Taliban’s Islamic Emirate Came Under The US Airstrike, Weapons Depot Destroyed In An Airstrike
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 April 2022
• Hindu Religious Cleric Threatens Muslim Women With
Rape As Crowd Cheers, Probe Ordered • After The Video Went Viral On Social
Media
• War Cry At Gujarat’s Hate Conclave: Will Fight
Muslims With Trishuls says Praveen Togadia’s Aide
• Al Qaeda Chief Zawahiri Asks Muslims In The
Subcontinent To Unite Over Hijab Controversy In India
• US Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar Urges Biden To Act On
India’s Anti-Muslim Prejudice
South Asia
• Reopening Of Schools For Girls In Afghanistan Might
Lead To Discord Within Taliban: US Envoy
• Deadline must be set to Qatar for Kabul Airport’s
contract: Mullah Baradar
• Taliban denies US airstrikes in Helmand province
--------
India
• Al-Qaeda Won't But Indian Muslims Will Understand
The Significance Of Uniform: Assam CM
• Halal Row Hits Ice Cream Brand In Mangaluru, Muslim
Traders Seek Protection
• No More Hindu-Muslim Anomaly, Justice Rohini
Commission Seeks Parity For All Religions’ OBCs In Central List
• Recovery of IED case: NIA files supplementary Chargesheet
against two Kashmir residents
• Bengaluru: Amid Unrest, Karaga Festival To Be
Celebrated By Muslims, Hindus
• Aakar Patel thanked Ilhan Omar after she repeated
her Muslim Human rights narrative against India
--------
North America
• Bin Laden’s niece praises Marjorie Taylor Greene,
Matt Gaetz for backing Capitol rioters
• Top US military general: Quds Force is terror group
and shouldn’t be removed from FTO
• US lawmakers call on Biden admin to help ensure
Lebanon elections held on time
• US says F-16 sale to Turkiye to bolster NATO, boost
national interests
--------
Pakistan
• In A Jolt To Imran Khan Supreme Court Restores
National Assembly, Orders No-Confidence Vote To Be Held On Saturday
• Pakistan PM Imran Khan says he will continue to
fight as he faces ouster vote
• Uyghurs In Japan Lambast Pakistan For Supporting China’s
Genocide Of Uyghur Muslims, Hold Demonstrations
• Opposition asks nation to observe thanksgiving day
• Bloc politics may hinder steadiness of Pak-China
relations, official says
• Hawkish anti-US sentiments among workers trouble PTI
--------
Africa
• President of Anwar-ul Islam Urges Unity Among
Muslims
• Draft Sudan deal seeks to cement military’s grip
• Tunisian president says voting in elections will be
for individuals not for lists
• Tunisian delegation will travel to Washington on
April 18 for talks with IMF
--------
Arab World
• Alleged Bucha, Ukraine Massacre ‘Shocking:’ UAE
Mission To UN
• Dubai: Martial Arts Teacher Ends Fast Daily With
Non-Muslim Assistant, Students
• Saudi Arabia, Kuwait sending their withdrawn
ambassadors back to Lebanon
• Egypt’s foreign reserves drop to $37 bln with
Ukraine war shock
• Three missiles fall near refinery in Iraq’s Erbil,
no casualties: State media
• GCC ministers support Yemeni presidential council’s
call to negotiate with Houthis
• UAE welcomes Yemeni President’s decision to hand
over power to presidential council
• Turkiye 'neutralizes' 3 YPG/PKK terrorists in
northern Syria
--------
Southeast Asia
• Counter-Terrorism Chief Trying To Tarnish PAS’
Image, Says Party Elder
• Singapore Jails Aussie For Hurling Wine Bottle,
Killing A Muslim Man
• Powerless to act on Sabah’s power problem
• Deputy minister: Education Ministry waiting for full
report on fight in Sepang school
--------
Mideast
• Iranian Envoy Rejects Media Claims about IAEA Report
• Armed attack leaves 2 dead, multiple wounded in
Israel
• Israeli security forces kill Palestinian youth
behind Tel Aviv attack
• Iran's Top Diplomat Felicitates Muslim Counterparts
on Holy Month of Ramadan
• Death toll in Iran stabbing attack at holy shrine
rises to two
• A look at Yemen’s new presidential leadership
council and its powers
• Arab states welcome formation of presidential
council in Yemen
--------
Europe
• EU Calls On Israel To Take Measures To Protect
Palestinians
• Turkey detonates stray naval mine in Black Sea amid
Ukraine war
• EU court unfreezes assets of former Egyptian
president, family
• Azerbaijan, Armenia to start process for peace
talks: EU’s Michel
• Turkish foreign minister meets with Canadian,
Italian, Swedish counterparts in Brussels
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-islamic-emirate-airstrike-us/d/126754
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Taliban’s Islamic Emirate Came Under The US Airstrike, Weapons Depot Destroyed In An Airstrike
April 7, 2022
By Ajmal Sohail
According to intelligence reports, Taliban’s weapons
depot at Boston Billion Pound Base or Shurab Airport in Helmand province was
destroyed in an airstrike. A heavy explosion at a weapons depot at the Shurab
military base took place on Wednesday last week, a source close to the Taliban
said the blast was not caused by fire; relatively, it was an airstrike that
targeted the depot, followed by an airstrike that destroyed the depot. The Taliban did not release any details of
the attack and kept it to be a top-secret. Because the Taliban leaders are in a
precarious position now, their armed forces are still breaking ranks and
starting private businesses. On the other hand, the resistance front against
the Taliban in the north of Afghanistan has become much stronger. In addition,
there are reports that combatants and activists of the previous republican
government, who fled to Iran after August 15, have joined the resistance and
battle has intensified in some districts and areas of Panjshir province.
Moreover, the series continues, according to our
intelligence, a group of fighters is still preparing for war in Tajikistan, and
wants to start fighting after the upcoming Eid.
For the past days, Taliban military leaders and
officials have been trying to complete the militant formation for Panjshir
province, although none of the fighters is willing to go to Panjshir to fight.
Since, those areas are all valleys and the resistance front armed services are
familiar with those areas, but the Taliban are unacquainted to carry out their
war tactics.
On the other hand, hardline Taliban leaders and
fighters have been in a state of panic by the announcement of former US
President Donald Trump’s remarks. In a statement, in which he said the US
troops would once again go to Afghanistan to collect their remaining weapons,
Weapons left behind after August 15 at Afghan corps, US military bases and
other military bases.
Subsequently, a military meeting was held in Kabul
shortly after Trump’s announcement, Thereafter, Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, Governor
of Kandahar and Director General of the Military Commission of 16 Provinces. He
was appointed to record the weapons of the Taliban’s military bases and corps
in 34 provinces of Afghanistan, as well as the weapons of the special centres,
which were under the control of American and British troops before August 15.
For instance Helmand province’s Shurab and Boston Billion Pound Camp, Dover
Camp and Kabul Bagram Air Base, Kabul Special Intelligence Center or Tenth
Department, The US Special Forces base in Kabul, now known as Blackwater,
centres of the Kabul National Security Special Zero Units 01, 02.
The house of Mullah Mohammad Omar of Kandahar
province, which was under the control of 03 unit for last 20 years and
according to the information this place was under the control of Blackwater. In
addition, weapons records of all Afghan corps. On a daily basis after the
weapons registration process, large quantities of weapons and military equipment
are transported to the southwestern zone districts.
Besides weapons, according to Mullah Abdul Ghani
Baradar’s advice, Taliban’s cash-money must be protected. This means that the
process of transferring cash and weapons to the southwestern districts of Afghanistan
are continued, to the extent that the US and Afghan forces have not been able
to enter for the past 20 years. Moreover, all the cash and weapons will be
transferred to the outskirts of cities and only the required amount of money
and weapons will be located in the cities and military bases.
According to our sources, security meetings were held
in all major military bases of Afghanistan from the beginning of last week to
Monday or April 4 of this week, and the high-ranking Taliban are under some kind
of pressure. Because, they fear that if the United States were to invade
Afghanistan again to retrieve weapons, this time Pakistan would not host Afghan
Taliban leaders either. Since the current security and political turmoil in
Pakistan has put Pakistan on a two-way street, with the United States on one
side, On the other hand, China and Russia want to expand their trade with the
world through Pakistan and Afghanistan.
China and Russia do not want Pakistan to become a
center of international terrorism this time around and once again pose a major
threat to its neighbors, therefore they seek to co-operate with the Pakistani
government in defeating terrorists and then expanding its trade with Europe and
Africa, taking advantage of the country’s open water and geographical location.
So if the Taliban in Afghanistan witnessed an attack
by US troops this time, China would not allow Pakistan to host the Taliban, and
Afghanistan would once again witness a protracted civil war, because this time
the Taliban have become much stronger than expected, while Taliban have more
advanced weapons, and special military units.
Mentioned are the reasons that have frightened the
Taliban leaders and politicians, On the other hand, the internal differences
and strife between them are not only resolved, but also broadened.
Source: Modern Diplomacy
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/04/07/talibans-islamic-emirate-came-under-the-us-airstrike-oer/
--------
Hindu Religious Cleric Threatens Muslim Women With
Rape As Crowd Cheers, Probe Ordered After The Video Went Viral On Social Media
A video in which a religious
leader can be heard issuing a rape threat women of a particular community has
emerged on social media. (Photo: Screengrab)
------
April 8, 2022
In a video that has emerged on social media, a
religious leader can purportedly be heard threatening to kidnap and rape women
of a particular community. He was addressing a gathering in Sitapur district in
Uttar Pradesh.
The video was shot on April 2. The Uttar Pradesh
police have now ordered a probe and said that legal action will be taken on the
basis of the facts and evidence collected.
THE VIDEO
In the video, a man in saffron robes is addressing a
gathering from inside a vehicle. He is reportedly a religious leader in a town
called Khairabad and has been identified as ‘Bajrang Muni’.
Speaking into a microphone, he can be heard saying in
Hindi, “If a man harasses any girl in the area, I will pick up your daughters
from your homes and rape them.”
His statement was met with cheers from the crowd.
POLICE STATEMENT
After the video went viral on social media, the
Sitapur Police tweeted, “Investigation by Additional Superintendent of Police
is in progress. Legal action will be taken as per rules on the basis of the
facts and evidence.”
Source: India Today
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
War
Cry At Gujarat’s Hate Conclave: Will Fight Muslims With Trishuls says Praveen
Togadia’s Aide
Image: Republic
----
7th
April 2022
Hyderabad:
Similar to the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, an Islamophobic event was organised in
Gujarat which witnessed distasteful speeches. While the event was organised on
March 27, videos of the same have gone viral on social media in the first week
of April.
Organised
by Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), communally provocative speeches and
derogatory remarks were hurled at the Muslim community. The event also saw the
distribution of Trishuls as a symbolic gesture of Hindus coming together.
In
a video, Manoj Kumar, AHP president Praveen Togadiya’s aide, is heard inciting
the audience and provoking them to impregnate Muslim women.
He
went on to recollect the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and glorified it. He then
encouraged the audience to take up arms such as a Trishul and not back off when
the time comes.
5,000
Trishuls were distributed among the audience as part of the event. The Trishul
Diksha (ceremonial distribution of Trishuls) had been banned by the Congress
government. However, the BJP government overturned the ban.
He
then praised Vivek Agnihotri on behalf of AHP for making Kashmir Files and
requested him to make another movie on Gujarat, referring to the Gujarat riots
of 2002.
He
said, “What a wonderful sight it was to see ‘Bajrangbali’(Hindus) sitting on
their (Muslims) chest with Trishuls.”
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Al
Qaeda Chief Zawahiri Asks Muslims In The Subcontinent To Unite Over Hijab
Controversy In India
al Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri
-----
April
7, 2022
Al
Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri, in a video released on Tuesday, spoke on the
hijab controversy in India and asked Muslims in the subcontinent to fight the
perceived assault on Islam “intellectually, using the media and with weapons on
the battlefield”.
Zawahiri’s
reference to a contemporary issue has also confirmed that he is alive, contrary
to suggestions that he had died of natural causes in 2020. Although, even after
the unconfirmed reports of his death, Al Qaeda had issued many videos of
Zawahiri, in all of them he only spoke about historical conflicts and
ideological issues casting a doubt on whether the videos were shot in the
present time.
In
an almost nine-minute video released by Al Qaeda mouthpiece As-Sahab media on
Tuesday, Zawahiri showered praise on Muskan Khan, the Karnataka student who
raised slogans of Allah-hu-Akbar after being heckled by a right-wing Hindu mob
shouting slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” this February. Zawahiri said that her
“defiant slogan of Takbeer” as she challenged “a mob of Hindu polytheists” had
“emboldened the spirit of Jihad” and had reawakened the Muslim community.
A
hijab-wearing student at PES College in Mandya, after being heckled with ‘Jai
Sri Ram’ slogans, retorted by saying Allah u Akbar or Allah is great.
Meanwhile,
the college management tried to resolve the matter.#Karnataka
#hijabhttps://t.co/4eqkTBa6ko pic.twitter.com/KHO9sv7Civ
—
Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) February 8, 2022
The
video, in fact, starts with a clip of Khan taking on the mob, followed by
Zawahiri’s address which for the entire duration of the video talks about just
this issue. “She has unveiled the reality and unmasked the nature of the
conflict between the chaste and pure Muslim Ummah and the degenerate and
depraved polytheist and atheist enemies it confronts… May Allah reward her
greatly for imparting a practical lesson to Muslim sisters plagued by an
inferiority complex vis a vis the decadent Western World. May Allah reward her
for exposing the reality of Hindu India and the deception of its pagan
democracy,” Zawahiri said.
