For Tolerance and Goodwill, Muslim-Minority Countries Should Emulate Malaysia, Says Religious Minister, Datuk Idris Ahmad
New Age Islam News Bureau
10 May 2022
Idris said Malaysia had
long practiced the concept of 'fiqh al-Ta’ayush' in building good fraternal
relations with all components of society. — Bernama pic
-----
• Taliban Call Meeting Of Tribal Elders, Islamic
Scholars as Afghanistan Slips Into Crises
• Jamiat-e-Ulema Gen. Secy, Mahmood Madani, Invites
Babri Accused, Murli Manohar Joshi, to Eid Milan, Draws Flak
• Al-Aqsa Place of Worship for Muslims Only: Grand
Mufti of Quds, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein
• US Says It Will Increase Pressure on Taliban If They
Don't Reverse Decisions on Women, Girls
Southeast Asia
• Singapore Bans ‘The Kashmir Files’ For Its
‘One-Sided’ Portrayal of Muslims
• Malaysian Family Concept Vital For Shaping Country's
Future, Says Idris
• Have law for party hopping first, recall elections
can come later, says Gobind
--------
South Asia
• Afghanistan: Resistance Front Claims Killing Of 22
Taliban Members in Panjshir
• New life, new struggles: Afghans still adjusting to
US
• 900,000 Afghans lost jobs since Taliban takeover in
Afghanistan: US
• Pakistan Announces the Delivery of Second
Consignment of Relief to Afghanistan Flood Victims
• 287 Media Outlets Dismantled After the Taliban Took
Power, Leaving 6,000 Journalists Unemployed
--------
India
• Radical Muslims Should Realise Grass Is Not Greener
in Pakistan: Kerala HC in Terror Recruitment Case
• Loudspeakers Row: In Karnataka Temples, Hanuman
Chalisa, Omkara Played To Counter Morning Azan At Mosques
• Maharashtra: Muslim Youths Donate Loudspeaker to
Temple In Sangli
• Maulana asks mosques in Karnataka to install sound
controlling device
• Varanasi Court to Continue Hearing Gyanvapi Mosque
Survey Issue on Tuesday
• Khambat violence: Muslims move Gujarat HC for CBI or
CID probe
--------
Mideast
• Israeli government survives no-confidence motion
with help from Arab Joint List
• Model OIC summit in Istanbul closes with unity
message among Muslim nations
• Iranian Official: Sanctioned States Should Use All
Means to Restore Rights
• Iranian President Blasts NATO's Expansionist
Policies
• President Assad Lauds "Strategic" Ties
with Iran
• Israeli PM’s government limps into new parliament
session
• Two Palestinians killed, Israeli policeman stabbed
as violence simmers
--------
North America
• US imposes sanctions on ISIS financial network
• Biden reportedly considers visiting occupied East
Jerusalem
• ‘US envoy to UN postpones visit to Turkiye-Syria
border’
--------
Europe
• How Putin’s Army Fights Like Islamic State in
Ukraine
• UK Used Arms Deal to Conceal Payments to Saudi
Arabia
• EU pledges extra $1.06B in support for Syrian people
for 2022
• US urges countries to respect territorial integrity
amid Greece, Turkiye airspace row
• Erdogan calls EU to 'write a new story for itself'
amid Ukraine war
--------
Pakistan
• Pak Army Warns Critics against Dragging It into
Political Affairs
• Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl to Launch Mass Contact
Campaign For Sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabvi
• Senate Panel Slams ‘Misuse’ Of Blasphemy Law In
Madina Incident
• Criticism meant against Sharifs, not army: Imran
• Would Have Never Agreed To US Base in Pak, Says Imran
• PM Shehbaz orders immediate restoration of NCOC
after first case of Omicron subvariant detected
• Pakistan investigating agency advises expatriates
living abroad to refrain from spreading ‘chaos’ at home
• Pakistan President rejects PM’s advice to remove
Punjab Governor
--------
Arab World
• Architecture of Prophet Mosque in Madinah display
enriches visitor experience
• Iraqi Militia Power Plays Bring Back Outcast Sunni Leader
• Egypt, US eye counter-terrorism ties in wake of
deadly Sinai attack
• World Bank approves $150 mln food security loan for
Lebanon: Minister
• ISIS claims attack that killed 11 Egyptian troops
• UAE, Greece leaders meet in Abu Dhabi to better
ties, launch billion-dollar venture
• Kuwait Emiri decree accepts government resignation
--------
Africa
• 40 Terrorists Neutralized In Burkina Faso
• Miyetti Allah purchases APC presidential form for
Jonathan
• We won’t fold our arms while IPOB kills our members
– Miyetti Allah
• Bomb blast outside Somali capital kills 2 civilians
• US urges Libyans to agree on constitutional basis
for elections
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tolerance-goodwill-minority-malaysia-religious/d/126971
--------
For Tolerance and Goodwill, Muslim-Minority Countries
Should Emulate Malaysia, Says Religious Minister, Datuk Idris Ahmad
Idris said Malaysia had
long practiced the concept of 'fiqh al-Ta’ayush' in building good fraternal
relations with all components of society. — Bernama pic
-----
10 May 2022
ABU DHABI, May 10 — Tolerance and goodwill practised
in Malaysia should serve as a guide for the Muslim world to unite the Ummah.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad said it was time for the minority Muslim countries
to follow Malaysia’s example with its people of various races living together
peacefully with Islam as the official religion.
Idris said a country with a majority Muslim population
could tolerate other races, but vice versa for a Muslim-minority country.
“The foundations that we have built in Malaysia, we
hope, can be followed by other countries, including by countries where majority
of the population consists of non-Muslims, so that they emulate the tolerance
and goodwill for a harmonious living.
“The Keluarga Malaysia Keluarga Sejahtera is a reality
that we have in our country at the moment,” he said after the two-day World
Muslim Communities Council International Conference which ended here yesterday.
Idris said Malaysia had long practiced the concept of
fiqh al-Ta’ayush in building good fraternal relations with all components of
society.
On the conference, he said, it was a success as it
brought together Islamic figures from around the world, comprising 500
delegates from 105 countries, to discuss the challenges facing the Ummah.
He said the United Arab Emirates had expressed interest
in making Malaysia the host for the next edition of the conference.
Five resolutions were reached at the conference, which
included on the importance of using traditional and new media to shape the
collective consciousness of Muslims to enable them to understand the major
topics that concern Muslims in the 21st century.
Themed Islamic Unity: Concepts, Opportunities and
Challenges, the conference, which took place on May 8 and 9 was officiated by
the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Togetherness, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al
Nahyan. — Bernama
Source: Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Taliban
Call Meeting Of Tribal Elders, Islamic Scholars as Afghanistan Slips Into
Crises
Religious
scholars, including Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban official, gather in
Herat city on December 10 to urge the Taliban to seek peace and put an end to
the war. [Omar]
-----
May
10, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A formal meeting of the factions of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan will be
held shortly to discuss the political, social and security issues as the
troubled country slips into one crisis after another.
Confirming
this, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Monday: “We are trying to
hold a gathering among Afghans of tribal elders, Islamic clerics and influential
figures. But it is yet to be determined when it will be held. Insha’Allah, the
discussion will cover political, social and security matters.”
Since
the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has descended into a severe
humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation, crippled healthcare, child
malnutrition and records of near to total collapse of essential services –
concerns that have been flagged by the UN as well.
The
meeting will include the three leadership factions -- the Haqqani network, the
Kandhari group (which is the orthodox ‘old school’ from south Afghanistan) and
the ‘modern’ Doha faction, the Taliban’s face in the failed US talks.
Rafiq
Sherzad, an Afghan journalist who recently fled to Australia over threats to
his life, said the three factions have their ideological differences but there
were reports of their “real concern” about Afghanistan’s slide into multiple
crises.
Commenting
on the upcoming meeting, Anas Haqqani, younger brother of Afghan deputy
minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, said in a statement: “We hope for a positive
outcome. This is the intention of the Islamic Emirate. There is a hope this
meeting will (represent the whole nation).”
Afghan
political analyst Barna Salehi said the “grand meeting” is an attempt to bring
together all factions. “This meeting is aimed at grabbing the attention of the
people inside the country in a bid to show a united government that is not on
the brink of collapse.”
The
UN has recorded that more than 90 percent of Afghans face shortage of food and
that more than 24 million Afghans, over half the country's population, need
humanitarian assistance to survive.
Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine in February diverted international attention from the
crisis in Afghanistan. The western powers’ engagement with the war in Ukraine
was an opportunity for the Kandhari group, who form the bulk of the low and
middle-tier Taliban, to implement their hardline policies, including decrees
that women stop going to college and stay covered head to toe with only the eyes
allowed to be visible.
The
lack of international interest in Afghanistan’s crisis paved the way for terror
groups and criminal networks to re-mobilise and regain strength. In recent
weeks, Islamic State carried out daring attacks in Afghanistan, while the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of several Pakistan terror
outfits with sanctuaries across the Durand Line, has intensified attacks on
Pakistan.
According
to Islamabad, TTP carried out 24 attacks in April alone inside Pakistan,
targeting security forces and government installations.
In
the last few months, a significant number of Afghans, mostly well-off and
educated, have fled. The exodus of former government officials, politicians,
doctors, engineers and academics apart from singers and musicians has left a
yawning gap of human and material resources that is not possible for the
Taliban to fill with those from its cadre.
The
Kabul crisis prompted a group of UN human rights experts to call on the US
government to unfreeze assets of Afghanistan’s central bank that were blocked
after the Taliban laid siege to Kabul.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Jamiat-e-Ulema
Gen. Secy, Mahmood Madani, Invites Babri Accused, Murli Manohar Joshi, to Eid
Milan, Draws Flak
A
prestigious Eid celebration was held at Hotel Shangri-La as a demonstration of
universal human values and Ganga-Jamni culture of the country. The event was
attended by prominent leaders from various walks of life on the invitation of
the JUH President Maulana Mahmood A Madani.
----
9th
May 2022
From
going to international forums to defend the union government’s abrogation of
Article 370 and the imposition of curfew in Kashmir to supporting NRC, Mahmood
Madani, the general secretary of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, has been accused of doing
everything in his power to show the ruling BJP as a non-partisan government.
“House
Negro”, “RSS agent” or “sell-out,” are a few of the terms netizens have used
for Madani in the past.
The
general secretary of the Jamiat-e-Ulema, in the latest, episode, has come under
heavy criticism from Muslims for inviting Babri Masjid demolition accused Murli
Manoharlal Joshi to an Eid Milan party hosted last week.
“House
Negro” was a term coined by Malcolm X, a civil rights activist in America in
the 1960s, for those people from a marginalized community who were loyal to
their oppressors.
Netizens
called out Madani for “staying silent” over the persecution of Muslims in India
throughout the years, be it related to bulldozing Muslim houses, lynchings, or
the hijab ban. While ignoring Muslim persecution in India, Madani has actively
worked to “fix” the Modi regime’s image in international forums, many claimed.
Commenting
on the Eid Milan party organized by Madani on May 7, Dr. Asma Zehra, the
president of the Women’s wing of All India Muslim Personal Law Board in an
article stated “The party is meant to send a message to the world that Khargone
(MP), Karauli (Rajasthan), Jahangirpuri (Delhi), Roorkee, etc.. or lynching,
Hijab, Halal, Azan, Masjid are non-issues. Everything is fair and fine in
India. The threats and calls for ‘genocide’ of Muslims in India are not real
and Ganga Jamuni Tahzeeb of our country has made India Heaven for Muslims.”
Netizens
also expressed their disapproval of Madani’s actions, and called for a boycott
of Jamiat-e-Ulema, apart from urging Muslims to stop giving donations to the
organization, which they alleged gets money from the ruling BJP government and
RSS.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Al-Aqsa
Place of Worship for Muslims Only: Grand Mufti of Quds, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein
Al-Aqsa
Mosque/abna 24
----
May
10, 2022
Grand
Mufti of al-Quds and preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein,
said on Monday that the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with its total area of 144 dunums, is a
place of worship for Muslims only.
“Islamic
Shariah law besides UN and UNESCO formal resolutions approve that the Al-Aqsa
Mosque is an Islamic holy site,” Mufti Hussein said in a statement commenting
on the Israeli premier Naftali Bennett’s statements claiming that his
government is the sole authority to fully supervise Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs.
Mufti
Hussein affirmed that Bennett’s statements reflect the racist Israeli policy,
which aims at the Judaization of al-Quds (Jerusalem) and changing the status
quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He added that Israel’s policy constitutes a grave
violation of international norms and conventions, including the Geneva
Conventions.
“Al-Aqsa
Mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam, is a red line and does not
accept division,” Mufti Hussein confirmed.
The
Mufti called on the Arab and Muslim countries, parties and people to pressure
Israel to stop its repeated attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“The
Israeli occupation’s brutal crimes against the Palestinian people and their
holy sites especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque violate their freedom of worship and
provoke the feelings of more than a billion Muslims all over the world,” he
warned.
