UP: 42 people booked, 9 arrested under religious conversion law
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 December 2023
Representational
photo
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· Israeli attacks on Gaza stirred up more interest in Islam in Spain: Muslim leader
· UP: 42 people booked, 9 arrested under religious conversion law
· Pakistan asks Afghanistan to take immediate steps against terrorist entities
· Washington welcomes Dhaka's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism
· Inaction on Gaza amounts to ‘approval’ of killing children: UNICEF
· Philippine troops kill 11 Islamic militants in one of bloodiest anti-insurgency offensives this year
· US insists Israel devise plan to protect civilians in Gaza’s south, says official
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India
·
Karnataka: Three years after ban on cow
slaughter in Karnataka, BhatkalTanzeem issues fatwa against illegal beef sale
·
Nod given for ‘Muslim mahapanchayat’ on
December 18, Delhi HC told
·
PM meets Israel President, calls for durable
resolution of Palestine issue
·
Lashkar militant killed in gunfight with
security forces in Pulwama: J&K police
·
Bihar teeming with illegal madrasas, mosques,
says Union min, JDU hits back
·
Ayodhya's Ram Temple consecration on this date;
6,000 invitations being sent out
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Europe
·
Southern French province bans pro-Palestine
rally
·
UK premier, Qatari emir ‘deeply regret’ over
collapse of pause in Gaza
·
Senior UK officials discuss Gaza crisis on
sidelines of COP28 in Dubai
·
Sanchez says Israel is a ‘friend’ of Spain
·
As an imam and a rabbi, we see the pain caused
by war in the Middle East. We don’t want that conflict in the Uk
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Pakistan
· Pakistan bound by UN conventions protecting rights of refugees: SC justice
· NAB files Rs1.2bn graft reference against Parvez Elahi, 12 others in bribery case
· Issuance of Pakistan Origin Cards to Afghan spouses of Pakistanis ordered
· Bushra Bibi, KhawarManeka: Plea seeking record of divorce dismissed
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South Asia
· WFP requires $26 million to aid one million Afghan migrants
· Afghanistan Embassy in India Reopens
· Taliban Ambassador Presents Credentials to China
· Hanafi Urges Islamic Emirate Be Included in Meetings on Afghanistan
· 6 killed, 3 injured in attack on clerics in Herat, Afghanistan
· Germany provides €60 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan
· DABS Establishes Dept to Attract Investment
· Afghanistan cannot go another year without a voice on climate change: UNAMA
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Mideast
· Israel informs Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza: Sources
· Hezbollah says it’s ‘vigilant’ as Hamas-Israel fighting resumes
· Renewed Gaza fighting stretches into second day after Israel-Hamas truce collapses
· Israel’s most wanted: the three Hamas leaders in Gaza it aims to kill
· Al-Aqsa Mosque almost empty due to Israeli restrictions
· Palestinian, Lebanese resistance hit back as Israel resumes bombing Gaza
· Game-changer: Iran’s acquisition of Su-35 fighter jets bad news for its enemies
· Resistance won’t allow Israel to accomplish its objectives in Gaza, says Hezbollah official
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Southeast Asia
· UN issues call to rescue hundreds of Rohingya adrift at sea
· More than 100 Rohingya refugees land in Indonesia: officials
· MyCare channels RM3.6mil to Palestinians in Gaza
· Aman Palestin going to court to unfreeze accounts
· TengkuPermaisuri Selangor graces World #QuranConvention
· Conflict in Gaza: Malaysia could weigh in to activate Genocide Convention’s Article 9
· Singapore invited to attend 2024 G-20 summit to be held in Brazil
· Police open probe paper against Muhyiddin over 3Rs
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North America
· US to press for extending Gaza truce: White House
· Blinken pushes Arab states to discuss the future of Gaza
· Muslims perform Friday prayers, protest near Israeli Embassy in US capital
· ServetGunerigok
· Israeli raids destroy Khan Yunis mosque in southern Gaza
· CAIR-Georgia, Multifaith Partners to Hold Press Conference, Funeral and March for Victims of War in Gaza and the West Bank
· CAIR Welcomes United Auto Workers (UAW) Call for Gaza Ceasefire
· CAIR Calls on American University to Take Action to Protect Palestinian Staff Member Who Received Hateful Death Threat
· Protester in Atlanta sets self on fire outside Israeli consulate
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Africa
· Why We Have Decided To Set Up Vigilantes In 36 States, FCT – Miyetti Allah Leader
· Osun mosque reopens three years after feud
· Soldiers take over Kogi REC’s residence after attack
· WHO’s data on maternal, infant deaths in Nigeria worrisome – Bank
· Kenya's President Urges Global Action at COP28 Amid Climate Crisis in Eastern Africa
· Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Residence Of INEC’s REC In Kogi
· Libya frees four Hamas members held since 2016: media
· ”Tinubu under pressure to legalise homosexuality in Nigeria, he should shun it” – Islamic group
Arab World
· UAE hosting Israeli president emboldens regime to commit more crimes: Yemen
· 24th Saudi relief plane heads to Gaza Strip
· Flynas launches operation base at Madinah, announces 6 new international, domestic destinations
· Crown Prince performs funeral prayers for Prince Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz
· Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs Concludes Holy Quran Memorization, Cultural Competition at Salafia University Islamabad
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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UP: 42 people booked, 9 arrested under religious conversion law
2nd December 2023
Representational photo
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Sonbhadra: The Uttar Pradesh Police has booked 42 people and arrested nine of them for allegedly luring the poor and tribal people to convert to Christianity through fraudulent means in Sonbhadra district, an officer said on Friday.
A large quantity of religious books, propaganda materials and laptops were recovered from the arrested accused.
Additional Superintendent of Police Kalu Singh said Narsingh, a resident of Malhiya Tola in the Chopan police station area of the district, lodged a complaint that some people were luring tribal people and the poor to convert to Christianity using fraudulent means.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against 42 people under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act on Thursday.
Thereafter, nine of the accused were arrested.
The arrested accused included Jaiprabhu of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Ajay Kumar of Robertsganj in Uttar Pradesh and Chekka Emmanuel of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
The remaining arrested accused were identified as Rajendra Kol, Chhotu alias Ranjan, Parmanand, Sohan, Prem Nath Prajapati and Ram Pratap.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/up-42-people-booked-9-arrested-under-religious-conversion-law-2924749/
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Israeli attacks on Gaza stirred up more interest in Islam in Spain: Muslim leader
SenhanBolelli
01.12.2023
In Spain, Israel’s attacks on Gaza
stirred up more interest in Islam and the conflict in the Middle East,
according to a local Muslim leader
Umar del Pozo, head of the Association of Islamic Community in Spain and of the Granada Mosque Foundation, told Anadolu that the Palestinian issue raised questions in people's minds.
"Maybe Europeans started seeing the truth for the first time," he said, adding that every week the mosque in the southern Andalusia region sees one or two new converts to Islam.
The Palestinian issue also sowed sympathy toward Muslims among those who already knew something about Islam, del Pozo also noted.
"They see the Israeli attacks and lies. As a result, they start asking more questions in their minds and of the people around them," he said.
Palestinians' will to go back to their homes and their fight adds a spiritual aspect to that questioning, del Pozo added.
"This is how people discover Islam," he explained, adding that the attendance in Granada of pro-Palestinian protests was high.
"We explain what’s happening in Palestine to our Christian neighbors too. They ask questions and try to learn more about Islam during the protests. I can say that (Islam) got more attention. This isn’t only in Granada, all of Europe is raising its voice on this issue," del Pozo said.
Converting to Islam
Nahuel Calderon, 26, said he learned more about Islam from his girlfriend and recently converted.
"I can say that I found more inner peace, and live a better life now," he said.
Granada has a community of almost 37,000 Muslims, including 4,000 Spaniards who converted to Islam and their third-generation children.
Spain counts almost 3 million Muslims originating from Morocco, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Senegal, and Algeria. They mostly live in Catalonia, Valencia, Andalusia, and Madrid.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/israeli-attacks-on-gaza-stirred-up-more-interest-in-islam-in-spain-muslim-leader/3070283
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Pakistan asks Afghanistan to take immediate steps against terrorist entities
December 01, 2023
Pakistan has once again asked Afghan
authorities to take immediate and effective steps against terrorist entities
operating from their soil.
At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch voiced concerns over the presence of terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan. She said these terrorists continue to attack Pakistan and cause loss of life.
The spokesperson said Pakistan desires to have peaceful and friendly relations with Afghanistan. We have great sympathies with our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan who have suffered a great deal because of difficult humanitarian and security situation. She said Pakistan has advocated internationally that humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan must continue.
Responding to a question, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan is strongly committed to protection of workers and projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). She said we will defeat designs of any terrorist entity against CPEC or any other investment project in Pakistan.
Expressing concerns over the situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson urged India to repeal its draconian laws and stop using the bogey of terrorism to suppress dissent in the occupied territory.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan's call for a durable and sustained ceasefire in Gaza to enable supply of extensive and robust humanitarian assistance, urgently needed medical aid to the injured and shelter to those displaced by the indiscriminate and in-humane bombing by Israeli occupation forces.
She said we are also deeply concerned at the escalating Israeli aggression in the West Bank. She said the international community should take immediate and decisive steps to bring an end to Israeli campaign of terrorism against Palestinians. She said Pakistan supports the call for a comprehensive investigation into attacks against medical facilities, schools, mosques, churches, residential buildings and water facilities and urges full accountability for the war crimes being perpetrated in occupied Palestine.
Responding to another question, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Indian government's involvement in assassination of a Sikh leader in the United States confirms the existence of a global network of Indian intelligence involved in espionage and killings.
She said this network has been engaged in assassinations and abductions in South Asia for decades and Pakistan has remained a target of India’s state sponsored terrorism, subversion and espionage.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan released a dossier with credible information on Indian involvement in the Lahore attack last year.
She said Pakistan condemns these acts and believe that India’s irresponsible and reckless conduct is a clear violation of international law and the UN principle of state sovereignty.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/01-12-2023/pakistan-asks-afghanistan-to-take-immediate-steps-against-terrorist-entities-operating-from-their-soil
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Washington welcomes Dhaka's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism
Dec 2, 2023
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other
Bangladeshi government officials frequently emphasised Bangladesh's
zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and continued to deny the presence of
globally organised jihadist militant groups such as al-Qa'ida and ISIS, said a
new report released by the US government yesterday.
In 2022, Bangladesh experienced few instances of terrorist violence as authorities continued to pursue militants rigorously, particularly al-Qa'ida-affiliated groups, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), and an ISIS-affiliated JMB offshoot, Neo-JMB, according to Bangladesh part of the "Country Reports on Terrorism 2022."
In October, Bangladesh authorities announced operations to disrupt Jama'atul Ansar Fil HindalSharqiya (JAHS), an allegedly al-Qa'ida inspired group.
US-trained Bangladesh police units arrested dozens of terrorist suspects.
In October the Bangladeshi counterterrorism Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) announced operations to disrupt JAHS, an allegedly al-Qa'ida-inspired group training in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to carry out attacks elsewhere, according to Bangladeshi authorities.
Authorities alleged that JAHS cooperated with the Kuki-Chin National Front, an ethnic separatist militant organization.
Authorities announced the arrest of dozens of JAHS members throughout the rest of the year.
On November 20, militants freed Moinul Hasan Shamim and Abu Siddiq Sohel, both convicted for their role in the 2015 murder of Bangladeshi publisher Faisal ArefinDipan, in an attack on the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate building.
Authorities charged 20 suspected members of banned al-Qa'ida-affiliate Ansar al-Islam with helping plan and/or execute the escape.
The freed convicts remained at large at the end of 2022.
Radicalization to violence and terrorist recruitment in the prison system remained a serious concern, said the report.
The CTTCU and Dhaka University began to develop a unified deradicalization from violence program to be implemented in select Bangladeshi prisons in 2023.
Dhaka North, Dhaka South, and Narayanganj are members of the Strong Cities Network.
International and Regional Cooperation: Bangladesh was active in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's activities in the CT arena, said the report.
The Department of State issued the 2022 Country Reports on Terrorism (CRT) each year.
The CRT provides insight on important issues in the fight against terrorism and helps the United States make informed decisions about policies, programs, and resource allocations as we seek to build counterterrorism capacity and resilience around the globe.
As the United States confronts a diverse and dynamic range of national security challenges, the US government is deploying the full range of CT tools to ensure a sustainable whole-of-government and whole-of-society CT approach with allies and partners around the world, said the Spokesperson at the US Department of State.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/washington-welcomes-dhakas-zero-tolerance-policy-terrorism-3483606
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Inaction on Gaza amounts to ‘approval’ of killing children: UNICEF
December 02, 2023
A Palestinian girl reacts at the site of
an Israeli strike on a house, after a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel
expired, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 1, 2023. (REUTERS)
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GENEVA: UNICEF has appealed for a lasting ceasefire to be implemented in Gaza, describing inaction as “an approval of the killing of children” after a week-old truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed.
“A lasting ceasefire must be implemented,” James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, told reporters via video link from Gaza.
“Inaction at its core is an approval of the killing of children.”
The UN described the hostilities as “catastrophic” and urged parties to bring about a lasting ceasefire.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office in Geneva, said the resumption of hostilities meant “hell on Earth has returned to Gaza.”
Israeli warplanes resumed bombing Gaza, sending Palestinian civilians fleeing for shelter, after a week-old truce ran out with no deal to extend it.
“The resumption of hostilities in Gaza is catastrophic,” said Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“I urge all parties and states with influence over them to redouble efforts, immediately, to ensure a ceasefire – on humanitarian and human rights grounds.”
In a post on X social media platform, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regretted the resumption of hostilities and hoped a new pause could be established.
“The return to hostilities only shows how important it is to have a true humanitarian ceasefire,” he said.