He
said Khan’s video had inspired him to write a poem that he recited at the end
of the video. “Her Takbeer inspired me to write a few lines of poetry, in spite
of the fact that I am not a poet. I hope that our honourable sister accepts
this gift of words from me,” Zawahiri said.
The
Indian security establishment has taken the development with a measure of
concern. “While media outlets affiliated with these groups keep talking about
Indian issues, Zawahiri devoting so much time on a single issue is a development
that cannot be ignored. It shows Al Qaeda views India as a serious ground for
recruitment and may channelize its resources with greater vigour for the same.
A message of this kind from Zawahiri is likely to energise cadres and inspire
those harbouring perception of persecution,” a senior security establishment
officer said.
In
a message to the Muslims in the subcontinent, Zawahiri said, “We must stop
being deceived by the mirage of Hindu democracy of India, which to begin with,
was never more than a tool to oppress Islam. We must realise that in this real
world there is no such thing as ‘human rights’ or ‘respect for the
constitution’ or law or other such nonsensical conjectural ideas.”
According
to Zawahiri, it was exactly the same scheme of deception that the West had
employed against Muslims, “the true nature of which was exposed by France,
Holland, and Switzerland when they banned the Hijab while allowing public
nudity”. “The enemies of Islam are one and the same, those fighting the hijab
of Muslims in Egypt and Maghreb are the same opportunist thugs… writers,
journalists, even hired turbans who vilify the hijab and the Islamic Shariah.
It’s a war on Islam, its core doctrines, its laws, ethics and etiquettes,” he
said.
“Our
Muslim Ummah in the Indian subcontinent, our battle today is a battle of
awareness, a battle of discerning illusion from reality. We must understand
that the way out is by holding on to our Shariah, uniting as a single Ummah,
from China to Islamic Maghreb, and from the Caucasus to Somalia, a united Ummah
waging a concerted war across several fronts. We must gather around sincere
scholars and fight our war ideologically. Intellectually… using the media… and
with weapons on the battlefield against the enemies of Islam,” he added.
He
said the first step in this direction was raising awareness and revealing the
facts. “We must realise that the governments imposed on us, specifically in
Pakistan and Bangladesh, do not defend us, rather they defend the very enemies
they have empowered them to fight against us,” he said.
Zawahiri
also praised the “free media” for circulating the video of Muskan. “I call upon
them to lay bare the injustice that is taking place, confront this oppression
and spread the facts concerning the situation on the ground,” he said.
The
hijab row has prominently figured in propaganda literature of some global
terror groups. Last month, the propaganda outlets of both the Islamic State and
Al Qaeda had the issue on their covers. IS-associated magazine Voice of Hind
had carried a cover titled “The Daughters of the Companions” on the issue.
Previously, AQIS had already talked about it in its latest issue of
Nawa-e-Ghazwa-e-Hind, an Urdu magazine brought out by it.
In
his earlier videos, Zawahiri has largely focused on Islam’s war against western
powers and India has found only passing mentions. He has off and on spoken
about Kashmir but never in detail or broached any particular issue referenced
any incident.
Zawahiri’s
last India-centric video was released in 2014 when he announced the formation
of “Base of Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent” and said that it was a message
that Al Qaeda had not forgotten its Muslim brothers in India. He said jihadists
would break the borders of British India and asked for Muslims in the subcontinent
to unite.
After
the 9/11 attacks too Zawahiri had made mentions of Kashmir, asking Muslims to
fight and once warned Muslims in Pakistan that then president Pervez Musharraf
was going to hand them over to Hindus and flee the country.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
US
Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar Urges Biden To Act On India’s Anti-Muslim Prejudice
U.S. congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar of Minnesota (
FILE PHOTO - Anadolu Agency )
------
Michael
Hernandez
06.04.2022
WASHINGTON:
US congresswoman Ilhan Omar pressed one of President Joe Biden's most senior
diplomats on Wednesday on US support for India given what she said is a
long-standing campaign against the country's Muslim minority.
Omar,
who is Muslim, directly asked Wendy Sherman, Biden's deputy secretary of state,
how US support for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is
"promoting a free and open region," and lambasted what she
characterized as a reluctance to openly criticize his government.
"How
much does the Modi administration have to criminalize the act of being Muslim
in India for us to say something? What will it take for us to outwardly
criticize the action that the Modi administration is taking against its Muslim
minorities?" she asked.
Sherman
said she agrees that the administration must stand up "for every religion,
every ethnicity, every race, every quality of diversity in this world."
Omar
quickly retorted: "I do hope we make a practice of standing up not just to
our adversaries, but to our allies as well."
"Absolutely,"
said Sherman, who also noted the US has raised concerns about India's human
rights record directly with New Delhi officials.
Indian
Muslims have witnessed a deterioration of the right to practice their faith
under the rule of Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
according to multiple international rights groups.
Human
Rights Watch reported in 2021 that the BJP’s prejudices have “infiltrated
independent institutions, such as the police and the courts, empowering
nationalist groups to threaten, harass, and attack religious minorities with
impunity.”
It
noted that Modi and the BJP have adopted laws and policies that “systematically
discriminate” against Muslims.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Reopening
of schools for girls in Afghanistan might lead to discord within Taliban: US
envoy
7
April, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], April 7 (ANI): US special envoy for human rights and Afghan
women and girls Rina Amiri has said that the reopening of schools for girls
above the sixth grade in Afghanistan might lead to discord within the Taliban
leadership, reported local media.
In
an interview with Turkish TRT, Amiri claimed that within the Taliban, there is
a group that is pro-freedom for people in particular the freedom of work and
education for women and the reopening of schools for girls, reported The Khaama
Press.
“While
there is another group of the Taliban that sees Afghanistan as it is in their
mind not as it really is. They see Afghanistan in line with their strict
understanding of Islam that is in opposition with other Islamic countries.” the
media outlet quoted Amiri as saying.
However,
the Taliban Ministry of Education denied there are disputes among government
officials over the closing of girls’ schools, saying that the final decision on
reopening schools above the sixth grade for girls will be made by the
leadership, reported Tolo News.
The
US envoy also warned that the Taliban would not see a reduction in sanctions,
or obtain recognition, without meeting international conditions.
“There
is no possibility to soften or ease sanctions when the Taliban are clearly
violating the terms that have been set forth and, for the Taliban themselves–
where is the impact of the sanctions? it is the fact that the Taliban
themselves recognize that this is not something that a government that seeks to
have international credibility and be a respected member of the community…it’s
on them to do what is required…to have sanctions removed,” Tolo News quoted her
as saying.
Girls’
schools were scheduled to reopen across Afghanistan after months of closure,
but the Ministry of Education announced that secondary schools and high schools
for girls would remain closed until further notice, which was met with strong
domestic and international reactions.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Deadline
must be set to Qatar for Kabul Airport’s contract: Mullah Baradar
08
Apr 2022
Deputy
Prime Minister and head of the Economic Commission of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has tasked Foreign Ministry to set a
deadline for Qatar for Kabul Airport’s contract to be finalized.
The
news was made public by the office of Mullah Baradar on Thursday, April 7,
2022.
Based
on the contract, the management of Kabul International Airport and four other
airports in Afghanistan will be handed over to Qatar and Turkey.
The
press release from the office of the Deputy PM further tasked Foreign Ministry
and other relevant bodies to facilitate visas for foreign investors to
Afghanistan.
It
comes as fresh video clips from the Kabul International Airport show that the
Qatar forces are busy training in the airport to get ready for securing Qatar’s
civil servants and technicians the airport but the IEA has not commented on the
video clips yet.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban
denies US airstrikes in Helmand province
08
Apr 2022
Deputy
Minister of Information and Culture and chief spokesperson of the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid reacted to the report of Modern Policy
and denied any US aerial attack in Helmand province.
Zabiullah
Mujahid taking to his Twitter account wrote that the Mujahideen (Taliban
affiliates) collected planted mines in the province and took them to Shurab and
detonated them in a desert.
“Mujahideen
collected old planted mines in Helmand province, took them to Shorab, and
detonated them in a nearby desert. Neither an incident nor an airstrike has
been carried out there. Propaganda by some media in this regard is incorrect.”
Reads the Twitter post.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-denies-us-airstrikes-in-helmand-province-765765/
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India
Al-Qaeda
Won't But Indian Muslims Will Understand The Significance Of Uniform: Assam CM
Apr
07, 2022
by
Poulomi Ghosh
As
the hijab row in Karnataka has again been stoked by the video released by al
Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri praising Muslim student Muskan Khan the student
who stood against alleged hecklers, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
said it is expected that al Qaeda will not understand the significance of
uniform but Indian Muslims will. Supporting the government's hijab ban which
was upheld by the Karnataka high court, the Assam CM said if religious clothes
are not barred, then educational institutions will become a platform for the
display of religious behaviour.
"If
you wear hijab, I will wear something else (it will become an ideology), then
school and college will become a platform for the display of religious clothes
and religious behaviour. So, how can then school and college continue (with
permitting hijab)? That is why the term uniform came so that there's no
difference between Hindus and Muslims. There is no difference between poor and
rich," Sarma said, as reported by ANI.
"Al
Qaeda will never understand but I am sure that Indian Muslims will understand
that we have to wear uniforms. Once you finish your school and college, you
come back to your home and whatever you want to wear, you wear. I am sure that
Indian Muslims are with the judiciary," he said.
Al
Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri issued an 8.43-minute clip in which he praised
Muskan Khan whose video of resisting a group of boys chanting Jai Shri Ram went
viral. "May Allah reward her for exposing the reality of Hindu India and
the deception of its pagan democracy," Zawahiri, one of the world's most
wanted terrorists, said. "... We must shake off the delusions that
confound us... we must stop being deceived by the mirage of the pagan Hindu
democracy of India, which, to begin with, was never more than a tool to oppress
Muslims," he said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Halal
Row Hits Ice Cream Brand In Mangaluru, Muslim Traders Seek Protection
Apr
8, 2022
MYSURU/
MANGALURU: A group of Muslim businessmen and vendors met National Commission
for Minorities Rinchen Lhamo in Mysuru on Thursday and expressed apprehensions
that they were being targeted in Karnataka following a spate of controversies
on hijab, halal meat and use of loudspeakers in mosques.
The
meeting came on a day when the halal row hit an ice cream business in Mangaluru
with messages on social media calling for a boycott of the brand.
The
brand (TOIis not naming the company) in question had got its product
halal-certified a few years back after a campaign alleged that the ingredients
used in the ice cream were not fit to be consumed by a particular community.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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No
More Hindu-Muslim Anomaly, Justice Rohini Commission Seeks Parity For All
Religions’ Obcs In Central List
MOUSHUMI
DAS GUPTA
7
April, 2022
New
Delhi: The Hindu-Muslim anomaly in granting reservation to occupational
communities such as Darzis (tailors), Dhunias (cotton carders) and Julahas
(weavers) in several states is likely to be addressed by a
government-constituted commission, formed to examine the sub-categorisation of
OBCs (Other Backward Classes).
At
present, Muslims who belong to such groups — for example, Julahas in Uttar
Pradesh (UP), and Dhunias and Darzis in Bihar, among others — have got
reservation in the central list of OBCs, but Hindus from the same groups have
been left out.
The
Justice Rohini Commission has compiled data on these religiously restricted
entries and is likely to recommend removal of the anomaly in the central list
of OBCs to ensure that the backward class status is independent of religion,
ThePrint has learnt.
Set
up in October 2017 to examine the sub-categorisation of OBCs to ensure
equitable distribution of reservation benefits, the Justice Rohini Commission
is likely to submit its recommendation to the government before its term ends
in July 2022. Since 2017, its term has been extended 12 times.
It
was in 1980, soon after the second Backward Classes Commission — popularly
known as Mandal Commission — submitted its report recommending 27 per cent
reservation to OBCs in central government jobs and educational institutions,
that the federal government came out with the first central list of OBCs. The
list has been amended many times since then.
The
Rohini Commission was originally mandated to look at the distribution of
reservation benefits at the central level. Sub-categorisation of OBCs, which
comprise thousands of communities, castes etc, has been a long-standing demand
among some sections to ensure better distribution of reservation benefits.
The
commission’s term of reference was later expanded to include examining of and
recommending correction of any repetition, ambiguities, inconsistencies and
spelling errors in the central list.
The
four-member commission is headed by former Delhi High Court judge, Justice G.
Rohini (Retd), while the other members are Dr J.K. Bajaj, Director, Centre for
Policy Studies, Gauri Basu, Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata
(ex-officio member), and Vivek Joshi, Registrar General and Census Commissioner
(ex-officio member).
Pitch
for OBC status to be ‘religion-neutral’
According
to highly placed sources in the government, the Justice Rohini Commission has
come across around 200 religiously restricted entries in the central list of
OBCs, where Hindus belonging to specific occupational communities have not been
given OBC status like their Muslim counterparts.
As
a result, socially and economically backward Hindus from these particular
occupational classes are not able to avail of the 27 per cent reservation in
central government jobs and educational institutions, they added.
The
sources further said that the commission is addressing the issue to ensure that
in any OBC entry in the central list, all members of the community,
irrespective of religion, will be entitled to reservation benefits.
