New Age Islam News Bureau
20 November 2020
Bin Salman preparing new charges to seek $15bn
settlement from ex-rival: Report
------
• Abraham Accord ‘Qualitative Step’ To Achieving
Regional Peace: UAE Minister Of State
• US Asks Goods Makers To Label Products From
Settlements As ‘Made In Israel’
• Bangladesh’s Radical Islamist Group, Hefazat-e-Islam,
Will Test Govt, Analysts Say
• CBI Books Former Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board Chief
Wasim Rizvi In Illegal Sale-Purchase
• Jamat-ud-Dawa Chief Hafiz Saeed Gets VIP Treatment
In Pakistan, Seen Roaming In SUV: Sources
• Hardline Cleric, Rizieq Shihab's Return From Exile
Unlikely To Stir Muslim Rage In Plural Indonesia
Arab World
• Saudi Princes Tortured, Billionaires And Senior
Government Officials Blackmailed During 2017 'Sheikhdown': Report
• Iraq Wants US Troops To Remain To Help Fight ISIS:
CENTCOM Chief
• IMF reaches agreement with Egypt upon first review
of $5.2 bln financing agreement
• US must consider regional challenges in case of a
new deal with Iran: Bahrain envoy
• Major Iraqi parliamentary bloc wants full withdrawal
of US troops, not partial drawdown
--------
Mideast
• Abraham Accord ‘Qualitative Step’ To Achieving
Regional Peace: UAE Minister Of State
• IRGC Commander: Iran Not Limited to Any Specific
Geography for Defence
• Iran Asks Canada Not to Cooperate with US Economic
Terrorism Instead of Hypocritical Sympathy
• FM Underlines Iran's Preparedness to Negotiate Terms
for US Rejoining N. Deal
• Spokesman: Sanctions Part of US Psycho War against
Iranians
• Palestinian Authority condemns Pompeo’s visit to
West Bank Settlement
• Turkey orders arrest of 101, including lawyers, over
alleged Kurdish militant links
• Israeli forces detain over 400 Palestinian minors
since January: Rights group
--------
North America
• US Asks Goods Makers To Label Products From
Settlements As ‘Made In Israel’
• Pompeo visits Golan and West Bank settlements, first
US secretary of state to do so
• Biden will re-enter Iran nuclear deal
unconditionally: Italian international relations expert
--------
South Asia
• Bangladesh’s Radical Islamist Group, Hefazat-e-Islam,
Will Test Govt, Analysts Say
• Afghan President Urges Pakistan to ‘Overcome
Distrust that has Haunted’ Bilateral Relations
• Bangladeshi MP under fire after blaming feminists
for rape
• 12 Taliban Killed in Kandahar Battle, 7 Wounded
• Infrastructure Dev. Investment on Prosperity in
Afghanistan: ADB
--------
India
• CBI Books Former Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board Chief
Wasim Rizvi In Illegal Sale-Purchase
• After MP, Uttar Pradesh To Bring Law Against 'Love
Jihad'; Proposal Sent
• Senior Congress Leader And Rajasthan CM: ‘Jihad Has
No Place In Love’, BJP Dividing Nation, Disturbing Communal Harmony
• 4 terrorists in truck loaded with weapons, ammo killed
in Jammu gunfight
• India slams Pakistan, says polls in Gilgit-Baltistan
aimed at hiding illegal occupation of territory
--------
Pakistan
• Jamat-ud-Dawa Chief Hafiz Saeed Gets VIP Treatment
In Pakistan, Seen Roaming In SUV: Sources
• Radical Pakistani Cleric Khadim Hussein Rizvi Dies
After Leading Sit-In Over Caricatures Of The Prophet Muhammad
• Imran Aims To Bolster Ties With Afghanistan During
Maiden Visit, Vows To Reduce Violence
• Tech giants threaten to leave Pakistan if social media
rules stay
• NAB finds more ‘illegal transactions’ of Shehbaz’s
sons
• Balochistan to establish new administrative
sub-divisions
--------
Southeast Asia
• Hardline Cleric, Rizieq Shihab's Return From Exile
Unlikely To Stir Muslim Rage In Plural Indonesia
• Human Rights Commission Of Malaysia: Allow Foreign
Spouses In To Prevent Stateless Children
• Stop trying to scare people with baseless
statements, Dr M tells govt leaders
• On World Children’s Day, human rights group urges
Putrajaya to free migrant minors detained by Immigration Dept
• Ismail Sabri: Wristbands for migrants just a
proposal, will be presented to Security Council today
• Govt will not ratify Rome Statute, Dewan Rakyat told
--------
Africa
• Jordan To Open Consulate In Western Sahara Amid
Dispute
• Ethiopia’s Tigray rebels fire rockets into Bahir Dar
city, says regional government
--------
Europe
• Top British Diplomat Welcomes Resumption Of Palestine-Israel
Communication
• Turkey’s Behaviour ‘Widening Its Separation’ From Europe:
EU Foreign Policy Chief
• Azerbaijan's army enters Aghdam, Armenian district
handed back in peace deal
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/saudi-princes-tortured-billionaires-senior/d/123527
--------
Saudi Princes Tortured, Billionaires And Senior Government Officials Blackmailed During 2017 'Sheikhdown': Report
20 November 2020
Bin Salman preparing new charges to seek $15bn
settlement from ex-rival: Report
------
A new report has shown that Saudi royals, billionaires
and senior government officials were tortured and blackmailed in early November
2017, when they were rounded up and detained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in an
extraordinary power play by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) to remove
people who could potentially pose a political threat.
“On the first night, everyone was blindfolded and
nearly everyone was subjected to what Egyptian intelligence calls the ‘night of
the beating,’” an unnamed source with intimate knowledge of what took place
told British daily newspaper the Guardian.
The source added, “People were asked if they knew why
they were there. No one did. Most were beaten, some of them badly. There were
people tied to the walls, in stress positions. It went on for hours, and all of
those doing the torturing were Saudis.”
The “night of the beating” was apparently intended to
“soften up” the detainees before the interrogators arrived to question them
about corruption.
A new report has shown that Saudi royals, billionaires
and senior government officials were tortured and blackmailed in early November
2017, when they were rounded up and detained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in an
extraordinary power play by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) to remove
people who could potentially pose a political threat.
“On the first night, everyone was blindfolded and
nearly everyone was subjected to what Egyptian intelligence calls the ‘night of
the beating,’” an unnamed source with intimate knowledge of what took place
told British daily newspaper the Guardian.
The source added, “People were asked if they knew why
they were there. No one did. Most were beaten, some of them badly. There were
people tied to the walls, in stress positions. It went on for hours, and all of
those doing the torturing were Saudis.”
The “night of the beating” was apparently intended to
“soften up” the detainees before the interrogators arrived to question them
about corruption.
The purge, also nicknamed the “sheikhdown”,
purportedly came at the price of breaking trust between the monarchy and the
Saudi business community.
One of the sources said the November 2017 round-up at
the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh “was about consolidating his (MbS) rule, plain
and simple” and came before the cruel murder of dissident journalist Jamal
Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.
“The fact that he got away with it allowed him to do
the latter. The same guards involved in the Ritz were involved in the killing.
History won’t be kind to MbS on either,” the source said.
Prominent dissident cleric’s brother sentenced to five
years in prison
Separately, a court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced the
brother of jailed prominent dissident cleric Sheikh Salman al-Odah to five
years in prison on charges of “inciting discord.”
“Authorities, via a special criminal court in Riyadh,
have sentenced my uncle to five years in prison and issued him a travel ban on
charges of exploiting his brother's case to foment discord and harm security,”
the 63-year-old cleric’s son Abdullah al-Odah tweeted.
The Prisoners of Conscience, an independent
non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia,
confirmed the sentence in a post on its official Twitter page, saying Khaled
was transferred to Riyadh “handcuffed and feet bound” in his first secret trial
session in October 2018.
The advocacy group said that in 2018, before his first
session in court, he was deprived of his medication and consequently fainted in
the courtroom.
Khaled was arrested three and a half years ago after
he showed solidarity with his influential brother on social media.
Saudi authorities detained Sheikh Salman al-Odah in
September 2017, and have held him in solitary confinement without charge or
trial ever since. The officials have imposed travel bans on members of his family
as well.
The detained cleric has written hundreds of articles
on Islamic law while at the same time embracing modernity and democracy.
Both Odah's family and Saudi media have previously
said the detained scholar faces the death penalty, but the charge sheet has not
yet been made public.
Ever since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto
ruler in 2017, the kingdom has arrested dozens of activists, bloggers,
intellectuals and others perceived as political opponents, showing almost zero
tolerance for dissent even in the face of international condemnations.
Muslim scholars have been executed, women’s rights
campaigners – including Loujain al-Hathloul – have been put behind bars and
tortured, and freedom of expression, association and belief continue to be
denied in the kingdom.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/20/638978/Saudi-princes-were-tortured,-blackmailed-during-2017-%E2%80%9Csheikhdown%E2%80%9D--Report
--------
Abraham
Accord ‘Qualitative Step’ To Achieving Regional Peace: UAE Minister Of State
19
November 2020
The
flags of UAE and Israel fly at Abu Dhabi International Airport. (File photo:
Reuters)
-----
The
Abraham Accords deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel is a
“qualitative step” towards achieving peace in the region, the UAE’s Minister of
State Reem al-Hashimi said on Thursday.
The
US-brokered deal – signed at the White House in Washington in September– is a
different approach to dealing with the Arab-Israeli crisis since it prioritizes
a culture of dialogue and tolerance, Emirates News Agency (WAM) quoted
al-Hashimi as saying.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
Palestinian cause is still of great importance for all Arabs, she said.
Her
comments came during a virtual conference titled “The Abrahamic Peace Agreement
– Strengthening Cooperation Bonds” that aims to identify the role of the deal
in building ties and its strategic impact on the development of Emirati-Israeli
relations, WAM reported.
The
conference was also aimed at exploring the impact the Abraham Accord will have
on the regional level and between Muslims and Jews.
Al-Hashimi
stressed the importance of taking advantage of the opportunities the agreements
offers the UAE and Israel in various sectors, including: the economy,
scientific research, and tourism
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/11/19/Israel-relations-Abraham-Accord-qualitative-step-to-achieving-regional-peace-UAE-Minister-of-State
--------
US
asks goods makers to label products from settlements as ‘Made in Israel’
Anwar
Iqbal
20
Nov 2020
WASHINGTON:
The United States issued new guidelines on Thursday to label goods manufactured
in Jewish settlements in the West Bank as “Made in Israel”, a move likely to
irk human rights groups that see Israeli settlements as infringing on the
rights of Palestinians.
“Today,
the Department of State is initiating new guidelines to ensure that country of
origin markings for Israeli and Palestinian goods are consistent with our
reality-based foreign policy approach,” said a statement issued in Washington
and signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“All
producers within areas where Israel exercises the relevant authorities – most
notably Area C under the Oslo Accords will be required to mark goods as
'Product of Israel' or 'Made in Israel' when exporting to the United States,”
the statement added.
Over
the last four years, the Trump administration has initiated various policy
shifts legitimising Israeli settlements in the West Bank that the international
community considers illegal.
Pompeo
reversed a State Department ruling last year that considered Israeli
settlements illegal. Now, Washington recognises those as legal settlements.
The
State Department noted that producers in the Area C operate within the economic
and administrative framework of Israel and their goods should be treated
accordingly.
The
department also said that the update would eliminate confusion by recognising
that producers in other parts of the West Bank are for all practical purposes
administratively separate and that their goods should be marked accordingly.
The
new US policy explained that “goods in areas of the West Bank where the
Palestinian Authority maintains relevant authorities shall be marked as
'products of West Bank' and goods produced in Gaza will be marked as 'products
of Gaza'".
Under
the new approach, the United States will no longer accept “West Bank/Gaza” or
similar markings, in recognition that Gaza and the West Bank are politically
and administratively separate and should be treated accordingly.
