Taliban Bans Girls, Half Its Population, From Secondary Education in Afghanistan, Schools to Reopen for Boys Only
New
Age Islam News Bureau
18
September 2021
Taliban have effectively banned girls from
secondary education in Afghanistan, by ordering high schools to reopen only for
boys.
------
•
If US Doesn't Recognise Taliban It Could Escalate Difficulties in the Region Says,
Pakistan PM
•
India’s National Investigation Agency Has Secured Conviction Of 27 Persons In
31 Cases Of Terror Attacks And Other Crime Inspired By Islamic State Ideology
•
Far-Right French Writer Pledges to Ban Muslim Names If Elected President
South Asia
•
Taliban shootout in palace: Mullah Baradar was attacked, punched by Khalil
Haqqani
•
10 million Afghan children need humanitarian assistance to survive: UNICEF
•
Taliban allows humanitarian aid be provided to people in Panjshir
•
At least two dead, 19 injured in blasts in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad: Health
official
--------
Pakistan
•
UNHCR urges Pakistan to accept new Afghan refugees
•
Pakistan anti-terrorism court sentences five terrorists to five years
imprisonment each
•
Pakistan exploiting scope of uranium enrichment in Gilgit Baltistan, activists
raise concern
•
Sexual assault case: Mufti Aziz maintains innocence, files another bail
petition
•
Leading investors from China, Russia show interest in Pakistan Steel Mills
•
Police accused of submitting selected evidence in Noor case
--------
India
•
Islamic State trying to spread tentacles through online propaganda: NIA
•
Jantar Mantar anti-Muslim slogans: Delhi court denies bail to Sudarshan Vahini
president
•
BJP MLA alleges migration of Hindus from Rajasthan town, calls it 'land jihad'
•
Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in focus at Delhi Police-led conference with
intelligence, security agencies
•
Afghan govt not inclusive, don’t rush into recognising it, says PM Modi
--------
Europe
•
France to be 'especially careful' about Taliban's links with terror groups:
Macron
•
UN extends Afghanistan mission mandate for six months
•
Another Dutch minister resigns over Afghan refugee issue
•
US' Nancy Pelosi warns UK not to endanger Good Friday Agreement
--------
North America
•
Pentagon Apologises After Admitting Drone Strike in Kabul Killed 10 Civilians
•
Taliban shootout in palace sidelines leader who dealt with US: Sources
•
Plane carrying 170, including US, European citizens, departs Kabul for Doha
•
No plans for US, Iran to meet at UN next week: US envoy
•
US, Turkey discuss 'strength of' ties, 'opportunities' ahead: State Dept.
--------
Arab World
•
Former ISIS Stronghold, Mosul, Sees Church Receive New Bell to The Cheers Of
Iraqi Christians
•
Six months on Lebanon’s south coast oil spill cleanup nears completion
•
UAE rejects European Parliament resolution on human rights as ‘incorrect’
•
Iran’s fuel shipments violate Lebanon’s sovereignty: PM Mikati
•
Saudi Crown Prince, Qatari emir and top UAE security official meet in Red Sea
•
RPG fired by Hezbollah supporter lands inside nearby residence
•
WHO director: Lebanon’s brain drain threat to health sector
•
Syrian refugee pleads guilty in church bomb plot
--------
Southeast Asia
•
RUU355 is prelude to Taliban country, says ex-Sabah think tank head
•
Penang allows congregational prayers based on mosque capacity, says state
Islamic Dept chief
•
Encroachment on minorities’ constitutional rights will nullify Pakatan MoU with
govt, says Guan Eng
--------
Mideast
•
President Rayeesi Describes Destruction, Poverty As Only Result of US
20-Year-Long Occupation of Afghanistan
•
President Rayeesi: Iran Supporting Multilateralism to Resolve Regional, Global
Issues
•
Rayeesi: Iran Welcomes Investors
•
Spokesman: Iran to Further Broaden Ties with Neighbours after SCO Membership
•
Iranian President Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Tajikistan
•
Iran Urges Prosecution of US, Allies for Imposing Extraterritorial Sanctions
•
Nine men executed by Houthi’s in Yemen for involvement in Samad death
•
Iran joins expanding central Asian security body led by Russia, China
•
Israeli FM to visit Bahrain in first after diplomatic accord
•
Yemen's Houthis execute nine men for involvement in Samad death
•
Spoons become a new symbol of Palestinian ‘freedom’
--------
Africa
•
UN concerned about detained migrants vanishing in Libya
•
Bandits kill Miyetti Allah leader in Kaduna
•
Morocco education ministry denies removing Islamic studies from exams after
online uproar
•
Somali president slammed for clipping premier's powers
•
Ex-Algerian leader Bouteflika, ousted amid protests, dies
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-girls-afghanistan-school/d/125388
--------
Taliban Bans Girls, Half Its Population, From Secondary Education in Afghanistan, Schools to Reopen for Boys Only
Sep
18, 2021
Taliban have effectively banned girls from
secondary education in Afghanistan, by ordering high schools to reopen only for
boys.
------
NEW
DELHI: The Taliban have effectively banned girls from secondary education in
Afghanistan, by ordering high schools to reopen only for boys.
The
edict makes Afghanistan the only country on earth to bar half its population
from getting a secondary education, the Guardian reported.
Girls
were not mentioned in Friday's announcement, which means boys will be back at
their desks next week after a one-month hiatus, while their sisters will still
be stuck at home, the newspaper said in the report.
The
Taliban Education Ministry said secondary school classes for boys in grades
seven to 12 would resume on Saturday, the start of the Afghan week.
"All
male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions,"
the statement said.
The
future of girls and female teachers, stuck at home since the Taliban took
control, was not addressed, the Guardian report said.
In
a further sign that the recently announced Taliban government is tightening
restrictions on women, the former ministry of women's affairs building in Kabul
has been handed over to the newly re-established ministry for the prevention of
vice and promotion of virtue.
This
was the group's feared enforcer in the 1990s, charged with beating women who
violated bars on everything from going out in public without a male guardian to
an obsessively prescriptive dress code that even forbade high heels, the report
said.
The
decision on education has worrying echoes of the tactics the Taliban used in
the 1990s, when they last ruled Afghanistan, to bar girls from school without
issuing a formal prohibition.
Source:
Times of India
--------
If
US Doesn't Recognise Taliban It Could Escalate Difficulties in The Region Says,
Pakistan PM
Sep
18, 2021
Source: Zee News/ Image credit Twitter
------
IALAMABAD:
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that if the US does not hold talks
with the Taliban and take a positive stance on its recognition it could
escalate difficulties in the region, local media reported.
Imran
Khan, during an interview with a Russian media outlet on Friday, said that
Afghanistan is currently the most important issue for the entire region as the
country is at a historic crossroads, Pakistan's Dunya News reported on
Saturday.
When
asked about Pakistan's assistance to the Taliban against the US, he said:
"If Pakistan helped Taliban win against the US, it means that Pakistan is
stronger than the US and whole of the Europeans and so strong that it has been
able to make a lightly armed militia of around 60,000 fighters, beat a well-equipped
armed of 3,00,000."
He
also said, "The Afghan people consider the war against external forces as
jihad and the Taliban have learned a lot in 20 years."
On
Wednesday, Imran Khan had said that the US war against terrorism was
"disastrous" for Pakistan as Washington used Islamabad like a
"hired gun" during their 20-year presence in Afghanistan. "We
(Pakistan) were like a hired gun."
"We
were supposed to make them (the US) win the war in Afghanistan, which we never
could," Khan said in an interview with CNN.
On
Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said that the US would
reassess its ties with Pakistan following the military drawdown from
Afghanistan.
Blinken
told US Congress during a hearing that Pakistan has a "multiplicity of
interests some that are in conflict with ours".
Pakistan
has had deep ties with the Taliban and other outfits in the region. Moreover,
the country has been accused of supporting the group during the US war on
terror.
Despite
ample evidence presented by the international community, Imran Khan, in the CNN
interview, denied charges that Pakistan harbours terrorists and has given them
a safe haven.
Source:
Times of India
--------
India’s
National Investigation Agency Has Secured Conviction Of 27 Persons In 31 Cases
Of Terror Attacks And Other Crime Inspired By Islamic State Ideology
September
18, 2021
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Government’s counter-terrorism
organization, today said it had investigated 37 cases of terror attacks,
conspiracy, and funding that have been inspired by the Islamic State ideology.
The
most recent IS case registered by the NIA was in June this year. A total of 168
accused persons have been arrested in these cases. Chargesheets have been filed
in 31 cases, and 27 accused have been convicted after trial.
Investigations
by NIA revealed that Islamic State is trying to spread its tentacles in India
through continuous propaganda online.
Gullible
youth are targeted on open social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter,
and Instagram. Once a person shows interest, he or she is then enticed to
communicate with online handlers based abroad, using encrypted social media
platforms.
Depending
on the gullibility of the person, the handlers then use the person for
uploading online content, translating IS texts into the local language, and
joining a conspiracy.
The
targeted person is involved in the preparation of a module, collection of arms
and ammunition, preparation of IEDs, terror funding, and even attacks.
The
NIA has appealed that if any such activity is noticed on the Internet, it may
be brought to the notice of the authorities. NIA can be contacted at
011-24368800, the counter-agency said
Source:
The Statesman
--------
Far-right
French writer pledges to ban Muslim names if elected president
17
September, 2021
Far-right
French political writer Eric Zemmour has said that he would ban Muslim names
like Mohammed if he were to be elected as president.
During
an appearance on We Are Live to promote his latest book “La France n’a pas
encore dit son dernier mot” (France has not yet said its last word), Zemmour
said he would ban the name Mohammed “as it is not French”.
It
is rumoured that the polemicist will be running for the French presidential
race in 2022, but he has said that he will announce it once he decides.
Zemmour
has claimed that “[people] are pushing me to be a candidate, as they think that
it is I who has the good ideas for France.”
France’s
audiovisual regulating body has said that it would limit Zemmour’s airtime as a
political commentator on French television channel CNews, arguing that he
should not be allowed to use his television appearances to campaign.
Zemmour
reportedly received 10% of the vote in an opinion poll this week, while
far-right candidate Marine Le Pen dropped to just 19%.
The
writer said he “had nothing against Marine Le Pen but everyone knows, and I
think she knows, that she cannot win,” while speaking on BFMTV on Wednesday.