Laerke said that the week-long truce had seen significantly larger humanitarian convoys entering densely populated Gaza, even reaching north of Wadi Gaza, which prior to the pause had received almost no supplies.
“With the resumption of war, we fear that the continuation of this (aid) is now in doubt,” he said.
“The Rafah crossing is closed as of now. We need a resumption of a humanitarian pause, not a return to war.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2418791/middle-east
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Philippine troops kill 11 Islamic militants in one of bloodiest anti-insurgency offensives this year
December 02, 2023
Philippine troops watches a Philippine
coast guard ship as they secure an area at the Philippine-occupied Thitu
island, locally called Pag-asa island, on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 at the disputed
South China Sea. The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base
Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South
China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive
actions in the strategic waterway. | Photo Credit: AP
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Philippine troops, backed by airstrikes and artillery fire, killed 11 suspected Islamic militants near a hinterland village in the country’s south, authorities said Saturday, in one of the military’s bloodiest anti-insurgency offensives this year.
The military launched the offensive Friday after receiving intelligence about the whereabouts of suspected leaders and armed followers of the Dawla Islamiyah and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, or the BIFF, groups near the village of Tuwayan in southern Datu Hofer town in Maguindanao province, military officials said.
Army Maj. SaberBalogan, a regional military official, said government forces recovered 11 bodies of suspected militants after more than three hours of fighting.
Troops also recovered Seven M16 and M14 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and five homemade bombs from the scene, he said, adding that there were no military casualties.
The Associated Press saw a confidential initial government report about the military operation, which stated that two Philippine air force fighter planes dropped eight 500-pound bombs in the hinterland areas where the militants were spotted. Two military helicopters further targeted the militants.
Army troops were deployed after to the battle scene, military officials said.
This came after 13 armed militants belonging to the Dawla Islamiyah surrendered with their firearms to the military in the south, Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, a regional military commander said.
It was not immediately clear if the militants provided information that helped the military decide to launch Friday’s assault.
“This is the good side of coming out and laying down your guns; You can now live peacefully with your loved ones,” Rillera told the militants, who surrendered in a ceremony on Thursday in South Cotabato province adjacent to Maguindanao province, where the military offensive was carried out the following day.
After decades of debilitating armed hostilities, the Philippine government signed a 2014 peace pact with the largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in the south of the largely Catholic nation. That considerably eased armed insurgency-related clashes and violence in the south.
However, smaller Muslim separatist groups have continued to wage attacks, including sporadic bombings in public areas, and at times targeting businesses in return for “protection money” from the owners, the military previously said.
The BIFF, which the military operation targeted Friday, consists of militants who defected from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front following the peace talks with the government. It further split into a few factions, from which some aligned themselves with the Islamic State group.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/philippine-troops-kill-11-islamic-militants-in-one-of-bloodiest-anti-insurgency-offensives-this-year/article67597337.ece
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US insists Israel devise plan to protect civilians in Gaza’s south, says official
02 Dec 2023
A Palestinian child sits near the site
of Israeli strikes on houses after a temporary truce between Palestinian
Islamist group Hamas and Israel expired, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza
Strip, December 1, 2023. — Reuters pic
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NEW YORK, Dec 2 — The US insisted to Israel this week that it come up with clear plans to minimize civilian harm in any military operation in southern Gaza, a senior US official said yesterday, as the Israeli military resumed bombardment of the enclave after a week-long truce collapsed.
Yesterday’s bombing was most intense in the southern areas of Khan Younis and Rafah, however, medics and witnesses said. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have been sheltering there because of fighting in the north. Houses in central and northern areas were also hit.
By the evening, Gaza health officials said Israeli air strikes had killed 184 people, wounded at least 589 others and hit more than 20 houses.
The bombings in the south occurred only hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Jerusalem that Israel’s operations in the area not repeat the massive loss of civilian life and displacement seen during its northern offensive.
Israel’s government agreed that any operation in the south should not look like it did in the north and its military will designate areas where civilians will not be harmed, the senior US official said as Blinken wrapped up a trip to the region.
However, Netanyahu and his government did not give clear assurances on avoiding civilian harm, and the official said the issue will continue to be discussed.
The official added that the US expects there will be no full-scale assault on Khan Younis and Rafah as there was on Gaza City.
Washington has urged Israel to narrow the zone of combat and clarify where Palestinian civilians can seek safety in southern Gaza, officials have said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity yesterday, said during the current offensive entire neighbourhoods in southern Gaza should be designated as zones that are safe for civilians, though some may still have to leave their homes if they are in areas where Hamas fighters are deeply embedded.
Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas in response to the October 7 rampage by the militant group, when Israel says gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Hamas, sworn to Israel’s destruction, has ruled Gaza since 2007.
In addition to those who planned the October 7 attacks, Israel was looking to eliminate Hamas’ battalion-level leadership, said the official.
Israel’s assault has laid waste to much of Gaza. Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 Gazans have been confirmed killed and thousands more are missing and feared buried under rubble.
Asked at Dubai airport before leaving the region about the collapse of the truce and Israel’s conduct yesterday, Blinken signalled Washington would continue dialogue with Israel.
“I saw the plans that Israel has, in a multiplicity of ways, to do everything possible to protect civilians, including making sure that they have the information they need and there are ways to accommodate them. And this is going to be very important going forward. It’s something we’re going to be looking at very closely,” Blinken said. — Reuters
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2023/12/02/us-insists-israel-devise-plan-to-protect-civilians-in-gazas-south-says-official/105362
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India
Karnataka: Three years after ban on cow slaughter in Karnataka, BhatkalTanzeem issues fatwa against illegal beef sale
02nd December 2023
KARWAR: The BhatkalTanzeem has banned illegal transportation and sale of beef in the town by issuing a “fatwa”. This “fatwa” comes three years after the ban on cow slaughter by the Tanzeem.
It is aimed at ending the controversy over illegal cattle transportation and illegal sale of beef. “We issued the fatwa earlier this week. We have asked people of Bhatkal not to buy beef that is transported and sold illegally,” InayathullahShabandar, Tanzeem president, told The New Indian Express.
He said,”There is no place for such illegal acts in Islam.” There have been instances where cattle have been lifted from the streets and sold. “We have no objections if cattle are purchased from markets and transported. There are cattle markets in Haveri, Udupi and other places in the State. Cattle can be purchased from these markets,” he added.
Inayathullah said, “We have even asked the police to take strict action against people illegally transporting cattle and selling beef.”
The police have registered 179 cases of illegal beef transportation from 2020 to November 2023.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2023/dec/02/karnataka-three-years-after-ban-on-cow-slaughter-in-karnataka-bhatkaltanzeem-issues-fatwa-against-illegal-beef-sale-2637985.html
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Nod given for ‘Muslim mahapanchayat’ on December 18, Delhi HC told
December 02, 2023
An organisation’s petition seeking to hold an ‘All India Muslim Mahapanchayat’ at the Ramlila Maidan was closed by the Delhi High Court on Friday after the police said they have granted permission for the event on December 18, subject to certain conditions for safe and smooth conduct.
Disposing of the plea by Mission Save Constitution following the submission by Delhi Police, Justice Subramonium Prasad said no other department will raise any objection to the event or on the availability of the venue on the designated date.
“In view of the fact that permission has been granted to the petitioner (organisation) to hold the event on December 18 on the points to be ensured by the organizer in order to secure safe and smooth conduct of the programme, the writ petition is disposed of,” the High Court said.
Two months ago, the court had denied the non-governmental organisation’s request to hold the event on October 29 at the same venue after the police raised fears that the event’s posters might stir “communal tensions” in parts of Old Delhi.
Mission Save Constitution subsequently moved the High Court saying it was aggrieved by the pendency of a decision by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) on its application seeking a no-objection certificate to organise the event on December 4.
As the venue was not available on December 4, the court had asked the police to offer an alternate date to hold the event, and they suggested December 18.
The police sought assurance from the organisation on certain points for conducting the event safely and smoothly, including that the gathering will not significantly increase from the proposed 10,000 people.
They also said that the names and number of speakers, as conveyed to the authorities, should not exceed or change and no speaker should say anything against Indian laws or make hate speech that could disturb public harmony, peace and tranquillity in the area.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/nod-given-for-muslim-mahapanchayat-on-december-18-delhi-hc-told/article67594834.ece
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PM meets Israel President, calls for durable resolution of Palestine issue
December 01, 2023
Suhasini Haidar
In his first in-person meeting with Israeli leadership since the October 7 terror attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the lives lost, during a bilateral meeting with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the UN’s COP 28 Climate Summit in Dubai. The meeting came hours after Israel announced a resumption of hostilities against Hamas and began military operations in southern Gaza.
While Mr. Modi called for ensuring regular humanitarian supplies to the Palestinian population, he did not call for a ceasefire. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who also met the PM in Dubai, made a strong appeal to end hostilities, calling the situation in Gaza an “epic humanitarian catastrophe”.
Support for two-State solution
“Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the loss of lives in the October 7 terror attacks and welcomed the release of hostages,” said a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs detailing the discussions with Mr. Herzog. “[Mr. Modi] reiterated the need for continued and safe delivery of humanitarian aid for the affected population. He emphasised on India’s support for a two state solution and early and durable resolution of Israel Palestine issue through dialogue and diplomacy,” it added.
The PM also held informal talks with leaders from Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar, and other regional leaders present during the day. The MEA added that the PM had “exchanged views on Israel-Hamas conflict” during a bilateral meeting with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Israel’s case for self-defence
In a social media post, the Israeli President — who posted a photo of his meeting with Mr. Modi, as well as his meetings with leaders from the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Brazil — said that he had made Israel’s case for “self-defence”.
“This morning at the [climate summit], I met dozens of leaders from around the world,” Mr. Herzog wrote, adding that he spoke about how Hamas violated the ceasefire, which Israel claims was the reason it resumed military operations in Gaza.
“I repeated again and again the demand to place the release of the hostages at the very top of the international community’s agenda, alongside respect for the right of the State of Israel to defend itself,” he added.
Hostilities resumed
In the past few days, Hamas has freed more than 100 hostages as a part of a negotiated deal with Israel. In exchange, Israel stopped bombing Gaza, released more than 200 Palestinian prisoners, and allowed aid trucks with much-needed food, fuel, and water to enter south Gaza. However, on Friday, Israel restarted the bombardment of Gaza and combat operations, citing rockets fired by Hamas. It has now told the residents of south Gaza to evacuate the area, including about a million people from the northern part of the enclave who are now taking shelter there.
On Friday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that he “deeply regretted” the resumption of hostilities in Gaza. “The return to hostilities only shows how important it is to have a true humanitarian ceasefire,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement.
The MEA said that Mr. Modi and Mr. Guterres had held talks in Dubai, but did not specifically mention the conflict. “Both leaders exchanged views on priorities and concerns of the Global South related to Climate Action, climate finance, technology and reforms of the multilateral governance and financial institutions, including the UN,” the MEA statement said.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-meet-with-israeli-president-pm-modi-expresses-condolences-but-no-call-for-ceasefire/article67595136.ece
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Lashkar militant killed in gunfight with security forces in Pulwama: J&K police
December 1, 2023
A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Arihal village of Pulwama in south Kashmir late on Thursday, police said Friday.
“During a search operation, the joint team (Army, police and CRPF) encountered indiscriminate firing from the hiding terrorist. The security forces effectively retaliated, leading to an encounter,” the police said in a statement.
The statement identified the militant as Kifayat Ayoub Alie, a resident of Pinjoora in Shopian district associated with the LeT, a proscribed terror outfit. Police said their records indicated his involvement in terror-related crimes in Shopian.
“Significant incriminating materials,” along with arms and ammunition including one pistol, two magazines, five rounds and two grenades were seized from the encounter site, as per the statement. “All recovered items are now part of the case records for further investigation,” it added.
The police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the law and started an investigation.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/lashkar-militant-killed-gunfight-security-forces-pulwama-jammu-kashmir-police-9050097/
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Bihar teeming with illegal madrasas, mosques, says Union min, JDU hits back
December 1, 2023
Patna : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday claimed that Bihar was teeming with “illegal” madrasas and mosques which posed a grave threat to the nation’s internal security.
The BJP leader, who represents the state’s Begusarai Lok Sabha seat, blamed the situation on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad, whose party helms the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar, alleging that both were in a “slumber of appeasement”.
“Bihar seems to be flooded by illegal (avaidh) madrasas and mosques (masjid). The situation is particularly grave in the areas bordering Nepal and Bangladesh”, Singh, the Union Rural Development Minister told reporters.
He said “While the population of Muslims in the state is about 18 per cent, these areas have a higher concentration. Moreover, there is a strong presence of the banned PFI across the state. So the situation poses a grave challenge to the country’s internal security”.
He added, “If things are left unchecked, in 20 years from now, the people of Bihar will face a major threat to their wealth and their faith (dharmaurdhan ko khatra ho saktahai). And for a situation, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad would be solely responsible”.
He accused Kumar, and Prasad, a former chief minister, of being in a “slumber of appeasement (tushtikarankineend)” and asked them to crack down on such illegal seminaries and places of worship “instead of worrying about vote bank politics”.
However, Singh’s statement met with a strong rebuttal from Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) which asked the Union minister to come up with a list of such illegal madrasas if he had the details.
Talking to reporters at the JD(U) office here, chief spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar said “What does the Union minister mean by illegal madrasas? He should realise that madrasas had played an important role in the struggle for Independence”.
The JD(U) leader also said “The Union minister is part of a government that is unfair towards not just madrasas but also Sanskrit Vidyalayas which had come up during the colonial rule to challenge Lord Macaulay’s education system. The Narendra Modi government has scrapped the scholarships being awarded to students of both madrasas and Sanskrit Vidyalayas”.