Mufti
Hussein concluded by saying that Israeli leaders must be held responsible for
the repercussions of their brutal attacks and flagrant violations against the
Palestinian holy sites.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
US Says
It Will Increase Pressure On Taliban If They Don't Reverse Decisions On Women,
Girls
US
Says It Will Increase Pressure on Taliban If They Don't Reverse Decisions on
Women, Girls
-----
May
10, 2022
The
United States will take steps to increase pressure on Afghanistan's Taliban
government to reverse some of its recent decisions restricting the rights of
women and girls if the group shows no sign of rescinding the actions on its
own.
“We've
addressed it directly with the Taliban,” State Department spokesperson Ned
Price said in a briefing on Monday. “We have a number of tools that, if we feel
these won't be reversed, these won't be undone, that we are prepared to move
forward with.”
He
did not elaborate on the possible steps or indicate how the group, which has already
implemented policies curbing 20 years of gains for girls' and women's rights,
might have a change of heart.
The
Taliban on Saturday ordered women to cover their faces in public, a return to a
signature policy of their past hardline rule and an escalation of restrictions
that are causing anger at home and abroad.
The
ideal face covering was the all-encompassing blue burqa, the group said,
referring to the garment that was obligatory for women in public during the
Taliban's previous 1996-2001 rule.
The
international community has made the education of girls a key demand for any
future recognition of the Taliban administration, which took over the country
in August as foreign forces withdrew.
Despite
that, the Taliban has restricted girls and women from working and limited their
travel unless accompanied by a close male relative. Most girls were also barred
from going to school beyond seventh grade.
Read:
'I may as well be dead': Afghan women outraged by new Taliban restrictions on
work
“We've
consulted closely with our allies and partners,” Price said. “There are steps
that we will continue to take to increase pressure on the Taliban to reverse
some of these decisions, to make good on the promises that they have made.”
A
key piece of leverage held by Washington over the group is the $7 billion in
frozen Afghan central bank assets on US soil — half of which the Biden
administration is seeking to free up to help the Afghan people, the
administration has said.
The
United States and other countries have already cut development aid and
sanctioned the banking system since the group took over, pushing Afghanistan
toward economic ruin.
US
Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West expressed “deep concern” over
the Saturday decision in a series of tweets, while the US Ambassador to the
United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said it was an “unconscionable” move.
Most
women in Afghanistan wear a headscarf for religious reasons but many in urban
areas such as Kabul do not cover their faces.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Singapore
bans ‘The Kashmir Files’ for its ‘one-sided’ portrayal of Muslims
May
10, 2022
Singapore
has banned the Bollywood movie ‘The Kashmir Files’, assessing it to be “beyond”
the city-state's film classification guidelines. According to reports, the
Singaporean authorities refused classification of the Hindi-language film for
“its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus
being persecuted in the on-going conflict in Kashmir”.
‘The
Kashmir Files’, being screened in India since March to mixed reviews, is based
on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Muslim-majority Valley in the 1990s
due to terrorism.
A
joint statement was issued in Singapore by the Infocomm Media Development
Authority (IMDA), Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The
film’s representations “have the potential to cause enmity between different
communities, and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in our
multiracial and multi-religious society,” they said.
Under
the film classification guidelines, “any material that is denigrating to racial
or religious communities in Singapore” will be refused classification.
The
Vivek Agnihotri-directed film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi
Joshi in lead roles.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Malaysian
Family concept vital for shaping country's future, says Idris
09
May 2022
ABU
DHABI: The Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) concept is a symbol of the
government's commitment because unity among the people is the most important
element in shaping the country's future, says Datuk Idris Ahmad (pic).
The
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) said Malaysia,
which is made up of various religions and ethnicities, had maintained stability
through unity.
Speaking
at the World Muslim Communities Council International Conference here on Monday
(May 9), he said Malaysia had implemented and translated the fiqh
(understanding) of al-Ta’ayush which laid down three main principles in
building good fraternal relations with all components of society.
"First,
brotherhood among fellow Muslims (ukhuwwah Islamiyyah); second, brotherhood
among fellow citizens (ukhuwwah wataniyyah); and third, brotherhood among
fellow human beings (ukhuwwah basyariyyah).
"Brotherhood
among Muslims is the greatest social idea,” he said, adding that this was
stated in the Quran (Surah al-Hujurat verse 10).
Idris
said ukhuwwah basyariyyah is based on a bond that grew and developed on
universal human values regardless of racial, religious, traditional, belief and
cultural background.
He
added that Malaysia is known as a harmonious country because it guaranteed
diversity as enshrined in the country's Constitution.
Idris
said he believed that unity and solidarity among Muslims around the world was
very important in determining harmony and ensuring the stability of a country.
He
said it would be a great loss if the ummah did not give emphasis to the unity
agenda because it would definitely lead to division and further weaken the
Muslims themselves.
Themed
"Islamic Unity: The Concept, Opportunities and Challenges", the
two-day international conference, which begins Monday, brings together Islamic
figures from around the world.
Source:
The Star
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Have
law for party hopping first, recall elections can come later, says Gobind
‘Ainin
Wan Salleh and Danial Azhar
May
9, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The drafting of the anti-hopping laws must be split into two stages by
first dealing with “clear-cut” party hopping activity to save time, DAP deputy
chairman Gobind Singh Deo said today.
“Do
it in two stages. First (enact the law) on ‘clear-cut’ party hopping, then
later (look at) the recall election procedures,” the Puchong MP said at an
anti-hopping law conference held at Wisma Badan Peguam Malaysia today.
He
said that laws covering MPs who leave their party for another party or who
become independent, after winning in the elections, must first be put in place
in the interest of time, as outlining recall election procedures may cause
delays.
“The
best way is to include it all in the anti-hopping bill so that only one
constitutional amendment is needed.
“However,
the question is whether we can do it in time,” he said, adding that recall
election procedures cover a huge area.
He
said party hopping by individuals and where parties join or leave coalitions
should be dealt with first ahead of the next general election (GE15).
Pengerang
MP Azalina Othman Said and former minister Redzuan Md Yusof, who also took part
in the conference, said legal provisions to deal with elected representatives
sacked by their political parties can also come later.
In
March, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told the Dewan Negara that a
provision for recall elections will be included in the new anti-hopping bill.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Afghanistan:
Resistance Front claims killing of 22 Taliban members in Panjshir
10
May, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], May 10 (ANI): The National Resistance Front (NRF) on Monday
claimed to have killed 22 Taliban members in the Panjshir conflict.
NRF
spokesman Sebghatullah Ahmadi, in a statement, said that the Taliban are under
pressure in Panjshir and have suffered casualties, adding that six Taliban were
captured and seven Taliban tanks were entirely destroyed, reported The Khaama
Press.
However,
local Taliban leaders in Panjshir refuted the claims, claiming that only three
had been wounded.
“Hostilities
had grown in Dara district, but a small-scale damage had been done to Taliban
troops, including the destruction of three vehicles and the injury of three
members,” Abu Bakr Siddiqui, spokesman for the Taliban governor in Panjshir
province, told the media.
Meanwhile,
a Taliban spokesman for the province claims that their “operation” to clear
members of the NRF in the AbdullahKhel village has forced them to flee to the
mountains.
The
public sources in Panjshir province stated that two military helicopters
evacuated all Taliban bodies and wounded to Kabul yesterday, reported Khaama
Press.
The
bodies taken to Kabul were also said to have been returned to the provinces,
according to the media.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
New
life, new struggles: Afghans still adjusting to US
May
10, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Taliban forces had taken the Afghan capital. Crowds of panicked people thronged
the airport.
And
a young man who had worked as a subcontractor for the US military faced a
terrible choice.
Hasibullah
Hasrat, after having navigated the chaotic streets and Taliban checkpoints to
make it inside the airport, could either go back for his wife and two young
children or board an evacuation flight and get them later.
Not
taking the flight likely meant none of them would get out of Afghanistan.
Hasrat's
decision haunts him.
He
is in the US, one of more than 78,000 Afghans admitted into the country
following the US troop withdrawal in August that ended America's longest war.
But
his family hasn't been able to join him.
They're
still in Afghanistan, where an economic crisis has led to widespread hunger and
where Taliban repression is on the rise.
“My
wife is alone there,” he said, his voice breaking as he describes nightly phone
calls home.
“My
son cries, asks where I am, when am I coming. And I don't know what to say.”
It's
a reminder that the journey for many of the Afghans who came to the United
States in the historic evacuation remains very much a work in progress, filled
with uncertainty and anxiety about the future.
Afghan
refugees, some of whom faced possible reprisals for working with their
government or American forces during the war with the Taliban, say in
interviews that they are grateful to the US for rescuing them and family
members.
But
they are often struggling to gain a foothold in a new land, straining to pay
their bills as assistance from the government and resettlement agencies starts
to run out, stuck in temporary housing, and trying to figure out how to apply
for asylum because most of the Afghans came under a two-year emergency status
known as humanitarian parole.
“We
are not sure what may happen,” said Gulsom Esmaelzade, whose family has been
shuttled between hotel rooms in the San Diego area since January, after
spending three months at a New Jersey military base.
“We
don't have anything back at home in Afghanistan and here we also don't have any
future.”
It's
taken a toll. Esmaelzade said her mother has had to be rushed three times to
the emergency room when her blood pressure shot up to dangerous levels. The
younger woman attributes it to the stress of their lives.
Then
there are more mundane challenges that are nonetheless daunting for many
Afghans. They include learning English, navigating government bureaucracies and
public transportation, and finding a job.
There
is also the isolation for those, like Hasrat, who came alone. “I don't know
anyone here,” he said in the apartment outside Washington he shares with two
other evacuees.
“I
have no friends, no family, no relatives. I just live with my roommates and my
roommates are from other parts of Afghanistan.”
Some
have managed to get established.
“But
there are many more who are not doing fine than are doing well,” said Megan
Flores, executive director of the Immigrant & Refugee Outreach Center in
McLean, Virginia.
The
experience of the evacuated Afghans is not unlike what refugees have
historically faced in coming to the United States. In some ways it's a preview
for the up to 100,000 Ukrainians who President Joe Biden says will be welcomed,
also in many cases on two years of humanitarian parole.
Afghans
on humanitarian parole must apply for a way to stay in the country such as
through asylum. It's a time-consuming process that typically requires finding
an immigration attorney, at a cost of thousands of dollars not readily
available to most refugees unless they can find someone to do it pro bono.
The
Department of Homeland Security says about half of the 78,000 likely will
ultimately qualify for the special immigrant visa, or SIV, program. It grants
permanent residency to people, along with their immediate family, who worked
for the US government.
Hasrat
hasn't been able to secure an SIV, at least not yet, despite his work as a
subcontractor setting up transmission lines for the US Army.
Congress
could resolve the situation by passing the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would
enable evacuees to apply for permanent residency after a year in the country,
similar to relief granted in the past to people from Iraq, Cuba and Vietnam.
Biden
recently gave the effort a boost when he endorsed the idea of adding it to an
upcoming Ukraine aid bill, a move welcomed by a coalition that includes
veterans, religious organizations and resettlement agencies.
“They
are facing a ticking time bomb of what happens if they don't get SIV or asylum
status,” said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration and
Refugee Service.
“Do
they get deported back to Afghanistan and into harm's way?”
In
the meantime, Afghans are trying to stitch together new lives as public
attention has shifted to Ukraine and other matters. At a recent job fair in
Alexandria, Virginia, there were hundreds of evacuees, including Arafat Safi, a
former senior official in Afghan's foreign affairs ministry who came to the US
with his wife, four children and mother.
He's
hoping to land a job in project management or international development, to use
an education that includes a master's degree from the UK.
So
far, he's landed a position as a Pashto-English interpreter and is delivering
packages for Amazon on the side while his wife, Madina, works in the bakery
section of a supermarket.
Safi
said he still hopes to find a better job and is eager to get permanent
residency.
But
he never complained in a lengthy interview at the family's apartment in
Alexandria.
An
intricate and vibrant Afghan rug — the only possession the family brought from
home — occupies a prominent place in the living room.
“I'm
very lucky to be here, to be welcomed by the US society. I met a lot of friends
here who are checking on me almost every day,” said the 35-year-old Safi.
“And
it's amazing. But there's a small part of me that misses Afghanistan and that
misses my people.”
Hasrat
said he has little time to think about anything other than his family back home
and the danger they face from the Taliban.
A
29-year-old former competitive boxer, he rides a bike to his job as an
administrative assistant at a medical office.
After
taxes and the money he sends home, he barely has enough to pay his bills. His
roommates, who are still learning English, have even less and have trouble
making the rent.
Most
nights, Hasrat waits until it's late enough to have a video chat with his family.
On one recent call, he tried to join the celebration of his kids' birthdays but
was sad to realize his daughter doesn't even know him.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
900,000
Afghans lost jobs since Taliban takeover in Afghanistan: US
May
10, 2022
According
to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), at
least 900,000 Afghans have lost their jobs since the Taliban took control last
August.
