Suicide Bomber Kills 100 in Northern Afghanistan Shia Mosque during Friday Prayers - It Bore All the Hallmarks of Islamic State-Khorasan
New
Age Islam News Bureau
09
October 2021
The Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s northeastern city
of Kunduz, where the suicide bomber blew himself up during Friday prayers.
------
•
Germany's Cologne to Allow Public Muslim Call to Prayer in Two-Year Pilot
Scheme
•
Fifty-Five Percent Pakistani Favour Taliban-Style Islamic Government: Gallup
and Gillani Survey
•
US Condemns Suicide Attack on Afghan Mosque; Says Afghans Deserve a ‘Future
Free of Terror'
•
Israeli Court Upholds Ban on Jewish Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
South Asia
•
IS claims Afghan mosque attack that killed dozens, says it targeted Shiites
•
Islamic Emirate delegates head to Doha for talks on Afghanistan
•
US, Taliban to hold first talks since Afghanistan withdrawal
•
Afghan acting foreign minister leaves for Qatar
•
ISIS claims responsibility for deadly blast in Kunduz province
•
UNSC condemns attack on Afghan mosque, underlines need to bring perpetrators to
justice
--------
Europe
•
UK Muslim Charity Slams 'Institutional Islamophobia' After Regulator Concludes
Two-Year Investigation
•
Macron: France has 'no goal of staying in Mali for long time’
•
Germany 'deeply regrets' UN vote to end Yemen war crimes probe
•
Ukraine's security depends on partnership with 'real friends' like Turkey: FM
•
Bosnia Herzegovina gets financial assistance from EU
--------
Pakistan
•
Pakistan’s Islamic Parties Push for Taliban Recognition in Afghanistan
•
US Deputy Secretary Of State Emphasises Importance of 'Coordinated Approach' To
Afghan Issue in Talks with Pakistan Leadership
•
Plot to destroy peace in Pakistan, Afghanistan: Ashrafi
•
Afghan dispute overshadows desire for broad-based US-Pakistan ties
•
Special cell to coordinate Afghan-related matters
•
Should be 'very proud': US official lauds Pakistan for helping Afghan refugees
over last 42 years
--------
North America
•
US delegation to meet Taliban in first high-level talks since pullout:
Officials
•
US, Pakistani officials in strained talks over Afghanistan
•
US removes 2 Iranian firms from sanctions blacklist
•
Cheer in Pakistan over Taliban capture of Kabul will be short-lived: Ex-CIA
Director General David Petraeus
--------
Mideast
•
Israeli Court Upholds Ban on Jewish Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
•
FM: US, Europe’s Practical Acts, Removal of Sanctions Matter to Iran
•
Envoy: Missile Power Iran’s Inalienable Right
•
Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Chief, Palestinian Leaders, Lebanese Officials in
Beirut
•
Iran FM ‘optimistic’ on nuclear talks if US plays ball
•
Turkish opposition deepens cooperation, heaping pressure on President Erdogan
--------
India
•
I Don't Want Miya Votes, We Live In Harmony: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
•
Will Dismantle Terror Ecosystem: LG Manoj Sinha
•
Gurugram: Namaz under Heavy Security As Group Organises Bhajan, Aarti at Prayer
Site
•
Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir Ul Islam Condemns Killing Of Two Teachers
•
Kashmiri Pandits in US condemn killings of Hindus, Sikhs by militants in
Kashmir
•
Political class has failed miserably in promoting spirit of Constitution:
Kerala Guv Arif Mohammed Khan
•
Grave of Islamic Jihadi Terrorism Will Be Dug By India: VHP Announces
Nationwide Protest against Targeted Killings In Kashmir
•
NIA files charge sheet against radical who wanted to establish Islamic State in
Tamil Nadu
•
Dubai: Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, receives UAE Golden Visa
•
Lashkar terrorist killed in encounter in Srinagar: Police
•
Hundreds bid farewell to slain school teacher and principal in Jammu and
Kashmir
--------
Arab World
•
10 Injured In 2 Drone Attacks At Saudi's King Abdullah Airport
•
Two killed in Israel strike on Syria base: Monitor
•
Bashar al-Assad allows exiled uncle to return to Syria, pro-government
newspaper says
•
Syrian air defences intercept Israeli attack above Homs countryside: State media
•
Azhar grand imam condemns 'fatal flaw' in global production and distribution of
vaccines
--------
Africa
•
Gunmen Kill Imam, 10 Others In Northern Nigeria
•
UK, US, Norway urge end to eastern Sudan protests
•
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI urges MPs to confront ‘external threats’
•
Libya’s rival camps adopt plan for withdrawal of mercenaries
•
Kidnapped Nigerian students freed after ransoms paid: School
•
UN hails signing of plan for withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters from
Libya
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Religious Groups, Activist Weigh In On Potential Dangers Of Recent Incendiary
Comments By Ustaz
•
Sabah CM welcomes support from independent assemblymen
•
Annuar Musa: National Sports Day best platform to promote unity among
Malaysians
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/shia-mosque-suicide-khorasan/d/125544
--------
Suicide
Bomber Kills 100 in Northern Afghanistan Shia Mosque during Friday Prayers - It
Bore All the Hallmarks of Islamic State-Khorasan
Omer
Farooq Khan
Oct
9, 2021
The Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s northeastern city
of Kunduz, where the suicide bomber blew himself up during Friday prayers.
------
ISLAMABAD:
A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in
Afghanistan’s northeastern city of Kunduz, killing at least 100 worshippers and
injuring about 150.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the
attack but it bore all the hallmarks of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), which
had recently attacked a mosque in Kabul, killing several people.
Video
footage showed horrific scenes with bodies surrounded by debris inside the
Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, confirmed the explosion and said there were
casualties. However, he did not immediately provide any death toll, saying the
Taliban were still investigating. "Today in the afternoon, in the Khanabad
Bandar area in the capital city of Kunduz, a blast targeted a mosque belonging
to our Shia citizens and martyred and wounded a number of our
compatriots," he tweeted.
Local
security officials said over 300 hundred people had been attending Friday
prayers when the attack took place.
There
are conflicting reports about the number of casualties. Dost Mohammad Obaida,
the deputy police chief for Kunduz province, said at least 100 people were
killed and many more wounded in the attack. "I assure our Shia brothers
that the Taliban are prepared to ensure their safety," Obaida said, adding
that an investigation was underway.
Earlier,
authorities at Kunduz’s provincial hospital said that 35 dead and more than 50
injured were brought there, while health officials at the Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF) hospital in the city reported that 15 dead and 90 wounded were
brought to their facility. MSF hospital workers said they feared the death toll
could rise.
If
the IS-K claims the Friday blast, it would be the worst attack in the
war-battered country after the group had targeted Kabul airport in a devastating
bombing in August.
Afghanistan’s
minority Shia Muslims, who make up roughly 20 per cent of the Afghan
population, have been victims of some of the country’s most violent assaults.
Many of them are Hazara, an ethnic group that has been heavily persecuted in
Afghanistan for decades.
The
IS-K has repeatedly targeted Afghanistan's Shia minority in the past, with
suicide bombers striking at their mosques, sports clubs and schools.
Kunduz
is a key transit point for economic and trade exchanges with Tajikistan. The
province saw fierce battles as the Taliban fought their way back into power in
August this year.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Germany's
Cologne To Allow Public Muslim Call To Prayer In Two-Year Pilot Scheme
09
October, 2021
The
new scheme will be carried out under certain rules [Getty]
------
Municipal
authorities in the western German city of Cologne have announced that the
Muslim call to prayer will be allowed to be recited on loudspeakers on Fridays,
when Muslims hold weekly congregational prayers.
The
public call to prayer, known in Arabic as the azan, will happen under a
two-year pilot project.
Cologne
Mayor Henriette Reker said that the decision came in response to requests,
calling it "a sign of mutual acceptance of religion”, according to
Anadolu.
"Our
Muslim citizens are an integral part of our city. Hearing the call to prayer
alongside church bells in our city shows that diversity is valued in Cologne
and that diversity is experienced here," the mayor said.
Under
the pilot scheme's rules, the azan must last no longer than 10 minutes and the
volume must be monitored, with each mosque assigning an individual to receive
queries from the public and log complaints.
Cologne
is the largest state in Germany's North-Rhine Westphalia region and is the
country's fourth most-populous city. The city is home to a large number of
Turkish first and second generation immigrants, with official censuses from
2017 and 2018 numbering the community at close to 55,000.
The
Muslim call to prayer has often been the target of anti-Muslim political
rhetoric, as is often seen with other symbols of Muslim identity, like the
hijab and niqab.
Last
year, a court in the German city of Münster reversed a ban on a local mosque's
call to prayer, which had come into force after a complaint from a local
Christian couple.
The
court ruled that the call did not infringe on the couple's rights.
"Every
society must accept that one will sometimes be aware that others exercise their
faith," presiding judge Annette Kleinschnittger said at the time.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/germanys-cologne-allow-public-muslim-call-prayer
--------
Fifty-Five
Percent Pakistani Favour Taliban-Style Islamic Government: Gallup and Gillani
Survey
8
October 2021
Nearly
55% of the Pakistanis want to have Taliban-styled Islamic government in
Pakistan. The results were presented by a survey conducted by a leading
Pakistani research firm on Thursday.
The
study was carried out by Gallup and Gillani Pakistan- an affiliate of Gallup
International. According to the survey, a sample of 1,418 men and women from
rural and urban areas were questioned from August 13th to September 5th, 2021.
The
main question asked was: “Do you want the kind of Islamic government that the
Taliban have brought to Afghanistan in Pakistan as well?”
In
response, 55% of respondents said ‘yes’ and 31% said ‘no’. Meanwhile, 14% said
they don’t know or did they not respond.
According
to the survey result, 31% of males and 33% of females were against the
Taliban-styled Islamic government.
In
the new development, more than 100 music students and teachers have fled
Afghanistan in a nail-biting flight from Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover
of the country.
Fearing
a crackdown on music by the country’s new leaders, a total of 101 members of
Afghanistan’s top musical institute landed in Doha on Sunday evening.
The
group, about half of them women and girls, plan to fly to Portugal with the
support of the government there.
The
Taliban have banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving
or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Islamic, law.
The
order in Helmand province was issued on Monday by the provincial Taliban
government’s vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the
provincial capital.
“Since
I have heard (about the ban on trimming beards) I am heartbroken,” said Bilal
Ahmad, a Lashkar Gah resident. “This is the city and everyone follows a way of
living, so they have to be left alone to do whatever they want.”
During
their previous rule of Afghanistan, the Taliban adhered to a harsh
interpretation of Islam. Since overrunning Kabul on Aug 15 and again taking
control of the country, the world has been watching to see whether they will
re-create their strict governance of the late 1990s.
Source:
Global Village Space
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.globalvillagespace.com/55-pakistani-favor-taliban-style-islamic-government-survey/
--------
US
Condemns Suicide Attack on Afghan Mosque; Says Afghans Deserve a ‘Future Free
of Terror'
Lalit
K Jha
Oct
9, 2021
Washington:
The US has condemned in the strongest terms the suicide attack on worshippers
at a mosque in Afghanistan in which at least 46 people were killed, saying the
Afghan people deserve a “future free of terror”.
The
Islamic State terror group has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing
that tore through the packed Shiite Mosque in northern Afghanistan’s city of
Kunduz.
At
least 46 people were killed and dozens of others injured in the attack which
was the latest in a series of Islamic State bombings targeting Afghanistan’s
new Taliban rulers, religious institutions and members of the country’s
minority Shiite Muslims.
In
a statement on Friday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the US
condemns in the strongest terms the Friday’s attack on worshippers at a mosque
in northern Afghanistan.
“We
offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. The Afghan
people deserve a future free of terror,” Price said.
White
House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference,
“Obviously, any loss is an enormous tragedy, and our heart goes out to the
families who lost loved ones”.
“We,
of course, will continue to work in partnership with leaders in the region to
work to get partners who stood by our side out of Afghanistan, who want to
depart. That’s something that there’s ongoing work on, as we speak,” Psaki
added.
