrates a growing
schism within the White House administration. Last month, a group of current
interns urged Biden to support a ceasefire.
And last week, the administration’s only
Palestinian-American official, Tariq Habash — an education department adviser —
resigned in protest at Biden’s handling of the war.
Despite the president appearing to
escalate his disapproval of certain Israeli actions in the conflict, critics
say Biden’s words have yet to translate into action.
The open letter comes as Gaza’s Health
Ministry reported the deaths of at least 22,835 Palestinians since Oct. 7,
mostly women and children.
The UN recently warned that half of
Gaza’s 2.2 million residents faced starvation amid destroyed infrastructure and
a lack of aid deliveries.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
US wants to save Israel, not region
Jan 9, 2024
TEHRAN, Jan. 09 (MNA) – The US has said
that it is seeking to resolve West Asian problems, yet Washington is actually
the root cause of the spread of violence and unrest in the region.
Hossein Akbari, the Iranian Ambassador
to Syria, revealed America's proposal to solve regional problems, saying, “10
days ago, we received a message from one of the Persian Gulf countries, which
sent its delegation to Iran with a message from the Americans to resolve the
problem in the entire region, and not just a partial solution to the war."
According to Akbari, Americans were
scared that the war would spill over to other regions, leading to the
destruction of the Zionist regime.
In the message to Iran, the United
States has claimed that it is seeking a solution to regional tensions. However,
Washington’s actions paint a different picture. Its unwavering support for the
Zionist regime, particularly since October 7, has only served to exacerbate the
situation.
The US.'s attempt seems insincere when
compared to its consistent support for Israel's aggressive actions. Its
constant supply of military hardware and intelligence has enabled the Zionist
regime to maintain its oppressive grip on the Palestinian people, further
fueling the flames of resentment.
The US's actions have also spawned new
resistance fronts.
Instead of addressing the root causes of
the conflict, the US seeks to view the resistance fronts as obstacles to
regional peace. This misguided approach is akin to treating the symptoms of a
disease without addressing the underlying pathology.
The US needs to see that the resistance
movements are born from the deep-seated suffering of the oppressed.
resistance groups consistently assert
that their actions are a direct response to Israel's transgressions in Gaza and
the unwavering support from the White House for the Zionist regime's offenses.
The narrative propagated by these groups
underscores a deeply rooted belief that their activities are a form of
counteraction against Israeli barbarities in the Gaza Strip, coupled with
unequivocal backing from the highest echelons of the US government to Tel Aviv.
The United States' combined financial
and political support for Israel has created a more complicated situation in
the region, eliciting a more robust response from resistance groups.
In a stark demonstration of its
commitment to the Israeli regime, the United States has twice vetoed
resolutions at the UN Security Council that demanded Israel to stop war on the
Gaza Strip.
Also, the US's attempt to resolve the
conflict through Iran, considering it as the sole mediator of the resistance
groups, is a flawed strategy. It disregards the independence of these groups
and their fundamental right to self-determination.
Another flawed assumption underlying
America's approach is the belief that the relationship between Iran and the
resistance groups is a hierarchical one, with Iran acting as the sole
decision-maker. However, the connection between Iran and the resistance groups
is not one of dominance but of solidarity and shared purpose, with both sides
committed to upholding the principles of justice and freedom.
At the heart of the regional
complexities lies Palestine's enduring and unresolved matter, which has
persisted for over 75 years. The protracted nature of this issue underscores
its significance, as the region grapples with multifaceted challenges.
It is evident that until the rightful
aspirations of the Palestinian people are acknowledged and addressed, the
United States cannot contribute to resolving the regional crisis by assigning
blame to others.
The attainment of a more tranquil
regional landscape hinges on a pivotal shift in the US stance —one that
refrains from endorsing Israel's transgressions in Gaza and unequivocally
recognizes the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Source: mehrnews.com
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------
Blinken on diplomacy push in Israel as
it says war to continue all year
09 Jan, 2024
GAZA/TEL AVIV/CAIRO: US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken was due to meet Israeli leaders on Tuesday in his quest to
prevent the Gaza conflict from growing into a regional conflagration, as the
Israeli military said its fight against Hamas would continue all year.
Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv late on
Monday to brief Israeli officials on his two days of talks with Arab leaders on
ending the war, which was triggered by Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that by Israeli
tallies killed about 1,200 people.
He also said he would press Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “on the absolute imperative to
do more to protect civilians and to do more to make sure that humanitarian
assistance is getting into the hands of those who need it”.
The Israeli offensive has killed more
than 23,000 Palestinians, destroyed much of Gaza and displaced most of the population
of 2.3 million, creating a worsening humanitarian crisis.
In the latest sign that the war may be
spreading, Israel killed a top commander of Hamas’ ally Hezbollah in south
Lebanon on Monday, sources familiar with the group’s operations said.
Sources with direct knowledge of the
matter told Reuters Israel is also carrying out an unprecedented wave of deadly
strikes in Syria targeting cargo trucks, infrastructure and people involved in
Iran’s weapons lifeline to its proxies in the region.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant
told the Wall Street Journal his country was determined to end Hamas’ rule of
Gaza and deter other Iran-backed adversaries.
But Israel has come under growing
pressure from the United States, its closest ally, and Arab leaders to scale
back the assault.
Blinken set for Israel visit as regional
war fears mount
US President Joe Biden, confronted on
Monday by protesters shouting “ceasefire now” while visiting an historic Black
church in South Carolina, said he had been “quietly” working to encourage
Israel to ease its attacks and “significantly get out of Gaza”.
Israeli officials have said the
operation is entering a new phase of more targeted warfare, but there was no
respite in the fighting on Monday.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli
military spokesman, said a “different mix of forces” was pursuing holdout Hamas
fighters in the north as “intense operational activity” focused on central Gaza
and around the southern city of Khan Younis.
“Handling tough battles in both the centre
and south,” Hagari said.
“The fighting will continue through
2024.”
US says displaced people must return
Israel must allow displaced Palestinian
civilians to return to their homes in Gaza, Blinken said in response to calls
by right-wing members of Israel’s ruling coalition for them to move elsewhere.
Israeli leaders will tell Blinken that
they will not allow Palestinians from northern Gaza to return if Hamas refuses
to free more of the Israeli hostages it seized on Oct. 7, Axios reported,
quoting two senior Israeli officials.
Israel says Hamas still holds more than
100 hostages of the 240 seized on Oct. 7.
On Monday, Israeli forces bombarded the
eastern part of Khan Younis and the central Gaza Strip amid ground clashes,
residents said.
Israel attacks south Gaza as top US
diplomat seeks de-escalation
Israel said four soldiers were killed in
Gaza on Monday, bringing its total war losses there to 182.
The Israeli military also said it had
bombed an arms cache, uncovered a tunnel shaft in central Gaza and killed at
least 10 fighters in Khan Younis.
Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam
Brigades, said its fighters fired missiles at Tel Aviv in response to what it
called the “Zionist massacres against civilians”.
Blinken flew to Tel Aviv after talks in
the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to try to chart a way out of the
bloodiest chapter ever of the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.
It is his fourth mission to the region
since October. Speaking to reporters after meeting Saudi Arabian Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi oasis town of Al Ula, Blinken said he still
found support among Arab leaders for Israel’s goal of normalising relations.
But that will “require that the conflict
end in Gaza” and “a practical pathway to a Palestinian state,” said Blinken,
who held talks in Jordan and Qatar on Sunday.
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill four
‘prisoners’: Hamas
The Saudi crown prince, the kingdom’s de
facto ruler, stressed the importance of stopping the hostilities and forging a
path to peace, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
‘Generation of orphans’
Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Monday
that “indiscriminate aggression” and shelling could never bring peace or
security.
In remarks at the Kigali Genocide
Memorial in Rwanda, he said: “More children have died in Gaza than in all other
conflicts around the world this past year. Of those who have survived, many
have lost one or both parents, an entire generation of orphans.”