Working
women are disproportionately affected, according to SIGAR, with women's
employment expected to fall by 21 per cent by mid-2022, reported The Khaama
Press.
Since
the Taliban took power, unemployment has skyrocketed, and poverty across many
parts of the country has put millions of people at risk.
According
to the International Labour Organization, more than 500,000 Afghan workers lost
their jobs in the third quarter of 2021, and the number of people who will lose
their jobs since the Taliban took control is expected to reach 700,000 to
900,000 people by mid-2022, reported Khaama Press.
Due
to four decades of conflict, severe drought, and pandemics, Afghanistan's
economy was already collapsing.
After
the Taliban seized power following the hasty withdrawal of US soldiers, the
international community froze Afghanistan's assets and withheld help.
Moreover,
women work, and especially female breadwinners, have struggled to make ends
meet since the Taliban took control. Female employees in government offices are
currently housed in the majority of cases, reported Khaama Press.
Source:
Business Standard
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Announces the Delivery of Second Consignment of Relief to Afghanistan Flood
Victims
By
Saqalain Eqbal
10
May 2022
Pakistan
has announced the dispatch of the second consignment of humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan’s flood victims.
The
supplies, according to Pakistani Ambassador to Kabul Mansour Ahmad Khan,
includes tents, food, and medications that were flown to Balkh province by a
military plane on Tuesday, May 10th.
Ambassador
Khan continued by stating that the Pakistani Prime Minister had authorized the
humanitarian aid to support families hit by the recent floods.
On
7th of May, Pakistan delivered its first relief package to Afghanistan.
Pakistani
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also took to Twitter to announce that aid had
been given to Afghanistan and that the Pakistanis would remain with the
Afghans.
Prime
Minister Sharif even said that the international community should not forget
about the Afghan people in this crisis, and he emphasized the importance of
continuing to assist the country’s deprived and disadvantaged.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
287
Media Outlets Dismantled After the Taliban Took Power, Leaving 6,000
Journalists Unemployed
10
May 2022
According
to a recent report released on 9th May by the Association of Free Journalists
of Afghanistan, 287 media outlets have been closed and almost 6,000 journalists
have been laid off since the Taliban took control (August 15, 2021).
On
the occasion of World Press Freedom Day and the second death anniversary of
Mujahid Kakar, former head of ToloNews in Kabul, Farhad Behrooz, financial and
administrative deputy director of the Afghan Free Journalists Association, said
that 6,000 journalists had lost their jobs since the Taliban took office.
Hundreds of journalists have also departed the country.
Behrooz
expressed concern about the 122 journalists who were beaten between May of last
year and May of this year.
He
also urged that the fate of media access to information be determined.
He
proposed establishing a commission to investigate media violations and
prohibiting interference with journalistic work and unjustified and arbitrary
harassment.
He
described the Taliban’s presence, economic challenges, and the lack of a secure
environment as key problems for the media, as well as a lack of access to
information, threats, and regular summonses from the Taliban.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Radical
Muslims Should Realise Grass Is Not Greener in Pakistan: Kerala HC in Terror
Recruitment Case
May
9, 2022
KOCHI:
Muslims having radical thoughts should realise from India’s history since the
Partition that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, the
Kerala High Court said in a judgment while upholding the conviction of the
accused in a Kashmir terror recruitment case.
A
division bench comprising justices K Vinod Chandran and C Jayachandran also
pointed out that not a single instance of Muslims being held hostage in
Hindu-majority India during conflicts with Pakistan has occurred since the
Partition.
The
court upheld the life Sentences imposed on all except three of the accused in
the terror recruitment case, including Thadiyantavide Nazeer, who is alleged to
be the Kerala commander of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
While
appreciating NIA and the Kerala Police for the tremendous work put in by
travelling the length and breadth of the country to bring the terror accused
before the law, the court said, “For those who have such radical thoughts, we
can only say that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence, if
you just look at history.”
Quoting
chapter 5 of the book ‘Freedom at Midnight’, by Larry Collins and Dominique
Lapierre, the court noted that the authors had said in the chapter about the
Partition that Muslims in India would be “Islands in a Hindu sea, they would be
the first victims of a conflict between the countries, India’s Moslem hostages
to Pakistan’s good behavior.”
The
court then said in the judgment, “In the three score years and a dozen hence,
there has neither been a single instance of a hostage situation, nor was there
good behavior, as contemplated by the Authors.”
Prosecution
had alleged that men were recruited from Kerala in the name of religious
classes in 2008 and were to be sent to Pakistan to obtain arms training so as
to return to India and commit terror acts. In an encounter with the Indian army
in Kashmir, three of the youths had died and one of the recruits had confessed
about the recruitment.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Loudspeakers
Row: In Karnataka Temples, Hanuman Chalisa, Omkara Played To Counter Morning
Azan At Mosques
May
09, 2022
Bengaluru:
Hanuman Chalisa, Suprabhata, Omkara and devotional songs were played at temples
in different parts of Karnataka on Monday morning as part of a campaign by
Hindu groups including Sri Rama Sene, alleging failure on part of the state
government to take action against loudspeakers installed at mosques.
Recorded
versions or bhajans being recited by those present at the temples were played
out around 5 AM to counter the morning Azaan being recited on loudspeakers at
mosques.
There
were reports of such incidents at temples in various places including
Bengaluru, Hubballi, Belagavi, Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Yadgir, Mandya and Kolar
among other places.
At
places including in Bengaluru, some Hindu activists were detained by the
police.
Sri
Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik, who participated in early morning prayers at
Anjaneya temple in Mysuru, said their campaign is against the government and
the adamant Muslim community.
"For
the last one year we have continuously been warning about the issues caused by
the loudspeakers, disturbance to society, students and patients. We had also
told Muslims, but nothing changed, no action was taken other than issuing
notices. It was a drama. Even today mosques have not stopped playing loudspeakers
at 5 AM," he said.
The
sound of Azaan during the other four times of the day is not being reduced in
accordance to permissible limits, he said, "our fight has only begun
today. If still no action is taken we will file a contempt petition in the High
Court as it violates Supreme Court orders...This is not Taliban rule, Pakistan
or Afghanistan. This is India, there is a constitution and rule of law
here."
Sri
Rama Sene had earlier warned that it will counter morning Azaan with Hanuman
Chalisa or Suprabhat or Omkara and devotional songs from 5 AM on May 9, if the
government does not take action against loudspeakers installed at mosques.
Meanwhile,
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said strict action will be taken in accordance
with the court orders to control any activities that cause noise pollution.
Source:
Firstpost
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Maharashtra:
Muslim youths donate loudspeaker to temple in Sangli
May
10, 2022
KOLHAPUR:
Some youths of the Muslim community in Sangli donated a loudspeaker to a
Hanuman temple after they learnt that the temple did not have a loudspeaker to
play the morning prayers and Hanuman Chalisa.
Maharudra
Hanuman mandir is a small temple located at Hanuman Nagar in Sangli city. The
temple authorities said the local Muslim community has taking care of the
temple premises for a long time.
Some
men, who are now in their 60s and 70s, had carried out sapling plantation
drives here when they were young. Now the saplings are full-grown trees. Some
of these men were also present while donating the loudspeaker to the temple.
Ayub
Pathan — who started the Muslim Yuva Parishad to ensure the Muslim youths are
not taken undue advantage of by politicians using religion — said after talking
to the temple authorities it became clear that a loudspeaker was needed.
“Many
from my community came forward to help. A lot of us have grown up listening to
the morning prayers played through a small audio player. Many members of the
Hindu community like our azaan as well. There should be no objection to
loudspeakers put atop temples or mosques if the volume is within the limit.
Prayers make the mind peaceful,” he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Maulana
asks mosques in Karnataka to install sound controlling device
MAY
09, 2022
He
appeals to community youth to practice patience
Appealing
to all the mosques in the State to immediately install noise-controlling device
in loudspeaker systems used for calling azaan, the Ameer-e-Shariat of
Karnataka, Maulana Sageer Ahmed Rashdi, also appealed to the youth to remain
calm.
“If
someone chants Hanuman chalisa in front of a masjid, have patience. Do not
respond. Inform those in charge of the masjid or the mohalla committee, they
will bring it to the notice of the police who will handle the situation,” he
said in a recorded message to the community. “What we require in the current
time is patience and remaining calm. The police will handle the situation as
per the law.”
Appealing
to the youth to not get angry, he said: “Stay away from the problem, stay home
and there is no need to get worried.” He also said that everyone should pray
for the happiness in the country, and maintain good relationship with everyone.
The
religious leader also said that the Police Commissioner’s office has promised
to handle the situation against those trying to disrupt peace. Police are also
at work to prevent any law and order situation, he added.
Source:
The Hindu
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Varanasi
court to continue hearing Gyanvapi mosque survey issue on Tuesday
Samarth
Srivastava
Varanasi
May
9, 2022
A
court in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi will continue hearing the Gyanvapi mosque
survey issue on Tuesday, May 10.
WHAT
IS THE ISSUE?
The
Varanasi district court ordered a survey at Gyanvapi Masjid, adjacent to the
Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi, after Delhi-based women Rakhi Singh, Laxmi
Devi, Sita Sahu and others filed a plea seeking permission to worship Hindu
deities whose idols are located on the outer wall of the mosque.
The
exercise was halted by the administration amid protests on Saturday. A team of
lawyers were denied entry inside the mosque due to protests by Muslim men.
Earlier,
a Varanasi court had ordered the continuation of videography and survey of
areas outside Gyanvapi Masjid. Heavy police force was stationed in the area
after a court-appointed official and a team of lawyers carried out an
inspection near the area on Friday.
APPLICATION
IN COURT
The
Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (Gyanvapi) filed an application in the
Varanasi court seeking the replacement of Advocate Commissioner Ajai Kumar,
accusing him of being biased in the case.
On
Monday, the lawyers representing the committee said the commissioner did not
submit any answer to their application.
Source:
India Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Khambat
violence: Muslims move Gujarat HC for CBI or CID probe
By
Nandini Oza
May
09, 2022
Muslims
in Khambat in central Gujarat have approached the Gujarat High Court to
transfer the investigation of the violence in Khambat to either the CID Crime
or the CBI.
Last
month, violence broke out in Khambat after stone pelting on a procession on Ram
Navami. Shops were burnt and one person was killed. Cross complaints were
registered in the case.
According
to Anand Yagnik, lawyer of the petitioners, they have demanded various reliefs,
including transferring the case either to CID Crime, comprising IPS cadre
officers, or to the CBI. They approached the High Court on Monday.
They
have also sought action against the police officer, who they maintain, did not
perform his duty and arrest the perpetrators of the crime. They have also
sought court’s direction to the state government to pay compensation to those
who suffered loss of property and life.
Yagnik
said that none of the petitioners are mentioned in the FIR and that they are
the ones who have suffered losses due to the violence.
Source:
The Week
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Israeli
government survives no-confidence motion with help from Arab Joint List
Zain
Khalil
09.05.2022
JERUSALEM
The
Arab Joint List on Monday voted against a no-confidence motion in the Knesset,
a move that kept Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's coalition government alive.
The
Arab Joint List, which is not a member of the coalition but has six seats in
the Knesset, justified its move as a way to block former long-serving Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from returning to power.
After
the vote, it said it will not back any move that returns Netanyahu to power,
stressing at the same time that it will only act for the interests of the Arab
community in Israel.
The
opposition parties led by Netanyahu submitted a no-confidence motion but could
not meet the required threshold of 61 deputies voting against and 52 in favor,
according to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Notably,
the Arab Ra'am party, a coalition government member with four Knesset seats,
was not present at the session.
Political
instability not healthy
Earlier
on Monday, Bennett urged his coalition parties to preserve the unity of the
government amid a major crisis threatening its fate.
"Political
instability is not healthy for the state,” Bennett said at the opening of the
Knesset's summer session.
“We
must gather all our strength to maintain the coalition and even widen it,"
he added.
After
11 months in office, Bennett's coalition has lost its parliamentary majority as
his party is crumbling following the withdrawal of figures from his right-wing
nationalist Yamina Party.
For
his part, Netanyahu blamed Bennett's government for Israel's current political
crisis.
"This
weak and fraudulent government is incapable of standing even for a moment
against the submissive policies of the American administration against Iran,
just as it is incapable of fighting Hamas terrorism," he was quoted as saying
by The Times of Israel daily.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Model
OIC summit in Istanbul closes with unity message among Muslim nations
The
third International Model Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) High School
Summit around the theme of "Building Global Peace for a Fairer World"
has been held in Istanbul.
In
declaration that was signed and sent to the OIC General Secretariat on Monday,
participants of the represented the countries emphasised that the bond of unity
and solidarity between Muslim nations and member states should be further
strengthened.
The
statement underlined that a culture of dialogue and peace among these countries
should be developed at the international level. It also highlighted the
importance of Palestinian cause and the absolute necessity for Jerusalem to be
in peace.