Source:
The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/far-right-french-polemicist-moots-ban-muslim-names
--------
South Asia
Taliban
shootout in palace: Mullah Baradar was attacked, punched by Khalil Haqqani
Sep
18, 2021
KABUL:
The man the US and its allies hoped would be a moderate voice in Afghanistan’s
Taliban government has been sidelined after a dramatic shootout in the
presidential palace in Kabul, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Mullah
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s most public face who led peace talks with the
US, was physically attacked by a leader of the US terrorist-designated Haqqani
Network in early September during talks at the palace over forming the cabinet,
the people said, asking not to be identified discussing the incident.
Baradar
had pushed for an “inclusive” cabinet that included non-Taliban leaders and
ethnic minorities, which would be more acceptable to the rest of the world, the
people said. At one point during the meeting, Khalil ul Rahman Haqqani rose
from his chair and began punching the Taliban leader.
Their
bodyguards entered the fray and opened fire on each other, killing and wounding
a number of them, the people said. While Baradar was not injured he has since
left the capital and headed to Kandahar -- the group’s base -- to speak with
Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, effectively the Taliban’s spiritual
head.
The
cabinet lineup released on September 7 included no one from outside the
Taliban, with about 90% of spots going to ethnic Pashtuns from the group.
Members of the Haqqani family received four positions, with Sirajuddin Haqqani
-- leader of the Haqqani Network who is on the FBI’s most wanted list for
terrorism -- becoming acting interior minister. Baradar was named one of two
deputy prime ministers. The Taliban and Haqqani groups merged around 2016.
The
people said the head of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, who was in Kabul during
the discussions, backed the Haqqanis over Baradar, who spent about eight years
in a Pakistan prison before the Trump administration facilitated his release to
participate in peace talks. The little-known Mullah Mohammad Hassan was chosen
as prime minister instead of Baradar because he has better links with Islamabad
and isn’t a threat to the Haqqani faction, they said.
The
media office of the Pakistan military didn’t immediately respond to a request
for comment.
Over
the past week, members of the Taliban have rejected reports of a clash. Baradar
appeared on state-run television on Thursday to deny rumors he’d been wounded
or even killed. Baradar wasn’t present on September 12 to welcome Qatar’s
foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and he missed the
Taliban’s first cabinet meeting this week.
“Praise
be to God, I am safe and sound,” he said in the brief address. “Another
statement made by the media that we have internal disputes is also completely
not true.”
He
brushed off speculation over his absence during the visit of the Qatari
delegation, where other cabinet members including several Haqqanis were
present. The Gulf state had hosted Baradar for several years and facilitated
negotiations with then Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to end America’s
longest war.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
10
million Afghan children need humanitarian assistance to survive: UNICEF
Sep
18, 2021
KABUL:
The United Nations Child Fund (UNICEF) reported that ten million Afghan
children need immediate help as they lack access to sufficient food, medicine and
drinking water.According to UNICEF, due to a lack of access to basic needs,
many children are malnourished they must lie in hospital beds, reported Tolo
News.
"Today
in Afghanistan there are nearly 10 million children in urgent need of
humanitarian aid. Those least responsible for this crisis are paying the
highest price. There are children within communities without access to water
because of the drought. There are children missing out on critical
vaccines," said Sam Mort, chief of communications for UNICEF in
Afghanistan.
Displaced
families said that they do not have sufficient funds to feed their children,
reported Tolo News.
The
displaced families said they cannot afford to provide basic needs for their
children. "The children need clothes and food. When there is no food and
no clothes, the United Nations should help us," said Shahla, a displaced
woman.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
allows humanitarian aid be provided to people in Panjshir
18
Sep 2021
The
interim cabinet of the Taliban decided humanitarian aid be provided to the
people of Panjshir after they took over the province as the very last holdout in
Afghanistan.
The
decision was taken by the cabinet led by the premier Mullah Muhammad Hassan
Akhund.
Provincial
officials of the Taliban and people in Panjshir province say that all the
routes to the province reopened and telecommunication resumed.
People
in the province said they are in a humanitarian crisis and desperately need
relief assistance.
They
have also said that 90 percent of the residents left Panjshir province after it
fell to the Taliban.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-allows-humanitarian-aid-be-provided-to-people-in-panjshir-575757/
--------
At
least two dead, 19 injured in blasts in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad: Health
official
18
September ,2021
At
least two people were killed and 19 more were wounded in separate explosions in
the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Saturday, according to a health
official and local media.
The
attacks, which targeted Taliban vehicles, are the first deadly blasts since the
American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
An
official from the health department of Nangarhar Province told AFP that three
people were killed and 18 were wounded, while several local media reported the
attacks left at least two dead and 19 injured.
Jalalabad
is the capital of Nangarhar, the heartland of Afghanistan’s Islamic State
group, which claimed responsibility for a bloody attack that killed more than
100 people at Kabul airport at the end of August.
The
Taliban returned to power in mid-August after toppling the former government,
and they have promised to restore peace and security to the country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
UNHCR
urges Pakistan to accept new Afghan refugees
Amin
Ahmed
September
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has asked
Pakistan to accept the new influx of refugees from Afghanistan, suggesting that
if these refugees are sent back due to the lack of documentation, they may be
at risk.
He
said these refugees might be from minorities or they might have other issues.
Speaking
at a news conference on Friday, Mr Grandi said the future was full of
uncertainties and risks, but it was important that “we in the international
community continue to engage with Taliban in order to go forward and save
Afghanistan and the region from disaster”.
He
said there had been no major refugee outflow but some Afghans had come to
Pakistan, and they might have specific needs.
Says
security situation in Afghanistan has improved, but terrorist threat remains
He
said he fully understood the position of Pakistan which had so many refugees
for the past 40 years.
Mr
Grandi said Pakistan was very careful about refugees and wanted to be very
cautious to check who was entering the country.
He
claimed that the security situation in Afghanistan was improving and UNHCR
would be able to scale up humanitarian assistance if the organisation was
adequately supported and resourced.
“The
security situation has improved, but we remain concerned about the terrorist
threat. We hope the new administration is united and that they do not have
divisions among themselves. Otherwise, it will be a factor of destabilisation,”
he warned.
Mr
Grandi said the international community should find ways to support the
functioning of Afghanistan state and its institutions.
“If
the state ceases to function, it will provoke a crisis much bigger than the
humanitarian crisis. UNHCR has not witnessed a large outflow of refugees yet
but if the state collapses, a lot of people will seek refuge in other
countries. Therefore, it is important to prevent that situation,” he
emphasised.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1646942/unhcr-urges-pakistan-to-accept-new-afghan-refugees
--------
Pakistan
anti-terrorism court sentences five terrorists to five years imprisonment each
Sep
17, 2021
LAHORE:
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday handed down
five-year imprisonment each to five terrorists, including those belonging to
the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
An
official of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said the convicted
terrorists -- Muhammad Aslam, Basharat Khan, Muhammad Ali, Niaz Abbas and Adil
Abbas -- were arrested by the CTD early this year from Sargodha and Khushab
districts of Punjab.
They
were convicted after the prosecution presented evidence and witnesses against
them in the ATC.
"The
ATC Sargodha has handed down five-year imprisonment each to five terrorists and
also ordered confiscation of their properties," the official told PTI.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
exploiting scope of uranium enrichment in Gilgit Baltistan, activists raise
concern
Sep
18, 2021
GILGIT
BALTISTAN: In violation of international laws, Pakistan has been exploiting the
scope of uranium enrichment in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, confirmed
locals and political activists from the occupied region.
Sources
in Gilgit Baltistan said a team of Pakistani experts from the Atomic Energy
Material Centre (AEMC) had visited the Haider Abad area of Hunza Nagar, Skardu
and Ghizer areas of Gilgit Baltistan. They too visited an enrichment site
located near the Dargai village in Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province for uranium exploration.
Earlier,
there were reports that Pakistan has given a free hand to Chinese mining
companies to plunder natural resources in Gilgit Baltistan. There are reports
that over 2,000 leases for mining of gold, uranium and molybdenum have been
illegally awarded to Chinese firms by the Pakistan government in occupied
Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr
Amjad Ayub Mirza, a political activist and journalist from Pakistan occupied
Kashmir (PoK) said, "Chinese geologists along with members on mining
corporation were in the Hunza-Nagar district. They were accompanied by a team
of Pakistan military geologists. Together they visited mountains in Hunza
valley and Nagar which are said to be rich in uranium and other minerals mostly
used in nuclear and space technology."
He
added, "Certain areas of upper Hunza, like the Chapursan valley were
leased by Asif Ali Zardari government out to China. The details of the lease
have never been made public. However, these have become no-go areas even for
the Pakistan army as the Chinese continue to work on tunnel building and
mineral exploration. Chinese miners have also acquired the lease in Astore
district to extract high-quality copper".
Dr
Mirza told ANI that the company digging uranium in Gilgit Baltistan is Shahzad
International, which is considered to be one of the largest lease-owning foreign
contractors in the region. "Reports of applying crude methods and
indiscriminate blasting techniques are being used for excavation. This is
causing extensive environmental damage since Chinese-made, gasoline-powered
rock drills both on the surface and underground are being used. This is not
only detrimental to the miner's health, but it also causes irreversible
ecological damage. Heavy deforestation is also taking place in the area."
Moreover,
Pakistan has also been exploring the possibility of uranium mining in Khyber
Pakhtoonkhwa province.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sexual
assault case: Mufti Aziz maintains innocence, files another bail petition
Rana
Bilal
September
18, 2021
Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam's (JUI) former leader Mufti Azizur Rehman has approached a
district and sessions court for the grant of a post-arrest bail, days after a
similar petition of his was dismissed by a judicial magistrate.
He
is accused of subjecting a student of his madressah to sexual abuse, of which
the victim has reportedly presented video evidence. He is currently confined in
District Jail, Lahore.
Mufti
Aziz's counsel Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, in his petition, has described his
client as "an innocent, law abiding citizen" who has been
"falsely and maliciously" implicated in the case.
He
claimed to himself be the victim of a conspiracy and "madressah politics",
as he accused the complainant of being "hands in glove" with his
opponents, alleging that the case was hatched "in connivance with
police".
The
petition described the victim as a "trapper", and questioned why he
was still residing at the hostel when he had been expelled from the madressah
in 2018.