“We
will continue to oppose those countries and international institutions which
delegitimise or penalise Israel and Israeli producers in the West Bank through
malicious measures that fail to recognise the reality on the ground,” Pompeo
said in the statement.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591344/us-asks-goods-makers-to-label-products-from-settlements-as-made-in-israel
--------
Bangladesh’s
Radical Islamist Group, Hefazat-e-Islam, Will Test Govt, Analysts Say
2020-11-19
Bangladesh’s
most influential faith-based organization, Hefazat-e-Islam, is likely to become
more hardline and take an even stronger anti-government stance after a
pro-opposition faction recently took control of the group, analysts told
BenarNews.
Amid
infighting with a faction allied with the prime minister’s Awami League,
Hefazat selected Junayed Babunagari as its emir, or leader, on Nov. 15. He is a
supporter of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its ally,
the conservative religion-based Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party, which advocates for
sharia rule in the South Asian nation.
This
pro-opposition group is now the stronger of the two Hefazat factions, said K.M.
Mohiuddin, a government and politics professor at Dhaka’s Jahangirnagar
University.
“Ultimately,
the pro-BNP group has taken over the leadership of Hefazat,” Mohiuddin told
BenarNews.
He
was referring to how the organization had revamped its central committee,
packing it with those who support Babunagari and who were the force behind last
month’s massive protests against the French president for his defense of
satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Many
Muslims viewed them as offensive and blasphemous, but President Emmanuel Macron
defended the cartoons after a French school teacher was murdered for showing
the images to his class as part of a lesson.
“The
pro-BNP lobby is now stronger. This group was earlier cornered, as the ruling
Awami League had successfully appeased Ahmed Shafi and his son,” Mohiuddin
said, referring to Hefazat’s recently deceased leader, Ahmad Shafi, and his son
Anas Madani, who was left out of the organization’s new central committee.
Babunagari’s
faction has the upper hand and could lead government of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina to make concessions to the hardline group, according to Imtiaz Mahmood,
a Supreme Court lawyer and former pro-Left activist.
“This
is obvious in the government’s silence over Hefazat’s demand on the statue of
the country’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and organizing mammoth
rallies against France,” Mahmood told BenarNews.
“The
government leaders have been embarrassed by this demand on the statue and on
cutting-off diplomatic ties with France.
Babunagari,
as former secretary general of Hefazat, has been the group’s de facto leader
since Shafi died in September. Under him, Hefazat and some other Islamist
parties this month protested the installation of a Mujib statue in a suburb of
Dhaka.
Mujib,
Hasina’s late father, is a revered figure in Bangladesh. He spearheaded a
pro-secular movement during the war of independence against Pakistan in 1971.
By
contrast, JI, the opposition BNP’s ally, has been controversial since
Bangladesh’s birth as a nation because it opposed what was then known as East
Pakistan breaking from West Pakistan. Many of the party’s top leaders have
since been executed for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the
1971 war.
Still,
Hasina may want to ensure that the stronger Hefazat faction is on her side
because the influential organization has shown it has the ability to transform
the political landscape, said Afsan Chowdhury, a political analyst and professor
at Brac University.
“Hefazat
has huge support in rural Bangladesh, a constituency that Hasina and the Awami
League want to keep close,” Chowdhury told Benar News.
“She
is a clever politician.”
Chowdhury
was referring to the Awami League’s contrasting attitudes to Hefazat in 2013
and 2017 onward.
In
May 2013, Hefazat organized a massive rally in Dhaka demanding the introduction
of Sharia law, including a blasphemy law with a proviso to execute secular
bloggers and those who defame Islam.
The
rally followed the brutal slaying in February 2013 of secular blogger Ahmed
Rajib Haider, and preceded a string of machete-killings of other bloggers
carried out by Muslim zealots in 2015 and 2016.
At
that time, the Awami League government took decisive action, mobilizing
security forces to begin operations to end the rally. Officials said 39 people,
including police, were killed in this operation.
Then
in 2017, as general elections loomed, Hasina decided to court the support of
faith-based groups, in a bid to counter the challenge from the BNP, which had
aligned with the JI party.
The
Awami League looked to Hefazat and began making concessions to the hardline
organization.
Soon
after, the government said it would recognize degrees from thousands of
unregulated Qwami madrassas – Islamic schools. The prime minister also agreed
to changes in public school textbooks to make them more “Muslim-friendly,” as
demanded by Hefazat.
BenarNews
contacted Awami League General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif for comment on
developments in Hefazat, but he declined to say anything. Party presidium
members Abdur Razzak and retired Lt. Col. Faruk Khan did not respond to
questions.
On
the Hefazat demand to demolish Mujib’s statues, an Awami League member told
reporters on Nov. 16 that the party was “following the issue.”
‘Split’
For
its part, the pro-government faction in Hefazat isn’t stepping away quietly.
Mawlana
Altaf Hossain, a former Hefazat central committee member now left out in the
cold, said he and other supporters of Madani were regrouping.
“We
are engaged in the ground work and will form a new committee by Dec. 31,”
Hossain told BenarNews.
A
split in Hefazat along party lines may well be in the offing, Mohiuddin said.
“A
bifurcation of Hefazat is inevitable now,” he said.
Meanwhile,
Babunagari and his supporters aren’t afraid of the Hefazat faction that opposed
them, said Ahmad Abdul Quader, vice president of the new central committee.
“They
can form a counter-committee – it does not matter. We are not worried about it
at all,” Quader told BenarNews.
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/bengali/faith-analysis-11192020164548.html
--------
CBI
books former Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi in illegal
sale-purchase
20th
November 2020
LUCKNOW:
The CBI has registered two FIRs against former Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board
chairman Wasim Rizvi in connection with alleged illegal sale-purchase and
transfer of Waqf properties in Uttar Pradesh.
This
follows after the state government had ordered a CBI probe in October last year
into alleged irregularities in sale-purchase and transfer of Waqf properties by
Shia Central Waqf Board and Sunni Central Waqf Board.
This
development comes after the Central government gave its nod to the CBI to
proceed with the case. The CBI registered the case on Thursday on the basis of
the FIRs lodged at Hazratganj police station (Lucknow) on March 27, 2017, and
another in Prayagraj registered in August 8, 2016.
Uttar
Pradesh Minority Minister Mohsin Raza said that Yogi Adiyanath's government had
received a lot of complaints regarding irregularities in the sale and purchase
of properties in the Waqf Board.
He
said the Uttar Pradesh government will make sure that the "culprits"
will end up in jail. "The SP and BSP government in the past did not listen
to the demands of senior religious leaders and social workers, which has led to
this huge loss of government funds," he added.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/nov/20/cbi-books-former-uttar-pradesh-shia-waqf-board-chiefwasim-rizviin-illegal-sale-purchase-2225802.html
--------
Jamat-ud-Dawa
Chief Hafiz Saeed Gets VIP Treatment In Pakistan, Seen Roaming In SUV: Sources
Nov
19, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is still giving preferential treatment to Mumbai attack mastermind and
Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed despite his sentencing in two terror-financing
cases.
A
Lahore anti-terrorism court sentenced Hafiz Saeed to 10-year imprisonment in
two terror-financing cases.
According
to sources, the Counter-Terrorism Department officials are treating Hafiz Saeed
as a VIP. Saeed is still roaming in his SUV escorted by his aides, they said.
He
was slapped with a prison sentence of five-and-a-half years and a fine of Rs
15,000 in each case. The sentences of both cases will run concurrently. The
court also granted him the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal
Procedure (reduction of period of sentence of imprisonment). Malik Zafar Iqbal,
the secretary of Al-Anfaal Trust, has also been convicted in the same cases and
has been awarded similar punishment, the Dawn reported.
They
were convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act Section 11-F(2) — pertaining to
membership, support and meetings relating to a proscribed organisation — and
11-N (punishment under Sections 11-H to 11-K).
Section
11H relates to fundraising for the purpose of terrorism, 11-I is about the use
and possession of money or other property for terrorism, 11-J relates to
funding arrangements which result in money being made available for terrorism,
while 11-K relates to money laundering.
The
court also ordered that Saeed's properties be confiscated.
The
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief was arrested on July 17, 2019, at the Kamoke toll plaza,
about 50 km north of Lahore. The US has placed a $10 million bounty on the
UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed. The court has ordered their properties to
be seized.
The
counter-terrorism department has registered 41 cases against the JuD leaders.
Back
in July, the top 13 members of the JuD, including Saeed, were booked in nearly
two dozen cases for terror financing and money laundering under Pakistan's
Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.
Subsequently,
Saeed was arrested from Gujranwala on charges of terror financing by the Punjab
Counterterrorism Department (CTD).
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/hafiz-saeed-gets-vip-treatment-in-pakistan-seen-roaming-in-suv-sources/articleshow/79309351.cms
--------
Hardline
Cleric, Rizieq Shihab's Return From Exile Unlikely To Stir Muslim Rage In
Plural Indonesia
20
Nov 2020
JAKARTA
(The Straits Times/ANN): Chaotic scenes of men in white robes and matching
turbans celebrating the return of Indonesian firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab
from self-exile in Saudi Arabia have been hogging the media spotlight for over
a week now.
Carrying
posters of their "grand imam" and chanting "Allahu Akbar"
(God is Great), thousands had welcomed him at Jakarta's international airport
last Tuesday (Nov 10), causing massive jams and sparking fears of a coronavirus
spike in a country with nearly half a million cases and more than 15,000 deaths
-- the highest in South-east Asia.
They
are supporters of the Islamic Defenders' Front, or Front Pembela Islam (FPI), a
hardline group Rizieq founded a few months after the fall of strongman
President Suharto in 1998.
Notorious
for religious intolerance and acts of vigilantism, raiding bars during the
Ramadan fasting month and attacking minorities -- with machetes and swords --
the FPI had started out as a civil group with backing from the police and the
military to keep a lid on vice.
Once
on the fringes of Indonesian politics, the group, which claims five million
members, has grown increasingly bold in demanding that sharia law be made
official in the world's largest Muslim nation, while muscling its way into the
mainstream by lending political support to aspiring office holders.
The
FPI had thrived under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but President
Joko Widodo in 2017 warned that the authorities would "clobber"
groups threatening Indonesia's pluralism and moderate Islam.
At
the time, hardline groups including the FPI had mobilised Muslims to rally
against his ally, former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Chinese
Christian, over charges of blasphemy against Islam. Basuki, better known as
Ahok, was jailed for two years.
Rizieq's
return after three years has raised concerns that he would again stoke division
in Indonesia's multicultural society and raise the political temperature just
weeks ahead of the Dec 9 regional election to elect governors, regents and
mayors.
But
analysts say the huge turnouts to greet the 55-year-old cleric at the airport,
as well as at his daughter's wedding and a religious event days later, posed
little threat to secular Indonesia.
Since
the 2016-2017 Islamist protests against Basuki, President Joko has intensified
communication with Muslim leaders and embraced his opponents including
presidential foe turned defence minister Prabowo Subianto, who was seen as
close to the FPI.
Hence,
a repeat of unrest of such megascale is unlikely, Paramadina University
political analyst Hendri Satrio told The Straits Times.
"There's
little danger as long as there continues to be open communication between the
government and FPI. It's more dangerous to disband the FPI as it's easier for
the government to control a group that exists than one that doesn't," he
added.
Agreeing,
Prof Amin Abdullah, a professor of philosophy at Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State
University, said Mr Rizieq and his followers form a "tiny minority"
in the country of 270 million people.
Even
if the FPI wants to establish itself as a political party, it will be of little
relevance to Indonesians who have repeatedly proven at the ballot box that they
are not too enamoured of Muslim parties.
"Pluralism
is the very texture of Indonesia," he said.
"The
authorities will take action when violence is involved. But if it's just
rhetoric on the podium, although certainly annoying, better to just let them
be. Under Indonesia's system of democracy, we can't stifle freedom of
expression and freedom of association," he added.
In
just a week, Rizieq has been inciting the crowd with inflammatory rhetoric. A
video of his sermon has been making the rounds on social media urging the
government to be tough against blasphemers, or "don't blame the Muslims
when a head is found on the streets".
