New
Age Islam News Bureau
26
December 2020
•
No Space for Forced Conversions and Marriages in Islam: Special Assistant to
Prime Minister on Religious Harmony
•
Pope Francis in Christmas Message: Fraternity the Watchword ‘At This Moment’
•
Ayatollah Khamenei Congratulates World Christians, Muslims on Jesus Christ’s
Birth Anniversary
•
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Taliban Presence in Pakistan Challenge Peace
Process
•
Halal-Certified Shops Can't Display Cakes with Merry Christmas Greeting, Says
Jakim
•
Lebanon Celebrates Christmas with Trees Commemorating Beirut Port Explosion
Victims
•
11 killed in Boko Haram Christmas Eve attack in Nigeria
•
US ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Pak Court Order to Release Men Charged In Daniel
Pearl
India
•
Two Muslim Women Tie Knot with Hindu Men in UP's Bareilly, Seek Police Security,
Which They Got With the Support of Saffron Outfits
•
Himachal’s ‘Love Jihad’ Law Has Intent Clause, Which HC Had Struck Down
•
Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Clears Bill against 'Love Jihad'; 10-Year Jail Term, Rs
1 Lakh Fine among Proposed Provisions
•
About 35 Arrests, Dozen Firs As UP ‘Love Jihad’ Law Completes One Month
•
Third in Mathura Court Seeking Removal of Shahi Idgah Mosque near Krishna
Janmabhoomi
•
Pakistan violates ceasefire along IB in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua
•
Two TRF terrorists arrested in Jammu; arms, ammunition seized
•
Entire Taliban brass based in Pak, says its chief negotiator
•
2 terrorists killed in encounter in J-K’s Shopian, operation underway
•
Madhya Pradesh cabinet approves Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020
--------
Pakistan
•
No Space for Forced Conversions and Marriages in Islam: Special Assistant to
Prime Minister on Religious Harmony
•
Pakistan Foreign Office asks Canadian Govt. To Probe Karima Baloch’s Death
•
Is China Slowly Turning Its Back On BRI Projects In Pakistan?
•
JUI-F expels disgruntled Sherani, three others
•
PML-N denies sending officials to Israel
--------
Europe
•
Pope Francis in Christmas Message: Fraternity the Watchword ‘At This Moment’
•
Billion-Dollar Captagon Pills Seized In Italy Smuggled By Hezbollah, Not ISIS:
Report
•
European Union warns Turkey over journalist Can Dundar jail sentence
•
German funds for 'While Helmets' may end up in terrorists' hands, Russia warns
--------
Mideast
•
Ayatollah Khamenei Congratulates World Christians, Muslims on Jesus Christ’s
Birth Anniversary
•
Turkey wants better ties with Israel as talks continue between two sides:
Erdogan
•
Iran executes ethnic Baluch militant for shooting death of two IRGC guards
•
Netanyahu speaks with Morocco’s king, invites him to Israel
•
Houthis beat pregnant Yemeni mother to death in front of children in Ibb:
Activists
•
Palestinian ministry urges UN Security Council to act against Israeli settler
violence
•
Israeli fighter jets conduct fresh airstrikes against positions in besieged
Gaza Strip
•
Dozens of Palestinian protesters injured by Israeli forces
•
Human rights groups join Facebook to fight Israeli spyware maker NSO
--------
South
Asia
•
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Taliban Presence in Pakistan Challenge Peace
Process
•
Problems Will Remain Till Rohingya Muslim Refugees Return To Myanmar: BGB DG
•
Two Afghan army officers killed by roadside bomb
•
Chinese Spy Ring Busted In Afghanistan, 10 Detained
•
Deadly 4 IED Attacks Hit Kabul City
•
‘Target Killing Threatens Peace Process’, Breeds Fear
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Halal-Certified Shops Can't Display Cakes with Merry Christmas Greeting, Says Jakim
•
Deputy Minister: Video of Tabung Haji Properties CEO uttering swearwords does
not represent company
--------
Arab
World
•
Lebanon Celebrates Christmas with Trees Commemorating Beirut Port Explosion
Victims
•
Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Gets COVID-19 Vaccine
•
Bahrain: Qatar's claim of 4 Bahraini fighters violating its airspace is
baseless
•
Syria urges UNSC to stop Israel’s 'unacceptable' attacks
•
Iraqi govt. urged to take Trump's pardons for Blackwater guards to intl. court,
UNSC
--------
Africa
•
11 killed in Boko Haram Christmas Eve attack in Nigeria
•
Four pregnant women among 20 migrants dead in Tunisia sinking
•
Nigeria: Christmas ceremony canceled over coronavirus
--------
North
America
•
US ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Pak Court Order to Release Men Charged In Daniel
Pearl Murder Case
•
The Subject Of Israeli Hegemony Over US Must Be Addressed
•
Major blast hits Nashville after chilling bomb warning
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/two-muslim-women-tie-knot/d/123890
--------
Two Muslim Women Tie Knot with Hindu Men in UP's Bareilly, Seek Police Security, Which They Got With the Support of Saffron Outfits
Dec
26, 2020
BAREILLY:
Two Muslim women in UP’s Bareilly district got married to Hindu men after
conversion and sought police security, which they got promptly, along with the
support of saffron outfits.
While
in the first case in Bareilly’s Hafizganj area, police acted promptly. It
called the families of both sides to police station and settled the matter
amicably without filing of a case from any side. However, a case of abduction
and robbery was filed in Bahedi area of the district by the family of the woman
against the Hindu man she had settled with.
Senior
superintendent of police (SSP) of Bareilly, Rohit Singh Sajwan, told TOI, “The
couples, in Hafizganj and in Bahedi areas, are adults. In both the cases, we
have considered the girl’s statement. In the Hafizganj case, the couple visited
a police station and sought security. Families of both sides were called to the
station and the matter was settled. The family members of the girl have
accepted the marriage and no case was filed.” Their marriage was solemnized on
Thursday, in a temple in Rithora area. Members of a saffron outfit also came
Forward in support of the couple.
In
Bahedi area, the Muslim woman, 29, “eloped” with the man on Tuesday. She later
released a video saying that she got married on September 4 in a temple after
converting to Hinduism. She also alleged that her parents have threatened to
kill her. “My parents will be held responsible if something happens to my
husband,” the woman said in the video.
A
day later, on Wednesday, her family lodged a case against her husband, who was
booked on charges of abduction and robbery. The woman’s family has also
demanded that the provisions of the new anti-conversion law be included in the
FIR.
Police
said that the couple is in contact with the investigating officer (IO) of the
case and will be produced before a magistrate on Saturday.
SSP
Sajwan said, “We are following the high court’s direction which says that two
consenting adults in a relationship have the right to live together without any
interference from their families.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/2-muslim-women-tie-knot-with-hindu-men-in-ups-bareilly-seek-police-security/articleshow/79958423.cms
--------
No
Space for Forced Conversions and Marriages in Islam: Special Assistant to Prime
Minister on Religious Harmony
Asim
Yasin
December
26, 2020
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Religious
Harmony and Middle East Affairs Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
------
ISLAMABAD:
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East
Affairs Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has said consultation is being
made with leading Ulema to ensure legislation on the issues of forced
conversions and marriages.
“Efforts
are being made to end forced conversions and marriages. Propaganda, which was
being carried out by Indian lobbies on the issue of religious freedom violation
in Pakistan has been exposed as minorities living in Pakistan have more rights
as compared to those living in India and other parts of the world,” he said
while talking to a delegation headed by Chairman National Minorities Commission
Dr Cheelaram.
Hafiz
Tahir Ashrafi said Prime Minister Imran Khan used to take personal interests to
address issues of the minorities. He said faith in the prophets of Allah
including Hazrat Esa (AS) is basic part of our faith in Islam. He said the
entire nation shared the celebrations of Christian community regarding
Christmas. “It is the responsibility of Muslims and government of Pakistan to
take care of the rights of all the minorities living in the country,” he said.
Tahir
Ashrafi also announced that joint sitting of the leadership of different
religions and schools of thought will be held in Islamabad during second week
of January 2021. Tahir Ashrafi said that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
categorically defined rights for women as daughter, sister, wife and mother.
“Honour
and respect that Islam guarantees for women is exemplary. Daughters of
minorities living in Pakistan are as respected and honoured as other daughters
of the nation and it is responsibility of the Muslims and the government to
ensure protection of their respective rights and honour,” he said.
The
special assistant said religious leadership agrees in Pakistan that rights for
minorities as defined in the Constitution should be protected at respective
level. “Action should be taken against elements who take law into their own
hands,” he said.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/764513-no-space-for-forced-conversions-and-marriages-in-islam-tahir-ashrafi
--------
Pope
Francis in Christmas Message: Fraternity
the Watchword ‘At This Moment’
25
December 2020
Pope Francis
-----
Pope
Francis said in his Christmas message on Friday that fraternity was a watchword
for these unusually troubled times exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“At
this moment in history, marked by the ecological crisis and grave economic and
social imbalances only worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, it is all the more
important for us to acknowledge one another as brothers and sisters,” he said
in his “Urbi et Orbi” message.
He
said this call for solidarity was especially aimed at “people who are the most fragile,
the sick and all who at this period find themselves without work or in grave
difficulty due to the economic consequences of the pandemic and to women who
have been subjected to domestic violence during these months of confinement.”
The
pontiff also touched on the plight of children caught up by war, singling out
victims in Syria, Yemen and Iraq in his Christmas message.
“On
this day, when the word of God became a child, let us turn our gaze to the
many, all too many, children worldwide, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen,
who still pay the high price of war,” he said.
“May
their faces touch the consciences of all men and women of good will, so that
the causes of conflicts can be addressed and courageous efforts can be made to
build a future of peace,” he said.
Pope
Francis will make a historic visit to Iraq in March, the Vatican said on
Monday, the first ever by a pontiff and which will include a trip to the city
of Mosul, a former extremist stronghold.
The
pope has long spoken of his desire to visit the Middle Eastern country, where
two decades of conflict has taken a heavy toll on Christian communities.
The
Argentinian-born pope called for peace and reconciliation in Libya and Iraq,
“particularly to the Yazidis, sorely tried by these last years of war.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/12/25/Pope-Francis-says-in-Christmas-message-fraternity-the-watchword-at-this-moment-
--------
Ayatollah
Khamenei congratulates world Christians, Muslims on Jesus Christ’s birth
anniversary
25
December 2020
Leader
of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has congratulated all
Christians and Muslims across the world on the occasion of Jesus Christ’s birth
anniversary.
I
congratulate all Christians and Muslims of the world, particularly our
Christian compatriots, on the birth anniversary of Prophet #Jesus Christ, the
Messiah (pbuh).
—
Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) December 25, 2020
“I
congratulate all Christians and Muslims of the world, particularly our
Christian compatriots, on the birth anniversary of Prophet #Jesus Christ, the
Messiah (pbuh),” the Leader said in a tweet on Friday.
President
Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also on Thursday
felicitated the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ and the New Year.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641499/Khamenei-Christians-Muslims-Jesus-Christ-birth-anniversary-Christmas
--------
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs: Taliban Presence in Pakistan Challenge Peace Process
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
25
Dec 2020
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, that Taliban presence in Pakistan is a
clear violation of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
Taliban’s
presence in Pakistan will continue crisis and instability in the region, and
will affect efforts for lasting peace in Afghanistan, MoFA stated.
The
Afghan foreign ministry also called on Pakistan for not allowing insurgents to
use Pakistan’s soil against Afghanistan.
According
to MoFA, some Taliban members during their recent trip to Pakistan visited
training centers and met with the group’s fighters.
Earlier,
Taliban deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, following the announcement
of the Intra-afghan break led a delegation to Pakistan and met addressee
Taliban members in Karachi.