The
petitioner pointed out the aforesaid point in an attempt to "show the
hollowness of prosecution case", also calling the plaintiff a "puppet
in the hands" of his opponents who, he said, wanted to oust him from the
office of Jamia Manzoor ul Islamia.
Mufti
Aziz's counsel disputed the occurrence of the allegation by saying that the
place where the sexual act is supposed to have taken place is where he "is
living with his family including adult sons, and therefore, it is highly
unbelievable and unnatural that he would resort to alleged acts at the place
where his whole family is residing."
Regarding
the video evidence against his client, the counsel argued that such videos
"can be created within a couple of minutes".
The
petition cited the example of Titanic and other Hollywood movies in which
"things are maneuvered and fabricated fictitiously, illegally which has no
gensus (sic) with reality".
"Therefore,
it would not be impossible to create this sort of video," the petition
claimed.
Mufti
Aziz's counsel said that nothing was recovered from his client during
investigation and "therefore, further incarceration in any manner would
not be beneficial for prosecution case."
He
further said that his client was also willing to submit a surety to secure bail
as he prayed the court for relief and the award of bail until a final verdict
is reached in the case.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647040
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Leading
investors from China, Russia show interest in Pakistan Steel Mills
Amin
Ahmed
September
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Leading investors’ consortiums from China, South Korea and Russia have showed
interest in investing in Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) as roadshows for renowned
international and national investors were being held in Islamabad.
The
Privatisation Commission which is arranging roadshows since Sept 13, says the
revival of Pakistan Steel Mills would be a unique transaction as since its
closure various attempts have been made to revive it.
It
said this was the first time after 16 years that the Ministry of Privatisation
was making unrelenting efforts, and the transaction is expected to be completed
in the second quarter of next year.
The
Privatisation Commission says investors’ consortium from South Korea and China
held meetings with the team of the commission led by Minister for Privatisation
Mohammadmian Soomro on Friday.
Financial
and legal advisers and senior officials of the ministry responded to the
queries from the potential investors.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Police
accused of submitting selected evidence in Noor case
Malik
Asad
September
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The counsel for Zahir Jaffer’s parents Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Adamjee on Friday
concluded arguments on their bail petitions in the murder case of Noor Mukadam.
He
accused the police of submitting selected evidence saying the police
investigation made the case complicated.
Justice
Aamer Farooq remarked that it appeared that police did not know how to link
clues during interrogation.
The
counsel, Khawaja Haris, read out the confessional statement of Zahir Jaffer,
the principal accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, which stated that both
entered into a brawl after the latter threatened him that she would file a case
and humiliate him.
According
to the confessional statement, the counsel said, the accused then called his
father and told him that he was getting rid of Noor.
The
counsel said this was not included in the initial statement of Zahir Jaffer.
The
lawyer also challenged legality of the confessional statement of the accused,
arguing that it must have been recorded before a magistrate.
He
contended that the police presented selected call details record and there was
no evidence of Zakir Jaffer’s connivance in disposing of the dead body. So far,
no transcript of the phone conversation has come to light.
Justice
Farooq remarked that the transcript of the call conversation could be available
when the call was recorded.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1646911/police-accused-of-submitting-selected-evidence-in-noor-case
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India
Jantar
Mantar anti-Muslim slogans: Delhi court denies bail to Sudarshan Vahini
president
by
Anand Mohan J
September
18, 2021
A
Delhi court has denied bail to Vinod Sharma, national president of Hindu outfit
Sudarshan Vahini, who is accused in the anti-Muslim sloganeering incident at a
Jantar Mantar event in August.
Additional
Sessions Judge Anil Antil denied bail to Sharma stating that he “may not be the
person who was directly delivering those inflammatory/ hatred speeches”,
however, he was “instrumental in organising the protest at Jantar Mantar”.
The
court held that this was evident from the material placed on record, like
banners and posters, on which Sharma’s mobile number and photographs are
printed with a call to his supports to join the protest.
“It
is difficult to say that there is no prima facie material against the accused
to attract the ingredients of Section 153-A IPC (Promoting enmity between
different groups on grounds of religion),” the court said.
It
said his presence “not as a curious onlooker or a bystander, suggests active
participation in the object of the assembly.”
The
court said it is “necessary to observe that the accused, despite being aware of
the intention of the protest rally, organised thereto out of his free will
participation and subsequent.”
The
lawyer for the accused, Rajat Aneja told the court it is “evident that he has
not uttered any hatred or inflammatory words or objectionable slogans against
any religion or any other particular section of the society.”
He
argued that the “viral video of alleged incident is edited record prepared
intentionally and deliberately by the prosecution to falsely book the applicant
and other persons.”
“After
cooking up a false story to rope the applicant/accused alongwith other members
of the different Hindu organisations, a police constable was introduced as a
complainant to lodge an FIR with intent to curtail there constitutional right
of freedom and liberty, by involving and arresting them in such a false case,”
he argued.
Additional
Public Prosecutor S K Kain said in the video, “it appears that objectionable
slogans and hatred/inflammatory speeches were delivered against the particular
community by the accused persons in a very tactful manner under well hatched
conspiracy along with chantings of Hanuman Challisa to divert the attention of
listeners.”
Source:
Indian Express
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BJP
MLA alleges migration of Hindus from Rajasthan town, calls it 'land jihad'
17th
September 2021
JAIPUR:
A BJP MLA on Friday alleged in the Rajasthan Assembly that Hindus were forced
to migrate from areas in Tonk's Malpura town after Muslims bought properties
there, calling it a case of "land jihad".
Malpura
MLA Kanhaiya Lal claimed that after buying property at premium rates, Muslims
threaten Hindus.
There
is a sense of fear and insecurity among Hindu families due to which 600 to 800
of them have migrated, he claimed.
Seeking
attention of the House through adjournment motion, the MLA said there is a need
to bring a strict law so that Hindus and people from the Jain community are not
forced to migrate due to insecurity.
Kanhaiya
Lal said Malpura is a sensitive town where over 100 lives have been lost in
communal riots since 1950.
Source:
New Indian Express
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Taliban
takeover in Afghanistan in focus at Delhi Police-led conference with
intelligence, security agencies
Sep
18, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The issue of Taliban takeover was heavily discussed during the
conference of various intelligence units and security agencies with Delhi
Police at Delhi Police headquarters on Friday, as per sources.
The
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief were
among many other officers across top intelligence agencies present at the
conference.
As
per sources in security agencies, it was discussed that how India needs to be
extremely aware and cautious of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan and the
current situation there. Top intelligence officials told that India needs to be
extremely cautious of the Taliban and its current form and behaviour as it
could emerge as a threat to India with a new strategy.
In
this highly sensitive conference, many state officials of Police and Intelligence
departments also put forward that Pakistan and its intelligence agency
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are trying hard to strengthen their spy
network in India. They stated that Pakistan was trying to collect confidential
information about India from officials via honey trapping.
The
sources said that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and the challenges in the
Union Territory were also a subject of discussion among the attendees.
Officials brainstormed on ways to deal with strategies of Pakistan to spread
terrorism in India.
A
conference was held on Friday between Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana
along with fourteen intelligence units and security agencies at the Special
cell office of police headquarters.
The
intelligence agencies are continuously receiving alerts regarding terrorists
crossing the border and planning something 'big' in the country.
Source:
Times of India
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Afghan
govt not inclusive, don’t rush into recognising it, says PM Modi
Sep
17, 2021
NEW
DELHI: India finally seemed to have shed some of its ambiguity on Afghanistan
with PM Narendra Modi himself calling upon the international community Friday
to not rush into recognising the Taliban government saying it was not inclusive
and formed without negotiations.
Addressing
an Afghanistan outreach session of the SCO-CSTO summit in Dushanbe, as he underlined
the significance of efforts to ensure that Afghanistan wasn't used to spread
terrorism, Modi called for a code of conduct to check cross-border terrorism
and terror-financing and said instability and radicalisation in Afghanistan can
encourage "other terrorist groups" to grab power through violent
means.
In
his first public remarks on Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of Kabul,
Modi backed a central role for the UN on the issue of recognition for the
Afghanistan government that hasn’t provided representation to all ethnic groups
and has sought to exclude minorities and women.
"The
first issue is that the regime change hasn’t been inclusive and has taken place
without any negotiation. This raises question marks about the acceptability of
the new dispensation," said Modi, adding recent developments in
Afghanistan will have the greatest impact on neighboring countries like India.
‘’That’s
why it’s essential for the global community to take any decision on recognition
for the new dispensation collectively and only after giving it a proper
thought," he said.
Modi’s
remarks also came in the middle of speculation about an Indian
"outreach" to Taliban after the government announced a meeting with a
senior Taliban leader in Doha. The Taliban though never publicly acknowledged
that meeting with the Indian ambassador. On recognition, India doesn’t see its
position as different from that of Russia which, while working closely with
Taliban, has said it’s in no hurry to officially recognise the Taliban government
and will wait to see if they fulfil their commitment on terrorism and
drug-trafficking.
Apart
from the legitimacy issue, Modi listed terrorism fuelled by instability and
radicalisation, drug-trafficking, illegal weapons and the humanitarian crisis
as the top issues that needed to be addressed. He added India was ready to
provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and also back any regional or global
initiative to help the people of Afghanistan.
Modi
said instability and radicalisation in Afghanistan will encourage terrorist and
extremist forces and called upon SCO member-states to develop, based on a
zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, strict and shared norms that serve as a
template for global anti-terror cooperation in the future. "These norms should
include a code of conduct to check cross-border terrorism and terror-financing
activities and also a mechanism for its implementation," said Modi.
Source:
Times of India
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Europe
France
to be 'especially careful' about Taliban's links with terror groups: Macron
Yusuf
Özcan
17.09.2021
PARIS
France
will be "especially careful" about the Taliban's relationships with
terrorist organizations, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday.
"This
is for our safety," Macron said at a joint news conference with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel before his one-on-one meeting with her at the Elysee
Palace.
Noting
that they would discuss the international agenda and the situation in
Afghanistan, Macron said they would make efforts to support neighboring
countries that host Afghans.
Ensuring
that people under threat in Afghanistan leave the country and that humanitarian
aid is delivered to Afghanistan were also on the meeting’s agenda, he added.
Macron
emphasized that he would also discuss the Sahel, Libya, Iran, Ukraine and
Belarus with Merkel.