Nearly all of Gaza’s residents have fled
their homes at least once and many remain on the move, often sheltering in
makeshift tents or under tarpaulins.
For Aziza Abbas, 57, camped close to the
southern border with Egypt, there was nowhere else to go after what she said
was bombing around a school in which she had taken shelter after leaving her
home in the north.
“They may kill us here, it doesn’t
matter to them,” she told Reuters, saying she did not want to leave Gaza for
Egypt, which has closed the border, fearing an exodus.
Source: brecorder.com
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-----
Biden will not fire Pentagon chief
Austin, Trump calls for removal
2024-01-09
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: US President Joe
Biden does not plan to fire Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over his failure to
disclose a hospitalization for days, the White House said on Monday, as
prominent Republicans called for the Pentagon chief to be removed.
Austin, who sits just below Biden at the
top of the chain of command of the US military, withheld his multi-day
hospitalization from the president and the public for several days. He remains
in the hospital, which he entered on New Year’s Day.
“There is no plan for anything other
than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job,” John Kirby, the National
Security Council spokesman, told reporters on Air Force One Monday.
Former President Donald Trump, who is
Biden’s likely Republican challenger in the 2024 election, said on Sunday night
that Austin should be fired for his “improper professional conduct and
dereliction of duty.”
“He has been missing for one week, and
nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was,
or might be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Another prominent Republican in Congress
also called for Austin’s resignation.
“There must be full accountability
beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that
lied for him and a Congressional investigation into this dangerous dereliction
of duty,” Elise Stefanik, a New York representative and member of the House
Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Pentagon, said in a statement.
White House press secretary Karine
Jean-Pierre told reporters Biden had “complete confidence” in Austin.
“I think our main focus right now is on
Secretary Austin’s health and making sure that he gets all the care and support
that he needs to fully recover,” Kirby said, when asked about Austin’s
condition.
“He has already resumed all his
authorities. He’s already doing all of the functions he would normally do. He’s
just doing it right now from the hospital.”
Officials disclosed on Sunday that
Austin’s hospitalization was kept far more secret than previously known, adding
his deputy to a long list of people right up to Biden who were kept in the dark
for days.
Kirby said “there was no notification or
knowledge at the White House or the National Security Council until Thursday
afternoon.” Austin’s duties require him to be available at a moment’s notice to
respond to any national security crisis. He said on Saturday that he took “full
responsibility” for the secrecy over his hospitalization.
What health issue spurred Austin’s
hospitalization is unknown. Kirby said he did not have that information, but
that Biden and Austin had talked in recent days.
“It is not something that we can speak
to,” Jean-Pierre said when asked about Austin’s illness, adding that the
president had spoken to him on Saturday.
Source: brecorder.com
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Pentagon says not planning a US
withdrawal from Iraq
January 9, 2024
The Pentagon said on Monday it was not
currently planning to withdraw its roughly 2,500 troops from Iraq, despite
Baghdad’s announcement last week it would begin the process of removing the
U.S.-led military coalition from the country, Reuters reported.
“Right now, I’m not aware of any plans
(to plan for withdrawal). We continue to remain very focused on the defeat ISIS
mission,” Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told a news briefing, using an
acronym for Islamic State. He added that U.S. forces are in Iraq at the invitation
of its government.
Ryder said he was also unaware of any
notification by Baghdad to the Department of Defense about a decision to remove
U.S. troops, and referred reporters to the U.S. State Department for any
diplomatic discussions on the matter.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s
office announced on Friday the moves to evict U.S. forces following a U.S.
drone strike in Baghdad that was condemned by the government. The Pentagon said
the strike killed a militia leader responsible for recent attacks on U.S.
personnel.
Sudani’s office released a statement
saying a committee would be formed to “put arrangements to end the presence of
the international coalition forces in Iraq permanently.”
“We stress our firm position in ending
the existence of the international coalition after the justifications for its
existence have ended,” Sudani was quoted as saying in the statement.
The U.S. strike on Thursday, which came
four years after another one in Baghdad that killed a prominent Iranian
general, triggered outrage among Iran-aligned groups which demanded the
government end the presence of the coalition in Iraq, read the report.
The strike was pre-authorized by
President Joe Biden and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin before Austin was
admitted to a hospital on New Year’s Day, where he remains.
The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria in
addition to its troops in Iraq on a mission it says advises and assists local
forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized
large parts of both countries before being defeated.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in
October, the U.S. military has come under attack at least 100 times in Iraq and
Syria, usually with a mix of rockets and one-way attack drones.
Sudani has limited control over some
Iran-backed factions, whose support he needed to win power a year ago and who
now form a powerful bloc in his governing coalition.
Last month, the United States also
carried out retaliatory air strikes in Iraq after a drone attack by
Iran-aligned militants that left one U.S. service member in critical condition
and wounded two others.
Source: ariananews.af
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South Asia
The Goal of ISIS is to Destabilize
Region and Harm Civilians: IEA Deputy PM
2024-01-08
KABUL (BNA): Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, Deputy
Prime Minister for Political Affairs, stated in a meeting with the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s special representative to Afghanistan that ISIS’s motive is
to destabilize the region and harm civilians.
According to a statement from the deputy
prime minister’s office, during the meeting with Hassan KazemiQomi, the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, and its ambassador
in Kabul, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, expressed condolences for the recent events in
the neighboring country, where many people were killed or injured, emphasizing
that ISIS, as a common enemy, intends to destabilize the region and target
innocent people.
He went on to say that the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan has a clear strategy: to ensure that Afghanistan and
Iran remain safe while also contributing to the region’s peace and stability.
Abdul Kabir expressed gratitude to the
Islamic Republic of Iran for its support and collaboration with Afghanistan,
noting that Afghanistan seeks to build and improve relations with Iran and all
neighboring countries. By implementing economy-focused policies, the Islamic
Emirate hopes to play a crucial part as a hub for economic stability and
regional development.
Hassan KazemiQomi, the Islamic Republic
of Iran’s special representative in Afghanistan, stated that Iran does not
support opponents of the Islamic Emirate and instead aspires to integrate
Afghanistan into regional cooperation. Groups aiming to sow enmity between Iran
and Afghanistan would fail, he added.
Qomi further stated that the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s foreign policy toward the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is
based on strong cooperation. So far, Afghanistan and Iran have inked various
cooperation agreements in areas such as trade, agriculture, electricity, and
mining. Iran is also eager to collaborate in other investment and technology
industries.
He asserted that Iran is working to
establish cooperative regional transit to help regional countries build their
economies and facilitate friendly commerce. Iran hopes that these prospects
will allow Afghan commodities to have direct access to Turkish and European
markets.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s
Ambassador and Special Representative to Afghanistan stressed that Iranian
businesses are eager to collaborate with Afghan investors in the agricultural
sector.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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3,000 Anti-Terrorist Operations
Conducted in 2023: Islamic Emirate
NaweedSamadi
January 8, 2024
The Ministry of Interior said that in
2023, it conducted nearly 3,000 operations to suppress terrorist groups and
armed individuals in the country.
Abdul MatinQani, the MOI spokesman, said
that female security forces were also present in the launched operations.
The spokesman added: “About 3,000
operations were conducted last year by special security forces against
terrorist and evil groups, including ISIS.”
Qani emphasized that in these
operations, the sanctuaries of ISIS were also destroyed.
The spokesman of the ministry also
added: “Of course, the female security forces also participate in the
operations and they do their duties in searches and assessments.”
“Taliban should consider and manage such
operations to provide more security in the country,” said Akhtar Rasikh, a
military analyst.
A number of women's rights activists
called the presence of female security forces in security institutions
important and emphasized that women should be provided with work in various
sectors.