The
Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate, dubbed Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K)
which has stepped up attacks in several Afghan cities since the Taliban seized
power in Kabul on August 15, had claimed the deadly suicide attack at Kabul
airport on August 26 that killed nearly 170 Afghans and 13 US military
personnel.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
Court Upholds Ban On Jewish Prayer At Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound
08
October, 2021
An
Israeli court on Friday upheld a ban on Jewish prayer at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa
mosque compound, overturning a lower court’s decision that had sparked fury
among Palestinians and the Muslim world.
Aryeh
Lippo, an Israeli rabbi, was slapped with a two-week ban from the compound last
month after praying there, but a Jerusalem court on Tuesday struck down the
move, saying Lippo’s whispered prayer did “not violate police instructions.”
Jews
are allowed to visit the site but may not overtly pray or engage in rituals
there.
Israeli
police appealed the decision, and Jerusalem District Court judge Aryeh Romanoff
on Friday upheld the ban, saying officers had acted “within reason.”
“The
fact that there was someone who observed [Lippo] pray is evidence that his
prayer was overt,” Romanoff wrote. “I restore the decision of the police
commander.”
Palestinians,
as well as officials in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia had condemned the lower
court’s decision.
Sacred
to Muslims as the third-holiest site in Islam and revered by Jews as the
location of two ancient temples, the mosque and its surrounding plaza has long
been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel
captured east Jerusalem including the mosque in 1967, but Jordan is custodian
of Islamic sites in the city.
No
Israeli law prohibits Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound, but since 1967,
Israeli authorities have enforced a ban to prevent tensions.
In
a statement in favor of the police ban on Friday, Israel’s Public Security
Minister Omer Bar-Lev had warned that a change in the status quo would
“endanger the public peace.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
IS
claims Afghan mosque attack that killed dozens, says it targeted Shiites
October
08, 2021
The
militant Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing
at a Shiite Muslim mosque in northern Afghanistan that killed at least 46
people and wounded dozens.
The
claim, carried by the IS-linked Aamaq news agency and cited by the SITE
Intelligence Group, which monitors militant postings, came just hours after the
blast tore through the packed mosque in the city of Kunduz on Friday.
The
attack was the latest in a series of IS bombings and shootings that have
targeted Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers, as well as religious institutions
and members of the country's minority Shiites.
The
explosion tore through a mosque in the city of Kunduz during noon prayers, the
highlight of the Muslim religious week. It blew out windows, charred the
ceiling and scattered debris and twisted metal across the floor. Rescuers
carried one body out on a stretcher and another in a blanket. Blood stains
covered the front steps.
Area
resident Hussaindad Rezayee said he rushed to the mosque when he heard the
explosion, just as prayers started. I came to look for my relatives, the mosque
was full," he said.
The
worshippers targeted Friday were Hazaras, who have long suffered from double
discrimination as an ethnic minority and as followers of Shiite Islam in a
majority Sunni country.
The
Islamic State group has been behind a rise in attacks, including against the
Taliban, since the departure of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan at the end
of August. IS and the Taliban, who seized control of the country with the exit
of the foreign troops, are strategic rivals. IS militants have targeted Taliban
positions and attempted to recruit members from their ranks.
In the past, the Taliban managed to contain
the IS threat in tandem with US and Afghan airstrikes. Without these, it
remains unclear whether the Taliban can suppress what appears to be a growing
IS footprint. The militants, once confined to the east, have penetrated the
capital of Kabul and other provinces with new attacks.
This
comes at a critical moment, as the Taliban attempt to consolidate power and
transform their guerrilla fighters into a structured police and security force.
But while the group attempts to project an air of authority through reports of
raids and arrests of IS members, it remains unclear if it has the capability to
protect soft targets, including religious institutions.
In
Kunduz, police officials were still picking up the pieces Friday at the
Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque.
Citing
preliminary reports, the deputy Taliban police chief of Kunduz province, Dost
Mohammad Obaida, said more than 100 people had been killed or wounded, and that
he believed the dead outnumbered the wounded. Hours after his initial
statement, police had still not provided an update.
An
official at the Kunduz provincial hospital said at least 25 people were killed
and 51 wounded in the attack. He said the figures were preliminary because
casualties were being transferred to private hospitals as well. He spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media.
Even the preliminary death toll of 25 is
already the highest in an attack since foreign troops left Afghanistan.
The
United Nations mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack as part of a
disturbing pattern of violence targeting religious institutions.
Obaida,
the deputy police chief, pledged to protect minorities in the province. I
assure our Shiite brothers that the Taliban are prepared to ensure their
safety, he said.
A
prominent Shiite cleric, Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi, condemned the attack and
called on the Taliban to provide security for the Shiites of Afghanistan. We
expect the security forces of the government to provide security for the
mosques since they collected the weapons that were provided for the security of
the worship places, he said.
The
new tone struck by the Taliban, at least in Kunduz, is in sharp contrast to the
well-documented history of Taliban fighters committing a litany of atrocities
against minorities, including Hazaras. The Taliban, now feeling the weight of
governing, employed similar tactics to those of IS during their 20-year
insurgency, including suicide bombings and shooting ambushes.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
Emirate delegates head to Doha for talks on Afghanistan
October
09, 2021
KABUL:
A delegation of the Islamic Emirate left Kabul for Doha on Friday for talks
with officials from a number of countries to discuss Afghanistan’s political
situation.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, deputy minister for the Ministry of Information and Culture, said the
delegation will meet with Qatari officials and the envoys of a number of
countries on Afghanistan’s situation. The delegation is led by acting Foreign
Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Mujahid said. The acting information and culture
minister Khairullah Khairkhwa, the general director of intelligence Mullah
Abdulhaq Wasiq, interior deputy minister Malwlawi Noor Jalal, Shabuddin Delawar
and Haji Mohammad are all members of the delegation, said Mujahid. Reuters
reported that a delegation of the Islamic Emirate will be invited to an
international talk on Afghanistan in Moscow, citing Zamir Kabulov, the Russian
president’s special envoy for Afghanistan. The talk, according to Kabulov, will
be hosted by Moscow on October 20.
Source:
The News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US,
Taliban to hold first talks since Afghanistan withdrawal
October
9, 2021
Senior
Taliban officials and US representatives are to hold talks Saturday and Sunday
about containing extremist groups in Afghanistan and easing the evacuation of
foreign citizens and Afghans from the country, officials from both sides said.
It's
the first such meeting since US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in late
August, ending a 20-year military presence there, and the Taliban's rise to
power in the nation.
The
talks are to take place in Doha, the capital of the Persian Gulf state of
Qatar.
'Talks
to revisit the peace accord of 2020'
Taliban
spokesman Suhail Shaheen, who is based in Doha, told The Associated Press on
Saturday that the talks will also revisit the peace agreement the Taliban
signed with Washington in 2020.
The
agreement had paved the way for the final US withdrawal.
"Yes
there is a meeting... about bilateral relations and implementation of the Doha
agreement," said Shaheen. "It covers various topics."
"Terrorism
will also feature in the talks," said a second official who spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Since
the Taliban took power, the militant group Islamic State have ramped up attacks
on the group, as well as ethnic and religious minorities.
On
Friday, an IS suicide bomber killed at least 55 worshippers at a Shia mosque
and wounded dozens in the deadliest attack since the US departure.
The
IS has carried out relentless assaults on the country's Shias since emerging in
eastern Afghanistan in 2014. IS is also seen as the greatest threat to the
United States.
The
US-Taliban agreement of 2020, which was negotiated by the Trump administration,
demanded the Taliban break ties with terrorist groups and guarantee Afghanistan
would not again harbor terrorists who could attack the United States and its
allies.
It
seems certain the two sides will discuss in the weekend talks how to tackle the
growing threat.
The
Taliban have said they do not want US anti-terrorism assistance and have warned
Washington against any so-called "over-the -horizon" strikes on
Afghan territory from outside the country's borders.
'US
to press Taliban to fulfil commitments'
The
United States, meanwhile, would seek to hold Taliban leaders to commitments
that they would allow Americans and other foreign nationals to leave
Afghanistan, along with Afghans who once worked for the US military or government
and other Afghan allies, a US official said.
The
official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised
to speak by name about the meetings.
The
Biden administration has fielded questions and complaints about the slow pace
of US-facilitated evacuations from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan since the US
withdrawal.
State
Department spokesman Ned Price said on Thursday that 105 US citizens and 95
green card holders had left since then on flights facilitated by the US. That
number had not changed for more than a week.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1651018/us-taliban-to-hold-first-talks-since-afghanistan-withdrawal
--------
Afghan
acting foreign minister leaves for Qatar
09
Oct 2021
Afghanistan’s
acting foreign minister Amirkhan Motaqi leading a high-level delegation left
Kabul for the Qatari capital Doha on Friday, October 8.
Deputy
Minister of information and culture and spokesperson of the Taliban Zabiullah
Mujahid said that Amir Khan Motaqi and his delegation will meet the Qatari
officials and representatives of other countries in Doha.
The
Afghan delegation is due to discuss the political situation of Afghanistan.
It
comes after Amir Khan Motaqi hosted his Uzbek counterpart in Kabul and
discussed bilateral relations, trade, and other economic projects including the
import of electricity.
Earlier,
members of the Taliban’s political office in Doha and their UN nominee Suhail
Shaheen had discussed Afghanistan’s situation with the representatives of EU
members states, the US, and Japan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-acting-foreign-minister-leaves-for-qatar-457457/
--------
ISIS
claims responsibility for deadly blast in Kunduz province
09
Oct 2021
The
Islamic State-ISIS- has claimed the responsibility for the heinous explosion in
a mosque in northern Kunduz province that occurred on Friday afternoon, October
8.
ISIS
in a statement that was published in Arabic said that the suicide bomber was
named Muhammad and was and Uyghur Muslim.
The
blasts happened in the Shite Muslim mosque.
The
ISIS statement claimed to have killed and wounded three hundred Hazara-Shite in
the explosion.
The
explosion that targeted worshipers who had gathered for Friday prayer in Khan
Abad port of Kunduz province killed 50 and wounded over a hundred more
civilians.
The
Taliban have condemned the incident and pledged to bring to find and punish the
culprits.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/isis-claims-responsibility-for-deadly-blast-in-kunduz-province-457457/
--------
UNSC
condemns attack on Afghan mosque, underlines need to bring perpetrators to
justice
9
October 2021
New
York [US] October 9 (ANI): United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned
the deadly attack on a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province,
preceding recent attacks against religious institutions in the country.
"We
underline the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of
terrorism accountable and bring them to justice," the UNSC statement said
on Friday (local time).
According
to the statement, the members of the Security Council condemned in the
strongest terms the atrocious and cowardly terrorist attack in Kundth,
Afghanistan on 8 October 2021.
"The
attack, which was claimed by Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP).....
resulted in more than 100 casualties killed and wounded," it read.
The
statement further stated that its members expressed their deepest sympathy and
condolences to the families of the victims and they wished a speedy and full
recovery to those who were injured.
The
members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international
peace and security. They underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers,
financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable
and bring them to justice, as per the statement.
The
members of UNSC urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under
international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate
actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.
Source:
Yahoo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
UK
Muslim charity slams 'institutional Islamophobia' after regulator concludes
two-year investigation
08
October, 2021
Human
Aid UK has welcomed the end of a long and drawn out inquiry conducted by the
Charity Commission on Thursday, claiming the investigation was based on
Islamophobia.
The
Muslim charity, which provides emergency assistance to all communities,
released a statement outlining alleged institutional bias where they said the
commission was “excessive in its approach” and acted as an “extension of police
and security services harassment policy”.
“The
institutional Islamophobia faced by Human Aid UK has been further compounded in
the way the Commission has presented certain events in the two-year
investigation, using incriminating language against the charity,” said the
statement.
The
aid group also drew a comparison between the treatment they faced with the way
the Charity Commission handled claims of sexual exploitation against Oxfam:
“The
institutional bias of the Charity Commission report into Human Aid UK is
evident when compared to the report into the serious allegations of sexual
misconduct at Oxfam a non-Muslim charity, which was completed in less time, and
which resulted in a carefully worded 143-page report, “ Chair of Human Aid UK,
Nur Choudhury said.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/uk-muslim-ngo-says-charity-commission-probe-islamophobic
--------
Macron:
France has 'no goal of staying in Mali for long time’
Yusuf
Özcan
09.10.2021
PARIS
French
President Emmanuel Macron said Friday at a summit that his country has “no goal
of staying in Mali for a long time.”