Prominent
Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra said the FPI has "never been genuinely
cooperative" with any Indonesian administration, past or present.
President
Joko, or Jokowi as he is better known, has never tried to embrace the FPI and
likewise the "FPI refuses to be embraced or be close to Jokowi as it is
anti-Jokowi", he added.
"He
(Mr Rizieq) has stirred a lot of commotion, uproar and political tensions in
Indonesia," Prof Azyumardi told The Straits Times.
"The
government must stand firm and not fear Muslim backlash as the mainstream
Muslims will never side with or defend Rizieq if he's arrested.
"It's
time for President Jokowi to take action against Rizieq and the FPI." -
The Straits Times/Asia News Network
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2020/11/20/hardline-cleric039s-return-from-exile-unlikely-to-stir-muslim-rage-in-plural-indonesia
--------
Arab World
Iraq
wants US troops to remain to help fight ISIS: CENTCOM chief
19
November 2020
The
US Middle East commander said Thursday that troops in Iraq will be cut to 2,500
on President Donald Trump’s order, but that Baghdad wants a continued US
presence to fight ISIS.
Central
Command Commander General Kenneth McKenzie told a conference that the
continuing US presence has successfully limited the activities of Iran and
ISIS.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Iran
has recently curtailed attacks, McKenzie said, “based on the hope that we would
be asked to leave Iraq through the government of Iraq’s political processes.”
However,
he said, “the government of Iraq has clearly indicated it wants to maintain its
partnership with the United States and coalition forces as we continue to
finish the fight against ISIS.”
Speaking
to an online conference held by the National Council on US-Arab Relations,
McKenzie cited estimates that the Islamic State still has a body of 10,000
supporters in the Iraq-Syria region and remains a real threat.
“The
progress of the Iraqi Security Forces has allowed the United States to reduce
force posture in Iraq,” he said.
But
US and coalition forces have to be there to help prevent Islamic State from
reconstituting as a cohesive group able to plot major attacks, he said.
“When
you’re running for your life up and down the Euphrates River Valley, listening
to the noise of an armed MQ-9 drone overhead, it’s hard to think about
conducting attack planning against Detroit.”
McKenzie
said the US presence and measured retaliations had also successfully deterred
Iran from persisting in attacks on Gulf shipping and limited its proxy attacks
in Iraq.
“Today
I believe Iran has been largely deterred because the regime now understands we
possess both the capability and the will to respond,” he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/20/Iraq-wants-US-troops-to-remain-to-help-fight-ISIS-CENTCOM-chief
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IMF
reaches agreement with Egypt upon first review of $5.2 bln financing agreement
19
November 2020
The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday it had reached a staff-level
agreement with Egypt after the first review of a $5.2 billion financing
agreement.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Upon
the approval of the executive board, a $1.6 billion tranche will be disbursed,
the statement said.
“The
Egyptian economy performed better than expected despite the pandemic,” the IMF
statement said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/19/IMF-reaches-agreement-with-Egypt-upon-first-review-of-5-2-bln-financing-agreement
--------
US
must consider regional challenges in case of a new deal with Iran: Bahrain
envoy
Rawad
Taha
19
November 2020
A
senior Bahraini diplomat said Thursday that any new agreement signed with Iran
must take into account more than just Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs.
Bahraini
Ambassador to the United States Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa said the
US must also consider all the challenges facing the countries of the region in
the event of a new deal.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
US
President-elect Joe Biden has expressed his willingness to reenter the nuclear
deal signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1.
During
a symposium on Thursday where the UAE and Israeli ambassadors in the US also
participated, the Bahraini ambassador added that Iran was working to
destabilize the region.
Bahrain
and the UAE signed a peace deal with Israel in September, in a move brokered by
the Trump administration.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/19/Bahrain-Amb-US-must-consider-regional-challenges-in-case-of-a-new-deal-with-Iran
--------
Major
Iraqi parliamentary bloc wants full withdrawal of US troops, not partial
drawdown
19
November 2020
A
powerful political coalition in Iraq’s parliament says Washington must withdraw
all its troops from the Arab country instead of partial drawdown its forces.
Karim
Alaiwi, a legislator from the Fatah (Conquest) alliance and a member of the
Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi legislature, told Arabic-language
Baghdad Today news website on Thursday that his coalition and all other
national factions seek complete pullout of all foreign forces, not just
Americans, from the Iraqi soil.
Alaiwi
described the Pentagon’s decision to reduce the number of US forces in Iraq as
“unacceptable,” emphasizing that the Iraqi parliament’s resolution concerning
withdrawal of US troops from the entire Iraqi territories, including the
semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, is unambiguous and irreversible.
“Calls
for the full withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq will continue and will
even step up… Any cut in troop levels will not make us abandon our demands as
they have been ratified by the parliament and enjoy both political and popular
support,” the Iraqi lawmaker said.
Acting
Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller announced on Tuesday that the US will
withdraw thousands more US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15, 2021
– just days before President Donald Trump leaves office on January 20 and
projected winner of US election Joe Biden takes office.
Miller
said the withdrawal will leave approximately 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and
roughly the same number in Iraq.
Currently,
there are approximately 4,500 US troops in Afghanistan and 3,000 troops in
Iraq.
Kata’a
al-Rikabi, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi
parliament, told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency on November 14 that the
change in the US administration cannot impact the implementation of the
resolution adopted by Iraq’s parliament concerning the withdrawal of US forces
from the country.
“The
Iraqi government must work out a schedule for the exit of US forces in coordination
with the White House, no matter whether the incumbent administration (of
President Donald Trump) is in office or Biden’s team,” he said then.
Anti-US
sentiment has been running high in Iraq since the assassination of top Iranian
anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the
Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and his Iraqi
trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization
Units, along with their companions in a US terror drone strike authorized by
Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3.
Iraqi
lawmakers approved a bill two days later, demanding the withdrawal of all
foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/19/638951/Major-Iraqi-parliamentary-bloc-wants-full-withdrawal-of-US-troops-not-drawdown
--------
Mideast
IRGC
Commander: Iran Not Limited to Any Specific Geography for Defence
2020-November-19
"We
will not be limited to any specific geography to defend our security and vital
interests and if anyone wants to threaten the interests of this nation and
great country, certainly he/she will not find a safe point on Earth,"
General Salami said on Thursday, addressing a ceremony to deliver an ocean-going
warship to the IRGC.
He,
meantime, underlined that Iran's strategy has always been defensive, and said,
"This means that we are never the first to threaten any country; but this
defensive strategy has always been accompanied by offensive tactics."
General
Salami described the Persian Gulf as the strong forehead of Iran's defense, and
said the world should appreciate the Iranian Armed Forces for establishment of
security in "the strategic region of global economy".
In
relevant remarks on Wednesday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security
Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned the enemies and terrorists that they will
face a harsh revenge for their crimes against the Iranian nation.
“There
is no safe and impenetrable haven for criminals and ill-wishers of the Iranian
nation,” Shamkhani wrote on his twitter page.
He
warned that the powerful hands of the defenders of the Islamic Republic of Iran
"will sooner or later take the breath of any aggressor or criminal',
adding that history will witness this claim.
Shamkhani
also used the #انتقام_سخت (harsh revenge) in his twitter post
(written in Persian language) which had gone viral after the US assassination
of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in
January.
Also,
on Monday, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Commander Amir Ali
Hajizadeh said taking revenge from the United States for its nefarious
assassination of General Soleimani will surely take place, and meantime,
stressed the need to heed the conspiracies hatched by the US against the
Islamic Ummah.
“Taking
revenge from the US for Martyr Soleimani will certainly happen,” Hajizadeh said
on Monday in his meeting with the visiting Iraqi Defense Minister Juma Anad
Saadoun and his accompanying delegation, and underlined the need to pay
attention to the schemes and strategies of the wicked enemies of the Islamic
Ummah, specially the US.
Also,
on Sunday, General Salami emphasized that Iran will take revenge from the
killers of General Soleimani, stressing that martyr Soleimani and deputy
commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis
played the main role in obliteration of ISIL.
Salami
made the remarks during a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Defense Minister Juma
Anad Saadoun, adding that Iran will definitely take revenge for General
Soleimani’s blood from murderers on the battlefield.
“Taking
revenge has nothing to do with the legal pursuit of the assassination,” he
said, adding, “We are sure that the children of the great Iraq will also take
revenge for Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis' blood."
"General
Soleimani started defeating ISIL from Iraq. Americans could not tolerate his
brilliance and decided to kill him," the commander noted.
Lieutenant
General Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad
International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020.
The
airstrike also martyred al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an American
airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five
Iranian and five Iraqi military men were martyred by the missiles fired by the
US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
On
January 8, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on
US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a
US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General
Soleimani.
Ein
Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels,
which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the
radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and
intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central
radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.
The
second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in
Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani"
reprisal operation.
Iraq
said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these
two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone,
including the Iraqi army.
The
IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.
Meantime,
Iran announced in late June that it had issued arrest warrants for 36 officials
of the US and other countries who have been involved in the assassination of
the martyred General Soleimani.
"36
individuals who have been involved or ordered the assassination of Hajj Qassem,
including the political and military officials of the US and other governments,
have been identified and arrest warrants have been issued for them by the
judiciary officials and red alerts have also been issued for them via the
Interpol," Prosecutor-General of Tehran Ali Alqasi Mehr said.
He
said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of murder and terrorist
action, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at the top of the list and
will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency after his term ends.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13990829000533/IRGC-Cmmander-Iran-N-Limied-Any-Specific-Gegraphy-fr-Defense
--------
Iran
Asks Canada Not to Cooperate with US Economic Terrorism Instead of Hypocritical
Sympathy
2020-November-19
Khatibzadeh
deplored the UN resolution, drafted and proposed by Canada, as a rehash of
“groundless” claims about the Islamic Republic’s human rights situation, saying
it instead proves the “hypocrisy” of the “notorious” group of countries that
voted for it.
He
described the resolution as “unacceptable”, saying it “lacks any legal grounds
and effect”.
Khatibzadeh
noted that the move made by the Ottawa government and other sympathizers of the
resolution is a clear example of “abusing lofty human rights concepts and
values in order to achieve short-sighted political objectives.”
He
expressed regret that the Canadian government is using human rights and its
international mechanisms as a means for achieving its goals and political
ambitions.
“Such
unconstructive actions will not only fail to help promote the status of human
rights and respect for human rights at the international level, but will only
trigger moves to form negative clichés against, and attach political stigmas to
independent countries,” the spokesman added.
The
anti-Iran resolution was passed with 79 ‘yes’ votes at the third committee of
the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, even though 32 countries had voted
against it and 64 others abstained from voting.
In
his statement, Khatibzadeh said the majority of UN member states either voted
‘no’ or abstained from voting in a bid to show their discontent with the
hypocritical approach adopted by the supporters of the resolution.
The
resolution was adopted with the votes of less than half the UN member states,
including the Israeli regime, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the
United Arab Emirates, Albania, Britain and Canada, he said.
Khatibzadeh
stressed it is a shame that Canada has brought together a bunch of governments
with “notorious records in the domain of human rights”, including the American,
Israeli and Bahraini regimes, to teach human rights to Iranian people.
He
also urged Canada to stop hosting economic offenders and looters of Iranian
people’s wealth, “who have found Canada a safe haven for the transfer and
investment of the assets they have looted.”
In
relevant remarks on Monday, the head of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council
for Human Rights had also slammed the countries trying to pass the anti-Iran
rights resolution at the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee,
highlighting bleak rights records of the sponsors of the draft resolution.
“Canada,
which is the main driving force behind rights resolution against Iran has a
record of systematic violation of human rights,” including against the
country’s native population while being among top countries in terms of
violence against women and girls, Ali Baqeri Kani said.