Merkel
said the issue in Afghanistan is the people who are under threat and the
evacuation of refugees from the country.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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UN
extends Afghanistan mission mandate for six months
17
September ,2021
The
UN Security Council voted Friday to extend the UN mission in Afghanistan for
six months and called on the Taliban to create an inclusive government.
The
15-member council acted in a resolution passed unanimously on the UNAMA
political mission, which deals with development issues, among others, not
peacekeeping.
The
document stressed “the importance of the establishment of an inclusive and
representative government,” although Afghanistan’s new rulers have formed a
government made up only of Taliban members and no women.
The
resolution also calls for “full, equal and meaningful participation of women,
and upholding human rights, including for women, children and minorities.”
It
was drafted by Estonia and Norway, which welcomed the unanimous passage.
In
August a council resolution calling for freedom of movement for Afghans wishing
to leave the country after the Taliban takeover won 13 votes, as Russia and
China abstained.
The
text approved Friday says the UN will continue to play an “important role” in
promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Diplomats
said the Taliban did not object to the UN mandate being renewed.
“They
are obliged to be more flexible,” an Afghanistan specialist at the UN said.
“They
are more pragmatic” than they were in the first stint in power in 1990s, the
person said. The Taliban then were known to be brutal in their strict
enforcement of Islamic law.
“The
Taliban need the UN and this is our leverage” to have an influence on their
decision making, the specialist told AFP.
The
council asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to brief it every other month
on the situation in Afghanistan until the mandate is due again to expire in
March 2022.
It
also wants a written report on the future of the mission by January 31.
In
recent weeks several NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch
have pressed for the UN and its 2,000 staffers in Afghanistan to stay in place
to report on human rights abuses.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US'
Nancy Pelosi warns UK not to endanger Good Friday Agreement
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
17.09.2021
LONDON
US
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned the UK on Friday that a
possible US-UK trade deal will be jeopardized if disagreements with the EU,
which threatens peace in Northern Ireland, are not eliminated.
Pelosi’s
remarks came during her visit to London, where she met with Prime Minister
Boris Johnson.
Following
the meeting, Pelosi said: "Respectful of the will of the British people
and Brexit, I reiterated the strong bipartisan support that the Good Friday
Accords continue to enjoy in the United States Congress and our hope that the
ongoing negotiations will yield a positive outcome that recognizes this
landmark agreement."
Previously,
US President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned that the peace in Northern Ireland
should be kept and the Good Friday Agreement must be preserved.
Pelosi
also spoke at an event hosted by the think-tank Chatham House in London.
She
said a transatlantic trade deal was “very unlikely” if the 1998 Belfast (Good
Friday) Agreement was destroyed.
"This
is not a threat, it’s a prediction," she said.
"I’m
so glad that more time has been given for the negotiations and the discussion
because they have to reach an agreement," she added.
Johnson
"outlined the U.K.’s concerns with the way the (Northern Ireland) Protocol
is being implemented and the impact it is having on the people of Northern
Ireland," according to a statement by the prime minister’s office.
Dozens
of police officers were injured, public buses and cars were damaged during
riots by the loyalist groups in Northern Ireland earlier this year.
The
loyalists argue that the Northern Ireland Protocol, which aligns the region
with the EU in a bid to avoid a hard border in the island, created a de facto
border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, imposing a border check
on goods between Great Britain and the region.
In
a recent address, Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson outlined
his willingness to bring down the Stormont (Northern Ireland Assembly) if the
protocol is not changed substantially.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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North America
Pentagon
apologises after admitting drone strike in Kabul killed 10 civilians
September
18, 2021
WASHINGTON:
A drone strike in Kabul last month killed as many as 10 civilians, including
seven children, the US military said on Friday, apologising for what it said
was a tragic mistake.
The
Pentagon had said the Aug 29 strike targeted a suicide bomber of the militant
Islamic State group who posed an imminent threat to US-led troops at the
airport as they completed the last stages of their withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Even
as reports of civilian casualties emerged, the top US general had described the
attack as “righteous”.
“At
the time of the strike, I was confident that the strike had averted an imminent
threat to our forces at the airport,” Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, the
head of US Central Command, had told reporters. “Our investigation now
concludes that the strike was a tragic mistake.”
He
said he now believed it unlikely that those killed were members of the local
Islamic State affiliate or posed a direct threat to US forces. The Pentagon was
considering reparations, Gen McKenzie said.
In
a statement, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the drone strike had killed a
Mr Ahmadi, who worked for a non-profit called Nutrition and Education
International.
“We
now know that there was no connection between Mr Ahmadi and ISIS-Khorasan, that
his activities on that day were completely harmless and not at all related to
the imminent threat we believed we faced,” Austin said in the statement.
“We
apologise, and we will endeavour to learn from this horrible mistake.”
While
it is rare for senior Pentagon officials, including the defence secretary, to
apologise personally for civilians killed in military strikes, the US military
does put out reports on civilians killed in operations around the world.
Reports
had emerged almost immediately that the drone strike had killed civilians,
including children.
Source:
Dawn
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Taliban
shootout in palace sidelines leader who dealt with US: Sources
17
September ,2021
The
man the US and its allies hoped would be a moderate voice in Afghanistan’s
Taliban government has been sidelined after a dramatic shootout in the
presidential palace in Kabul, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Mullah
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s most public face who led peace talks with the
US, was physically attacked by a leader of the US terrorist-designated Haqqani
Network in early September during talks at the palace over forming the cabinet,
the people said, asking not to be identified discussing the incident.
Baradar
had pushed for an “inclusive cabinet that included non-Taliban leaders and
ethnic minorities, which would be more acceptable to the rest of the world,”
the people said. At one point during the meeting, Khalil ul Rahman Haqqani rose
from his chair and began punching the Taliban leader.
Their
bodyguards entered the fray and opened fire on each other, killing and wounding
a number of them, the people said. While Baradar was not injured he has since
left the capital and headed to Kandahar -- the group’s base -- to speak with
Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, effectively the Taliban’s spiritual
head.
The
cabinet lineup released on Sept. 7 included no one from outside the Taliban,
with about 90% of spots going to ethnic Pashtuns from the group.
Members
of the Haqqani family received four positions, with Sirajuddin Haqqani --
leader of the Haqqani Network who is on the FBI’s most wanted list for
terrorism -- becoming acting interior minister. Baradar was named one of two
deputy prime ministers. The Taliban and Haqqani groups merged around 2016.
The
people said the head of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, who was in Kabul during
the discussions, backed the Haqqanis over Baradar, who spent about eight years
in a Pakistan prison before the Trump administration facilitated his release to
participate in peace talks. The little-known Mullah Mohammad Hassan was chosen
as prime minister instead of Baradar because he has better links with Islamabad
and isn’t a threat to the Haqqani faction, they said.
The
media office of the Pakistan military didn’t immediately respond to a request
for comment.
Over
the past week, members of the Taliban have rejected reports of a clash. Baradar
appeared on state-run television on Thursday to deny rumors he’d been wounded
or even killed. Baradar wasn’t present on Sept. 12 to welcome Qatar’s foreign
minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and he missed the Taliban’s
first cabinet meeting this week.
“Praise
be to God, I am safe and sound,” he said in the brief address. “Another
statement made by the media that we have internal disputes is also completely
not true.”
He
brushed off speculation over his absence during the visit of the Qatari
delegation, where other cabinet members including several Haqqanis were
present. The Gulf state had hosted Baradar for several years and facilitated
negotiations with then Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to end America’s
longest war.
“I
wasn’t aware of the visit of the Qatari foreign minister,” Baradar added. “I
was traveling during the Qatari foreign minister’s visit to Kabul, and I could
not shorten my trip and return to Kabul.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Plane
carrying 170, including US, European citizens, departs Kabul for Doha
17
September ,2021
The
third chartered flight bringing civilians from Afghanistan to Qatar since US
forces withdrew last month took off on Friday with around 170 passengers on
board, including US and European citizens as well as Afghans, a Qatari official
said.
The
flight landed in the Qatari capital at 1630 GMT (12:30 p.m. EDT), officials
said.
Foreign
nationals on board include those from Belgium, Britain, Croatia, Germany, the
Netherlands and Italy as well as the United States, the official said.
The
passengers were transported to Kabul airport in a Qatari convoy after the Gulf
Arab state reached a safe-passage agreement with Afghanistan’s new rulers, the
Taliban, the official said.
In
Doha, the passengers will initially stay in a compound that is hosting Afghans
and other evacuees.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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No
plans for US, Iran to meet at UN next week: US envoy
17
September ,2021
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has no plans to meet with his new Iranian
counterpart next week at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United
Nations in New York, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Friday.
Indirect
talks between Iran and the United States in Vienna on reviving a 2015 deal,
aimed at curbing Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon, stopped in June.
Tehran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes only.
Iran’s
hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, took office in August and his Foreign
Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is due to travel to New York for the UN
General Assembly.
“We
have been engaged with the Iranians and in Vienna, and those discussions will
continue,” Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters.
“We
have not made any direct plans for bilateral meetings while they are here, but
that doesn’t mean that we don’t see value in having discussions with the
Iranians because we do want to move forward on issues related to the JCPOA,”
she said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US,
Turkey discuss 'strength of' ties, 'opportunities' ahead: State Dept.
Michael
Hernandez
17.09.2021
WASHINGTON
Senior
US and Turkish diplomats discussed the ongoing "strength of the
U.S.-Turkey relationship and opportunities to deepen cooperation," the
State Department said on Friday.
Deputy
Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal
met as part of this year's US-Turkey High-Level Political Dialogue.
"Following
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Önal, Under
Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and the Turkish delegation
discussed regional issues, including Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya," State
Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Arab World
Former
ISIS Stronghold, Mosul, Sees Church Receive New Bell To The Cheers Of Iraqi
Christians
18
September,2021
A
bell was inaugurated at a church in Mosul on Saturday to the cheers of Iraqi
Christians, seven years after ISIS overran the northern city.
Dozens
of faithful stood by as Father Pios Affas rang the newly installed bell for the
first time at the Syriac Christian church of Mar Tuma, an AFP correspondent
reported.
It
drew applause and ululations from the crowd, before prayers were held.
‟After seven years of
silence, the bell of Mar Tuma rang for the first time on the right bank of
Mosul,“ Affas told them.
ISIS
swept into Mosul and proclaimed it their ‟capital“
in 2014, before they were driven out three years later by the Iraqi army after
months of
grueling street fighting.