The
Africa-France Summit was held in Montpellier, where young Africans participated
without the involvement of the heads of states of African countries.
Macron,
the only president at the summit, said he wants to close military bases in Mali
as quickly as possible but there should be "strong state” and “investment
projects,” and his goal is not to have bases on African soil forever.
The
French president said his country is in Africa not to support any regime, but
to fight terrorism.
Macron,
who said the French army is in Mali at the request of the Malian government,
told African governments that France is reducing support in terms of investment
and Paris wants to carry out projects with civil society.
Curious
dialogue at summit
But
an exchange between Macron and an African teen at the summit attracted
attention.
The
teen said: "What happened in the Sahel is a result of what was done in
Libya. In the intervention in Libya, (France) forgot about the existence of the
African Union.
“'We
are in Mali to help Mali, there would be no government in Mali right now if we
hadn't come to the Sahel region,' you like to say that. But I want to say that
without the Africans, there would be no France today.”
“Stop
telling me you're here to help us. Terrorism is not only threatening Mali, it
is also threatening you. Stop making us feel guilty by putting us in a victim
position,” he added.
Macron
responded: "I am trying to build a dialogue within the framework of mutual
respect. We didn't come to Mali in 2013 for our own interests. This is a fact.
I have said what you said about Libya several times as president.
“I
agree with what you're saying. We did not respect the sovereignty of the people
over Libya. This is a mistake.”
The
teen retorted by saying that France was in the Sahel region to compensate for
its mistake in Libya.
"You
are making other mistakes in trying to make up for this mistake of yours. Mr.
President, I would like to remind you that foreign military interventions have
never solved problems,” he said.
“What
about Libya today? What about Afghanistan? Therefore, military intervention
will not solve the problems. I don't want my country to be like Libya.
“Take
their responsibility and stop saying 'we're here to help'. No, you're not here
to help us,” he said. “We're together. We have a common enemy. We are fighting
with him together. The statements made between you and the Malian authorities
in recent days are deceptive. We need cooperation and partnership, not help.”
Macron
told the teen that he agreed with what he said. “You cannot upload unacceptable
statements of people without legitimacy to me. They made unacceptable
statements,” he said.
Macron,
who expressed that African authorities have not completely fulfilled their
responsibilities in the fight against terrorism, noted that military
interventions will not replace the work done by a state.
He
said he did not send the French army to an area against the sovereign state or
in its place.
Wagner's
polemic between France, Mali
The
Prime Minister of Mali, Choguel Kokalla Maiga, accused France, which decided to
withdraw from Mali, of acting unilaterally when allegations were raised that
Russian security company, Wagner, would be stationed in the country.
Laurent
Michon, commander of Operation Barkhane, which France is conducting in the
Sahel, also said that the Bamako administration has been in talks for about two
years about the decision to withdraw from three bases in northern Mali.
Macron,
however, was shocked by Maiga's comments, stating that "These shameful
statements from a country where there have been two consecutive coups, where
there is not even a government, are unacceptable.
“We
are in Mali at the request of the state of Mali. Without France, Mali would
have fallen into the hands of terrorists."
French
Ambassador to Bamako, M. Joel Meyer, was then summoned to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Mali on Oct. 6.
Wagner's
claim that it will be stationed in Mali
It
was claimed that the military-dominated transitional government established
after the coup in Mali and Wagner was about to sign an agreement providing
training of the Mali army and protection of high-ranking officials.
It
had been suggested that about 1,000 mercenaries could go to Mali, and in
return, a monthly payment of $10.8 million would be made.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/macron-france-has-no-goal-of-staying-in-mali-for-long-time-/2387081
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Germany
'deeply regrets' UN vote to end Yemen war crimes probe
Oliver
Towfigh Nia
08.10.2021
BERLIN
Germany
on Friday expressed “deep regret” over a vote in the UN Human Rights Council to
end the Yemen war crimes investigation.
“We
deeply regret that the Yemen resolution in the (UN) Human Rights Council
failed. We observe ongoing serious human rights violations in Yemen by all
parties to the conflict and one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of
our time,” Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Christopher Burger told media
representatives in Berlin.
UN
Human Rights Council members narrowly voted to reject a resolution proposed by
the Netherlands and backed by Germany to extend the independent investigators'
mandate to monitor severe human rights violations in Yemen's civil war for
another two years.
Burger
vowed that his country will continue to "closely monitor” the human rights
situation in Yemen.
“Even
though the resolution has now been rejected, the human rights situation in
Yemen will continue to be dealt with and will be closely monitored by us,”
Burger said.
Bahrain,
Russia, and several other members of the UN Human Rights Council pressed ahead
with the vote on Thursday to end the body's war crimes investigations in Yemen
amid western diplomatic efforts to keep the mission alive.
It
is the first time in the Geneva-based UN human rights body's 15-year history
that a resolution has been defeated.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-deeply-regrets-un-vote-to-end-yemen-war-crimes-probe/2386936
--------
Ukraine's
security depends on partnership with 'real friends' like Turkey: FM
Talha
Yavuz
08.10.2021
KYIV
The
Ukrainian foreign minister on Friday said his country's security depends on
partnership with "real friends" like Turkey.
"As
Ukraine is not a member of NATO, there is no security guarantee from other
countries, our security depends on ourselves and now partnership with real
friends like Turkey," Dmitro Kuleba told a panel at Ivan Franko National
University of Lviv, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
He
said Turkey helped Ukraine in the most difficult times, and that it is
suffering from Russian aggression for the last seven years.
Russia
has tripled its military presence in Crimea since 2014, Kuleba said, adding
that taking this into account they began the "Quadriga format" talks
in 2020.
Kuleba
said Ukraine started to form regional alliances with its active diplomacy and
launched the Crimean Platform, a new international consultation and
coordination format to “achieve the main goal – de-occupation of Crimea and its
peaceful return to Ukraine.”
He
said 46 foreign delegations have so far joined the platform, and they are
pleased with Turkey's support.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bosnia
Herzegovina gets financial assistance from EU
Mustafa
Talha Öztürk
08.10.2021
BELGRADE,
Serbia
The
European Union on Friday disbursed €125 million (around $145 million) in
macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“This
disbursement is part of the €3 billion [around $3.5 billion] emergency MFA
package for 10 enlargement and neighborhood partners, which aims to help them
respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the bloc said in a
statement.
The
financial support “represents an important act of solidarity with the people of
Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Paolo Gentiloni, EU commissioner for economy.
“It
is an important contribution towards repairing some of the economic and social
damage inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/bosnia-herzegovina-gets-financial-assistance-from-eu/2386860
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan’s
Islamic parties push for Taliban recognition in Afghanistan
October
9, 2021
Powerful
Islamist factions in Pakistani politics are putting pressure on the government
to officially recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Fazlur
Rehman, head of the Islamic political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI),
recently demanded that Islamabad officially recognise the theocratic Taliban
government in Afghanistan.
Rehman
is one of Pakistan’s most powerful clerics, and also heads the country’s
largest alliance of opposition parties, the Pakistan Democratic Movement.
He
has a massive following in Pakistan and wields considerable influence in the
country’s religious and political circles.
Out
of 36,000 Pakistani Islamic religious seminaries, over 18,000 belong to the
strict Deobandi school of thought, which emphasises adherence to Islamic law.
The
Afghan Taliban, and Rehman, both follow Deobandi ideology, and Taliban
officials and foot soldiers alike have studied in these seminaries, some of
which are said to be under the control of JUI affiliates.
Although
the Taliban have been courting governments around the world for international
recognition of its “Islamic Emirate” in Afghanistan, no country officially
recognises their rule.
Several
members of the Taliban’s leadership are also on international terrorist lists.
After
the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, reports have piled up of public
executions, a violent crackdown on media, suppression of women, banning girls
from schools, and violating the rights of ethnic minorities.
Islamic
groups say Afghan Taliban is ‘legitimate’
Islamic
hardliners in Pakistan say they support the Taliban’s application of Shariah
law in running Afghanistan.
The
JUI believes that recognition of the Taliban is in Pakistan’s national
interest.
Jalal
Uddin, an aide to Rehman, told DW that the Taliban is a “Pakistan friendly”
government, and that recognition from Islamabad will further strengthen ties
between the two Muslim-majority countries.
Even
if many critical in voices in Pakistan believe that the Taliban have come into
power through force, and consider their government illegitimate, religious
groups in Pakistan are pushing back.
The
right-wing religious groups say liberal Pakistanis have launched a campaign
against the Afghan Taliban.
Hafiz
Ihtesham from the Martyrs Foundation, an Islamist organisation affiliated with
Islamabad’s Red Mosque, claimed that the 2001 US-NATO invasion deposed the
Taliban as legitimate rulers of Afghanistan and that now their rule has been
“restored.”
“We
think Pakistan is a sovereign and independent country and it should ignore
western pressure and recognise this government,” he told DW.
Ihtesham
added his organisation was considering approaching the government with a
request to recognise the Taliban.
Maulana
Abdul Akbar Chitrali, a leader of the Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami,
says his party chief is demanding that Islamabad recognise Taliban rule in
Afghanistan.
“We
will also make this demand in parliament,” he told DW, adding that the party is
also launching mobilisation for this purpose.
Will
Pakistan recognise the Taliban?
In
1996, when the Taliban first took over Afghanistan, Pakistan was the first
country in the world to recognise their government. The Taliban ruled the
country with an iron first, handing down inhuman punishments and putting severe
restrictions on women.
The
United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia also recognised the Taliban’s first
Afghan government.
This
time around, experts believe Pakistan cannot afford to infuriate the West by
recognising the Islamists.
Islamabad
is dealing with a faltering economy, dependent on international monetary
institutions for help, and is over $100 billion in debt.
Husain
Haqqani, South and Central Asia director at Hudson Institute, a think tank in
Washington, said that Pakistan will likely see how other countries respond
before making a decision.
He
told DW Islamabad would be isolated, as it was in the 1990s, if it rushes into
recognising the Taliban while the rest of the world condemns their rule.
Haqqani
added that Islamabad should ignore the pressure coming from right-wing
religious parties.
However,
a Pakistani lawmaker with the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
rejected the notion it has not recognised the Afghan Taliban because of US
pressure.
Muhammad
Bashir Khan said that many Pakistanis and PTI members support recognising the
Taliban.
“We
have very cordial ties with the Kabul government and want to recognise them in
consultation with China, Russia and other regional states,” he said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Plot
to destroy peace in Pakistan, Afghanistan: Ashrafi
October
09, 2021
LAHORE:
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East Tahir
Mehmood Ashrafi has warned that anti-Muslim forces are unleashing a conspiracy
to destroy peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Explosions
in mosques in Afghanistan are deplorable, he said while addressing the Pakistan
Stability and Ulema-Mashaykh Convention here on Friday. Ashrafi, who is also
chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), said that after the new developments
in Afghanistan, the responsibility of Mihrab-o-Mimbar has increased manifold.
India is conspiring to create misunderstandings and chaos between Afghanistan
and Pakistan, he warned. “India wants to cause sectarian strife in Afghanistan
and Pakistan in which it has failed in the past,” he said, adding that Ulema
and Mashaykh have to play their role in foiling the enemy’s conspiracies like
they had done in maintaining peace in Muharramul Haram.
He
said the PUC has initiated consultations with the religious and political
leadership of the country on the current situation in the country and
Afghanistan, and meetings in this regard are being started from Saturday
(today). He said that during Ashra-e-Rehmatul-lil-Alameen, the solution to
contemporary problems will be presented to the nation in accordance with the
teachings of holy prophet Mohammed (SAW). He said Pakistan Stability
Ulema-Mashaykh Conventions, Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Conferences, seminars and
religious congratulations will be held during the months of Rabi-ul-Awwal and
Rabius Saani. He urged the young generation to study the life of holy prophet
Mohammed (SAW), his pious companions and the Ahl-e-Bayt, adding that the only
role model for Muslims is the holy prophet Mohammed (SAW).