Reports
indicate Baradar met with wounded Taliban fighters and some Afghan refugees.
He
also met with Pakistani political officials during his visit.
https://www.khaama.com/mofa-taliban-presence-in-pakistan-creates-regional-instability-676788/
--------
Halal-certified
shops can't display cakes with Merry Christmas greeting, says Jakim
25
Dec 2020
PETALING
JAYA: There is nothing stopping shops with halal certification from decorating
cakes with "Merry Christmas" greetings, says the Department of
Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
However,
these cakes cannot be put on display at shops with the halal certification.
In
a statement issued on Christmas Day, Jakim deputy director-general (Operations)
Datuk Abdul Aziz Jusoh said greetings for festivals were allowed on all
products if they were not put on display in shops which have the halal
certification from Jakim.
"Greetings
for festivals are allowed on products which have been certified halal with the
logo.
"There
is no provision (in the halal certification) which touches on the celebration
of any festivals, including Islamic festivals in the Malaysian Halal
Certification Procedure Manual (Domestic) 2020.
"The
Manual and the Malaysian Halal Management System only apply to the applicants
and holders of the Malaysian Halal Certificate," said Abdul Aziz.
He
was commenting on a recent report in another portal which stated that a
customer was shocked when he received a cake with “Happy Holidays” when he had
requested that it be decorated with the wish “Merry Christmas.”
The
report said the store had refused to do so since it was in the process of
getting a halal certificate, quoting Jakim as claiming that the halal logo
issued by the Halal Management System cannot be used to promote other
religions.
On
Thursday (Dec 24), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri tweeted that as long as the cake
was not for display, it was all right.
“To
put it simply, if Shop B with a Jakim halal certificate bakes a cake with a
religious celebration wish for display, then it is not allowed, but if Shop B
had prepared the cake that was ordered by A that has a religious celebration
wish, it is permitted, ” he tweeted.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/25/halal-certified-shops-can039t-display-cake-with-merry-christmas-greeting-says-jakim
--------
Lebanon
celebrates Christmas with trees commemorating Beirut port explosion victims
Rawad
Taha
December
26, 2020
Lebanon
celebrated Christmas with a set of Christmas trees that commemorated the
victims of the Beirut port blast this past August.
Beirut
is still experiencing the aftermath of the August 4 explosion, one of the
biggest non-nuclear explosions in history, that killed over 200 individuals,
injured thousands of people, and devastated several districts in the capital
center. Despite that, Lebanon’s governmental and non-governmental institutions
decorated for Christmas in a different approach that reflected the city’s
grieving for its loved ones.
A
Christmas tree with names of those who died during the Beirut port explosion
was installed only a few hundred meters from the explosion site inside Beirut’s
port.
On
the other side of Beirut’s port entrance, another Christmas tree was decorated
by Beirut’s firefighter department with uniforms of their colleagues who died
while trying to extinguish the fire that eventually caused the explosion on
August 4.
In
the middle of Sassine Square, an area that was also damaged by the explosion,
Lebanon of Tomorrow, a non-governmental organization that helped rebuild
damaged houses, installed a Christmas tree decorated to look like Beirut’s
ancient houses that were heavily damaged in the explosion.
In
the Gemmayze area, and in front of the local police station which was heavily
damaged by the explosion, police officers decorated a natural tree installed on
top of debris from the police station left over from the damage induced by the
port explosion.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/12/25/Lebanon-crisis-Lebanon-celebrates-Christmas-with-trees-commemorating-Beirut-port-explosion-victims-
--------
11
killed in Boko Haram Christmas Eve attack in Nigeria
25
December 2020
Members
of the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group have killed at least 11 people in a
Christmas Eve assault on a village in the volatile northeastern Nigerian state
of Borno.
Local
sources said the assailants driving trucks and motorcycles shot
indiscriminately and set buildings on fire as they stormed the predominantly
Christian village of Pemi in Borno State on Thursday.
Abwaku
Kabu, a militia leader, said the attackers, who drove from Boko Haram's Sambisa
Forest enclave, looted medical supplies from a hospital before setting it
ablaze.
They
also burnt a church and abducted a priest, he added.
"The
terrorists killed seven people, burnt 10 homes and looted food supplies that
were meant to be distributed to residents to celebrate Christmas," Kabu
said.
Local
community leader Ayuba Alamson said on Friday, "Four more dead bodies have
been found in the nearby bushes by search and rescue volunteers," adding,
"This has moved the death toll to 11."
The
death toll still could rise as villagers fled into the bush during the attack
and some people were still unaccounted for.
Separately
on Thursday, gunmen attacked another Christian community in Garkida Village, in
Nigeria's northeastern Adamawa State.
Residents
told AFP that the attackers looted drug stores and food supplies before
torching homes.
There
were no reports of casualties from that attack.
Nigeria's
Department of State Services, the country's state security agency, had warned
of an increased risk of planned assaults during the Christian holiday earlier
this week.
In
a statement on Thursday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari reiterated
"the promise of his administration to remain unyielding in confronting the
Boko Haram insurgency as well as other forms of criminality."
"For
me, providing security for all residents in the country remains an article of
faith," he said, urging citizens to volunteer
"intelligence/information on activities of armed bandits, insurgents, and
other criminal elements within their communities in order to put an end to this
blight."
Northeastern
Nigeria has been wracked by years of violence involving clashes between rival
communities over land, attacks by heavily-armed criminal gangs, and reprisal
killings by vigilante groups.
Boko
Haram and other terrorist groups have also increasingly targeted loggers,
herders, and fishermen in their violent campaign.
More
than 30,000 people have been killed and nearly three million displaced in a
decade of Boko Haram violence in Nigeria, according to the United Nations
(UN)'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Boko
Haram's violence has spilled over into the neighboring countries of Chad,
Niger, and Cameroon, which have created a joint military force to fight the
terrorists.
The
Nigerian government has so far failed to eradicate the violence.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641505/11-killed-in-Boko-Haram-Christmas-Eve-attack-in-Nigeria
--------
US
‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Pak Court Order to Release Men Charged In Daniel Pearl
Dec
25, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The US state department expressed serious concerns on Friday over the decision
of a Pakistani court ordering the “immediate release” of four men charged with
the 2002 abduction and murder of the American journalist Daniel Pearl.
A
day earlier, the Sindh high court had declared the detention of British-born
Pakistani Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three others accused of Pearl’s murder
“illegal”. The others accused in the case are Fahad Naseem, Syed Suleman Saqib
and Sheikh Muhammad Adil.
In
a message on Twitter, the state department said it was “deeply concerned” at
the December 24 ruling of the Sindh HC to release “multiple terrorists
responsible for the murder of Daniel Pearl”.
“We
have been assured that the accused have not been released at this time,” the
message added.
The
state department said it would continue to monitor developments in the case and
would continue to support the Pearl family “through this extremely difficult
process” while honouring the legacy of Pearl as a journalist.
Earlier
on Friday, Daniel Pearl’s parents — Ruth and Judea Pearl — expressed confidence
that the Supreme Court of Pakistan would provide justice for their son and
reinforce the paramountcy of the freedom of the press. In a statement, the
parents condemned the HC decision. “We refuse to believe that the Pakistani
government and the Pakistani people will let such a travesty of justice tarnish
the image and legacy of Pakistan,” they said. “We are heartened to hear that
the federal government is filing an appeal against the latest release order,”
they said, adding that they believe Pearl’s murderers will remain in jail.
Daniel
Pearl (38) was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he
was kidnapped in Karachi in January 2002. Pearl’s wife Marianne Pearl, a US
national who was living in Karachi, wrote a letter to the police on February 2,
2002, stating that her husband had disappeared on January 23, 2002. Later, a
graphic video showing Pearl’s decapitation was delivered to the US consulate in
Karachi nearly a month after his abduction.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/us-deeply-concerned-over-pak-court-order-to-release-men-charged-in-daniel-pearl-murder-case/articleshow/79958418.cms
--------
India
Himachal’s
‘love jihad’ law has intent clause, which HC had struck down
by
Gagandeep Singh Dhillon , Apurva Vishwanath
December
26, 2020
While
the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh brought into force a law last week
requiring a person to give prior notice to authorities for converting to
another religion and outlawing conversions solely for marriage, in 2012, the
state High Court had struck down similar provisions in an older version brought
by the then Congress government as unconstitutional and violative of
fundamental rights.
Several
provisions in the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019, have been
emulated almost word to word by Uttar Pradesh in the anti-conversion law that
it passed last month, and which is being looked upon as an example by other
BJP-ruled states.
Section
7 of the Himachal Act requires an individual to submit a “declaration” of
intention to convert freely and without coercion from one religion to the
other, to the District Magistrate. The provision also requires the priest or
religious figure presiding over the conversion to give a month’s notice to the
DM.
On
August 30, 2012, a two-judge Bench of the High Court had struck down the
Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006, passed during the then Congress
regime, that had contained the exact same provision, holding it “ultra vires
the Constitution of India”. Neither the BJP Himachal government in 2012 nor the
private parties who intervened in the proceedings had challenged the decision
of the High Court.
“Why
should a human being be asked to disclose what is his religion?” “Why should a
human being be asked to inform the authorities that he is changing his belief?”
— the Bench comprising then Chief Justice of the High Court Deepak Gupta and
Justice Rajiv Sharma had said.
The
court had also cited the fundamental right to privacy of an individual to
strike down provisions requiring prior notice to the authorities for
conversion, even as it acknowledged that several rulings in the Supreme Court
had upheld the validity of anti-conversion laws as the Constitution provides
for “public order” as ground for restricting freedom of religion.
A
violation of the above provision under the new Himachal law can result in a
jail term of three months to one year for the person undergoing conversion and
from six months to two years for the priest, respectively. The offence is
non-bailable as well as cognizable, which means bail can be granted only on the
discretion of a magistrate and not as a matter of right, and that the police
can search or arrest an individual and launch an investigation on their own
without a warrant from court.
Like
the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance passed
last month, the 2019 Himachal law specifically prohibits conversion for
marriage, even if an individual testifies to have done so willingly, except
when prior sanction has been obtained. Section 5 of the Himachal law and
Section 3 of the Uttar Pradesh law which declare that “marriages for the sole
purpose of conversion” will be null and void are worded exactly the same.
The
2006 Himachal law had been limited to forced religious conversions and did not
touch upon conversions for marriage.
While
borrowing provisions such as “marriage for the sole purpose of conversion”, the
UP law goes further than the Himachal Act by shifting the burden of proof
regarding the conversion from the converted to his/her partner; prescribing
different jail terms depending on gender; and legitimising the intrusion of the
State and third parties in the choice of who an individual wishes to marry.
Under
Section 12 of the 2019 Himachal law, the burden of proving whether a religious
conversion had been done through misrepresentation, force, coercion, undue
influence, inducement or any other fraudulent means or “by marriage”, lies on
the person converting or those facilitating.
The
UP law also prescribes enquiry by a magistrate to give sanction for a
conversion whereas the Himachal law only requires submitting a notice.
The
new Himachal Pradesh anti-conversion law was promulgated in August last year,
repealing the 2006 Act. Under Section 2 (J), it refers to conversion as
“purification sanskar (purification ritual)”, and defines a religious priest
for the purposes of the law as a person performing the conversion. The Act was
notified only last week.
The
2006 law had been challenged by the Evangelical Fellowship of India and ANHAD,
a non-profit run by activist Shabnam Hashmi. The Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Mahant
Ram Mohan Das of the Brahmin Sabha, Shimla, and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy
had intervened in the proceedings, defending the law.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/himachals-love-jihad-law-has-intent-clause-which-hc-had-struck-down/
--------
Madhya
Pradesh Cabinet clears Bill against 'love jihad'; 10-year jail term, Rs 1 lakh
fine among proposed provisions
December
26, 2020
Bhopal:
The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Saturday approved the Religious Freedom Bill
2020, which provides for prison term of up to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh
for conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means, state Home
Minister Narottam Mishra said.