“Where
this type of religion-specific restriction is there, the commission has tried
to make it more equitable for all religious communities, so that people from
all religions are included,” a source told ThePrint.
The
commission, another source said, wants to ensure that OBC status is independent
of religion in general. In other words, it should remain a religion-neutral
category.
What
the commission found
One
of the sources quoted above said that in Bihar, for instance, the Justice
Rohini Commission has come across 23 entries where Muslims from vocational
communities like Dhunia (cotton carder), Darzi (tailor), Dafali (drumbeater), Sikligar
(one who sharpens knives), Nalband (one who fixes horseshoes) and Mirshikar
(hunter) have been included in the central OBC list, but their Hindu
counterparts have not.
Out
of the 23 entries, the commission has come across just 2-3 entries where Hindus
from a particular occupational class have been treated as Scheduled Castes
(SC), instead of finding a place in the central OBC list.
“For
instance, while a Dhobi (washerman) who is a Muslim is included in the OBC
list, a Hindu Dhobi has been included in the SC list. But such cases are few
and far between,” the source said.
Similarly,
in UP, while Muslim weavers (Julahas) and masons (Raj Mistry) have been
included in the central list of OBCs, Hindus from the same occupational
communities have been left out.
In
UP, the commission has come across four entries in the central list that are
restricted to a particular religion.
“Non-Muslim
weavers in UP have been trying to get into either the OBC or SC list, which has
become a political issue in the state,” the source said.
“In
the case of masons, for instance, the state backward classes commission had
recommended to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) to consider
including both Muslims and non-Muslims in the central list,” the source added.
While
masons from the Muslim community were included in the central list in 1999 on
the advice of the NCBC, no decision was taken to include Hindu masons after the
NCBC said they have also applied to get SC status.
The
commission has found that discrepancies in the central list on religious lines
vary from state to state.
In
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, for instance, the central list has a separate
category for Muslims whose occupational class qualifies them as OBCs, but their
Hindu counterparts are not included as OBC.
“In
MP, some of the backward class Hindus have been separately added to the OBC
list under the subhead ‘Hindu’. This kind of thing is not there in other states
like Bihar,” the source said.
However,
it is West Bengal where the commission came across the maximum number of such
anomalies. “The central OBC list of West Bengal has 39 entries that are
restricted to Muslims alone,” the source further said, adding: “The commission
has looked into all such entries which are restricted to a particular religion,
and tried to ensure that OBCs from all religions get an equitable place.”
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Recovery
of IED case: NIA files supplementary chargesheet against two Kashmir residents
Apr
8, 2022
SRINAGAR:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a supplementary
chargesheet against two accused in a case pertaining to interception of one
Nadeem-ul-Haq with an IED in Jammu & Kashmir.
A
spokesman of the NIA said that the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet
against the two accused in the case, Fayaz Ahmed Khan, son of Mohammad Afzal
Khan of Panzat, and Tawseef Ahmed Wani, son of late Muhammad Maqbool Wani of
Bangdara, in Baramulla, under Section 120B of the IPC and Sections 13, 18, 38,
39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in the NIA Special Court
of Jammu.
The
case was initially registered as FIR No. 234/ 2021 at PS Bahu Fort, Jammu, and
taken over by NIA on July 19, 2021, the statement said.
It
added that the case pertains to the recovery of an IED from the accused,
Nadeem-ul-Haq from Bhatindi, Jammu, who on behest of his Pakistan-based
handlers of TRF, a frontal organization of the LeT, had attempted to explode an
IED in a public place in Jammu area.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Bengaluru:
Amid unrest, Karaga festival to be celebrated by Muslims, Hindus
7th
April 2022
Bengaluru:
Amid social unrest and boycott calls of Muslim traders and sculptors, Bengaluru
— the Silicon Valley of India — is all set to celebrate annual Karaga festival,
known as a symbol of harmony and integrity between Hindus and Muslims since
over 200 years.
Preparations
are on for the full-scale celebration on April 16, despite the pressure from
Hindu organisations to drop rituals involving Muslim community members and
dargah from the festivities. The Karaga Utsava Samithi (Karaga Festival
Committee) has stated that no matter what, all the traditions would be
continued during Karaga festival.
As
part of the festivities, as per the traditions, a group of Muslim religious
leaders and moulvis have arrived into the Sri Dharmaraya Swamy temple on
Thursday and blessed Karaga Utsava Samithi members. They gave an invitation to
the committee to take the procession to Mastaan Saab Dargah located in Balepet
of Bengaluru.
Karaga
Utsava Samithi President Satish stated that the festival would be carried out
in the same way as earlier and there would be no change. The procession would
go to the Mastaan Saab Dargah in Balepet – as per the tradition of hundreds of
years. “The moulvi of Mastaan Saab Dargah had come to the temple and spoken
about it,” he stated.
BJP
MLA Uday Garudachar has also pledged his support for keeping the traditions
which are symbolic of Hindu-Muslim integration intact. “The question has
surfaced regarding whether the Karaga procession should go to Mastaan Saab
dargah or not. This tradition has been followed for hundreds of years and it
should be maintained in the same way,” he said.
MLA
Garudachar has further stated that as a Hindu he would the Karaga procession to
go to Mastaan Saab dargah. The management of dargah is also ready for the
worship of Karaga deity. India is a secular country and no attempt should be
made to spoil the peace and harmony, he added.
Hindu
activists have maintained that the ritual of Karaga procession visiting dargah
was imposed forcefully on Hindu community and it should be stopped.
Karaga
festival is held at Shri Dharmarayaswamy temple in Bengaluru for nine days.
Just after dusk on Karaga day, a priest dressed in female attire leads a
colourful procession. Hundreds of community members of thigalars, a warrior
community, including children, will take part in the procession flashing
swords. Women and devotees carry earthen pots on their heads.
The
priest carries a flower-bedecked pyramid and leads the procession. The
procession visits the tomb of an 18th century Muslim saint at the Mastaan Saab
dargah. Karaga festival is celebrated each year to mark the return of Draupadi
in the form of Adishakthi.
The
priest carrying Karaga, symobol of Adishakthi, will take three rounds of
pradakshina (the rite of circumambulating in a clockwise direction) inside the
dragah. The Muslim community members will worship the Karaga deity. People of
all castes take part in the Karaga festivities.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Aakar
Patel thanked Ilhan Omar after she repeated her Muslim Human rights narrative
against India
7
April, 2022
OpIndia
Staff
On
Wednesday, the US representative for the state of Minnesota, Ilhan Omar
delivered yet another propaganda speech targeted at India and PM Narendra Modi
in the House of Representatives. In her typical Islamist rhetoric, Omar claimed
that the human rights of people, especially those of Muslims have been trampled
upon in India when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.
“How
are we promoting a free and open (Indo-Pacific) region by supporting Modi? Why
has the Biden administration been so reluctant to criticise Modi’s government
on Human rights?” Omar asked in the House. She was seen suggesting that the US’
Cold War foreign policy of supporting dictators in the name of having a common
enemy was indirectly equivalent to US’ support for India with Modi at the helm
today.
Omar
then went on to ask, “How much does the Modi government have to criminalise the
act of being Muslim in India for us to say something? What would it take for us
to outwardly criticise the actions that the Modi administration is taking
against its Muslim minorities in India? Because if we remain silent and the
situation gets out of control – in the way that it did with the Rohingyas, we
all of a sudden show our interest in the genocide that’s taking place.” Omar
suggested that America now has an opportunity to lead and make sure that there
is “action” against the Modi Government’s policy concerning Muslims.
To
Omar’s accusations, US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman stated that it
is important for America to talk to countries with which it has multiple
interests. “(We do so) by meeting with the civil society that supports our
human riots concerns, that we support NGOs and the freedom of journalists. When
I visited India last time, I met with the LGBTQIA+ community, and I have to
tell you, five years ago, no such thing would exist and it is partly because of
the advocacy of NGOs and civil society and our affirmation of them that people
have more freedom than they once had,” Sherman stated.
As
soon as the ex-Amnesty India head Aakar Patel heard about NGOs being discussed
in the US House, he grabbed an opportunity to thank Ilhan Omar for her calls
for intervention in the internal matters of India.
Omar
who is known for peddling the Islamist narratives often directed against the
Narendra Modi dispensation was seeking Biden Administration’s official help in
her propaganda war. Aakar Patel replied to her in a tweet, “Thank you, Rep.
Omar. Please continue to raise issues relating to human rights and civil
liberties in India.”
On
Wednesday, Patel was stopped by Immigration officers at Bengaluru Airport after
CBI officers launched a Look Out Notice against him. Patel was supposedly
travelling to the US to deliver lectures on American University campuses. The
notice against Patel was concerned with a CBI case against Amnesty
International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) and Amnesty International South
Asia Foundation for violating FCRA (Foreign Currency Regulation Act) provisions
in the name of running a ‘non-profit’ organisation in India. However, a Delhi
court today ordered CBI to withdraw the Look Out Notice against Patel, and
allowed him to travel abroad.
Source:
Opindia
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Bin
Laden’s niece praises Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz for backing Capitol
rioters
By
Emily Crane
April
7, 2022
Osama
bin Laden’s niece, Noor bin Ladin, has praised Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene
(R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as well as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) for
publicly defending the US Capitol rioters.
In
an interview with former President Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon on Real
America’s Voice on Wednesday, bin Ladin described those accused of storming the
Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as “patriots” who are being “smeared and crushed” by
the media and Department of Justice.
The
35-year-old accused the US government and lawmakers of not doing more to defend
those charged in the wake of the attacks.
“This
is traitor-level, in my opinion, that those who are supposed to represent the
citizens are failing,” bin Ladin said.
“We
can be really grateful for representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, [Matt]
Gaetz, Sen. Ron Johnson … [they are] among the handful defending and standing
up and speaking about these political prisoners,” she added.
Greene
and Gaetz have previously said they are unashamed of the violent insurrection
and have repeatedly demanded to know how those in custody over the riots are
being treated amid allegations of abuse.
Bin
Ladin, who told The Post in her first-ever interview in 2020 that another 9/11 attack
would happen if Trump wasn’t re-elected, echoed those claims of abuse —
specifically arguing that the accused will not be given fair trials.
“It’s
so shocking to see they are being presumed guilty and have to be proven
innocent,” she said of the rioters.
Bin
Ladin, who lives in Geneva, Switzerland, went on to claim that the Jan. 6
attack didn’t amount to an attempt to overthrow the federal government.
“This
entire insurrection narrative is a hoax … I’ll keep saying it, this wasn’t an
insurrection, it was an entrapment operation,” she said.
Her
comments came after she published a 1,500-word statement on her website, which
she subsequently sent to the United Nations, that decried the treatment of the
Capitol rioters.
“The
subsequent crackdown on the Jan. 6 protesters by U.S. security services, the
physical abuse of arrested protesters, and the surveillance and intimidation of
their political supporters throughout the United States, all constitute a
massive violation of UN human rights norms,” she wrote.
Source:
New York Post
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://nypost.com/2022/04/07/bin-ladens-niece-praises-marjorie-taylor-greene-matt-gaetz/
--------
Top US military general: Quds Force is terror group and shouldn’t be removed
from FTO
07
April ,2022
The
top US military general said Thursday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) is a terrorist organization and that he does not
support removing them from Washington’s terror blacklist.
“In
my personal opinion, I believe the IRGC-Quds Force to be a terrorist
organization, and I do not support them being de-listed from the Foreign
Terrorist Organization (FTO) list,” Gen. Mark Milley said.
Gen.
Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, was speaking during a hearing in
front of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
As
part of its negotiations with Iran over the nuclear deal, the US is considering
removing the IRGC from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list.
But
public backlash and recent outspoken criticism from President Joe Biden’s own
political party have stalled the move.
For
his part, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he would not comment on
negotiations or speculate on his advice to the US president. Pressed further,
Austin refused to provide his personal opinion.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
lawmakers call on Biden admin to help ensure Lebanon elections held on time
06
April ,2022
A
bipartisan group of US lawmakers Wednesday called on the Biden administration
to work with Lebanese officials to ensure that the upcoming parliamentary
elections next month are held on time, “transparently and free of corruption.”
“We
write to urge that the Administration continues to call upon and work with
Lebanese officials to ensure that parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15,
2022, are carried out on time, transparently and free of corruption,” the
statement read.
The
letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken was penned by House Foreign Affairs
Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, Congressmen David Cicilline, Darrell Issa,
Darin LaHood and 20 other colleagues.
Elections
are scheduled to be held in Lebanon next month, but there are concerns over the
political elite’s willingness to ensure they occur.
An
unprecedented number of opposition and civil society candidates are hoping to
be elected over veteran politicians, who are widely blamed for the country’s
economic and financial crashes.
“With
dueling political and economic crises, the May parliamentary elections are the
first opportunity the Lebanese people will have to cast their ballots since
protests in the country began in 2019 after years of corruption and
mismanagement,” the US lawmakers said in their letter.
Washington’s
ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, previously warned that failing to hold
elections on time would result in swift condemnation.
The
lawmakers urged the Biden administration to speak out against any side or
individual that instigates corruption, disruption, postponement or cancelation
of the elections.