Source:
The News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/898891-plot-to-destroy-peace-in-pakistan-afghanistan-ashrafi
--------
Afghan
dispute overshadows desire for broad-based US-Pakistan ties
Anwar
Iqbal
October
9, 2021
After
the latest round of talks in Islamabad on Friday, both the United States and
Pakistan expressed their desire for reviving a broad-based relationship, yet
both remain focused on Afghanistan.
US
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for
the talks that focused on the current situation in Afghanistan and on
Washington’s efforts to evolve a coordinated approach towards Kabul’s new
Taliban rulers.
The
top US diplomat met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, National Security
Adviser Moeed Yusuf and Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa during her
two-day stay in the Pakistani capital. She was also expected to meet Prime
Minister Imran Khan, but the meeting did not materialise.
On
Friday afternoon, the State Department issued two statements on Sherman’s
engagements in Islamabad, indicating the centrality of the Afghan issue in
US-Pakistan talks.
The
department’s spokesperson Ned Price said that in her meeting with Qureshi,
Sherman discussed areas of bilateral cooperation, the importance of the
US-Pakistan relationship and the way forward in Afghanistan. “Deputy Secretary
Sherman emphasised the importance of a coordinated approach to Afghanistan and
other issues vital to regional stability,” the statement added.
Another
brief statement on Sherman’s meeting with NSA Yusuf said that the two officials
“discussed developments in Afghanistan and ways to advance cooperation across
the bilateral relationship”.
At
a news briefing in Islamabad, Sherman said that while she also discussed
bilateral relations with Pakistani officials, “this particular trip was to
really consult deeply on how we see the changing circumstances, given the
change that has taken place in Afghanistan.”
This
confirms what Sherman said at an event in Mumbai on Thursday where she declared
that the US no longer sees itself building a “broad-based relationship” with
Pakistan and that she was going to Islamabad with a “specific and narrow
purpose” of talks on Afghanistan.
Later
in a tweet, Sherman did say that she met Qureshi to “discuss Afghanistan’s
future” and “the important and long-standing” US-Pakistan relationship. “We
look forward to continuing to address pressing regional and global challenges,”
she added.
OTH
capability for Afghanistan
But
Afghanistan remains a factor even in the pursuit for a long-standing
partnership with Pakistan, as the US deputy secretary of state said at a news
briefing in New Delhi on Wednesday. Speaking to a select group of Indian
journalists, Sherman said that the Biden administration was putting together a
robust programme for “over-the-horizon” (OTH) capability for Afghanistan.
The
top US diplomat, who visited India before coming to Pakistan, did not elaborate
this over the horizon capability but a senior US general told a congressional
hearing in Washington last week that the United States was holding direct talks
with Pakistan over the use of a vital air corridor to Afghanistan.
Gen
Frank McKenzie, who heads the US Central Command, expressed the desire for Pakistan’s
cooperation at a hearing dominated by demands for punitive actions against
Islamabad. The same week, a group of 22 Republican senators also moved a bill
in the US Senate, seeking a probe into Islamabad’s alleged role in the Afghan
war.
“Over
the last 20 years we’ve been able to use what we call the air boulevard to go
in over western Pakistan and that’s become something that’s vital to us, as
well as certain landlines of communication,” Gen McKenzie said.
Continued
engagement
Diplomatic
sources in Washington say that despite differences on Afghanistan and other
issues, the Biden administration will continue its engagement with Pakistan.
According to these sources, future contacts may include the much-desired
telephone call from US President Joe Biden to Prime Minister Imran. And there
could be more bilateral talks at lower levels as well.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1651008/afghan-dispute-overshadows-desire-for-broad-based-us-pakistan-ties
--------
Special
cell to coordinate Afghan-related matters
October
9, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday ordered setting up of a special body for
coordinating Afghanistan-related matters.
The
prime minister “directed the establishment of a dedicated cell to synergise
various streams of efforts on Afghanistan across the government, including
international coordination for humanitarian assistance and effective border
management to prevent any negative spillover into Pakistan,” the PM Office said
in a statement on the meeting of the National Security Committee.
The
NSC, which is the top body for coordination on security issues, had met to
discuss the developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s approach for dealing
with them.
The
meeting chaired by PM Khan was attended by key federal ministers, national
security adviser, services chiefs and heads of intelligence agencies.
Pakistan
has not only been providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, but has
also extended trade facilitation to Afghan traders for promoting their exports.
The trade concessions have tipped the trade balance in favour of Afghanistan.
The
government is also planning to extend a financial and technical package to the
Taliban regime that is faced with the twin looming crises of economic collapse
and humanitarian disaster. The situation has been aggravated by the drought in
the country.
More
than 18 million Afghans need urgent assistance, including nearly a million
children who are at risk of starvation, according to Unicef.
The
economic crisis has emerged after Western donors pulled the plug on assistance
for Afghanistan, which was the mainstay of Afghan economy, following the
Taliban takeover. Moreover, the US has frozen Afghan reserves and international
lending agencies have blocked Taliban regime’s access to their funds.
Mr
Khan, in view of the diverse support being extended to Taliban in Afghanistan,
emphasised the need for a coordinated policy effort.
“The
prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the evolving regional security
situation, particularly the recent developments in Afghanistan and their
possible impact on Pakistan,” the PMO said.
“Committee
members emphasised that the evolving situation in the region was extremely
complex and that any instability in Afghanistan could have severe implications
for Pakistan,” it further said.
Islamabad
has lobbied hard with the international community to persuade it to engage with
the Taliban regime, grant it recognition, and resume development assistance so
that the prospects of viability of the new set-up could improve.
The
international community has generously provided humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan, but has linked development assistance to the recognition of the
new government. The recognition issue further depends on Taliban meeting
demands about formation of an inclusive ruling set-up, observance of rights,
and fulfillment of counter-terrorism commitments.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1650909/special-cell-to-coordinate-afghan-related-matters
--------
Should
be 'very proud': US official lauds Pakistan for helping Afghan refugees over
last 42 years
October
8, 2021
US
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Friday expressed appreciation for
Pakistan's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, saying
that it should be "very proud of 42 years of helping Afghan refugees"
and the US, as well as the world, was grateful for that.
Sherman,
who is leading a US delegation on a visit to Pakistan, lauded Pakistan's role
in this regard during an exclusive interview on PTV News programme
'Shahrah-e-Dastoor'.
In
response to a question, she said she had visited a United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees Documentation Renewal and Information Verification
Exercise centre here earlier in the day, where registration cards were being
issued for Afghan refugees so that they could have access to facilities such as
healthcare in Pakistan.
"It
is an extraordinary system," she said, commending Pakistan for
persistently helping Afghan refugees over a long period of time.
Sherman
was also asked about her comments about relations between the US and Pakistan
during her visit to India.
"It’s
for a very specific and narrow purpose, we don’t see ourselves building a broad
relationship with Pakistan," she had said, according to Indian publication
The Indian Express.
In
response to the question, Sherman clarified that by "specific steps"
she meant that the purpose of her trip to Pakistan was to predominantly focus on
the aftermath of events in Afghanistan and review bilateral relationships
between the US and Pakistan.
"The
US and Pakistan have had longstanding relations for decades," she said.
She
went on to say that "this is a time of great change in [this] region because
of the events in Afghanistan", and the US and the world were reassessing
what the future would look like and how to ensure a better future for Afghans
and ensure that no country remained a safe haven for terrorists.
Sherman
also assured that the US was willing to engage with Pakistan on "the
wide-ranging agenda we have" and and the aftermath of recent events in
Afghanistan.
She
added that the US was glad that Pakistan had called for an inclusive government
in Afghanistan and progress on this front should be made so as to "create
a better life for the people of Afghanistan".
"And
we also agree that humanitarian assistance [to Afghanistan] should
continue," Sherman said, sharing details of measures taken by the US for
this purpose.
'We
don't ask countries to choose between US, China'
When
asked about the Quad, a recently formed group that includes India, the US,
Japan and Australia as members and perceived to be an alliance against China in
the region, Sherman described it as a "cooperative effort" on matters
such as energy and people-to-people exchange.
In
this connection, she also clarified that the US didn't ask countries to choose
between itself and China.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US
delegation to meet Taliban in first high-level talks since pullout: Officials
Oct
9, 2021
WASHINGTON:
A US delegation will meet with senior Taliban representatives in Doha on
Saturday and Sunday in their first face-to-face meeting at a senior level since
Washington pulled its troops from Afghanistan and the hardline group took over
the country, two senior administration officials told Reuters.
The
high-level US delegation will include officials from the State Department,
USAID and the intelligence community, and will press the Taliban to ensure
continued safe passage for American citizens and others out of Afghanistan and
to release kidnapped US citizen Mark Frerichs, the officials said.
Another
top priority will be to hold the Taliban to its commitment that it will not
allow Afghanistan to again become a hotbed for Al-Qaeda or other extremists
while pressing the group to improve access for humanitarian aid as the country
faces the prospect of a "really severe and probably impossible to
prevent" economic contraction, US officials said.
US
Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, who has for years spearheaded dialogue
with the Taliban and been a key figure in peace talks with the group, will not
be part of the delegation.
The
US team will include the State Department's deputy special representative Tom
West as well as top USAID humanitarian official Sarah Charles. On The Taliban
side, cabinet officials will be attending, officials said.
"This
meeting is a continuation of the pragmatic engagements with the Taliban that
we've had ongoing on matters of vital national interest," said a senior
administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
"This
meeting is not about granting recognition or conferring legitimacy. We remain
clear that any legitimacy must be earned through the Taliban's own actions.
They need to establish a sustained track record," the official said.
The
United States' two decades-long occupation of Afghanistan culminated in a
hastily organized airlift in August which saw more than 124,000 civilians
including Americans, Afghans and others being evacuated as the Taliban took
over. But thousands of other U.S.-allied Afghans at risk of Taliban persecution
were left behind.
Washington
and other Western countries are grappling with difficult choices as a severe
humanitarian crisis looms large over Afghanistan. They are trying to formulate
how to engage with the Taliban without granting it the legitimacy it seeks
while ensuring humanitarian aid flows into the country.
Many
Afghans have started selling their possessions to pay for ever-scarcer food.
The
departure of US-led forces and many international donors robbed the country of
grants that financed 75 per cent of public spending, according to the World Bank.
While
there was an improvement for humanitarian actors get access to some areas that
they haven't been in a decade, problems still persisted, the US official said,
adding that the delegation would press Taliban to improve.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US,
Pakistani officials in strained talks over Afghanistan
Oct
8, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
US and Pakistani officials held difficult talks on Friday in Pakistan's capital
amid a worsening relationship between Washington and Islamabad as each searches
for a way forward in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
The
meeting between Washington's deputy secretary of state and Pakistan's leaders
came amid an array of unsettled issues. They include questions such as the
level of future engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the ongoing
evacuation of foreign nationals and Afghans who want to flee the country's new
Taliban rulers.
Another
question on the agenda is who will provide funds to stave off a full economic
meltdown and looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban
takeover, billions of dollars in aid have been frozen. Nearly 80% of the former
Afghan government's budget was funded by international donors.
Even
as it shies away from any unilateral formal recognition, Pakistan has been
pressing for greater engagement with the all-male, all-Taliban Cabinet that the
insurgents set up after they overran Afghanistan in mid-August, in the final
weeks of the US and NATO pullout from the country.
Pakistan
has also urged Washington to release billions of dollars to the Taliban so that
they can pay salaries of the many Afghan ministries and avoid an economic
meltdown. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that s
such a crash could unleash a mass migration.
Washington,
which spent almost two full years negotiating peace with the Taliban, is still
smarting from its dramatic exit from Afghanistan, after 20 years of war. Images
of desperate Afghan men, running alongside a departing American C-17, some
falling to their death from the wheel well, have come to represent the mayhem
of the US withdrawal.
Still,
the United States is quietly talking to some Taliban leaders and current
Taliban Cabinet ministers to secure the evacuation of American nationals
remaining in Afghanistan and others. At home, Republican senators are pressing
for legislation that would sanction Afghanistan's new rulers.