“Those
who are behind this resolution are the same countries, which have given refuge
to terrorist groups that have killed thousands of Iranians ... or have been
following suit with the United States’ “maximum pressure” campaign by
implementing Washington’s unjust and illegal sanctions against the Iranian
nation,” Iran’s rights chief added.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13990829000291/Iran-Asks-Canada-N-Cperae-wih-US-Ecnmic-Terrrism-Insead-f-Hypcriical
--------
FM
Underlines Iran's Preparedness to Negotiate Terms for US Rejoining N. Deal
2020-November-19
"The
US is still a UN member," Zarif wrote on his Twitter page on Wednesday.
"If
it meets its obligations as such under UNSCR 2231, we will fulfill ours under
the JCPOA. If the US then seeks to rejoin the JCPOA, we're ready to negotiate
terms for it to regain its JCPOA Participant status," he added.
US
President-elect Joe Biden has recently said in a CNN article that he wants a
renegotiation of the contents of the deal before he agrees to rejoin the
agreement.
“I
will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy. If Iran returns to strict
compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement
as a starting point for follow-on negotiations. With our allies, we will work
to strengthen and extend the nuclear deal's provisions, while also addressing
other issues of concern,” he wrote, mentioning that he wants changes to the
contents of the nuclear deal and guarantees from Tehran that it would be open
for compromise to strike multiple deals over its missile and regional powers as
well as a number of other issues that have been the bones of contention between
the two sides in the last four decades.
Zarif
had stressed in relevant remarks in the last few days that the US has violated
the nuclear deal and is in no position to ask for any conditions for its return
to the JCPOA, adding that it's Tehran that has its own terms to allow the US
back into the internationally endorsed agreement.
The
foreign minister has reiterated time and again that Tehran would not change
even a single word of the agreement, and cautioned the US that it needs to pay
reparations for the damage it has inflicted on Iran through its retreat from
the nuclear agreement and give enough ensurances that it would not go for
initiating the trigger mechanism again before it could get back to the deal.
US
President Donald Trump, a stern critic of the historic deal, unilaterally
pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018, and unleashed the “toughest ever”
sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in an
attempt to strangle the Iranian oil trade, but to no avail since its
"so-called maximum pressure policy" has failed to push Tehran to the
negotiating table.
In
response to the US’ unilateral move, Tehran has so far rowed back on its
nuclear commitments four times in compliance with Articles 26 and 36 of the
JCPOA, but stressed that its retaliatory measures will be reversible as soon as
Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual trade from the US sanctions.
Tehran
has particularly been disappointed with failure of the three European
signatories to the JCPOA -- Britain, France and Germany -- to protect its
business interests under the deal after the United States' withdrawal.
On
January 5, Iran took a final step in reducing its commitments, and said it
would no longer observe any operational limitations on its nuclear industry,
whether concerning the capacity and level of uranium enrichment, the volume of
stockpiled uranium or research and development.
In
relevant remarks last Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas
Araqchi said that the US should lift all sanctions imposed against his country
in the past 3 years before returning to the nuclear deal.
“If
the US wants to return, all sanctions which have been imposed in this period of
time (past 3 years) should be removed. This is not a precondition for returning
to the nuclear deal but it is the nuclear deal itself,” Araqchi said.
He
added that of course there are other challenges that Iran and the US should
talk about (within the framework of the nuclear deal) and the ground should be
paved for the US return to the nuclear deal in a way that will meet the Iranian
people’s interests.
“The
world is now speaking about one point and the entire world has accepted that
the (US) policy of maximum pressure has failed and did not attain any of its
goals,” Araqchi said.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13990829000338/FM-Underlines-Iran's-Preparedness-Negiae-Terms-fr-US-Rejining-N-Deal
--------
Spokesman:
Sanctions Part of US Psycho War against Iranians
2020-November-19
“These
are part of the psychological warfare against Iranians,” Khatibzadeh said.
He
underlined that there’s nothing more they can do other than to continue this
psychological warfare against the Iranian nation.
The
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, meantime, pointed out that the outgoing US
officials were making certain claims out of frustration and in order to
convince the world that their maximum pressure policy was still alive.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif cautioned US
president-elect Joe Biden to return to the JCPOA and lift the unlawful
sanctions, as well as stop the economic war against Tehran.
"The
US has two positions. It is a member of both the JCPOA and the United Nations.
Although Trump pulled the US out of the JCPOA, he did not withdraw the country
from the UN. Whether under Biden or Trump, the US must remain committed to
Article 25 of the UN Charter, mandating the member-states to accept and carry
out the decisions of the UN Security Council," Zarif said.
The
Iranian foreign minister reiterated that as a UN member and a permanent member
of the UN Security Council, the US cannot say the Resolution 2231 — a July 20,
2015 resolution endorsing the JCPOA on the peaceful nuclear program of Iran —
is illegal.
"By
pulling Washington out of the JCPOA, Trump solely failed to benefit from the
deal. This was the mistake Trump and his associates made. If Biden seeks to
return to the JCPOA, he will have to fulfill US commitments under the deal and
lift the sanctions," Zarif underlined.
The
Iranian foreign minister said that the US is definitely in no position to set
out conditions for Iran, adding, "As a UN member and a permanent member of
the UN Security Council, the US is duty-bound to implement Resolution
2231."
"If
the resolution is implemented, the sanctions will be removed. Iran has
announced that in that case, it will resume honoring its commitments under the
JCPOA," he added.
Iran
signed the JCPOA with six world states — namely the US, Germany, France,
Britain, Russia, and China — in 2015.
US
President Donald Trump, a stern critic of the historic deal, unilaterally
pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and unleashed the “toughest
ever” sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in
an attempt to strangle the Iranian oil trade, but to no avail since its
"so-called maximum pressure policy" has failed to push Tehran to the
negotiating table.
In
response to the US’ unilateral move, Tehran has so far rowed back on its
nuclear commitments four times in compliance with Articles 26 and 36 of the
JCPOA but stressed that its retaliatory measures will be reversible as soon as
Europe finds practical ways to shield the mutual trade from the US sanctions.
Tehran
has particularly been disappointed with the failure of the three European
signatories to the JCPOA -- Britain, France, and Germany -- to protect its
business interests under the deal after the United States' withdrawal.
On
January 5, Iran took a final step in reducing its commitments and said it would
no longer observe any operational limitations on its nuclear industry, whether
concerning the capacity and level of uranium enrichment, the volume of
stockpiled uranium, or research and development.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13990828001279/Spkesman-Sancins-Par-f-US-Psych-War-agains-Iranians
--------
Palestinian
Authority condemns Pompeo’s visit to West Bank Settlement
19
November 2020
The
Palestinians condemned US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s unprecedented visit
to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank Thursday as well as
Washington’s decision to label exports from settlements as Israeli.
“The
decision blatantly violates international law,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a
spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, dismissing it as yet another
biased, pro-Israeli move by President Donald Trump’s administration.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/19/Israel-Palestine-Palestinian-Authority-condemns-Pompeo-s-visit-to-West-Bank-Settlement
--------
Turkey
orders arrest of 101, including lawyers, over alleged Kurdish militant links
20
November 2020
Turkish
authorities have issued arrest warrants for 101 people including lawyers in a
wide-scale operation aimed at outlawed Kurdish militants, a judicial source
said on Friday.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app
Police
conducted simultaneous raids in Diyarbakir, in the Kurdish-majority southeast,
Istanbul, Izmir and Adiyaman as part of an investigation into the Democratic
Society Congress (DTK).
The
group is accused of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkey
and its Western allies designate the PKK a terror group. It has waged an
insurgency against the state since 1984 which is believed to have killed tens
of thousands.
Police
rounded up at least 72 suspects, including 24 lawyers, the source, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, told AFP.
Four
others could not detained as they had tested positive for the coronavirus, the
source said.
The
Diyarbakir bar association condemned the latest arrests, which targeted 17 of
its members.
“The
Diyarbakir bar has never bowed to the threat of detentions and arrests and will
never do so,” it said in a statement on Twitter.
“These
operations indicate a desire to stifle the voice of the Diyarbakir bar and is a
direct intervention in the activities of the civil society.”
The
opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has also been on the
radar of Turkish authorities for its alleged links to the PKK and dozens of its
mayors -- elected in the 2019 local elections -- have been ousted.
The
HDP is Turkey’s second-largest opposition group in the parliament.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/20/Turkey-orders-arrest-of-101-including-lawyers-over-alleged-Kurdish-militant-links
--------
Israeli
forces detain over 400 Palestinian minors since January: Rights group
19
November 2020
A
Palestinian human rights group says Israeli military forces have arrested more
than 400 Palestinians under the age of 18 since the start of the current year,
as the regime continues to target young Palestinians across the occupied
territories.
The
Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), in a statement released on the occasion
of World Children's Day, which is celebrated on November 20 each year,
announced that approximately 170 Palestinian children are currently languishing
behind bars in the three Israeli-run detention centers of Megiddo, Ofer and
Damon.
It
added that Israeli troops relentlessly continue their arrest campaign against
Palestinian children despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Palestinian minors held in
Israeli prisons are denied access to lawyers and family visits as well.
The
PPS then pointed to a number of violations that Israeli forces carry out
against Palestinian child prisoners, namely abduction from their homes in the
middle of the night, hours-long detention without food or drink, verbal abuse,
threats of torture to force confessions, interrogation without the presence of
a parent or a lawyer and deprivation of education.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian children have been detained by Israeli authorities since
2015, and some have been sentenced to ten years in prison or life imprisonment,
the society highlighted, noting that most of the child detainees are from
occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.
The
PPS finally called on international human rights institutions, and the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in particular, to make serious efforts to
protect Palestinian children, and to oblige Israeli authorities to abide by a
series of agreements concerning protection of child detainees.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails,
with dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/19/638937/Israeli-forces-have-arrested-over-400-Palestinian-minors-since-January-Rights-group
--------
North America
Pompeo
visits Golan and West Bank settlements, first US secretary of state to do so
19
November 2020
Mike
Pompeo on Thursday became the first US secretary of state to visit an Israeli
West Bank settlement and the Golan Heights, in a show of solidarity that led
Palestinians to accuse him of helping to cement Israeli control over occupied
territory.
Pompeo’s
trips came during the Israeli leg of what may be his last tour of the Middle
East in the final months of President Donald Trump’s administration.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Trump
delighted Israel in 2019 by recognizing Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the
area of the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria in a 1967 war and later
annexed, in a move that was not recognized by most of the international
community.
Last
year, Pompeo, an evangelical Christian, broke with decades of US foreign policy
to announce that the United States under Trump no longer viewed Israel’s
settlements in the West Bank as “inconsistent with international law.”
These
and other decisions were greeted with dismay by the Palestinians, who boycotted
the Trump White House for nearly three years, accusing it of consistent
pro-Israel bias.
The
Palestinians have indicated they would resume relations as normal with
Washington once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, widely seen as a
gesture of goodwill towards his future administration.
However
it is unclear how many of Trump’s decisions will be reversed by a Biden
administration.
On
Thursday morning Pompeo appeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, who said both Pompeo and Trump were long-standing friends of Israel.
Pompeo
said the two leaders discussed Iran, the perceived threat of which has shifted
political fault lines in the region, uniting Israel and Gulf Arab states in
fear of Tehran.
He
also issued guidelines for Israeli products made in settlements to be labeled
“Made in Israel” or “Product of Israel” when exported to the US, removing the
distinction between goods made within Israel and those produced in occupied
territory.
But
first Pompeo traveled the short distance from Jerusalem to the Israeli-occupied
West Bank - known to most Israelis as Judea and Samaria - where more than
440,000 Jewish settlers live uneasily among three million Palestinians, mostly
in fortified hilltop settlements.
He
dined at Shaar Binyamin, an Israeli industrial zone just north of Jerusalem
where Psagot winery - taking its name from a nearby settlement - has a blend
named after him.
“Enjoyed
lunch at the scenic Psagot Winery today. Unfortunately, Psagot and other
businesses have been targeted by pernicious EU (European Union) labeling
efforts that facilitate the boycott of Israeli companies. The US stands with
Israel and will not tolerate any form of delegitimization,” Pompeo wrote on
Twitter.