They
also called on relevant stakeholders to ensure a successful election monitoring
operation and ensure the diaspora votes outside of Lebanon are independently
counted.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
says F-16 sale to Turkiye to bolster NATO, boost national interests
Michael
Hernandez
07.04.2022
WASHINGTON
The
Biden administration has stated in congressional correspondence that the
potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye would serve US interests and
bolster NATO unity, according to a report published Wednesday.
The
letter, obtained by Reuters, comes after Turkiye requested in October that
Washington sell it 40 F-16s and 80 kits to modernize its existing fleet.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in late March that negotiations
with the US were progressing positively.
The
US under former President Donald Trump sanctioned Turkiye in 2020 after Ankara
purchased the advanced Russian S-400 air defense system and removed Turkiye the
prior year from the F-35 joint strike fighter program.
The
US maintains the S-400 could be used by Russia to covertly obtain data on the
F-35 and is inoperable with NATO systems. Ankara has maintained, however, that
the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and said it poses no risks
to the F-35.
Naz
Durakoglu, the State Department's top official for legislative affairs,
acknowledged in a letter to congressman Frank Pallone the ongoing tensions over
additional arms sales to Turkiye but maintained the sanctions and F-35 removal
represent "a significant price paid" for the S-400 acquisition.
"The
Administration believes that there are nonetheless compelling long-term NATO
alliance unity and capability interests, as well as U.S. national security,
economic and commercial interests that are supported by appropriate U.S.
defense trade ties with Turkey," Durakoglu wrote to Pallone, who chairs
the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
"The
proposed sale will require a Congressional notification if the Department of
State were to approve it. We affirm our commitment to established defense trade
authorization procedures, including Congressional oversight," she added,
according to a copy of the letter circulated on social media.
Durakoglu
further pointed to Turkiye's active contributions to NATO, as well as its
support for "Ukraine's territorial integrity and cooperative defense
relations," calling them "an important deterrent to malign influence
in the region."
The
State Department did not confirm the letter's authenticity when asked by
Anadolu Agency, but a senior State Department official said the US
"strongly values its partnership with its NATO Ally Turkey."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
In
A Jolt To Imran Khan Supreme Court Restores National Assembly, Orders
No-Confidence Vote To Be Held On Saturday
April
7, 2022
The
Supreme Court on Thursday set aside deputy speaker's ruling to dismiss the
no-trust resolution against Prime Minister Imran and the subsequent dissolution
of the NA by the president on the PM's advice, with all five judges unanimously
voting 5-0 against it.
The
court, in its short order, ruled that the deputy speaker's ruling was
"contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect, and the
same are hereby set aside".
The
apex court ruled that President Dr Arif Alvi's decision to dissolve the National
Assembly was also "contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no
legal effect", noting that the prime minister could not have advised the
president to dissolve the assembly as he continues to remain under the bar
imposed under clause (1) of Article 58 of the Constitution.
"It
is further declared that the [National] Assembly was in existence at all times,
and continues to remain and be so," the short order reads.
The
court's verdict restored the prime minister and his cabinet in their position.
"In consequence of the foregoing, it is declared that the prime minister
and federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers, etc stand restored to
their respective offices."
Court
orders NA session to be held on Saturday
The
Supreme Court ordered for the session of the National Assembly to reconvene on
Saturday no later than 10:30am. saying that the session cannot be prorogued
without the conclusion of the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran
Khan.
"The
deputy speaker gave a ruling on April 3. Leave was granted on the no-confidence
motion on March 28. The ruling of the speaker is declared
unconstitutional," Justice Bandial declared.
The
chief justice said the verdict was announced with a unanimous agreement of 5-0
after the judges consulted each other. "The current issues are done away
with," he said.
The
verdict said that the government could not interfere in the participation of
any MNA in the assembly session.
Order
to have no impact on Article 63 case proceedings
The
court stated that the current order would not impact the proceedings under
Article 63 of the Constitution.
"It
is, however, clarified that nothing in this short order shall affect the
operation of Article 63A of the Constitution and consequences thereof in
relation to any member of the Assembly if he votes on the Resolution or (if
such be the case) the election of a Prime Minister thereafter in such manner as
is tantamount to his defection from the political party to which he belongs
within the meaning of the said Article," the verdict reads.
'Victory
for democracy': Opposition rejoices SC verdict
Leader
of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, while talking to the
media after the verdict, said the court had "definitely fulfilled the
people's expectations".
PPP
leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Supreme Court's verdict was a "victory
for democracy and the Constitution".
"Pakistan's
institutions and its Constitution have been safeguarded. God willing, the
process of no confidence will now be completed and we will conduct electoral
reforms and head towards clean and transparent elections," he said.
Bilawal
said where Pakistan's history was replete with "controversial
decisions", the verdict given by the Supreme Court today would be written
in "golden words".
Security
beefed up at SC ahead of verdict
The
verdict was to be announced at 7:30pm but it was subject to an hour's delay. In
anticipation of the verdict, security was beefed up at the SC premises with
television footage showing riot police deployed outside the apex court.
Ahead
of the verdict, the Supreme Court summoned Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
Sikandar Sultan Raja, who arrived at the court with the watchdog's legal team.
A
large number of lawyers, media personnel and politicians, including PML-N's
Shehbaz Sharif and PPP's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, were at the court ahead of the
verdict.
Advocate
Farooq H Naek, who represented the PPP in the case, was questioned by the media
on what verdict he was expecting.
He
said he expected the deputy speaker's ruling to be set aside. "The same
way, [on the basis of] national importance, it seems that they (the judges)
will suggest that election process has begun [so they should be allowed to
continue]," Naek added.
A
five-member bench headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan,
Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan
Mandokhail finished hearing the case earlier in the day.
Clear
that deputy speaker's ruling is erroneous: CJP
Earlier,
during the hearing, CJP Bandial said that it was clear that the April 3 ruling
of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, which dismissed the
no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, was erroneous.
"The
real question at hand is what happens next," he said, adding that now the
PML-N counsel and the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan
would guide the court on how to proceed.
"We
have to look at national interest," he said, adding that the court would
issue a verdict today.
Restore
NA, Shehbaz urges SC
Right
before the bench reserved the verdict, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif was
given the rostrum.
At
that point, CJP Bandial referred to the situation in Sri Lanka and said that
the country didn't even have money for electricity and other basic facilities.
"Today,
the value of rupee against the dollar has reached Rs190 [in Pakistan]. We need
a strong government. This will be a very difficult task for the opposition
leader," Justice Bandial said.
Shehbaz
said he hoped that when the deputy speaker's ruling was suspended, the
no-confidence motion would be revived, adding that if the speaker's ruling is
declared nullified, the dissolution of assembly ends automatically.
"I
have one request ... Restore the NA," Shehbaz said.
"In
our history, the law has been broken several times. This situation was created
because blunders [of the past] weren't identified and rectified. For the sake
of God and Pakistan, the court should restore the parliament," he
requested. "Let us vote for the no-confidence motion."
Shehbaz
also presented the "Charter of Economics" in court. He said that in
2018, dollar was valued at Rs125. "Today, it has reached Rs190."
He
added that the parliament should be allowed to do its work and the members be
permitted to take their decisions.
Justice
Mandokhail observed that the opposition wanted to conduct elections from day
one, inquiring what the issue was now.
"The
problem concerns breaking of the Constitution," Shehbaz pointed out. To
this, Justice Mandokhail replied: "We will repair the Constitution."
Here,
PML-N lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan said that the PM had announced he would give a
surprise. "Such things shouldn't be said."
To
this, the CJP replied: "We have clarified our decision on surprise."
The
chief justice also said noted that the opposition had always demanded new
elections. "Why aren't you agreeing today?"
At
this, Shehbaz said that the joint opposition would, together, make electoral
amendments to ensure transparent elections. "The common man is miserable.
We want to work for them and provide them relief."
Meanwhile,
the AGP said that everyone wanted a premier elected by the people, not the
assembly. "Would those who overthrew Imran Khan spare Shehbaz
Sharif?" he asked.
AGP
Khan went on to say that if the opposition's election demand was being
fulfilled, they should let that happen.
"We
know," CJP Bandial said to this.
The
PML-N lawyer, however, alleged that the AGP's concluding remarks sounded like a
threat.
"The
stock market has crashed, dollar is expensive and rupee's value has
fallen," Makhdoom Khan pointed out.
The
court observed that these were all economic problems. "But who created
them?" Makhdoom asked.
To
this, the CJP said: "I don't think we are sitting here to give answers to
questions."
The
PML-N lawyer contended that politics was changing every day. "Apart from
dissident MNAs, the opposition has 177 members."
Upon
order of the CJP, the PML-N lawyer gave details of opposition members in the NA
party-wise.
Makhdoom
remarked that he had an idea the court would debate the issue of elections in
the end. "I knew that it was not possible to defend the ruling of the
speaker."
He
added that the Haji Saifullah case was an example. "It is not possible
that the speaker's ruling is suspended and the assembly's dissolution not
retracted."
"It
looks like you have come prepared on this point," the CJP remarked.
Not
defending speaker's ruling: AGP
The
AGP, while giving arguments, claimed that the no-confidence motion against
Imran Khan was "dismissed" on March 28, when leave was granted to
table the resolution. According to him, it was important to show the support of
majority at the time of tabling the resolution.
Since
the opposition had 161 members in favour of tabling the motion on March 28, the
AGP said the move had failed then and there.
Justice
Akhtar replied that according to this line of argument, if 172 members
(majority) had approved the motion, the prime minister would have been ousted.
To this, the AGP said the three to seven days mandated by the Constitution
before a final vote on the resolution was to give the prime minister a chance
to win back angry lawmakers.
However,
the CJP, at this point, said that at the leave grant stage 172 members were not
required. "They are required at the time of the voting."
He
then added that if the speaker approved the resolution on March 28, then
"it's the end of the topic," noting that the speaker's counsel said
his ruling can't be reviewed.
If
that's the case, the AGP said, then the case is over since on April 3, the same
speaker passed the ruling to dismiss the motion.
But
Justice Bandial said that he wanted to hear from the AGP on the main issue
which was dissolution of the National Assembly.
"The
assembly was dissolved only after the no-confidence motion was dealt
with," Khan said.
We
have to see, the CJP said, the time difference between dissolving the assembly
and the ruling of the speaker. Here, Justice Mandokhail said that the court
could not decide on the basis of circumstances and results.
"Court
has to pass a verdict keeping the Constitution in view," the judge said.
"This way ... any speaker who comes tomorrow will do as he pleases."
The
AGP, at this point, said that he wasn't defending the speaker's ruling.
"My concern for now are the new elections."
Earlier,
AGP Khan — who was the last to give his arguments — began by informing the
court that he would not be able to give details of the recent meeting of the
National Security Committee in an open courtroom. He asserted that the court
could issue an order without questioning anyone's loyalty.
He
argued that prime minister was the "biggest stakeholder" and,
therefore, had the power to dissolve the NA. "The prime minister does not
need to give reasons for dissolving the assembly," the AGP contended.
He
also pointed out that the assembly would stand dissolved if the president did
not make a decision on the prime minister's advice within 48 hours.
He
argued that voting on the no-confidence motion was not the fundamental right of
a lawmaker.
"The
right to vote is subject to the Constitution and assembly rules," Khan
said. He also pointed out that if the NA speaker suspends a member, they cannot
approach a court against it.
"Are
you trying to say that voting on the no confidence motion is subject to the
rules," the CJP asked, to which the AGP replied that all proceedings,
including the no-confidence motion, were carried out in accordance with the
rules.
The
AGP said that there was no "firewall" that gave complete immunity to
parliamentary proceedings. "The court will decide the extent to which
parliamentary proceedings can be reviewed," he said. The AGP pointed out
that the court could intervene if the speaker declared a person with the
minority number of votes to be the prime minister.
At
this, Justice Akhtar remarked that the speaker was the caretaker of the house.
"The speaker is not there for his personal satisfaction. The speaker can't
just give his opinion and ignore the members," he observed.
The
AGP replied by saying that political parties play an important role in a
parliamentary system of government. However, he pointed out that it was the
assembly that had a term limit, not its members. "One individual has the
power to dissolve the assembly."
'Ruling
did not have deputy speaker's signature'
During
the hearing, Justice Mandokhail said that even though Suri announced the April
3 ruling which dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran
Khan, it was signed by Speaker Asad Qaiser.
He
made the observation as Suri and Qaiser's lawyer, Naeem Bukhari, presented his
arguments.
Responding
to the judge's statement, Bukhari replied that perhaps the documents given to
him might not be "original".
Justice
Mandokhail also pointed out that the minutes of the parliamentary committee
meeting, which were submitted to court by Bukhari, didn't prove if the deputy
speaker was present.
Continuing,
Justice Mandokhail asked whether the foreign minister was present during the
parliamentary committee meeting, noting that his signature was not included in
the record.
"Shouldn't
the foreign minister have been present?" the judge asked, which prompted
the lawyer to admit the minister should have been present.
At
this, CJP Bandial pointed out that the name of the national security adviser at
the time, Moeed Yusuf, was also not included in the record.
Bukhari
began his arguments by stating that he would focus on whether a point of order
could be discussed at any time. He argued that the apex court had refrained
from interfering in parliamentary proceedings in the past and asked whether the
court would have taken notice if the speaker had dismissed Fawad Chaudhry's
point of order.
"When
assemblies were dissolved in the past, the election process was not stopped
even though it was declared unconstitutional," he said, asserting that the
speaker could reject the no-trust move on a point of order. "This has
never happened before but the speaker has the power [to do so]."