The
legislation introduced late last month by 22 Republican senators also calls for
sanctions on Pakistan for providing safe haven for the Taliban. That has raised
hackles among Pakistan's leaders, who have slammed Washington for what they say
is unjust blaming of Pakistan for America's losses in Afghanistan — especially
after seeking and receiving Islamabad's help in the protracted peace talks with
the Taliban.
Pakistan
has also opened doors to tens of thousands of evacuees from Afghanistan,
providing temporary shelter for both foreigners and Afghans fleeing Taliban
rule.
US
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Friday held meetings with Pakistan's
army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, considered the leading architect of
Pakistan's Afghan strategy. She also met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood
Qureshi.
Little
information has emerged from the meetings. A statement from Pakistan's foreign
ministry said "an inclusive and broad-based political structure reflecting
the ethnic diversity of Afghan society was essential for Afghanistan's
stability and progress."
That
was a clear message to the Taliban: An acceptable Afghan government is one that
includes representatives of all Afghan minorities.
The
statement also had a message for the world, saying "the current situation
required positive engagement of the international community, urgent provision
of humanitarian assistance, release of Afghan financial resources, and measures
to help build a sustainable economy to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan
people."
The
international community has repeatedly expressed concern over Taliban
restrictions on access to education for girls and women, both at the high
school and university level. It has warned against a return to the the harsh
Taliban rule from the 1990s, when they first controlled Afghanistan and banned
women from school, the workplace and a public life.
Meanwhile,
Afghanistan also featured prominently at a national security meeting Friday
attended by Pakistan's military leaders and Prime Minister Imran Khan. A
statement warned that instability in Afghanistan would have "severe
implications for Pakistan." Khan ordered that a "special cell"
be set up to coordinate humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and manage Pakistan's
border with its neighbor.
Sherman,
who arrived on Thursday for a two-day visit, also met with Pakistan's Security
Adviser Moeed Yusuf late on Thursday, to discuss "developments in
Afghanistan and ways to advance cooperation across the bilateral relationship.
"
Pakistan
walks a fine line as it seeks to establish a relationship with the US in a
changing region, where both Russia and China have increasing influence.
A
strident opponent of the US-led so-called "war on terror," Khan has
assured Pakistanis that Washington would have no access to Pakistan's territory
for so-called "over-the-horizon" attacks on Afghanistan.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
removes 2 Iranian firms from sanctions blacklist
Michael
Hernandez
08.10.2021
WASHINGTON
The
Biden administration removed on Friday two Iranian firms alleged to have been
involved in Iran's ballistic missile program from the US's sanctions blacklist.
The
removals include Mammut Industrial Group, and its subsidiary Mammut Diesel
Company. Both companies were sanctioned under former US President Donald
Trump's failed "maximum pressure" campaign, which was geared at
imposing costs on Tehran in order to bring Iran back to nuclear negotiations.
Those
talks never materialized, and 2015 nuclear agreement has been badly battered in
the aftermath of Trump's efforts with Iran taking steps away from its
commitments in retaliation for the US reneging on its own, and imposing
sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
President
Joe Biden has sought to return to talks with Tehran to resume mutual
compliance, but the hitherto indirect diplomatic meetings have failed to do so.
The last round of negotiations concluded in June with both sides voicing views
that were sharply at odds with each other about their status.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-removes-2-iranian-firms-from-sanctions-blacklist/2386940
--------
Cheer
in Pakistan over Taliban capture of Kabul will be short-lived: Ex-CIA Director
General David Petraeus
October
8, 2021
Former
CIA Director General David H Petraeus said any "cheer in Pakistan" over
the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan would be short-lived.
Speaking
at the 19th edition of the India Today Conclave, David Petraeus, said the
situation in Kabul was heartbreaking as the Afghan people were suffering once
again under the Taliban, which has an extremist interpretation of Islam.
"Pakistan
could not take control of the territory of the very organistaions that were
making life difficult for the people and Afghan forces. Pakistan will have
millions of Afghan refugees on its soil as it did 20 years ago. It will be
difficult for Pakistan as their financial condition is not good," David
Petraeus said.
David
Petraeus said the Afghan people were staring at a humanitarian catastrophe as
the economy had collapsed and aid had dried down.
"A
very cold, dark and hungry winter lies ahead for Afghanistan and its people.
There has been persecution of minority population, most of whom are ethnic
Hazaras. Taliban fighters are going house-to-house to hunt those who worked
with the US and Afghanistan governments," said David Petraeus.
Petraeus
was appointed by former President George W Bush to head multinational forces in
Iraq (2007-08) and later served as commander of US and NATO forces in
Afghanistan (2010-11). He was later director of the Central Intelligence Agency
(2011-12).
On
August 15, the Taliban took control of the capital city of Kabul and declared
that the war in Afghanistan was over and rechristened the country as the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The development came after a weeks-long blitz
that saw provinces fall like a pack of cards to the insurgents amid the exit of
US troops.
David
Petraeus also hinted that there were differences between the Taliban and
Haqqani network. "Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, co-founder of Taliban, is
not in Kabul. The Haqqanis are controlling Kabul and East Afghanistan. The
Haqqani outfit is also not going to accept orders from Islamabad. This will
continue to be a chaotic scene," David Petraeus said.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
FM:
US, Europe’s Practical Acts, Removal of Sanctions Matter to Iran
2021-October-8
“If
there is real intention on the part of the other sides and all of them return
to their commitments, Iran will return to its commitments as well,” Amir
Abdollahian told reporters after a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart
Abdallah Bou Habib in Beirut on Thursday.
“However,
in this regard, the US oral messages are not our criterion,” he added.
“The
unfulfilled promises of the three European countries are not our criterion. We
will act in accordance with the other sides’ practical actions, the removal of
the sanctions and their return to their commitments.”
Amir
Abdollahian maintained that although Iran accepts negotiations as a principle,
it only pays attention to talks that secure the Iranian nation’s rights and
interests.
“In
the nuclear agreement, Iran is the only country that remained committed until
the very end and we will revive this approach if there is reciprocation from
the other sides," he said.
Earlier,
the top Iranian diplomat had urged Washington to release some of Iran’s blocked
funds as a positive signal that would translate into tangible outcomes for the
Iranian people, instead of constantly messaging Iran to come back into the Vienna
talks.
“The
Americans have been constantly looking for connections and sending messages [to
Iran],” he said, adding, “If the Americans have the stated intention, they
should release some of Iran’s blocked funds.”
Elsewhere
in his Thursday remarks, Amir Abdollahian said Iran is ready to build two power
plants in Lebanon, one in Beirut and the other in the South of the country, in
a period of less than 18 months.
“We
would do this quickly as part of a joint venture between Lebanese and Iranian
investors and sharing Iranian technical engineering services [with Lebanon],”
he said.
He
also stressed that the Islamic Republic is prepared to help Lebanon overcome
the economic crisis it is facing.
The
fate of the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA), was put in limbo after former US President Donald Trump
withdrew Washington from it in 2018 and reinstated harsh economic sanctions
against Iran.
Following
Washington's departure from the agreement, the remaining parties to the JCPOA
have launched negotiations in the Austrian capital, Vienna, to revive the deal
and bring the US back into full compliance with all of its contractual
commitments.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Envoy:
Missile Power Iran’s Inalienable Right
2021-October-8
"The
undeniable fact about the JCPOA is that it was only Iran that complied with the
JCPOA regulations and the three European countries and the United States did
not fulfill their commitments under this document,” Balouji said, addressing
the UN General Assembly’s First Committee meeting on Thursday.
"Iran
is committed to the implementation of the JCPOA, provided that other members
fulfill their commitments and all unjust sanctions are lifted promptly and
verified," he added.
"Iran's
missile defense capability is within the framework of our inalienable rights
and Iran's international commitments," the envoy noted.
"European
countries, in addition to fulfilling their obligations under the JCPOA, must
put pressure on the United States to return to the full implementation of the
JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231," Balouji said.
"During
the JCPOA negotiations, Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime did their best to
disrupt the JCPOA process," he said, adding, "Of course, we are not
surprised by their position on the JCPOA, and after the JCPOA was unanimously
approved in the Security Council, they have not missed any opportunity to
spread false accusations for destroying the deal and the resolution."
"Saudi
Arabia accuses Iran while it refuses to accept and implement a comprehensive
safeguards agreement, despite repeated requests from the International Atomic
Energy Agency, and as a result, the IAEA is unable to fully monitor and verify
Saudi Arabia's nuclear program," he noted.
On
regional security allegations, Balouji said that the baseless allegations about
Iran's missile defense program were a desperate attempt to cover Saudi Arabia's
staggering military spending and its insatiable thirst for the purchase of
military weapons.
"The
real source of regional insecurity is the large military presence of foreign
forces and foreign military bases in the region, including in Saudi
Arabia," he added.
Commander
of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi Fard
said in August that the cruel sanctions imposed by the US against Iran have
failed to prevent progress of the country’s missile industries.
"Today,
we have been able to upgrade and localize missile systems and turn the
oppressive sanctions of the enemy into an opportunity," General Sabahi
Fard said while visiting the manufacturing site of S200 missiles in Fordow.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000716000119/Envy-Missile-Pwer-Iran%E2%80%99s-Inalienable-Righ
--------
Iranian
FM Meets Hezbollah Chief, Palestinian Leaders, Lebanese Officials in Beirut
2021-October-8
Amir
Abdollahian who has traveled to Beirut to meet with Lebanese officials, also
met and held talks with Nasrallah on Thursday.
During
the meeting, Iran’s foreign minister underlined that Tehran has a firm stance
when it comes to supporting Lebanon and the resistance movement.
Nasrallah,
for his part, thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for standing with the
Lebanese government, nation and resistance for several decades.
"Iran
has proved that it is a sincere ally and a loyal friend, which will not abandon
its friends even in difficult times,” Nasrallah said.
People
are very hopeful that as a result of all-out cooperation, Lebanon will get rid
of the current hard situation, he added.
During
his visit to Lebanon, the Iranian foreign minister met with the Lebanese
President, Speaker of Parliament, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international
developments.
Amir
Abdollahian also held a meeting with Ziyad al-Nakhalah and a group of leaders
of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement on Thursday.
The
Iranian foreign mister also met with several high-ranking Lebanese officials as
well as the Palestinian Resistance members in Beirut.
Amir
Abdollahian met and held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in
Beirut on Thursday.
During
the meeting, the two sides exchanged their views on strengthening bilateral
ties and issues of mutual interests.
He
also held talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri.
In
these separate talks with high-ranking Lebanese officials, Amir Abdollahian
emphasized strong support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for Lebanon, and said
that Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for all-out cooperation and assistance
to Lebanese government.
During
his meeting with Berri, the two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations
and issues of mutual interests.
He
also met and held talks with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Presidential
Palace in Beirut on Thursday.
During
the meeting, the two sides exchanged their views on bilateral relations and
issues of mutual interests.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
FM ‘optimistic’ on nuclear talks if US plays ball
08
October ,2021
Iran
is optimistic talks on reviving a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers
will bear fruit, provided the US fully resumes its commitments, Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Friday.
The
deal, which gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear
program, has been on life support since 2018, when then US president Donald
Trump unilaterally pulled out and reimposed crippling sanctions.
US
President Joe Biden has signalled a willingness to return to the deal, but his
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned last week that time was running out
and the ball was in Iran’s court.
Amir-Abdollahian
said Iran was looking for concrete signs from the US that it was ready to
resume all of its commitments but said he was confident a deal could be done if
it was.
“It
is important that we receive signals from the other side, including from the
United States, showing that they are intent on returning fully to their
commitments,” the minister told a news conference in Beirut.
“We
are assessing the behaviour of the United States. If it reflects a full return
to their commitments, we can be optimistic about the Vienna talks.”
The
talks in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining parties to the
agreement -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -- have been on hold
since a June election in Iran led to a change of president.
New
President Ebrahim Raisi -- an ultraconservative former judiciary chief -- is
thought to be less ready than his predecessor Hassan Rouhani to make
concessions to the West for the sake of a deal.
Tehran
has gradually rolled back its nuclear commitments in response to the US
pull-out, and Washington has been demanding that Iran return to its obligations
too.