He
claimed that once enforced, this will be the most stringent law in the country
against religious conversion carried out by fraudulent means, allurement or
threat.
After
the approval by the cabinet, the bill will now be presented in the state
Assembly.
"This
bill will replace the Religious Freedom Act of 1968 (after the approval by the
state Assembly)," he said.
Any
marriage solemnized only for the purpose of converting a person will be
considered null and void under the provisions of this proposed legislation, he
said.
A
provision is also being made that those willing to convert need to apply before
the district administration two months prior, Mishra said.
https://www.firstpost.com/india/madhya-pradesh-cabinet-clears-bill-against-love-jihad-10-year-jail-term-rs-1-lakh-fine-among-proposed-provisions-9147381.html
--------
About
35 arrests, dozen FIRs as UP ‘love jihad’ law completes one month
Dec
26, 2020
Going
full steam, the Uttar Pradesh police have made more than one arrest a day since
the controversial anti-conversion ordinance came into effect a month ago,
having apprehended about 35 people so far.
Nearly
a dozen FIRs have been lodged since the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of
Religion Ordinance, 2020, was notified on November 27.
Eight
arrests were made from Etah, seven from Sitapur, four from Greater Noida, three
each from Shahjahanpur and Azamgarh, two each from Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor
and Kannauj and one each from Bareilly and Hardoi, officials said here.
The
first case was registered in Bareilly just a day after the legislation came
into force.
The
police cracked the whip following a complaint of Tikaram Rathore, the father of
a 20-year-girl and resident of Sharif Nagar village in Bareilly. He alleged
that Uwaish Ahmad (22) had become friends with his daughter and was trying to
“coax, coerce and lure” her to convert.
An
FIR was lodged at Deorania police station in Bareilly district and the accused
was arrested on December 3.
Acting
swiftly after being tipped off about interfaith marriages, the Lucknow Police
stopped a ceremony in the state capital, asking the couple to meet the legal
requirements first.
In
Muzaffarnagar district, one Nadeem and an accomplice were arrested on December
6 for allegedly trying to force a married Hindu woman to convert.
Nadeem,
however, got reprieve when the Allahabad High Court directed the police not to
take any coercive action against him.
Likewise,
in Moradabad, two brothers, arrested earlier this month under the
anti-conversion law, were released on an order of a CJM court.
Rashid
and Salim were arrested on December 4 after they visited the registrar’s office
in Moradabad to record Rashid’s marriage to a Hindu woman whose family had
filed the complaint.
Shabab
Khan aka Rahul (38), who is married, was picked up in Mau district on December
3 and 13 of his accomplices booked for allegedly abducting a 27-year-old woman
on the eve of her wedding on November 30 with an intent to change her religion.
An
FIR was lodged at Tambor police station in Sitapur district and 22-year-old
Zubrail along with five of his family members and two locals was accused of
kidnapping a 19-year-old girl and converting her. All, barring Zubrail, were
arrested on December 5.
In
Bijnor, 22-year-old labourer Afzal was arrested on December 13 for allegedly
kidnapping a girl from her home.
A
19-year-old woman lodged an FIR with Shahabad police station in Hardoi district
on December 11 alleging that she was raped on the pretext of marriage and also
pressured to convert by one Mohammed Azad. She also alleged that she was being
sold by Azad in Delhi. Azad was booked
for rape, for flouting UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Law,
2020 and for human trafficking. He was arrested on December 16.
Rashid
Ali (22) and Saleem Ali (25) were arrested under the new law in Moradabad
district on similar charges.
A
man was sent to jail in Bijnor on December 16 for ‘love jihad’, a term coined
by BJP leaders and right-wing activists to describe the crime against which
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also spoken out.
Addressing
bypoll rallies in Jaunpur and Deoria, Adityanath had used the Hindu funeral
chant of ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’ to threaten those who do not respect daughters
and sisters.
Amid
a hue and cry over the law, social activist Shantanu Sharma said, “We have no
problems with the new law but its enforcement should not cause harassment to
people. It should be ensured that it is not misused.” “Making a new law doesn’t
mean that forcible conversions will be checked easily. Ultimately, it will be
the police which will enforce it. It’s too early to predict whether it will
succeed in its purpose or not, but it should be used carefully,” he said.
Former
UP Director General of Police Yashpal Singh said that when a girl flees, there
is pressure for her recovery. “It (law) is good as per the social structure and
with this there will be not exploitation. However, as per modern social
outlook, people can feel stripped off their freedom.” High court lawyer Sandeep
Chowdhury said, “The law impinges upon the fundamental right to choice and the
right to change of faith. It militates against the fundamental rights to
individual autonomy, privacy, human dignity and personal liberty guaranteed
under Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.” He
pointed out that a PIL has already been filed in the Allahabad High Court
challenging the law and now it is for the court to decide.
The
high court has asked the state government to respond to a petition which
contended that the new law impinges upon the fundamental right to choice and
the right to change of faith.
During
the hearing, the high court refused to grant any interim relief and directed
the state government to file a counter affidavit by January 4.
The
ordinance aimed at curbing forcible or fraudulent religious conversions,
including those for the sake of marriage, got the assent of UP Governor
Anandiben Patel just within days of the state cabinet approving its draft. The law provides for a jail term of up to 10
years for any violations. Under the law, which deals with different categories
of offences, a marriage will be declared “null and void” if the conversion of a
woman is solely for that purpose.
The
onus to prove that the conversion has not been done forcibly will lie on the
accused and the convert.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/about-35-arrests-dozen-firs-as-up-love-jihad-law-completes-one-month/story-Z6PvZOZXnRo4VakO6Uf51L.html
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Third
in Mathura court seeking removal of Shahi Idgah mosque near Krishna Janmabhoomi
25th
December 2020
MATHURA:
A third plea has been filed in a Mathura court seeking removal of the Shahi
Idgah mosque near the birthplace of Lord Krishna here.
The
suit filed in the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Neha Bhadauria on
Wednesday demanded the annulment of the 1968 compromise entered through a
ruling of a Mathura court, ratifying a land deal between the Shahi Masjid Idgah
Management committee and Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan.
"The
main request is shifting the Shahi Masjid Idgah built in a part of land of
Virajman Thakur Keshav Dev Ji Maharaj Katra Keshav Dev," said Advocate
Mahendra Pratap Singh.
The
suit has been filed by five plaintiffs, including the principal deity Virajman
Thakur Keshav Dev Ji Maharaj Katra Keshav Dev.
The
others are Advocate Rajendra Maheshwari, Jay Bhagwan Goyal, founder of United
Hindu Front, and Saurabh Gaur the president of Dharm Raksha Sangh Vrindaban.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/dec/25/third-in-mathura-court-seeking-removal-of-shahi-idgah-mosque-near-lord-krishna-birthplace-2241059.html
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Pakistan
violates ceasefire along IB in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua
Dec
26, 2020
JAMMU:
Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing at
forward posts along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district of Jammu
and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.
Firing
from across the IB in the Satpal Border Outpost area of Hiranagar sector
started around 9.35 pm on Friday, prompting strong retaliation by the Border
Security Force (BSF), they said.
The
officials said cross-border firing between the two sides continued till 2.45 am
on Saturday, but there was no immediate report of any damage on the Indian
side.
The
latest ceasefire violation comes a day after two Army porters – Altaf Hussain
and Mohammad Zaif – were injured in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control
at Dalhan in Poonch district.
The
porters, both residents of Noorkote village, were moving towards a forward post
when they were fired upon by Pakistani troops from across the border, causing
serious injuries to them, the officials said, adding both were hospitalised and
their condition was stated to be stable.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistan-violates-ceasefire-along-ib-in-jammu-and-kashmirs-kathua/articleshow/79962455.cms
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Two
TRF terrorists arrested in Jammu; arms, ammunition seized
Dec
26, 2020
JAMMU:
Two terrorists affiliated with 'The Resistance Force' (TRF) have been arrested
in Jammu and arms and ammunition seized, police said on Saturday.
Raees
Ahmad Dar of Churath, Qazigund, and Subzar Ahmad Sheikh of Ashmuji, Kulgam,
were on their way to Srinagar in a car when they were intercepted and arrested
by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police at the Narwal bypass
on Friday evening, they said.
A
police spokesperson said the SOG had set up a special checkpoint in the area
after getting a reliable input regarding the movement of terrorists with
automatic weapons.
"At
about 5.30 pm (Friday) when the SOG team was conducting vehicle checking in the
area, one Alto car tried to escape the checkpoint. Observing the suspicious
movement, the SOG team immediately chased the vehicle and apprehended the two
suspects along with a bag," he said.
The
official said the bag, which was with Dar, contained an AK assault rifle with
two magazines and 60 rounds, and a pistol along with two magazines and 15
rounds.
A
case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act has been registered, the spokesperson said.
With
the arrest, he said, the police has busted a TRF module.
TRF
is believed to be a shadow group of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
"Dar
has a history of involvement in terror activities and has four cases registered
against him. Initial investigation reveals that he is working for TRF. The role
of his associate is also being ascertained," the official said.
He
said Jammu police was investigating the case to unearth the network of
associates providing support to terror activities.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/two-trf-terrorists-arrested-in-jammu-arms-ammunition-seized/articleshow/79962396.cms
--------
Entire
Taliban brass based in Pak, says its chief negotiator
Dec
26, 2020
NEW
DELHI: The disclosure by Mullah Baradar, the chief Taliban negotiator in the intra-Afghan
peace talks, in a video that the entire Taliban leadership is based in Pakistan
and that no decision is taken without their advice has exacerbated India’s
concerns about the role of ISI in the peace process.
The
Afghan govt described the development in a statement on Friday as one that
posed a serious challenge to the goal of achieving sustainable peace as closure
of training camps in Pakistan is vital for peaceful resolution of the
Afghanistan situation.
A
series of videos had emerged on Thursday showing visiting Taliban
representatives, led by Baradar in Pakistan, disclosing the existence of all
Taliban leaders in Pakistan and acknowledging their continued activities on
Pakistani territory. They were also seen in the videos visiting training camps,
as the Afghanistan foreign ministry confirmed on Friday.
While
backing the latest peace process, involving direct talks between the Afghan
government and Taliban for the first time, India has repeatedly laid stress on
the need to ensure that there are no ungoverned spaces left in the country for
terrorist activities. External affairs minister S Jaishankar said, while
expressing support for the intra-Afghan talks in September, that India’s
expectation was that the soil of Afghanistan will never be used for any
anti-India activity.
Baradar’s
comments in Karachi are significant for India as these reject the understanding
that the ISI no longer enjoys the kind of influence with the Taliban that it
did earlier. It confirms India’s fears about Taliban terror machinery
continuing to function with impunity from Pakistan and about its links with
terror groups like LeT and JeM.
India
remains an important stakeholder in the war-ravaged country with its
developmental work worth billions of dollars.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/entire-taliban-brass-based-in-pak-says-its-chief-negotiator/articleshow/79961148.cms
--------
2
terrorists killed in encounter in J-K’s Shopian, operation underway
Edited
by Deepali Sharma
Dec
26, 2020
Two
unidentified terrorists have been killed in an encounter that broke out at
Kanigam area of Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir Zone Police has
said.
Security
forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area in south Kashmir
following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police
official said. He said as the forces were conducting searches, militants fired
upon them. The forces retaliated and an encounter ensued.