Anti-Muslim
sentiment was another issue discussed at the summit, with participants calling
for an immediate response to "Islamophobic acts."
High
school students from 56 member countries and regions where Muslim communities
live participated in the summit from May 6 to May 9.
The
event was organised in cooperation with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum
(ICYF), Beyoglu Anatolian Imam Hatip High School and Beyoglu Education and
Culture Foundation.
Türkiye
ensures safety of Syrian refugees
Speaking
at the ceremony on Monday, AK Party Deputy Chairman Numan Kurtulmus stated that
Türkiye is working on projects to ensure the safe and voluntary return of
refugees.
"Our
Syrian brothers and sisters flee to Syria, where they escaped from bombs and
chemical weapons in order to survive," Kurtulmus said.
"I
hope there is safety and security. As soon as safety is restored, they will return
safely and voluntarily," he added.
The
Deputy Chairman also stressed that roots of the migration crisis in the world
need to be discussed.
"Those
who are riding the wave of the immigrant problem, which is their product, and
those who fuel xenophobia and Islamophobia, should first re-evaulate [their own
actions]," Kurtulmus said.
Türkiye's
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the summit "was held at a time that
the Islamic world and all humanity struggle with serious problems from wars to
economic crises, from terrorism to political instability."
Source:
Trt World
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Official: Sanctioned States Should Use All Means to Restore Rights
2022-May-10
Qaribanadi
referred to the ongoing visit by UN Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan to Iran,
saying that the trip has been approved by the highest decision-making bodies of
the establishment.
Qaribabadi
explained that Douhan is not tasked with looking into any other issues, adding,
“The High Council for Human Rights is not limited to one branch of the
government and its main members are from all three branches (of power in Iran).
The council has been tasked with coordinating the visit."He added that
during her trip which began on May 7 and will last for over a week, the UN
Special Rapporteur will focus on unilateral anti-Iran sanctions and their
impacts.
“Countries
targeted by sanctions must use all available capacities to hold accountable the
perpetrators behind unilateral sanctions,” he added.
In
relevant remarks earlier this week, Qaribabadi said that the UN Special
Rapporteur is due to visit Iran with the main goal of being informed of the
negative impacts of sanctions on the Iranian people.
Qaribabadi
said on Thursday that the upcoming visit of Alena Douhan to Iran on the
negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human
rights is a chance for her to get familiarized with destructive impacts of the
sanctions on the Iranian people.
Qaribabadi
said that the visit will take place at the request of the UN Special
Rapporteur, which was accepted by Iran.
Her
main mission is to review negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on
the enjoyment of human rights in Iran, he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
President Blasts NATO's Expansionist Policies
2022-May-9
“Just
in the same way that the Islamic Republic of Iran is opposed to conflict and
war (in Ukraine), it is also firmly opposed to NATO’s expansionist policies,”
Rayeesi said in a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau in Tehran
on Sunday.
Elsewhere,
he criticized the low level of trade and economic cooperation between Iran and
Poland, saying that the two countries have various potentialities, including in
the industrial and economic fields, which must be utilized through joint
efforts with the purpose of improving bilateral interactions.
Rau,
for his part, said the history of mutual relations between Tehran and Warsaw
dates back to the 16th century, and noted that Tehran and Warsaw have had
friendly relations for almost five centuries.
He
appreciated Iran's hospitality when receiving the Polish refugees during the
World War II.
Rau
said his country seeks further promotion of cooperation with Iran in such areas
as trade, economy, culture and science.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of the “special military
operation” in Ukraine on February 24. The conflict has provoked a unanimous
response from Western countries, which have imposed a long list of sanctions on
Moscow.
Russia
says it will halt the operation instantly if Kiev meets Moscow’s list of
demands, including never applying to join NATO.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in a joint press conference with
his Polish counterpart on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is against war
anywhere in the world, underscoring diplomacy as the sole way out of the crisis
in Ukraine.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010219000176/Iranian-Presiden-Blass-NATO's-Expansinis-Plicies
--------
President
Assad Lauds "Strategic" Ties with Iran
2022-May-9
Syria
is ready to expand cooperation with Iran in political, security and economic
fields, Assad said in a meeting with Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi in
Tehran on Sunday.
He
also highlighted Iran’s role in fighting terrorism across the region, saying,
“During years of resistance against and confrontation with the Western and
Takfiri aggression [against Syria], Iran was the only country that stood by us
from the very beginning.”
Assad
described Iran’s relations with Syria as strategic, noting that after a decade
of war against the resistance front, regional developments have proven that
resistance is effective and fruitful.
Assad
said that the US is losing its role in the region, adding, “We have proven that
through close cooperation among regional countries, it is possible to triumph
over the United States and [other] hegemonic powers that claim to be
superpowers.”
President
Rayeesi, for his part, said the future course of developments in the West Asia
region, especially with regard to Palestine, will be determined by resistance
of nations, not negotiating tables.
“What
determines the future of the region and Palestine are not negotiation tables
and such agreements as the Oslo [Accords], and Camp David and the [so-called]
Deal of the Century, but it is the resistance of nations that determines the
new regional order,” he said.
"What
we are witnessing today across West Asia is the fulfillment of a prediction by
Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei] that resistance
of nations against the oppressors and aggressors will bear fruit."
Rayeesi
then laid stress on the need for all countries to respect Syria's national
sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying, "Iran stood by the Syrian
people and government when some Arab and non-Arab leaders in the region were
betting on the time of the fall of the Syrian government."
He
said the battle fought by Syria's army and allied popular forces, along with
the Islamic resistance combatants, especially the heroic Hezbollah [resistance
movement], played a leading role in uprooting the military power of the ISIL
Takfiri terrorist group and other terrorist groups, which posed a threat to
security of the entire region.
The
Iranian president expressed regret that important parts of the Syrian territory
are still occupied by the foreign forces, adding the entire Syria must be
liberated from foreign occupiers.
"This
occupation [of Syrian territories] should not be subject to the passage of
time, and the occupying forces and their mercenaries must be expelled,"
Rayeesi pointed out.
He
referred to Israel's acts of aggression, and said, "The Zionist regime's
threats in the region should be addressed by strengthening and diversifying
deterrence equations."
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Rayeesi stressed the importance of promoting cooperation and
coordination between Tehran and Damascus, indicating Iran's serious
determination and willingness to improve relations with Syria, particularly in
the fields of economy and trade.
"This
issue is one of the serious priorities of the [new Iranian]
administration," he said.
Assad
also held a meeting with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah
Seyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday, during which Ayatollah Khamenei said despite the
devastation done to Syria by years-long war, the country is now looked upon as
a major power.
“Today,
Syria is not the same Syria that it was before the war, although the
devastation [of war] was not there at that time, but now Syria enjoys a higher
degree of respect and credit and all countries look upon it as a power,” the
Leader said, referring to major achievements of Syria in both political and
military arenas.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010219000199/Presiden-Assad-Lads-Sraegic-Ties-wih-Iran
--------
Israeli
PM’s government limps into new parliament session
09
May ,2022
The
government of Israel’s embattled prime minister was limping on Monday into the
opening of parliament’s summer session on the verge of collapse.
Less
than a year after taking office, Naftali Bennett has lost his parliamentary
majority, his own party is crumbling and a key governing partner has suspended
cooperation with the coalition. That has set the stage for a possible attempt
by the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to topple
the government later this week.
While
Bennett appears to be poised to fend off this immediate challenge, his
longer-term prospects are uncertain at a time when the government is deeply
divided over major issues, Israel is facing an ongoing wave of stabbings and
shootings by lone-wolf Palestinian attackers and a confrontation with the
United States over West Bank settlement construction is looming.
Boaz
Toporovsky, the acting coalition chairman, acknowledged the coalition is in the
midst of a “serious crisis” but said he was optimistic it would survive.
“Everyone understands that we’re at a crossroads that can bring about, heaven
forbid, elections in Israel,” he told the Israeli public broadcaster Kan.
The
new government made history when it took office last June, ending prolonged
deadlock in which the country went through four rounds of inconclusive
elections in just two years. Racing to head off what would have been another
election, Bennett cobbled together a diverse coalition of eight parties with
little in common beyond their shared animosity toward Netanyahu.
The
new coalition, including hard-line religious nationalists that oppose
Palestinian statehood, dovish left-wingers and for the first time in an Israeli
coalition, an Islamist Arab party, agreed to sideline the country’s most
divisive issues and focus on areas of broad consensus.
The
government has managed to pass a budget, navigate the coronavirus pandemic and
strengthen relations with both the Biden administration and Israel’s Arab
allies. Bennett also has emerged as a surprising mediator in the Ukraine-Russia
war, regularly speaking to the leaders of both countries.
Although
Bennett, who leads a small religious-nationalist party, has ruled out peace talks
with the Palestinians, he has tried to reduce tensions by taking steps to
improve living conditions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
This
cautious approach has repeatedly been tested. One member of Bennett’s Yamina
party defected when the government took office, accusing him of abandoning
their nationalist ideology. A second member followed suit last month, leaving
the coalition and opposition equally divided in the 120-seat parliament.
Weeks
of Israeli-Palestinian violence, much of it fueled by tensions and fighting at
Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, prompted Mansour Abbas, leader of the
Islamist Arab Ra’am faction in the coalition, to suspend cooperation. Abbas has
not said whether he will resume cooperation or join the opposition in attempts
to topple the coalition this week.
“We’re
in a not so simple crisis with Ra’am,” Toporovsky said, adding that he
understood the Islamist party’s disappointment in the slow pace of effecting
change for Israel’s Arab citizens.
Netanyahu
is weighing whether to introduce a motion this week to dissolve parliament and
trigger new elections. Such a move is risky. It would require at least one of
the remaining members of the coalition to join him, and there is no guarantee
that will happen. If he fails, he would not be able to introduce a similar
motion for the next six months as an ongoing corruption trial against Netanyahu
moves ahead.
Yohanan
Plesner, a former lawmaker who is now president of the Israel Democracy
Institute, said he expects the coalition to weather the storm, at least in the
short term.
He
said that even unhappy coalition members would have much to lose if the country
were to plunge into new elections. Abbas, for instance, is just beginning to
see the huge budgets he has secured to flow into the impoverished Arab
communities he represents.
But
any member of the coalition can now pressure the government into pushing pet
projects opposed by other partners. This week, an Israeli planning committee is
expected to approve plans to build some 4,000 new homes in Jewish settlements
in the occupied West Bank, despite vociferous opposition from the United States
and most of the international community. The construction project is being
pushed by members of Bennett’s own party, which draws much of its support from
the settler community.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Two
Palestinians killed, Israeli policeman stabbed as violence simmers
08
May ,2022
Israeli
soldiers shot dead a Palestinian near the barrier with the West Bank and
another was killed after infiltrating a Jewish settlement inside the occupied
territory with a knife on Sunday, the Israeli army said, stoking worries a
wider conflict may loom.
The
incidents, along with the stabbing of a policeman in Jerusalem, came hours
after Israeli forces caught two Palestinians who were suspected of sneaking
into Israel and killing three people in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town of Elad
on Israel's Independence Day last Thursday.
Israel's
army said the shooting of the Palestinian near the West Bank barrier on Sunday
occurred after “soldiers spotted a suspect who attempted to illegally cross the
security fence” in the area of the town of Tulkarm.
“The
soldiers operated to stop the suspect in accordance with standard operating
procedures, using live fire,” according to an army spokesperson.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry said the man was killed.
Hours
later, the army said a civilian shot a knife-wielding Palestinian who had
broken into the Tekoa settlement in the West Bank. The Palestinian Health
Ministry said a 17-year-old Palestinian was killed at the scene.
Also
on Sunday, Israeli police said a Palestinian stabbed one of their officers
outside Jerusalem's Old City and was shot. Both were being treated for their
wounds.
The
killing of three people in Elad on Thursday had led to a three-day manhunt by
Israeli forces for two axe-wielding assailants who had run through the town,
some 15 km (nine miles) north of Tel Aviv.
The
two men were captured on Sunday in a forest near Elad, the Israeli army said.
They have been identified by Israel as residents of a village near the
Palestinian city of Jenin in the West Bank.
Photos
of the two, who appeared to be unhurt, and of Israeli security men with guns
pointed at their hiding place, were carried by Israeli news websites after they
were taken into custody.
Since
March, Palestinians and members of Israel's Arab minority have killed 18
people, including three police officers and a security guard, in attacks in
Israel and the West Bank that have mostly targeted civilians.
Israel
has carried out arrest raids in Palestinian towns and villages which have often
sparked clashes and brought the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces
or armed civilians since the beginning of the year to at least 42.
The
casualties include armed members of militant groups, lone assailants and
bystanders.
Hamas,
the Islamist group that controls Gaza, praised the Elad assault. It said the
attack was a response to Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
Jerusalem.
Over
the past month, Palestinians and Israeli police have repeatedly clashed at the
sensitive complex.