The
return of the Mosul church bell ‟heralds days of hope, and opens the way,
God willing, for the return of Christians to their city,“ said Affas.
‟This is a great day
of joy, and I hope the joy will grow even more when not only all the churches
and mosques in Mosul are rebuilt, but also the whole city, with its houses and
historical sites,“ he told AFP.
The
bell weighing 285 kilograms (nearly 630 pounds) was cast in Lebanon with
donations from Fraternity in Iraq, a French NGO that helps religious
minorities, and transported from Beirut to Mosul by plane and truck.
The
church of Mar Tuma, which dates back to the 19th century, was used by the
extremists as a prison or a court.
Restoration
work is ongoing and its marble floor has been dismantled to be completely
redone.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Six
months on Lebanon’s south coast oil spill cleanup nears completion
18
September ,2021
Six
months ago, beaches and seaside communities across the southern coast of
Lebanon found themselves flooded with toxic tar and other contaminants, washed
ashore following an accident involving an oil tanker travelling through nearby
Israeli waters.
Now,
thanks to efforts spearheaded by the United Nations Development Program and
funded by the German state-owned KfW Development Bank, the ongoing work of
clearing away this unwelcome flotsam from the already struggling country’s
seaside is finally nearing completion.
“The
type of waste oil contamination was basically a tar-like oil residue washing up
on the shore in a solid or semi-solid form,” UNDP Program Manager for Energy
and Environment in Lebanon, Jihan Seoud, told Al Arabiya English. “The best way
to clean those up is manually, so this is how we approached it. We didn’t use
heavy machinery or equipment because it didn’t require that.
“We
have actually managed to clean up most of the oil spill,” she explained. “We’re
finalizing it in the next few weeks. We’re inspecting the final sites now.”
In
the immediate aftermath of the spill, huge numbers of local residents and
volunteers were quick to appear on the scene, eager to help. However, it
quickly became apparent that a more organized approach would be required in
order to affect a successful cleanup.
“In
general, volunteers can only go a certain length of the way,” said Seoud. “This
requires a lot of [time] and a lot of manpower, and there are also certain
techniques that need to be used because you [can] end up re-contaminating the
same spots. There’s a systematic approach that needs to be done.”
Without
proper personal protective equipment and training, both of which the UNDP
provides, improperly handling materials contaminated with oil can be
potentially harmful to those attempting to remove them, as well as to the
environment.
Factors,
such as the weather or the time of day must be considered. At higher
temperatures, oil residues become more fluid and sticky, making them more
difficult to clean off hard surfaces like rocks.
Rather
than simply ask for more volunteers however, the UNDP ensure that all of their
workers receive payment for their efforts. With over 70 percent of the Lebanese
population currently unemployed and the local currency having lost much of its
value, this is a welcome bonus for many struggling to find work.
“The
program is called ‘Cash for Work’; it’s one of the mechanisms that the German
government has been supporting, creating short-term jobs for the local
vulnerable people and refugees,” Seoud explained. “It’s a daily rate [with] a
minimum wage of $7 (USD) per day.”
Collected
oil waste is then transported to the Zahrani Oil Refinery and temporarily
stored in UN standard drums, in line with best practice.
With
Lebanon’s normally lucrative tourism sector already suffering due to travel
restrictions imposed in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, many feared
that a compounding ecological disaster polluting coastal waters could push
these businesses – and the families they support – to breaking point.
Fortunately,
this hasn’t been the case, thanks to quick action from both local residents,
and the coordinated efforts of local and international authorities.
“The
National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) did an initial assessment in
partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the [Lebanese]
Ministry of Environment and the municipalities in the south that were
affected,” said Seoud. “They let us know exactly where contamination was and
certain areas where it wasn’t easy to find. They were very keen and involved.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UAE
rejects European Parliament resolution on human rights as ‘incorrect’
18
September ,2021
The
United Arab Emirates rejected on Friday as “factually incorrect” a resolution
passed by the European Parliament criticizing its human rights record and
calling for the release of peaceful political activists.
“Every
country has its own laws and legal institutions, the UAE constitution and
national legislation enshrines fundamental rights which provide for the fair
treatment of all citizens and residents,” the Emirati foreign ministry said in
a statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran’s
fuel shipments violate Lebanon’s sovereignty: PM Mikati
17
September ,2021
Lebanese
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Iranian fuel shipments imported by the
Hezbollah movement constitute a breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty, according to
comments published by his office.
“The
violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty makes me sad,” Mikati told CNN in an
interview, his office said in a posting on Twitter.
He
added: “But I’m not concerned that sanctions can be imposed” on Lebanon
“because the operation was carried out without the involvement of the Lebanese
government.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Crown Prince, Qatari emir and top UAE security official meet in Red Sea
17
September ,2021
Top
officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates met in the Red
Sea Friday, a Saudi official said.
Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad and UAE
National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed were pictured after having a
“cordial” meeting in the Red Sea, tweeted Bader Al Asaker, the director of the
Crown Prince’s office.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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RPG
fired by Hezbollah supporter lands inside nearby residence
17
September ,2021
Hezbollah
supporters lining the streets of Lebanon to welcome tanker trucks from Syria
filled with Iranian fuel fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) into the air,
destroying nearby properties.
A
video of a man firing an RPG in the middle of a street just inside the Lebanese
border with Syria was followed by pictures of where it appeared to land: inside
a local residence.
No
injuries were reported, but as is often the case in Lebanon, celebratory
gunfire leads to injuries and casualties.
The
Lebanese government has not condemned the gunfire or firing of RPGs. The
government has not commented on the fuel unilaterally imported by Hezbollah
from Iran via Syria’s Baniyas.
The
Iran-backed group has said the import of badly needed fuel to Lebanon broke the
“American siege” on Lebanon, which Hezbollah claims is the reason for Lebanon’s
unprecedented financial and economic crisis.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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WHO
director: Lebanon’s brain drain threat to health sector
17
September ,2021
The
World Health Organization’s director general on Friday expressed deep concern
about the impact of Lebanon’s economic meltdown and multiple crises on the
wellbeing of the nation, and said the brain drain among the country’s health
workers is particularly worrisome.
Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke following meetings with senior Lebanese officials and
visits to health facilities and practitioners over the past two days. He said
the country of 6 million — including over 1 million Syrian refugees — needs
emergency and development support to tackle shortages of medicines, fuel, and
structural problems such as migration of medical professionals.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
brain drain is depriving the country, once a medical hub in the region, of
essential human resources, he said.
On
Friday, Ghebreyesus spoke to reporters at a rebuilt WHO warehouse in Karantina,
an area of Beirut devastated by a massive and deadly port explosion last year
that further depleted the country’s already struggling health sector. The
warehouse, which stored drugs and medical supplies, was destroyed in the blast
and rebuilt with donor assistance.
Ghebreyesus
noted that the Lebanese are not only struggling with the financial and
political crises but also with the impact of the port explosion and the
coronavirus pandemic.
“This
is heavy. This is very heavy,” he said. “I don’t know if there is any country
in such a situation, which is really dire.”
For
months, pharmacy shelves have been bare, exacerbated by panic buying and
suppliers holding back drugs, hoping to sell them later for higher prices amid
plans to remove government subsidies. Hospitals are at a breaking point, barely
able to secure diesel to keep generators and life-saving machines operating day
to day as the cash-strapped government struggles to import basic materials.
The
drug shortages threaten tens of thousands of people, including cancer patients.
Medics scramble to find alternatives to medicines that are missing. Reports
suggest thousands of doctors and nurses have left the country in the past year
for opportunities elsewhere.
“Nurses
are leaving, doctors are leaving,” Ghebreyesus said. “That is very serious. Its
impact will last for many years to come.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Syrian
refugee pleads guilty in church bomb plot
September
18, 2021
PITTSBURGH:
A Syrian refugee accused of plotting to bomb a Christian church in Pittsburgh
and who was inspired by the Daesh group pleaded guilty to a federal charge on
Thursday and awaits sentencing.
Pittsburgh
resident Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 23, entered the plea to attempting to provide
material support and resources to the militant extremist organization.
Authorities
have said he had detailed plans in 2019 to bomb the Legacy International
Worship Center, a small Christian church on the city’s North Side.
Federal
prosecutors said at the plea hearing that he talked about potentially planting
a second explosive device, timing the detonation to coincide with when first
responders would begin to arrive, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
Defense
attorney Andrew Lipson told the judge that Alowemer did not agree with the
prosecution’s allegation that he had plotted a second attack, the paper said.
“That
truly was not his intention or desire,” Lipson said.
In
a release, the US attorney’s office said Alowemer wanted to inspire other US
supporters of the Daesh group to conduct similar actions.
Alowemer
gave someone he thought was a fellow Daesh supporter instructions about how to
build and use explosives in May 2019, but that person was in fact with the FBI,
prosecutors said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1930891/middle-east
--------
Southeast Asia
RUU355
is prelude to Taliban country, says ex-Sabah think tank head
Ainaa
Aiman
September
18, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: A former CEO of a Sabah think tank contends that the passing of the
Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 amendment bill, better known as
RUU355, is the beginning of an Islamic state and implementation of hudud laws.
“If
implemented, Malaysia will be like another Taliban country. There is no
rationale to introduce new shariah laws as the current ones are sufficient,”
said Johan Ariffin Samad, who headed the state-funded Institute for Development
Studies two years ago,
“The
government should not be messing with anyone’s religion. The bill has been
debated extensively and argued by all sides and has in fact divided the nation.
There are also concerns that it may affect non-Muslims,” Johan told FMT.
He
said that in 2017, civil society leaders in Sabah and Sarawak had protested
against the implementation of the increase in punishments proposed under the
bill, as they felt there was no rationale for the change.
Johan
said the Borneo states firmly believed in the freedom of religion as guaranteed
during the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
The
RUU355, which is a Private Member’s Bill by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang,
mainly seeks to increase criminal jurisdiction of the shariah courts.
Prime
Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said in a parliamentary reply on Wednesday
that the government will be intensifying efforts to prepare the draft bill for
tabling in Parliament after consultations with various state governments.
The
proposed amendment bill had caused an outcry with many groups accusing the
federal government of seeking to allow the implementation of hudud as part of
the Islamic penal code.
Johan
said the federal government should not waste its time on “messing” with
religion which is a state matter.
“The
push to implement RUU355 will cause another round of instability and probably
another change in government as Sabah and Sarawak are more than likely to
reject it,” he said.