The
operation began on Friday night following specific inputs. Two army jawans were
also injured in the operation last night, ANI quoted Dilbagh Singh, DG, J-K
Police as saying. The two terrorists neutralized today belonged to Al-Badr,
while the operation is still underway there is no casualty from our side, he
added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/2-militants-killed-in-shopian-encounter-operation-underway/story-1MtPGs9sNjf8K2EK9fPlYN.html
--------
Madhya
Pradesh cabinet approves Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020
Edited
by Prashasti Singh
Dec
26, 2020
Madhya
Pradesh cabinet on Saturday approved the Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom)
Bill 2020. The controversial ordinance outlaws marriages with an aim of
religious conversions.
“Under
the new Bill, forcing religious conversion on someone will attract 1-5 years of
imprisonment and a minimum Rs 25,000 fine,” said state home minister Narottam
Mishra.
Chief
minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while batting for the bill, had called it his
government’s Beti Bachao Abhiyan or save the daughter mission. No one will be
able to convert anyone from one religion to another through marriage or “any
other fraudulent means by seducing or intimidating anyone” if the bill was
passed, he had said.
“Government
belongs to everyone, all religions and castes. There is no discrimination but
if someone tries to do anything disgusting with our daughters, then I’ll break
you,” the chief minister had added.
This
approval comes after Uttar Pradesh’s governor’s assent to the UP Prohibition of
Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, against forcible or fraudulent
religious conversions last month.
Section
3 of the bill states anyone found guilty of abetment to religious conversion
shall face imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs
25,000. Attempt to hide one’s religion will be punishable by imprisonment of
three to 10 years and a fine of at least Rs 50,000.
If
a minor or a woman from Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste categories is
forced into conversion, the perpetrator will be imprisoned for two to 10 years
and fined up to Rs 50,000. Blood relatives of victims of such religious
conversion can file a complaint, the bill further states.
Provision
for the imprisonment of five to 10 years and fine of at least Rs 100,000 is
being made for attempting mass religious conversion (of two or more persons).
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/madhya-pradesh-cabinet-approves-dharma-swatantrya-religious-freedom-bill-2020/story-V2aFPFRxQmzmA4k8qQUd1H.html
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Foreign Office asks Canadian Govt. To Probe Karima Baloch’s Death
26
Dec 2020
QUETTA:
The Foreign Office has requested the Canadian government to conduct an
investigation into Karima Baloch’s death and sought its inquiry report, said
Adviser to Balochistan Chief Minister on Information and Parliamentary
Secretary Bushra Rind on Friday.
While
expressing grief over the tragic death of Ms Baloch, former chairperson of BSO
Azad, in Canada, Ms Rind said it was the Canadian government’s responsibility
to provide protection to the Pakistani citizen as she had taken political
asylum there.
Addressing
a joint press conference along with Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Shaina
Khan and other women leaders, Ms Rind disclosed that the Canadian police had
arrested two suspects in connection with the case. The suspects had been
shifted to an unknown place for interrogation, she added, while requesting the
authorities concerned to share the inquiry report with Pakistan.
CM’s
adviser says BAP will take part in Senate polls
She
also expressed the hope that justice would be done.
The
adviser said the Balochistan government through Islamabad had contacted the
Canadian government to bring her body back. “We are also in contact with the
family of the deceased and the government will extend all help and cooperation
to the family in returning of Karima’s body,” Ms Rind said.
On
the occasion, Ms Rind also criticised the politics of the 11-party opposition
alliance and said they were deceiving the people who had rejected them as their
politics was exposed. She described the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) plan
of resigning from the assemblies as a “drama to deceive people”.
“If
they are serious about their decision, then why are they not submitting
resignations to the speaker and are waiting for Senate elections?” Ms Rind
questioned and added they knew that if they resigned from the assemblies they
could not win the election as people had rejected their politics.
She
said the leaders of the PDM through such politics only wanted to protect their
ill-gotten money. She said that Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) would fully take
part in the upcoming Senate election. In this regard, several decisions were
taken at a recent meeting of the party, which was chaired by Chief Minister Jam
Kamal Khan.
Referring
to Christmas and the birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the
adviser said that both days had great importance. It was the Quaid’s leadership
that resulted in the creation of Pakistan in which non-Muslims were enjoying
religious, political and social freedom. In this connection, she said, the role
of armed forces of Pakistan could not be forgotten.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597853/canadian-govt-asked-to-probe-karimas-death
--------
Is
China Slowly Turning Its Back On BRI Projects In Pakistan?
Dec
25, 2020
NEW
DELHI: China is slowly backing away from its multi-billion dollar Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) commitments in Pakistan amid concerns over Islamabad's
spiraling debt, series of corruption scandals and rising security costs,
according to a report on Asia Times.
According
to Asia Times, only 32 out of the 122 projects under CPEC have been completed
till the third quarter of this fiscal year.
With
China drastically tightening its purse strings, several important CPEC projects
are now either stalled or running way behind schedule.
Not
only in Pakistan, has China’s BRI lending to other nations declined
significantly in the past few years.
Data
compiled by Boston University researchers shows that overall lending by the
state-backed China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China has
come down from a peak of $75 billion in 2016 to just $4 billion last year, the
report said. Estimates for 2020 show that this amount has further shrunk to $3
billion.
Beijing's
rethink
The
report said that several factors, ranging from high-profile corruption scandals
to Pakistan's overborrowing, might have forced China to look away from its own
flagship projects in the country.
According
to Boston University research, the belt-tightening is in line with China's
"rethink strategy" for its $1 trillion BRI projects, which have been
criticised globally due to opacity, corruption, risk of poor countries slipping
into debt distress and severe social as well as environmental impacts.
The
report said that Beijing is particularly riled at the fact that Chinese
companies involved in the projects have entangled themselves in various
corruption scandals, especially in the power sector.
"A
recent inquiry conducted by the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan
found irregularities worth over $1.8 billion in the power sector, with 16
mostly Chinese firms involved in the CPEC receiving undue subsidies and causing
huge financial losses to the national exchequer," the report said.
China's
trade war with the US could be another major factor behind a shift in its
global lending strategy, according to Asia Times.
A
debt crisis in making
Pakistan
is fast moving towards a debt crisis and that could be another big reason why
CPEC’s future is shrouded in uncertainty. According to the report, Pakistan's
debt-to-GDP ratio has touched a high of 107% and a higher debt profile is
likely to trigger national security concerns.
For
instance, the 1,872-kilometer-long railway line project is moving at a snail’s
pace due to China’s reluctance to fund it at a paltry 1% return on investment.
China is also reportedly unhappy with the Pakistan government’s decision to
trim the project’s cost from $8.2 billion to $6.2 billion due to its rising
debt load.
Paradoxically,
China's own projects are a big contributor to the debt mess Pakistan is
currently facing.
A
report by the Center for Global Development had pointed out that Pakistan is
among the eight countries most at risk of falling into debt distress due to
China's BRI projects. It said that the majority of Pakistan's external debt is
owed to China due to BRI lending.
In
its recent report, the Institute of Policy Reforms (IPR), a Lahore-based
think-tank, said that Pakistan has slipped into a debt trap due to the
government’s "failure to bring reforms and weak fiscal management.”
Military
grip over CPEC
Debt
concerns notwithstanding, Pakistan has been pulling out all the stops to
protect Chinese investments as it seeks to revive its sagging economy.
Recently,
Pakistan passed a bill in Parliament to give its powerful military near-total
control over the CPEC projects.
The
report said that the move was aimed at allaying China's security concerns since
militants in Balochistan have intensified their attacks on CPEC projects and
Chinese nationals working on them.
Sources
in Pakistan's planning ministry had earlier told Asia Times that China wanted
the Pakistan army to be directly involved in CPEC to expedite the pace of the
projects.
Growing
concerns in Pakistan
The
drying up of Chinese funds have severely impacted the pace of the CPEC
projects, most of which were already running behind schedule.
According
to the report, the slow pace of big-ticket projects figured high in a meeting
last month between Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and
newly-appointed Chinese ambassador Nong Rong.
"During
the meeting, Qureshi stressed the economic need for prompt completion of CPEC
projects at a time the Pakistan economy staggers under the pandemic. In
particular, he underlined the slow progress on the railway and at Gwadar port,
where China is constructing an international airport, building an LNG facility
and upgrading facilities to dock larger vessels," the report said.
Meanwhile,
both China and Pakistan are now reportedly looking for prospective foreign
investors to speed up the work on the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) promised
under CPEC.
The
report said that China was earlier reluctant to invite non-Chinese companies to
invest in the SEZs but the situation has changed with the dried up financing.
"Barring
the Gwadar zone, the Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Punjab, and Rashakai
Economic Zone in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the other seven SEZs are either
still in pre-feasibility or post-feasibility stages with no tangible
development on the ground," the report said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/is-china-slowly-turning-its-back-on-bri-projects-in-pakistan/articleshow/79954755.cms
--------
JUI-F
expels disgruntled Sherani, three others
Kalbe
Ali
26
Dec 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) on Friday announced termination of the basic
membership of four senior party leaders for deviating from party policies, with
all JUI-F workers being warned against making any contact with them.
While
announcing the decisions that the party’s disciplinary committee took on
Thursday, JUI-F central spokesman Mohammad Aslam Ghori said the basic
membership of former chairman Council of Islamic Ideology Maulana Mohammad Khan
Sherani, former senator Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, both belonging to Balochistan; and
Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan hailing from Dir and Maulana Shujaul Mulk from Mardan
had been terminated.
He
said Maulana Sherani, Hafiz Ahmed, Maulana Gul Naseeb and Maulana Shujaul Mulk
were expelled from the party for deviating from the JUI-F’s policies.
The
disciplinary committee of the party’s Central Majlis-i-Shura, chaired by
Maulana Abdul Qayyum Halijvi, unanimously decided to terminate the membership
of the four leaders, he said, adding that the decision was later ratified by
the JUI-F Majlis-i-Aamla, which was chaired by senior naib emir Maulana
Mohammad Yousuf, while the provincial chiefs of the party also participated in
the meeting.
The
Majlis-i-Aamla meeting was held in Islamabad soon after the meeting of the
disciplinary committee.
Maulana
Halijvi is the chairman of the seven-member disciplinary committee that
comprises Agha Ayub Shah, Maulana Abdul Wasay, Maulana Abdul Hakim Akbari,
Maulana Abdul Rehman, Mufti Rozi Khan and Malik Faiz Mohammad.
A
senior member of the party said the final decision had been made after repeated
warnings to the four leaders, who had been speaking openly against party chief
Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his policies.
“Hafiz
Hussain Ahmed was given the last chance for a hearing even on Thursday after
the decision of the disciplinary committee but he did not respond,” the party
official said.
Sources
in the party said the disciplinary committee had gone to Quetta around a month
ago and met Hafiz Ahmed to know his concerns. He was requested not to come out
in media over party matters and observe party discipline. “But he did not
adhere to it and did not pick the phone when the maulana wanted to go to his
house to condole the death of his mother,” the party official said.
“Similarly,
Maulana Fazlur Rehman had also gone to the house of Maulana Sherani in Bara
Kahu Islamabad to condole the demise of one of the relatives of Maulana Sherani
and he even went to the house of Gul Naseeb in Dir on way to Chitral during
recent country public rallies.”
The
official said there were continuous reports that all the persons led by Maulana
Sherani were engaged in lobbying against the party leadership.
Will
not surrender: Fazl In his media talk in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday, Maulana
Fazl said the party was fighting against the incompetent government.
“It
is agreed that the government should go,” he said, adding that he was not like
General Niazi to lay down arms and surrender.
Responding
to a question related to the decision of disciplinary committee of the party,
Maulana Fazl said it was an internal party decision taken after fulfilling the
requirements.
He
alleged that Maulana Sherani had the backing of power brokers to recognise
Israel. “The establishment and the PTI government was supporting Maulana
Sherani’s statements,” he added.
On
the occasion, he also announced that there would be a rally titled, “Death to
Israel” in Karachi in the month of January 2021.
Also,
the Maulana said: “PML-Functional was the B team of the Establishment.”