He added, “We, in Bihar, need not undertake a survey of madrasas on the lines of the Yogi Adityanath in adjoining Uttar Pradesh which gives fewer holidays than we do on festivals like Chhath and Dussehra. BJP leaders should also ask Yogi to recite Mohd Bodh, a revered scripture of the Nath sect to which he claims to belong. This would give the party and its leaders a better understanding of Islam and Muslims”. ( With PTI inputs )
Source: muslimmirror.com
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Ayodhya's Ram Temple consecration on this date; 6,000 invitations being sent out
Dec 02, 2023The distribution of invitation cards for the consecration of Ayodhya's Ram Temple has commenced, with the ceremony set to take place on January 22, 2024.
Over three years after the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the date for the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram Temple has been decided – on January 22, 2024.
The invitation cards for the ceremony at the newly built Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's holy town are being sent out to over 6,000 guests, including priests, donors and several politicians. The foundation stone of the temple was laid down by Modi in August 2020.
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Not just priests and saints from across the country, but top politicians, including Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, will also participate in the ceremony on January 22.
Before the grand opening ceremony of the Ram Mandir, the Uttar Pradesh government will organise a recitation of AkhandRamayan and Hanuman Chalisa in major temples of the state in January 2024, an official said. The recitation events will be held from January 14 to 22.
The extravagant consecration ceremony of Ram Temple is currently being planned, and an outline of religious programs has been prepared by Shri Ram JanmabhoomiTeerthKshetra Trust and the state government.
The idol of Lord Ram will be installed inside the Ram Mandir on January 22 in the grand ceremony, with several festivities planned for that day.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir construction
The Supreme Court's verdict in 2019 on the Ayodhya dispute paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple. Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra' Trust to take all decisions on the construction of the temple.
The construction kicked off on August 5, 2020, after Modi laid down the foundation stone of the temple. The architecture of the Ram Mandir is based on the design prepared by the Sompura family of Ahmedabad in 1988, with a few tweaks done in 2020.
Apart from this, Thailand is sending soil to the Ramjanmabhoomi ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in a special cultural gesture. This act follows the earlier gesture of sending water from two rivers in Thailand to Lord Ram's temple.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Europe
Southern French province bans pro-Palestine rally
Ahmet Gencturk
01.12.2023
A pro-Palestine rally that was scheduled to take place in France’s southern city of Nice has been banned by the local administration on Friday.
The demonstration, scheduled for Saturday, has been banned owing to the risk of disturbances to public order, clashes, the persistence of the terrorist threat, and an increase in anti-Semitic acts, claimed the provincial administration of Alpes-Maritimes, which includes Nice.
Defying international calls for a cease-fire, the Israeli army announced Friday morning that it had resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip as the week-long humanitarian pause came to an end.
At least 178 Palestinians have been killed and 589 more injured since Israel resumed bombing the Gaza Strip.
The humanitarian pause began on Nov. 24 as part of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas to temporarily halt fighting to allow the hostages swap, as well as the delivery of aid.
More than 15,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7. Around 1,200 Israelis have also been killed, according to official estimates.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/southern-french-province-bans-pro-palestine-rally/3070751
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UK premier, Qatari emir ‘deeply regret’ over collapse of pause in Gaza
Burak Bir
01.12.2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Friday expressed regret over the “collapse of pause” in the Gaza Strip.
Meeting on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in the UAE’s Dubai, Sunak thanked Al Thani over Qatar’s role in facilitating the humanitarian pause in the besieged enclave, which has seen the release of dozens of hostages.
“The leaders deeply regretted the collapse of the pause and reiterated the importance of ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those in need in Gaza,” UK Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
During the meeting, Sunak pointed out the need to work towards two-state solution which guarantees the security and prosperity of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Sunak also said that Hamas could have no future in Gaza, added the statement.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/uk-premier-qatari-emir-deeply-regret-over-collapse-of-pause-in-gaza/3070682
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Senior UK officials discuss Gaza crisis on sidelines of COP28 in Dubai
December 02, 2023
GENEVA: UNICEF has appealed for a lasting ceasefire to be implemented in Gaza, describing inaction as “an approval of the killing of children” after a week-old truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed.
“A lasting ceasefire must be implemented,” James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, told reporters via video link from Gaza.
“Inaction at its core is an approval of the killing of children.”
The UN described the hostilities as “catastrophic” and urged parties to bring about a lasting ceasefire.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office in Geneva, said the resumption of hostilities meant “hell on Earth has returned to Gaza.”
Israeli warplanes resumed bombing Gaza, sending Palestinian civilians fleeing for shelter, after a week-old truce ran out with no deal to extend it.
“The resumption of hostilities in Gaza is catastrophic,” said Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“I urge all parties and states with influence over them to redouble efforts, immediately, to ensure a ceasefire – on humanitarian and human rights grounds.”
In a post on X social media platform, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regretted the resumption of hostilities and hoped a new pause could be established.
“The return to hostilities only shows how important it is to have a true humanitarian ceasefire,” he said.
Laerke said that the week-long truce had seen significantly larger humanitarian convoys entering densely populated Gaza, even reaching north of Wadi Gaza, which prior to the pause had received almost no supplies.
“With the resumption of war, we fear that the continuation of this (aid) is now in doubt,” he said.
“The Rafah crossing is closed as of now. We need a resumption of a humanitarian pause, not a return to war.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2418791/middle-east
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Sanchez says Israel is a ‘friend’ of Spain
December 02, 2023
MADRID: Israel is “a friend of Spain,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Friday, a day after Israel recalled its envoy to Madrid over “outrageous remarks” he made regarding the country’s military campaign in Gaza.
The Socialist premier, one of the most critical voices within the European Union regarding Israel, at the same time stood by his position regarding Israel’s campaign, which has sparked tension between Madrid and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in recent days.
In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Sanchez said he had “reiterated that Israel is a partner and friend of Spain” in a telephone conversation with Israeli former defense minister and current war cabinet member, Benny Gantz.
“Once again, I condemned the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7,” he said, before adding “Israel has the right to defend itself.”
“But I reaffirmed that Spain considers the death of civilians in Gaza unbearable and that Israel must respect international humanitarian law,” Sanchez added.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Thursday he was recalling the country’s envoy to Spain for consultations in Jerusalem “because of the outrageous remarks by the Spanish prime minister, who again repeated baseless claims.”
Speaking to Spanish public television on Thursday, Sanchez said he had “serious doubts” that Israel is complying with international humanitarian law in its military campaign in Gaza given the “images we are seeing and the growing number of people dying, especially boys and girls.”
Israel has also recalled its ambassadors from Turkiye and South Africa following remarks by those countries’ leaders over the war in Gaza.
Hamas broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing around 240 Israeli and foreign hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel has vowed to “crush” Hamas in response and unleashed a withering military campaign that Gaza’s Hamas government says has killed more than 15,000 people in the coastal territory.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2418856/world
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As an imam and a rabbi, we see the pain caused by war in the Middle East. We don’t want that conflict in the UK
2 December 2023
Monawar Hussain and Jonathan Wittenberg
This Sunday we will stand together, an imam and a rabbi, at the vigil Building Bridges, Together for Humanity. We will stand alongside religious, civic and political leaders from different faiths and parties and with bereaved families scarred by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
With us will be representatives of the Parents Circle – Families Forum, a grassroots organisation of more than 600 bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families working together for a shared future of justice, peace and hope for everyone. Their leadership and their bravery humbles us. But so does their insight. RobiDamelin, whose son was killed in the conflict, said this week: “As bereaved Palestinian and Israeli families we urge you not to import our conflict into your society and create further hatred. As families who have lost loved ones we refuse to give in to vengeance and retribution. Instead, we choose to work side by side in partnership to build a better future for everyone.”
In our work as an imam and a rabbi we have each stood alongside grieving parents, witnessed in heartfelt silence countless tears, and endeavoured to bring whatever comfort human kindness and faith in God can offer.
We have seen the misery and anguish the death of loved ones brings in the ordinary days of peacetime. This is all the more terrible amid the uncertainty, fear and terror of war. We are deeply distressed by the horror being suffered, even as we write, by so many civilians in both Israel and Palestine.
At moments like this it is easy for that pain to spill over into anger and for that anger to blind us to the plight of others. We too feel deep ties of loyalty to our respective faiths and communities. But we also feel the bond of universal humanity that unites us. We share the belief that every person is of infinite value and that every life is an entire, unique and irreplaceable world. Therefore, we are resolved to pray and work together for a future that brings dignity, security, enduring peace and hope to everyone.
As spiritual leaders in the UK, we are witnesses to the shocking rise in attacks on Jews and Muslims in this country. Many in our communities feel isolated, surrounded by walls of silence, harassed and afraid. Sadly, this applies in many schools, universities and workplaces, as well as on the streets of London and other cities. Such division and hostility only exacerbate our traumas.
Alongside civil and political leaders of all faiths and none, we are determined to do our utmost not to bring the conflict in the Middle East into this country. Rather, we are united in our commitment to upholding the values of respect, inclusion and the honouring and celebration of diversity that form the basis of our shared society.
We do not have to see eye to eye in order to treat one another with decency and consideration. We do not have to agree with each other for us to acknowledge each other’s hurt. We do not need to hold identical views to reach out and take responsibility for one another’s safety and wellbeing.
Amid the anger and anguish of these cruel times, we call instead for compassion, understanding and love. We know the difference that ordinary acts of kindness and decency can make.
That is why we call on you to stand with us and join the vigil on Sunday if you can. But even if you are unable to, we ask you to take your own small steps to bring us together. That can be as simple as reaching out to someone you disagree with or acknowledging someone else’s pain.
Despite, perhaps even within, the very trauma of the current situation, we seek to find opportunity. We see in this moment a key time to recognise each other’s anguish, express our solidarity in the face of suffering, and work alongside one another for a more compassionate world.
Source: yahoo.com
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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/imam-rabbi-see-pain-caused-090041164.html
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Pakistan
Pakistan bound by UN conventions protecting rights of refugees: SC justice
December 2, 2023
Pakistan Supreme Court’s Justice Ayesha A. Malik on Friday observed that Pakistan was bound by the United Nations conventions that protected the rights of refugees.
She passed these remarks as a three-member bench of the apex court took up a petition seeking restraining orders against the caretaker government’s decision to deport illegal Afghan nationals, Dawn newspaper reported.
As the proceedings commenced Friday, the court remarked that the deportation of illegal Afghan citizens was also a matter of “constitutional interpretation” and directed the Attorney General for Pakistan to assist the bench on the same.
The court issued notices to the federal government, the foreign ministry, apex committee — that had taken the decision to expel Afghans under the leadership of the caretaker prime minister and army chief — and the AGP.
In November, the government initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans.
Of more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7 million are undocumented. Around 400,000 Afghans have returned since Pakistan announced plans to deport illegal refugees.
Last month, Pakistani politicians and rights activists had approached the top court to declare the decision of mass deportation of Afghans as illegal, unconstitutional and against the fundamental rights.
One of the petitioners, former PPP senator Farhatullah Babar, contended that the interim government did not have the mandate to deport illegal Afghan citizens. He highlighted that the Afghans being expelled had already applied for political asylum.
“Afghan citizens are being treated inhumanely by the government of Pakistan,” Babar further stated, reiterating that the caretakers did not have constitutional authority to make a final decision on policy-related matters.
Source: ariananews.af
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https://www.ariananews.af/pakistan-bound-by-un-conventions-protecting-rights-of-refugees-sc-justice/
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NAB files Rs1.2bn graft reference against Parvez Elahi, 12 others in bribery case
December 2, 2023
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a corruption reference in Lahore’s accountability court against PTI President Parvez Elahi and 12 others, alleging the receipt of Rs1.23 billion in bribes in connection with development project contracts in Gujrat, it emerged today.
The watchdog has nominated Elahi, along with his son, Moonis, and 11 others in the reference. The father-son duo has been identified as prime suspects, who, according to the reference, have allegedly received the highest kickbacks among all others, totalling Rs744 million.
The ex-chief minister was arrested in the same case in August this year, subsequently being granted bail by the court. Elahi is, presently, confronting several cases, including an FIA money laundering case and allegations of illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.
Initially taken into custody on June 1 this year, the former Punjab CM has faced a series of releases and re-arrests, remaining in detention ever since. The legal challenges coincided with the state’s crackdown on the PTI that followed the violent May 9 protests that saw important government and military installations vandalised.
According to the NAB reference filed with the Lahore court, which Dawn.com has seen, the suspects “with dishonest intent and by misusing their authority to collect kickbacks,” sanctioned additional schemes of the Highways Department in two constituencies of Gujrat under the supervision of Elahi, his son Moonis and their close aides.
“They misused their authority and official positions to get appointed their confidant and trustworthy officers in Punjab Highways Department, with dishonest intentions to get illegal monetary gains / kickbacks / commissions for themselves,” the reference claimed.
The watchdog said the “evidence collected and witnesses recorded speaks volume of unlawful actions/misuse of authority with dishonest/illegal intent on the part of accused persons.”
It further alleged that the accused persons allegedly “received kickbacks and commissions as illegal gains and possessed the crime proceeds into different bank accounts to create a financial layering”.
In the reference, NAB Chairman retired Lt-Gen Nazir Ahmed said: “It would be proper and just to proceed further against the accused persons as there is sufficient incriminating material available on record to justify filing of reference against them.”
The NAB has also called for a court trial for the suspects, urging “punishment” in accordance with the law.
After the reference was filed, the watchdog issued a press statement alleging the former CM and his son’s involvement in harming the national exchequer. The statement urged the court to expedite the investigation against the suspects in light of the reference provided by the NAB.
The case
Elahi is one of the co-accused in a case of receiving bribes/kickbacks in exchange for getting the “contracts of road schemes of Gujrat Highways Division awarded to favourite/hand-picked contractors”.
Other co-accused include his son “Moonis Elahi, Mahr Azmat Hayat and others”. The case alleges that Elahi and Moonis were handed over the kickbacks received from Azmat directly as well as through Imtiaz Ali Shah, their accountant.