Source:
FMT
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Penang
allows congregational prayers based on mosque capacity, says state Islamic Dept
chief
17
Sep 2021
GEORGE
TOWN, Sept 17 — Fully vaccinated individuals are allowed to perform
congregational obligatory and Friday prayers at mosques and surau throughout
the state based on the capacity of the prayer area, beginning tomorrow.
Penang
Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAIPP) director Datuk Mohd Zakuan
Zakaria said, however, congregants were required to adhere to the prescribed
standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb Covid-19 transmission.
“Those
who are partially vaccinated are allowed to perform congregational prayers at
mosques and surau according to the previous SOP, namely only 150 congregants
for state mosque, kariah mosque (100 people) and surau (50 people).
“Apart
from that, mosques or surau management must provide a special prayer area for
travellers or e-hailing drivers,” he said in a statement today.
He
added that guest khatib was not allowed to deliver the Friday sermon and the
call for prayer or Azan would be conducted as per normal practice.
Mohd
Zakuan said religious talks should be held on online platforms while the
recitation of Surah Yassin and tahlil could be done on the premises only on
Friday nights.
He
also said that for the time being, any official events, marriage solemnisation
or social events were not allowed to be held at mosques or surau in Penang.
“A
total of 30 people are allowed to participate in funeral arrangements for
non-Covid-19 patients. Visiting of the graves is also allowed,” he added.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Encroachment
on minorities’ constitutional rights will nullify Pakatan MoU with govt, says
Guan Eng
18
Sep 2021
BY
SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID
KUALA
LUMPUR, Sept 18 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today warned “racist and
extreme groups” within the government against pushing any legislation that
encroaches on the constitutional rights of Malaysia’s minority citizens.
The
warning came on the back rumours that Islamist members of the government led by
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob are planning to push ahead with a controversial
Shariah Bill that some critics said would infringe on the rights of non-Muslim
faiths.
“Racist
and extremist groups within the government should stop any intention of
imposing Shariah laws on non-Muslims or restrict the practice of their religion
in accordance with the Federal Constitution,” Lim said in a statement.
He
added that Pakatan Harapan (PH) would consider such a move to be a violation of
the bilateral memorandum of understanding to halt all political hostilities
signed between the government and the Opposition coalition last week.
“Despite
the MoU not covering other areas not mentioned, let me state categorically that
if fundamental constitutional rights are adversely affected, the MoU would also
cease to have effect and be nullified,” Lim said.
The
agreement, which some observers called “historic”, mostly touched on the
government’s pandemic response.
PH
said it would avoid holding any act “that can be construed” as a confidence
vote against Ismail Sabri, and will support all efforts to put the country back
on the recovery path on the condition that bilateralism takes place in all
policy decisions, including for the upcoming Budget.
But
Lim said the MoU also covers the protection of fundamental constitutional
rights of both Muslims and status of Islam as well as the rights of non-Muslims
and freedom of religion to practise their own religion amongst non-Muslims.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
President
Rayeesi Describes Destruction, Poverty As Only Result of US 20-Year-Long
Occupation of Afghanistan
2021-September-17
“The
20-year presence of American and Western forces in Afghanistan had no result,
but destruction, homelessness and massacre of more than 35,000 Afghan children
and thousands of men and women,” the Iranian president said in a meeting with
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
“The
withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan is an historic opportunity for the
formation of a popular government in Afghanistan and establishment of peace in
this country and the region,” he added.
He
pointed out that the key to resolving Afghanistan's problems is to form an
all-inclusive government and prevent foreign interference in the country's
affairs.
Khan,
for his part, said Iran and Pakistan must work closely together to help
Afghanistan successfully form an all-inclusive government.
In
relevant remarks last week, Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to
the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi underlined that the war crimes
committed by foreign forces in Afghanistan should not go unpunished.
"Afghanistan
is going through a critical period. Hundreds of thousands have fled the
country; Nearly 600,000 others have been displaced; Basic food is running out
and 18.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance," Takht
Ravanchi said addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.
The
Iranian ambassador said that the current situation in Afghanistan is first of
all a direct result of the intervention of the US and other foreign powers in
Afghanistan and their irresponsible withdrawal.
"When
they entered Afghanistan, they brought disaster to the Afghans, and when they
left, they left a tragedy for the Afghans," Takht Ravanchi added.
He
reiterated that the path to stability, lasting peace and sustainable
development in Afghanistan is practically through inter-Afghan negotiations
with the active participation of real all ethnic, linguistic and religious
groups.
Takht
Ravanchi said that Iran also strongly believes that under no circumstances
should Afghan territory be used to threaten or attack a country or to shelter
or train terrorists, or to plan or finance terrorist activities.
"Terrorist
groups such as ISIL, which are a major threat to Afghanistan and the region,
should not be allowed to operate in Afghanistan," he added.
The
Iranian ambassador pointed out that Afghanistan needs help to overcome its
current problems.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President
Rayeesi: Iran Supporting Multilateralism to Resolve Regional, Global Issues
2021-September-18
President
Rayeesi made the remarks in an address to the 21st Summit of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe on Friday.
“The
foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been based on active
participation in international organizations, multilateralism and opposition to
unilateralism based on justice, cooperation, mutual respect and the need to
play a constructive role in facing international and regional challenges,”
President Rayeesi said.
He
reiterated that the world has entered a new era where hegemony and unilateralism
are on the decline, and said, "The international system is changing
towards polarization and redistribution of power in favor of independent
countries."
The
Iranian president, however, warned that challenges such as terrorism, extremism
and separatism are currently posing a threat to international peace and
security.
“As
in the not-so-distant past, Asia is at the center of global change. Maintaining
and strengthening peace in this vast area is not a choice but a necessity. The
Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its ‘governing spirit’ i.e mutual trust,
common interests, equality, mutual consultation, respect for cultural diversity
and common development are key tools for maintaining peace in the 21st
century," he added.
The
Iranian president said that the first challenge is the coronavirus pandemic,
which not only targets the health of the nations but also has significant
social, economic, political and security consequences.
He
also lauded the efforts made by the SCO members, specially China, Russia and
India, to help global vaccination, and said, "Any disruption to the
process of assisting humans’ health under the pretext of sanctions is against
the principles of human rights and amounts to a crime against humanity."
President
Rayeesi described sanctions as economic terrorism, and said they are the
hegemonic powers' most important tool to impose their own will on others.
“Sanctions
or economic terrorism are among key obstacles to promoting regional harmony.
The SCO needs to design structures and mechanisms for a collective response to
sanctions,” the Iranian president added.
He
warned that unilateral sanctions are not limited to one country, but as it has
become clear in recent years, they include more independent countries,
particularly the SCO member states.
“It
is important and necessary to design mechanisms for collective confrontation
with unilateral sanctions in the framework of this organization,” the Iranian
president said.
He
noted that insecurity impedes development and terrorism hinders sustainable
economic growth.
"With
a history of more than 40 years of relentless confrontation and fight against
terrorism and extremism, the Islamic Republic of Iran has rendered worthy
services for the realization of peace and justice in West Asia," President
Rayeesi pointed out.
“I
extend my hand of cooperation to all countries participating in this summit for
the realization of peace and alliance in the fight against terrorism and
extremism. We need collective action to ensure security and justice as key infrastructures
for development and progress,” he added.
The
Iranian president concluded that the SCO member countries can use the existing
methods to achieve and promote peace and security based on diplomacy and boost
comprehensive interaction on the basis of justice and spirituality by relying
on their deep-rooted history of civilization.
The
SCO officially admitted Iran as a new member of the Eurasian political,
economic, and security alliance at its 21st summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on
Friday.
"Perfectly
pleased to announce that the permanent membership document of the Islamic
Republic of Iran was approved by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Dushanbe in the presence of our esteemed President,"
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian tweeted Friday.
"This
strategic membership has an important impact on the process of comprehensive
cooperation between Iran in line with the policy of neighborhood with and pivot
to Asia," he added.
The
21st edition of Shanghai Cooperation Organization kicked off in Dushanbe,
capital of Tajikistan on Friday.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Rayeesi:
Iran Welcomes Investors
2021-September-18
The
Iranian president made the remarks in a meeting with Iranans residing in
Tajikistan.
President
Rayeesi termed Iranians residing in other countries as an opportunity and a
valuable capacity for the progress of Iran.
He
reiterated that security of investment is guaranteed by the current
administration in Iran, and said, "Suitable ground is provided for
Iranians in the field of easing and accelerating issuance of investment-related
licenses."
Invited
by Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, President Rayeesi arrived in Dushanbe
on Thursday to take part in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.
Ministers
of foreign affairs, energy, labor, cultural heritage, and justice accompanied
President Rayeesi during the visit.
The
SCO officially admitted Iran as a new member of the Eurasian political, economic,
and security alliance at its 21st summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Friday.
"Perfectly
pleased to announce that the permanent membership document of the Islamic
Republic of Iran was approved by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Dushanbe in the presence of our esteemed President,"
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian tweeted Friday.
"This
strategic membership has an important impact on the process of comprehensive
cooperation between Iran in line with the policy of neighborhood with and pivot
to Asia," he added.
The
21st edition of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) kicked off in Dushanbe,
capital of Tajikistan on Fri.
The
SCO consists of nine permanent member states, including Iran, India,
Kazakhstan, China, Kirgizstan, Pakistan, Russia and Uzbekistan. Three states of
Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia are still observer members and six countries
of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkeyو and Sri Lanka are dialogue
partners.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000626000477/Rayeesi-Iran-Welcmes-Invesrs
--------
Spokesman:
Iran to Further Broaden Ties with Neighbors after SCO Membership
2021-September-18
"Warmly
welcome the decision of the SCO to approve Iran's full membership,"
Khatibzadeh wrote on his twitter page on Friday.
"A
major step toward enhanced ties with neighbors and an important impetus for our
Asia-centered foreign policy," he added.
"We'll
continue our efforts to build on indigenous initiatives for the good of the
region," Khatibzadeh underlined.
The
Shanghai Cooperation Organization officially admitted Iran as a new member of
the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance at its 21st summit in
Dushanbe on Friday.
"Perfectly
pleased to announce that the permanent membership document of the Islamic
Republic of Iran was approved by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Dushanbe in the presence of our esteemed President,"
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian tweeted on Friday.