He
said that the former minister had requested a point of order as soon as the
session had began. "The point of order couldn't have been taken up had
voting on the no-confidence motion started," he said.
Justice
Mandokhail asked which law stated that the speaker had the power to dismiss the
no-confidence motion. "We want to understand the definition of a point of
order," he said.
"The
question is whether a new point of order can be taken up once the no-confidence
motion is introduced," the CJP said. Justice Akhtar also asked if the
point of order was included in the day's agenda.
However,
Bukhari replied that a point of order could be raised at any time.
"Voting
on the no-confidence motion is a constitutional requirement," Justice
Mandokhail pointed out. Can the rules be used to invalidate the constitutional
right to vote, he wondered.
"Shouldn't
the opposition have been given a chance to [respond] to the point of
order?" the CJP further asked, to which the lawyer replied that it could
not be debated.
Bukhari
also presented the minutes of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security,
during which contents of the ‘threat letter’ were shared with parliamentarians.
Talking
about the briefing given to the committee, Bukhari said that the NA body was
told that there would be consequences if the no-trust motion failed.
'Where
is constitutional crisis?'
During
today's hearing, Senator Ali Zafar, the president's counsel, was asked by
Justice Miankhel if the prime minister was the people's representative. The
lawyer replied in the affirmative.
Justice
Miankhel then inquired if the premier would be protected if the Constitution
was violated in parliament. "Is Parliament not the guardian of the
Constitution?" he asked. He also questioned how justice would be awarded
in case someone is affected due to parliamentary proceedings.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
PM Imran Khan says he will continue to fight as he faces ouster vote
Apr
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday he will continue to fight
as he faces a vote to oust him, and will address the nation on Friday.
The
court earlier on Thursday overturned a move by Khan to block a parliamentary
vote seeking to oust him. He will now have to face the vote on Saturday.
"I
have always and will continue to fight for Pak till the last ball," he
said on Twitter after losing the court case, adding he had called a meeting of
his cabinet on Friday.’
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Uyghurs in Japan lambast Pakistan for supporting China’s genocide of Uyghur
Muslims, hold demonstrations
7
April, 2022
Tokyo
[Japan], April 7 (ANI): Uyghurs living in Japan held demonstrations in Tokyo to
urge Pakistan to stop its support of the ‘genocide’ of Uyghur Muslims by China.
Turmuhamet
Hashim, president of Japan Uyghur Union in a letter to the Pakistani
government, wrote, “Today, in the holy Ramadan period, we, the Uyghurs living
in Japan, are making this kind of demonstration, to ask the government of
Islamic Republic of Pakistan to stop supporting the genocide of Uyghur Muslims
by China immediately!”
“Prime
Minister Imran Khan and other Pakistani leaders have to remember that they are
Muslim, and reflect on the sins they have committed before Alla. If Imran Khan
and the Pakistan government want to be a true leader of the Islamic world, the
right way is supporting and helping the Uyghur Muslim brothers and sisters, who
are facing genocide by China right now!” the letter added.
Slamming
Pakistan, the President of Japan Uyghur Union said, “As an Islamic country, it
would be unconscionable and in clear disregard of your own moral values and
principles to close your eyes to the terrible fate of millions of your Muslim
brothers and sisters.”
“If
Pakistan Government continues the silence on China’s egregious crimes against
Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslims in East Turkistan (so-called Xinjiang), it
would be not only shameful things to your country, but also it would be a
terrible crime in front of Allah Suhanallah!” it noted.
Moreover,
it stated that the presence of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as ‘special
guest’ in the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Pakistan on 22 and 23 March comes at the time when
more than three million Uyghur Muslims are in concentration camps in China.
While
condemning Pakistan for its support to China, the Japan Uyghur Union added,
“Because the Pakistan government used its special title to invite Wang Yi as
“special guest”, it gave him the chance to pull the wool over eyes of whole
Islamic world!
All
the world knows that the Uyghur Muslims of East Turkistan (Xinjiang) are facing
“genocide” and cultural aggression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said
the letter.
It
expressed its condemnation towards the Chinese FM Wang and said that he not
only used this occasion to push CCP’s narrative of how well Muslim minorities
in China are treated, but also said, “China and the Islamic world both enjoy a
profound history, seek similar values, and share historic missions”.
Source: The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Opposition
asks nation to observe thanksgiving day
Amir
Wasim
April
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Applauding the Supreme Court’s verdict, the opposition parties on Thursday gave
a call to the nation and their workers to observe thanksgiving day on Friday
(today) and hold celebrations throughout the country over the ‘victory of
democracy and the Constitution’ of the country.
Dozens
of workers and lawyers belonging to opposition parties, who had gathered
outside the Supreme Court (SC) building on the Constitution Avenue were seen
celebrating and felicitating each other after the announcement of the short
verdict by the five-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.
A
group of jubilant workers of opposition lit fireworks and raised slogans like
“Wazir-i-Azam Shehbaz Sharif” and “Go Niazi Go” as the opposition leaders were
seen coming out of the SC building one after the other with smiling faces and
some of them making victory signs.
There
was jubilation also in the Sharif camp in London as PML-N’s supreme leader
Nawaz Sharif watched the news at his son’s office in Stanhope House, flanked by
former finance minister Ishaq Dar, his son Hussain Nawaz as well as other PML-N
workers and supporters.
A
number of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders and members of the Sindh
cabinet, along with dissidents of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI),
also celebrated the SC verdict at the Sindh House where they watched the
daylong events live on television.
Speaking
at a news conference at the official residence of Shehbaz Sharif at the
Ministers Enclave, the opposition leaders praised the Supreme Court judgment,
stating that “the verdict will be written with golden words in the history”.
“This
(SC) verdict has buried all the past judgments given on the basis of doctrine
of necessity. Now no one will be able to use the doctrine of necessity till the
dooms day,” said Mr Sharif.
He
termed the verdict a victory for the 220 million people of the country,
democracy, parliament and the Constitution.
Mr
Sharif expressed the hope that the joint opposition would complete the next
phases smoothly in line with the SC verdict.
Mr
Sharif, who has been nominated as the candidate for the prime minister’s office
by the joint opposition, said that the word “victimisation” did not exist in
his dictionary. He said the opposition would break the NAB-Niazi nexus.
In
reply to a question, Mr Sharif said if the PTI members decided to resign from
the assembly, then it would be their choice but it would have no effect on the
outcome of the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In
reply to another question, he said that they would consult and invite each and
every party in the parliament for developing a consensus on electoral reforms.
Khalid
Maqbool Siddiqui of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that
they were happy because they were standing at the right side on this important
day of the history.
“Democracy
is the best revenge,” said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while commenting
on the SC verdict during a brief media chat at the Zardari House before leaving
for Mr Sharif’s residence for a meeting of the joint opposition.
The
PPP chairman said that through this verdict, the stains left by the 2018
elections had been washed to some extent.
He
said now they would fulfil the promise of conducting free, fair and transparent
elections in the country.
He
asked the party workers to hold celebrations in every nook and corner of the
country.
Pakistan
Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the SC had given
a satisfactory verdict as per expectations of the people of the country.
Maulana
Fazl said that earlier he had given a call to the nation to observe a protest
day on Friday (today), but now they would observe a thanksgiving day.
He
asked the people to offer Nawafil on the day over the SC’s historic decision
which, he said, had saved the country.
Meanwhile,
talking to Dawn in London, PML-N leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar
praised the SC for upholding the Constitution.
“We
were all together when we heard the judgement and then were flooded with
telephone calls. We are happy the Constitution has been upheld and the right
thing has been done by the court. He (Nawaz) appreciates this and so do I,”
said Mr Dar.
“But
while it is indeed something to celebrate, there is also a serious crisis in
the country and a bigger challenge lies ahead,” the PML-N leader said.
Source: Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683985/opposition-asks-nation-to-observe-thanksgiving-day
--------
Bloc
politics may hinder steadiness of Pak-China relations, official says
April
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Though relations between the two countries had gone through a historic change
since the inception of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), bloc politics
may impact steadiness in the flow of relations between Pakistan and China.
CPEC
which is the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to
alleviate the socio-economic woes of Pakistan.
This
was highlighted by Dr Fu Xiaoqiang, vice chancellor of China Institute of
Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) during a virtual conference. It
was jointly organised by CICIR in collaboration with Institute of Strategic
Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
ISSI
Director General Aizaz Chaudhry was on the same page regarding the dangers of
bloc-politics. Touching upon the recent war in Ukraine, he was of the view that
the military escalation should be put to an end.
In
the first session titled ‘Global and Regional Impacts of Ukraine Crisis’ Dr
Shang Yue deputy director (Institute of Eurasian Studies, CICIR) maintained
that the crisis marked the end of Russia’s quest of its rightful place in
Europe and, with its bold move, Moscow had challenged the global supremacy of
United States.
Dr
Sameera Imran who is an assistant professor at National Defence University
(NDU) argued that the Ukrainian invasion had worsened the condition of food
security in post-pandemic South Asia.
Dr
Hu Shisheng said that the global financial situation was worse due to severe
imbalance in payments and disruption in the supply chain. Countries that had
cordial relations with Russia were in a tight spot, the speaker said, adding,
“For instance, India is heavily dependent on Moscow for its arms supply and not
following the US lead, would get New Delhi in trouble. The developing countries
will bear the brunt of Russo-Ukrainian military escalation.”
In
the second session titled ‘Review and Prospect over the Situation in
Afghanistan’, Dr Yan Shuai said after the Taliban took over Kabul, the security
environment improved overall.
However,
it was still a fertile ground for terrorist organisations and in order to
remain credible, the Taliban would have to comply with international norms and
present a moderate face, he added.
ISSI
Amina Khan opined that the Taliban government was confronted with a myriad of
challenges right now and the biggest ones were the non-existent economy of the
country and weak institutions.
Unless
the financial situation in the country improved, Afghanistan would remain a
breeding ground for terrorist organisations.
Source: Dawn
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--------
Hawkish
anti-US sentiments among workers trouble PTI
Imran
Ayub
April
8, 2022
KARACHI:
It appears to have dawned upon the senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leadership
in Sindh that the strong anti-US sentiments rapidly growing in the party rank
and files over the alleged interference in internal political affairs of the
country and the alleged “conspiracy hatched to oust Imran Khan government” is
not going to be very helpful for the political future of the party.
The
party seems to have realised that now there is a need to tone down this
zealotry and rhetoric to show that the PTI is not against any foreign country
and wants cordial relations with the United States as well.
The
senior leaders on Thursday clearly expressed concern over the aggressive tone
and asked the leaders and PTI workers to avoid any such sentiments that could
affect Pakistan’s relations with the world superpower.
Sindh
Governor Imran Ismail speaking to media at Governor House stated that the
recent actions of the party lawmakers and workers that included raising anti-US
slogans in the Sindh Assembly and burning of symbolic effigy of the world
superpower in streets in different parts of Karachi “were not in good taste”.
He
made it clear that the PTI government wanted cordial relations with all
countries across the world.
“We
have conveyed to our workers and friends that this is not good [anti-US
sloganeering]”, he said when asked about the PTI leadership reaction to recent
party protests in Karachi and Sindh Assembly where the anti-US slogans were
raised.
“We
should not go against any country. We should not burn flags of any country. It
could damage our relations with any country and we don’t want to damage our
relationship with the US. This is not good.”
Earlier,
hundreds of PTI workers led by legislators and areas leaders, gathered in Lyari
on Thursday morning and staged a protest against ‘traitors of the country’ who,
according to them, were trying to oust the Imran Khan government on a foreign
agenda.
Chanting
slogans “down with the US”, they also burnt effigies of those political leaders
of Pakistan who had allegedly “sold out” their conscience for “the lust of
power”.
Although
the Sindh governor kept himself at distance from such forceful protests of the
PTI, he appeared confident and convinced that the government was facing a
‘foreign intervention’ and the information was also seconded by the National
Security Council that included the military leadership.
Supreme
Court judgement
Despite
all reservations and a firm stand of the government on the alleged foreign
intervention, the Sindh governor made it clear that the government would accept
the Supreme Court decision, while also adding that it was the people of
Pakistan who would actually decide about right and wrong in the next general
elections.
Source: Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683903/hawkish-anti-us-sentiments-among-workers-trouble-pti
--------
Africa
President
of Anwar-ul Islam Urges Unity Among Muslims
Apr
8, 2022
President
of Anwar-ul Islam Movement of Nigeria, Alhaji Mubashir Ojelade, has stressed
the need to bridge the gap of disunity among Muslims.
This,
Alhaji Ojelade said, will put an end to doctrinal disagreements and brings
unity to the Muslim community.
He
made this known during the Ramadan lecture and Prayer for the Nation at at
Anwar-ul Islam Model College, Agege, Lagos.
According
to him, the prayer for the nation was meant to seek Allah’s assistance over the
insecurity challenges in the country.
Alhaji
Ojelade described the attack on Kaduna-bound train from Abuja as callous,
saying that he could have been one of the victims.
“I
have travelled through train along that route on a number of occasions
recently. I could have been one of the victims. The country is in a state of
helplessness because nowhere is safe. We should all pray for Nigeria, the
attack is becoming rampant. I have boarded the train twice before the attack,”
he said.
Chairman
on the occasion, Alhaji Surajudeen Lawal, commended the effort of the
organization for continuity and creating platform where issues pertaining to
Islam can be discussed.