Palestinians
and Jordan, the custodian of the site that is the third holiest in Islam, accuse
Israel of not doing enough to enforce a long-standing ban on non-Muslim prayer
there, which Israel denies.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US
imposes sanctions on ISIS financial network
09
May ,2022
The
US on Monday imposed sanctions on what it said was a network of five ISIS
financial facilitators working across Indonesia, Syria and Turkey in support of
members of the extremist group in Syria.
The
US Treasury Department in a statement accused those designated of playing a key
role in facilitating the travel of extremists to Syria and other areas where
ISIS operates, and of conducting financial transfers to support the group's
efforts in Syria-based displaced persons camps.
The
Treasury said the network collects funds in Indonesia and Turkey, “some of
which were used to pay for smuggling children out of the camps and delivering
them to ISIS foreign fighters as potential recruits.”
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The
US, as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, is committed to denying
ISIS the ability to raise and move funds across multiple jurisdictions,” Brian
Nelson, the Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence,
said in the statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/05/09/US-imposes-sanctions-on-ISIS-financial-network-
--------
Biden
reportedly considers visiting occupied East Jerusalem
Abdelraouf
Arna'out
10.05.2022
JERUSALEM
US
President Joe Biden is considering a visit to occupied East Jerusalem during
his upcoming visit to Israel in June, an Israeli official told CNN.
The
official said Biden would possibly visit Al Makassed Hospital in the city,
although the plans are not yet to be finalized.
If
confirmed, the visit is likely to cause a controversy as it would be seen by
Israel as a sign of support to the Palestinians, who want the city as the
capital of their future state.
There
was no comment from either US or Israeli officials on the report.
No
US president has ever visited occupied East Jerusalem in the past.
Israel
occupied East Jerusalem, where the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex is
located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980,
a move never recognized by the international community.
The
Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) said Biden’s visit to East
Jerusalem will mean that the city is "divided" and that Israel’s
sovereignty over the city is not recognized by the Biden administration.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
‘US
envoy to UN postpones visit to Turkiye-Syria border’
Servet
Gunerigok
08.05.2022
WASHINGTON
US
Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has postponed her visit to Turkiye's
southern border with Syria, the US Mission to the UN said on Saturday
Thomas-Greenfield
was scheduled to visit Hatay's Reyhanli district from Sunday to Monday to
survey the Cilvegozu border crossing, opposite to Bab al-Hawa border crossing
on the Syrian side.
"Ambassador
Thomas-Greenfield will continue to travel as planned to Brussels May 9-10 to
lead the United States delegation to the Supporting the Future of Syria and the
Region, Brussels VI Conference, chaired by the European Union," her office
at the UN said in a statement.
"There,
the Ambassador will underscore the United States’ commitment and our
determination to work in partnership with the international community to help
support the Syrian people," the statement added.
On
the sidelines of the conference, Thomas-Greenfield is expected to host a
ministerial meeting to discuss the future of international support for the
Syrian political process.
"She
will also meet with NATO and EU officials in Brussels to discuss Ukraine and other
shared Transatlantic priorities," the statement added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/-us-envoy-to-un-postpones-visit-to-turkiye-syria-border-/2581846
--------
Europe
How
Putin’s army fights like Islamic State in Ukraine
Omar
Ashour
9
May 2022
In
February 1993, former CIA director James Woolsey famously described the
post-cold war environment by stating that the US and its allies slayed a large
dragon (the Soviet Union) but ended up in a jungle full of snakes (warlords in
failed states, terrorism and various substate threats).
David
Kilcullen argued in a masterpiece that “dragons” (international and regional
powers) can fight like “snakes” (substate actors) to enhance military
effectiveness.
In
Ukraine, Russian forces have employed both methods of warfare. It has employed
tactics similar to those used by the so-called “Islamic State Organisation”
(IS).
These
tactics are ideology-free and combat effective. Many of them are prohibited and
their results can amount to war crimes.
How
Islamic State fights
IS
and its predecessor, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), started their “special
military operation” to occupy parts of Syria and Libya in 2011 and 2014,
respectively. The organisation initially relied on covert operations to
infiltrate both rebel and regime security and military structures, absorbing
like-minded organisations and individuals, creating false-front civilian
organisations, collecting intelligence (and “dirt”) on community leaders in targeted
areas, all while initially denying its existence on the targeted territories.
These
operations were led by “agents-in-charge”: spymasters with kinetic assets and
authority to assassinate, bomb, bribe, recruit, map-out targeted territories
and designate local factions and communities. The most famous of these
“agents-in-charge” was Samir al-Khlifawi, better known as Haji Bakr.
The
modus operandi paid off. By September 2013, IS became the dominant armed
organisation in Raqqa city by relying almost exclusively on urban terrorism
tactics and infiltration operations. These actions were followed by raiding and
looting parts of both the Assad regime’s and armed opposition’s conventional
arsenals, which IS then modified, converted, and upgraded.
Similar
modi operandi were executed in the Libyan city of Sirte in 2015 and selectively
in a range of towns and cities from the southern Philippines to western Libya,
and more recently in West Africa.
How
Russia fights in Ukraine
"Good
people, bad authority does not work [in Ukraine]. Recognition of this fact is
the basis of the policy of denazification… The name ‘Ukraine’ apparently cannot
be preserved as the title of any fully de-nazified state…Denazification will
inevitably be de-Ukrainianisation.”
These
excerpts from an infamous article published in the Russian state-controlled
news agency RIA Novosti represent a type of propaganda which legitimates mass
violence against non-conformist peoples and the liquidation of existing states.
It is similar to types of propaganda employed in other modern historical
contexts, including by IS.
The
parallels between the tactics of Russia and IS do not end with propaganda,
however. Other similarities can be found in methods of warfare employed by the
Russian armed forces under Vladimir Putin and the combat units of IS.
As
of February 2014 in Crimea and April 2014 in the Donbas, Russia and its local
proxies relied on tactics that are very similar to those employed by IS and its
predecessors between 2012 and 2014.
For
instance, both Russia and IS have used false-front civilian organisations,
kidnapping and assassinations, propaganda and disinformation campaigns,
psychological warfare, and infiltrations of senior ranks. Initially, Russia
didn’t admit to having employed these tactics (maskirovka), but neither did IS
initially.
To
secure its strategic gains, Russia executed one of the largest air-assault
operations in the history of Eastern Europe in Crimea, a military capacity that
IS never had.
Despite
the gap in capacities, the combination of intense hybrid warfare followed by
securing gains with a conventional force is a very IS-like modus operandi,
executed several times in multiple cities, including Iraq’s Mosul in June 2014.
When
Russia occupied the most important geostrategic region of Ukraine with minimum
resistance by the end of March 2014, similar modi operandi were executed in
several cities in Eastern Ukraine, including the Donbas region, in April 2014.
These operations were led by some of the same GRU commanders who led the
invasion of Crimea, the most infamous of whom is Colonel Igor Gurkin.
The
outcomes of these operations in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Dnipro and elsewhere
ranged between partial and total failures. “Kharkiv People’s Republic” did not
last 24 hours between 7 and 8 April 2014. Ukrainian Russian-speakers in
Ukraine’s largest Russian-speaking city rapidly brought down Putin’s proxy
republic.
Rape
and IEDs
Now,
we fast-forward to 2022, and the similarities between IS and Putin’s ways of
warfare are even more pronounced. The demonstration of extreme brutality on
social media, alleged executions of prisoners of war, identity-based executions
in Bucha and Irpin, rape and other forms of sexual violence are all war crimes.
They were used as tools of psychological warfare by IS to either dominate or
destroy a community, most notably the Yazidis in northern Iraq.
Rape,
as a crime of war, was weaponised by elements of the Russian armed forces
multiple times before, especially during the first and second Chechen wars. The
case of rapist-officer Colonel Yuri Budanov of the 160th Tank Guards Regiment
is perhaps the most infamous. Amnesty International, Memorial, and other human
rights organisations documented other alleged cases.
The
interception of a discussion about raping Ukrainian women between a Russian
soldier and his wife is quite an alarming development. The intensity of
propaganda on official Russian TV and other media outlets likely contributes,
either directly or indirectly, to this behaviour.
Reliance
on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and IED-based weapon systems, especially
during manoeuvres and retrogrades, was a hallmark of IS’s innovative way of
warfare.
Between
January 2014 and December 2015, Russia and Russian-led separatist forces (RLFs)
used IEDs well-over 600 times, including 24 attacks with vehicle-borne IEDs
(VBIEDs) and another 24 attacks using remote-controlled ones (RCIEDs).
In
2022, the intensity, scale, scope, and locations of IEDs and ordnances left
behind by the Russian combat units in urban areas, including children's parks
and schoolyards, are both shocking and inexplicable in military terms.
“We
thought Iraq was bad, but Ukraine is gargantuan,” said Major Chris Hunter,
Britain’s most experienced terrorist-bomb disposal expert.
So
far, officials in Ukraine’s state emergency services claim that demining
specialists have cleared more than 70,000 explosive devices, including
thousands of IEDs and boobytraps. More than 18,000 of these items were
destroyed in the Kyiv Oblast (province) alone.
Using
religion
IS
is also well-known for abusing and weaponising religious texts to mobilise,
recruit, and justify aggression and mass violence. The organisation is versed
in creating narratives based on false and/or selective versions of historical
events, mixing them with out-of-context religious texts and then widely
disseminating them using multimedia effects. As a result, IS was able to
mobilise thousands of dedicated foreign fighters and transnational support
networks.
Religious
legitimation of the aggression against Ukraine was not absent in the Russian
propaganda as well.
Patriarch
Kirill of Moscow has not only legitimated the “special operation” but also
gifted General Viktor Zolotov - Rosgvardiya’s (national guard) commander in
chief - an icon to bless the soldiers and the war.
Among
the soldiers of Rosgvardiya are the followers of Ramazan Kadyrov (the
Kadyrovtsy), the son of Chechnya’s highest religious authority, former mufti,
and rebel-turned-president, Akhmad Kadyrov.
Ramazan
posted on his Telegram account a video of the Kadyrovtsy-Rosgvardiya’s soldiers
shouting “Allahu Akbar” in the ruins of Mariupol, where they had combat roles.
Operational
victories, strategic defeat?
Like
IS, the Russian armed forces suffer from a structural crisis: limited manpower
to achieve their strategic goals. IS was outnumbered and outgunned during the
overwhelming majority of its battles, whether against state or non-state
forces.
Given
its initial strategic objectives, Russia has suffered from a similar crisis. It
cannot control 604,000 square kilometres with 130 battalion tactical groups,
high rates of attrition, strong levels of local resistance and unprecedented
Nato and international support to Ukraine.
IS
had multiple tactical and (almost miraculous) operational victories between
2013 and 2015, and so did Russia in 2014 and 2022. IS could not secure any of
these victories, however, due in part to limited manpower, local resistance,
external support to its enemies and the overall illegitimate and criminal
behaviour.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-putins-army-fights-islamic-state-group-ukraine
--------
UK
used arms deal to conceal payments to Saudi Arabia
May
10, 2022
A
UK court trial has revealed that the British government approved payments of up
to £60 million to a future king of Saudi Arabia and the kingdom’s senior
officials as part of a huge arms deal and then sought to conceal them.
Ian
Winter QC, a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) barrister, told Southwark crown court
in London that some of the payments were made to the then Prince Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz in 1978, who later became the Saudi monarch for a decade.
Winter
also told the court that internal documents recorded that the British
government and Abdullah organized a deal to hide the payments, which were
supposed to continue to be paid to high-ranking Saudis until 2020 -- eight
years after the Serious Fraud Office began an investigation into the same
payments.
The
payments were made, according to the SFO, to ensure that a British firm, GPT, received
lucrative contracts from the Saudi military.
The
contracts awarded to GPT were part of a large arms deal managed as a formal
agreement between London and Riyadh that had started in the 1970s.
Winter
told the court the British government decided in 1978 that large payments had
to be paid personally to Abdullah, then a prince, to ensure that the British
won the original arms deal, which was called at the time “the deniable fiddle.”
This
was a “fundamental necessity without which the contract would not have been
awarded to the British,” the SFO barrister added.
Winter
said the British government “decided that it was in the public interest,
bearing in mind the value of the … contract, to enter into a binding
contractual agreement with Prince Abdullah” to be given the payments.
“Both
Prince Abdullah and the British government wanted a deniable fiddle that would
enable the payments to be made, but which would permit them to deny their
involvement through the use of a private contractor,” Winter said.
In
recent years, the role of private contractor had been performed by GPT.
Winter
said “very senior” officials in the British government approved every penny of
the payments that were made as part of the arms deal in what at one stage was
called “top cover”. This included the money paid to Abdullah, and more recently
his son Prince Miteb, and other high-ranking officials. Abdullah died in 2015
after 10 years on the Saudi throne.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//uk-used-arms-deal-to-conceal-payments-to-saudi-arabia_1256210.html
--------
EU
pledges extra $1.06B in support for Syrian people for 2022
Agnes
Szucs
10.05.2022
BRUSSELS
EU
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged on Tuesday an extra €1 billion
($1.06 billion) support for the Syrian people for this year at the Brussels
Syria Conference.