"This
strategic membership has an important impact on the process of comprehensive
cooperation between Iran in line with the policy of neighborhood with and pivot
to Asia," he added.
The
21st edition of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) kicked off in Dushanbe,
capital of Tajikistan on Friday.
The
SCO consists of nine permanent member states, including Iran, India,
Kazakhstan, China, Kirgizstan, Pakistan, Russia and Uzbekistan. Three states of
Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia are still observer members and six countries
of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka are dialogue
partners.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
President Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Tajikistan
2021-September-18
The
honorary doctorate of Tajikistan National University was awarded to President
Rayeesi and he was also selected as an honorary member of the faculty of the
university.
President
Rayeesi visited an exhibition of Tajikistan National University's scientific
achievements.
The
Tajik National University, the largest and most prestigious university in the
country, was established in 1947 and currently has 14 faculties and more than
30,000 students.
The
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officially admitted Iran as a new
member of the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance at its 21st
summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Friday.
"Perfectly
pleased to announce that the permanent membership document of the Islamic
Republic of Iran was approved by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Dushanbe in the presence of our esteemed President,"
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian tweeted Friday.
"This
strategic membership has an important impact on the process of comprehensive
cooperation between Iran in line with the policy of neighborhood with and pivot
to Asia," he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000627000247/Iranian-Presiden-Awarded-Hnrary-Dcrae-in-Tajikisan
--------
Iran
Urges Prosecution of US, Allies for Imposing Extraterritorial Sanctions
2021-September-17
"Sanctions
are generally sold to the public on a pack of egregious distortions and
falsehood, including the so-called humanitarian exception," Baqayee
Hamaneh said addressing the 48th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva,
"It
doesn’t exist; even a global health emergency-the global Covid pandemic-could
not motivate the United States to show humanity; the extent and layers of UCMs
were further toughened during the past 2 years. They even did not spare
COVID-19 vaccines nor has the COVAX mechanism been immune from the impacts of
sanctions," he said.
Baqayee
Hamaneh said that accountability must be a part and parcel of any scheme to
address and contain the negative impacts of UCMs on enjoyment of human rights,
adding, "It is high time that the United States, as the main culprit, and
those European States that have long enforced the US unlawful sanctions against
the targeted countries were held to account."
He
pointed out that unilateral coercive measures are wrongful acts entailing the
international responsibility of the imposing States and the States that act as
accomplices by enforcing those measures, and said, "They constitute crime
against humanity due to their deliberate and indiscriminate harmful impacts on
the innocent people by subjecting them to severe economic hardship amounting to
starvation."
"We
concur that a coherent approach is needed to comprehensively address different
aspects of UCMs and their impacts, including the illegality of extraterritorial
application of domestic legislations as well as their human rights and
humanitarian implications," he added.
In
a relevant remarks in late June, Baqayee Hamaneh lashed out at the anti-Iran
report by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), calling it as
politically-motivated.
"The
report presented today is based on an entirely political mandate initiated by a
group of like-minded, or rather 'similarly-biased', countries that have for
long instrumentalized human rights as part and parcel of their adversarial
agenda against Iran," Baqayee Hamaneh said, addressing the 47 Session of
the Human Rights Council on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
He
said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is fully committed to the protection and
promotion of human rights, and respects its international obligations. Just
yesterday, we submitted Iran`s fourth national report on the implementation of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to the Human Rights
Committee. We cannot afford to be dissuaded from consolidating our efforts on
promotion and protection of human rights because of unfair pressures and
baseless allegations.
“We urge all States to uphold
the principles of universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in the
consideration of human rights issues and the elimination of double standards
and politicization.”
“We also call upon all who truly
care for human rights to recognize the imperative of rule of law and the
centrality of judicial systems in preserving the rule of law and protecting
human rights," he said.
The
Iranian official further noted that the Iranian people have shown maximum
resilient against the cruel unilateral coercive measures strategized by Trump
regime to put so-called maximum pressure on Iran as part of their obsessive
addiction to unilateralism and their hostility toward Iran.
The
US continues to carry on with the unlawful and inhuman legacy of the former
administration in complete defiance of international law and basic principles
of humanity. We should never forget that the US even tightened its unilateral
sanctions during the pandemic leaving no doubt as to their true intention to
immiserate a whole nation, in bold disrespect to the ICJ's ruling of 3 October
2018 which ordered the US to remove any impediment to export foodstuffs,
medicine and medical devices to Iran, he added.
“The US and its enablers and
those States that have been enforcing its unilateral coercive measures must be
held to account for the massive systematic and gross violations of human
rights. The United States is allegedly one of the major advocates of this
reporting scheme and I leave it to my audience to make their judgment if an
imposer of such atrocious unilateral coercive measures can logically claim to
care for the human rights of the Iranians?!" Baqayee Hamaneh said.
He
went on to say that "the report presented today is based on an entirely
political mandate initiated by a group of like-minded, or rather
similarly-biased, countries that have for long instrumentalized human rights as
part and parcel of their adversarial agenda against Iran. The product of such
prejudicial mandate is unavoidably biased toward reinforcing the prejudices.”
“Shouldn’t one consider ending
this careless vicious circle?!
The
report is one of the four yearly reports - all similar in content, theme and
tone- originating from a mentality that is far from good faith- compiled
inevitably to satisfy the mandate devised by a few Western States to pressurize
and demonize Iran,” he added.
“Is it really the most efficient
and effective way of using the UN scarce budgets and resources to turn human
rights agenda into a platform for confrontation and absolutely one-sided attack
on a member State?!” Baqayee Hameneh said.
The
successive reporting instructed under relevant UNGA resolutions tabled each
year by Canada-a country that decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran
more than a decade ago for no good reason and that persists in its policy of
denying the huge Iranian diaspora of their basic consular rights- are purposely
aimed at antagonizing Iran and generating negative stereotyping, he added.
“The question is if and how such
flawed mandate that comes from an overblown sense of self-entitlement and lacks
any good faith on the part of its main sponsors could possibly contribute to
the promotion and protection of human rights other than compiling volumes of
documents full of controversial and inaccurate information and false
narratives.”
He
noted that the patterned methodology used in compiling the reports is
impeccably based on over-generalizing individual cases, magnifying negatives,
minimizing positives and catastrophizing the whole situation, adding, “I give
you just one example. In paragraph 61 of the report it is claimed that the
number of homeless people in Tehran is around 700000. This is absolutely false.
The compilers of the report didn’t bother to check the original Persian news
before rushing to include this ‘favorite’ data in the report."
Baqayee
Hamaneh also said that "despite all the misgivings, Iran, as always,
didn’t hesitate to try in all good faith to correct a host of disinformation,
false claims and unsubstantiated allegations mentioned in the report. We wish
that Iran’s responsible and professional approach would have been reciprocated
by the report compilers who, instead, opted to ignore the overwhelming majority
of our 60-page comment and clarification.”
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Nine
men executed by Houthi’s in Yemen for involvement in Samad death
18
September ,2021
Yemen’s
Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Saturday that authorities had executed
nine men
who
were convicted of involvement in the 2018 killing of Saleh al-Samad, then the
armed group's top civilian leader.
Samad,
who held the post of president in the Houthi-controlled administration which
runs most of northern Yemen, was killed in April 2018 by a Saudi-led coalition
air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen's west coast.
He
was the most senior official to be killed by the coalition in the years-long
war in which the Houthis are fighting forces loyal to the
internationally-recognized government based in the southern port city of Aden.
The
government is backed by a Saudi-led coalition which has received support from
Western powers. Saudi Arabia and its mostly Gulf Arab allies allege the Houthis
are proxies for their arch-rival Iran, something the group and Tehran deny.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
joins expanding central Asian security body led by Russia, China
17
September ,2021
Iran
joined a rapidly expanding central Asian security body led by Russia and China
on Friday, calling on the countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to
help it form a mechanism to avert sanctions imposed by the West.
The
body, formed in the 2001 as a talking shop for Russia, China and ex-Soviet
states in Central Asia, expanded four years ago to include India and Pakistan,
with a view to playing a bigger role as counterweight to Western influence in
the region.
In
a sign of its growing influence, the body’s summit in Tajikistan was the first
appearance abroad of Iran’s new hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, since taking
office in August.
Raisi
hailed the opportunity that membership would provide for Iran, as a country
along China’s “Belt and Road” route, to join important trade links across
Eurasia. Iranian television described Iran’s membership as giving it access to
huge markets across the continent.
In
his speech to members, Raisi compared sanctions on Iran to terrorism, and said
the organization should design a mechanism that helps Tehran avert them.
Russia
and China, along with Western countries, are parties of a 2015 agreement
between Iran and world powers under which Tehran agreed to curbs on its nuclear
program in return for the lifting of sanctions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
FM to visit Bahrain in first after diplomatic accord
September
17, 2021
JERUSALEM:
Israel’s foreign minister said Friday that he will visit Bahrain later this
month, the first such visit by an Israeli minister to the Gulf country
following a diplomatic agreement reached last year.
Yair
Lapid announced the visit in a conference call with US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken and officials from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and
Morocco, which signed US-brokered agreements to normalize relations with Israel
last year.
The
officials hailed the so-called Abraham Accords, which have led to the opening
of embassies, the launch of direct flights and a raft of agreements to boost
economic ties. They expressed hope that the new relationships would be deepened
and that other nations would follow suit.
“This
Abraham Accords club is open to new members,” Lapid said, before announcing
that he plans to visit Bahrain by the end of the month. He visited the UAE in
June and Morocco in August.
The
Biden administration has welcomed the accords brokered by former President
Donald Trump’s administration, and has pledged to build on them.
The
Palestinians viewed the agreements as a betrayal of their national cause
because they further eroded a longstanding Arab consensus that recognition of
Israel should be conditioned on progress toward the creation of a Palestinian
state.
Blinken,
who hosted the video conference, said “we all must build on these relationships
and growing normalization to make tangible improvements in the lives of
Palestinians and to make progress toward the longstanding goal of advancing a
negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1930666/middle-east
--------
Yemen's
Houthis execute nine men for involvement in Samad death
September
18, 2021
DUBAI:
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen said on Saturday that authorities had
executed nine men who were convicted of involvement in the 2018 killing of
Saleh al-Samad, then the armed group’s top civilian leader.
Samad,
who held the post of president in the Houthi-controlled administration which
runs most of northern Yemen, was killed in April 2018 by a Saudi-led coalition
air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen's west coast.