It further alleges that the co-accused were “involved in causing loss to the government exchequer to the tune of millions of rupees against receipt of commission/kickbacks and committed offences of corruption and corrupt practices” under Section 9(a) of the NAB ordinance, 1999.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1794470/nab-files-rs12bn-graft-reference-against-parvez-elahi-12-others-in-bribery-case
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Issuance of Pakistan Origin Cards to Afghan spouses of Pakistanis ordered
December 2, 2023
Nasir Iqbal
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Accepting 109 petitions of Pakistani women seeking Pakistan Origin Cards (POCs) for their Afghan spouses, the Peshawar High Court on Friday ordered the federal government to proceed with their cases in accordance with prescribed rules.
A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard arguments by lawyers appearing for the petitioners, federal government and the National Database and Registration Authority before directing the centre to issue POCs to the spouses of petitioners provided they fulfilled the required criterion.
The detailed judgement will be released later.
Advocates Saifullah MuhibKakakhel, NoumanMuhibKakakhel, Mohammad Suhaib Malik and other lawyers appeared for the petitioners, whereas additional attorney general Sanaullah Khan and Shahid Imran Gigyani represented the federal government and Nadra, respectively.
PHC directs govt to follow rules; SC issues notice to ministries on plea against deportation
Mr Saifullah Muhib argued that Nadra Ordinance read with Nadra (POC) Rules 2002 provided for grant of POCs to spouses of Pakistani citizens, hence Afghan husbands of Pakistani women were entitled to it as well as visa-free entry and other rights as a citizen of Pakistan except for casting vote and a Pakistani passport.
He said non-grant of POC to the Afghan husbands of Pakistani women is violative of their fundamental rights. He argued that it was nowhere mentioned in the rules that an Afghan refugee was not a foreigner and therefore, he or she was not entitled to the provision of POC.
He contended that while petitioners fulfilled all the requirements, the government had been denying issuance of POCs to their spouses.
Citizenship Act
Section 10 of the Citizenship Act provides for provision of Pakistani citizenship to the foreigner wife of a Pakistani husband but not vice versa.
AAG Khan and lawyer Gigyani informed the court that the petitioners had been seeking POCs for their Afghan spouses, who either possessed POR (Proof of Registration) cards or ACC (Afghan Citizenship Cards).
They contended that as the spouses were Afghan refugees they were not included in the definition of a foreigner, so they were not entitled to POCs.
They stated that one of the conditions required for a foreign applicant was that he should have passport of his native country, whereas in present cases these spouses did not have that document.
Mass deportation
In Islamabad, the Supreme Court summoned Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan to assist it whether the existing three-judge bench or a larger bench should hear the petitions regarding mass deportation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.
Headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, the three-judge bench — which also comprises Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ayesha A. Malik — issued notices to the federal government, apex committee through the interior ministry, which on Oct 3 had decided to deport Afghans, and the foreign ministry with a direction to furnish written replies to the petitions moved through Umer Ijaz Gilani.
The case was postponed until next week since the matter involves constitutional interpretation.
The petition was jointly moved on behalf of Farhatullah Babar, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, Amina Masood Janjua, Mohsin Dawar, Mohammad Jibran Nasir, Syed Muaz Shah, Pastor Ghazala Parveen, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, Ahmad Shabbar, Advocate Imran Shafiq, Luke Victor, Sijal Shafiq and Rohail Kasi.
The court decided to club a fresh petition moved by faculty members of LUMS namely Uzair J. Kayani, Sadaf Aziz, Ali Raza, Angbeen Mirza, MadihaTallat and Aisha Ahmad through their counsel MianSamiuddin.
During the hearing, Justice Ayesha Malik pointed out Section 4 of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 which suggests that petitions moved under Article 184(3) of the Constitution should be heard by a bench not less than of five judges.
The judge observed that Pakistan was a signatory to international treaties and therefore the development concerns the national commitment and whether the caretaker government could ignore such treaties.
Advocate Gillani argued that the government was deporting Afghans despite the fact that many of them have sought asylum.
The bench wondered should the court allow Afghans to continue when they had already been staying in Pakistan for the last 40 years.
The petition urged the court to restrain the federal government from detaining, forcefully deporting or otherwise harassing anyone who possesses a POR and ACC, an asylum-seeker application issued by the UNHCR or a pre-screening slip issued by UNHCR-partners SHARP and SEHAR.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1794394/issuance-of-pakistan-origin-cards-to-afghan-spouses-of-pakistanis-ordered
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Bushra Bibi, KhawarManeka: Plea seeking record of divorce dismissed
2023-12-02
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday dismissed a petition of bar member seeking record of the divorce between Bushra Bibi and her former husband, Khawar Farid Maneka.
Earlier, the court asked the petitioner Muhammad Afaq, how he came to know the wife of the former prime minister did not complete her iddat (the intervening period before the next marriage). The petitioner lawyer replied he heard in the news.
The court remarked that the lawyer may not have heard the news attentively.
The court observed that objections to the divorce certificate can only be raised by family members and dismissed the petition for being not maintainable.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276335/bushra-bibi-khawar-maneka-plea-seeking-record-of-divorce-dismissed
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South Asia
WFP requires $26 million to aid one million Afghan migrants
Fidel Rahmati
December 1, 2023
The World Food Programme (WFP) requires $26.3 million to continue aiding one million returning Afghan migrants from Pakistan.
The organization’s statement also noted that the expulsion of Afghan migrants took place at the worst possible time, leaving them unsure of how to survive the harsh winter.
The organization reports that it managed to support nearly 280,000 returnees with food and cash assistance in November.
According to United Nations statistics, following Pakistan’s one-month deadline for the expulsion of illegal Afghan migrants, over 370,000 Afghan migrants were forced to leave their homes and belongings in Pakistan and return to Afghanistan.
Moreover, Pakistani authorities have made a concerning declaration, expressing their plans to deport over one million Afghan migrants by January 2024. In response, the international community has strongly urged Pakistani officials to reconsider this action, particularly given the harsh winter conditions that these migrants would face in the country.
The situation highlights the growing humanitarian concern, as many organizations and nations are advocating for a more compassionate approach to address the challenges faced by Afghan migrants, especially amid severe weather conditions.
The organization adds that as more than six million people are internally displaced across Afghanistan, those returning from Pakistan are facing an uncertain future.
The World Food Programme (WFP) underscores the critical need for immediate funding to sustain its essential assistance to Afghanistan’s vulnerable communities grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/wfp-requires-26-million-to-aid-one-million-afghan-migrants/
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Afghanistan Embassy in India Reopens
Fidel Rahmati
December 1, 2023
Just a week after declaring the permanent closure of the Afghan embassy in India, two Afghan diplomats have taken a surprising turn by announcing its reopening in New Delhi.
Sayed Mohammad Ibrahim Khil, the Consul General of Afghanistan in Hyderabad, and Zakia Wardak, the Consul General in Mumbai, have assumed responsibility for the consular services at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi.
This decision came in response to a request from the Indian government, which asked them to oversee the embassy’s consular section to assist the sizeable Afghan population in Delhi.
The Afghan Embassy had previously suspended its activities in early October, citing a lack of support from the Indian government and their inability to provide services to Afghan citizens.
Earlier, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the deputy foreign minister in the Taliban administration, said that the Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi is expected to resume operations within the next few days.
Stanikzai said on the National Radio and TV of Afghanistan that in accordance with instructions from Kabul, the Consul general from the Afghan consulates in Hyderabad and Mumbai had made visits to the embassy in New Delhi.
“Our consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are functioning and in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [in Kabul] and delivering routine consular services,” Stanekzai said.
The reopening of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi aims to serve the needs of numerous Afghan residents in the Indian capital.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-embassy-in-india-reopens/
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Taliban Ambassador Presents Credentials to China
Fidel Rahmati
December 1, 2023
On Friday, the Chinese government formally accepted Bilal Karimi as the Taliban’s ambassador in Beijing. The Taliban said this appointment in a statement.
Bilal Karimi assumed his role as the Taliban’s ambassador to China on November 24, marking a notable move in diplomatic relations between China and the Taliban.
China made headlines approximately two months ago when it introduced Zhao Xing as its ambassador to Afghanistan, even as the Taliban took control of the country. This made China the first country to appoint an ambassador to Kabul during the Taliban’s administration.
On the other side of this diplomatic relationship, Bilal Karimi has become the first Taliban ambassador chosen to represent the group in a foreign country.
Before this diplomatic appointment, Bilal Karimi was deputy spokesman for the Taliban, contributing to the group’s communication efforts.
It’s important to highlight that the Taliban has not yet received recognition from any other country, making China’s move to accept Bilal Karimi’s credentials a noteworthy development.
This decision underscores China’s active engagement with the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
Recognizing Bilal Karimi as the Taliban ambassador to China reflects the intricate regional dynamics, especially in light of the evolving political landscape in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-ambassador-presents-credentials-to-china/
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Hanafi Urges Islamic Emirate Be Included in Meetings on Afghanistan
FatemaAdeeb
December 1, 2023
In a meeting with the head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, the deputy Prime Minister for administrative affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, urged the inclusion of the interim Afghan government’s envoy in international meetings on Afghanistan, the Arg said in a statement.
According to the statement, the two sides discussed the Afghan refugees being deported and recent meetings of the OIC held in Jeddah, the Arg said in a statement.
He also said the process of deportation of Afghan refugees is against international manners and human rights norms, the Arg said.
“This is very disappointing that we have many times repeated that Afghanistan should be present in the meetings, so it can defend its stance and also to explain the reality here,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.
Political analysts said that the presence of the Islamic Emirate’s envoys in the international conference is beneficial for resolving the problems of Afghanistan.
“If Afghanistan’s political status is not specified based on international law, this [issue] will be a political vacuum in Afghanistan’s law as well,” said Sayed Muqdam Amin, a political analyst.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet been invited to many international conferences on Afghanistan. The Afghanistan seat in the UN is also still run by the diplomat of the former Afghan government, Naseer Ahmad Faiq.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-186295
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6 killed, 3 injured in attack on clerics in Herat, Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
December 1, 2023
According to reports, in an attack by unidentified armed individuals on the passengers of a three-wheeler, at least six people, including two clerics, were killed, and three others were wounded in Jibril district of Herat province on Friday.
These individuals were returning from a memorial ceremony for a Hazara cleric in the Khoshroud area of Anjil Herat when they were attacked. The incident occurred at approximately 2 PM on Friday, around 10 kilometres from the city centre, in the vicinity of the Shaheedan and Kuh-e Melli districts within the Jibril district of Herat.
Witnessed that the armed individual stopped the victims’ vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, in the Kuh-e Melli area and then proceeded to open fire on the passengers.
The attackers targeted Mohammad Taqi Sadeghi, the imam of the Rasoul-e Azam Mosque, and Mohammad Mohsen Hamidi, the imam of the HazratAbolfazl Mosque in Herat’s Jibril district, as they were attending a memorial ceremony for Mohammad Etemadi, who had been assassinated by unidentified armed individuals in the Khoshroud area of Anjil Herat.
According to reports, during the past one and half months, at least four Hazara clerics or religious leaders have been killed in Herat.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan had previously stated that they were investigating the “very concerning” assassination of two Shia clerics in Herat.
Richard Bent, the UN official, had called for an independent investigation following international morals into this incident and the punishment of the perpetrators.
Despite the Taliban’s assurances about security, there is a growing rise in security threats, particularly for the Hazara community.
Source: khaama.com
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Germany provides €60 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
December 1, 2023
The German Embassy has announced a contribution of 60 million euros for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.
The embassy announced via its social media platform X this Thursday, specifying that the funds will assist earthquake victims in Herat province and Afghan returnees from Pakistan.
Germany has entrusted this aid to the World Food Programme and will disburse it through this organization.
Ten days ago, Germany also donated five million euros to the Afghan Humanitarian Fund.
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocated this assistance to the earthquake-affected population in Herat. It stated that the budget would support organizations such as Caritas, Save the Children, World Vision, and humanitarian activities of United Nations agencies in Afghanistan.
Germany’s commitment to aiding Afghanistan reflects its dedication to addressing humanitarian challenges in the region.
This financial assistance will help alleviate suffering and meet the essential needs of affected and vulnerable people in Afghanistan.
Source: khaama.com
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DABS Establishes Dept to Attract Investment
2023-12-02
Bibi Amina Hakimi
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) has established the Investment Attraction Department in order to increase investment in the electricity sector.
The spokesperson of this organization told TOLOnews that they provide facilities to investors and domestic and foreign companies to invest in the electricity sector in the country.
Some economic analysts said that Afghanistan has many water resources and investment in the electricity sector will also be effective in economic growth.
“At DABS, we have created a department under the title of Investment Attraction Department, the duties of this department are to make regular plans for investors in the electricity generation sector in different parts of the country,” said HekmatullahMaiwandi, DABS spokesman.
Meanwhile, the former head of DABS said that for more investment in the electricity sector, it is necessary for the Islamic Emirate to provide facilities to the investors first.
“Afghanistan's electricity problems in the current situation is because there is no donor, there is no attention from the international community, and the government itself does not have money, the only solution is the private sector is to solve the current electricity problem, without the cooperation of the private sector, it is impossible for the Ministry of Energy and Water or for DABS to solve the electricity problems soon,” said Amanullah Ghaleb, former head of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS).
“It is clear that Afghanistan has reached self-sufficiency in terms of internal sources of electricity production. We have enough water. If attention is paid to dams to generate electricity, we do not need such sources from other countries in this sector. The only thing that remains is technical matters and it will also be solved if some countries cooperate with Afghanistan,” said Shaker Yaqubi, an economic analyst.