“I
am pleased to announce an additional €1 billion aid for the calendar year of
2022,” Borrell said at his opening speech at the 6th Brussels conference
supporting the future of Syria.
The
new pledge brings up the bloc’s total contribution to €1.56 billion ($1.65
billion).
“Even
if Syria is not anymore on the front pages,” the need for humanitarian
assistance “remains enormous,” Borrell stressed.
He
pointed out that 92% of the Syrian people living in their home country face
poverty, and around 60% of them face food insecurity “barely knowing where the
next meal is going to come from.”
Borrell
also drew attention to the needs of around 7 million Syrian refugees living in
Turkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.
“I
would like to acknowledge the sustained generosity demonstrated by the
governments to the refugee populations, even the integration and tensions is a
heavy burden,” he said.
He
underlined that the survival of millions in Syria depends on continued
cross-border assistance from Turkiye.
The
EU will work with Ankara “and others and to renew vital cross-border solutions
assuring the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” Borrell pointed out.
Governments,
international organizations, and agencies, as well as regional organizations
and representatives of civil society, participate in the donor conference held
on Monday and Tuesday.
Last
year, the international community pledged in total €5.3 million (currently
around $5.7 million) of aid for Syrian and neighboring countries hosting
refugees.
Syria
has been in civil war since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on
pro-democracy protests.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-pledges-extra-106b-in-support-for-syrian-people-for-2022/2583592
--------
US
urges countries to respect territorial integrity amid Greece, Turkiye airspace
row
Michael
Gabriel Hernandez
10.05.2022
WASHINGTON
The
US urged all nations on Monday to respect the territorial integrity of others
as Greece and Turkiye exchange allegations that they have been the victim of
each other's airspace violations.
"The
sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected and
protected," a State Department official told Anadolu Agency.
"We
encourage all countries to respect the sovereign airspace of other countries
and to operate state aircraft with due regard for the safety of navigation of civil
aircraft. Where disagreements exist over the limits of a country’s territorial
airspace, we urge coordination and discussion, not actions that could lead to
deadly accidents," the official added.
Turkish
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in late April that on April 26-28,
the Greek Air Force carried out provocative flights in close proximity to the
Turkish coast and repeatedly violated Turkish airspace over the southwestern
towns of Didim, Datca, and Dalaman.
“The
Turkish Air Force reciprocated to these provocative flights and violations in
accordance with their rules of engagement," he said.
Greece
has accused Turkiye of unauthorized flights over Greek islands.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Erdogan
calls EU to 'write a new story for itself' amid Ukraine war
Ahmet
Gencturk
09.05.2022
“It
is time for the EU, which has moved away from its founding principles and been
under the influence of the short-term policies of member countries in recent
years, to write a story for itself with the war in Ukraine,” Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.
Erdogan
noted that Europe Day is celebrated in Turkiye on May 9 ever since the approval
of the country’s candidacy status in 1999.
He
further praised the success of the EU project that started with the
announcement of the Schuman Declaration on May 9, 1950.
“The
ideas behind the Schuman Declaration enabled the countries in Europe to leave
aside their differences as well as animosities, and come together for peace,
security, development, and prosperity following a war ruining the whole world,”
he said.
The
declaration proposed a common market for coal and steel across Europe setting
the foundation for the EU as we know it.
Referring
to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan highlighted that it is a
warning for the bloc which requires solidarity, cooperation, and a visionary
and bold stance.
Against
this background, he drew attention to the historical and multi-faceted ties
between Turkiye and Europe and the country’s importance to the EU.
“The
repercussions of the war in Ukraine that have reached a global level have
reaffirmed how Turkiye is of strategic importance for the EU in many areas,
security, migration, supply chains, and energy in particular,” Erdogan said.
He
also stressed that Turkiye and the bloc should focus on our common denominators
instead of differences to improve the relations and overcome common challenges.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Pak
army warns critics against dragging it into political affairs
May
9, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's powerful army warned its critics on Sunday to avoid throwing dirt on
the premier institution as it took "strong exception" to
"intensified and deliberate attempts" to drag it into politics after
the removal of the government of Imran Khan last month.
In
a statement, the army said the efforts being made by certain politicians,
journalists and analysts to drag the institution and its leadership into the
political affairs by making direct or insinuated references to forces and this
was "extremely damaging".
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl to Launch Mass Contact Campaign For Sanctity of
Masjid-e-Nabvi
MAY
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has decided on Sunday to launch a mass
contact campaign for the sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabvi across the country.
According
to JUI-F spokesman Muhammad Aslam Ghauri, the JUI-F was going to organize big
public gatherings in Karachi and Peshawar. The Karachi gathering will be held
at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam on Thursday, May 19 while the Peshawar
gathering will be held on Saturday, May 21, he added. He said that JUI-F chief
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, central and provincial leaders of the Party would
address the gatherings.
Aslam
Ghauri said that those who violated the sanctity of the Prophet’s Mosque would
be pursued on every front. The JUI-F is always in the field for public interest
including religious values, he said adding, the JUI-F is the only religious
political party which had to protect democracy and Islamic constitutional
provisions and rites.
Source:
Daily Times Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Senate
panel slams ‘misuse’ of blasphemy law in Madina incident
Kashif
Abbasi
May
10, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Condemning the alleged misuse and weaponisation of religion in politics, a
Senate panel on Monday urged utmost care in the handling of blasphemy cases
registered against PTI supporters over the Masjid-i-Nabwi incident.
The
Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, which met here with Senator Walid
Iqbal in the chair, to take cognisance of the registration of FIRs over the
sloganeering against Pakistan’s official delegation during their pilgrimage to
Masjid-i-Nabwi.
Following
the incident in question, a couple of FIRs were registered against PTI chairman
Imran Khan and some other party leaders, including MNA Rashid Shafique, who was
arrested and jailed. However, he was released on Monday on bail.
The
committee chairman said it was unfortunate that the incident of sloganeering
took place in Saudi Arabia but cases were registered here in Pakistan against
political leaders.
Apology
more appropriate than filing an FIR, says HRCP
During
the meeting, a council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
strongly condemned the fake and frivolous accusation of blasphemy being used
for political victimisation and termed it among the first few examples where
the law was being used for political scoring.
HRCP’s
Nasreen Azhar said that an apology, if such an incident has occurred at the
Masjid-i-Nabwi, is more appropriate than filing an FIR, as that would not
provoke the sentiments of the general public.
Representatives
from various institutions also exchanged views on the measures to eliminate the
misuse of the blasphemy law and suggested that amendments be made to the law to
discourage such accusations. The committee was informed that 580 cases under
accusation of blasphemy were filed last year, which is an increase of 100 per
cent.
A
police working paper, which was presented before the committee, stated that
FIRs were registered under sections 295, 295A, and 296 of the Pakistan Penal
Code (PPC) involving offences related to blasphemy laws. The police said that
FIRs were registered under section 4 of the PPC, which states that any offence
committed by any citizen of Pakistan or any place outside and beyond Pakistan
is subject to FIR.
At
the meeting, Federal Minister for Human Rights Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that
former prime minister Imran Khan is rightly saying that his life is in danger
after the blasphemy charges.
He
urged the chairman of the committee not to highlight this issue too much and to
keep it low profile, for the safety of the accused. Senator Kamran Michael also
condemned the misuse of blasphemy laws in the country, stating that the
committee should not only highlight the issues of those who are nominated in
the two FIRs, but this is the time to take up the issues of all those people in
this country who have faced or are facing allegations of blasphemy.
Earlier,
officials from the Ministry of Interior suggested that the committee give
directions to refer the matter to the Foreign Office through Pakistan’s mission
in Saudi Arabia, to obtain clarity on the matter.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688905/senate-panel-slams-misuse-of-blasphemy-law-in-madina-incident
--------
Criticism
meant against Sharifs, not army: Imran
Ikram
Junaidi
May
10, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday claimed he had
used the words, Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq, for the Sharif brothers and rejected
the allegation that he had criticised Pakistan Army in his speech in
Abbottabad.
The
former prime minister also claimed he was doing jihad rather than politics and
advised party leaders to ensure that none of the PTI lawmakers, whose mass
resignations were being verified by the National Assembly speaker, attend the
NA session as the PTI’s only demand was early elections.
While
speaking to party leaders, Mr Khan said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was
wrongly blaming him for “hatching a grand conspiracy against Pakistan”. The
premier accused his predecessor of maligning national institutions,
constitution and state during his speech. He warned that legal action would be
taken, adding what Mr Khan had been doing could only be called “conspiracy” not
against political rivals but against the country.
Also
on Sunday, the military and civil authorities took notice of attempts to “drag
the army” into the political quagmire, passing “defamatory” remarks against the
institution and its leadership and “spreading chaos” in the country through
political statements, comments and social media trends. Both the ISPR and the
FIA issued separate statements, urging resident and overseas Pakistanis to
refrain from such practices. The army had taken a “strong exception” to
“intensified and deliberate attempts” to drag its name into the country’s
ongoing discourse by “some political leaders, journalists and analysts.
Mr
Khan, however, said Mr Sharif was giving the impression as if he had disgraced the
army while actually he had “used words Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq for the Sharif
brothers”.
“Elder
brother [Nawaz Sharif] use to speak against the Army and his daughter [Maryam
Nawaz] is also attacking Army. On the other hand, Shehbaz Sharif says he is defending
Army. Today India is more than happy because the people who used to meet
Narendra Modi without announcing meetings have come to power,” the PTI chairman
said.
Claiming
that he was doing jihad rather than politics, Mr Khan said he would give a call
after May 20 for a long march towards Islamabad. “Every person should
participate in the march and those who cannot travel to Islamabad, they should
protest in their own cities. Those who were elected to the assembly shall visit
their constituencies and bring people to Islamabad and those without
constituencies should stay in Islamabad. It would not be difficult to bring
people, as people want direction rather than Qeemay Wala Naan,” he told his
party leaders.
He
said that overseas Pakistanis working 18 hours a day sent $32 billion a year to
Pakistan but the corrupt leaders sent it back through money laundering. “I have
never seen a three times prime minister of a country who lives in affluent area
of Mayfair in London,” he remarked.
Referring
to the hooliganism during the visit of cabinet members to Masjid-i-Nabwi, Mr
Khan criticised “those who went to Saudi Arabia” and said they should have
stayed back as they were required more in Pakistan. He said that the
government was calling legislators who had resigned from the National Assembly
(for verification) and asked his party leaders to ensure that no one would
attend the NA session as PTI only wants early elections.
PTI
leader Ali Awan told Dawn Mr Khan has directed parliamentary members not to
appear before the NA speaker for verification of resignations. He said that
Usman Buzdar’s resignation, which was written to the PM, was accepted. “However
resignations already accepted by [NA] deputy speaker are not being accepted.
We have been advised not to appear before speaker as it is mockery on the
constitution,” he said.
‘Insult
to parliament’
Criticising
the passage of a resolution against Mr Khan, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said it
was passed by an “occupied assembly”, terming the resolution an “insult to the
parliament”.
Mr
Chaudhry said Mr Sharif had claimed cases would be lodged against Mr Khan while
in another statement the PM advised the authorities not to take the statements
of Maryam Nawaz seriously. “ISPR had to issue a press release because Maryam
Nawaz had given a statement against Corps Commander. Imran Khan has already
mentioned that if Army becomes weak Pakistan will become weak,” he added.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688929/criticism-meant-against-sharifs-not-army-imran
--------
Would
have never agreed to US base in Pak, says Imran
May
9, 2022
Pakistan's
ousted PM Imran Khan has reiterated that during his time in power he would
"never have agreed" to any US demands of being given military bases
in the country in the aftermath of the former's evacuation from Afghanistan,
media reported.
Addressing
the overseas Pakistanis, Khan said the US wanted bases in Pakistan in order to
"conduct (counter-terror attacks) in Afghanistan" - something he
found "unacceptable", Dawn reported. He said the US wasn't used to
Pakistan "making independent decisions". "The problems started
here," he said, alleging the "conspiracy" to topple his
government started after he denied US' demand for bases. He has alleged US
masterminded his ouster.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Shehbaz orders immediate restoration of NCOC after first case of Omicron
subvariant detected
May
10, 2022
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday ordered the National Command and Operation
Centre (NCOC) to be immediately restored after Pakistan reported the first case
of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1.
The
NCOC was formed in March 2020 by the PTI government to oversee its response to
the coronavirus pandemic. The forum provided the overall direction to
provincial authorities on how to contain outbreaks and its data-driven approach
kept the nation updated on daily cases, deaths, recoveries, and number of
vaccinations. It was dissolved by the PTI last month after Covid cases in the
country subsided.
According
to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's House, the premier took notice of
the new variant of Omicron and its growing cases. "He has also sought a
report from the National Institute of Health (NIH) over the current Covid-19
situation," it said.
The
development comes a day after the NIH — which has been looking after
Covid-related matters since the NCOC was formally shut down last month —
revealed that the first case of the Omicron sub-variant, BA.2.12 had been
detected in the country.