While
addressing a press conference in Islamabad earlier on Thursday, Maulana Abdul
Ghafoor Haideri had blamed the establishment over all the corruption cases
against the JUI-F chief. “We know that NAB is nothing and the government is
powerless,” he added.
“If
the harassment against Maulana Fazlur Rehman does not end we will hold a
protest demonstration in front of GHQ,” he said.
Later,
federal ministers Senator Shibli Faraz and Ali Amin Gandapur too held a press
conference at the press information department and lashed out at Maulana
Fazl-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for making an undemocratic and
unconstitutional demand.
“They
are asking for the dissolution of the elected government that has come to power
through fair and free elections,” Senator Faraz said, adding that they did not
have proof of any misdoings in the 2018 elections. “If there is any, why [they
did] not bring that forward?”
He
said the whole PDM was only to protect the ill-gotten money of leaders of the
opposition parties.
Senator
Faraz said: “Instead of serving Islam in the name of conducting politics under
the banner of religion, maulana was only making money from this platform like
other political parties.”
Federal
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur said what
he had been saying about Maulana Fazl was being endorsed by the seniors members
of the JUI-F.
“Instead
of responding to the accusations, Maulana Fazl has started hurling threats at
the state institutions,” the minister said, adding that Maulana Sherani too had
claimed that Fazlur Rehman was minting money in the name of party ticket. He
alleged the Maulana had acted like a political blackmailer for gains from
successive governments while those objecting to his conduct were being shown
the door.
He
added that the Maulana was not acting like a democrat but like a fascist.
Mr
Gandapur said he would soon make public the evidence of benami assets of worth
billions of rupees of the JUI-F leadership.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597849/jui-f-expels-disgruntled-sherani-three-others
--------
PML-N
denies sending officials to Israel
26
Dec 2020
LAHORE:
PML-N Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has rejected the reports of
party Quaid Nawaz Sharif’s sending a delegation to Israel during his tenure as
premier.
“No
such contact was established during the PML-N tenure,” she said in a statement.
“No
PML-N government official ever visited Israel. Such statements can only be
responded to by wishing God’s wrath over the liars who make up such
falsehoods,” she said.
She
said that by spreading such disinformation was not just causing harm to the
PML-N but was seriously damaging national interest and integrity.
“Nawaz
Sharif and the PML-N are the guardians of Quid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s
ideological stance over Kashmir, Israel and Palestine and will never compromise
on these principles,” she said and added the same people who tried their best
but failed to dubb Nawaz an Indian agent, were now cooking up new stories to
hide their foreign policy blunders.
“The
PTI sold off Kashmir and has the audacity of demonising PML-N and Nawaz Sharif.
The news of the PTI cabinet minister going to Israel is hot in local and
international media and the PTI has the audacity of vilifying Nawaz Sharif? You
imposed a hoard of incompetent, corrupt liars on the country and blame Nawaz
for the results of your failed governance. The PTI destroyed the national
economy while butchering Pakistanis worth skyrocketing inflation and has the
guts to accuse PMLN,” she lambasted.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597910/pml-n-denies-sending-officials-to-israel
--------
Europe
Billion-dollar
Captagon pills seized in Italy smuggled by Hezbollah, not ISIS: Report
25
December 2020
Italian
authorities confirmed that nearly 15 tons of smuggled Captagon amphetamine
pills seized last year appeared to have originated from the Iran-backed Lebanese
Hezbollah group and not ISIS, according to the Italian Nova news agency.
A
Naples prosecutor said the financial value of the confiscated drugs amounted to
about one billion dollars.
Italian
authorities previously believed that ISIS was behind the drug smuggling
operation but investigations showed that the Syrian regime and Hezbollah were
behind it.
The
drugs were contained in three suspicious containers that included papers
intended for industrial use and iron wheels.
As
part of an investigation broadcast by the BBC, the Italian Financial Crimes
Unit provided details of the shipment, saying that it arrived from Syria and
was seized last summer in an operation described as the largest of its kind.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/25/Billion-dollar-Hezbollah-Captagon-shipment-seized-in-Italy
--------
European
Union warns Turkey over journalist Can Dundar jail sentence
26
December 2020
The
European Union on Friday warned Turkey that a heavy jail sentence imposed on
journalist Can Dundar harmed both human rights in the country and Ankara’s
relations with Brussels.
A
Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced the exiled former editor-in-chief of the
respected Cumhuriyet daily to more than 27 years in jail on espionage and
terror charges.
Can
Dundar fled to Germany in 2016 after a failed coup the Turkish government
blames on US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.
“The
European Union has repeatedly conveyed its serious concerns about continued
negative developments as regards the rule of law, fundamental rights and the
judiciary in Turkey,” a statement issued by the EU’s external affairs arm said.
“The
decision of a Turkish Court to sentence journalist Can Dundar for what is his
fundamental right to freedom of expression and (businessman) Osman Kavala’s
continuous pre-trial detention go, regrettably, in the opposite direction,” it
said.
“As
a candidate (member) country and long-standing member of the Council of Europe,
Turkey urgently needs to make concrete and sustained progress in the respect of
fundamental rights, which are a cornerstone of EU-Turkey relations,” it added.
Relations
between the EU and Turkey have been badly strained over a host of issues in
recent years and Brussels was notably critical of President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s harsh post-coup crackdown.
There
are regular exchanges, especially over human rights, which Ankara says reflect
EU double-standards and amount to interference in its internal affairs.
Turkey’s
EU membership application meanwhile has stalled amid the resulting acrimony.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/26/European-Union-warns-Turkey-over-journalist-Can-Dundar-jail-sentence-
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German
funds for 'While Helmets' may end up in terrorists' hands, Russia warns
25
December 2020
Russia
has lashed out at the government of Germany for providing material support for
the so-called aid group White Helmets, which is notorious for giving support to
anti-Syria militant and terrorist groups.
Russian
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Thursday that the material
support, provided by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany to the
pseudo-humanitarian "White Helmets" organization, could be used for
funding terrorists.
Her
comments came after the German Foreign Office announced that it had allocated 5
million euro in aid for the notorious organization.
"It
remains unclear, for the German public as well, what part of those funds went
to the support of cooperation between the pseudo-humanitarian crews with
terrorists in the northeastern Syria," the Russian spokeswoman said.
Zakharova
said it is easy to get lost in the accounting of Germany’s sponsorship of the
White Helmet.
It
becomes more and more difficult to draw a line between supporting humanitarian
tasks and providing support for the terrorists, blatantly glorified by Berlin,
the diplomat said.
She
also said the German Foreign Office seeks to present the White Helmets to the
Syrians as a symbol of hope.
"The
German Foreign Ministry has, apparently, completely tossed away all hesitation
and more and more acts as the primary promoter and sponsor of the White
Helmets," she noted.
In
July, Zakharova had said White Helmets members continued to collude with
foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists in Syria, and were involved in acts of
looting and robbery under the guise of humanitarian activities.
“Western
sponsors have not yet abandoned their support for the White Helmets and its
affiliated outfits. We have repeatedly pointed to the fact that the
humanitarian label of the group actually lies in plunder, extortion, robbery,
intentional misinformation, false-flag chemical attacks, air and artillery
strikes, and simply direct collusion with terrorism,” she said at the time.
Earlier
this year, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey
Naryshkin said Western intelligence services were sponsoring White Helmets and
offering complete support to them to propagate fake news in a bid to
incriminate Syrian government forces as a pretext for possible acts of
aggression on army troops.
“The
White Helmets is an organization financed by intelligence services overseas… It
is fulfilling their objective within the framework of a propaganda campaign
against the Syrian people, and the Syrian Arab Republic at large,” the
high-ranking Russian official said.
The
White Helmets group is known for its coordination with terror outfits in Syria
to carry out staged chemical attacks aimed at falsely incriminating the Syrian
government forces and inventing pretexts for possible acts of aggression on
army troops by a United States-led military coalition present in Syria since
roughly 2014.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641491/Russia-germany-support-white-helmets-syria
--------
Mideast
Turkey
wants better ties with Israel as talks continue between two sides: Erdogan
25
December 2020
President
Recap Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey would like to have better ties
with Israel, adding that talks at intelligence level continued between the two
sides.
The
two countries have had a bitter falling out in recent years, despite strong
commercial ties, expelling ambassadors in 2018. Ankara has repeatedly condemned
Israel's occupation in the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians.
“We
are having issues with people at the top level,” Erdogan told reporters in
Istanbul after Friday prayers. “If there were no issues at the top level, our
ties could have been very different," he said, adding that Israel's
policies on Palestine were "unacceptable.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/25/Turkey-wants-better-ties-with-Israel-as-talks-continue-between-two-sides-Erdogan
--------
Iran
executes ethnic Baluch militant for shooting death of two IRGC guards
26
December 2020
Iran
executed an ethnic Baluch militant on Saturday for the shooting death of two
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) guards five years ago, the
judiciary’s official news website Mizan reported.
It
said Abdulhamid Mir Baluchzehi, known as Owais, one of the perpetrators of the
2015 operation, “was hanged this morning after legal procedures” in Zahedan in
the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province.
It
said Mir Baluchzehi was a principle members of the Sunni extremist group Jaish
al-Adl, or the Army of Justice, and was charged with “armed action against the
country and membership in anti-regime groups.”
The
impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders Afghanistan and
Pakistan, has long been the scene of frequent clashes between security forces
and Sunni militants and drug smugglers. The population of the province is
predominantly Sunni Muslim, while most Iranians are Shia.
Jaish
al-Adl, which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for
ethnic minority Baluchis, has claimed responsibility for several attacks in
recent years on Iranian security forces in the province.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/26/Iran-executes-ethnic-Baluch-militant-for-shooting-death-of-two-IRGC-guards
--------
Netanyahu
speaks with Morocco’s king, invites him to Israel
26
December 2020
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday with Morocco’s King Mohammed
VI and invited him to visit Israel, Netanyahu’s office said.
The
two leaders spoke about moving forward with a US-brokered agreement announced
earlier this month to normalize bilateral ties, according to the Israeli
statement.
Netanyahu
also thanked King Mohammed for hosting an official Israeli delegation this
week.
King
Mohammed underscored the close ties between the Moroccan Jewish community and
the monarchy, the Royal Court said in a statement.
While
welcoming the resumption of relations with Israel, the King said Morocco’s
position regarding Palestine remains unchanged.
Rabat
advocates the two-state solution and the unique character of Jerusalem as a
city of three religions.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/26/Netanyahu-speaks-with-Morocco-s-king-invites-him-to-Israel
--------
Houthis
beat pregnant Yemeni mother to death in front of children in Ibb: Activists
Ismaeel
Naar
December
26, 2020
Houthi
militants have reportedly beat a pregnant mother to death in Ibb in front of
her four children while attempting a house raid to arrest her husband,
according to activists.
Local
Yemeni media said the attack took place on Thursday when Houthi militants
arriving in an armored vehicle stormed the house of the woman identified Ahlam
al-Ashari in the al-Odain district in the Ibb province of Yemen.
The
29-year-old mother was severely beaten in various parts of her body and
sustained several deep wounds to her head and face, which led to her death
immediately after she was transferred to al-Odain Hospital in order to treat
her, according to local Yemeni media outlets.
The
Taiz Center for Human Rights has called for urgent investigations into the
murder of the young mother and holds the Houthis accountable for her death.
“The
center stresses the need to uncover the circumstances of the case, prosecute
the perpetrators and stop the repeated tampering and the successive attacks on
human rights. This crime is a violation of all international norms and laws and
human rights, and reflects the terrible collapse of rights and freedoms in the
areas under the control of the militia coup and the increasing number of crimes
committed by the Houthi security forces,” read a statement released by the
center.