Meanwhile, nearly 20 days ago, DABS said that the contract for the remaining work of the 500 KV electricity transmission project of Turkmenistan from Sheberghan-DashteAlwan of Baghlan Province was signed between the Islamic Emirate and a private company.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/business-186302
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Afghanistan cannot go another year without a voice on climate change: UNAMA
December 2, 2023
As the 28th United Nations conference on climate change (COP28) opened in Dubai, UNAMA on Friday stressed that Afghanistan cannot go another year without a voice on climate change.
“It is time to think creatively to ensure that in one year’s time, we are not approaching COP29 with yet another statement on Afghanistan’s absence,” UNAMA said in a statement.
It called on all stakeholders to move from awareness to action as climatic shocks and pressures continue to deeply affect the daily lives of millions of Afghans.
Afghanistan remains among the top ten most vulnerable and least ready countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. Nearly 20 million Afghans face emergency or crisis levels of food insecurity, driven by a third consecutive year of drought, economic pressures, and high vulnerability to other natural hazards – including two devastating earthquakes in the last two years. Climate change is further exacerbating negative impacts on health, sanitation, poverty, migration, and displacement, particularly for the most vulnerable, UNAMA said.
While the United Nations and partners are assisting Afghans respond and build resilience to changing climatic conditions, current efforts are insufficient. Humanitarian funding continues to decline, and climate finance remains largely suspended. Afghan voices are still absent from global climate fora, and the de facto authorities have yet to create a conducive policy and operational environment under a codified system of governance to support access to global funds, according to UNAMA.
“This situation is unsustainable,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva. “UNAMA has repeatedly noted that mitigating and adapting to climate change and building climate resilience in the country cannot wait. All stakeholders must engage on this issue in an apolitical and constructive manner for the benefit of the Afghan people.”
UNAMA said that while awareness of the grave challenges of climate change in Afghanistan is growing, awareness alone will not build the resilience so desperately needed among communities.
“Now is the time to move from awareness to action,” said Otunbayeva. “This will require bold, collective and tangible action, at scale, backed by engagement, financing and governance efforts, including on shared regional climate threats. It is a shared burden which will require resources as well as harnessing the potential of all Afghans.”
Source: ariananews.af
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Mideast
Israel informs Arab states it wants buffer zone in post-war Gaza: Sources
02.12.23
Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends, Egyptian and regional sources said.
According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020.
They also said that Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war flared on Oct. 7, had been informed. The sources did not say how the information reached Riyadh, which officially does not have direct communication channels with Israel. Non-Arab Turkey was also told, the sources said.
The initiative does not indicate an imminent end to Israel's offensive - which resumed on Friday after a seven-day truce - but it shows Israel is reaching out beyond established Arab mediators, such as Egypt or Qatar, as it seeks to shape a post-war Gaza.
No Arab states have shown any willingness to police or administer Gaza in future and most have roundly condemned Israel's offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people and levelled swathes of Gaza's urban areas. Hamas killed 1,200 people in its Oct. 7 raid and took more than 200 hostages.
"Israel wants this buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from the north to the south to prevent any Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel," said a senior regional security official, one of the three regional sources who asked not to be identified by nationality.
The Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Turkish governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jordanian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
A UAE official did not respond directly when asked if Abu Dhabi had been told about the buffer zone, but said: "The UAE will support any future post-war arrangements agreed upon by all the concerned parties" to achieve stability and a Palestinian state.
Asked about plans for a buffer zone, Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters: "The plan is more detailed than that. It's based on a three-tier process for the day after Hamas."
Outlining the Israeli government's position, he said the three tiers involved destroying Hamas, demilitarising Gaza and de-radicalising the enclave.
"A buffer zone may be part of the demilitarisation process," he said. He declined to offer details when asked whether those plans had been raised with international partners, including Arab states.
Arab states have dismissed as impossible Israel's goal of wiping out Hamas, saying it was more than simply a militant force that could be defeated.
SQUEEZING PALESTINIANS
Israel has suggested in the past it was considering a buffer zone inside Gaza, but the sources said it was now presenting them to Arab states as part of its future security plans for Gaza. Israeli troops withdrew from the enclave in 2005.
A U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said Israel had "floated" the buffer zone idea without saying to whom. But the official also repeated Washington's opposition to any plan that reduced the size of Palestinian territory.
Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states have voiced fears that Israel wants to squeeze Palestinians out of Gaza, repeating the dispossession of land Palestinians suffered when Israel was created in 1948. The Israeli government denies any such aim.
A senior Israeli security source said the buffer zone idea was "being examined", adding: "It is not clear at the moment how deep this will be and whether it could be 1 km or 2 km or hundreds of metres (inside Gaza)."
Any encroachment into Gaza, which is about 40 km (25 miles) long and between about 5 km (3 miles) and 12 km (7.5 miles) wide, would cram its 2.3 million people into an even smaller area.
In Washington, an Israeli official said the Israeli defense establishment was talking about "some kind of security buffer on the Gaza side of the border so that Hamas cannot gather military capabilities close to the border and surprise Israel again."
"It is a security measure, not a political one," the official said on condition of anonymity. "We do not intend to remain on the Gaza side of the border."
Till now, Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel, and Qatar, which does not have formal ties but keeps communication channels open, have been at the centre of mediation talks with Israel that have focused on exchanging hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
SHIFTING FOCUS
Two Egyptian security sources said Israel had raised the idea in mediation talks with Egypt and Qatar of disarming northern Gaza and setting up a buffer zone in north Gaza with international supervision.
The sources said several Arab states opposed this. While Arab states might not oppose a security barrier between the two sides, there was disagreement over where it was located, they added.
The Egyptian sources said Israel had said in a meeting in Cairo in November that the Hamas leaders should be tried internationally in return for a full ceasefire. Mediators said the issue should be postponed until after the war to avoid derailing talks about hostage releases, the sources said.
A source in the Israeli prime minister's office declined to address the reports, adding: "Netanyahu's War Cabinet has defined the war missions: destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages back home, and we will continue until we complete our missions."
One of the Egyptian sources said Israel, in its discussions with Egypt and Qatar, had shifted from a focus on retaliation earlier in the crisis towards showing a greater willingness to "rethink its demands as mediation continued."
The regional sources compared the Gaza buffer zone plan to the "security zone" Israel once had in south Lebanon. Israel evacuated that zone, which was about 15 km (10 miles) deep, in 2000 after years of fighting and attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah.
They also said Israel's plan for post-war Gaza included deporting leaders of Hamas, an action that would also mirror the Israeli campaign in Lebanon in the 1980s when it drove out the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had launched attacks from Lebanon into Israel.
"Israel is ready to pay a costly price to expel and evict Hamas completely from Gaza to other countries in the region similar to what it did in Lebanon, but it's not the same. Getting rid of Hamas is difficult and not certain," said another of the regional officials familiar with the discussions.
A senior Israeli official said Israel did not consider Hamas to be like the PLO nor believe that it would act like the PLO.
Mohammad Dahlan, Gaza's former security chief from the Palestinian Fatah faction which was ejected from the enclave when Hamas took control in 2007, said Israel's buffer zone plan was unrealistic and would not protect Israeli forces.
"The buffer zone could make (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's forces a target also in the zone," he said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Hezbollah says it’s ‘vigilant’ as Hamas-Israel fighting resumes
December 1, 2023
BEIRUT/OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Lebanon’s Hezbollah said on Friday it was vigilant and ready as a resumption of fighting between its Palestinian ally Hamas and Israel fuelled concern that clashes across the Lebanese-Israeli border could also restart.
The Israeli army said it intercepted an “aerial target” that crossed from Lebanon into Israel, after sirens warning of possible incoming rockets went off in several towns in northern Israel and sent residents running for shelter.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel traded fire for weeks across the border after the Hamas-Israel war erupted on Oct. 7 - hostilities which ceased a week ago when Hamas and Israel agreed a truce that expired on Friday.
“In Lebanon, we are concerned in facing this challenge, being vigilant, and always ready to confront any possibility and any danger that may arise in our country,” Hassan Fadlallah, a senior Hezbollah politician, said in broadcast remarks.
“No one thinks that Lebanon has been spared from this Zionist targeting or that what is happening in Gaza cannot affect the situation in Lebanon,” he said.
Hezbollah, part of an Iran-backed alliance including Hamas, mounted near daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions at the frontier while Israel waged air and artillery strikes in south Lebanon during the hostilities that began on Oct. 8.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes on both sides of the border.
Israel resumes Gaza attacks as truce expires, heavy fighting reported
It has been the worst fighting since a 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. “I am worried about the resumption of confrontations here in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has linked what happens at the border with what happens in Gaza,“ said Nabil Boumonsef, deputy editor-in-chief of Lebanon’s Annahar newspaper. “All the while the war in Gaza continues Lebanon will remain threatened by the danger of a major escalation.”
Source: brecorder.com
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Renewed Gaza fighting stretches into second day after Israel-Hamas truce collapses
December 2, 2023
Renewed fighting in Gaza stretched into a second day on Saturday after talks to extend a week-old truce with Hamas collapsed and mediators said Israeli bombardments were complicating attempts to again pause hostilities.
Eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza came under intense bombardment as the truce deadline lapsed shortly after dawn on Friday, with columns of smoke rising into the sky, Reuters journalists in the city said.
Residents took to the road with belongings heaped up in carts, searching for shelter further west.
Israel said its ground, air and naval forces struck more than 200 “terror targets” in Gaza. By Friday evening, health officials in the coastal strip said Israeli strikes had killed 184 people, wounded at least 589 others and hit more than 20 houses.
The warring sides blamed the other for the truce collapse by rejecting terms to extend the daily release of hostages held by militants in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
The United Nations said the fighting would worsen an extreme humanitarian emergency. “Hell on Earth has returned to Gaza,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office in Geneva.
“Today, in a matter of hours, scores were reportedly killed and injured. Families were told to evacuate, again. Hopes were dashed,” said U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths, adding that children, women and men of Gaza had “nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on.”
A pause that started on Nov. 24 had been extended twice and Israel had said it could continue as long as Hamas released 10 hostages each day. But after seven days during which women, children and foreign hostages were freed, mediators failed to find a formula to release more.
Israel accused Hamas of refusing to release all the women it held. A Palestinian official said the breakdown occurred over female Israeli soldiers.
Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas after an Oct. 7 rampage in which it says the militant group killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage.
Israeli assaults have laid waste much of Gaza, ruled by Hamas since 2007. Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say over 15,000 Gazans have been killed and thousands are missing.
Source: ariananews.af
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Israel’s most wanted: the three Hamas leaders in Gaza it aims to kill
December 02, 2023
GAZA: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has a poster hanging on a wall of his office in Tel Aviv, in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. It shows mugshots of hundreds of the Palestinian militant group’s commanders arranged in a pyramid.
At the bottom are Hamas’ junior field commanders. At the top is its high command, including Mohammed Deif, the shadowy mastermind of last month’s assault.
The poster has been re-printed many times after Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for Oct. 7: the faces of dead commanders marked with a cross.
But the three men topping Israel’s hit-list remain at large: Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz el-Deen Al-Qassam Brigades; his second in command, Marwan Issa; and Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
Hostilities resumed in Gaza on Friday after a seven-day truce brokered by Qatar collapsed. Reuters spoke to four sources in the region, familiar with Israeli thinking, who said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza was unlikely to stop until those three top Hamas commanders are dead or captured.
The seven-week-old military campaign has killed more than 15,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, stirring international outcry.
The 61-year-old Sinwar, as well as Deif and Issa, both 58, form a secretive three-man military council atop Hamas that planned and executed the Oct. 7 attack. Some 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage in that assault, the bloodiest in Israel’s 75-year history.
The three leaders are directing Hamas’ military operations and led negotiations for a prisoner-hostage swaps, possibly from bunkers beneath Gaza, three Hamas sources say.
Killing or capturing the three men will likely be a long and arduous task but might signal that Israel was close to shifting from all-out war to less intense counter insurgency operations, according to three of the senior regional sources. That does not mean that Israel’s fight against Hamas would stop.
Officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have said Israel’s objectives are the destruction of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities, bringing the hostages back, and ensuring that the area around Gaza will never be threatened by a repeat of the Oct. 7 attack. To achieve those goals, eliminating the leadership of Hamas will be essential.
“They are living on borrowed time,” Gallant told a news conference last week, indicating that Israeli intelligence agency Mossad would hunt down the militant group’s leadership anywhere in the world. The Israeli government did not respond to a request for comment.
Two military experts said that killing Sinwar, Deif and Issa would allow Israel to claim an important symbolic victory. But achieving even that goal would be long and costly, with no guarantee of success.
Backed by drones and aircraft, Israeli troops have swept through less populated northern and western parts of Gaza but the hardest, and most destructive, phase of the fighting may lie ahead, military experts said.
Israeli troops have not pushed deep into Gaza City, stormed the maze of tunnels where Hamas’ command is believed to be located, or invaded the enclave’s densely populated south, they added. Some of those tunnels are believed to be around 80 meters deep, making them difficult to destroy from the air.
Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said it was probably unclear to all sides, including Hamas, exactly how many of its fighters had been killed.
“If (Israel) could say we’ve killed Sinwar, we’ve killed Marwan Issa, we’ve killed Mohammed Deif, that’s a very clear, symbolic and substantive achievement,” Eisenstadt said, adding that Israel faced a dilemma.
“What if they can’t get the guys? Do they keep fighting until they get them? And what if what if they just prove elusive?“
A MORE ATTAINABLE GOAL
The Israeli military says it has destroyed around 400 tunnel shafts in northern Gaza, but that is only a small part of the network Hamas has built up over the years. At least 70 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Gaza operation, and some 392 in total, including the Oct. 7 attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said.
A military officer, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, estimated roughly around 5,000 Hamas fighters had been killed – equivalent to roughly one fifth of its overall strength. Six battalions – numbering around 1,000 men each — had been significantly degraded, the officer said.
Osama Hamdan, a Lebanon-based Hamas leader, said the casualty figures were false and “Israeli propaganda” to cover its lack of military success.