The
United States has had no seat at the Vienna talks but has been participating
indirectly.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Turkish
opposition deepens cooperation, heaping pressure on President Erdogan
08
October ,2021
Six
Turkish opposition parties are stepping up collaboration in their bid to unseat
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party at elections due by 2023, raising
pressure on the president as opinion polls point to dwindling support for his
ruling alliance.
Broadening
the coordination which helped them deal a blow to Erdogan at 2019 local
elections, the parties held a third meeting on Tuesday and plan weekly meetings
to agree shared principles by year-end, those involved in the talks said.
“The
opposition in Turkey is trying something that has never been tried before:
getting united to confront the government,” political commentator Murat Yetkin
said.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Support
for Erdogan’s government is ebbing amid criticism of its handling of economic
woes such as high inflation and unemployment, the COVID-19 pandemic and forest
fires and floods.
Opinion
polls show the AK Party on around 31-33 percent, down from 42.6 percent in the
2018 parliamentary election, and its nationalist MHP ally on 8-9 percent, down
from 11.1 percent, levels which would lead to Erdogan losing control of
parliament at the next election.
The
opposition talks aim to identify shared principles, rather than agreeing a
presidential candidate, with the goal of ditching the presidential system of
government introduced in 2018 and returning to a parliamentary system,
participants said.
IYI
Party deputy chairman Bahadir Erdem said they agreed to focus on issues such as
independence of the judiciary, media and academia, and laws concerning
political parties and elections, with the aim of boosting the separation of
powers and democracy.
“These
six parties coming together is giving people hope. Instead of divisiveness,
there is togetherness, uniting on common ground,” Erdem told Reuters,
contrasting it with what he said was the polarization under two decades of AKP
rule.
CHP
deputy chairman Muharrem Erkek, who also attended the talks, said Turkey was
being “dragged to the edge of a precipice” by the presidential system, which
puts far greater powers in the hands of the head of state.
“Citizens’
problems are worsening under this one-man system... A strengthened
parliamentary system will inspire confidence,” he said.
Senior
AK Party deputy Bulent Turan dismissed the talks on restoring the parliamentary
system as “reactionary,” saying the new system worked well and had reduced
political instability.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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India
I
don't want Miya votes, we live in harmony: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
October
9, 2021
Assam
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP does not need votes from the
Bengali-origin Muslim community in Assam -- often colloquially referred to as
'Miya' Muslims.
Speaking
at the 19th edition of the India Today Conclave 2021, Himanta Biswa Sarma said,
"I don't want Miya votes, we live in harmony I don't go to them for votes,
and they also don't come to me."
Himanta
Biswa Sarma said many people in the state believe immigrant Muslims are the
root cause why Assam has lost identity, culture and land. Himanta Biswa Sarma
also said that there was no community-based politics in Assam.
Himanta
Biswa Sarma said encroachment was taking place because immigrant Muslims were
producing in large numbers. "Many Assamese people think this way. This
process started before Independence. I am carrying this burden of history with
me," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Clashes
broke out in Sipajhar's Dholpur 3 village last month as thousands protested
against the government’s eviction drive against "illegal
encroachers". Two civilians had died in police firing. At least 12 others,
including a policeman, were injured.
A
viral video showing an injured person being beaten by policemen and stomped
upon by another civilian as he lay motionless on the ground led to national
outrage. The civilian was later arrested.
"There
is no hate narrative in Assam. We evicted them because there is land of 77,000
acres. 1,000 families cannot occupy this land. Our policy is that one family
cannot occupy land more than 2 acres. We have to give land to many people. We
have to evict people if they encroach upon land. Eviction is a continuous
process. Local Assamese people are also being evicted. No communalisation on
this," Sarma said.
Speaking
on the Assam government's drive against drugs, Himanta Biswa Sarma said per day
recovery of narcotics was around Rs 2 crore. In his first 100 days as chief
minister, the government has arrested 2,000 smugglers and 500 land brokers.
"We
are going heavily against drug peddlers. We burnt rhino horns to bust the myth
that they do not have medicinal value. We have digitised land records and
signed a peace accord with tribal people. Assam is on the road of development.
In the next five years, Assam will be one of the top states in India,"
Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Source:
India Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Will
dismantle terror ecosystem: LG Manoj Sinha
Bharti
Jain
Oct
9, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Strongly condemning the recent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir on
civilians, including a Kashmiri Pandit and a Sikh school principal, J&K
Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said the latest trend of terrorist strikes
against ‘soft and easy’ targets shall be dealt with an iron hand, with the
revised strategy focused on dismantling the entire terror eco-system.
“We
have posted the best police officers across J&K. A strategy review meeting
was held on Wednesday and the revised action-plan has been rolled out.
Counter-terror action is underway since last night. We are confident about
containing these ‘soft-target’ attacks. We shall not buy peace but instead
establish peace. Terror eco-system has to be dismantled whether here or
elsewhere. It is our duty and responsibility to secure the people and their
livelihood and we shall discharge it with utmost sincerity,” Sinha said in an
exclusive chat with TOI.
According
to sources, one Lashker e Taiba was killed in an encounter in Natipora on
Friday evening, while another managed to escape. The dead terrorist is believed
to have been linked to the recent attacks.
Sinha
has visited the grief-stricken families of M L Bindroo, the pharmacist and
Kashmiri Pandit killed by terrorists earlier this week, and Sikh lady principal
Supinder Kaur, and assured them that government and security agencies would
spare no effort to identify the perpetrators of targeted attacks and take
strictest action against them.
Sources
in the security agencies told TOI that the string of attacks this month, which
have killed 7 civilians including four from the minority community, were
carried out by young Kashmir boys, all neo-recruits lured by Pakistani handlers
to go for one-off attacks on easy targets with pistols supplied by other
terrorists. They possibly work for drugs or money, and the pistols are taken
from them after the attack, allowing them to go back to their normal lives.
Among
the 28 civilians killed by terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir so far this year,
seven were non-Muslims, including 1 Kashmiri Pandit, while 21 were Muslims. In
2020, of the 37 civilians killed, 34 were Muslims and 3 non-Muslims. As many as
38 Muslims and 6 non-Muslims were killed by terrorists across J&K in 2019.
Most Muslims were targeted either because of their political affiliation,
particularly with the BJP, or their association with the security forces.
Of
the 7 non-Muslims killed by terrorists this year, five belonged to the local
Hindu or Sikh communities and two were non-local Hindu labourers.
A
source said the terrorists have been choosing their targets consciously to send
out a message. Earlier, they were targetting panchayati raj institution
representatives and workers. Now, victims of their targetted killings have changed.
Bindroo, a Kashmiri Pandit who had stayed on despite the mass exodus by his
community in Nineties, was targeted to protest against the J&K government’s
initiative to allow Kashmiri migrants to reclaim their properties in the Valley
through a portal. A J&K government functionary said 5,728 applications were
received in the three weeks since launch of the portal, of which 2,349 cases
have been closed.
Source:
Times of India
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Gurugram:
Namaz under Heavy Security As Group Organises Bhajan, Aarti at Prayer Site
Oct
9, 2021
GURUGRAM:
It was a tense afternoon at a Namaz site in the city in Sector 47 as a group of
people organised an ‘Aarti’ and a Bhajan recital during Friday prayers to register
their opposition to it.
Police
threw a heavy security cordon around the area and moved the Namaz congregation
towards the edge of the ground where prayers are offered every week, as far
away as they could from the other gathering that was stopped at the entry to
the ground but used a loudspeaker to make its presence felt.
The
protest against Namaz being offered in the open involved some locals and an MCG
councillor. Over the years, there have been several attempts to disrupt Namaz
in the city, leading to police designating sites for Friday prayers. But that
hasn’t stopped the friction.
Former
Rajya Sabha MP Mohd Adeeb, who was a part of the Namaz congregation, said the
country gives its citizens the constitutional right to practise their own
religion. “Muslims of this country who ditched Jinnah are today not allowed to
perform namaz in their own country. What kind of country have we become? What
kind of atmosphere has been created in the country?” said Adeeb.
Alleging
mosques were not being allowed to be built on Waqf board land, he added, “We
are not asking for any funds. We can construct mosques on our own. Just give us
land.”
Mufti
Mohamad Salim, president of Jamiat Ulema Gurgaon, said attempts to disrupt
namaz had been made at the site for the past few weeks. “It takes only 15
minutes to perform Namaz, that too just once in a week, but they have a problem
with it. People from nearby areas come here for Namaz,” said Salim, adding
there were an estimated 5 lakh Muslims in Gurgaon but just 13 mosques, leaving
no option but to perform Namaz in open areas.
Asked
about his presence among the group opposing Namaz, MCG councillor of ward
number 29 Kuldeep Yadav said the congregation had no permission from any
authority to perform Namaz there and locals were opposed to it as well. “The
mosque is just a few kilometres from here and they can go there. Why is public
space being occupied?” said Yadav.
Source:
Times of India
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Kashmir’s
Grand Mufti Nasir ul Islam condemns killing of two teachers
9th
October 2021
Srinagar:
Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam has expressed his shock and grief over the
innocent killings of civilians in Kashmir and stated that it is unfortunate
that members of the minority communities are being targeted. He has also
appealed to people to maintain communal harmony and brotherhood.
While
talking to CNS Mufti condemned the civilian killings and said no religion
allows the killing of innocent civilians as this will lead to nowhere. There
have been a spate of killings this past week by armed terrorists.
“No
one will be allowed to harm the communal fabric of Kashmir which is intact
since past so many decades”, Mufti stated. The Mufti also expressed his deep
shock and grief and extended solidarity and sympathies with the families of all
those killed in the past few days in Srinagar stating that Islam prohibits
attacking unarmed person.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/kashmirs-grand-mufti-nasir-ul-islam-condemns-killing-of-two-teachers-2204749/
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Kashmiri
Pandits in US condemn killings of Hindus, Sikhs by militants in Kashmir
9th
October 2021
Houston:
A prominent socio-political organisation of Kashmiri Pandits in the US on
Friday expressed shock and anguish over the brutal and targeted killings of
minority Hindus and Sikhs by militants in Kashmir this week.
The
Indo American Kashmiri Forum (IAKF) urged the US government to consider opening
a special desk in the US Embassy in New Delhi to facilitate the registration of
religious minorities Hindus, Sikhs and Christians from the Kashmir Valley as
refugees who are fleeing persecution.
In
a press release, the IAKF said well-known pharmacist Makhan Lal Bindroo, Hindu
teacher Deepak Chand, Sikh school principal Supinder Kaur and Hindu street food
vendor Virender Paswan were all killed by terrorists just for belonging to
minority community.
On
Tuesday, Bindroo, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit, and Paswan, who hails from
Bihar, was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar.
The
IAKF underlined that Bindroo had served the community for years and enjoyed
close relationships with Kashmiris of all faiths.
It
noted that just two days after, militants rounded up a school in the Valley and
separated the staff based on their identity cards. Muslim teachers were
released, but Kaur and Chand were brutally killed in broad daylight.
Three
pistol-wielding terrorists barged into Sangam Eidgah Boys’ Higher Secondary
School around 10:30 am on Thursday and singled out 44-year-old Kaur and her
colleague Chand after confirming who among the staff were from any community
other than Kashmiri Muslims. Both were escorted out of the building and shot
multiple times before the assailants walked out of the campus.
Chand
died instantly, while Kaur succumbed to her injuries en route to hospital.
These
cold-blooded terror attacks bring back painful memories of the 1990s, when the
targeted killings and torture of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits led to the exodus of
over 400,000, said IAKF International Coordinator Dr Vijay Sazawal.
Lalit
Koul, IAKF Social Media Director, said, “Kashmiri Pandits are the aboriginal
people of the Kashmir Valley. If their security and right to live in their
homeland cannot be guaranteed, then the government has failed us.”
Source:
Siasat Daily
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Political
class has failed miserably in promoting spirit of Constitution: Kerala Guv Arif
Mohammed Khan
October
9, 2021
Kerala
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said the political class had failed miserably in
promoting the spirit of the Constitution. Asserting that Indian civilization
was never defined by religion, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said the
"Supreme Court has not been able to define who is a minority in India".
Speaking
at the 19th edition of the India Today Conclave 2021, Arif Mohammed Khan said,
"The political class has failed miserably. It is the duty of the media to
question us if we are not promoting the spirit of the Constitution."