The
victim's father, Ali Abdulkarim al-Ashari confirmed in a complaint published by
activists on social media that armed men from the al-Odain Security Department
stormed his daughter's house and attacked her and her children, which led to
her death.
The
victim's husband appeared in a video in distress and seeking help.
“Where
are those claiming to support the oppressed. They killed the mother of my
children. My children have become orphans. Where is the ‘master’ who claims to
support justice,” the husband said, referring to the Houthi leader Abdulmalik
al-Houthi.
Last
year, a rights group said that the Houthi militia in Yemen are holding dozens
of women without bringing them to trial or charging them with a crime, often
torturing the detainees and blackmailing their families.
An
Associated Press investigation last December showed that thousands of Yemenis
have been imprisoned by the Houthi militia during the five years of Yemen's
war. Many of them suffered extreme torture - being smashed in their faces with
batons, hung from chains by their wrists or genitals for weeks at a time, and
scorched with acid.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/12/25/Houthis-beat-pregnant-Yemeni-mother-to-death-in-front-of-children-in-Ibb-Activists
--------
Palestinian
ministry urges UN Security Council to act against Israeli settler violence
26
December 2020
The
Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has called upon the UN
Security Council to assume its responsibilities and stop Israeli settler
violence, as extremist Israeli settlers continue their acts of vandalism and
violence, known as price tag attacks, against Palestinians and their
properties.
The
ministry, in a statement released on Friday, announced that acts of violence
committed by Israeli settlers recorded a sharp increase last week, and they are
not just aimed at terrorizing defenseless Palestinians in the occupied West
Bank, but also seek to advance the Tel Aviv regime’s expansionism at the
expense of Palestinian land expropriation.
The
statement noted that Israeli attacks on Palestinian public and private
properties have mostly taken place south, east and west of the northern West
Bank city of Nablus.
The
Israeli settlers and organizations supporting them are pressing ahead with a
greater settlement bloc in the mentioned area, and such bids prevent any
possibility for the creation of a viable and geographically contiguous
Palestinian state, the ministry pointed out.
The
statement noted that settler attacks fall within the framework of Israel’s
objective to effectively annex all sections of Area C, which represents 60
percent of the West Bank and is under the regime’s full control.
The
Palestinian Foreign Ministry then held the Tel Aviv regime and the outgoing
administration of US President Donald Trump responsible for the spike in the
Israeli settler violence, which it said would prevent any chance for the
so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Late
on Thursday, a group of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles near the
village of al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of
Nablus. They also tried to attack Palestinian homes in the area.
Israeli
settlers had uprooted dozens of olive trees from a Palestinian grove east of Yatta
city, located approximately 8 kilometers south of al-Khalil (Hebron), earlier
in the day.
Local
official Rateb al-Jabour said settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of
Ma’on stole some 35 olive trees.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967
Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem al-Quds.
The
UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the
occupied territories in several resolutions.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/26/641528/Palestine-urges-UN-Security-Council-to-act-against-Israeli-settler-violence
--------
Israeli
fighter jets conduct fresh airstrikes against positions in besieged Gaza Strip
26
December 2020
Israeli
warplanes have conducted fresh airstrikes against the besieged Gaza Strip,
targeting several localities in the impoverished Palestinian enclave.
The
Israeli military said in a statement that its fighter jets had struck at least
three targets belonging to the Hamas resistance movement, including a military
post, a factory that purportedly manufactures rockets, and an underground
facility, on Friday night.
The
Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency said the Israeli strikes hit the central
part of the blockaded enclave.
There
were no immediate reports of casualties from Gazan authorities.
The
Israeli military claimed that the airstrikes were “carried out in response to
rockets fired from the Gaza Strip" into the occupied territories a few
hours earlier.
It
added that the two rockets were purportedly intercepted and caused no
casualties but triggered sirens in the southern city of Ashkelon and nearby
communities, and sent settlers into shelters.
The
Israeli regime every so often launches strikes against positions in Gaza Strip,
accusing the resistance groups in the territory of launching rockets.
Gaza
has been under an Israeli siege since June 2007.
Since
2008, Israel has waged three wars against Gaza, where two million Palestinians
live under a 12-year Israeli blockade from air, sea, and land. Thousands of
Gazans have been killed in each of these deadly wars.
The
crippling blockade has caused a decline in the standard of living as well as
unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty in the Gaza Strip.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/26/641525/Palestine-airstrikes-Israel-Gaza-Strip-Hamas
--------
Dozens
of Palestinian protesters injured by Israeli forces
25
December 2020
Dozens
of Palestinians have been injured as Israeli forces continue to crack down on anti-settlement
protests in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli
forces fired tear gas at people taking part in a rally in the village of Beit
Dajan, east of Nablus City, on Friday, leaving dozens of people suffering
breathing difficulties.
Also
on Friday, clashes erupted between Israeli forces and locals who had taken part
in a rally in Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah City, to protest against a settler
unit that had been built in the village a few days earlier.
An
unspecified number of protesters were hit by rubber bullets and dozens of
others suffered breathing difficulties due to inhaling tear gas fired by the
Israeli troops.
Palestinian
media reports said Israeli forces prevented Palestinian ambulances from
approaching the scene of the clashes in Deir Jarir and from rescuing the
wounded.
Israeli
forces also suppressed a protest near the town of Salfit.
They
used sound bombs and tear gas against protesters and prevented them from
reaching land that is threatened with seizure by Israel in the area of al-Ras,
near Salfit.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds.
Since
US President Donald Trump took office in December 2016, Israel has stepped up
its settlement expansion activities in defiance of United Nations Security
Council Resolution 2334, which pronounces settlements in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law.”
All
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on
occupied land.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641504/Dozens-of-Palestinian-protesters-injured-by-Israeli-forces
--------
Human
rights groups join Facebook to fight Israeli spyware maker NSO
25
December 2020
A
coalition of human rights and press freedom groups has filed a brief supporting
Facebook Inc.’s lawsuit against the Israeli surveillance technology company NSO
Group, stating that the firm prioritizes profits over human rights.
On
Wednesday, eight organizations, including internet rights group Access Now,
Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect
Journalists and the Internet Freedom Foundation, submitted an amicus brief to
the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco,
noting that NSO's Pegasus hacking tool is “an insidious spyware product, and
many of NSO’s customers are repressive regimes that use Pegasus for insidious
ends.”
“Granting
NSO immunity would not just undermine fundamental international legal
protections for privacy, free expression, and association, it would seriously
undermine civil society,” the amicus brief said.
Facebook
last year launched a lawsuit against NSO Group, accusing the company of
reverse-engineering and subverting its popular WhatsApp instant messaging
service to send spyware to the devices of approximately 1,400 people, including
attorneys, journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents
worldwide in order to steal information from the users.
NSO
Group is now trying to overturn a federal court decision that allowed the case
to proceed.
Natalia
Krapiva, legal counsel for Access Now, said NSO's hacking of WhatsApp “has
enormous human costs.”
“The
attack invaded the victims' privacy, damaged their reputation, and continues to
endanger their work and livelihoods,” she said in a statement.
Krapiva
added, “NSO actively facilitated targeting of these individuals, and the notion
that they should now escape accountability in US courts because they were
'following orders' of dictators defeats any notion of justice.”
On
Monday, a group of technology giants including Microsoft Corp., Dell, Google
and Cisco Systems Inc. filed a similar brief that warned that NSO's hacking
tools posed a danger to the safety of users across the internet.
The
companies argued that granting NSO Group immunity would “further encourage the
burgeoning cyber surveillance industry to develop, sell and use tools to
exploit vulnerabilities in violation of US law.”
The
companies said they were concerned that NSO Group’s spyware tools could
ultimately be obtained by “malicious actors other than the initial customer,”
whom they said could use the technology to “cripple infrastructure, commit
large-scale financial crime, or cause other catastrophic damage.”
Separately,
the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, lodged another
amicus brief, saying NSO had become “notorious for facilitating human rights
abuses.”
NSO
Group is well-known for selling hacking software to government clients.
According
to the Israeli company’s marketing materials, once Pegasus has been covertly
placed on a mobile phone, it can gather information about the device’s
location, access its camera, microphone and internal hard drive, and record
emails, phone calls and text messages.
The
software had also been used to hack into the WhatsApp account of prominent
dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally murdered and
dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641486/Human-rights-groups-join-Facebook-to-fight-Israeli-spyware-maker-NSO
--------
South
Asia
Problems
will remain till Rohingya Muslim refugees return to Myanmar: BGB DG
25th
December 2020
Guwahati,
Dec 25 : The problem of Rohingya Muslim refugees is a big one and unless they
return to Myanmar, the problem will remain for India and other countries,
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Shafeenul Islam said
here on Friday after the five-day meeting with his Border Security Force (BSF)
counterpart Rakesh Asthana.
Islam
said that Rohingya Muslims are not only found in India, they are found across
the world including countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
“The
Rohingya Muslim refugee problem would be solved when they would go back to
their country, Myanmar, at the earliest otherwise the problem would remain for
India and other countries,” the BGB DG said.
He
said: “We are regularly nabbing the Rohingyas at the border, escaping from the
Cox’s Bazar camps. There are Rohingya settlements as well. They also have UNHCR
cards. They always try to get inside… To meet their relatives in the Bangladesh
camps.”
Asthana
said that Rohingya Muslims are being occasionally caught in different parts of
the country by the state security forces.
“Both
BSF and BGB are committed to stop their infiltration and exfiltration and we
are taking action not only against the Rohingyas, but also against all illegal
trespassers,” the BSF head said.
A
senior BSF officer said that in the all important five-day Border Coordination
Conference (BCC), BSF chief Asthana led the 12-member delegation while the
11-member BGB team was headed by Islam. The DG level meeting or the BCC between
the BSF and BGB was held first time outside the national capital.
Rohingyas
from refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh often enter into the northeastern
states of India illegally in search of jobs or get trapped in human
trafficking.
According
to the security officials, at least 35 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, including
women and children, have been detained in the past one month for illegally
entering into northeast India.
Over
7,38,000 Rohingyas from Rakhine in western Myanmar have taken shelter in the
camps in Cox’s Bazar since the beginning of the ethinic troubles on August 25,
2017, following a wave of violence and persecution, which has been described by
the United Nations as attempted ethnic cleansing.
Four
northeastern states – Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland
(215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) – share 1,643 km unfenced borders with Myanmar
while Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km)
share 1,880 km borders with Bangladesh.
https://www.siasat.com/problems-will-remain-till-rohingya-muslim-refugees-return-to-myanmar-bgb-dg-2053406/
--------
Two
Afghan army officers killed by roadside bomb
26
Dec 2020
KABUL:
At least two Afghan army officers including a battalion commander were killed
on Friday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in the northern Balkh
province, the military said.
Hanif
Rezaie, a spokesman for the army in the country’s north, said Capt Mohammad
Qasim Paikar and another officer were killed and two other soldiers were
wounded in the explosion, which took place between Balkh and Char Bolak
districts.
The
attack was the latest amid relentless violence in Afghanistan even as Taliban
and Afghan government negotiators hold talks in Qatar, trying to hammer out a
peace deal that could put an end to decades of war.
No
one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s bombing. Rezaie blamed the
Taliban, who are active in both districts and regularly launch attacks against
Afghan security forces.
Elsewhere,
the Taliban announced the release of 30 imprisoned Afghan security personnel on
Thursday in the southern Kandahar province’s Panjwai district.
This
is the first batch of prisoners released by the Taliban since the start of
direct peace talks with the Afghan government in September.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, a spokesman for the group, did not provide further details about the
freed prisoners, but it appeared the decision was based on an order from the
Taliban’s leadership.
Earlier
this year, the government freed more than 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange
for the Taliban releasing around 1,000 Afghan security forces.