One Hamas insider in Gaza, reached by phone, said that destroying the group as a military force would mean house to house combat and fighting in the warren of tunnels beneath the enclave, which would take a long time.
“If we talk about a year, we will be optimistic,” he said, adding that the Israeli death toll would rise.
President Joe Biden’s administration sees eliminating Hamas’ leadership as a far more attainable goal for Israel than the country’s stated objective of eliminating Hamas entirely, three US officials told Reuters.
While staunchly supportive of Israel, its closest ally in the Middle East, US officials worry that an open-ended conflict driven by Israel’s hope of destroying Hamas entirely would cause a heavy civilian death toll in Gaza and prolong the risk of a regional war.
The United States learned that lesson over years of battling Al-Qaeda, Daesh and other groups during a two-decade-long global war on terrorism.
Iran-backed militants, who blame the United States for Israel’s bombings in Gaza, are already targeting US troops in Iraq and Syria in wave after wave of attacks. One of the attacks last week injured eight US troops.
EXISTENTIAL THREAT
The shock and fear in Israel engendered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack may make it difficult to de-escalate the conflict.
Kobi Michael, a former head of the Palestinian desk at Israel’s Ministry for Strategic Affairs, which counters negative narratives about Israel overseas, said there is strong popular support for the war to continue as Hamas is perceived as part of a broad Iran-backed axis that poses a direct threat to the nation’s survival.
Capturing Sinwar would be an important victory but not necessarily the ultimate one, Michael said.
“Israeli society perceives itself under an existential threat and the options it sees before it are two only: To be or not to be,” he said.
The objective of the war remains to dismantle Hamas’ military and government capabilities, Michael said, which could involve a turbulent period in Gaza after the war. And the greater long-term challenge was to remove the popular appeal to Palestinians of Hamas’ fierce opposition to Israel using education and outreach, he said.
Israel regularly announces the deaths of senior Hamas battalion commanders. An Israeli military officer, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the IDF viewed the elimination of such combat-level commanders as essential to dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities.
FAILED ASSASINATIONS
The three Hamas leaders have all escaped numerous Israeli operations to kill them. Deif in particular lives in the shadows after escaping seven assassination attempts before 2021, which cost him an eye and left him with a serious leg injury.
An Israeli air strike in 2014 killed his wife, his three-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son.
Speculation by Israeli and Palestinian sources is that the three men are hiding in the tunnels under the enclave but five sources close to their thinking say they could be anywhere within Gaza.
Sinwar, who unlike the elusive Deif and Issa has often appeared in the past at public rallies, is no longer using any electronic devices for fear the Israelis could track the signal, Hamas sources said.
Issa, known as the ‘Shadow Man’, is perhaps the least well known of the three but has been involved in many of Hamas’ major decisions of recent years, and would replace either of the two other men if they are killed or captured, Hamas sources said.
All three men were born into refugee families that had fled or been expelled in 1948 from areas in the newly created Israeli state.
And all three men have spent years in Israeli prisons. Sinwar served 22 years after being jailed in 1988 for the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and the murder of four Palestinian collaborators.
He was the most senior of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners that Israel freed in 2011 in exchange for one of its soldiers, Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid five years earlier.
Like Deif, Issa’s facial features were unknown to the public until 2011 when he appeared in a group photo taken during the Shalit prisoner’s exchange, which he helped to organize.
Gerhard Conrad, a German Intelligence Agency mediator (BND) from 2009 to 2011, was among the few to have met Issa while negotiating Shalit’s prisoner swap.
“He was very meticulous and careful analyst: that’s my impression of him. He knew the files by heart,” Conrad told Al Jazeera television.
Israel has killed Hamas’ leaders in the past, including the group’s founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and its former leader Abdel-Aziz Al-Rantisi, assassinated in a 2004 air strike. New commanders rose to fill their ranks.
“Israel has killed Sheikh Yassin, Rantissi and others but Hamas is not over,” said Hamdan, the Lebanon-based member of the group’s politburo. “Anything might happen in this battle.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Al-Aqsa Mosque almost empty due to Israeli restrictions
Abdel Ra'ouf Arnaout
01.12.2023
Israeli restrictions have prevented tens of thousands of Palestinians from performing Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque for the eighth Friday since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip.
"Only 3,500 people were able to enter the mosque to perform Friday prayers, compared to more than 50,000 on regular Fridays," an official in the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem told Anadolu.
The official, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, said that "the Israeli police imposed severe restrictions on the entry of worshipers into the mosque for the eighth Friday in a row."
"The Israeli police only allowed the elderly to enter the mosque, and therefore, its courtyards and prayer rooms were almost empty during prayer time," he added.
He pointed out that "the Israeli authorities have imposed restrictions on the entry of worshipers into Al-Aqsa Mosque since the beginning of the war, but these restrictions become more severe on Fridays."
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli police forces were deployed in the alleys of the Old City, where they arrested young residents and prevented them from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Hundreds of Palestinians were forced to perform prayers in the streets near the Old City.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the Israeli police attacked worshipers in the Wadi Al-Jozneighborhood after preventing them from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The police fired tear gas canisters at the worshipers, beat a number of them, and chased them through the streets, eyewitnesses added.
Israel resumed its military operations against the Gaza Strip immediately after the end of the humanitarian pause, targeting various areas in the north, center and south of the Strip since the morning, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
At least 32 Palestinians were killed and several others injured as Israel resumed striking various areas in the Gaza Strip within three hours following the end of the pause, the Health Ministry in Gaza said.
The pause between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on Nov. 24, ended on Friday morning.
Source: aa.com.tr
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Palestinian, Lebanese resistance hit back as Israel resumes bombing Gaza
01 December 2023
The Al-Qassam Brigades has fired barrages of missiles at Tel Aviv and other cities in the Israeli-occupied territories in response to the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza, as its fighters engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli troops inside the strip.
Al-Qassam, the armed wing of the Hamas resistance movement, said in separate statements on Friday that it fired rockets at the cities of Asqalan, Ashdod, Sderot, Netivot, and Beersheba, as well as the Ra’im military base.
It also said its fighters attacked Israeli forces in northern Gaza, including an Israeli tank and a troop carrier.
They attacked a group of Israeli soldiers stationed inside a building in Beit Hanoun using four anti-personnel and anti-fortification shells, a statement said.
Separately, the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said it attacked several towns in response to Israeli bombings. It said it targeted the Kissufim kibbutz with 107 missiles.
The movement said its fighters had engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli soldiers near Al-Rantisi Hospital in the Al-Nasr neighborhood in Gaza City.
The Al-Quds brigades also said its fighters shot down an Israeli Skylark drone in central Gaza.
Hezbollah resumes attacks
The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah also resumed its anti-Israel operations in support of the resistance in Gaza, which were on a pause throughout the seven-day truce.
The movement said it targeted groups of Israeli soldiers at Jal al-Alam, Al-Marj, and Ramya military positions, as well as the Ramim barracks.
Israeli occupation’s artillery attacked several areas in southern Lebanon, killing a mother and her son in the Lebanese town of Houla.
Hezbollah has vowed the Lebanon-Palestine border would remain an active front line as long as Israel’s aggression against Gaza continues.
Several explosions and gunfire have been reported in northern Gaza as Israel said it has resumed its attacks on the besieged strip after a temporary ceasefire expired.
Gaza's Ministry of Health says at least 109 people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured as the Israeli regime resumed military operations and targeted residential areas and refugee camps across the densely-populated areas since Friday morning when a week-long truce expired.
The truce, which was extended twice, began on November 24. It had paused brutal Israeli strikes on Gaza that began in early October and killed more than 15,000 Palestinians.
International bodies have called for more time to get medical supplies, food and fuel into Gaza, where an estimated 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes.
The fighting resumed after US top diplomat Antony Blinken visited the region and held talks with Israeli leaders. Other world leaders, and aid groups, had sought an extended pause.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/01/715623/Palestinian-Lebanese-resistance-resume-retaliatory-attacks-amid-Israel-renewed-bombing-of-Gaza-
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Game-changer: Iran’s acquisition of Su-35 fighter jets bad news for its enemies
02 December 2023
Shabbir Rizvi
In a major upgrade to its defensive capabilities, the Islamic Republic of Iran has finalized the long-awaited deal with the Russian Federation for the purchase of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.
The deal also includes Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 jet trainers.
The finalization occurred over a lengthy, months-long process and further strengthened ties between Tehran and Moscow. Iran will now join Russia and China as the primary operators of the Su-35 fourth-generation fighter jet.
Notably, these three countries are in the BRICS economic alliance and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), with Iran joining both alliances in the last six months.
The finalization of the deal is seen as a sign of warmer relations between Russia and Iran.
The two countries face similar challenges on the global stage: an aggressive, declining United States that seeks to challenge both of them, as well as regional threats used for sabotage operations by the former.
The two countries’ defense leadership met briefly in September to discuss military cooperation and challenges, making it clear that expanding their military alliance and capabilities is essential.
Although several countries have sought to wield the air-superiority fighter, none apart from China and Iran have succeeded so far. Countries such as Turkey and Algeria have attempted to get their hands on the prized fighter jet but to no avail.
Other countries such as Egypt and Indonesia have backed off from purchasing from Russia amidst fears of being slapped with sanctions.
Iran’s self-sufficient and sanctions-resistant economy, as well as commonalities with Russia, provide ideal grounds for the purchase. For Russia, equipping Iran with the Su-35 was the natural decision.
The political conditions for the purchase of the air superiority fighter are clear. But why is the fighter jet advantageous in the context of Iranian defense?
The Islamic Republic enjoys a strong ground force and a strong navy - both arguably the best in the region. Though it also has strong anti-air capabilities and a strong drone program, in the field of fighter jets there is still scope for improvement.
The Sukhoi Su-35 is an air superiority fighter. It is designed primarily to dominate airspace scenarios, not just its own airspace for defense purposes but even penetrating enemy airspaces.
Its tight maneuverability allows it to engage enemy fighter jets and establish dominance in a rapidly changing aerial combat situation.
The primary function of the Su-35 is to control the sky - no enemies in, and no enemies out (alive).
Although Iran is long due for a serious upgrade within this fighter type, the Su-35 could not have come at a more ideal time.
The United States has been consistently provoking Iran by attempting to illegally enter its territorial waters. Not only that, it has airship carriers capable of deploying its own multirole fighters, including the Lockheed Martin F-35, into the Persian Gulf.
There have been numerous instances of escalation from the United States as it brazenly attempts to infringe on Iranian waters.
For example, the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) recently forced US attack helicopters to ground themselves on the air carrier they were deployed from in the Strait of Hormuz.
These escalations could continue with US aircraft carriers now being deployed closer to the Persian Gulf, which holds multiple fighter jets.
However, they would think twice if deterrence like the Su-35 was added to the equation.
Let’s cut to the death-dealing details. With a range of 3,600 km and a maximum speed of 2,390 km/h (according to Military Today), an Iranian pilot could get to where he needs to within moments of a developing situation.
Gone would be the days of an enemy aircraft passing by and having to answer for it later rather than sooner. The Su-35 would catch up before a return-to-base call is made for the enemy fighter.
If push comes to shove, the same pilot has an arsenal capable of answering most equations. The Su-35 carries a lightweight 30 mm autocannon that is capable of piercing most armored vehicles in less than 5 rounds - the Su-35 typically packs 150 rounds.
The cannon is effective against aerial targets at 800 meters and ground targets nearly 2,000 meters away.
Next comes the missiles. The Su-35 can be used for air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat, air-to-ship combat, and air-to-radiation combat (targeting most objects with a radio frequency).
It must be stated again that the primary role of the Su-35 is for air superiority, but the nimbleness of the system allows it to perform multi-role capabilities depending on the mission at hand.
Iran has a very diverse set of borders. Although the likelihood of air-to-air combat scenarios over the borders of Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan is low, and threats along Iraq (particularly the Kurdistan region) and Azerbaijan are moderate, Iran’s principal opponents can exploit the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz for at the very least air and sea reconnaissance missions.
Ruling out the necessity of air-to-ship missiles would be a critical mistake - especially considering the Su-35 system is fitted with infrared search and track capabilities.
Paired with being able to hit remote-operated targets with anti-radiation missiles, the Su-35 is a natural fit for defending Iran’s borders - particularly where an enemy combatant could use naval drones.
It’s clear that the Su-35 is equipped with the speed, machinery, maneuverability, and versatility to be on par with or exceed most fighter jets. But can it actually fight?
Since the fighter jet was introduced to the world in 2007, it has mostly showcased its capabilities through drills and air shows. It was not until the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 that the Su-35 saw its first major combat experience.
Numerous videos published by Russian defense officials show the Su-35 operating on the battlefield, even destroying aerial targets in a combat zone as well as targeting on-the-ground positions.
On the flip side, the Russian experience has also shown some of the vulnerabilities of the Su-35 at the start of the war in Ukraine. This is likely why the deal was delayed for so long - the initial interest from Iran was expressed before the Ukraine war, in 2021. Improvements were likely demanded.
Sukhoi beefed up its defense capabilities after having direct experience with NATO-provided weapons being used against the Su-35. Now, the system is better suited to meet the moment - despite some Western defense experts conceding its superiority over US fighter jets long ago.
A true test of air-to-air combat, or “dogfighting,” has yet to be seen in any major 21st-century conflict.
Even the scenarios in Ukraine are limited in scope as to how an aerial battle would play out against the East and West’s best fighters. So how the Su-35 stacks up against its competition, say, an F-16, has yet to be determined.
Despite that, deterrence will always be the key - as deterrence is defeating the enemy in his mind before he can even reach for his weapon. With Iran’s acquisition of the Su-35 underway, the sanctioned but steadfast nation climbs another ladder step to solidifying itself as the main regional power.