“Seeing the current situation in
Afghanistan, it is very important that women are engaged in work in different
sectors and that attention is given to them,” Dewa Patang, a women's rights
activist.
“The role of women and girls in the
security forces is an urgent necessity considering the national interests of
Islamic principles and Afghan traditions,” said LailumaSherzai, a women’s
rights activist.
The Ministry of Interior had previously
said that nearly 2,000 security force members are women, and they are busy
working as before the Islamic Emirate came into power.
Source: tolonews.com
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Islamic Emirate Supports Industrialists
and Manufacturing Sector: Azizi
2024-01-08
KABUL (BNA): In a meeting with factory
owners in Pol-e-Charkhi Industrial Park, Nouruddin Azizi, Acting Industry and
Commerce Minister, emphasized the Islamic Emirate’s full support for
industrialists and the manufacturing sector.
According to a ministry statement, Abdul
Jabar Safi and other factory owners met to discuss issues such as power
shortages, road conditions, clinic maintenance, the installation of security
cameras at Pol-e-Charkhi Industrial Park, the reactivation of the Industry
Development Bank, and tariff increases in the plastic products sector.
Nooraldin Azizi promised to support the
country’s industry and industrialists, citing issues in the electricity sector
and the signing of an agreement to complete the activation of a 500-KW power
line project.
He said that the activation of Industry
Development Bank would be shared with the technical team of the ministry for
consideration.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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Envoys of Japan, Korea, Malaysia, KSA,
Palestine, Argentina, 13 Other Countries Congratulate Bangladesh PM
Jan 9, 2024
Ambassadors and high commissioners of
Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Brunei
Darussalam, Malaysia, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine paid courtesy call
on Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today.
They congratulated Sheikh Hasina on
behalf of their respective countries as Awami League won the 12th parliamentary
election, according to a release from PM's press wing. The envoys also conveyed
the congratulatory messages of the heads of state and governments of their
countries to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
They expressed optimism that Bangladesh
will become a developed and prosperous country under Hasina's leadership.
The envoys expressed their strong
commitment to continue the cooperation of their respective countries with
Bangladesh.
The prime minister thanked the
ambassadors and high commissioners.
She also thanked the heads of state and
governments of all friendly countries for their continuous support to the
people and government of Bangladesh.
Hasina expressed hope that the
cooperation of friendly countries will continue in the coming days in the
development and progress of Bangladesh.
Source: thedailystar.net
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BNP has nothing to do except wait for
next five years: Quader
Jan 8, 2024
BNP has no other choice but to wait
another five years till the next national elections, Awami League General
Secretary ObaidulQuader said today.
"BNP-Jamaat has failed this time
too. The people have countered all their conspiracies through ballots. After
repeatedly boycotting the elections, BNP has nothing to do except wait for the
next five years," said Quader while addressing a post-election press
conference at the AL Dhaka district office in the capital's Tejgaon today.
Quader, the road transport and bridges
minister, dismissed allegations made by BNP leader Moyeen Khan as
"baseless and fabricated".
"All their complaints are devoid of
reality. BNP leader Moyeen Khan appeared before the media this morning with a
series of lies. Such lies are responsible for their tragic consequences,"
he said.
Quader further said the BNP has turned
into an ineffective and failed political party for repeatedly making wrong
political moves.
Calling the elections a milestone in
Bangladesh's democratic journey, Quader said, "Foreign journalists,
observers, various institutions, both domestic and international media, have
reviewed the election and expressed satisfaction. This election will fortify
Bangladesh's global image."
At the briefing, Quader said the AL will
hold a public rally at SuhrawardyUdyan in the capital on January 10 on the
occasion of the Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman.
AL chief Sheikh Hasina will preside over
the rally.
Asked who the opposition in parliament
would be, Quader said the prime minister will take a decision in this regard
after considering the situation and reality.
Regarding the party's stance on the AL
independent candidates who won the election, Quader said, "Independents
are the representatives of the people. They will be in the parliament as
elected lawmakers and work for the people."
Responding to another journalist's
question, ObaidulQuader said the country does not run on what the BNP said.
"The BNP could not oust the
government by staging a movement according to what they said. BNP has also said
that this election would not be allowed to take place. But were they able to do
it?
Expressing gratitude to the voters, the
AL general secretary said AL secured a sweeping victory in the 12th
parliamentary election by setting a new record with the votes of the people.
The election was held in a festive, free, neutral, peaceful, and participatory
environment.
"We once again thank and appreciate
the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh," he said.
Highlighting Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina's respect for the people's verdict, Quader affirmed her commitment to
fulfilling the promises outlined in AL's election manifesto.
Source: thedailystar.net
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Switzerland to reopen Kabul Humanitarian
Aid Office by Summer 2024
Fidel Rahmati
January 8, 2024
Switzerland is preparing to reopen its
humanitarian aid office in Kabul by the summer of 2024.
The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit intends
to deploy four members to work in the Afghan capital.
Local employees are expected to join the
office, as confirmed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman,
LéaZürcher.
The presence in Kabul will help better
understand the situation on the ground and improve project monitoring and
coordination with other donor countries.
The office will not provide consular
services, and Afghan visa applications will still be processed at the Swiss
embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Detailed security measures have not been
disclosed, but they will aim to minimize risks in the complex security
environment.
Switzerland had a cooperation office in
Kabul until August 2021, which closed after the Taliban takeover and the
withdrawal of Western allies.
The new office is planned to be
established at the previous location in the former “Green Zone” of Kabul, where
many Western embassies were once located.
Source: khaama.com
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Islamic Emirate’s PM Meets Pakistan’s
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman
January 8, 2024
The Islamic Emirate’s Prime Minister,
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, received the Pakistani delegation led by Maulana
Fazl-ur-Rehman, the leader of Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, the Arg
said in a statement.
According to the statement, Mullah
Hassan Akhund urged Pakistan to stop “cruel” behavior towards the Afghan
refugees. Arg quoted Fazl-ur-Rehman as saying that he raised his voice against
Pakistan’s treatment of the Afghan refugees.
He said the objective of his visit was
to “eliminate misunderstanding and provide cooperation in political, economic
and trade relations,” the statement said.
Based on the statement, Amir Khan
Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister, referred to the issues of problems of
refugees and challenges posed by Pakistani officials to transit and export by
Afghan traders
The meeting was attended by the Supreme
Judge of the Islamic Emirate, Abdul Haqim Haqqani, FM Amir Khan Muttaqi, Noor
Mohammad Saqib, the acting Minister of Haj and Religious Affairs, and other
members of the Islamic Emirate’s cabinet, the Arg said.
On Sunday, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman,
accompanied by a delegation including the head of mission of Pakistan in Kabul,
Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, arrived in Kabul.
Source: tolonews.com
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Reject all forms of violence, UN urges
Bangladesh
Jan 9, 2024
The UN has called on all parties in
Bangladesh to reject all forms of violence and to ensure that human rights and
the rule of law are fully respected.
"We have seen the situation that's
unfolding there. The Secretary-General continues to follow what's happening. He
notes the opposition's decision to boycott the elections. I mean, all the
allegations of the stifling of dissenting and critical voices and arrest of
opposition leaders," said Florencia Soto Niño, associate spokesperson for
the UN secretary general, in a briefing early today.
She said the UN secretary general is
obviously concerned about reports of incidents of violence prior to, and during
the elections and he calls on all parties to reject all forms of violence and
to ensure that human rights and the rule of law are fully respected.
"This is essential for the
consolidation of democracy and economic prosperity there," she said.
It is essential that Bangladesh foster
an environment of democracy and respect, and reject all forms of violence, and
obviously ensure that human rights are respected, she said.
Source: thedailystar.net
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-----
Yunus should apologise to his workers:
PM
Jan 8, 2024
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said
it was not up to her to pardon Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus who has
recently been sentenced to six months in jail for the violation of labour law.