The
guest speaker, Prof. Ismail Musa, called for unity among the Muslims.
“There
is no better way of laying foundation than using the Holy Quran to lay
foundation, we Muslim are just one single community, we may have been divided
into several groups but we remain one as enjoined by Allah,” he said.
Prof
Musa, who is the Chief Imam University of Lagos, added that early Muslims were
united without any discrimination.
Source:
The Nation Online Ng
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thenationonlineng.net/anwar-ul-islam-urges-unity-among-muslims/
--------
Draft
Sudan deal seeks to cement military’s grip
06
April ,2022
Factions
aligned with Sudan’s military have drawn up a deal to form a transitional
government that would cement the army’s control and bypass pro-democracy groups
it shared power with before an October coup, according to a document seen by
Reuters and three sources familiar with the agreement.
The
draft deal comes with the military under pressure from a deteriorating economy
and frequent protests that have continued despite a lethal crackdown by
security forces.
The
military takeover derailed a transition that had raised hopes in Sudan of an
end to decades of autocracy, civil conflict and economic isolation after former
president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a 2019 uprising.
Three
sources from groups that back the draft deal, which has not been previously
reported, said it had support from some political parties aligned with the
military, former rebels who signed a peace deal in 2020, and some tribal and
religious leaders.
It
was drawn up by politicians close to the military and is acceptable to the
military, said a fourth, senior source with knowledge of discussions around the
deal.
It
includes some steps that the military had already indicated it would take, such
as the appointment of a technocratic cabinet and parliament to govern until
elections expected next year, and the nomination of judicial bodies and an
election commission.
It
also elevates the military as Sudan’s paramount authority, diverging sharply
from the power-sharing enshrined after Bashir’s overthrow in a Constitutional
Declaration that remained a reference point even after the coup.
“The
military is the institutional authority and overseer of the transition, and
takes on the powers of the Security and Defense Council, similar to the
experience of the April 1986 transition,” the document says, referring to a
previous interregnum when the military ruled for a year before elections.
Representatives
of the military declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Political
parties that strongly supported the 2019 uprising and neighborhood resistance
committees leading the current protests have publicly refused dialogue with the
military, demanding it quit politics.
Protests
persist
Protesters
gathered in the capital Khartoum and other cities once more on Wednesday, the
anniversary of a sit-in that culminated with Bashir’s overthrow.
The
three sources said the military was still seeking to broaden support for the
draft deal by courting Sudan’s two largest traditional parties, the Democratic
Unionist Party (DUP) and the Umma Party, or factions within them.
Last
week, military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met the DUP leader during a visit
to Cairo. The DUP also held a conference in the Egyptian capital seeking to
unify its disparate factions.
Burhan
recently said the military would hand over power only after elections, and
threatened to expel a United Nations envoy trying to facilitate a political
agreement alongside the African Union. Ambassadors from the United States,
Britain, and Norway said on Tuesday they had held a “frank and constructive
conversation” with Burhan, expressing support for dialogue leading to a
“credible civilian transitional government.”
Western
powers have said that such a government is a key condition for any restoration
of billions of dollars in international economic support for Sudan suspended
after the coup.
The
draft deal says political prisoners would be released as a confidence-building
measure, a pledge that had also been made in a short-lived deal struck one
month after the coup to bring back Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister.
Among
those currently held are leaders of the Forces of Freedom and Change Coalition
(FFC), which shared power with the military before the coup. They were members
of a task force that worked to dismantle the political, bureaucratic and
financial apparatus that ran Sudan under Bashir’s iron rule.
The
agreement orders the review of the task force’s work, a process that Burhan has
already launched. Many people fired by the task force have recently been
reinstated by court order to posts in state media, the foreign ministry,
justice department and other institutions.
In
a statement on Tuesday, the Sudanese Professionals Association, which led
anti-Bashir protests, warned that his dissolved National Congress Party (NCP)
was beginning to hold meetings again and reorganize.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Tunisian
president says voting in elections will be for individuals not for lists
06
April ,2022
Voting
in Tunisian parliamentary elections that are expected to be held in December
will take place in two rounds, and people will vote for individuals rather than
lists as in previous elections, President Kais Saied said on Wednesday.
Saied’s
comments confirm that he is moving forward with political changes, although
they have not been agreed upon yet with other key players.
The
president also said that the Independent Electoral Commission (ISIE) would
supervise the elections, although not in its current composition, referring to
his intention to change some of its members.
Saied,
who dissolved parliament last week after taking control of executive power last
summer and ruling by decree in a move his opponents called a coup, is under
strong internal and external pressure to restore the country onto a democratic
path.
The
political crisis intensified last week when more than half the members of
parliament held an online session to revoke Saied’s decrees. Saied responded by
dissolving parliament, imposing one-man rule.
Saied,
who rejected accusations that he was perpetuating individual rule, said he
would have dialogue on political reforms, but added that “traitors and thieves”
would not participate in the talks.
He
has previously said he would form a committee to rewrite the constitution, put
it to a referendum in July and then hold parliamentary elections in December.
Rached
Ghannouchi, the leader of the main opposition party - the Islamist Ennahda -
told Reuters last week that his party would boycott any elections and
referendum Saied calls to restructure the political system unilaterally.
The
Free Constitutional Party, whose leader Abir Moussi is a supporter of the late
autocratic president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, and a bitter foe of Ennahda, echoed
Ennahda’s intention to boycott any planned elections which Mousssi said would
be a “theatre piece”.
Source: Al Arabiya
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--------
Tunisian
delegation will travel to Washington on April 18 for talks with IMF
06
April ,2022
A
Tunisian delegation will travel to Washington on April 18 for a week of talks
with the International Monetary Fund, the economy minister Samid Saied said on
Wednesday adding that Tunisia’s reform plan was ready.
The
north African country, which is going through its deepest financial crisis yet,
hopes to reach a deal with the IMF in exchange for implementing unpopular
reforms including reducing subsidies and freezing wages, to avoid the collapse
of its public finances.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Alleged
Bucha, Ukraine massacre ‘shocking:’ UAE mission to UN
07
April ,2022
The
United Arab Emirates has called the alleged massacre of civilians in Bucha,
Ukraine “shocking,” and an “alleged crime of utmost gravity” at a UN Security
Council meeting on Ukraine on April 5.
The
comments were made by the UAE Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the
United Nations Lana Nusseibeh.
The
ambassador called on a cooperative investigation and urged people to “not get
caught up in a war of narratives.”
She
added that the UAE “acknowledges” the Secretary-General’s call for that
independent investigation and the appointment of the Human Rights Council’s
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine in the council
address.
Nusseibeh
reiterated the need to “move towards a peaceful solution to the war in
Ukraine.”
Bucha,
37 kilometers (23 miles) northwest of Kyiv, was occupied by Russian troops for
more than a month following the February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
When
the Russian forces pulled back last week, they reportedly left behind civilian
dead on Bucha’s streets, inside buildings and buried in shallow graves.
Local
officials say more than 300 people were killed by Russian forces in Bucha
alone, and around 50 of them were executed, according to a Reuters report.
Growing
numbers of Putin’s troops, along with mercenaries, have been reported moving
into the Donbas, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces
for eight years and control two areas, the Associated Press reported.
Ahead
of its February 24 invasion, Moscow recognized the Luhansk and Donetsk areas as
independent states. Military analysts have said Putin also could be seeking to
expand into government-controlled parts of the Donbas.
Ukrainian
authorities are working to identify hundreds of bodies they say were found in
Bucha and other towns after Russian troops withdrew and to document what they
say were war crimes.
The
ambassador requested that the council address relief and humanitarian needs
including either “local or broad-based agreements for security guarantees to
allow for the safe provision of humanitarian assistance and for civilians to
voluntarily evacuate safely.”
On
March 19, the UAE reiterated its commitment to providing assistance to
civilians affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a phone call between
the foreign ministers of UAE and Ukraine.
The
UAE diplomat also reiterated the country’s “readiness” to support efforts being
pursued to find a “peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine and to reach a
political settlement to the crisis,” according to a WAM report.
Later
on March 28, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company said it was pausing
investments in Russia, which represent less than one percent of its portfolio,
because of the Ukraine crisis.
That
was the first comment by the top executive of Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s second
biggest sovereign fund, about its Russian investments after the invasion.
Nussebieh
also touched upon the importance of preserving cultural heritage and identity,
saying: “We know from our experience in the Middle East that protection of
cultural sites is critical to rebuilding peace. In moments of violence and
turmoil, cultural sites are essential cornerstones for collective memory and a
foundation for future reconciliation.”
Global
food shortages were also pointed out as a growing concern amid the war by the
UAE representative, offering “full support” to the problem.
“Food
shortages are aggravating situations already on this Council’s agenda, and
these shortages are felt in other settings where high prices of basic
commodities can lead to further unrest and instability, not just in this part
of the world, but around the globe.
“We
look forward to seeing the UN Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and
Finance address these issues and offer it our full support.”
The
comment was reflected earlier by World Bank Managing Director of Development
Policy and Partnerships Mari Pangestu, who said that The Middle East and North
Africa region (MENA) is in a “critical” position with food and fuel as the
Russia-Ukraine war continues to unfold, in an interview with Al Arabiya.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Dubai:
Martial arts teacher ends fast daily with non-Muslim assistant, students
By
Nasreen Abdulla
8
Apr 2022
It’s
6.30pm and there is an Iftar table set up at this martial arts studio in Dubai.
Huddled around it, ready to end their fast, are Master Grant Randall, a Muslim
convert; his non-Muslim assistant, Master Karel Josh De Vera; instructor Elim
Asangaziev and some students enrolled in the advanced athletes class.
This
is the daily evening routine at the dojang (training area) of WTTU MooDuk
Taekwondo in DIFC during the holy month of Ramadan.
As
the Maghrib Azan is given out, the students and masters share their homemade
snacks and dates with each other. There are jokes, laughter, and lots of good
memories being made as the little group breaks their fast together, which is
seen in the video below:
British
national Master Grant Randall is the Kwan jang-nim or the master of the dojang.
Master Karel Josh De Vera, the SaBumNim or guide/master is from Philippines.
The Kyo Sa Nim or instructor is Elim Asangaziev, from Kyrgyzstan. It is his
first Ramadan in the UAE.
“I
first started fasting as a sign of respect to Master Grant,” said Josh De Vera.
“The first day I fasted, it was 16 hours long. I had such a severe headache
that I thought I could never do it a second time. But I did it again and I started
noticing huge differences to my health. That’s why I started doing it
regularly. This is my fourth year fasting for Ramadan and it is a really
special time for me.”
After
breaking their fast, the masters have no time to rest. Two of them rush off to
finish their Maghrib prayers before getting back to training.
As
soon as the children finish their training at 7pm, the adults class begins.
“We
don’t have time to eat,” said Elim Asangaziev. “If we eat after Iftar, we won’t
be able to continue training effectively. We have our dinner later in the
evening after we get home.”
As
the others finish their prayers, Master Josh - pictured below - prepares a
protein drink with peanut butter, milk and chocolate-flavoured whey protein.
“The
drink is usually something that we have after training,” he said. “But during
the month of Ramadan, we have it after iftar so that we have the energy to
continue training.”
Even
during the holy month of Ramadan, the intense training continues as usual and
there is no dip in energy levels, despite the masters and many students
fasting.
For
brother-sister duo 12-year-old Falak Jalal and 10-year-old Hamza Jalal, this is
the first year that they are training while fasting.
“It
is a little hard,” said Falak. “Sometimes I forget which leg to kick with. But
I really like sitting with the masters and my friends to break my fast. It is
special.”
“I
like training while fasting, too,” chimed in Hamza. “Especially because we only
have to do five push-ups while the rest of the class have to do 10."
Students are training while fasting below:
“We
do go easy on the students that are fasting,” said Master Grant Randall.
“However, their energy surprises us most of the time. They are ready and raring
to go. It is really nice being able to guide them in martial arts and how to
train safely while fasting.”
For
11-year-old Mehreen Arfaz, this is the second year that she is fasting while
training. “Last year my parents were worried whether I would be able to do it,”
she said. “I wanted to try it and found that it was fine. I didn’t feel hungry
or anything. But last year the classes got over before Iftar. This year I like
having Iftar here. It is a very nice feeling.”
Source:
Khaleej Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait sending their withdrawn ambassadors back to Lebanon
07
April ,2022
Saudi
Arabia and Kuwait announced Thursday that they would return their respective
ambassadors to Lebanon after being withdrawn late last year due to critical remarks
of Riyadh by a former Lebanese minister.
Saudi
Arabia’s foreign ministry said the move was made in response to appeals from
Lebanese politicians and after Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his government
was committed to taking the needed measures to enhance ties with Riyadh and the
Gulf.
These
measures include stopping political, military and security actions impacting
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
“The
Kingdom stresses the importance of the return of Lebanon to its Arab depth,
represented by its national institutions and apparatuses, for Lebanon to
prevail in peace and security, and for its people to enjoy stability and
security in their homeland,” the statement read.
After
the Saudi announcement, Mikati said Lebanon appreciated the decision. “We
affirm that Lebanon is proud of its Arab belonging and wants the best ties with
Gulf countries that always was and will remain supportive,” he said in a tweet.
Mikati’s
office later announced that Kuwait had informed Beirut they would return their
envoy before the end of the week. The Lebanese premier thanked Kuwait’s foreign
minister for his work to restore Lebanese-Gulf relations.