A
health ministry official told Dawn that the patient tested positive at the
airport and later, during genome sequencing, it was confirmed that he was
infected with the new variant.
“We
have decided not to mention the name of the country from where the patient had
travelled to Pakistan. However, the new variant has been continuously spreading
in different countries. The patient is feeling well and all his contacts have
been quarantined at their home,” he said.
“Although
the variant is more transmissible, the good thing is that all the vaccines are
effective against it. So we request the masses to get themselves vaccinated at
the earliest and those who have been vaccinated, should get their booster
shots,” he cautioned.
The
new Omicron sub-variant is a descendant of the earlier super-contagious
“stealth Omicron” and has quickly gained ground in the US.
BA.2.12.1
was responsible for 29 per cent of new US Covid-19 infections in April's third
week, according to data reported by the US Centres for Disease Control and
Prevention. And it caused 58pc of reported infections in the New York region.
The
variant has been detected in at least 13 other countries, but the US has the
highest levels of it so far. Scientists say it spreads even faster than stealth
Omicron.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
investigating agency advises expatriates living abroad to refrain from
spreading ‘chaos’ at home
9
May, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], May 9 (ANI): Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency on Sunday
advised expatriates living outside the country to refrain from spreading
“chaos” at home.
This
advice came after Imran Khan in a virtual session with overseas Pakistanis said
that the overseas Pakistanis should write letters to their politicians in
foreign countries or run social media campaigns, Dawn newspaper reported.
The
Agency has also launched a crackdown against those allegedly involved in
running the online campaigns and was making arrests, an FIA spokesperson said
in a statement on Sunday.
FIA
has also initiated an inquiry against the Pakistani channel, Bol TV’s anchor
Sami Ibrahim for allegedly transmitting “anti-state” videos and statements on
various social media platforms, including regarding the army, reported Dawn
newspaper.
In
the programme, the anchor reportedly had said that the army chief had brought together
all the political parties under the ruling coalition and now he has to answer
for his deeds.
The
investigation agency further claimed that Ibrahim was involved in spreading the
fake news regarding the state institutions. “He has made imputations which are
glaring attempts to incite armed forces personnel to mutiny. He has attempted
to create chaos in Pakistan through media while staying abroad,” the FIA
spokesman said.
“If
the offence is made out, a case will be registered against him (Sami Ibrahim)
through an FIR and he will be arrested whenever possible and prosecuted in a
court of law,” it added.
FIA
Spokesman further said that since the anchor was abroad, a red notice has been
issued against him through Interpol and his name would be added to the no-fly
list.
The
agency further urged Pakistani expatriates that “their social media posts must
not be offensive and seditious. They must read Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act
2016 to make sure that their social media posts do not constitute any offence. If
they commit any offence, red notices through Interpol can be issued against
them for their arrest. Their names can be put on the Exit Control List. They
need to avoid the commission of any electronic offences. The advice is only for
offenders. Law-abiding persons should not worry.”
“Such
attempts are punishable under Pakistani laws. Offenders will be prosecuted in
Pakistan whenever possible. Hence anyone must avoid committing any such
offences through media of any type,” it added.
The
FIA spokesman also advised Pakistani citizens to avoid committing such
offences.
Meanwhile,
the Pakistani military warned the politicians and journalists against dragging
the armed forces into ongoing political discourse in the country, as reported
by Dawn newspaper.
In
a rare statement, the media wing of the Pakistan military said
“unsubstantiated, defamatory and provocative statements” were extremely
damaging.
“Recently
there has been intensified and deliberate attempts to drag Pakistan Armed
Forces and their leadership in ongoing political discourse in the country,”
said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement.
“These
attempts are manifest through direct, insinuated or nuanced references to Armed
Forces as well as their senior leadership, made by some political leaders, a
few journalists and analysts on public forums and various communication
platforms including social media,” the ISPR added.
According
to the Pakistan military, this practice of unsubstantiated, defamatory and
provocative statements/remarks is extremely damaging.
“Pakistan
Armed Forces take strong exception to such unlawful and unethical practice and
expect all to abide by the law and keep the Armed Forces out of political
discourse in the best interest of the country,” it added.
The
role of the Pakistan military came under the scanner in the wake of Imran
Khan’s ouster last month. Trends against the Pakistan armed forces and its
leadership saw intense activity on social media platforms, the Dawn newspaper
reported.
Pakistan
Army last month claimed that there was a “recent propaganda” campaign by some
quarters to malign the country’s military.
This
statement was issued after the 79th Formation Commanders’ Conference held at
the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
It
has been learnt that the military authorities took serious note of the
statements by political leaders of almost all mainstream parties, including
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and
even small parties like the Awami Muslim League (AML).
Former
Pakistan Prime Minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan often refer to former
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hamid in his speeches in
public meetings, according to Dawn.
Even,
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, while addressing a rally in Fateh Jang,
criticised the former intelligence chief.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
President rejects PM’s advice to remove Punjab Governor
10
May, 2022
Islamabad
[pakistan], May 9 (ANI): Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday strongly
rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice to remove the Punjab province
Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema from his office, a local media reported.
“The
president further highlighted that he was committed to stand by the provisions
of the Constitution of Pakistan in these difficult times and strongly rejected
the advice of the prime minister to remove the Punjab governor,” the
President’s Secretariat said in a press release.
Earlier,
on April 17, Prime Minister Sharif sent the first summary where he recommended
that the name of Pakistan Peoples’ Party Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood for the
position of Punjab Governor, Dawn newspaper reported.
However,
when the President returned the summary, after holding it for 15 days, without
a decision, Shehbaz Sharif re-endorsed the advice on Saturday asking for the
appointment of a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) loyal, Balighur Rehman as the
Punjab Governor.
President
conveyed to the Prime Minister that the Governor cannot be removed without his
approval and would continue to “hold office during the pleasure of the
president” in accordance with clause 3 of Article 101 of the Constitution,
reported Dawn newspaper.
“He
wrote that the incumbent governor cannot be removed as there was neither any
allegation of misconduct nor conviction by any court of law or of any act
committed by him contrary to the Constitution of Pakistan,” said the press
release.
Pakistan
President highlighted the Governor’s constitutional role and said that he had
sent a report on proceedings regarding the Chief Minister’s election in the
Punjab Assembly that had raised the questions regarding the validity of Usman
Buzdar’s resignation as the provincial chief and the shifting of MPA loyalties.
“The
President emphasised that it was essential that the incumbent Governor should
continue to stay to encourage and promote a healthy and clean democratic system
where members are not coerced or bought to bring about an illegitimate change
and Article 63A of the Constitution specifically discouraged such activities,”
the press release added.
Earlier
in the day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the president was bound to
follow the prime minister’s advice and any deviation from it would be
unconstitutional, according to Dawn.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-president-rejects-pms-advice-to-remove-punjab-governor/949577/
--------
Arab World
Architecture
of Prophet Mosque in Madinah display enriches visitor experience
May
10, 2022
The
architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque, which spans more than 1,400 years, is a
witness to the beauty and accuracy of Islamic architecture with its engineering
designs, exquisite urban decorations, heritage items, and precious possessions
that the mosque houses.
The
Agency for the Affairs of the Prophet's Mosque has organized an exhibition
about the architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque, from the first building block
until its opening by Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah, to enrich
the visitor experience.
The
exhibition is located south of the Prophet’s Mosque over an area of 2,200
square meters and reviews the history of the building’s architecture since its
first construction by Prophet Muhammad and his companions until the expansions
of the first, second, and third Saudi states.
It
focuses largely on the Saudi expansion from the era of the late King Abdulaziz
and his sons after him, the late Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd, and Abdullah,
until the era of King Salman and what the Prophet's Mosque is witnessing
currently in terms of the care and integrated services provided to visitors and
worshippers.
It
includes modern technology and interactive screens featuring architecture and
information related to the Prophet's Mosque. There are also films and a cinema
hall.
It
has a special hall for valuables, including rare possessions of the Two Holy
Mosques and ancient artifacts preserved through the ages.
It
aims to enrich the visitor experience by talking about the features of the
Prophet’s Mosque, such as the pulpit, mihrab, domes and canopies, doors, adhan,
muezzins, minarets, beacons, squares, and the services offered to people.
The
exhibition presents content in several languages through wall panels and
interactive screens. All exhibition output is in Arabic and English, while the
content has been translated into 12 languages.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraqi
militia power plays bring back outcast Sunni leader
Shelly
Kittleson
May
9, 2022
ERBIL
– Following series of meetings between Kurdistan Democratic Party and their
Shiite and Sunnies allies in Erbil in order to form a majority government, a
high delegation from Iran-linked Coordination Framework (CF) who oppose the
majority government project, are planning visit the Kurdistan Region’s capital
in the coming days to speak to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). This is
happening after alleged attempts to divide the Sunni component of their rival
alliance seems to have fallen short.
Some
seem to have hoped that backing a sheikh long known for being the source of
many problems would lessen the strength of a young politician from the same
province who currently holds the highest position a Sunni in the country can
aspire to.
When
the Islamic State (IS) started taking over swaths of Iraq in 2014, Sheikh Ali
Hatem al-Suleiman of the large Dulaim tribe took refuge at his villa in this
capital of the Kurdistan Region.
The
former Anbar Awakening “hero” would in the successive years spend a significant
amount of time here as well as abroad, sources told Al-Monitor last year,
though he was said to travel to Baghdad on occasion.
Suleiman
had been known as a fugitive after supporting protests and anti-government
activities included an armed insurrection in 2014 that many see as a prime
reason why IS was able to take over and wreak so much destruction on both his
own province and the rest of the country.
In
2014, Reuters reported that Suleiman had “recounted plotting ambushes against
Iraqi special forces, which he said killed more than 100.” It added that he had
“described how Islamic State fighters and his Sunni rebels gradually came
together” against the government of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, with
whom Suleiman had previously collaborated.
Iraq
fought a brutal war against IS that left thousands dead between 2014 and
December 2017, when it officially declared victory within its borders against
the international terrorist organization.
Cells
continue to conduct attacks throughout the country, however, and sources
claimed to Al-Monitor that IS attacks have killed over a dozen people in the past
two weeks in Anbar, Iraq’s westernmost province, where the largest tribal
confederation is Suleiman’s Dulaim.
Anbar
is also the home province of Iraq’s parliament speaker, Mohamed al-Halbusi, the
youngest ever person to hold this position. Halbusi is also from a much smaller
tribe than Suleiman’s Dulaim.
The
public images of the two men from the same province are starkly different.
Halbusi is mostly seen in business suits and slicked-back hair, or in jeans and
other “Western” clothing, and his wife does not wear a headscarf. Suleiman,
however, is almost invariably seen in a traditional thobe and headdress.
Some
see Halbusi's support in Anbar as a sign of the weakening tribe-based power
structures. Iraqi Sunnis have over the years claimed that Saddam Hussein, for
all his faults, fostered a longing for a strong state, and that thus tribalism
tended to be stronger among Iraq’s southern Shiite populations than its western
Sunni ones.
It
is, however, axiomatic that of the two major cities in eastern Anbar – Fallujah
and Ramadi – the first is where religion holds sway, and the second is where
tribes do.
Halbusi
is originally from Garma (or al-Karma) near Fallujah, while Suleiman was born
in Baghdad but for many years held sway over the vast Dulaim tribal networks
centered in Ramadi.
Halbusi
seems to have proven he had the experience to do the job since he took on the
role in September 2018. In January he was re-elected to the position, while the
country has been unable to decide on either a president or a prime minister
over six months after the Oct. 10 vote.
As
Al-Monitor reported after those elections that Iraq’s Sunni community seems to
have voted heavily for Halbusi’s party.
Iraq
is believed to be about 60% Shiite Arab with significant Sunni Arab and Kurdish
communities and other minorities.
Iran-linked
parties have in recent weeks been struggling to divide a largely compact,
diverse, and collaborative alliance called Save the Homeland that includes
Halbusi’s Sunni alliance, the country’s largest Kurdish party (the Kurdistan
Democratic Party, or KDP), and a movement under the popular Shiite cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr.
Their
apparent support for Suleiman’s much-publicized return to Baghdad is widely
seen as part of these efforts.
However,
this attempt seems unlikely to succeed.
In
2018, when he was governor of Anbar, shortly before being named parliament
speaker, Halbusi had said that “there needs to be normality,” with arms under
state control and “police on the ground and the army on the bases, not at the
checkpoints.”
However,
Suleiman wants more arms in the hands of local armed groups, similar to how he
and his fellows in arms helped to defeat al-Qaeda in Anbar over a decade ago.
This
stance fits well with Iran-linked militias’ demands to allow their fighters to
retain weapons and checkpoints.
In
a 2007 interview with a US publication, Suleiman said that Shiite groups in the
southern part of the country had asked for information on how to form “sahwa”
groups on their own, and in a 2014 interview with the Kurdish media outlet
Rudaw, Suleiman claimed that “armed tribes can easily push out ISIS (IS) but
that Maliki must first leave office.”