Under
EU guidelines farm and other products made in Israeli settlements and exported
to EU member countries should be clearly labeled as coming from the
settlements, which the bloc considers illegal under international law.
Pompeo’s
visit departed from past policy that had kept top US officials away from
settlements, which Palestinians view as obstacles to a viable future state.
Palestinians
in the area say that the Psagot winery was built in part on Palestinian land
near the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh.
“This
land has been handed down from generation to generation to its Palestinian
owners,” Musa Jwayyed, a Palestinian-American who sits on Al-Bireh’s city
council.
“I
am a US citizen, a taxpayer, educated, loyal, ok? Why do these settlers have
more rights than I do?”
Pompeo
later flew to the Golan Heights, a mountainous and strategic plateau that
overlooks Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
“I
very much wanted to come here on this trip to tell the world that we have it
right. That we, the US has it right. That Israel has it right,” Pompeo said
from a hilltop looking into an area of the Syrian Golan that was until recently
controlled by militias fighting the Syrian civil war.
“Each
nation has the right to defend itself in its own sovereignty,” he said.
Such
signs of support left many Israelis backing Trump’s bid for re-election.
But
Palestinian negotiator Hanan Ashrawi accused Pompeo of using Trump’s final
weeks in office “to set yet another illegal precedent, violate international law
and perhaps to advance his own future political ambitions.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/19/Mike-Pompeo-visits-Israeli-settlement-in-West-Bank-first-secretary-of-state-to-do-so
--------
Biden
will re-enter Iran nuclear deal unconditionally: Italian international
relations expert
19
November 2020
An
Italian political scientist and international relations expert believes that
Joe Biden will stick to his commitment to reenter the Iran nuclear deal “and do
so unconditionally.”
Nathalie
Tocci, who was a special adviser to former European Union foreign policy chief
Federica Mogherini, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Thursday,
when asked whether Biden would change the US foreign policy on Iran and rejoin
the he Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) unconditionally?
“Yes,
I believe that Biden will stick to his commitment to reenter the JCPOA and do
so unconditionally. However, the US’s return to compliance will not be
unconditional but will depend on Iranian steps returning to full compliance. In
other words, I expect a clean and unconditional return but a conditional step
by step compliance for compliance process,” stated Tocci, who has served as the
Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali.
The
administration of Republican President Donald Trump has unleashed the so-called
maximum pressure campaign and targeted the Iranian nation with the “toughest
ever” sanctions.
A
critic of Trump’s, the projected winner of the 2020 election, Biden, has said
he would return the United States to the Iran nuclear deal as a starting point
for follow-on negotiations.
Iran's
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has expressed the Islamic Republic's
readiness to hold talks on new issues with the US, but said that the country will
never renegotiate an issue it has already concluded through negotiations.
Zarif
made the remarks in response to Trump, who has been insisting that Iran should
give up the 2015 nuclear deal it clinched under the Obama administration with
six world powers, and conclude a new agreement with the Trump administration.
Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani has said that the new US administration would need to
switch from a posture of threats against Iran to one of seeking opportunities
with the country.
Speaking
at a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, Rouhani said the incoming US
administration would return to a situation in which rules are respected.
“With
the situation that has been brought about, we will in the future be moving from
an atmosphere of threats created by this rogue [US] administration to one of
opportunity,” he said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/19/638965/Biden-will-renter-Iran-nuclear-deal-unconditionally
--------
South Asia
Afghan
President Urges Pakistan to ‘Overcome Distrust that has Haunted’ Bilateral
Relations
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
20
Nov 2020
KABUL,
Afghanistan – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani urged Pakistan to “overcome
distrust that has haunted” bilateral relationship, as both leaders met at
Presidential Palace for the first time in their positions.
On
Thursday morning, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan landed in Kabul in a bid
to meet President Ashraf Ghani and other prominent leaders of the country on
peace process and bilateral ties.
“Our
common objective is to take a leap of faith to overcome the distrust that has
haunted our relationship,” said Ghani in a statement.
“We
have come to an understanding that a shared vision regarding cooperation is not
only essential for relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but a harbinger
of regional cooperation and connectivity,” he added.
Addressing
the ongoing poverty that hit roughly 50 percent of the country, Ghani said the
common interest and “focus” are what inspire both leaders to move together
towards “poverty eradication” and “empowerment” of both countries’ citizen
within the framework of the Islamic constitution.
Ghani
reiterated that embracing a constructive and inclusive politics is the way to
future, according to the statement.
Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the objective of his visit amidst escalation of
violence in the country is to assure that people and government of Pakistan
want peace in Afghanistan.
“My
idea of choosing this time to come was to assure you that Pakistan will do
everything, whatever is possible to help to reduce this violence and move
toward ceasefire,” he said.
Khan
exclaimed Pakistan is next to Afghanistan whose utmost interest is in peace and
stability in the region, expressing hope that trade and connectivity will
increase between the two countries.
https://www.khaama.com/ghani-urges-pakistan-to-overcome-distrust-that-has-haunted-bilateral-relations-343234/
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Bangladeshi
MP under fire after blaming feminists for rape
November
19, 2020
A
Bangladeshi parliamentarian has triggered a public backlash after blaming
feminists for a surge in rape cases in the country and for supporting the
controversial remarks of a late radical Islamist who compared women to
“mouth-watering tamarind.”
Rezaul
Karim Bablu, an independent MP from Bogura-7 constituency in northern
Bangladesh, made the controversial remarks in the Jaitya Sangsad (National
Assembly) on Nov. 17.
"In
the name of women's liberation, feminists are encouraging women to become
freer. This has increased the acceptability of rape so much among rapists that
they are encouraged to commit the act," the MP was quoted as saying by the
Daily Star.
The
parliamentarian also suggested that a controversial theory spelled out by a
late radical Islamist leader should have been applied so that rape could be
resisted.
In
2013, Shah Ahmad Shafi, then head of Hefajat-e-Islam, the country’s largest
radical Islamic group, compared women to "mouth-watering fruit like
tamarind" and said that women should stay at home and their primary duty
is to take care of the family and children. In his view, women's exposure to
the outside world for education and employment increased the risks of sinful
and immoral acts.
Hefajat
has strongly opposed women’s freedom and empowerment and the Women Development
Policy 2010 that seeks to offer equal rights including inheritance to women in
Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
Activists
have heavily criticized him for derogatory remarks against feminists and
supporting what they called the “medieval ideology” of religious radicals to confine
women at home.
Angela
Gomes, a prominent Catholic women's rights champion and founder and executive
director of Banchte Shekha (Learning How to Survive), a women's empowerment
NGO, slammed the MP.
“This
is absurd, unappetizing and deplorable. How could a public representative make
such irresponsible comments? Our prime minister and speaker are women, and
under their watch he makes such derogatory remarks against women’s liberation
and empowerment. People like him still dwell in the medieval age and want to
see the talent and energy of women wasted at home,” said Gomes, 68, who won the
Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1999 for her outstanding contributions to community
leadership.
Women’s
groups have made the lives of women in Bangladesh better by championing their
rights and eliminating violence against them in a patriarchal society, so it is
nonsense when someone blames them for increasing rape, she added.
Khushi
Kabir, another eminent women's rights advocate and coordinator of NGO Nijera
Kori (We Do It Ourselves), also criticized the MP.
“Through
policies and actions, the government has been encouraging women to be
independent and attempting to ensure equality for them because women’s
empowerment can ensure comprehensive development. However, some people like MP
Bablu think backwards and makes irresponsible and baseless remarks,” she said.
“It
is an ill mindset that triggers rape, not freedom or empowerment of women, and
he must keep this in mind.”
Social
media users also grilled the MP for his comments.
“Activists
have given voice to oppressed women who now speak up when raped unlike before
and the ruling class is uncomfortable with such unpleasant truths and pressure.
They don’t like it and blame it on feminists,” wrote Hasan Habibur Rahman.
“Whenever
women speak for rights, insecure and cowardly men attack them with brute force.
Instead of blaming oppressors like rapists, people like him attack feminists.
This is stupidity and misogyny,” said Sumaiya Azad.
Death
penalty for rape
On
the day MP Bablu made his controversial remarks, Bangladesh's parliament passed
the Women and Child Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2020 that provides
the death penalty as the highest punishment for rape.
The
bill was passed unanimously in a voice vote when moved in the house by Minister
for Women’s and Children’s Affairs Fazilatunnesa Indira.
It
comes against the backdrop of an alarming increase in rape and gang rapes in
Bangladesh that triggered massive nationwide protests.
At
least 975 women were raped in Bangladesh up to October this year, according to
Dhaka-based rights group Ain-O-Salish Kendra (Law and Arbitration Center). The
group documented 1,413 rape cases in 2019.
Rights
activists argued that introducing the death penalty won’t suffice to stop the
rape menace in the country.
In
a statement, Naripokkho, a women’s group, said the change in the law cannot
ensure the end of rape culture.
"How
many people can be dealt with by the death penalty? The problem is all around
us. Rapists don't come from another planet — they are our brothers, our
relatives. Children must be taught to respect women from an early stage; this
is the only solution," the group said.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/bangladeshi-mp-under-fire-after-blaming-feminists-for-rape/90371#
--------
12
Taliban Killed in Kandahar Battle, 7 Wounded
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
20
Nov 2020
KANDAHAR,
Afghanistan – At least 12 Taliban killed and further seven wounded during an
operation by Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in Maiwand and
Zherai districts of Kandahar province, said the Ministry of Defense in a
statement.
“12
Taliban were killed and 7 others were wounded in Maiwand and Zherai districts
of Kandahar province during reciprocal operation of #ANDSF, last night,” said
the MoD in a tweet.
Officials
did not provide further details on the possible casualties the Afghan forces
may have suffered during the operation but said “a large amount of their
weapons and ammunitions were destroyed.”
https://www.khaama.com/12-taliban-killed-in-kandahar-battle-7-wounded-3333/
--------
Infrastructure
Dev. Investment on Prosperity in Afghanistan: ADB
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
20
Nov 2020
KABUL,
Afghanistan – In the context of the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, the European
Union (EU) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Thursday co-hosted an
international virtual meeting to discuss the contribution of Public-Private
Partnerships (PPPs) towards peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
The
event brought together Afghanistan, its international partners, financing
institutions and the private sector for an exchange of ideas on the basis of
existing examples in view of developing an agenda for future investments, said
ADB in a press release.
“By
focusing our efforts on the key challenges that prevent entrepreneurs from
investing in Afghanistan, we can multiply the development impact of every Euro
we spend,” said EU acting Director Jean-Louis Ville in an opening speech. “In
doing so, we will demonstrate that public private cooperation is a real
possibility in Afghanistan…”
ADB’s
Director General Werner Liepach explained its approach to PPPs in Afghanistan,
saying “the need for infrastructure is growing in Afghanistan and requires
greater private investments and public-private partnerships to fill the funding
gaps and reduce the country’s dependence on donor support.”
“Over
the coming years, ADB will support private sector development, bring private
sector investment and facilitate public-private partnerships, which are key to
addressing Afghanistan’s significant investment needs,” he added.
Meanwhile,
Abdul Habib Zadran, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Finance, highlighted the
Government investment agenda under the new Afghanistan National Peace and
Development Framework 2, saying PPPs can play a central role in reducing the
dependency on external grant financing for development investments, laying a
path to increased economic self-reliance.
“PPPs
are an integral part of the economic reform strategy and development agenda of
the Government,” he said. “With the support of our development partners, the
Afghan government will continue to encourage and mobilize private sector
investments to expand access to infrastructure services to support sustained
and inclusive economic growth.”
During
the meeting, all sides agreed to establish an annual PPP Forum in order to
bring together government, donor partners and private sector.
https://www.khaama.com/infrastructure-dev-investment-on-prosperity-in-afghanistan-adb-34534/
--------
India
After
MP, Uttar Pradesh to bring law against 'Love Jihad'; proposal sent
November
20, 2020
After
Madhya Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has now sent a
proposal to bring in a strict law against 'Love Jihad' in the state.
The
Home Department has sent a proposal to the Department of Law for the same, news
agency ANI reported on Friday.