Strained
ties with Gulf
Ties
between Beirut and its once close backers in the Gulf soured since the outbreak
of the Syrian war and Hezbollah’s increased grip on the country and its
institutions.
The
Iran-backed group openly admitted to sending fighters to Syria to prop up the
Assad regime and they have been accused of advising militias in Iraq and Yemen.
Saudi
Arabia pulled their ambassador from Beirut, and several other Gulf nations
followed suit last year after Lebanon’s information minister George Kordahi
voiced support for the Houthis and criticized Saudi Arabia.
After
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s comments after Gulf countries
pulled their diplomats last year, Mikati released a rare statement criticizing
Hezbollah.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Egypt’s
foreign reserves drop to $37 bln with Ukraine war shock
07
April ,2022
Egypt’s
net foreign reserves fell sharply to $37.082 billion in March from $40.994
billion in February, the central bank said on Thursday, noting that it had moved
to cover high foreign investor outflows triggered by Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine.
Egypt’s
economy came under sharp pressure as investors exited emerging markets
following the invasion. Egypt is a major importer of wheat from Russia and
Ukraine, and both countries are important to Egypt’s tourism sector.
“In
the wake of the Russia/Ukraine crisis and in line with the CBE’s mandate to
maintain price stability, the CBE decided to temporarily mobilize its excess
foreign currency reserves to calm the markets,” a statement from the central
bank said.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“Such
mobilization was aimed at covering substantial foreign investor outflows and
partially covering local demand in order to ensure the availability of imported
strategic goods and to repay external debt obligations in a timely manner.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
missiles fall near refinery in Iraq’s Erbil, no casualties: State media
07
April ,2022
Three
missiles fell near an oil refinery in Iraq’s northern city of Erbil on
Wednesday without causing any casualties or damage, Kurdistan anti-terrorism
authorities said in a statement.
Iraq’s
state news agency cited the statement as saying “initial information show the
missiles were launched from Nineveh” province in Iraq.
Sources
in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) told Reuters that the refinery is
owned by Iraqi Kurdish businessman Baz Karim Barzanji, the CEO of a major
domestic energy company called KAR Group and whose home was hit by Iranian
ballistic missiles last month.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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GCC
ministers support Yemeni presidential council’s call to negotiate with Houthis
08
April ,2022
The
foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states expressed their
support for the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council’s call to start
negotiations with the Houthi militias with the aim of establishing peace in
Yemen, the council said in a statement on Thursday.
“The
Council expressed its full support for the Presidential Leadership Council and
its supporting entities to enable it to exercise its duties in implementing
effective policies and initiatives that would achieve security and stability in
Yemen,” the statement read.
The
GCC council also welcomed the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council’s call to
start negotiating with the Houthis under the supervision of the United Nations
to reach a final and comprehensive political solution, in a way that preserves
Yemen’s unity and integrity, respects its sovereignty and independence and
rejects any interference in its internal affairs.
The
joint statement came after the minister’s meeting in Saudi Arabia’s capital
Riyadh.
Earlier
on Thursday, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi announced his decision to
transfer his powers to the newly formed Presidential Leadership Council.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
welcomes Yemeni President’s decision to hand over power to presidential council
08
April ,2022
The
UAE welcomes Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s decision to transfer his
powers to a new presidential council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported
on Thursday.
“The
UAE welcomed the decision by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, President of Yemen, to form
the Presidential Leadership Council to complete the implementation of the
transitional phase and delegate full presidential powers in accordance with the
constitution, the GCC Initiative, and its executive mechanism,” the ministry
said in a statement.
It
added: “Moreover, the UAE expressed its hope that this step would contribute to
reaching a comprehensive political solution between the Yemeni parties in order
to achieve peace, stability, development, and prosperity for Yemen and its
people.”
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
ministry affirmed the UAE’s full support for the Presidential Leadership
Council and its supporting bodies to enable it to carry out its tasks, end the
Yemen crisis, achieve security and stability in Yemen, and realize the
aspirations of the Yemeni people for development and prosperity.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkiye
'neutralizes' 3 YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria
Jeyhun
Aliyev
07.04.2022
Turkiye
"neutralized" three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, the
National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Turkish
forces targeted two of the terrorists who attempted to attack the Operation
Peace Spring zone, and another one who opened harassing fire on the Operation
Olive Branch area, the ministry said on Twitter.
"We
will continue to strongly respond to terrorist attack attempts," the
statement added.
Turkish
authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in
question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Since
2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across
its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and
enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive
Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Counter-terrorism
chief trying to tarnish PAS’ image, says party elder
Anne
Muhammad
April
7, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: The Bukit Aman counter-terrorism chief’s claim that PAS is banking on the
Taliban to improve its Islamic image has been dismissed by PAS spiritual leader
Hashim Jasin as an attempt to tarnish the party’s image.
In
denying the claim by Normah Ishak, Hashim maintained there was no proof that
PAS was “following” the Taliban.
“If
you look at the violence we see now (in Afghanistan), does PAS use violence
like the Taliban? None at all. PAS is normal, just like other political
parties.
Watch
the video here.
“We
don’t force people. We only preach to invite (people to embrace Islam). Those
who do, we thank God. We don’t take any action against those who don’t. She’s
trying to tarnish PAS’ image,” he told FMT.
Normah
yesterday cited PAS international affairs and external relations committee
chairman Khalil Abdul Hadi’s congratulatory message to the Taliban after its
takeover of Afghanistan in August last year.
The
Twitter post by Khalil, who is PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s son, was
subsequently deleted though his original statement can still be found on
Harakahdaily.
“They
are creating narratives to the party’s advantage, forming opinions and
perceptions among Muslims in Malaysia, so that Muslims in Malaysia (think)
‘Taliban is okay now. They will be fine without armed support’.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Singapore
jails Aussie for hurling wine bottle, killing a Muslim man
April
8, 2022
SINGAPORE:
A Singapore court on Friday sentenced an Australian man to five and a half
years in prison for killing an elderly Singaporean man and hurting his wife
with a thrown wine bottle, in what the judge called an act of religious
hostility toward Muslims.
Andrew
Gosling was convicted of “causing death and grievous hurt by a rash act” for
throwing a wine bottle at a group of people two storeys below him, striking a
73-year-old man and killing him in 2019. The bottle ricocheted and injured the
shoulder of the man’s wife.
“I
agree with the prosecution that the present offence involves an element of
demonstration of religious hostility towards Muslims,” said judge Victor Yeo.
“Such offences could seriously undermine Singapore’s racial and religious
harmony and must not be tolerated and must be firmly dealt with.”
Singapore
is a multiracial country of 5.5 million people, of whom about 16% are Muslim,
with bigger Buddhist and Christian communities. It has a predominantly ethnic
Chinese population with sizeable Malay and Indian minorities, according to the
2020 census. The victims have been identified as ethnic Malay Muslims.
The
court had been told that Gosling admitted during the investigation he was “angry
and upset” over Islamic militant attacks in Bali and Melbourne in which many
Australians had died, and wanted to “startle” the group after identifying them
as Muslims.
Prosecutors
said Gosling, who was 49 years old at the time of the crime, ran away, shouting
“crude, religiously charged vulgarities” about Muslims.
His
actions had the “wider impact of causing unease in Singapore, especially
amongst the broader Muslim population” and demonstrated religious hostility,
the prosecution said.
Through
most of Friday’s hearing, Gosling, who had pleaded guilty, stared straight
ahead but turned around briefly to look at his parents, who were present in
court.
Gosling’s
lawyers had said alcohol may have impaired his judgement, citing a psychiatric
report, and argued that his act is unlikely to be religiously motivated. They
added he intends to appeal the sentence.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Powerless
to act on Sabah’s power problem
April
8, 2022
Kampung
Inobong in the Penampang district of Sabah is now officially an area with many
wild animals.
This
is according to the logic of energy and natural resources minister Takiyuddin
Hassan who last month blamed “wild animals” as having contributed to the
frequent electricity disruptions in the state.
He
also said consumers in Sabah faced 332 minutes of power disruptions on average
in 2021.
Well,
what do you know, maybe Kampung Inobong isn’t in Penampang (maybe Penampang
isn’t in Sabah, and maybe Sabah isn’t in Malaysia).
Let
me list the electricity disruptions in this “mythical” area called Kampung
Inobong from Feb 12 to April 6 (a span of 56 days to be exact):
Feb
12: 11am to 2.50pm
Feb
25: 9.39pm to 1.38am
Feb
26: (short duration, unsure exact time frame)
March
1: 10.28pm to 11.13pm
March
8: 10.48pm to 1.47am
March
18: 1.48am- 3am
March
26: 8.05am to 10am
March
27: 1.35pm to 3.17pm
March
30: 12.49am to 1.25am
March
30: 10am to 11.20am
March
31: 1.37pm to 2.33pm
April
3: 12.45pm to 1.10pm
April
4: 7pm to 9.09pm
April
5: 10am to 11.45am
April
5: 5.54pm to 10.07pm
April
6: 11.17am to 12.20pm
In
total, there were a minimum of 1,639 minutes of electricity disruptions in 56
days.
Another
way of looking at this, is that we now have had (in the last 56 days), 4.9
years’
worth of average electricity disruptions going by the figures provided
by
the minister (1,639 minutes divided by 332 minutes = 4.9 years).
Now,
let’s take the federal minister out of the equation. What is the take of the
local assemblymen and MPs on this? You basically spent more money getting
elected (two Sabah elections in less than five years for heaven’s sake) than
channelling the money to good use by upgrading basic infrastructure for the
people.
And
what about Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB)? Why aren’t you trying to fix this?
Lastly,
what about the Sabah government? Where are you when you are supposed to be the
guardian of the people (the same people that voted you into power). The irony
is, since you came to power, our power supply has been having problems.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Deputy
minister: Education Ministry waiting for full report on fight in Sepang school
07
Apr 2022
IPOH,
April 7 — The Ministry of Education (MoE) is waiting for a detained report on a
fight between two groups of students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK)
Sungai Pelek in Sepang, Selangor which has gone viral on social media since
yesterday.
Deputy
Education Minister, Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said this was to enable the ministry
to investigate the matter before taking any appropriate action.
“We
have not received a detailed report on the incident and further investigation
is required to obtain complete information on it before action is taken,” he
said after launching the Accelerated School Leaders Initiative (ASLI)
programme, here, today.
The
fight was reported to have occurred at 10.30am after the two groups of students
were believed to have been mocking each other.
Dr
Mah hoped that harmony and mutual respect could be promoted more actively in
schools to build good character towards preventing bullying and fights among
students
On
the viraled issue of a school canteen not being opened in the month of Ramadan
in order to train the students to fast and to respect those who fast, Dr Mah
said he had contacted the director-general of Education, Datin Seri Nor Zamani
Abdol Hamid for further action.
“To
me, we should respect the students who fast while we also should not prevent
those of other religions to buy food from the school canteen.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iranian
Envoy Rejects Media Claims about IAEA Report
2022-April-7
Certain
foreign media claims about the latest IAEA report on the verification of
implementation of the 2015 Iran deal are “inaccurate, incorrect and biased”,
Qa'ebi told reporters on Wednesday.
He
added the report was only a technical update presented by the Agency’s
director-general on monitoring the implementation of the multilateral deal,
officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in
accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses it.
Qa'ebi
said the report was drawn up to inform the Agency’s members about the latest
developments and new technical information on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Summarizing
a confidential report to the IAEA member states, Reuters claimed on Wednesday
that Iran has moved all its machines that make centrifuge parts from its
mothballed workshop at Karaj to its sprawling Natanz site, just six weeks after
it set up another site at Isfahan to make the same parts.
The
IAEA report said that on April 4, “agency inspectors verified that these
machines remained under agency seal at this location in Natanz and, therefore,
were not operating”.
“Without
access to the data and recordings collected by these cameras, the agency is
unable to confirm whether the production of centrifuge components at the
workshop in Isfahan has begun,” the report to IAEA member states said.
Qa'ebi
clarified that the IAEA would have no access to the data recorded on the memory
of the cameras installed at the Isfahan facility only until the Iran deal was
back on track.
“That
is why the agency has announced that it was unable to confirm whether or not
the manufacturing of spare parts for centrifuges has begun in Isfahan,” the
official added.
He
said Iran informed the IAEA on April 4 that all the machines for production had
been transferred from Karaj to Natanz, letting the inspectors verify, on the
same day, that the machines were not operating.
In
a statement on January 31, the IAEA said Iran has informed the world body that
it will move the production of centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows from TESA
Karaj Complex to the central city of Isfahan.
The
IAEA confirmed that Iran has informed the agency that it can adjust its
surveillance and monitoring measures accordingly, noting that the production of
centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows at TESA Karaj Complex has been ceased.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010118000206/Iranian-Envy-Rejecs-Media-Claims-ab-IAEA-Repr
--------
Armed
attack leaves 2 dead, multiple wounded in Israel
Mücahit
Aydemir
07.04.2022
JERUSALEM
At
least two people were killed in a shooting on Thursday in the Israeli capital
Tel Aviv, the country's army radio announced.
At
least eight others were injured, according to multiple reports.
One
of the wounded is in critical condition and was rushed to a hospital, initial
reports suggest, with several police units and ambulances dispatched to the
scene on the central Dizengoff Street.