Replying to a question whether she would
consider granting pardon to Muhammad Yunus as she celebrates her election
victory, the PM said she has nothing to do here as the labour court passed the
judgement.
The question was asked by an Indian
journalist during a post-polls courtesy meeting with visiting foreign observers
and media people as well as local journalists at her official residence
GonoBhaban.
Hasina said Yunus violated the labour
law and deprived his own employees who filed a case at the labour court.
"I have nothing to do with
that," she said adding that he should seek pardon from his employees whom
he deprived.
Responding to a question from a BBC
journalist if she believes that Bangladesh can be considered a vibrant
democracy with the absence of any opposition party, the AL chief said each and
every party has the right to take their own decision.
The journalist also mentioned that 60
percent of the voters did not cast their ballots in Sunday's election.
The PM, in reply, said that if a
particular party doesn't participate in the election, it doesn't mean there is
no democracy. "You have to consider whether people participated or
not," she said.
"The party didn't participate in
the election and they tried to prevent people from casting votes. But the
people didn't listen to them," she said.
Noting that she doesn't know if there is
any other definition of democracy, she said the participation of the people is
the main thing here.
Coming down heavily on BNP for
unleashing violence and arson violence, Hasina threw a counter question to the
journalist asking how she would define a democratic party. "They are a
terrorist party," the PM said.
Answering a question regarding her
foreign policy, the premier said Bangladesh has a good relationship with every
country as the motto of its foreign policy is "Friendship to all and
malice towards none".
Describing India as a great friend of
Bangladesh, she appreciated that Bangladesh has a wonderful relationship with
its neighbours.
In reply to another question she said
she does not want to be compared with the great women leaders like Indira
Gandhi, Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, and Srimavo Bandaranaike.
"There were great ladies," she
said adding, "I'm a simple person." She said she does not consider
herself as a woman or man when she works for the people of Bangladesh.
Replying to a question from an US
citizen, who came to observe the January 7 general election, she said,
"Our relationship is wonderful with every country, even the United States
of America. So, from our part there is no problem. We've a good relationship.
Now it depends on you and your government."
The prime minister said the goal of her
next government will be to smoothen the journey of Bangladesh as a developing
country (from 2026), sustain electricity generation, ensure food security, and
nutrition security, improve connectivity further, alleviate poverty further,
eradicate extreme poverty, make the country free from homeless and finally
continue the progress of country, and work for building the country as Smart
Bangladesh.
"The economic progress and ensuring
a better life for the people is my main aim," she said, replying to a
question from a foreign journalist.
Source: thedailystar.net
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-----
Pakistan
Pakistan rejects religious designation
by US as biased, arbitrary
January 09, 2024
Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday while
categorically rejecting Pakistan’s designation as “a Country of Particular
Concern” by the US State Department said Pakistan’s concerns about the
designation are being conveyed to the US side, and at the same time expressed
deep concern that India, the biggest and serial violator of religious freedom
was excluded from the list.
The US President is required to annually
review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and
designate each country the government which has engaged in or tolerated
“particularly severe violations of religious freedom” as a Country of
Particular Concern (CPC). “We are deeply dismayed that the designation is based
on biased and arbitrary assessment, detached from ground realities. Pakistan is
a pluralistic country, with a rich tradition of interfaith harmony. In line
with its Constitution, Pakistan has undertaken wide-ranging measures to promote
religious freedom and protect minority rights”, said the Foreign Office.
The US International Religious Freedom
Act (IRFA) defines particularly severe violations as “systematic, ongoing,
egregious violations of religious freedom,” including violations such as (1)
torture; (2) prolonged detention without charges; (3) forced disappearance; or
(4) another flagrant denial of life, liberty, or security of persons. Besides
Pakistan, the other countries designated as Countries of Concern include Burma,
the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and
Turkmenistan.
Taking exception to the exclusion of
India from the list, the Foreign Office said not only in Pakistan but also in
the United States itself there has been criticism of the US State Department’s
selectiveness. “We note with deep concern that India, the biggest and serial
violator of religious freedom, has once again been excluded from the US State
Department’s designation list. This is despite clear recommendations by the US
Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) as well as public
concerns raised by international human rights constituencies about India’s
maltreatment of religious minorities. This conspicuous omission raises serious
questions about the credibility, transparency and objectivity of the entire
process”, noted the Foreign Office. Pakistan pointed out that it was convinced
that such discriminatory, unilateral and subjective exercises are
counterproductive and undermine our shared objective to advance religious
freedom globally.
“Pakistan strongly believes that the
contemporary challenge of religious intolerance, xenophobia and Islamophobia
can be best countered through constructive engagement and collective efforts
based on mutual understanding and respect. With a similar spirit, Pakistan has
bilaterally engaged US,“ added the Foreign Office. Earlier, Washington pointed
out that governments must end attacks on members of religious minority
communities and their places of worship, communal violence and lengthy
imprisonment for peaceful expression, transnational repression, and calls to
violence against religious communities, among other violations that occur in
too many places around the world.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Kabul asks Pakistan to ‘stop being
cruel’ to refugees
January 9, 2024
PESHAWAR: Calling on the Pakistani
authorities to end their “cruel attitude” towards Afghan refugees, Mullah
Muhammad Hassan Akhund, the acting prime minister of the Afghan Taliban regime,
on Monday said such an attitude only exacerbated frustration and opposition.
“Such attitudes do not resolve issues,”
Mr Akhund said, while talking to a delegation led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, according to a statement released
by the Taliban regime’s media department.
Mullah Akhund said the ‘Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan’ had no intention of causing harm to Pakistan or any other
country for that matter, nor would it allow anyone to use the Afghan soil
against any country.
The meeting was attended, among others,
by Chief Justice of Afghanistan Maulavi Abdul Hakeem Haqqani and acting
Foreign Minister Maulavi Ameer Khan Muttaqi.
Welcoming the delegation, Mullah Akhund
said the visit would help strengthen positive relations between the two
countries.
Maulana Fazl is leading a nine-member
delegation to the Afghan capital at the invitation of the Afghan Taliban to
help arrest the deteriorating relationship between the two countries and put
ties back on track.
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of
sheltering the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Afghan Taliban
deny this and have instead urged Pakistan to look inward and address its own
internal security challenges.
Islamabad says the TTP has ratcheted up
attacks inside Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban came to power in August 2021.
At a news conference last week, the
Afghan defence minister alleged that ISKP (Islamic State-Khorasan Province)
militants were operating from Pakistan to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.
The Pakistan government’s decision to
deport nearly half a million undocumented Afghans caused further fissures in
the already strained relations between the two sides, prompting Kabul to accuse
Islamabad of leveraging the refugees issue as pressure and coercive tool.
During the meeting, FM Muttaqi raised
the issue of treatment meted out to Afghan refugees and hurdles created by the
Pakistani authorities in the transit trade and exports which, he said, was
causing huge losses to the Afghan traders.
He stressed that bilateral trade should
not be subservient to political issues between the two countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Fazl
said the purpose of his visit was to remove misunderstanding and explore ways
to enhance cooperation between the two countries in political, economic and
trade spheres.
He said his party had opposed the
treatment meted out to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and asserted that such
an attitude was the root cause of the problem between the two sides. “We have
come here with a message of goodwill and we hope that this visit would yield
positive results,” he added.
Government officials say the JUI-F
leader was sufficiently sansitised on Pakistan’s key concerns vis-à-vis the
TTP’s presence in Afghanistan and the freedom of action and movement that the
banned outfit enjoyed under the ‘IEA’ patronage.
The Afghan Taliban statement did not
make any reference to this contentious issue and only obliquely referred to the
oft-repeated statement of the Taliban regime that it would not allow anyone to
use the Afghan soil against any country.
It was not clear from the statement
whether the JUI-F chief raised the issue at the meeting or what the response
was from his Afghan hosts.