This
comes after the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh said
the state would soon have a law against ‘love jihad’. MP Home Minister Narottam
Mishra has said non-bailable charges would be applicable in cases of ‘love
jihad’ in Madhya Pradesh.
Narottam
Mishra told reporters on Tuesday, “We are making preparations to introduce
Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020 in Assembly. It will provide for
5 years of rigorous imprisonment. We're also proposing that such crimes be
declared a cognizable and non-bailable offence.”
The
Madhya Pradesh minister said in the upcoming assembly session, the Shivraj
Singh Chouhan government will bring a secular law to check the problem of ‘love
jihad’.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/law-against-love-jihad-uttar-pradesh-1742497-2020-11-20
--------
Senior
Congress Leader And Rajasthan CM: ‘Jihad Has No Place In Love’, BJP Dividing
Nation, Disturbing Communal Harmony
Edited
by Arpan Rai
Nov
20, 2020
Senior
Congress leader and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday cornered
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue of “love jihad” and said that the
BJP “manufactured” the term to divide the nation.
“Love
Jihad is a word manufactured by BJP to divide the Nation & disturb communal
harmony. Marriage is a matter of personal liberty, bringing a law to curb it is
completely unconstitutional & it will not stand in any court of law. Jihad
has no place in Love,” Gehlot said in a
series of tweets.
“They
are creating an environment in the nation where consenting adults would be at
the mercy of state power. Marriage is a personal decision & they are
putting curbs on it, which is like snatching away personal liberty,” he added.
“It seems a ploy to disrupt communal harmony, fuel social conflict &
disregard constitutional provisions like the state not discriminating against
citizens on any ground,” he also tweeted.
The
tweets from Gehlot condemning the issue comes as states ruled by the BJP,
including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, are contemplating bringing a law against
“love jihad”, saying conversion for marriage by force, fraud, lure or
instigation will be punishable by a maximum jail term of five years.
Madhya
Pradesh has proposed replacing the 1968 Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act
with The Madhya Pradesh Dharm Swatantrey (freedom of religion) Bill, 2020.
Under this bill, the offence of forceful conversion for marriage shall be
cognizable -- which means that police can arrest someone without a warrant and
start an investigation without the permission of the court -- and non-bailable.
If
such forced conversion is proved, then the marriage concerned shall be declared
null and void and anyone who assisted or was a part of the conversion exercise
shall be treated at par with the main accused, officials have said.
“Love
Jihad” is a term used by right-wing workers to describe interfaith
relationships between a Muslim man and a Hindu woman. In February this year,
the government told Parliament that there was no definition of the term and no
such cases were reported by agencies.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jihad-has-no-place-in-love-ashok-gehlot-attacks-bjp-for-dividing-nation-disturbing-communal-harmony/story-0xehjoyUVWJqZNDrfMujeL.html
--------
4
terrorists in truck loaded with weapons, ammo killed in Jammu gunfight
Nov
19, 2020
JAMMU/DELHI:
Four suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists travelling in a truck with a
stockpile of weapons, ammunition and explosives were killed and two cops
injured in a three-hour shootout at a checkpoint near the Ban toll plaza on the
Jammu-Srinagar highway on Thursday morning, less than 10 days ahead of
J&K's first electoral exercise since becoming a Union Territory.
IGP
(Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar said the encounter between the terrorists and a
joint team of the police, CRPF and Army at Nagrota was "clear evidence of
Pakistan pushing infiltrators into J&K to disrupt the eight-phase District
Development Council (DDC) polls starting November 28".
Jammu
IGP Mukesh Singh told TOI that the slain quartet, who opened fire from inside
the truck as soon as it was intercepted at the highway checkpoint, was possibly
part of a larger group that had recently infiltrated Jammu through
Samba-Hiranagar to carry out "a big strike" in the next few days.
Eleven AK-47 rifles, three pistols, 29 grenades (excluding those hurled at the
security personnel), some RDX, SOS medicines and an unspecified number of
mobile phones were found in the truck's hold. The driver of the vehicle fled in
the melee.
"This
is the largest haul of weapons seized from terrorists following an encounter in
J&K in recent years," IGP Singh said. "Ever since the DDC polls
were announced, we had been receiving information about a possible terrorist
infiltration bid in Jammu. The terrorists killed at Nagrota were intercepted
based on these intelligence inputs."
Singh
said the modus operandi of the terrorists, their infiltration route from
Pakistan and the weaponry seized from the truck bore the signature of
Jaish-e-Mohammed. The trouser tags of the slain terrorists might help establish
their Pakistani origins, another officer said.
Sources
said the terror quartet may have been on a mission to not only carry out
strikes in Kashmir but also distribute weapons among other terrorists,
including local recruits, to foment trouble as the UT goes into poll mode.
"Of
late, Pakistan-based terrorist outfits have been using drones to smuggle
weapons from across the border. This is yet another attempt to send in
sophisticated weapons to arm the terrorists and local militants based in
J&K. Eleven is an unusually high number of AK-47s to be seized from four
terrorists. Usually, one terrorist may carry up to two AK-47s," an
intelligence source said.
In
Srinagar, BSF director general Rakesh Ashtana said there could be a spike in
infiltration attempts ahead of the snowfall season, when the area's difficult
terrain becomes even more treacherous to negotiate. "There is a
challenging situation along the border and we are facing it bravely.”
At
least three major infiltration attempts by Pakistan-based terrorists have been
reported in J&K this year, two of them in the past fortnight. An Army
captain was among four defence personnel killed fighting infiltrators in the
Machil sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara on November 8. Seven months earlier,
five soldiers and as many infiltrators were killed in an encounter in the Keran
sector of the same district.
On
January 31, security forces had intercepted and killed three terrorists
travelling to south Kashmir in a truck after entering Jammu through Hiranagar
in Kathua district.
Meanwhile,
lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha visited the cops injured in Thursday's gunfight
— Kuldeep Raj of Akhnoor and Mohammad Ishaq Malik of Neel Qasim in Banihal — at
the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/4-terrorists-in-truck-loaded-with-weapons-ammo-killed-in-jammu-gunfight/articleshow/79310019.cms
--------
India
slams Pakistan, says polls in Gilgit-Baltistan aimed at hiding illegal
occupation of territory
Nov
19, 2020
NEW
DELHI: India on Thursday slammed Pakistan for holding elections in
Gilgit-Baltistan, saying it was aimed at hiding Pakistan's illegal occupation
of its territory.
Ministry
of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava asserted that
Gilgit-Baltistan was an integral part of India since 1947.
Asked
at an online briefing about elections held in Gilgit-Baltistan and protests
against the poll process there, he said, "I had given a few answers before
the elections. Elections in Gilgit-Baltistan are nothing but a sham and their
aim is to hide Pakistan's illegal occupation of areas of the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir."
"We
reiterate that along with Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,
Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of India since 1947," Srivastava
said.
India
had earlier also slammed Pakistan for its decision to hold elections in
Gilgit-Baltistan and said any action to alter the status of the
militarily-occupied region has no legal basis.
To
a question on the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, Srivastava said Pakistan has failed
to provide an environment in which the allegations against him can be seriously
and effectively challenged.
"We
had asked Pakistan to allow Queen's Counsel for Jadhav. The International Court
of Justice had pronounced judgment on Kulbhushan Jadhav in July 2019, but
Pakistan has not made available to us all documents related to the case till
now," Srivastava said.
The
ICJ judgment should be implemented fully, he asserted.
In
2017, India approached the ICJ against Pakistan for denial of consular access
to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence handed to him by a military court.
The
Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an
"effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence
of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.
India
has slammed Pakistan for adopting a "farcical" approach in denying
available legal remedies to Jadhav against his death sentence in contravention
of the ICJ order.
The
retired Indian Navy officer, Jadhav, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani
military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.
On
another question as to who will represent India at the International conference
on humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in Geneva next week, Srivastava on
Thursday said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at
the conference which will be held in the virtual format.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-slams-pakistan-says-polls-in-gilgit-baltistan-aimed-at-hiding-illegal-occupation-of-territory/articleshow/79309811.cms
--------
Pakistan
Radical
Pakistani Cleric Khadim Hussein Rizvi Dies After Leading Sit-In Over
Caricatures Of The Prophet Muhammad
Nov
20, 2020
LAHORE:
Khadim Hussein Rizvi, a radical Pakistani religious scholar who this week led
thousands of supporters into a sit-in in Islamabad over the republishing in
France of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, which they deem blasphemous,
died on Thursday. He was 54.
According
to the cleric's spokesman and a doctor at the hospital where Rizvi was taken to
in the eastern city of Lahore, he was showing symptoms similar to those of
Covid-19 but had not been tested for the coronavirus.
The
doctor, Salman Ahmed, said Rizvi had had a high fever for four days and
developed serious respiratory problems on Thursday. He was then taken to
hospital where he died.
The
protest by Rizvi's party, the Tehreek-e-Labiak, started Sunday on the outskirts
of the capital, Islamabad, where protesters and Pakistani security forces
briefly clashed, prompting the police to fire tear gas at stone-hurling
demonstrators. The rally was one in a series held around the country to express
outrage over the caricatures.
After
the violence in Islamabad died down, the protesters subsequently staged a
sit-in that ended early Tuesday after Prime Minister Imran Khan's government
promised their demands for cutting diplomatic ties with France and expelling
the French ambassador would be discussed in Parliament in three months.
The
sit-in had attracted thousands of men who sat for two days, crowded together
with few wearing face masks. Tehreek-e-Labiak spokesman Shafiq Amini said the
government had also agreed to release all arrested members of the party.
The
radical Islamist party gained prominence in Pakistan's 2018 federal elections,
campaigning on a single-point agenda: defending the country's controversial
blasphemy law which calls for the death penalty for anyone who insults Islam.
The party won only two provincial seats in the southern Sindh province, though
Rizvi's rallies typically attracted tens of thousands.
In
conservative Pakistan, the mere charge of blasphemy can incite mobs to riot.
Rizvi also led the protests last year, when Khan's government freed Aasia Bibi,
a Christian woman held on death row for eight years on charges of committing
blasphemy. A court acquitted her but she had to flee to Canada after threats to
her life.
The
prophet caricatures have sparked protests in Asia and the Middle East, with
calls for boycott of French products. They were also seen as the trigger for
several deadly attacks against French nationals and interests in recent weeks.
Tehreek-e-Labiak
has a history of staging protests and sit-ins to press their demands. In
November 2017, its followers staged a 21-day protest and sit-in after a
reference to the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad was removed from the text of
a government form.
Khan
tweeted his condolences on Rizvi's death while Minister for Religious Affairs
Peer Noor ul Haq Qadi called the cleric ``a great Islamic scholar and lover of
the Prophet.''
Rizvi's
funeral is expected to draw tens of thousands of people at a time when
coronavirus cases in Pakistan have been climbing steadily. Pakistan has
reported more than 365,900 cases of the virus and 7,248 deaths.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/radical-pakistani-religious-cleric-khadim-hussein-rizvi-dies-after-leading-sit-in/articleshow/79317840.cms
--------
Imran
aims to bolster ties with Afghanistan during maiden visit, vows to reduce
violence
Nov
20, 2020
KABUL:
Pakistani PM Imran Khan met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on his first
official visit to Kabul on Thursday, focusing on the ongoing peace talks with
the Taliban as well as on building trust and strengthening relations between
the two often acrimonious neighbors.
Ghani
called Khan's visit "historic" while the Pakistani PM assured the
Afghan president that his government would do "everything possible"
to help reduce violence in the war-torn country. The visit comes at a crucial
time for Afghanistan as Kabul government negotiators and the Taliban are
holding US-brokered negotiations in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a
political office, to chart a course for a post-war Afghanistan.
"You
come with a with a series of important messages... but fundamental to this is
that violence is not an answer, a comprehensive political settlement for an
enduring peace within the framework of our values, our constitution in the Islamic
republic is the way to the future," Ghani told Khan at the presidential
palace. Khan acknowledged Pakistan had played a key role in getting the Taliban
to the negotiating table and that Islamabad remains concerned that
"despite the talks in Qatar, the level of violence is rising".