The fourth-generation fighter jet is a much-needed addition to Iran’s aerial defense capabilities. The best case scenario will always be conflict averted - but if push comes to shove, the Su-35 is ready to deliver the way only it can.
Source: presstv.ir
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Resistance won’t allow Israel to accomplish its objectives in Gaza, says Hezbollah official
02 December 2023
A senior Hezbollah official says the Lebanese resistance fighters will never allow the occupying Israeli regime to attain its objectives in the Gaza Strip, stressing that resumption of Israeli attacks in the enclave comes on orders of the United States.
“The Gaza war has been an American onslaught ever since it broke out [on October 7]. All positions of US statesmen and developments unfolding on the ground attest to such a fact. Washington is not simply complicit in the Zionist occupiers’ aggression against Palestinians, but it is rather the key decision-maker of such atrocities,” Vice President of the Executive Council of Hezbollah Sheikh Ali Damoush said.
He made the remarks in a sermon to worshipers at the weekly Friday Prayers in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut.
He added that the occupying Israeli regime is nothing but a pawn in the hands of the US to advance its agendas in the West Asia region.
Damoush stressed that “Washington’s efforts to burnish its image before the world public opinion by pretending to avoid air strikes against civilians and providing aid supplies to Gaza will not fool anyone, and cannot help US officials duck responsibility in the ongoing carnage.”
A senior Hezbollah official says while the war in Gaza presented an image of Israel’s humiliation and failure, it recorded a striking image of the resistance front’s victory.
World nations must openly and strongly express their opinions this time, and put pressure on Americans to stop this insane war, the high-ranking Hezbollah official said.
“Nowadays, everyone must take on their moral and humanitarian responsibility in the face of crimes being committed against civilians in Gaza. Resistance factions in Gaza and across the region will never allow Israel to achieve its objectives. The Axis of Resistance will also never allow the United States and Israel to have the upper hand in the region,” Sheikh Damoush said.
The top Hezbollah official emphasized that the resilience and steadfastness of Gazans rendered Israel unable to obtain any military gains in the first round of aggression, stating that the regime failed miserably in its ground incursion into Gaza.
The Zionist enemy had initially set goals for the war in Gaza, the most important of which were the destruction of Hamas resistance movement and release of captives, but it could not reach any of them, Sheikh Damoush highlighted.
The Hezbollah chief and the Iranian foreign minister discuss the latest developments in the region during a meeting in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
“The Zionist regime, which failed to achieve any of its declared goals in the first seven weeks of the Gaza war, will likewise not reap anything this time, no matter how long the onslaught would last.
“The resistance front has not sustained any damage in its military structure, remains strong and capable, and continues its battles determinedly and mightily. The entire Axis of Resistance is standing by the side of Gazans, while the Israeli army is frustrated and has no confidence in achieving its goals,” the top Hezbollah official said.
Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements waged the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
The Israeli aggression has so far killed more than 15,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Source: presstv.ir
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Southeast Asia
UN issues call to rescue hundreds of Rohingya adrift at sea
02-12- 2023
BANGKOK - The United Nations called on Dec 2 for nations to rescue hundreds of Rohingya it said were trapped onboard two unseaworthy vessels adrift in the Andaman Sea.
Thousands of the mostly Muslim Rohingya, heavily persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, risk their lives each year in long, expensive sea journeys – often in boats in poor condition – trying to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Dec 2 called on nearby countries “to swiftly deploy their full search and rescue capacities in response to reported vessels in distress with hundreds of Rohingya at risk of perishing”.
The two overcrowded boats carrying about 400 passengers had experienced engine failures, and people were now “drifting in unseaworthy vessels in the Andaman Sea”, the agency said, citing “various sources”.
Food and water may be running out, it said, adding “there is a significant risk of fatalities in the coming days if people are not rescued and disembarked to safety”.
The vessels’ precise location is unknown and it is unclear when, or exactly from where, they departed.
Refugee camps in Bangladesh are home to about one million Rohingya, many of whom fled neighbouring Myanmar after a 2017 military crackdown.
But the conditions of the overcrowded camps have forced many to flee again.
The UNHCR’s call comes during a spike in journeys to Indonesia’s westernmost province of Aceh – a voyage of about 1,800km – with more than 1,000 arrivals in the biggest such wave since the 2017 crackdown.
More than 3,500 Rohingya are believed to have attempted risky journeys to Southeast Asian countries in 2022, according to UNHCR.
Nearly 350 Rohingya died or went missing last year while attempting hazardous sea crossings, the agency has estimated. AFP
Source: straitstimes.com
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More than 100 Rohingya refugees land in Indonesia: officials
December 02, 2023
More than 100 Rohingya refugees including women and children landed in Indonesia's westernmost province on Saturday, officials said, but locals were threatening to push them back to sea.
The arrival comes after more than 1,000 Rohingya refugees landed in Aceh last month, the biggest wave of Rohingya refugee arrivals in Indonesia since 2015, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
The mostly Muslim Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar, and thousands risk their lives each year on long and expensive sea journeys, often in flimsy boats, to try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
"When I arrived, the Rohingya refugees were already on the beach," DofaFadhli, the head of IeMeulee village where the latest group of Rohingya landed, told AFP.
"The total of the refugees are 139 people. There were children, women and adult men. We have not counted in detail. {We are) waiting for other related parties," he said, adding the boat reached on the shores of the village in Aceh Province around 02:30 a.m. local time (1930 GMT Friday).
More than half a dozen boats have arrived in Aceh since November 14, and monitors say more are on their way, despite some locals turning arriving boats back to sea and stepping up patrols on the coast.
Mr. Fadhli said the latest refugees would be pushed back to sea if they were not relocated but would give them aid in the meantime.
"We, the residents of IeMeulee, strongly reject the arrival of the Rohingya refugees," he said.
"If within the time limit that we have given until this afternoon, there is no action, then we will return the Rohingya refugees back to their boat."
UNHCR protection associate Faisal Rahman confirmed more than 100 refugees had landed in Sabang and said officials were on their way to the island.
"We will coordinate the situation with the local government," he said.
Images and footage seen by AFP showed the refugees sitting in rows on a beach, while security forces and locals could be seen standing around the group.
More than 3,500 Rohingya are believed to have attempted the risky journey to Southeast Asian countries in 2022, according to UNHCR.
Nearly 350 Rohingya died or went missing last year while attempting hazardous sea crossings, the agency has estimated.
Source: thehindu.com
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MyCare channels RM3.6mil to Palestinians in Gaza
02 Dec 2023
JOHOR BARU: Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCare) has channelled RM3.6mil in emergency aid to the Palestinians in Gaza since the conflict broke out on Oct 7.
Johor MyCare manager Rozi Abdul Ghani said the aid comprised four phases in which essentials such as clothing, food and medicine were distributed.
He said that of the total amount, more than RM700,000 was through the Johor MyCare Palestine Fund.
"This aid and donation will continue until Palestine recovers, as Gaza has suffered severe destruction.
"The fifth phase of aid will be distributed this month, but it depends on the current situation in Gaza,” he told reporters when met at the Gaza Charity Sales, organised by Johor Media Club (KMJ), Econsave and MyCare, at Econsave Taman Teratai.
Also present were Econsave Cash & Carry SdnBhd general manager Mas Imran Adam and KMJ president Mohamad Fauzi Ishak.
Meanwhile, Mas Imran said that Econsave aims to raise RM500,000 by the end of this month through the Palestine Emergency Fund, in collaboration with Johor MyCare, which was launched on Oct 14.
He said that a total of RM200,000 had been raised so far, through contributions from Malaysians at 94 Econsave branches nationwide.
"Econsave will donate RM100,000 for the people in Palestine, including in the form of dry food, mineral water and diapers, which will be brought in via the Rafah border,” he said.
Earlier, Mohamad Fauzi said that KMJ has donated RM5,000, and plans to turn the Gaza Charity Sale into an annual event. – Bernama
Source: thestar.com.my
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Aman Palestin going to court to unfreeze accounts
Mohamed Basyir
December 2, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Aman PalestinBerhad (Aman Palestin) has decided to explore legal avenues to get its accounts unfrozen after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) snub.
Its lawyer Mohd Rafique Rashid Ali said that they would file the case soon.
"We are in the midst of preparing the necessary papers and will update the media by Monday," he said when contacted today.
Earlier this week the non-governmental organisation gave MACC three days to unfreeze its accounts or face legal actions.
It sent a letter to the MACC chief commissioner and the MACC anti-money laundering division director giving a notice under Section 44A AMLATFAPUAA 2021 for the freezing order to be cancelled and or changed.
However, MACC said it will not do so and is ready to face legal action.
The graft-busters confirmed the freezing of 41 bank accounts belonging to Aman Palestin, with a total value of RM15,868,762.00 due to an investigation into allegations of misappropriation of public donation funds.
In a statement, MACC announced that searches were conducted at Aman Palestin premises, obtaining financial documents and operational management records for the past five years.
MACC also recorded statements from several key witnesses for further investigation.
Initial findings identified issues related to the misappropriation of funds estimated at RM70 million, allocated for purposes other than the organisation's objectives.
The investigation aims to gather information regarding offences under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001).
Source: nst.com.my
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TengkuPermaisuri Selangor graces World #QuranConvention
02-12- 2023
SEPANG: TengkuPermaisuri of Selangor TengkuPermaisuriNorashikin today attended The World #QuranConvention 4.0.
The programme is organised by the Warisan Ummah Ikhlas Foundation (WUIF), in collaboration with Bayyinah Institute, and held at the Movenpick Hotel and Convention Centre, KLIA, here.
TengkuPermaisuriNorashikin, who arrived at the venue at 9.15 am, was welcomed by WUIF founder Datuk Hussamuddin Yaacob and its chief executive officer MarhainiYusoff.
She was at the event for almost two hours, during which she visited booths displaying various exhibits by participating agencies, and also attended a discussion, titled ‘Studying the Quran: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.
Among the panel members at the discussion were World #Quran Convention director UstazNouman Ali Khan, Founder of Ibn ‘Ashur Centre Dr Sohaib Saeed, DPhil Scholar at Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, University of Oxford, Saqib Hussain, and Amanie Group founder and executive chairman Tan Sri Dr MohdDaud Bakar.
The one-day event, themed ‘Serve To Be Served: A Divine Guidance From Surah al-Insaan’ and focused on the importance of serving the ummah based on the teachings of the Quran involved 1,800 participants, including those from abroad.
The World #QuranConvention under the auspices of the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) is an initiative to encourage the ummah to interact with the Quran by reading, understanding and implementing its teachings to shape their thoughts and character based on the Quran and Hadith.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr MohdNa’im Mokhtar, in his opening speech, said the strategy of Malaysia MADANI echoed the sacred teachings found in Surah al-Insaan.
He said Malaysia MADANI is a ‘serving-the-people’ policy which promotes nationwide harmony, fair treatment, wealth sharing and compassionate administration.
“Malaysia MADANI embodies a governance model centred on ‘al-Insaan, that is, humanity’ — one which fulfils the requirements of justice through principles and moralities that promote understanding, compassion, esteem, mutual respect, and affection towards others,“ he said.–Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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Conflict in Gaza: Malaysia could weigh in to activate Genocide Convention’s Article 9
02-12- 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia could weigh in to activate Article 9 of the Genocide Convention as a potential avenue to pursue a definitive resolution to the protracted conflict in Gaza.
A Board Member at Law for Palestine (L4P), Hassan Ben Imran said that Malaysia’s involvement in various international platforms, coupled with its status as a state party to the Genocide Convention, could garner support from like-minded nations and bring justice to the Palestinians.
“Malaysia is a member of the United Nations (UN) in which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and its Chief of Justice is reachable.
“As Malaysia is also a member or state party to the Genocide Convention, this country could activate Article 9 that in particular emphasises the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime.
“From there, it is hoped that some friendly states might be willing to join hands with Malaysia to take the case to ICJ and demand for judgment against the genocide committed by Israel,” Hassan said during an interview on ‘The Nation’ programme aired by Bernama News Channel on Friday.
According to international reports, there are 149 states party to the Genocide Convention in which every nation has the right to call out the genocide in progress in Gaza and report it to the UN.
In the event that another state party disputes the claim of genocide, then the ICJ is required to adjudicate on ‘the responsibility of a State for genocide’. Israel is also a state party to the Genocide Convention.
Despite Hassan acknowledging that supporting the Palestinian cause may not be considered fashionable at present, he expressed deep appreciation for the consistent and significant efforts made by the Malaysian government and its people.
Hassan, also an author focusing on international law, Palestinian-Israel issues, and Middle Eastern affairs, hoped that Malaysia’s historical support for Palestine would serve as a unifying force within the Malaysian society.
“I totally understand that supporting Palestine is not fashionable. However, Malaysia historically until this very moment has always been consistent in supporting the Palestinians. Having Malaysian societies with all its plethora and spectrum really means a lot.
“I hope as a Palestinian and member of a legal organisation working within the international legal regime activity and mechanism, this adoption of the Palestinian cause within the Malaysian segments of society, despite everything, would be a stronger uniting force,” said Hassan.
The Convention on Genocide was among the first United Nations conventions addressing humanitarian issues. It was adopted in 1948 in response to the atrocities committed during World War II and followed G.A. Res. 180(II) of Dec 21,1947 in which the UN recognised that “genocide is an international crime, which entails the national and international responsibility of individual persons and states”. The Convention has since then been widely accepted by the international community and ratified by the overwhelmingly majority of States.
L4P is a non-profit human rights organisation that aims to build an effective global network of legal professionals interested in the Question of Palestine including to provide enriched, multifaceted, and objective legal content on Palestine-Israel.–Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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Singapore invited to attend 2024 G-20 summit to be held in Brazil
02-12- 2023
Gabrielle Chan
SINGAPORE – The Republic has been invited by Brazil to take part in the Group of 20 (G-20) meetings and summit, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro from Nov 18 to 19, 2024.