It was also not clear whether Maulana
Fazl would have any contact with the leadership of the banned militant outfits
on the sidelines of his meetings with the Afghan Taliban leadership.
Source: dawn.com
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Court freezes properties of Malik Riaz, PTI
leaders in £190m case
January 9, 2024
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad accountability
court on Monday froze properties of five accused, including property tycoon
Malik Riaz and his son, who have been declared proclaimed offenders in a 190
million-pound corruption case.
The accountability judge, Mohammad
Bashir, issued orders to freeze movable and immovable properties of Mr Riaz and
his son, Ahmed Ali Riaz; aides to former prime minister Zulfi Bukhari and Mirza
Shahzad Akbar; Farhat Shahzadi aka Farah Khan; and a lawyer, Ziaul Mustafa
Nasim.
Their perpetual arrest warrants were
also issued.
The court has ordered revenue officers
across the country to seize the offenders’ immovable properties. The excise and
taxation officers have been ordered to confiscate vehicles registered in their
names.
Commercial banks have been directed to
freeze their accounts and not allow transactions or withdrawals.
The judge also appointed an additional
director of NAB as a “receiver” to collect rental income from the properties
owned by these suspects.
When the case proceedings resumed on
Monday, the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecution team, headed by
Sardar Muzaffar Khan Abbasi, shared a copy of the reference with the counsel
for Mr Khan.
Since Bushra Bibi, the spouse of former
prime minister Imran Khan, didn’t appear before the court, the judge warned her
of issuing non-bailable warrants.
The former prime minister and his spouse
have also been nominated as accused in this reference filed by NAB.
The prosecution also submitted the
details of movable and immovable properties owned by the suspects, as the judge
invoked Section 88 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The said section authorises a court to
order attachment — the process of seizing properties — when an accused has been
declared a proclaimed offender.
On Jan 6, Mr Riaz, the property tycoon,
made a last-ditch effort to avert the confiscation of his properties when he
filed an application seeking suspension of his arrest warrants.
In his application filed before the
court, Mr Riaz stated that he was not aware of the proceedings initiated
against him as he was abroad. He added that he had recently learned about the
case and wanted to join the proceedings.
The judge, however, dismissed the
application and refused to suspend the arrest warrants.] Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.dawn.com/news/1804324/court-freezes-properties-of-malik-riaz-pti-leaders-in-190m-case
----
PM orders swift action against smuggling
of commodities
January 08, 2024
Caretaker Prime minister Anwar ul Haq
Kakar has directed the relevant departments to expedite their efforts to
eliminate smuggling
He was chairing a review meeting in
Islamabad today regarding trade and ending smuggling in the border districts
under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement.
The Prime Minister said provision of
alternative dignified employment should be ensured in the border districts by
establishing special economic zones and industries.
He also directed to make a comprehensive
plan to provide employment opportunities to the people of the border areas,
their social security and make them independent.
The Prime Minister said the entire
Pakistani nation was suffering due to smuggling and the government will
continue the operation until its complete elimination.
He categorically said the Caretaker
Government will continue to take measures to eradicate smuggling till the last
minute of its term.
The Prime Minister instructed NLC to
complete its scanning and checking project at Chaman border on priority basis.
The Prime Minister stressed that along
with the prevention of smuggling, there is also a need to control the demand
for smuggled commodities in urban areas.
The Prime Minister said legal trade
should be promoted in the border areas and complete documentation should be
ensured.
He directed to activate track and trace
system of FBR for cargo monitoring.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.radio.gov.pk/08-01-2024/pm-directs-relevant-departments-to-expedite-efforts-to-eliminate-smuggling
------
Bahrain lauds Pakistan Army's
counter-terrorism achievements
January 08, 2024
Chief of the Army Staff, General Syed
Asim Munir, held a meeting with the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa,
to discuss matters of mutual interest.
According to ISPR, the Army Chief is on
a two-day official visit to Bahrain.
During his visit, he also called on the
Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Commander of Bahrain Defence
Forces, Field Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and the Commander of
Bahrain National Guard, General Shaikh Mohammad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Matters of mutual interest, including
bilateral military and security cooperation, were discussed during the
meetings.
The dignitaries lauded Pakistan Army's
achievements in the fight against terrorism and its continued efforts for
regional peace and stability.
The COAS was also the Chief Guest at the
27th Raising Day of Bahrain National Guard, where he was warmly welcomed and
given a Guard of Honour. He witnessed a demonstration related to a
counter-terrorism training exercise.
The Commander of Bahrain National Guard
extended his gratitude and appreciation to the Pakistan Army for providing
highly professional training to the Bahrain National Guard in military and
counter-terrorism domains.
The King of Bahrain also conferred the
Military Medal Order of Bahrain First Class on the COAS in recognition of his
significant efforts and contributions to the enhancement of bilateral ties
between the two brotherly countries."
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.radio.gov.pk/08-01-2024/bahrain-lauds-pakistan-armys-count-terrorism-achievements
-----
Pakistan strongly condemns Kabul
terrorist attack causing multiple deaths
January 08, 2024
Pakistan has strongly condemned the
terrorist attack in Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul that resulted in loss of
several precious lives and multiple injuries.
The Foreign Office in a statement today,
said the Government and the people of Pakistan extend their heartfelt
condolences to the Afghan Interim Government and the people of Afghanistan over
the loss of innocent lives and pray for the early recovery of the injured.
It said Pakistan reiterates its strong
condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stands in
solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this hour of grief.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.radio.gov.pk/08-01-2024/pakistan-strongly-condemns-kabul-terrorist-attack-causing-multiple-deaths
----
Incarcerated Imran Khan arrested in GHQ
attack case as well
January 09, 2024
Shabbir Dar
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) founder Imran Khan has been arrested in GHQ attack case relating to May 9
violent protests that broke out across the country last year following his
brief arrest.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in
Rawalpindi has summoned the PTI founder, who is already behind bars in cipher
and grafts cases, in May 9 cases on Tuesday (today).
However, the PTI founder attended the
court’s proceedings via video link as he could not be produced in the court by
Adiala jail authorities owing to security concerns.
During the hearing of the cases, RA
Bazar Police Station officials sought physical remand of the PTI founder in May
9 cases, however, ATC Judge Malik Aijaz Asif turned down the request.
The ATC judge directed the police to
interrogate the PTI founder in Adiala prison.
The development comes days after PTI
senior leader Shah Mahood Qureshi was also arrested in the May 9 cases after
the Supreme Court approved his bail in cipher case.
A local court in Rawalpindi sent Qureshi
to Adiala jail on a 14-day remand in connection with May 9 cases including the
one related to the attack on GHQ on December 28, 2023.
Qureshi was initially arrested in a GHQ
attack reference from Adiala Jail, however later 12 other cases related to
violent May 9 protests were also lodged against him.
In May last year, Khan’s alleged
supporters and workers resorted to violence attacking and ransacking military
installation incuding GHQ in protest against the arrest of the party chief in
graft case.
Subsequently, dozens of PTI leaders and workers
were arrested in connection with May 9 mayhem, while several leaders have
parted ways with Khan over the riots that they believed was a result of the
former premier’s confrontational politics.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1146139-incarcerated-imran-khan-arrested-in-ghq-attack-case-as-well
-----
‘No intention to harm Pakistan’, Afghan
PM tells Fazl
January 08, 2024
Kamran Yousaf
ISLAMABAD:The prime minister of the
interim Afghan government, Mullah Hassan Akhund, reassured on Monday that Kabul
has no intention of harming neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. This
statement came as he met with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of
Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F), in the Afghan capital, Kabul, amid escalating
tensions between the two nations.
Fazl is leading a 9-member delegation on
a visit to Kabul at the invitation of the Afghan Taliban government. During his
meeting with Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, the discussions addressed the
strained relations exacerbated by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which
Islamabad claims operates from Afghan soil, posing a continuous security
threat.