He
was the most senior official to be killed by the coalition in the years-long
war in which the Houthis are fighting forces loyal to the internationally
recognised government based in the southern port city of Aden.
The
government is backed by a Saudi-led coalition that has received support from
Western powers.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1931051/middle-east
--------
Spoons
become a new symbol of Palestinian ‘freedom’
September
18, 2021
JERUSALEM:
The humble spoon has taken its place alongside traditional flags and banners as
a Palestinian resistance symbol, after prisoners were said to have carried out
one of Israel’s most spectacular jail breaks with the utensil.
When
the six Palestinian militants escaped through a tunnel on Sept. 6 from the high
security Gilboa Prison, social networks shared images of a tunnel at the foot
of a sink, and a hole dug outside.
A
hashtag, “the miraculous spoon,” suggested how the Hollywood-style feat might
have occurred.
But
whether or not the utensil had really been involved or its role was cooked up
was at first unclear.
Then
on Wednesday a lawyer for one of the fugitives who has since been recaptured
told AFP that his client, Mahmud Abdullah Ardah, said he had used spoons,
plates and even the handle of a kettle to dig the tunnel from his cell.
He
began scraping his way out from the northern Israeli institution in December,
the lawyer, Roslan MaHajjana, said.
Ardah
was one of four fugitives later arrested after the army poured troops into the
occupied West Bank as part of a massive manhunt.
All
six were accused of plotting or carrying out attacks against Israelis.
Two
men remain on the loose following the extremely rare escape. Israel has begun
an inquiry into lapses that led to the embarrassing incident, which
Palestinians see as a “victory.”
“With
determination, vigilance... and cunning, and with a spoon, it was possible to
dig a tunnel through which the Palestinians escaped and the enemy was
imprisoned,” writer Sari Orabi said on the Arabi 21 website.
Palestinian
cartoonist Mohammed Sabaaneh says the escape has served up “black humor” and
exposed Israel’s security system to ridicule.
He
has made several drawings featuring the utensil, including one titled “The
Tunnel of Freedom.”
The
issue has also stirred admiration outside the Palestinian territories, where
spoons have been carried in demonstrations supporting prisoners detained by
Israel.
In
Kuwait, the artist Maitham Abdal sculpted a giant hand firmly clasping a spoon
— the “spoon of freedom,” as he calls it.
Similarly
inspired, Amman-based graphic designer Raed Al-Qatnani symbolically depicted
six silhouettes taking a bridge to freedom, represented by a spoon.
For
him, it also evokes the numerous hunger strikes undertaken by Palestinian
prisoners to protest their incarceration.
In
Tulkarem, a city in the West Bank occupied since 1967 by Israel, the escape
brought back memories for Ghassan Mahdawi. He and another prisoner escaped from
an Israeli prison in 1996 through a tunnel dug using not kitchen implements but
nails.
He
had been arrested for belonging to an armed group during the first Palestinian
intifada, which lasted until the early 1990s.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1930881/middle-east
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Africa
UN
concerned about detained migrants vanishing in Libya
September
18, 2021
ON
BOARD THE GEO BARENTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA: A UN migration agency official
expressed concerns Friday over the disappearance of thousands of Europe-bound
migrants who were intercepted and returned to Libya as more and more desperate
people risk their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
According
to Safa Msehli, a spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration,
the Libyan coast guard, which receives funds from the European Union,
intercepted more than 24,000 Europe-bound migrants in the Mediterranean so far
this year, including over 800 this week alone.
However,
only 6,000 have been accounted for in official detention centers in the North
African country, she said. The fate and whereabouts of thousands of other
migrants remain unknown, she added.
“We
fear that many are ending up in the hands of criminal groups and traffickers,
while others are being extorted for release,” Msehli said.
A
spokesman for Libya’s Interior Ministry, which oversees the detention centers,
did not immediately respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment.
Libya
has for years been a hub for African and Middle Eastern migrants fleeing war
and poverty in their countries and hoping for a better life in Europe. The
oil-rich country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that
toppled and killed longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
Traffickers
have exploited the chaos and often pack desperate families into ill-equipped
rubber or wooden boats that stall and founder along the perilous Central
Mediterranean route. Thousands have drowned along the way. They have been
implicated in widespread abuses of migrants, including torture and abduction
for ransom.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1930981/world
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Bandits
kill Miyetti Allah leader in Kaduna
18
September 2021
Bandits
invaded the residence of the leader of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association (MACBAN) in Lere community in Kaduna State and shot him dead for
failing to provide a N20 million ransom they demanded.
The
bandits who stormed the MACBAN chairman’s home in Lere local council at about
12:40am, yesterday, led the Fulani leader to a location before killing him.
The
Kaduna State chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Haruna Usman Tugga, announced the
development in a statement.
He
said: “With deep sorrow and total submission to the Almighty Allah, we regret
to announce the death of Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi popularly known as Dambardi
the Chairman MACBAN, Lere Local Government Area Branch.
“The
chairman was killed in the early hours of today, 17th September, 2021, at about
2:00am in his town Lere, in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.”
He
stated the killers arrived his house around 12:40am, picked him up and demanded
N20 million from him, which he said he didn’t have.
“Then
they asked him to make sure he raised the money or they will kill him. He took
them from his house and went to some butchers houses to borrow some money from
them and he raised up to N250,000. Thereafter, they took him along the
Saminaka-Mariri- Zange Highway and killed him there.
“We
condemn this wanton killing of an innocent and peace loving person who in all
his life has been an ambassador of peace and tranquility among the good people
of Lere Local Government and beyond.
“We
have really lost a leader of high respect who has been assisting our
association in promoting harmony and coexistence among our members. We condole
his family, the Miyetti Allah of Lere Local Government and the entire MACBAN
members in Kaduna State and beyond for this great loss.”
Source:
The Guardian Nigeria
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/bandits-kill-miyetti-allah-leader-in-kaduna/
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Morocco
education ministry denies removing Islamic studies from exams after online
uproar
17
September, 2021
Reports
that Islamic studies have been removed from national exams in Morocco have prompted
the country's education ministry to deny the claims in an official statement.
The
ministry responded to news circulated by activists and media reports which
claimed that the subject of Islamic education was removed from primary and
secondary school exams as part of new procedures coming into effect this
academic year.
“The
procedures did not include any changes or modifications to the status of the
subjects… Including the subject of Islamic education, which has always been a
component of the Arabic language test,” a statement clarified.
The
rumours caused widespread controversy, with some taking to social media to
reject the alleged decision, while others sounded approval.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/morocco-denies-islamic-studies-have-been-removed-exams
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Somali
president slammed for clipping premier's powers
Magdalene
Mukami
17.09.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Ahead
of elections in Somalia, presidential candidates on Friday condemned a move by
the president on Thursday to suspend the prime minister’s powers, further
deepening a political crisis in the country.
In
a joint statement, the presidential candidates said the move by Mohamed
Abdullahi Mohamed to clip the prime minister's powers is a blatant violation of
the Somali constitution.
The
candidates said the president “trampled on the country’s constitution and lied
about its provisions” when he suspended the powers of the prime minister.
According
to the presidency, there were "no working relations between the president
and the prime minister."
The
presidency said in a statement on Thursday that since the prime minister of
Somalia has violated the provisional constitution, the powers of the prime
minister and all correspondence related to dismissals or appointments have been
frozen until the completion of the country’s elections.
Premier
rejects suspension
In
response to the presidency on Friday, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein
Roble said the letter issued by the president clearly violates the constitution
and falsely misinterprets articles 87 and 90 of the constitution as they do not
mention any interference of the president in constitutional powers of the prime
minister and his government.”
Roble
added that the president violated Article 103 of the provisional constitution
that gives the incumbent prime minister and his Cabinet the executive power to
continue and carry out routine duties until a new prime minister is sworn in.
Calling
the president’s order null and void, Roble said the federal government of
Somalia has assured the Somali people and the international community that it
is focusing on completing the elections, maintaining security, and safeguarding
the governance system so that the country’s leadership is peacefully
transferred.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somali-president-slammed-for-clipping-premiers-powers/2367263
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Ex-Algerian
leader Bouteflika, ousted amid protests, dies
September
17, 2021
ALGIERS:
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who ruled Algeria for two decades before resigning in
2019 as huge protests engulfed the country, died on Friday aged 84, public
television announced.
The
former strongman had left office in April 2019 under pressure from the
military, following weeks of demonstrations over his bid to run for a fifth
term in office.
After
quitting, he had stayed out of the public eye at a residence in western
Algiers.
Bouteflika
became president of Algeria in 1999 as the former French colony emerged from a
decade of civil war that killed nearly 200,000 people.
Dubbed
“Boutef” by Algerians, he initially won respect for helping foster peace,
notably with an amnesty law that prompted thousands of Islamist fighters to
hand in their weapons.
Bouteflika
went on to be elected for three more consecutive five-year terms, most recently
in 2014.
Journalist
Farid Alilat, who has written a biography of Bouteflika, says that at the
height of his rule in the early 2000s, the president had “all the levers of
power.”
Crucially,
he was backed by the army and the intelligence services.
“He
became an absolute president,” Alilat told AFP.
Algeria
was largely spared the wave of uprisings that swept the Arab world in 2011,
with many crediting still-painful memories of the conflict in the 1990s for
keeping a lid on tensions.
But
Bouteflika’s rule was marked by growing corruption, leaving many Algerians
wondering how a country with vast oil wealth could end up with poor
infrastructure and high unemployment that pushed many young people overseas.
In
his later years, Bouteflika’s ill health started weighing on his credibility as
a leader.
Despite
suffering a mini-stroke in April 2013 that affected his speech and forced him
to use a wheelchair, he decided to seek a fourth mandate despite growing public
doubts about his ability to rule.
His
bid in 2019 for a fifth term sparked angry protests that soon grew into a mass
movement against his regime.
When
he lost the backing of the army, he was forced to step down.
The
Hirak mass protests continued, with demands for a full overhaul of the ruling
system in place since Algeria’s independence from France in 1962.
But
while some key Bouteflika-era figures were eventually jailed in corruption
cases, including Bouteflika’s powerful brother Said, the long-sought changes
did not happen.
Bouteflika’s
successor Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected in late 2019 on record low turnout,
with the Hirak calling for a boycott.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1930856/middle-east
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-girls-afghanistan-school/d/125388