The
prisoner swap was part of the terms of a separate US-Taliban deal signed in
February.
Violence
in Afghanistan has spiked even amid the Taliban and Afghan government peace
negotiations in Qatar, which after some recent procedural progress have been
suspended until early January. There’s speculation the resumption could be
further delayed.
At
the same time, the Taliban have continued their insurgency against government
forces while keeping their promise not to attack US and Nato troops. The
Taliban have also waged bitter battles against the militant Islamic State
group, particularly in eastern Afghanistan.
The
IS affiliate in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in
the capital of Kabul in recent months, including on educational institutions
that killed 50 people, most of them students.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597867/two-afghan-army-officers-killed-by-roadside-bomb
--------
Chinese
Spy Ring Busted In Afghanistan, 10 Detained
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
26
Dec 2020
Afghan
National Directorate of Security has busted 10 Chinese citizens over espionage,
these detainees are linked to a Chinese spy agency, Hindustan Times reported.
These
Chinese spy agency members were caught for operating a terror cell in the
capital of Kabul city, this crackdown turned a huge embarrassment for Beijing,
as the Chinese government demanded to put the matter at rest, diplomats and
security officials told the Hindustan Times.
The
crackdown had started on December 10th and 10 Chinese citizens were captured by
the NDS, these individuals were linked to running a terror cell, espionage, and
served China’s spy agency.
Chinese
spy activities in Afghanistan were the first-ever recorded, it is the first
time Afghanistan has detained Chinese spy operators.
Two
of these captured Chinese nationals were in direct contact with the Haqqani
Network, a senior diplomat told Hindustan times.
Li
Yangyang and Sha Hung, two Chinese spy operatives were in contact with Haqqani
Network to gather information about Al-Qaeda, Taliban, and Uyghurs in Kunar and
Badakhshan provinces, Eursian Times said in a report.
Li
was arrested in his home in the western part of Kabul in Kart-e-Chahar, he was
operating for the Chinese intelligence since July-August.
Eurasia
indicated that Sha Hung was also running a restaurant in the Shirpur area of
Kabul city.
Hindustan
Times said President Ashraf Ghani was briefed in regards to the detentions, and
the First Vice President, Amrullah Saleh, was given the authority to oversee
the investigation.
Chinese
ambassador to Kabul, Wang Yu was asked to be briefed on the detentions, Afghan
government demanded a formal apology that admits to the violation of
international norms.
The
detainees will be pardoned upon the formal apologies otherwise, Saleh has told
the Chinese envoy that the government will go “ahead with criminal
proceedings”. Hindustan Times reported.
Afghan
NDS seized arms, ammunition, and Ketamine powder a recreational drug during the
first round of raids on December 10.
Sha
Hung was also arrested on the same day, a security official told Hindustan
Times, that NDS “recovered explosive material and other incriminating items”
from her place, and other eight Chinese nationals were detained subsequently.
The
Chinese spies were planning to create a fake East Turkestan Islamic Movement
ETIM module in Afghanistan to entrap ETIM operatives in the country and
Pakistan’s ISI worked closely with them to target Uighur leaders in
Afghanistan.
ETIM
is a separatist group claimed to be active in the Xinjiang province of China,
Hindustan times indicated their leader “Hasan Masum” was shot dead by the
Pakistani soldiers in 2003.
https://www.khaama.com/chinese-spy-ring-busted-in-afghanistan-10-detained-667755/
--------
Deadly
4 IED Attacks Hit Kabul City
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
26
Dec 2020
At
least four Explosions have occurred in Kabul city on Saturday morning, in less
than three hours the city was rattled by IED explosions, such explosion in some
weeks have become a daily routine of public’s fear.
According
to Police, two security force members were killed and six other people were
wounded in the blast.
The
initial explosion happened at around 7:02 a.m on Saturday morning, near the
Chaman-e-Hozoori area in PD8 of Kabul city.
This
incident has left no casualties behind; the blast was due to a magnetic IED.
The
second explosion happened in the west of Kabul at around 7:05 am, a magnetic
IED targeted a senior official from the VIP protection unit, police told media,
two security force members were reported injured.
The
third and fourth explosions happened in Deh Sabz and Dehbori Areas of Kabul
city, in the east area a police vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb in
which three policemen were injured.
And
the blast in the west area of Kabul, Deh Bori, at around 9:05 am a police
vehicle was targeted in which Two security personnel were killed and a civilian
was reported wounded.
In
a recent report, Ministry of Public health announces that four individuals were
killed and four others are wounded.
Back
to back target killings and IED blasts created fear among the public, as peace
efforts are ongoing for a prosperous future of the country.
https://www.khaama.com/deadly-4-ied-attacks-hit-kabul-city-334422/
--------
‘Target
Killing Threatens Peace Process’, Breeds Fear
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
25
Dec 2020
US
Special Envoy for National Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, condemned
assassinations of public figures in a thread of tweets.
He
said this level of violence will increase fear and will make people flee the
country.
“Living
with so much violence is no way to live. It breeds a climate of fear. Fear will
drive more Afghans to leave their homeland. Who will then be left to advocate
for rights and freedoms? This is not the way a society will thrive and prosper”
Khalilzad said.
Khalilzad
tweeted, “Yousef Rasheed’s assassination is reprehensible. We condemn it. We
also condemn the recent murder of several doctors working in Puli Charkhi and
women’s rights activist Freshta Kohistani”.
“People
like Yousef and Freshta are essential for any society. They are its conscience
and keep its heart beating. They should not be fearful, intimidated, or worse,
killed,” he stated.
“These
targeted killings and assassinations must stop. They threaten the peace
process”, Khalilzad added, that these string of assassinations could negatively
affect the peace process in Afghanistan.
US
Special Envoy for National Reconciliation also added, that “the Afghan people
demand peace. A ceasefire and political settlement remain urgent. I urge the
negotiating parties to redouble their efforts. We stand ready to help”.
This
comes as Freshta Kohistani, Afghan women’s rights activist and her brother were
killed in a target killing incident on Thursday.
Freshta
and her brother were gunned down in Dahno Village of Hes-e-Awal in Kohistan
district of Parwan province.
The
assassination happened a day after CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of
Afghanistan, Yousuf Rasheed was killed in Kabul on Wednesday.
https://www.khaama.com/target-killing-threatens-peace-process-creates-fear-556677/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Deputy
minister: Video of Tabung Haji Properties CEO uttering swearwords does not
represent company
26
Dec 2020
KOTA
BHARU, Dec 26 — A viraled video involving the chief executive officer (CEO) of
Tabung Haji (TH) Properties Sdn Bhd who used discourteous words, does not
reflect the true image of the company as an Islamic institution.
Deputy
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Ahmad Marzuk
Shaary said, on the contrary, it was just a personal offence committed by the
top staff in the company.
"It
was a closed door meeting and we do not know how it could have leaked ...
Perhaps there is something that needs to be investigated thoroughly and
comprehensively from the administrative aspect.
"Therefore,
we are conducting an internal investigation to identify the real cause, why
there are parties in the meeting or premises or the organisation who are
hardpressed to leak this matter," he said.
He
said this to reporters after officiating the Pengkalan Chepa Level Circumcision
Programme, at the Dewan Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (PASTI), in Pengkalan Chepas,
near here, today.
Recently,
a three-minute video was viraled on social media featuring the CEO of TH
Properties uttering rude words in a meeting believed to involve the agency's
administrative staff.
Explaining
further, Ahmad Marzuk said however, TH Properties and the individuals involved
had issued a statement of apology and explained the issue on the dissemination
of the video. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/26/deputy-minister-video-of-tabung-haji-properties-ceo-uttering-swearwords-doe/1935086
--------
Arab
World
Coronavirus:
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince gets COVID-19 vaccine
Ismaeel
Naar
25
December 2020
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received the COVID-19 vaccine,
according to a video released by the Saudi Press Agency.
On
his part, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq al-Rabiah, said he
extended his thanks and gratitude to the Crown Prince for his keenness and
continuous follow-up to provide vaccines to citizens and residents.
“Within
the framework of Vision 2030, which is a policy of ‘prevention is better than
cure,’ which was represented by intensifying preventive measures, emphasizing
that human health is first, and providing safe and internationally approved
vaccine in record time and providing it to citizens and residents, making the
Kingdom one of the best countries in the world in facing the coronavirus
pandemic,” al-Rabiah said.
Saudi
Arabia detected 178 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, raising the
total to 361,903, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday.
The
total recoveries increased to 352,815 after 207 individuals who had previously
tested positive recovered.
Meanwhile,
the death toll reached 6,168 with nine new fatalities reported due to COVID-19
complications.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/12/25/Coronavirus-Saudi-Arabia-s-Crown-Prince-gets-COVID-19-vaccine
--------
Bahrain:
Qatar's claim of 4 Bahraini fighters violating its airspace is baseless
Tuqa
Khalid
25
December 2020
Qatar's
claim that four fighters from the Royal Bahraini Air Force have violated their
airspace on Wednesday, is "irresponsible and baseless," Bahrain's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
"On
Wednesday, December 9, 2020, a military drill involving two F-16 aircraft from
the Royal Bahraini Air Force and two from the US side took place in the
designated military exercise area in the airspace of the sisterly Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia as part of a joint military exercise between the two friendly
countries," the ministry said.
"The
four planes headed together towards the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain,
crossing the airspace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia eastward to land at Isa
Air Base... this is the usual exit route from the military drill area towards
the airspace of the Kingdom of Bahrain and that on their way back, the aircraft
have not used the Qatari airspace," it added.
Qatar's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday it informed the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) about "violations by four Bahraini fighter jets
that penetrated Qatari airspace on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020."
The
UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, had severed diplomatic, trade
and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism
– a charge Doha denies.
Earlier
this month, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said a
resolution of the Gulf diplomatic crisis was in sight, with all governments
involved "on board" and a final agreement expected soon.
Last
month, two Bahraini boats breached Qatari territorial waters, Doha's interior
ministry said in a statement.
Bahrain
insisted however that the two vessels, part of its coastguard fleet, had been
wrongfully intercepted, adding that "the incident occurred in the
territorial waters of the Kingdom of Bahrain".
On
Sunday, Manama accused Doha of confiscating 47 Bahraini fishing boats, but in a
cabinet meeting on Monday "the importance of direct bilateral negotiations
with Qatar to reach a lasting agreement" on fishing activities, according
to the BNA.
Referring
to the wider Gulf spat, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al-Thani said during an official visit to Moscow on Wednesday
"no party from this crisis will emerge victorious".
"We
will all emerge victorious only if a solution is found and trust is
rebuilt," he said during a press conference alongside his Russian
counterpart.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/12/25/Bahrain-Qatar-s-claim-of-4-Bahraini-fighters-violating-its-airspace-is-baseless
--------
Syria
urges UNSC to stop Israel’s 'unacceptable' attacks
25
December 2020
Syria’s
Foreign Ministry has condemned as “unacceptable” Israel’s continued attacks on
the Arab country, calling on the United Nations Security Council to stop the
recurrence of such aggression.
In
a letter addressed to the United Nations (UN) secretary-general and the
president of the UN Security Council, the Syrian ministry said that Israel had
fired a barrage of missiles through Lebanese airspace toward the Masyaf area in
the western countryside of Hama Province in Syria in the early hours of Friday.
The
ministry described the attack as “a flagrant violation of the Security Council
resolution 350 of 1974,” and said it was aimed at hindering the Syrian army’s
campaign against foreign-backed terrorists.
According
to Syria’s official news agency, SANA, the ministry stressed that Israel’s
“dangerous aggressive approach” toward Damascus could not continue without the
US’s “unlimited” support as well as the immunity from accountability provided
to the Tel Aviv regime by Washington and some countries in the Security
Council.