While Fazl's visit aimed at alleviating
misunderstandings between the two countries, a terrorist attack in Bajaur
district on the same day, claimed by the banned TTP, cast a shadow on prospects
for diplomatic breakthroughs.
Ahead of his trip to Kabul, the JUI-F
chief said he was going there with an aim to remove misunderstandings between
the two countries. He received a briefing from the foreign office before
departing for the Afghan capital. He was seated next to Pakistan’s Chargé
d'Affaires in the plane on his way to Kabul, suggesting the visit might be
private but had the backing of the government.
Nevertheless, some of the remarks made
by the JUI-F chief during his meeting with the Afghan interim prime minister
might not be taken well by the authorities in Pakistan. Contrary to the
official Pakistani stance, Fazl raised concerns over Islamabad’s move to deport
illegal Afghans.
When the Afghan prime minister termed
Pakistan’s policy of evicting Afghan nationals as “cruel”, the JUI-F chief said
he did oppose the decision.
A statement issued by the JUI-F
spokesperson here said Fazl voiced concerns over the “attitude of the rulers of
Pakistan towards the Afghan refugees”. “We consider this kind of behaviour
wrong and a cause of problems between the two countries,” he was quoted as
saying.
Pakistan in October decided to deport
all undocumented Afghans. They were given an October 31 deadline to leave
voluntarily and after that a crackdown was launched. Since then tens of
thousands of Afghans either left Pakistan or were forced to exit.
Pakistan defended the policy, saying
such illegal Afghans could not be allowed to live in the country.
At the heart of deteriorating ties
between the two countries is the inaction of the Afghan Taliban against the TTP
and its affiliates.
There was no explicit mention of the TTP
in the statements issued by both the JUI-F and the Taliban government but the
interim Afghan prime minister did say his country had no intention to undermine
Pakistan or any other country.
However, Pakistan is far from convinced
with these verbal assurances as it has been seeking ‘verifiable’ action against
the TTP.
Akhund during today’s meeting stressed
the role of religious scholars from both sides to resolve the issue and remove
misunderstandings.
Meanwhile, Fazl congratulated the Afghan
Taliban for their ‘victory against the foreign occupation’. He backed the
Afghan Taliban and said the “Islamic system” would bring stability to the
neighbouring country.
“We have brought a message of goodwill
here and hope that this trip will yield positive results,” Fazl said. “We hope
that the visit will lead to the strengthening of brotherhood and positive
relations between the two neighbouring countries and brotherly people,” he
added.
The JUI-F statement said it was
emphasised in the meeting that the two countries should jointly find ways to solve
all the problems and should avoid such steps that would create more problems.
During the meeting, Acting Afghan
Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Muttaqi said that commercial or economic
transactions between the two countries should not suffer due to political
problems.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452595/no-intention-to-harm-pakistan-afghan-pm-tells-fazl
-----
Cipher case: Robkar for IK’s release on
bail issued
2024-01-09
ISLAMABAD: The special court on Monday
issued Robkar (release orders) of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former
Prime Minister Imran Khan in the cipher case.
The special court judge,
AbualHasnatZulqarnain, while hearing the cipher case against PTI founder and
Shah Mahmood Qureshi issued ‘Robkar’ of Khan.
The court issued it in the cipher case
after the legal team of Imran Khan submitted surety bonds as the Supreme Court
had granted him bail in the cipher case.
The apex court on December 22 granted
bail to Khan in the cipher case. However, Khan will remain in jail as NAB has
arrested him in the Toshakhana and Al-Qadir Trust case.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40282720/cipher-case-robkar-for-iks-release-on-bail-issued
-----
Africa
Bolivia says will join South Africa's
ICJ case against Israel for genocide in Gaza
08 January 2024
Bolivia says it will join South Africa
in a legal case filed against the Israeli regime in the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) for committing genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza
Strip.
The Palestinian Information Center
quoted Bolivia's Foreign Ministry as making the announcement in a statement on
Monday.
La Paz said it praised the step taken by
Pretoria in line with its commitment to the UN Genocide Convention.
Bolivia added that the judicial measure
taken by South Africa was a "historic step" in defense of the rights
of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause of liberation from Israeli
occupation and aggression.
The Bolivian Foreign Ministry also
called on the international community to throw its full weight behind this
initiative.
South Africa has formally lodged a case
against the Israeli regime at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the
genocide of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
It noted that the country -- along with
South Africa, Bangladesh, Comoros, and Djibouti -- has also presented a
separate request to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to
investigate the situation in Palestine.
Bolivia is the first country in Latin
America to announce its support of South Africa’s lawsuit.
In late December, South Africa started
proceedings against Israel at the ICJ over the regime’s genocide in Gaza. The
lawsuit says Israel’s actions are “genocidal in character because they are
intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the
Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.”
"The acts in question include
killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and
inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical
destruction," the lawsuit says.
The UK is accused of double standards
after it refuses to support a case filed by South Africa against Israel at the
ICJ.
In early January, it was announced that
the ICJ judges in The Hague will hear South Africa’s case against Israel on
January 11 and 12. The announcement came after the African country asked the
top court to urgently declare that the Tel Aviv regime has breached its
responsibilities under international law since October 7, when it launched its
onslaught against Gaza.
More than 23,000 Palestinians, most of
them women and children, have been killed and nearly 59,000 injured in Israel's
genocidal war on Gaza.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/08/717863/Palestine-Israel-Bolivia-lawsuit-International-Court-of-Justice-South-Africa-genocide
-----
Muslims Task FG on Moral Ethos for
Economic Prosperity
Jan - 09 - 2024
Gilbert Ekugbe
The Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN)
has called on the federal government to embark on a massive inculcation of
moral ethos to achieve accelerated economic prosperity.
In a statement issued by the General
Secretary, MAN, Mr. BolajiOdekunle, the move would also go a long way to
restore social order in different parts of the country.
MAN also called on the Muslim families
to rise up to their responsibilities of building a decent society.
Meanwhile, MAN has held its 36 national
conference themed, “Nigeria and the Prospects of Socioeconomic Stability,”
Islamic Perspectives.
According to MAN, the country is visibly
confronted by the problems of high level of poverty, crimes and criminality.
“In this light, it is a paradox of being
rich yet being poor as a country. The problems were mostly traced to
greediness, impunity and lack of institutional capacity to sanction offenders,”
the statement read.
Speaking on the theme, Dr. Saheed
Timehin, Department of Foreign Languages, Lagos State University, stated that
Nigeria is blessed with abundant human and material resources, acknowledging
experts efforts to help in fashioning socioeconomic theories and development
plans.
The conference also featured the Deputy
Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi KadiriHamzat, who delivered a keynote
speech as Special Guest of Honour.
The Conference called on Muslims and
other believers in the existence of God and in the reality of the day of
judgment to return to the path of rectitude, in which one wants for himself
what he wants for fellow human beings.
The Association also elected
DhikrullahAdewaleYagboyaju, Professor of Political Science, as its president at
the end of the conference.
Source: thisdaylive.com
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the full text of the
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/01/09/muslims-task-fg-on-moral-ethos-for-economic-prosperity
-----
Plateau: Muslim Community Pays
Solidarity Visit To Mutfwang Over Christmas Eve Attacks
Jan 8, 2024
OnojaAudu
JOS – The Chairman of Jama’atuNasril
Islam (JNI), Plateau State who is also the Emir of Wase, HRH Mohammed Sambo
Haruna, has expressed the Muslim community’s solidarity with Governor Caleb
Manasseh Mutfwang’s administration towards tackling the perpetrators of violent
attacks in parts of Plateau State.
The Emir emphasized the need for
decisive measures to end the recurring acts of violence and foster meaningful
development on the Plateau.
He lamented the lack of arrests,
prosecutions, or convictions in relation to the past acts of violence on the
Plateau.