"Whatever is possible, we will do to help reduce the violence," and
help move the Afghan-Taliban talks toward a cease-fire, Khan said. "The
whole objective of this visit is to build trust, to communicate more. We will
be helping you."
Pakistan
has been applauded by Washington and Kabul for its role in getting the Taliban
to the peace table. However, many Afghans still view Pakistan with mistrust,
blaming it for the resurgence of the Taliban and for giving the insurgents a safe
haven from which to operate. Also, Pakistan is seen by many in Afghanistan as
wanting to keep the Taliban as possible leverage against influence in
Afghanistan by India, which has been critical of any post-war government in
Afghanistan that would include the Taliban.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/imran-aims-to-bolster-ties-with-afghanistan-during-maiden-visit-vows-to-reduce-violence/articleshow/79313819.cms
--------
Tech
giants threaten to leave Pakistan if social media rules stay
Ramsha
Jahangir
20
Nov 2020
A
DAY after the government notified rules that define how social media will be
governed in Pakistan, technology companies announced that the regulations would
make it difficult for them to continue their operations in the country.
The
rules titled, “Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure,
Oversight and Safeguards) Rules 2020,” have been framed under the Prevention of
Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca).
In
a statement shared with Dawn on Thursday, the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC)
expressed its alarm over the scope of the new law targeting internet companies,
as well as the government’s “opaque process” by which these rules were
developed.
Earlier
this year, Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to initiate a “broad-based”
consultation on content regulation after a strong backlash from stakeholders
over the release of formally known as the Citizen Protection (Against Online
Harm) Rules 2020.
Asia
Internet Coalition regrets absence of consultation earlier promised by govt
“The
consultation that was announced in February never occurred,” AIC managing
director Jeff Paine regretted in the statement.
The
tech companies warned that the rules would make it extremely difficult for AIC
members to make their services available to Pakistani users and businesses.
Under
the new rules, social media companies shall provide the designated
investigation agency with any information or data in decrypted, readable and
comprehensible format.
Subject
to justifiable technical limitations, the information to be provided may
include subscriber information, traffic data, content data and any other
information or data.
“The
draconian data localisation requirements will damage the ability of people to
access a free and open internet and shut Pakistan’s digital economy off from
the rest of the world,” the AIC said.
The
companies said it was chilling to see the PTA’s powers expanded, allowing them
to force social media companies to violate established human rights norms on
privacy and freedom of expression.
Since
February when the rules were first released, the AIC has repeatedly urged the
government to adopt a comprehensive consultation strategy.
Earlier
in October, the AIC had expressed its reservations over the consultation
process in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Khan.
“The
lack of transparency on the consultation, an abbreviated consultation process,
and strict local office requirements for online platforms are very concerning,”
Mr Paine had stated.
“The
consultation process therefore appears to have lost credibility,” it said.
In
response to the notification of rules by the government, the AIC on Thursday
said if Pakistan wanted to be an attractive destination for technology
investment and realise its goal of digital transformation, then it should work
with industry on practical, clear rules that protect the benefits of the
internet and keep people safe from harm.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591357/tech-giants-threaten-to-leave-pakistan-if-social-media-rules-stay
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NAB
finds more ‘illegal transactions’ of Shehbaz’s sons
Zulqernain
Tahir
20
Nov 2020
LAHORE:
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday detected another $2.9
million alleged money laundering transactions of PML-N President Shehbaz
Sharif’s sons – Hamza and Salman.
“Hamza
Shehbaz (opposition leader in Punjab Assembly) and Salman Shehbaz had laundered
$2.9m through 18 persons, most of them never visited the United Kingdom,” an
official source told Dawn on Thursday.
All
the suspects involved in facilitating Shehbaz’s sons had no record in the
National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), thus NAB has termed them
‘ghost remitters’.
They
have been identified as Faiz Rasool, Muhammad Saqib, Muhammad Shakoor, Pervaiz,
Muhammd Kamal, Muhammad Sarwar, Muhammad Kashif, Anees Mughal, Faisal Rasool,
Iftikhar, Nisar Ahmed, Bashir, Noor Alam, Muhammad Moosa, Younas, Umer Hussain,
Mansoor and Anjum Ali.
Bureau
to make fresh evidence part of reference
“Through
the Usman Exchange Company this laundering of $2.9m through 177 transactions
was made by Hamza and Salman,” he said, adding the NAB would make the new
evidence part of the reference filed against the Shehbaz family.
According
to a fresh NAB report, “Not only have the family members of Shehbaz Sharif
accepted and utilised foreign remittances from ‘fake/ghost’ remitters all of
them have duly acknowledged their receipts into their personal bank accounts in
black and white. They signed the bank’s ‘Due Diligence Forms’ for inward
remittances and also Form R required under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.
These 177 fake foreign remittances in the name of fake foreign investment
remitters coming from them either from business relations, cousins or friends
for the purpose of investment in business.”
An
accountability court last week had indicted Leader of Opposition in National
Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz and eight other suspects in a Rs7
billion reference of money laundering and assets beyond means.
Denying
the charges as false and fabricated, Mr Shehbaz said he had been victimised on
political grounds. He said all the cases pending against him had been
engineered by his political opponents.
As
the suspects pleaded not guilty, the judge directed the NAB to present its
witnesses on the next hearing for their evidence.
The
reference mainly accused Shehbaz of being a beneficiary of the assets held in
the name of his family members and benamidars, who had no sources to acquire
such assets.
The
reference said Shehbaz and his family failed to justify the sources of funds
used for acquisition of assets.
Both
Shehbaz and Hamza are in Kot Lakhpat jail on judicial remand. Salman is
absconding in the UK.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591332/nab-finds-more-illegal-transactions-of-shehbazs-sons
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Balochistan
to establish new administrative sub-divisions
Saleem
Shahid
20
Nov 2020 '
QUETTA:
The Balochistan cabinet has decided to establish new administrative
sub-divisions in the province in view of its increasing population and formed a
sub-committee of the cabinet which will be headed by Minister for Revenue
Saleem Ahmed Khosa.
The
decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting which was presided over
by the Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani here on Wednesday.
It
was observed in the meeting that due to increasing population of the province,
the administrative issues were increasing that needed establishment of new
sub-divisions.
It
was decided in the meeting that a senior member of the Board of Revenue,
secretaries of law, services and general administration and a member at the
divisional level would be included in the sub-committee of the cabinet to look
after the administrative and other issues.
The
provincial cabinet approved in its meeting the draft of the Balochistan Power
Development Act, 2020, for integrating energy policy in the province,
implementing programmes and projects for available energy resources in a better
way and attracting the private sector’s investment in the energy sector.
While
discussing the impact of Covid-19, the cabinet meeting approved the grant for
National Response and Reliance Plan for coronavirus and National Equitable
Education Programme.
The
cabinet meeting also approved the suggestion of changing the names of
irrigation department’s development schemes and the amendments to Balochistan
Arts Council Act, 2018, to establish the board of the council.
The
meeting also approved the procedure for allotment rules 2009 regarding
allotment of official residence facility in Quetta. Under the amendment in the
rules, an official resident could be allotted in the name of the daughter of a
retired government employee. Earlier, it was not included in the allotment
rules.
The
cabinet also approved the Balochistan Judicial Academy Contributory Provident
Funds rules 2019 and Pension rules, 2019.
The
cabinet while discussing issues relating to the health department gave
approval to ad-hoc and contract appointments of medical officers, lady medical
officers, dental surgeons, staff nurses in the health department and
appointments on specialist cadre posts and teacher cadre posts of medical
colleges and teaching hospitals.
The
meeting also gave approval for making functional eight teaching hospitals of
the province. It also approved the hawkers’ welfare fund revised policy 2020.
Ministers,
the parliamentary secretary on information, the chief secretary and other
officials attended the meeting.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591364/balochistan-to-establish-new-administrative-sub-divisions
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Southeast Asia
Human
Rights Commission Of Malaysia: Allow Foreign Spouses In To Prevent Stateless
Children
Faye
Kwan
November
20, 2020
PETALING
JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) children’s
commissioner has urged the government to review its entry ban from countries
with a high number of Covid-19 cases so Malaysian mothers can return to the
country with their foreign spouses.
Noor
Aziah Mohd Awal said the pandemic had forced many mothers to choose between
giving birth to a stateless child overseas or returning to Malaysia but being
separated from their spouses for months.
“The
uncertainty for children born to Malaysian mothers married to foreign spouses
is really alarming. It will have long-term effects on the children when they
grow older,” Noor Aziah said at a webinar by the Foreign Spouses Support Group
(FSSG), held in conjunction with World Children’s Day, today.
FSSG
co-founder Bina Ramanand said focus groups had found that many children born to
Malaysian mothers were being raised in hotel rooms overseas without access to
vaccination or education, six months into the movement control order (MCO).
She
said 205 mothers had reported that their spouses were stranded overseas in
August, with 44 of them either pregnant or raising their newborns without their
fathers.
Noor
Aziah said that under the Federal Constitution, Malaysian women giving birth
abroad cannot confer their nationality on their children.
As
a result, she said, many mothers had returned to Malaysia alone during the
pandemic to ensure that their children were granted citizenship.
Failure
to do so would require them to go through a lengthy application process, with
low approval rates.
“The
government should simplify the permanent residence and approval process to
prevent hardship and economic difficulties to foreign spouses,” she said.
She
said foreign spouses had to enter Malaysia on long-term social visit passes,
which prohibited them from seeking employment for up to a year.
She
urged Putrajaya to remove its limitations on employment for foreigners as it
could have a negative impact on the livelihood of families and prevent economic
growth in the country.
Former
deputy women, family and community development minister Hannah Yeoh said lack
of cooperation from the home ministry had led to a backlog of citizenship applications
last year.
She
said the home ministry under Muhyiddin Yassin during the Pakatan Harapan (PH)
administration had only agreed to streamline new applications, leaving about
40,000 existing applications still pending.
“With
the current set-up in Parliament, I do not think we will be able to see a
proposed amendment brought by the home ministry in the near future,” she said,
adding that the issue would be brought up during the debate for the ministry’s
budget in two weeks.
Dr
Amar Singh, a paediatrician and child rights advocate, said separation would
have long-term effects on the mental health of families.
“More
children and families are constantly anxious and depressed. Now that it has
dragged on for months with the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been no real
resolution,” he said.
“Children
become less hopeful for the future and this hopelessness is not good for a
young child. I don’t think online communication of any sort can replace the
physical presence of a parent to a child.”
Amar
said non-citizen children would also be denied access to education at public
schools and routine immunisation. This would effectively reduce the country’s
herd immunity and expose people to more illnesses.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/20/allow-foreign-spouses-in-to-prevent-stateless-children-says-suhakam-rep/
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Stop
trying to scare people with baseless statements, Dr M tells govt leaders
November
20, 2020
PETALING
JAYA: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today hit out at government leaders,
telling them to stop trying to scare the people with baseless statements.
He
said this in response to Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s remarks that
Putrajaya will not be able to pay civil service salaries if the budget is not
approved by the Dewan Rakyat.
“That
statement aims to restrict MPs from carrying out their duties in ensuring the
budget fulfils the interests of the people and not the ruling party’s
interests,” said Mahathir.
He
said Tengku Zafrul and other government leaders were being “very irresponsible”
in making statements to “threaten” MPs to pass the budget despite its
weaknesses.
“If
this is the stand of the finance minister and government leaders, it means MPs
need to give (the government) a blank cheque and support the budget.”
Yesterday,
Mahathir’s party Pejuang said emoluments for civil servants and expenditures
for frontliners, including medical and health equipment, will not be affected
if the budget is rejected.
Citing
Article 102, Pejuang said the Federal Constitution allows a new government
replacing the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to table a fresh budget.