This
did not happen. Though Maliki stepped down as prime minister in August 2014,
tribal fighters in Anbar were forced to receive help from both the US-led
coalition and from Iran-backed armed groups accused of committing numerous
abuses against them.
Thousands
of men from Anbar are still missing years later, many presumed dead. And some
land is also still held by Iran-linked armed groups “for security reasons.”
Sources
in western Anbar among tribal fighters both from the Dulaim tribal
confederation and others reacted angrily to the idea that Suleiman might return
to holding anything similar to the leadership role among Sunnis in Anbar he
once had.
Source:
Al Monito
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Egypt,
US eye counter-terrorism ties in wake of deadly Sinai attack
10
May ,2022
Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed hopes for deeper US counter-terrorism
ties during talks with a top American general on Monday, following a deadly
weekend attack by militants in the Sinai peninsula, a US military official said
on Monday.
The
attack was claimed by ISIS and killed 11 Egyptian troops. Militants descended
on a checkpoint at a water pumping station, striking with an explosive-rigged
vehicle and firing heavy weapons from pick-up trucks, Egyptian security sources
said.
It
was one of the most deadly attacks in recent years in the northern Sinai.
US
Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who oversees US forces in the Middle East,
said following Monday's talks in Cairo that the attack underscored the
persistent threat from extremists.
“I
offered my condolences and my view of the ISIS threat,” said Kurilla, head of
US Central Command.
Sisi's
office said in a statement following his meeting with Kurilla that terrorism
was the foremost challenge to Egypt's security and stability and required
“collective efforts to combat it.”
Since
2018, the Egyptian military has expanded its control over populated coastal
areas of Northern Sinai between the Gaza Strip in the east and the Suez Canal
in the west, allowing for a return of some civilian activity and the
development of some infrastructure.
However,
sporadic attacks have continued with militants seeking refuge in desert
expanses south of the coast and using different tactics such as sniping or
planting explosives.
The
latest attack took place on Saturday morning on the road leading east from the
Suez Canal to Hasanah in the center of Northern Sinai, Egyptian security
sources said.
A
senior US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sisi and
other Egyptian officials sought a deeper counter-terrorism relationship in
meetings with Kurilla on Monday.
The
US military official added that Kurilla offered to send US Rear Admiral
Mitchell Bradley, who leads US special operations forces in the Middle East, to
Egypt to offer “guidance and additional assistance.”
Biden
slashes military aid
Kurilla's
visit, his first since taking the helm of US Central Command in April, comes
less than four months since President Joe Biden's administration announced it
would cut $130 million in military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns.
The
rare US censure of a geostrategic ally that controls the Suez Canal followed
Egypt's failure to address specific human rights-related conditions, which have
never been publicly detailed by Washington.
Activists
have said those US conditions included the release of people seen as political
prisoners.
US
officials have said the American relationship with Egypt is complex. The
most-populous Arab country is a vital ally and key voice in the Arab world. US
military officials have long stressed Egypt's role expediting the passage of US
warships through the Suez Canal and granting overflight for American military
aircraft.
Kurilla
told reporters traveling with him that the US-Egypt relationship was critical
and that his visit gave him “a new appreciation for Egypt's prominent role in
the Middle East.”
“This
strategic partnership is important to me, the US, and CENTCOM,” he said, using
an acronym for Central Command.
Despite
deep ties to the US military, Egypt has moved to diversify its sources of arms
since then-US President Barack Obama in 2013 froze delivery of some military
aid to Egypt after Mursi's overthrow.
Egypt's
imports of arms from Russia, France, Germany and Italy have surged, according
to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
World
Bank approves $150 mln food security loan for Lebanon: Minister
09
May ,2022
The
World Bank on Monday approved a $150 million loan to help Lebanon fund wheat imports
and keep bread prices stable for nine months, the country’s economy minister
told Reuters.
The
program, known as the Lebanon Wheat Supply Emergency Response Project, would
still need to be approved by the country’s cabinet and parliament, said Amin
Salam.
A
World Bank spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lebanon
is heavily reliant on food imports and pays for them in dollars, which have
become increasingly difficult to obtain since its economy crashed in 2019.
Since
then, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value while food
prices have gone up more than 11-fold, according to the World Food Program.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ISIS
claims attack that killed 11 Egyptian troops
09
May ,2022
An
ISIS affiliate in Egypt on Sunday claimed responsibility for an attack that
targeted a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal, killing at least 11
soldiers.
At
least five other soldiers were wounded in Saturday’s attack, according to the
Egyptian military. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Egyptian security
forces in recent years.
Thousands
of people attended separate funerals for the dead Sunday.
President
Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, meanwhile, presided over a meeting of the Supreme
Council of the Armed Forces, which includes the military's top commanders, to
discuss the consequences of the attack, his office said without offering
further details.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
extremist group announced its claim of the attack in a statement carried by its
Aamaq news agency. The authenticity of the statement could not be verified but
it was released on Telegram as similar claims have been in the past.
The
attack took place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia, which
stretches eastwards from the Suez Canal.
Extremists
attacked troops at a checkpoint guarding the pumping facility, then fled the
site. The military said troops were pursuing the attackers in an isolated area
of the northern Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt
is battling an ISIS-led insurgency in the Sinai that intensified after the
military overthrew an elected but divisive president in 2013. The extremists
have carried out scores of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and
Christians.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE,
Greece leaders meet in Abu Dhabi to better ties, launch billion-dollar venture
10
May ,2022
Leaders
of the United Arab Emirates and Greece met in Abu Dhabi on Monday to strengthen
bilateral ties and deepen their partnership on foreign policy, regional
security, and general defense strategies, the official Emirates news agency
(WAM) reported.
Both
countries share a trade and investment relationship of $560 million as of 2021,
reflecting a 67.4 percent growth compared to the year 2020, according to a WAM
report.
Further
boosting cooperation, numerous agreements were signed in economic cooperation,
climate action, health and medicine, security, and fighting organized crime and
counterterrorism, WAM reported.
The
UAE and the Hellenic Republic “agreed to establish a €4 billion investment
($4.2 billion) initiative to facilitate investments in the Greek economy across
a wide range of sectors, including infrastructure, renewable and new forms of
energy, healthcare and pharma, food and agriculture, and logistics,” according
to WAM.
UAE’s
Mubadala Investment Company and the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments
also agreed to extend their partnership in the $422.6 million co-investment
platform established in 2018, according to WAM.
Oil
giant ADNOC and Motor Oil signed an agreement to supply LNG cargoes to Greece.
“Due
to its geographical position, Greece has the potential to become a gate for
natural gas from the Middle East to Europe,” Greek prime minister Kyriakos
Mitsotakis was quoted as saying by Reuters. “We would like to explore the
possibilities for further strategic cooperation and the participation of funds
from the UAE in this direction.”
This
will reportedly be complemented by a joint venture development of onshore
renewable energy projects in Greece and an offshore wind generation system
among renewable power generation projects in Greece.
The
two countries on Monday signed in total nine agreements on technology, energy
and health, among other sectors.
As
part of its effort to boost the share of renewables in energy consumption to 35
percent by 2030 from around 23 percent now, Greece wants to install offshore
wind parks capable of generating two gigawatts by 2030, with required
investments seen at six billion euros, Reuters reported.
Apart
from the economic aspects of the relationship, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh
Mohamed bin Zayed reportedly reiterated the UAE’s support for Greece’s
candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, adding a
shared call for the promotion of international peace and security.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Kuwait
Emiri decree accepts government resignation
10
May ,2022
A
Kuwaiti Emiri decree accepted the resignation of the government on Tuesday,
more than a month after it was submitted, state news agency KUNA reported.
The
decree asked the government to stay on in a caretaker capacity, the report
said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/05/10/Kuwait-decree-accepts-government-resignation
--------
Africa
40
terrorists neutralized in Burkina Faso
Fatma
Esma Arslan
10.05.2022
DAKAR,
Senegal
At
least 40 terrorists were killed in an operation in northwest Burkina Faso, the
state news agency reported Tuesday.
The
terrorists were neutralized in a military operation near Barakuy village in Mouhoun
province, said the report, noting that many vehicles and items belonging to the
terrorists were also seized during the operation.
Meanwhile,
heavily armed unidentified militants launched an attack on a prison in
northwest Burkina Faso overnight Saturday, local media reported Sunday.
The
attack at the civilian prison, located in the town of Nouna in the province of
Kossi in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, left one person dead while 60 prisoners
escaped – its entire prisoner population, including a woman – the Burkina
Information Agency (AIB) reported, citing local sources.
The
landlocked West African country has been battling an insurgency that spread
from neighboring Mali over the past decade.
Burkina
Faso's army on Friday said that 11 soldiers were killed in attacks over the
past week and more than 20 insurgents were killed in an offensive.
Northern
Burkina Faso has witnessed terrorist attacks since 2015, in which more than
1,000 people have been killed and over 1 million displaced, according to official
data.
The
West African country has been ruled by a military junta since January following
a coup that ousted President Roch Kabore.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/40-terrorists-neutralized-in-burkina-faso/2583409
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Miyetti
Allah purchases APC presidential form for Jonathan
May
9, 2022
By
Yemi Balogun
Report
reaching DAILY POST has it that members of the Miyetti Allah cattle rearers
association have purchased the 2023 presidential form for former President
Goodluck Jonathan.
The
group, DAILY POST gathered purchased the form for the ex-president on Monday.
Recall
that Jonathan, while addressing some youths who stormed his house a few weeks
ago, urging him to join the presidential race, said he was not ready.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/05/09/miyetti-allah-allah-purchases-apc-presidential-form-for-jonathan/
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We
won’t fold our arms while IPOB kills our members – Miyetti Allah
May
9, 2022
By
Yemi Balogun
Miyetti
Allah Kautal Hore has warned that it will not continue to fold its arms while
outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) attacks its members.
The
Secretary-General of the group, Mr. Saleh Alhassan said this on Monday while
addressing a press conference in Abuja, following Sunday’s attack by unknown
gunmen on a truck carrying cattle in Ezinifite community, Aguata Local
Government Area of Anambra State, setting it ablaze.
It
called on security agencies to urgently take action to arrest the situation,
saying it didn’t want its members to take laws into their hands.
Miyetti
Allah further warned that unwarranted attacks on its members, especially in the
South-East constitute major threat to the 2023 elections.
It
stated: “We are calling on Governors, particularly of South-eastern Nigeria to
protect our people and their businesses in their States. As we gradually move
towards the 2023 elections, we are seeing heightened aggression against our
peace-loving herders in the Southern part of the country.
“And
this portends grievous danger to the unity of this country, and even to the
successful conduct of the forthcoming elections if these threats are not nipped
in the bud.
“We
will not fold our arms to continue to watch an outlawed organisation killing
our people in the South-East. That’s why we’re calling on the security agencies
to urgently take action to arrest the situation. Because we don’t want people to
take laws into their hands,” he said.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/05/09/we-wont-fold-our-arms-while-ipob-kills-our-members-miyetti-allah/
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Bomb
blast outside Somali capital kills 2 civilians
Mohammed
Dhaysane
09.05.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
At
least two civilians were killed and several security personnel wounded on the
outskirts of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday when a roadside bomb hit a
convoy carrying the Mogadishu police chief, a spokesman said.
The
attack took place on the busy highway linking Mogadishu and Afgoye, a town
located 30 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of the capital.
Somali
police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan told Anadolu Agency over the phone that
two civilians were killed in the blast.
"At
the time of the explosion, the vehicle carrying Mogadishu Police Chief Farhan
Qarole was going too fast and he survived," Hassan said, adding that there
were injuries among Qarole's bodyguards.
The
explosion occurred as the convoy was returning from the village of Calamada in
the lower Shabelle region, according to local media.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/bomb-blast-outside-somali-capital-kills-2-civilians/2583256
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US
urges Libyans to agree on constitutional basis for elections
Mohammad
Erteima
09.05.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
The
US on Monday urged Libyan rivals to agree on a constitutional basis for holding
the country's long-awaited general elections.
US
Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland held talks with Khaled al-Mishri, the head
of the High Council of State, in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
"We
agreed on the need to support the UN-led process intended to lead to
parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible as demanded by
Libyan voters," Norland said in a statement issued by the US Embassy.
The
US diplomat urged all participants in the upcoming Cairo meeting "to work
on behalf of the Libyan people and reach the necessary consensus for
establishing the constitutional basis for elections."
Representatives
of the Tobruk-based parliament and Tripoli-based High Council of State, which
acts as a senate, will participate in the second round of Egypt-hosted talks on
May 15 to agree on constitutional arrangements for holding the polls.
The
first round of discussions was held in Cairo last month under UN auspices.
Tension
has mounted in Libya since parliament in March gave confidence to a new government
headed by Fathi Bashagha, a former interior minister, while Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh
insists on remaining at his post as the country's prime minister.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/tolerance-goodwill-minority-malaysia-religious/d/126971