He underscored the importance of holding
perpetrators accountable to break the cycle of violence affecting the state.
The Royal Father urged the state
government to enforce tax payment through community leaders as a means of
identifying individuals, with the aim of preventing crime at its root.
Representatives of the Dariqa Muslim
Council, Umar Shehu and Khalifa AbdullahiShehu also used the course of the
visit to commend
Governor Mutfwang’s commitment to
peaceful coexistence among diverse citizens of the state and demanded that they
need infrastructure development in Muslim communities as evidence of inclusive
leadership.
Responding,GovernorMutfwang welcomed the
delegation to the Government House and reaffirmed his administration’s
commitment to inclusivity.
He refuted claims of being bias against
Muslims on the Plateau, assuring them of his genuine goodwill.
Mutfwang pledged justice for all and
announced plans to sponsor seats for Muslims to go to Mecca within the
available resources this year.
The Plateau Governor calls fy continued
support from the Muslim community for the overall development of the state.
Source: independent.ng
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://independent.ng/plateau-muslim-community-pays-solidarity-visit-to-mutfwang-over-christmas-eve-attacks/
------
Over 30 Travellers Kidnapped By
Terrorists Who Blocked Abuja-Kaduna Road For About One Hour
January 9, 2024
No fewer than 30 travellers were on
Sunday kidnapped along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
SaharaReporters reported on Monday that
a former federal lawmaker and social activist, Senator Shehu Sani, confirmed
that a group of terrorists on Sunday blocked the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway and
abducted scores of passengers.
Sani had revealed this in a post on X
platform (formerly Twitter) saying that the incident happened near Kateri
village around 9pm.
The former lawmaker had added that
politicians from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and opposition
parties were among those who escaped being abducted by the terrorists.
“The bandits, armed with AK-47 rifles,
blocked the road for about 45 minutes, opening fire and forcing travellers out
of their vehicles at gunpoint,” Suleiman Dan Baba, a local resident said.
Similarly, SamailaShehu, another
resident from nearby Jere, noted that over 30 travellers were taken hostage at
the scene. The bandits reportedly split into groups, extending their reach to
nearby Bishini and Kokore communities, abducting several villagers.
ShuaibuAdamuJere, a community leader,
recounted a relative’s narrow escape near the attack site. “The operation
lasted around 45 minutes. A driver was shot, and two vehicles were left
abandoned,” he said.
An anonymous lawyer from Katari
confirmed the blockade but was unsure about the abductions. “Soldiers stationed
near Katari eventually repelled the bandits,” he mentioned.
Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna State
overseeing commissioner for internal security and home affairs, and ASP Mansir
Hassan, the state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, both told Daily
Trust that they would investigate the incident further.
Source: saharareporters.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://saharareporters.com/2024/01/09/over-30-travellers-kidnapped-terrorists-who-blocked-abuja-kaduna-road-about-one-hour
-------
Philantropist donates new mosque to
Chief Imam at Agogo
Jan - 09 - 2024
A Ghanaian businessman and
philanthropist, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, has built a new mosque at Agogo in the
Asante Akyem Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
Known as the Agogo Central Mosque, the
edifice can accommodate 3,000 worshippers and it contains other facilities such
as a clinic to serve the entire community.
The inauguration ceremony, held under
the auspices of the Omanhene of Agogo, Nana AkuokoSarpong, saw the attendance
of high-profile religious and traditional leaders, including the National Chief
Imam, Sheik OsmanuNuhuSharubutu.
National Chief Imam
The National Chief Imam prayed and
blessed Mr Frimpong for his love for humanity, benevolence and quest for
peaceful co-existence in the country.
He presented a special recognition award
to Mr Frimpong, acknowledging his benevolence and extraordinary efforts in
fostering religious harmony.
Prayers were offered in the mosque which
was led by the Chief Imam and other Islamic leaders.
Deep appreciation
Mr Frimpong also used the occasion to
declare his intention to contest as an Independent Candidate for the Asante
Akyem Constituency.
Expressing deep commitment to the
constituency, he stated, "I truly have the Asante Akyem Constituency at
heart, and I want to get into a higher position, being an MP, to be able to do
more for the people. With your continuous support, I believe I can secure the
seat and change the lives of the people."
Christmas and New Year
Before the mosque was inaugurated, Mr
Frimpong demonstrated his commitment to the underserved by donating
significantly to widows and the vulnerable in the Asante AkyemAgogo communities
as part of the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Following the successful event, a
refreshment party was held at a private location for the visitors and
attendees.
Profile
Ohene Kwame Frimpong has positively
impacted many lives at Agogo.
With diverse business interests in the
media, entertainment, transport, real estate, food and beverages.
He has earned numerous awards, including
the Forty Under 40 Best Entrepreneur in Food & Beverage and the People’s
Most Favourite Entrepreneur Award in the 2021 edition.
President Akufo-Addo acknowledged Mr
Frimpong's substantial contribution to youth development during the Head of
State Awards in December 2022.
Ohene Kwame Frimpong is a distinguished
Ghanaian business magnate and philanthropist, renowned for his transformative
initiatives and contributions to various sectors, including the media,
entertainment and youth development. As the CEO of Salt Media Group, he
continues to make significant impact on the lives of Ghanaians.º
Source: graphic.com.gh
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-philantropist-donates-new-mosque-to-chief-imam-at-agogo.html
------
Sexual harassment: Court remands
suspended UNICAL prof in prison
8th January 2024
A Federal High Court on Monday ordered
that the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril
Ndifon, charged with alleged sexual harassment be remanded in Kuje Correctional
Centre, Abuja.
Ndifon, who is being prosecuted by the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission before
Justice James Omotosho, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.
The ICPC, though its counsel, Ebenezer
Shogunle, had filed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/23 on Oct. 30, 2023
against Ndifon.
In count one, the defendant was alleged
to have, between June and September 2023, used his office and position to
gratify himself by soliciting for nude photographs and videos from a year 2
diploma female student of the university through Whatsapp chats on his
telephone number: 08037066222, contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of
the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In count two, he was alleged to have
corruptly requested nude photographs and videos from a 400level female student
of the Faculty of Law with the plan of changing her project supervisor to
himself in order to guarantee favourable grades for her and offence was
contrary to and punishable under Section 8(1)(a) (il) of the agency’s Act.
In count three, he was alleged to have
corruptly requested to see photographs of a 16-year-old prospective post-UTME
female student, as an inducement to consider her for admission into the Faculty
of Law contrary to and punishable under Section 18(d) of the Act.
Count four accused him of causing a
female student to send pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of
herself to him through WhatsApp chats on his telephone number: 08037066222
between May and September 2023, contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of
the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act, 2015.
These Ndifon was alleged to have
committed while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification
of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of
a Bachelor’s degree in Law and admission into the Nigeria Law School.
After the charge was read to him, the
embattled lecturer pleaded not guilty to the counts.
Ndifon’s counsel, OkonEfut, SAN, took
his bail application dated Jan. 2 and filed Jan. 3.
Efut prayed the court to admit his
client to bail, particularly on health grounds.
Besides, he informed the court that
there were four other grounds why Ndifon should be granted bail.
Speaking from the dock, Ndifon said: “My
lord, I was supposed to have an eye surgery on Glaucoma.”
Efut told the court that it was on the
basis of his health condition that the magistrate court in Calabar admitted him
to bail on Oct. 27, 2023, after being in detention for about 22 days.
He said based on the medical report, the
surgery was expected to be carried out on Jan. 11.
ICPC Lawyer, OsuobeniAkponimisingha,
opposed the application for bail.
He said on receipt of the process, the
commission filed a counter affidavit dated and filed Jan. 5.
The lawyer, who alleged that one of the
counsel to Ndifon threatened the commission’s star witness on phone, said they
were in possession of the call logs.