Arif
Mohammed Khan has been a vocal supporter of the NDA government's propositions
to bring reforms in the Muslim community and backed the move to criminalise
Triple Talaq.
Kerala
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is the second Muslim after Najma Heptulla to be
granted constitutional office by the Modi government.
The
Kerala Governor said the Partition happened because of the "imaginary
Muslim question". "Have we learnt any lesson from the Partition?
There are two things that have awakened India -- the Constituent Assembly took
the decision on abolition of untouchability and abolition of a separate
electorate," the Kerala Governor said.
"On
the protection of minority rights, the Constitution mentions 'lingual minority'
and they will have the right to establish educational institutions," Arif Mohammed
Khan said.
Arif
Khan had walked out of the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1986 over differences in
the Shah Bano case. He was a minister of state in the Rajiv Gandhi-led
government.
Arif
Mohammed Khan said minority rights were needed in theocratic nations and not in
India, while stressing that Indian civilization was never defined by religion.
"The
word Hindu rashtra is not used in any of our scriptures. Indian civilization
was never defined by religion. Other civilizations were defined by religion, race
and language. The Constituent Assembly included Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist in
the definition of Hindusim, making it clear that Hindu does not mean uniformity
of belief or practices in the matter if religion. It is the duty of the
political system to protect each one of them. When you are saying Hindu
Rashtra, you are actually equating it with Muslim theocracy or Christian
theocracy," Arif Mohammed Khan said.
Source:
India Today
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Grave
of Islamic Jihadi Terrorism will be dug by India: VHP announces nationwide
protest against targeted killings in Kashmir
8
October, 2021
The
Vishwa Hindu Parishad has released a statement announcing a nationwide protest
on October 9 to protest against the targeted killing of seven Kashmiri Hindus
by the Jihadists in the last 5 days. On October 8, the VHP in a statement
stated, “that the best way to end Islamic terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is to
safely rehabilitate the exiled Kashmiri Hindus and provide them free mobility
in the valley”.
The
statement by VHP said that the grave of the Islamic Jihadi Terrorism will be
dug by India only.
The
Central General Secretary of VHP Milind Parande condemned the brutal killing of
7 civilians in the valley. Parande expressed deep concern about the targeted
killings of Hindus in the valley and urged the Central government to take
coercive steps to tackle the Islamic Jihadists spreading their tentacles in
Kashmir.
He
wrote that the government should teach a lasting lesson to the terror state of
Pakistan. The statement added that the government should encourage the
rehabilitation of the indigenous Hindu migrants back to the valley. This he
said would be the best way to curb terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
According
to the statement, Hindu organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the VHP would
stage protests across the country on October 9 in which they will burn effigies
representing Pakistan’s terror regime.
Islamic
terrorists and their apologists in India were warned by Milind Parande that
their ill-fated attempt to break India’s unity and integrity will fail
miserably. He stated that Hindu organisations will respond appropriately to
such ill-fated attempts.
Slamming
the Islamist apologists, the General Secretary of VHP remarked that when Hindus
or Sikhs are mercilessly butchered, these apologists of Islamic terrorism say
nothing. Milind Parande warned the apologists that these Islamic terrorist
snakes who they have been feeding would someday come back to bite them. He remarked
that to prevent the terror state of Pakistan from exploiting terrorism as a
political tool, the international community will have to intervene soon.
In
conclusion, the VHP statement added, that it stands in solidarity with the
families of those who have been systematically targeted in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Every VHP worker and entire Hindu society stands with the families of the
victims. Their sacrifices will not be wasted. Indians will now etch the grave
of Islamic terrorism in the country”.
Source:
Opindia
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NIA
files charge sheet against radical who wanted to establish Islamic State in
Tamil Nadu
Oct
08, 2021
India's
National Investigation Agency (NIA) files a charge sheet against a Tamil Nadu
resident.
According
to the NIA, they have filed a charge sheet against Saravana Kumar, alias
Abdullah, of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He is being booked under multiple sections
including Sedition, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) etc.
The
charges against him have been filed for supporting, furthering ISIS ideology
and uploading incendiary posts on Facebook. An NIA special court in Chennai has
filed cases under sections 124A and 505(1)(b) of IPC and section 13(1)(b), 38
and 39 of UAPA.
The
case against this Madurai-based individual was registered at the Theppakulam
Police Station in Madurai City, on April 10th of this year. Following this, a
probe was conducted by the NIA, which revealed the grave nature of the
accused's intentions.
“Abdullah
was uploading posts on his Facebook account to instigate people to establish
Khilafah (an institution governing a territory under Islamic rule) and threaten
the unity, security and sovereignty of India. He was also seeking cooperation
from other countries to set up an Army to establish an Islamic State in Tamil
Nadu through Jihad.” the premier investigation agency said.
Source:
WION NEWS
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Dubai:
Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, receives UAE Golden Visa
Ashwani
Kumar
October
8, 2021
Islamic
scholar from Kerala honoured for humanitarian work
Grand
Mufti of India and Islamic scholar Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has received the UAE’s
Golden Visa for his humanitarian works.
Sheikh
Abubakr, the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference chairman, is an
educationist, social worker, and philanthropist. An influential leader from the
southern state of Kerala, he is the chancellor of Jamia Markaz, an Islamic
university in Kozhikode district.
The
religious leader, who is popularly known as Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliar,
has been a regular face at platforms promoting peace and interfaith dialogue.
Major
General Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri, General Director of Residency and Foreigners
Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, presented him with the golden visa.
Thanking
the UAE leadership, he said: “I am honoured to receive the UAE Golden Visa. I
always feel at home when I am in the UAE. It is a second home to millions of
Indians. I express my immense gratitude to the leadership of the country, who
have been promoting peace, unity and tolerance.”
Source:
Khaleej Times
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Lashkar
terrorist killed in encounter in Srinagar: Police
M
Saleem Pandit
Oct
9, 2021
SRINAGAR
: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said that a terrorist was killed in a
brief exchange of fire near Natipora area of Srinagar while another escaped.
According
to police, the slain terrorist was identified as Aqib Bashir Kumar of Trenz
Shopian, affiliated with Lashker-e-Taiba.
A
senior police officer said that two magazines, one AK-47 and a weapon bag with
fruits was recovered from him.
Source:
Times of India
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Hundreds
bid farewell to slain school teacher and principal in Jammu and Kashmir
Sanjay
Khajuria
Oct
9, 2021
JAMMU:
Hundreds gathered to bid farewell to the government school teacher and
principal who were shot dead by terrorists inside their school in Srinagar on
Thursday.
The
last rites of slain principal Supinder Kaur were performed by her family at a
cremation ground in Karan Nagar area in Srinagar. Hundreds of members of the
Sikh community assembled at Kaur’s residence in Aloochi Bagh area and took out
a protest march from there, carrying her mortal remains on a stretcher.
A
pall of gloom descended as school teacher Deepak Chand’s mortal remains arrived
from Srinagar at his home in Patoli Morh in Jammu. Chand is survived by his
wife and a three-year-old daughter. He had joined duty in Srinagar on Sunday
after performing the rituals of his father’s first death anniversary.
Wrapped
in tricolour, Chand’s body was taken to the cremation ground amid slogans
‘Pakistan murdabad, Deepak Amar Rahe’. His family and friends demanded immediate
arrest of the culprits responsible for the ‘barbaric act.’
Source:
Times of India
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Arab World
10
injured in 2 drone attacks at Saudi's King Abdullah airport
October
9, 2021
Ten
people were injured in two explosives-laden drone attacks at King Abdullah
airport in the southern Saudi city of Jizan late on Friday and early on
Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition said.
The
military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing forces of the ousted
government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and fighting the Iran-aligned
Houthi group.
Six
Saudis, three Bangladeshi nationals and one Sudanese were injured in the first
attack, Saudi state media said, citing a coalition spokesman. Some of the
airport's facade windows were shattered in the attack, the spokesman said.
A
second explosives-laden drone was intercepted early on Saturday, the coalition
said, without giving details on any injuries or damages.
Source:
Dawn
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Two
killed in Israel strike on Syria base: Monitor
09
October ,2021
An
Israeli missile strike on an airbase in central Syria has killed two
Damascus-allied foreign fighters and wounded several Syrian service personnel,
a Britain-based war monitor said on Saturday.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the two foreigners were killed in the
raid on the T4 airbase late Friday, but their nationality was not immediately
clear.
The
official Syrian news agency SANA earlier said that, ‟at
around 9:00
pm (1800 GMT), the Israeli enemy... fired a volley of missiles towards the T4
military airport.”
‟The aggression
wounded six soldiers and led to some material damage,” it added.
The
Observatory said the attack targeted a drone depot at the base.
Contacted
by AFP, an Israeli army spokesperson said the military did not comment on
foreign media reports.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Bashar
al-Assad allows exiled uncle to return to Syria, pro-government newspaper says
08
October ,2021
Syrian
president Bashar Al-Assad has allowed his exiled uncle Rifaat to return to
Syria, pro-government Al Watan newspaper said on Friday, citing sources.
“Rifaat
Al-Assad arrived in Damascus yesterday, in order to prevent his imprisonment in
France after a court ruling was issued and after the confiscation of his
property and money in Spain as well,” it added.
Reuters
could not immediately verify the Al Watan report.
A
former Syrian vice president who was sent into exile in the 1980s, Assad was
living in France, where he was put under investigation for tax fraud and
money-laundering.
He
was handed a four-year jail sentence earlier this year that he was unlikely to
serve because of his age but the ruling cleared the way for all his property in
France to be seized.
His
properties in Spain were confiscated before that on the back of a money
laundering investigation as well.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Syrian
air defences intercept Israeli attack above Homs countryside: State media
08
October ,2021
Syrian
air defenses responded on Friday night to missiles flying over the country’s
central province of Homs, the Syrian state news agency reported. Details were
scarce and there was no confirmation of any casualties or damage in the
development.
The
SANA news agency did not name the source of the attack. Israel is believed to
have been behind many of the strikes inside government-controlled parts of
Syria.
Israel
has acknowledged it is going after bases of Iran-allied militias, such as the
powerful Lebanese militant Hezbollah group fighting on the side of Syrian President
Bashar Assad’s forces in the civil war, and suspected arms shipments believed
to be bound for the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Syria’s
pro-government media said the strikes landed in rural parts of Homs province.
But
Israel rarely comments on individual attacks.
Hezbollah
has sent its members to fight alongside the Syrian government forces for much
of the decade-old conflict.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Azhar
grand imam condemns 'fatal flaw' in global production and distribution of
vaccines
8
Oct 2021
"The
result was the death of five million victims in less than two years,"
El-Tayyeb said on the closing of the World Meeting for Peace, Peoples as
Brothers, Future Earth Religions and Cultures in Dialogue", promoted by
the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio.
A
fatal flaw in the distribution system has left entire continents without access
to the vaccines, the grand imam of the world's leading Sunni institution said.
The
crisis revealed severe poverty in the field of “duty, conscience and
responsibility”, in which our contemporary world has regressed despite efforts
undertaken by the world’s religious institutions, their symbols and leaders to
promote the philosophy of cooperation and exchange of good among people and to
prioritize the interests of the community over the interests of individuals, he
added.
Source:
Ahram
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https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/426561.aspx
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Africa
Gunmen
kill imam, 10 others in northern Nigeria
Merve
Berker
09.10.2021
KANO,
Nigeria
Eleven
people, including children and an imam, were killed when suspected gunmen from
the outlawed Yan Sakai vigilante group in the Sokoto State in northern Nigeria
stormed a market Friday.
The
massacre occurred at the Mamande village in Gwadabawa local government.
The
victims were from different Fulani settlements in the area who came to buy food
and other items at the weekly market.
They
died immediately while four others who sustained gunshot wounds were taken to a
hospital, according to the head of the Gwadabawa local government Aminua Aya
The
imam, Malam Aliyu, was leading prayers at a mosque when the attack occurred.
The
gunmen stormed the market from Goronyo Local Government Area, attacking the
victims they accused of aiding banditry before fleeing with sheep and cows of
the victims.
Witness
Ahmad Wada said the victims’ sin was that they belonged to the Fulani tribe.