Naming
the incident a "terror attack," Israeli police authorities launched a
large-scale manhunt to find the shooter and urged residents to stay indoors and
away from the attack scene.
Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett held a security consultation with Israeli security
authorities, his office said on Twitter.
"The
chain of events regarding this evening's terrorist attack in Tel Aviv was
presented, as were the ongoing efforts on the ground to apprehend the
terrorist.
"The
continuation of Israel Police and ISA operations in the coming hours was also
discussed. It was agreed to continue directing large-scale reinforcements to
Tel Aviv. Situation assessments will be held on an ongoing basis as per
developments," said the prime minister's office.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/armed-attack-leaves-2-dead-multiple-wounded-in-israel/2558249
--------
Israeli
security forces kill Palestinian youth behind Tel Aviv attack
Said
Amouri
08.04.2022
JERUSALEM
Israeli
media outlets quoted the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) as saying
on Friday morning that they killed a Palestinian youth who carried out a
shooting attack evening on Thursday in Tel Aviv city, killing two people and
wounding nine others.
The
official Kan channel reported that the Palestinian youth who was killed was
holed up inside a mosque in the city of Jaffa, adjacent to Tel Aviv.
The
channel indicated that joint forces of the Shin Bet and the police clashed with
the Palestinian youth, a resident of the West Bank before he was killed.
Quoting
the Shin Bet, Kan added: "It became clear from the initial investigation
that the perpetrator is called Raad Fathi Hazem, 28, belongs to Jenin refugee
camp, and he has no security precedents and does not belong to any
organization."
Evening
on Thursday, the Israeli police announced the killing of two Israelis and the
wounding of nine others, including serious injuries, in a shooting on the
lively Dizenkov street in the center of Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile,
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered on Friday to restrict movement
to and from the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, from which the
attacker came.
"The
prime minister has directed that the terrorist's surroundings be examined and
take appropriate action against anyone who assisted him or knew of his violent
intent," Bennett's office said in a statement.
It
added that Bennet ordered to keep Al-Jalama crossing closed until further
notice, with a view to "restricting movement to and from Jenin."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran's
Top Diplomat Felicitates Muslim Counterparts on Holy Month of Ramadan
2022-April-7
“The
holy month of Ramadan is the month of revelation of the Holy Book and I hope
that we will witness evermore deepening of friendly relations and strengthening
unity and amity among Islamic Ummah," Amir Abdollahian wrote in his
messages.
He
underlined the importance of further developing relations between the two
countries, and wished health and success to the Muslim officials and nations.
Amir
Abdollahian added that strengthening and integration among Muslim countries
will provide stability, security, lasting peace and wellness in the Islamic
world.
The
office of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
declared Sunday, April 3, as the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
in Iran.
The
beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan is determined by both lunar
calculations and physical sightings of a new moon.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Death
toll in Iran stabbing attack at holy shrine rises to two
07
April ,2022
The
death toll from a stabbing attack at the most revered Shia shrine in Iran rose
to two on Thursday after another cleric succumbed to his wounds, Iran’s state
TV reported.
The
victim, identified only by his last name, Daraei, died at a hospital in the
holy northeastern city of Mashhad, after being stabbed at the city’s Imam Reza
shrine on Tuesday.
The
man was one of three clerics stabbed at the shrine, a rare act of violence at
the major pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims. One cleric died almost instantly;
his funeral was held on Thursday. The third cleric remains in hospital.
The
police have not offered a motive for the stabbing. The country’s interior
minister, Ahmad Vahidi, described it on Thursday as a “terrorist attack” and
vowed Iran would pursue the perpetrators and all “takfiris,” a term used for
Sunni extremists who consider other Muslims infidels.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
A
look at Yemen’s new presidential leadership council and its powers
07
April ,2022
Yemen’s
president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has transferred his powers to a newly
established presidential leadership council and relieved the vice president Ali
Mohsen al-Ahmar of his duties on Thursday.
The
former president vacated the post 10 years after he was elected to power in
2012. He was the only candidate to stand for elections.
In
a presidential decree, the former leader said that the move came as a “desire
to involve effective leaders in managing the state in this transitional phase,
and affirming our commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and
territorial integrity...”
The
new council, headed by Major General Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, will temporarily be
in charge of Yemen’s political, military, and security sectors during the
transition period.
It
will reportedly follow the provision of the “Arab Initiative” and wield the
power offered to the vice president of Yemen, in addition to that of the
presidents.
The
council head is supported by seven other members: Sultan Ali al-Arada, Tariq
Muhammad Salih, Abed al-Rahman Abu Zara’a, Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer, Othman
Hussein Megali, Aidarous Qassem al-Zubaidi, and Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani.
These
members will share the title of ‘Deputy Chairman of the Presidential
Leadership’ and are further supported by a commission of 50 members who will
work in an advisory and consultative role with the eight-member committee.
There
are also separate legal and economic teams. The council will end its term upon
election of a new president.
According
to the presidential decree, the newly formed council has the authority to hold
talks with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and find a solution to the incessant
violence.
It
also has the powers to adopt foreign policy; enhance national security, and
issue changes to combat terrorism; establish diplomatic relations; enable a
state of emergency; and appoint governors, security directors, and supreme court
judges.
Currently,
the warring parties in Yemen are under a two-month-long ceasefire agreement,
which world powers including Saudi Arabia hope to maintain long term. The
agreement followed extensive talks held by the GCC and Yemeni representatives
in Riyadh.
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the newly-formed Yemeni
presidential council, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
The
Kingdom on Thursday welcomed the Yemeni president’s decision and urged the body
to start negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
Saudi
Arabia also said it would arrange $3 billion of support to the war-torn
country’s economy, according to SPA. Riyadh would provide $2 billion, and
another $1 billion would come from the United Emirates, which is part of the
Arab Coalition.
The
head of the council
Al-Alimi
was formerly Yemen’s deputy prime minister under the governance of Ali Abdullah
Saleh, and previously also served as the interior minister.
In
a major incident, al-Alimi was reportedly injured in the explosion of the
al-Nahdain Mosque in the Presidential House during Friday prayer in 2011.
The
target was the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh and other Yemeni leaders in
the country. Al-Alimi was transferred to Saudi Arabia for treatment, Al Arabiya
reported, and returned to Sanaa on June 13, 2012 after a year of treatment in
Saudi Arabia and Germany, before leaving Sanaa again following a coup by the
Iran-backed Houthis.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Arab
states welcome formation of presidential council in Yemen
Ibrahim
al-Khazen
07.04.2022
Riyad
RIYADH
Arab
countries have welcomed the formation of Yemen's Presidential Leadership
Council, headed by Rashad al-Alimi, as well as the urgent financial support
provided by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Yemeni
economy.
Early
on Thursday, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi delegated his powers to
the newly established Presidential Leadership Council to govern the country
during the transitional period.
The
council is made up of seven deputy chairmen, including Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the
head of the Southern Transitional Council and backed by the UAE.
The
other members are Sultan Ali al-Arada, Tariq Mohammed Saleh, Abdulrahman Abu
Zara'a, Abdullah Bawazeer, Othman Hussein Megally and Farah Salmin al-Bahsani.
On
Thursday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with members of the
council led by al-Alimi, who pledged in a tweet to work on rebuilding the
country and its modern civil state as well as protecting the gains of the
revolution and unity.
In
a statement carried out by the official news agency SPA, Saudi Arabia expressed
its "full support for the Presidential Leadership Council and its
supporting entities."
It
urged the council "to start negotiating with the Houthis, under the
supervision of the United Nations, to reach a final and comprehensive political
solution that includes a transitional period that will move Yemen to peace and
development."
Riyadh
also pledged $3 billion in emergency aid to the Yemeni economy, one billion of
which will be provided by the UAE, as well as $300 million to fund the UN
humanitarian operation in Yemen.
In
a statement, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry welcomed the formation of the
Presidential Leadership Council and affirmed its support for it in carrying out
its responsibilities.
The
Jordanian Foreign Ministry also welcomed the council's formation, stressing
that Amman "supports efforts to resolve the Yemeni crisis in order to
reach a political solution," and appreciating Saudi Arabia and the UAE for
their financial support.
In
a statement, Secretary Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef al-Hajraf welcomed the
move, stressing his support "in everything that achieves stability in
Yemen."
For
its part, the Arab League affirmed its support for the council "as an
embodiment of Yemeni legitimacy," and expressed optimism that it would
lead the country to peace.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned
Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Europe
EU
calls on Israel to take measures to protect Palestinians
Awad
Rajoub
07.04.2022
RAMALLAH,
Palestine
The
EU has called on Israel to take measures to protect the Palestinians,
expressing its concern about the increasing violence of Israeli settlers in the
West Bank.
“Under
IHL (international humanitarian law), IL (international law), authorities (of
Israel) must take all necessary measures to protect Palestinians and their
property against settler violence,” the EU Delegation to the Palestinians
tweeted on Wednesday.
The
delegation said it was “concerned about the recent violence by settlers in the
village of At Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills carried out against Palestinian
residents and human right defenders.”
It
pointed out that two Israeli human rights defenders were accompanying on Monday
a Palestinian shepherd and his flock of sheep on private Palestinian land when
more than a dozen settlers began harassing and threatening them.
“This
is entirely unacceptable,” it said.
“Everyone
has the right, individually and in association with others, to participate in
peaceful activities against HR (human rights) violations and fundamental
freedoms,” the EU said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Turkey
detonates stray naval mine in Black Sea amid Ukraine war
06
April ,2022
Turkish
military diving teams safely detonated a floating naval mine in the Black Sea,
the defense ministry said on Wednesday, the third such mine found in its waters
since the Ukraine war.
Ukraine
and Russia have accused each other of laying mines in the Black Sea, and in
late March, Turkish and Romanian military diving teams defused stray mines in
their waters.
NATO
member Turkey borders the Black Sea, as do Russia and Ukraine, which Moscow
invaded on February 24 in what it describes as a “special military operation.”
The
Black Sea is used for shipping grain, oil and oil products. Its waters are
shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and
Russia.
The
Black Sea links to the Marmara and the Mediterranean seas via the Bosphorus
strait, which runs through the heart of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with 16
million residents.
The
stray mines pose risks for ships passing through the Bosphorus and could cause
damage if they hit vessels, especially crude oil ships.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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EU
court unfreezes assets of former Egyptian president, family
Ibrahim
al-Khazen
07.04.2022
The
family of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced receiving a large
sum of money in unfrozen assets from EU countries after a court ruled to remove
restrictions on the family’s assets.
The
General Court of the EU canceled a decision Wednesday by the EU Council in 2011
to freeze the funds and assets of Mubarak and his family.
The
court did not reveal details on the amount unfrozen.
Mubarak's
son, Alaa, confirmed the ruling and indicated receiving a large sum of money
but did not specify how much was received.
Alaa
added that he and his lawyer are reviewing the possibility of asking for
compensation from the EU Council for what he said were "the illegal
measures imposed on his family in the past years."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Azerbaijan,
Armenia to start process for peace talks: EU’s Michel
Rabia
İclal Turan
07.04.2022
Azerbaijan
and Armenia have decided to launch a “concrete process” for peace talks,
European Council President Charles Michel said Wednesday after a meeting with
the two countries’ leaders in Brussels.
Speaking
to reporters following the meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Charles Michel said they made “a lot
of progress.”
“It
means that we have decided all together to launch a concrete process for peace
talks to prepare a possible peace treaty and to address all the necessary
elements for such a treaty,” he said.
The
leaders also agreed to set up a joint committee and to maintain a “channel of
communication,” Michel said after the five-hour meeting.
“We
are working very hard. We are making progress. I don't underestimate the
challenges, the difficulties on both sides, but I feel there's a common will to
make progress,” he stressed.
Michel
later released a statement about the outcome of the three-way meeting, in which
he reiterated the European Union’s commitment to “deepen its cooperation with
Armenia and Azerbaijan” to overcome tensions in the South Caucasus and for a
“secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous” region.
According
to Michel, Aliyev and Pashinyan both stated their desire to “move rapidly
towards a peace agreement between their countries.”
“To
this end, it was agreed to instruct the ministers of foreign affairs to work on
the preparation of a future peace treaty which would address all necessary
issues,” the statement added.
They
also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April, the
statement noted.
“The
mandate of the Joint Border Commission will be to delimit the bilateral border
between Armenia and Azerbaijan and ensure a stable security situation along,
and in the vicinity of, the borderline,” it added.
Last
December, around a year after the two countries ended a 44-day war over
Nagorno-Karabakh, Michel met separately with both leaders and then hosted them
both at a dinner in Brussels.
Relations
between the two former Soviet countries have been tense since 1991, when the
Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a
territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent
regions.
New
clashes erupted in September 2020, and a 44-day conflict saw Azerbaijan
liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were
occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Turkish
foreign minister meets with Canadian, Italian, Swedish counterparts in Brussels
Ahmet
Gencturk
07.04.2022
Turkiye’s
foreign minister met Wednesday with his Canadian, Italian and Swedish
counterparts.
Mevlut
Cavusoglu’s first of three meetings, which took place on the margins of the
NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, was with his Canadian
counterpart Melanie Joly.
They
discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine, said Cavusoglu on
Twitter.
His
second meeting was with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
The
latest developments in Libya and Ukraine as well as bilateral cooperation in
the defense industry and economy were discussed, Cavusoglu said on Twitter.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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