Akponimisingha argued that one of the
cardinal reasons for granting bail was the assurance that a defendant would not
interfere with the case.
He further alleged that the lawyer’s
name was in the bail application filed by Efut and that he was also at the
court sitting.
Justice Omotosho then asked the lawyer
to come forward. “What is your name?” he asked.
“Sunny Anyanwu is my name my lord,” he
replied.
The judge then asked him if he would
wish to respond to the allegation by filing an affidavit of facts and he
responded in the affirmative.
Anyanwu, who admitted calling TochiKanu
on the phone, said the person he called was different from the names of the
four witnesses in the charge and proof of evidence.
“TochiKanu called me. When she called
me, I was at the Federal High Court here and I said I would call you later
through a message.
“It was many hours later I remembered
somebody called me and put a call through.
“At that point, there was a network
issue and I was saying hello, hello and the call was cut off. And that name
they (ICPC) called was not in the proof of evidence. They have four witnesses,”
he said.
When the judge asked him about his
interest in the matter, he said Ndifon was his lecturer and that he came as
counsel to defend him or support the defence.
Justice Omotosho then asked
Akponimisingha the name of the person who was alleged to have been called.
“The name is TochiKanu Jane,” he said.
The judge therefore directed Anyanwu to
file his affidavit of facts for the court to decide on the issue.
But Omotosho wondered why Ndifon had not
gone for the surgery since Oct. 27, 2023, when the magistrate court granted him
bail.
Akponimisingha told the court that the
medical report was served on them late and they were still verifying its
genuineness.
Justice Omotosho, who ordered Ndifon to
be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, adjourned the matter until Jan. 10 for
a hearing of the bail application and to enable Anyanwu to file the affidavit
of facts.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the
https://punchng.com/sexual-harassment-court-remands-suspended-unical-prof-in-prison/
------
Arab World
Student Demonstrations In AmranIn
Solidarity With Palestinian People
[09/January/2024]
AMRAN January 09. 2024(Saba)-Vigils held
in a number of schools in Amran Governorate, in solidarity with the Palestinian
people and denouncing the crimes of the Zionist entity in Gaza.
Participants in the vigil raised
Palestinian flags and banners denouncing the crimes of the Zionist occupation
against women and children in the Gaza Strip.
A statement issued by the protest
condemned the American enemy’s targeting of three boats belonging to the Yemeni
naval forces in territorial waters while they were performing their duties to
protect Yemeni sovereignty.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3294688.htm
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Emir of Qatar Calls for Protection of
Civilians in Gaza War
2024-01-08
KABUL (BNA): Emir of Qatar has called
for the protection of civilians in the Gaza war and emphasized the immediate
implementation of a ceasefire.
Sheikh Tamim Al Thani conveyed these
remarks during a meeting with Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, who
is currently in Doha.
Sheikh Tamim highlighted the necessity
of efforts to establish an immediate ceasefire between the Israeli regime and
Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as well as the protection of non-combatants in this
conflict.
He deemed providing sufficient and
sustainable humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip as an urgent need.
Qatar’s emir emphasizes the ceasefire in Gaza, mentioning previous mediated
talks between Hamas and Israel through Qatar and Egypt.
However, he notes that recent Israeli
attacks on Beirut, resulting in the death of a senior Hamas member, have led to
a more confrontational stance from Hamas towards Israel, creating new
challenges in the mediation process.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/emir-of-qatar-calls-for-protection-of-civilians-in-gaza-war/
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Saudi FM discusses Gaza with Dutch
counterpart, EU’s Borrell
January 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister
Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the situation in Gaza with his Dutch
counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot in Al-Ula on Monday.
The two discussed developments in the
situation in Gaza and the efforts made to deal with its humanitarian
repercussions.
Additionally, the ministers touched on
bilateral relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them.
Also on Monday, Prince Faisal met with
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
JosepBorrell.
The two sides discussed ties between
Saudi Arabia and the EU, along with the situation in Gaza and the efforts made
toward ending the crisis, especially at the humanitarian level.
State Department spokesperson Matthew
Miller said Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed efforts to prevent the
Gaza conflict from spreading during a meeting with Borrell in Saudi Arabia
after arriving in the Kingdom on Monday.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2438066/saudi-arabia
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Saudi FM, EU official discuss Gaza
situation in Al Ula
Jan 9, 2024
TEHRAN, Jan. 09 (MNA) – Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince
Faisal bin Farhan received the High Representative of the European Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy JosepBorrell in Al Ula on Monday.
The two leaders discussed the latest
developments in the Gaza Strip and the efforts being made to address them,
especially on the humanitarian level, Saudi Gazette
They reviewed the bilateral relations
between Saudi Arabia and the European Union.
The meeting was attended by Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Dr. Saud Al-Sati, Saudi
Ambassador to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Association
Haifa bint Abdurrahman Al-Jedea, and Director of the European Union Department
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Talal Al-Enezi.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/210539/Saudi-FM-EU-official-discuss-Gaza-situation-in-Al-Ula
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Islamic Civilization Village project to
boost visitor experience in Madinah
January 08, 2024
RIYADH: Rua Al-Madinah Holding has
launched the Islamic Civilization Village project to engage with Islamic
heritage and enrich the visitor experience in Madinah.
The project aims to be an attractive and
distinctive Islamic destination, enhancing the experience for guests from
around the world visiting Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
It provides a rich cultural and
edutainment experience, featuring diverse activities, exceptional hospitality
services and valuable historical shows that depict various facets of Islamic
world history.
Unveiling the narrative of the ancient
Islamic civilization, it delves into intricate details and the profound history
that shaped its rich tapestry.
The project comprises eight distinct
geographical zones, including the Arabian Peninsula, Mashriq, Islamic South
Asia, Maghrib, SEAN, the Silk Road, Al-Andalus and Africa. It also delves into
the deep roots of the Kingdom’s history, representing the cradle of history and
the stronghold of Islam.
The project features diverse retail
outlets, dining options, cafes, interactive shows, activities and green spaces.
The CEO of Rua Al-Madinah Holding, Ahmed
Al-Juhani, said that the Islamic Civilization Village project will function as
an educational cultural hub, enabling visitors to delve into the cultural
contributions of Muslims throughout the ages through interactive content.
He highlighted the project’s
significance in evolving into a premier destination for Islamic tourism,
aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The Islamic Civilization Village
project, spanning more than 257,000 square meters, also makes use of Madinah’s
proximity to the Prophet’s Mosque.
The project offers opportunities for
private sector involvement through promising investment prospects, contributing
to job creation for Saudi nationals.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2438071/saudi-arabia
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Blinken meets Saudi crown prince before
heading to Israel
2024-01-09
AL-ULA (Saudi Arabia): US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken met Monday with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler before
heading to Israel as part of efforts to stop the Gaza war spiralling into a
regional conflict.
Blinken was expected to discuss Red Sea
attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s southern
neighbour, during his talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Their private meeting in Al Ula, a
historic oasis in western Saudi, is the latest leg of a rapid tour of the
region as concerns over the Israel-Hamas war continue to mount.
The talks were also set to touch on a
potential normalisation of ties with Israel after initial discussions were put
on hold by the Israel-Hamas war, a senior official said.
Blinken “emphasised the importance of
preventing further spread of the conflict”, during talks in Abu Dhabi earlier
with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a US
summary of the meeting said.
“This is a conflict that could easily
metastasise, causing even more insecurity and even more suffering,” Blinken
said on Sunday in Qatar, the previous leg of his whistlestop tour.
The war in Gaza started with Hamas’s
unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in about 1,140 deaths,
most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli
figures.
Israel has responded with relentless
bombardment and a ground invasion that have killed at least 22,835 people, most
of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40282682/blinken-meets-saudi-crown-prince-before-heading-to-israel
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URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/sanskrit-mantras-ajmer-mosque-bjp/d/131484