He
demanded that the government conduct an investigation to bring the perpetrators
to justice.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/gunmen-kill-imam-10-others-in-northern-nigeria/2387084
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UK,
US, Norway urge end to eastern Sudan protests
08
October ,2021
The
US, UK and Norway on Friday urged Sudanese protesters who have shut down oil
pipelines and the main port in the country’s east since mid-September to end
their blockade.
The
appeal came as the civilian-military government in Khartoum has warned that
unrest has crippled Sudanese exports and imports of basic goods.
“The
Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States) strongly supports the
efforts of Sudan’s government to resolve protests in eastern Sudan,” a
statement said.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
But
a prolonged blockage of roads, docks and the airport in east Sudan threaten to
have “a serious impact on the country’s economy and the well-being of its
citizens,” it said.
The
Troika are guarantors of the 2005 peace agreement struck between Sudan and
southern rebels ahead of South Sudan’s secession six years later.
On
September 17, protesters objecting to parts of an October 2020 peace deal
between the Khartoum government and a coalition of rebels blocked the country’s
main container and oil export terminals in Port Sudan.
It
crippled Sudan’s own exports and also blocked the 154,000 barrels of oil per
day pumped from neighboring South Sudan – for which Khartoum earns lucrative
transit fees that are an important source of revenue for the cash-strapped
government.
The
protesters in the east say the 2020 deal – orchestrated by a transitional
government that came into being in 2019, following the ouster of veteran
autocrat Omar al-Bashir – overlooks them.
They
agreed to allow South Sudanese oil exports to resume, but continued to block
other key infrastructure in Port Sudan.
On
Sunday, the Khartoum government said it was running out of life-saving
medicine, fuel and wheat.
“The
Troika joins with the civilian-led transitional government in calling for an
end to the ongoing blockades of port and transportation infrastructure in
eastern Sudan,” Friday’s statement read.
The
Troika said it “fully recognizes the development challenges facing the people
of eastern Sudan.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Morocco’s
King Mohammed VI urges MPs to confront ‘external threats’
09
October ,2021
Morocco’s
King Mohammed VI urged the country’s new parliament on Friday to defend the
country’s sovereignty and “stand up to external threats” amid “challenges and
risks” in the region.
Addressing
lawmakers a day after he named a new government, the king urged them to focus
on “consolidating Morocco’s standing and the defense of its supreme interests,
especially in a context charged with challenges, risks and threats.”
He
did not specify the threats or their source, but the North African kingdom has
been locked in a deepening crisis with neighboring Algeria, which in August cut
diplomatic ties following mounting tensions over Western Sahara.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Morocco
claims sovereignty over the former Spanish colony, a position backed by
Washington since a deal last year that also saw Rabat normalize ties with
Israel.
Algeria
backs the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the territory and has
declared a 30-year-old ceasefire with Morocco “null and void.”
King
Mohammed called Friday for measures to secure self-sufficiency in foodstuffs,
medical supplies and energy “to strengthen the country’s strategic security.”
His
speech via video link came a day after he announced the cabinet of incoming
prime minister, billionaire tycoon Aziz Akhannouch, who trounced incumbent
Islamists in September elections but will face pressing economic issues
exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Libya’s
rival camps adopt plan for withdrawal of mercenaries
08
October ,2021
The
eastern side in Libya’s conflict said on Friday it had agreed with its
opponents on a plan for a phased withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries,
but gave no details or timeline for a move seen as crucial to cementing a
year-old ceasefire.
Mercenaries
brought by the foreign powers involved in Libya, including Russia and Turkey,
remain entrenched on both sides despite the ceasefire and a parallel political
process aimed at resolving the decade-long crisis through elections.
Both
those UN-backed efforts are seen as highly fragile, however, with a constant
risk that the process could unravel.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
An
eastern military official said the joint committee meeting in Geneva had agreed
on a “an action plan for the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces in a
gradual, balanced and simultaneous way.”
The
official added that international monitors and a monitoring mechanism were
needed before any withdrawal could begin.
Libyan
Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush said on Sunday that a very modest number of
mercenaries had already left.
Forces
from western Libya involved in the talks were not immediately available to
comment.
The
committee was formed through a UN-backed ceasefire agreed last year that
followed the collapse of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar’s 14-month
offensive against Tripoli.
His
assault was the latest bout of fighting in a series of conflicts between rival
factions since the 2011 uprising that led to the ousting and killing of former
Libyan President Muammar Gaddafied, drawing in foreign powers.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Kidnapped
Nigerian students freed after ransoms paid: School
09
October ,2021
Five
more students who were kidnapped by gunmen from a school in Nigeria three
months ago have been released after ransoms were paid, the school administrator
said.
About
150 students went missing after armed men raided the school in Kaduna state in
Nigeria’s northwest in July, the 10th mass school kidnapping since December.
Such
kidnappings at schools in Nigeria were first carried out by extremist group
Boko Haram, and later its offshoot ISIS West Africa Province, but the tactic
has since been adopted by criminal gangs seeking ransom, according to
authorities.
The
bandits have been releasing the students in batches after getting ransom
payments.
Reverend
John Hayab, the administrator of the Bethel Baptist High School, said after the
latest release, four students remained in captivity and the school was working
to ensure they were freed soon.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UN
hails signing of plan for withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters from
Libya
Peter
Kenny
09.10.2021
The
UN on Friday welcomed the signing of an action plan by the group known as the
Joint Military Commission that will see the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign
fighters, and foreign forces from Libya.
Also
known as the JMC, 5+5, the group ended a three-day meeting at the Palais des
Nations in Geneva, where they agreed on the plan.
“The
United Nations applauds the patriotism and commitment of the JMC members,
encouraging them to seize this opportunity to further the full implementation
of the Ceasefire Agreement through this Action Plan,” according to a UN
statement in Geneva.
Coupled
with the plan, the UN said the JMC is developing an implementation mechanism
that calls for the “gradual, balanced, and sequenced departure of all
mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces.”
UN
Special Envoy on Libya Jan Kubis said the “agreement responds to the
overwhelming demand of the Libyan people and creates a positive momentum that
should be built upon to move forward towards a stable and democratic stage.”
He
said it included holding free, credible and transparent national elections on
Dec. 24, “with results accepted by all.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Southeast Asia
Religious
groups, activist weigh in on potential dangers of recent incendiary comments by
ustaz
10-
07- 2021
PETALING
JAYA: A human rights activist and non-Muslim groups have called on the people
to stand together to stamp out religious prejudice.
Human
Rights Commission of Malaysia commissioner Jerald Joseph(pix) said more people
should speak out against religious persecution.
The
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and
Taoism (Council) wants action to be taken against anyone sowing hatred against
other religions.
The
outcry over religious prejudice arose with a recent comment by a Muslim
preacher that Hindus and Buddhists were out to exterminate Muslims.
In
a minute-long video that has been widely shared on social media, Ustaz Syakir
Nasoha cited incidents in Myanmar and India to back his claim.
Joseph
pointed out that while every individual has the right to freedom of expression,
it is not a passport for them to incite hatred against another group, person or
faith.
He
said Syakir should be investigated and prosecuted if his speech is found to
have incited feelings of hatred.
“He
should be subject to our criminal laws.”
Joseph
pointed out that as children, everyone is taught to not have any prejudice
against others.
“However,
every community holds prejudice against other communities. What we need is to
respect each other’s beliefs as well as our diversity and differences, and this
requires more education,” he said, adding that managing prejudice is not just
about prosecution.
“It’s
about laying the groundwork for broader education, engagement, information
sharing and building a Malaysian value centred on respect regardless of religion
or whether the community makes up the majority or minority.”
He
said while the Keluarga Malaysia concept is appealing, it needs a fundamental
shift in how the country deals with its people.
“It
demands inclusivity and equality across racial and religious lines. By virtue
of being Malaysian, the room for fair opportunity and non-discrimination should
be conventional,” he added.
Council
president Jagir Singh said Syakir clearly aimed to sow hatred between Muslims
and Hindus, Buddhists and the Dayak community.
“Such
actions will lead to a breach of the peace.”
In
a statement on Monday, the Council said Syakir’s reference to non-Muslims as
infidels and his comment that they were plotting to kill Muslims in Malaysia
was aimed at instigating harm against non-Muslims.
The
statement was endorsed by the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council, Federation of Taoist
Associations Malaysia, Malaysia Hindu Sangam, Christian Federation of Malaysia
and Malaysian Buddhist Association.
Source:
The Sun Daily
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Sabah
CM welcomes support from independent assemblymen
09
Oct 2021
KOTA
KINABALU, Oct 9 — Support from independent assemblymen to the Gabungan Rakyat
Sabah (GRS) government will help it to focus more on the state’s development
and progress.
Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said the GRS government is grateful to
the independent assemblymen for pledging their support to it.
“We
are therefore able to focus more on unity and development for the state and the
rakyat,” he said.
Hajiji
who was met after officiating the state-level National Sports Day celebration
at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex today, said this when asked to comment on
the support from independent assemblymen towards the realisation of the state
Government’s Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) halatuju.
On
the resignation of Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob from Parti Warisan
Sabah to become a government-friendly independent, Hajiji said that it is the
special right of every state elected representative.
“They
have the democratic right to choose where they want to serve or through which
platform or party they desire,” Hajiji said.
On
Friday, just four days after brushing off the claim, Yusof officially announced
his resignation from Warisan.
The
66-year-old former Warisan information chief said he decided to become a
government-friendly independent so that he can meet with the Chief Minister,
Prime Minister and government officers whenever he wants to.
The
former State Education and Innovation Minister pointed out that his current
term may be his last chance to contribute to his constituents and he would not
want to waste the remaining four years by ‘shouting in the coffee shops’.
He
said that his constituency is currently facing numerous issues such as the
Sabah Forest Industries dilemma, water supply issues, the Pan Borneo Highway
project delay, the Sabah Oil and Gas Industrial Park.
Meanwhile,
Hajiji said the National Sports Day program is the best platform to inculcate
sports culture among the community to enhance the development of sports in the
state.
He
also expressed his happiness to see the commitment and high spirit of the
rakyat in Sabah to celebrate the National Sports Day 2021 under the new norm.
“I
see the people of Sabah do not use the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse not to
play sports or enjoy recreation. This shows that the people of Sabah are always
aware that sports is the practice of a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Hajiji
added that the re-opening of several sports activities in the state is
definitely good news for those who love sports.
Therefore,
take full advantage of any sports facilities provided and these activities are
now allowed but remember to adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) set,
he stressed.
According
to Hajiji, the National Sports Day celebration is a platform to inculcate
sports culture among the community and make Malaysia a sporting nation which is
one of the government’s aspirations to realise the ‘Wawasan Kemakmuran bersama
2030’ other than being a platform for people’s unity and national unification.
Hajiji
also asked the state Youth and Sports Ministry to continue to develop sports in
the state so as to be able to produce athletes who make the country famous at
the international level.
“In
the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), presented by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri
Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently, the development of sports is among those given
emphasis. Therefore, the state Ministry of Youth and Sports must take the
opportunity in the 12MP to also develop sports in this country, “he said.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Annuar
Musa: National Sports Day best platform to promote unity among Malaysians
09
Oct 2021
PUTRAJAYA,
Oct 9 ― Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa has
described the National Sports Day (HSN) as the best platform for inculcating
and strengthening the spirit of unity among the multi-racial people in line
with the aspirations of the Malaysian Family.
He
said the Communications and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM) is the main agency
responsible for nurturing the soul and spirit of the Malaysian Family, which
values solidarity and unity.
“There
is nothing better than sports, which can strengthen racial ties and boost the
spirit of patriotism.
“Sports
activities are among the most important medium for making a success of the
Malaysian Family philosophy in the context of our country. I hope KKMM and its
agencies can play their role to realise this in the best way possible,” he said
after launching the KKMM-level HSN 2021 here today.
Earlier,
Annuar attended in a virtual manner the launch of the national-level HSN
celebration by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the Youth and
Sports Ministry (KBS). Also present was KKMM secretary-general Datuk Seri
Mohammad Mentek.
As
a symbolic launch of the ministry-level HSN 2021 celebration, Annuar took a
'penalty kick' and joined in the Zumba dance exercise.
Source:
Malay Mail
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