“Such
attacks endanger the security and stability of the region, and its persistence
is unacceptable and will have consequences,” the letter read.
The
ministry concluded the letter by calling on the member states of the UNSC “to
break the silence” and shoulder their responsibilities, including taking “firm
and immediate measures to stop the recurrence of these Israeli terrorist
attacks” and to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Syrian
people, which constitute “flagrant violations of the Charter of the United
Nations, the international law, and the Security Council Resolutions 242, 338,
350, and 497.”
Syria
has experienced foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian
government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are
aiding the Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.
Israel
frequently targets positions inside Syria, especially those of Lebanon’s
Hezbollah resistance movement, which has played a key role in helping the
Syrian army in its fight against terrorism.
Israel
has been a main supporter of the terrorist groups that have opposed the
government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since militancy erupted in Syria
nine years ago.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641513/Syria-urges-UNSC-to-stop-Israel%E2%80%99s--unacceptable--attacks
--------
Iraqi
govt. urged to take Trump's pardons for Blackwater guards to intl. court, UNSC
26
December 2020
A
member of the security and defense committee in the Iraqi parliament has
sharply criticized US President Donald Trump's decision to pardon four former
Blackwater contractors jailed over the killing of 14 Iraqi civilians, calling
on the Baghdad government to take the case to an international court as well as
the UN Security.
Adnan
al-Asadi told the Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Friday that
Blackwater, now renamed Academi, consisted of a group of mercenaries who were
brought by US military forces to Iraq to participate in battles and carry out
massacres.
“What
happened in Baghdad’s Nisour Square in [September] 2007 was a wholesale
carnage, and they killed Iraqi civilians in cold blood,” he noted.
“I
am surprised at the decision since the United States claims to be a democratic
country, where authorities are independent. Actually, the chief executive in
democratic states does not interfere in the judicial proceedings. Therefore,
the intervention of US President Donald Trump to grant the pardons violates the
right of the public prosecutor, the right to personal injury claims as well as
the rights of victims' families. I do not see any justification for the US
president to pardon them, and set them free,” Asadi highlighted.
The
Iraqi legislator then called on the Baghdad government to refer the file to an
international court, and even take the case to the UN Security Council, hoping
that Russia and other major powers in the council would support such a step.
“We
ask Russia and other major countries [to join Iraq’s bid]. We call upon Russian
president [Vladimir Putin] to direct the Russian representative to the Security
Council [Vasily Nebenzya] to support Iraq in this matter,” Asadi said.
In
2014, four former US government contractors who worked for Blackwater were
convicted in federal court in Washington in connection with the Iraq killings
in 2007.
Nicholas
Slatten was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of
murder, while Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were convicted of
manslaughter and weapons charges.
Prosecutors
said the Blackwater convoy launched an unprovoked attack using sniper fire,
machine guns and grenade launchers.
Lawyers
and human rights defenders described Trump’s pardons as miscarriage of justice.
“This
pardon is an insult to justice and an insult to the victims who waited so many
years to see some measure of justice,” Sarah Holewinski, Washington director at
Human Rights Watch, commented.
Blackwater
was founded by Erik Prince, a staunch Trump ally and the brother of Secretary
of Education Betsy DeVos.
The
notorious company was one of several private military firms hired to assist the
US army in Iraq following its 2003 invasion and occupation of the Arab country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/26/641535/Iraqi-govt--urged-to-take-Trump-s-pardons-for-Blackwater-guards-to-intl--court,-UNSC
--------
Africa
Four
pregnant women among 20 migrants dead in Tunisia sinking
25
December 2020
Four
pregnant women were among 20 migrants whose bodies were found off Tunisia’s
coast after their smuggling boat sank, Tunisian authorities said Friday, as
search efforts continued for 13 others believed missing.
Nineteen
of the 20 migrants who died in Thursday’s sinking were women, according to
Mourad Torki, the court spokesman for the Sfax region in central Tunisia.
Coast
guard officials and local fishermen retrieved the bodies and brought them to
shore, and transferred them in white body bags to a nearby hospital where
autopsies were carried out.
Four
migrants were rescued, Torki said: One remained under medical supervision
Friday and another fled the hospital.
The
boat, overloaded and in poor condition, was carrying 37 people — three
Tunisians and others from sub-Saharan Africa, Torki said. Coast guard boats and
navy divers were searching for the 13 missing, but found no new bodies or
survivors Friday, amid strong winds and high waves in the area.
Tunisian
authorities say they have intercepted several migrant smuggling boats recently,
but that the number of attempts has been growing, notably between the Sfax
region and the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Migrant
smuggling boats frequently leave from the coast of Tunisia and neighboring
Libya carrying people from across Africa, including a growing number of
Tunisians fleeing prolonged economic difficulties in their country.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/12/25/Four-pregnant-women-among-20-migrants-dead-in-Tunisia-sinking
--------
Nigeria:
Christmas ceremony canceled over coronavirus
24.12.2020
Nigeria’s
president has cancelled the annual official Christmas ceremony for this year as
the country fights off the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidency
announced on Thursday.
“In
line with the prevailing protocol put in place by the Presidential Task Force
on COVID-19, restricting large gatherings, President Muhammadu Buhari will not
be hosting the usual Christmas homage by religious and community leaders in the
Federal Capital Territory,” spokesman Garba Shehu tweeted on Thursday.
Buhari
also urged the public to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures during the
holiday season.
“The
President urges all citizens to, in line with the prescribed protocol, observe
social distancing, use face masks, wash hands frequently and avoid overcrowding
of public spaces, markets, shopping centres, offices and places of worship,”
Shehu wrote.
The
Nigerian president also discouraged non-essential travels during the holiday
season, sending his wishes for a “happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year
ahead,” according to Shehu.
Since
the virus was first reported in March, Nigerian health authorities have
confirmed 1,236 COVID-19-related deaths, 80,922 infections, and 69,274
recoveries in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, according to figures
from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
As
the country has been witnessing a second wave of the pandemic, a spike in the
number of infections has been seen in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation,
leaving five killed and 1,133 infected on Wednesday alone, according to the
center’s most recent update.
The
coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China last December before spreading
to all seven continents. More than 78.8 million people have been infected while
over 1.73 million have died, according to the US’ Johns Hopkins University.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-christmas-ceremony-canceled-over-coronavirus/2087948
--------
North
America
The
subject of Israeli hegemony over US must be addressed
25
December 2020
By
Walt Peretto
It's
pardon season for President Trump. The likely outgoing president has issued 15
pardons that include two members of the Russian investigation and four
convicted murderers who worked for the private security firm Blackwater.
These
four were convicted of murdering 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007. Private security
corporations such as Blackwater (since renamed Academi) have played a major
role in war zones since the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq after the false
flag events of 9/11/2001. They are also suspected of participation in other
domestic false flag events that include the Boston Marathon event in 2013.
These
pardons by Trump will facilitate the use of private security firms in the near
future both domestically and abroad. Further lockdowns in the US and crushing
strains on small business may create unrest which could overwhelm municipal law
enforcement and the federal government may choose to hire private security to
deal with such occurrences. Overseas, tensions may increase in Syria as the new
Democratic president may resurrect the goal of toppling President Assad which
would likely be carried out by hiring private mercenaries which the West has
done in the past.
I
think these pardons by Trump send a signal to private security firms that their
actions will not be hampered by long prison sentences for employees who engage
in murder. Similar to municipal policing in which cops that murder are
virtually never convicted. If the US does rededicate itself to regime change in
Damascus, it's hired security forces and clandestine paid terrorists don't want
restraints like convictions of murder in the courts.
Trump's
pardon of two people involved with the Russiagate fiasco makes sense since
Russian collusion was never proven and the whole story was really a distraction
for 4 years designed to take people's eyes off of leaked emails involving
Hillary Clinton, the Podesta brothers, Barack Obama and others that were quite
damning if they were thoroughly investigated.
For
four years the left-leaning media in the United States filled the news with
accusations of Russian collusion in US elections and other illegal and immoral
interactions between Russian officials and the Trump administration.
This
also kept the eye off the elephant in the room called Israel which has seized
control of the presidency, the Congress, the Judiciary, the economy through the
FED, and the mainstream media.
China
has provided another useful distraction from Israeli influence in America. If
one honestly examines recent US presidential administrations -- don't strain to
find any Chinese or Russian nationals in positions of power in the US federal
government. Dual US/Israeli citizens are abundant and ubiquitous in the Trump
administration and it will be similar in the Biden administration if he makes
it to the White House. The subject of Israeli hegemony over the United States
is a subject no one seems to want to address.
Judging
from the proposed COVID Stimulus Package which allocates billions of dollars to
other countries, this proves that the globalist intention is to bleed the
United States dry until it submits wholly to the international cabal of
psychopaths that includes Klaus Schwab and his World Economic Forum who are
attempting to reset the world into a one-world system led by global organized
psychopathy.
Walt
Peretto is a writer and researcher in Washington, DC. He recorded this article
for Press TV website. He recorded this article for Press TV website.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/25/641522/The-subject-of-Israeli-hegemony-over-US-must-be-addressed
--------
Major
blast hits Nashville after chilling bomb warning
Dec
26, 2020
WASHINGTON:
A huge blast tore through a section of downtown Nashville early Friday, after
police responding to reports of gunfire discovered a parked motorhome
reportedly blaring a warning it carried a bomb.
The
blast shattered windows and ripped apart trees but appeared calculated to spare
lives, injuring just three people as it detonated at 6:30am (1230 GMT) in a
section of the southern US city that was largely deserted due the early hour
and the Christmas Day holiday.
The
blast left as many as 20 buildings, including storefronts, badly damaged and
the road surface charred -- scattering glass, tree branches and bricks in an
area filled with businesses, restaurants and bars.
In
a dramatic sequence of events that shattered the Christmas morning calm, police
responded to calls that gunshots had been fired and noticed the vehicle as they
arrived on the scene.
A
recorded message playing from the motorhome warned that a bomb would detonate
within 15 minutes -- enough time for a bomb squad to clear the area before the
explosion, police chief John Drake and spokesman Don Aaron told reporters.
Witnesses
told the Tennessean newspaper the warning, spoken in a woman's voice, counted
down to the blast.
"Evacuate
now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode," one
recalled the chilling recording saying.
Pictures
shared on social media from the immediate aftermath showed thick plumes of
black smoke rising from the burning RV and storefronts that had been torn
apart.
The
blast happened near an AT&T facility, and the telecommunications company
told journalists: "Service for some customers in Nashville and the
surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the
explosion this morning."
The
Tennessean reported that officers were conducting door-to-door checks.
A
dog walker had been heading towards the vehicle just before the blast, the
paper said, but police sent him back in the other direction, potentially saving
him from serious injury or death.
The
blast knocked an officer to the ground, the paper said, and gave another
officer hearing loss.
President
Donald Trump was briefed on the incident, which is being investigated by the
FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Agents
offered no possible motive immediately and made no link to any domestic
terrorism plot.
Neither
was it immediately clear if anyone was in the RV when it exploded.
"This
appears to have been an intentional act. Law enforcement is closing downtown
streets as investigation continues," the Metro Nashville Police Department
tweeted.
Firefighters
said at least three people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries,
according to local media.
The
blast was large enough to be felt several kilometers away.
The
damage was "limited but it is dramatic," Nashville mayor John Cooper
said, adding that the city was "lucky" the blast had occurred on
Christmas when few people were downtown.
"It's
unfortunate but any other morning I think it would have been a much worse
story."
Police
said several people had been moved to a local station for questioning, although
no arrests or details of suspects were announced.
US
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee led messages of concern from multiple
public figures, saying she was "praying for all those involved" and
thanking the "brave first responders for keeping us safe."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/major-blast-hits-nashville-after-chilling-bomb-warning/articleshow/79962159.cms
--------
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