Other
MPs and groups have also voiced their objection to the statement by Tengku
Zafrul, with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim among the first to go on the
attack.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/20/stop-trying-to-scare-people-with-baseless-statements-dr-m-tells-govt-leaders/
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On
World Children’s Day, human rights group urges Putrajaya to free migrant minors
detained by Immigration Dept
20
Nov 2020
BY
KEERTAN AYAMANY
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 20 — The government should immediately release all underaged
migrant children currently detained with their families by the Immigration
Department, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today amid reports of high
Covid-19 infection rates in the facilities.
The
international human rights watchdog also pressed the government to allow
representatives from the United Nations Refugee Agency regular access to the
immigration detention centres.
“The
authorities should urgently identify and release children along with family
members and provide safe alternatives to detention to which humanitarian
agencies have regular access,” it said in a statement.
Phil
Robertson, the deputy Asia director of HRW, also questioned the need to detain
children, noting reports of overcrowded and unsanitary detention facilities for
undocumented immigrants, which often include refugees.
“These
vulnerable children, including many who likely fled atrocities in Myanmar,
should be cared for, not treated as criminals.
“The
spread of Covid-19 makes it even more urgent for the Malaysian government to
reassess its practice of detaining migrants, including children,” he said in a
statement.
He
reminded the government of Malaysia’s commitment to the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC) — which prohibits the detention of children for
immigration reasons — and to protect the children from abuse and the Covid-19
pandemic.
Today
also marks World Children's Day, which commemorates the Declaration of the
Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1959.
HRW
pointed to the 2019 UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, which
reported that even under good conditions, detaining children exacerbates
existing health conditions and causes new ones, including anxiety, depression,
post-traumatic stress, and suicidal thoughts.
The
study said detention also exposes children to the risk of sexual abuse and
exploitation, even in countries that do not detain children with unrelated adults.
HRW
said immigration detention centres should only be used as an “exceptional
measure of last resort”, provided they meet international standards under the
UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
On
October 26, the Home Ministry reported that 756 children were being held in
immigration detention facilities nationwide, including 326 from Myanmar who are
detained without parents or guardians.
This
came after the authorities, since May conducted numerous raids on migrants
under the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Perikatan
Nasional government also discounted the rights of refugees, with the Home
Ministry stating that they have “no status, rights, or basis to present any
demands to the government”.
Malaysia
authorities have also denied the UNHCR access to immigration facilities since
August 2019, which the agency claims leaves it unable to find out whether those
detained have already been determined to be refugees or are entitled to refugee
protection.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/20/on-world-childrens-day-human-rights-group-urges-putrajaya-to-free-migrant-m/1924474
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Ismail
Sabri: Wristbands for migrants just a proposal, will be presented to Security
Council today
20
Nov 2020
BY
SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 20 — The government has yet to decide on making identification
wristbands for migrant workers compulsory, said Senior Minister Datuk Seri
Ismail Sabri Yaakob following strong reactions from human rights groups and
industry players.
Ismail
Sabri who is defence minister in charge of the security during the Covid-19
pandemic added that the identification wristbands was only a proposal to be
decided by the National Security Council (NSC), The Star reported today.
“It
is still at the proposal stage and I will present it to the National Security
Council (NSC) today before any decision is made,” he was quoted saying.
Government
officials had mooted the identification wristband proposal for “surveillance”
following a surge in Covid-19 infections among foreign workers, mostly in the
construction sector.
The
idea has drawn flak from industries and rights groups, who said the move would
deepen prejudice and xenophobia against an already stigmatised community.
Some
critics even likened the idea to Nazism.
They
urged the government to solve the root cause of the problem instead such as
improving housing. A majority of foreign workers live in cramped dormitories,
where the highly contagious disease can easily spread.
Earlier
this week Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan
Md Yusof said NSC had urged inter-ministerial cooperation to tackle the surge
of cases among foreign workers.
“The
NSC held a special meeting on Wednesday night and, among others, agreed that
the Housing and Local Government Ministry and Human Resources Ministry draft a
comprehensive plan for foreign workers housing, accommodation and facilities,”
he said when answering a question in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Works
Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has pledged action, according to The Star.
The minister reportedly said he would consult industry players first on the
proposal.
“I
will listen to the proposal (by Ismail Sabri) first and talk to industry
players to get their feedback before deciding, “ Fadillah was quoted as saying.
The
construction industry is the largest employer of foreign workers in the country
by sector.
Construction
falls under the Works Ministry.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/20/ismail-sabri-wristband-for-migrants-just-a-proposal-will-be-presented-to-se/1924384
--------
Govt
will not ratify Rome Statute, Dewan Rakyat told
November
18, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: The government today said it will not accede to the Rome Statute, which
allows prosecution of those accused of genocide and war crimes.
Deputy
Foreign Minister Kamarudin Jaffar told the Dewan Rakyat that Perikatan Nasional
(PN) will maintain the decision made by the then Pakatan Harapan (PH)
government in April 2019 to quit the treaty.
The
PH government had said it was withdrawing from the Rome Statute, which had come
under criticism from several parties, with some saying it would undermine the
royal institution.
“The
United Nations had confirmed our withdrawal effective from April 29, 2019,”
Kamarudin (PPBM-Bandar Tun Razak) said in response to a question by Maria Chin
Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya).
“If
the previous government, which said it had the people’s mandate, withdrew as a
signatory, the government today understands what the people want.”
Several
MPs were heard telling Kamarudin the PN government did not have the people’s
mandate.
To
Maria’s follow-up questions on how the government plans to handle issues
related to Palestine, the downing of MH17, and Rohingya refugees without going
through the International Criminal Court (ICC), Kamarudin said Malaysia is
playing an active role in seeking justice for them through various platforms.
The
Rome Statute is an international agreement that created the ICC, which serves
to complement existing laws in a state to prosecute individuals who commit
international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and
crimes of aggression.
Critics
of the treaty had said that ratifying it would violate the Federal Constitution
as it would affect the monarchy, Malay rights and the sanctity of Islam in the
country.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/18/govt-will-not-ratify-rome-statute-dewan-rakyat-told/
--------
Africa
Jordan
to open consulate in Western Sahara amid dispute
20
November 2020
Jordan
will open a consulate in Western Sahara, Morocco said on Thursday, in an
apparent show of support for Rabat after the disputed territory’s Polisario
independence movement said it was returning to an armed struggle.
The
consulate will be in Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara, and the
decision to open it came after a phone call between King Mohammed VI and King
Abdullah II.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Arab
Gulf monarchies have expressed support for Morocco after its army intervened on
Friday in a UN-monitored area to open a road that was blocked by Polisario
supporters and armed fighters for three weeks.
The
Jordanian monarch welcomed “the reopening of the passage to the safe movement
of people and goods between the Kingdom of Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa,” the
Royal palace said in a statement. Following the entry of the Moroccan army into
the UN-monitored buffer strip, the Polisario independence front said it has
quit the UN-brokered ceasefire and declared war.
Algeria,
which backs the Polisario, was the only Arab state that has condemned Morocco’s
actions in the Western Sahara passage.
The
Polisario front, which seeks independence for the territory, announced it has
quit the UN-brokered ceasefire and declared war against Morocco.
The
UAE and some 16 African states have already opened consulates in the disputed
territory as Rabat reaps more support for its position over the Western Sahara
conflict since it joined the African Union in 2017.
Morocco
has held the vast desert region since Spain quit in 1975 and regards it as an
integral part of its own land.
Rabat
has said the most it can offer as a political solution to the dispute is
autonomy. The Polisario and its ally Algeria reject this and say they want a
referendum, with independence for Western Sahara as one of the options.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/20/Jordan-to-open-consulate-in-Western-Sahara-amid-dispute
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Ethiopia’s
Tigray rebels fire rockets into Bahir Dar city, says regional government
20
November 2020
Ethiopia’s
Tigray rebel forces fired rockets into the city of Bahir Dar in the Amhara
region on Friday but caused no damage, the regional government said.
The
conflict in northern Ethiopia has killed hundreds over the past two weeks, sent
33,000 refugees into Sudan, and called into question whether Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed - Africa’s youngest leader and last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner
- can hold his ethnically divided nation together.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
northern-based Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) effectively ruled
Ethiopia for decades as the strongest force in a multi-ethnic coalition, until
Abiy took power two years ago.
“The
illegal TPLF group have launched a rocket attack around 1:40 a.m. in Bahir
Dar,” the regional government’s communications office said on its Facebook
page.
“The
rockets have caused no damage.”
Amhara
state has sent troops into Tigray in support of Abiy.
Ethiopia
said on Thursday it was closing in on Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region.
Africa’s
second most populous nation of 115 million people, Ethiopia is a federation of
10 states run by separate ethnic groups. The latest war has pitted the central
government against one of the most heavily militarized regions.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/20/Ethiopia-s-Tigray-rebels-fire-rockets-into-Bahir-Dar-city-says-regional-government
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Europe
Top
British diplomat welcomes resumption of Palestine-Israel communication
Rawad
Taha
November
20, 2020
British
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab Thursday welcomed the decision by the
Palestinian Authorities and the Israeli government to resume coordination based
on bilateral agreements.
Palestinian
officials announced earlier this week the resumption of ties with Israel after
a monthslong pause following the Middle East peace plan unveiled by Washington
earlier this year.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Raab
said in a tweet that the move was an important and constructive step toward
peace.
In
February, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that his country would cut
all ties with the United States and Israel, including those relating to
security, after rejecting a Middle East peace plan presented by US President
Donald Trump.
Israel
and the Palestinian Authority’s security forces have long cooperated in
policing areas of the occupied West Bank that are under Palestinian control. The
PA also has intelligence cooperation agreements with the CIA, which continued
even after the Palestinians began boycotting the Trump administration’s peace
efforts in 2017.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/19/British-Foreign-Secretary-supports-Palestinian-Authority-and-Israeli-re-cooperation
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Turkey’s
Behaviour ‘Widening Its Separation’ From Europe: EU Foreign Policy Chief
19
November 2020
Turkey’s
rhetoric on Cyprus is aggravating tensions with the European Union and Ankara
must understand that its behavior is “widening its separation” from the
27-nation bloc, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday.
“We
consider the recent actions and statements by Turkey related to Cyprus contrary
to the United Nations resolutions and further igniting tensions,” Borrell told
a news conference after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“We
consider that it is important that Turkey understands that its behavior is
widening its separation from the EU ... In order to return to a positive
agenda, as we wish, will require a fundamental change of attitude on the
Turkish side.”
He
was referring to comments by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who called for an
equal “two-state” solution in Cyprus during a visit earlier this week to the
breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the island.
Erdogan
also said Turkey and Northern Cyprus would no longer tolerate what he called
“diplomacy games” in an international dispute over rights to offshore resources
in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey
is an official candidate for EU membership.
Cyprus
has been split along ethnic lines since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by
a brief Greek-inspired coup. Only Ankara recognizes Northern Cyprus as an
independent state and it has no diplomatic relations with the government of
Cyprus, which is a member of the EU.
Cyprus
called Erdogan’s visit “provocative and illegal”.
The
EU has threatened to impose sanctions on Turkey over illegal exploration at sea
when its leaders meet next month.
“Time
is running, and we are approaching a watershed moment in our relationship with
Turkey,” Borrell said.
The
EU has failed to persuade Ankara to stop exploring in waters disputed by Greece
and Cyprus, but it has so far held off imposing sanctions that Athens and
Nicosia are seeking.
Germany,
which has led diplomatic talks with Ankara, wants to give dialog a chance
because of close EU-Turkey trade ties.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/19/EU-foreign-policy-chief-Turkey-s-behavior-widening-its-separation-from-EU
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Azerbaijan's
army enters Aghdam, Armenian district handed back in peace deal
20
November 2020
Azerbaijan’s
army said Friday it had entered the district of Aghdam, the first of three to
be handed back by Armenia as part of a Russian-brokered peace deal to end
fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“Units
of the Azerbaijan Army entered the Aghdam region on November 20,” Azerbaijan’s
defense ministry said of the district, which had been controlled by Armenian
separatists for nearly 30 years.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/20/Azerbaijan-s-army-enters-Aghdam-Armenian-district-handed-back-in-peace-deal
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