Brazil took over the G-20 presidency from India on Dec 1, and will hold the presidency for one year.
In a joint statement on Dec 2, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance said the invitation reflects “our excellent relations and close cooperation at multilateral fora”.
“We enjoy deepening collaboration in areas such as trade and investment, innovation, education, climate change and sustainability,” the statement added.
The ministries said that Singapore, as convenor of the Global Governance Group, an informal grouping of 30 small and medium-sized members of the United Nations, and in its national capacity, will actively contribute to the G-20 process.
“We look forward to working constructively with the Brazilian presidency and other G-20 members and guests to realise Brazil’s priorities of building a just world and a sustainable planet,” the ministries said.
They added that this includes issues such as promoting social inclusion and fighting hunger, managing energy transition and sustainable development, and reforming global governance.
On Sept 10, India formally handed over the G-20 presidency to Brazil at the closing ceremony of the summit held in New Delhi.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed the transition by handing over the ceremonial gavel of the presidency to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
President Lula has said Brazil will focus on reducing hunger and poverty, slowing climate change, and reforming global governance.
India has held the presidency since Dec 1, 2022, when it took over from Indonesia.
On Sept 14, 2022, Singapore was invited by India to take part in 2023’s G-20 summit that took place in New Delhi from Sept 9 to 10.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who attended the summit, called for partners to collaborate on a finance platform that blends private and public funds to tackle climate change.
Source: straitstimes.com
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Police open probe paper against Muhyiddin over 3Rs
02 Dec 2023
CHUKAI: The police have opened an investigation paper against PerikatanNasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin for allegedly making statements that touched on the 3Rs (race, religion, and royalty) during campaigning for the Kemaman parliamentary by-election.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan MydinPitchay said the investigation against Muhyiddin, who is also the Bersatu president, is being carried out under Section 4(A) of the Election Offenses Act 1954 for promoting feelings of ill-will or hostility.
He told a press conference after observing the voting process at the polling centre at SK Bukit Mentok here today the investigation is being carried out following a police report lodged against Muhyiddin yesterday.
Muhyiddin is alleged to have issued a fatwa for Umno members to leave the party and be rewarded for their “hijrah” (migration) at a ceramah.
Ayob Khan also reminded party supporters not to hold any gatherings or post-election parades, which could lead to public disorder.
“The police will take appropriate measures to ensure public safety and order during the post-election period,” he said, adding that some 280 policemen were being mobilised to ensure a smooth by-election in Kemaman today.
The by-election involves a straight fight between BarisanNasional candidate Raja Affandi Raja Noor and Terengganu menteribesar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar of PAS.
Polling in the four districts – Kemasik, Kijal, Chukai and Air Putih – will end at 6pm.
Source: freemalaysiatoday.com
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North America
US to press for extending Gaza truce: White House
December 01, 2023
WASHINGTON: The United States will continue to press for extending a truce in Gaza, the White House said Friday, as intense fighting erupted once again in the Israel-Hamas war.
“We continue to work with Israel, Egypt, and Qatar on efforts to extend the humanitarian pause in Gaza,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said.
Under the truce which lasted a week, Hamas militants released 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. More humanitarian aid was also delivered into war-devastated Gaza.
But the prospects of reestablishing a truce were being stymied because “Hamas has so far failed to produce a list of hostages that would enable a further extension of the pause,” the NSC spokesperson said.
President Joe Biden and his national security team “will continue to remain deeply engaged as we look to free the remaining hostages,” the NSC spokesperson said.
On Thursday, Washington’s top diplomat, Antony Blinken, also called for a truce extension while meeting Israeli and Palestinian officials during a visit to the region.
The fighting began on October 7 when Hamas militants broke through Gaza’s militarized border into Israel.
During the unprecedented attack, Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped around 240, according to Israeli authorities.
In response, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas and unleashed an air and ground military campaign in Gaza that the Hamas authorities who run Gaza say has killed almost 15,000 people, also mostly civilians.
Source: arabnews.com
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Blinken pushes Arab states to discuss the future of Gaza
December 02, 2023
DUBAI: U.S. top diplomat Antony Blinken on Friday sought to begin discussions with Israel’s Arab neighbors on the future of Gaza, even as Israel resumed its assault on the Palestinian enclave aimed at annihilating Hamas.
Discussions with Arab foreign ministers covered the current state of the Israeli-Hamas war and the work being done to deliver more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Blinken told reporters before boarding a flight back to Washington.
He said they also talked about “what happens the day after in Gaza and how we can get on the path to a just, lasting and secure peace for Israelis and Palestinians, in fact for everyone in the region.”
Arab states had previously pushed back on U.S. attempts to discuss a post-Hamas future for Gaza, arguing for an immediate ceasefire instead, but U.S. officials hoped this week’s pause in fighting may have paved the way for talks, a senior State Department official said before the meeting.
That pause broke down on Friday, however, and Blinken did not provide details on how the discussion went.
Concluding his third trip to the region since the conflict erupted with Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October, Blinken met the foreign ministers of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, alongside representatives of the Palestinian Authority on the sidelines of the COP28 UN climate conference in Dubai, said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Blinken has been conducting shuttle diplomacy between Israel and Arab states since the Oct. 7 attacks, which Israel says killed 1,200 people and about 240 taken hostage.
Israel responded with aerial bombing and a ground invasion that have killed 15,000 people and left thousands more buried under the rubble, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The senior State Department official said earlier that Washington wanted to begin talks on how the Gaza strip will be administered if Israel succeeds in its goal of eradicating Hamas.
Blinken last month said Washington wants Palestinians to govern Gaza and does not want to see the territory reoccupied by Israel, blockaded or reduced in size.
No clear proposal has yet emerged for Gaza’s future security and governance, but Washington wants to get discussions started and wants countries in the region to participate, said the official, who briefed reporters ahead of the meeting on condition of anonymity.
Last month, Blinken rebuffed Arab foreign ministers’ appeals for Washington to press Israel to agree to a lasting ceasefire, arguing that would only allow Hamas to regroup and launch further attacks.
On Thursday, Blinken met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and said he discussed the need for reforms of the Palestinian Authority, amid concerns over the organization’s ability to play a role in Gaza, currently administered by Hamas, bitter rivals of Abbas.
Blinken on Friday blamed Hamas for the end of the truce that had seen the release of about 100 hostages and allowed more aid to flow into Gaza, saying the group launched rocket attacks and reneged on commitments it had made on the release of hostages.
“We remain intensely focused on getting everyone home, getting hostages back,” Blinken said. “We’re still at this.”
In meetings with Israeli officials, Blinken pressed for Israel to “put in place clear protections for civilians and for sustaining humanitarian assistance going forward” and credited Israel for advising Gazans on safe evacuation areas, he said.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276245/blinken-pushes-arab-states-to-discuss-the-future-of-gaza
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Muslims perform Friday prayers, protest near Israeli Embassy in US capital
ServetGunerigok
02.12.2023
A group of Muslim demonstrators gathered Friday near the Israeli Embassy in the US capital to perform Friday prayers and protest Israel's actions in Gaza.
More than 100 worshippers, carrying Palestinian flags and banners that read: "End the genocide", "I stand with Gaza" and "Stop Israeli crimes," gathered for the demonstration.
Following the prayer that was performed in the rain, demonstrators chanted "Free, Free Palestine" , "End siege in Gaza now" and "Cease-fire now." They also urged the Biden administration to halt its funding to Israel.
The demonstration coincided with the end of the latest humanitarian truce.
Early Friday, Israel and Hamas traded blame for violating terms of a seven-day humanitarian pause that began Nov. 24.
The Israeli army resumed attacks across the Gaza Strip after declaring the end of the humanitarian pause, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian casualties.
At least 178 Palestinians have been killed and 589 injured, since Israel resumed its bombing campaign, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/muslims-perform-friday-prayers-protest-near-israeli-embassy-in-us-capital/3070818
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Israeli raids destroy Khan Yunis mosque in southern Gaza
IkrameImaneKouachi
01.12.2023
Israeli warplanes on Friday bombed the Halima Mosque in the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, leveling it to the ground, according to an Anadolu correspondent on the scene.
“The Israeli army bombed the Halima Mosque, which led to its complete destruction, in addition to widespread destruction in the targeted area,” an eyewitness told Anadolu.
Since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has completely destroyed 88 mosques, in addition to partially destroying 174 others. Israeli forces also targeted three churches, according to the government media office in Gaza.
Under the rules of war, all such civilian facilities should be off-limits to attack. Israel has claimed Palestinian group Hamas is using such buildings as bases, but so far has failed to produce any convincing evidence, according to most observers.
Over 100 Palestinians have been killed and many others injured since Israel quickly resumed attacking the Gaza Strip following the end of a multi-day humanitarian pause, the Health Ministry in Gaza said.
The pause between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect a week ago, ended on Friday morning.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-raids-destroy-khan-yunis-mosque-in-southern-gaza/3070626
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CAIR-Georgia, Multifaith Partners to Hold Press Conference, Funeral and March for Victims of War in Gaza and the West Bank
Ismail Allison
December 1, 2023
(ATLANTA, DEC. 1, 2023) – On Sunday, Dec. 3, the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Atlanta Multifaith Coalition for Palestine, Community Movement Builders, Jewish Voice for Peace Atlanta, American Friends Service Committee, and other community groups plan to hold a press conference, funeral in absentia and march for victims of war in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Atlanta Multifaith Coalition for Palestine is a group of 50 faith-based organizations and faith leaders. It is a multifaith, multiethnic, multiracial, and multigenerational coalition calling on our elected leaders to insist upon an urgent ceasefire in Gaza, full access to humanitarian aid, and an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.
CONTACT: Azka Mahmood, CAIR-Georgia Executive Director azkatmahmood@cair.com, 678 653 5822; Connie Sosnoff, Jewish Voice for Peace, consos35@gmail.com, American Friends Service Committee Jacob Flowers, jflowers@afsc.org; Rev. Keyanna Jones, keyannamjones@gmail.com; Imam Arshad Anwar, Imam Masjid Jafar, brotherarshad@gmail.com
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-georgia-multifaith-partners-to-hold-press-conference-funeral-and-march-for-victims-of-war-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank/
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CAIR Welcomes United Auto Workers (UAW) Call for Gaza Ceasefire
Ismail Allison
December 1, 2023
(WASHINGTON, DC – 12/1/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomed a call for a ceasefire in Gaza by the United Auto Workers (UAW), one of the nation’s largest unions.
SEE: UAW Becomes Largest US Union to Back Gaza Cease-Fire
“We welcome this positive action by the United Auto Workers union and hope it will send a message to policymakers and institutions opposing a ceasefire that they are not only on the wrong side of history, but are also opposing something that the majority of Americans seek – an end to the killing,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
Earlier today, CAIR condemned the Biden administration for giving the Israeli government the “green light” to resume bombing Gaza and called on the United States to join other governments in demanding the resumption of the ceasefire and negotiations to secure a just, lasting peace. Israel’s renewed bombing campaign has already killed almost 200 Palestinian civilians.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanesen los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-united-auto-workers-uaw-call-for-gaza-ceasefire/
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CAIR Calls on American University to Take Action to Protect Palestinian Staff Member Who Received Hateful Death Threat
Ibrahim Hooper
December 1, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/01/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on American University (AU) officials to take immediate action to protect a Palestinian staff member who was subject to a hateful death threat in late October.
On the evening of October 23, a Palestinian staff member at American University discovered an anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic death threat slipped under the door of his office. The note read: “Go back to where you came from. You might get lucky with a missile, and meet your Allah sooner. Death to all Palestinians.”
The staff member reportedly alerted university officials, after which the AU President released a public letter identifying the staff member as Palestinian and announcing that federal law enforcement would be involved in the investigation that same week.
It was also reportedly agreed that, in exchange for acknowledging his identity as Palestinian in this public statement, the staff member would be provided additional security upon his return to his place of employment.
However, a complaint submitted to CAIR indicates that few attempts have been made by the American University Police Department and federal law enforcement to communicate with the Palestinian staffer regarding the investigation and that the interim measures provided to him by AU are inadequate given the threat to his life.
In a statement, CAIR Research & Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said:
“It’s been over a month after the incident, and law enforcement has failed to identify the suspect responsible for the hateful message sent to this staff member. We call on law enforcement to quickly identify and arrest the man responsible for this racist and Islamophobic threat.
“While American University officials have announced that they are ‘supporting’ the staff member targeted by this threat, the lack of transparency, along with the inadequate measures provided to him, strongly suggest otherwise. We ask American University to commit to protecting their Palestinian, Muslim, and/or Arab staff and students by addressing these concerns.
“No one should fear for their life at their place of employment or study.”
Saylor said this incident comes as Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians across the country report a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate since the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel last month. Earlier this month, CAIR released new data indicating a 216% surge in complaints, including reported incidents of bias, reported to its offices since the start of the crisis on October 7th.
SEE: CAIR Received 1,283 Complaints Over Past Month, an ‘Unprecedented’ Increase in Complaints of Islamophobia, Anti-Arab Bias
The Council on American-Islamic Relations encourages those experiencing similar acts of aggression, racism, and Islamophobia to call their local CAIR offices and report these incidents immediately.
SEE ALSO: CAIR’s Report an Incident Form
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanesen los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-on-american-university-to-take-action-to-protect-palestinian-staff-member-who-received-hateful-death-threat/
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Protester in Atlanta sets self on fire outside Israeli consulate
December 02, 2023
WASHINGTON: A protester outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta was in critical condition Friday after setting themself on fire, in what police said was likely an “extreme” political statement.
“A Palestinian flag was reported at the location and was part of the protest,” said Darin Schierbaum, police chief of the southern US city.
He said the incident was “likely an extreme act of political protest.”
A security guard was also injured after trying to stop the protester, according to emergency first responders.
“Both individuals sustained burns,” Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith told journalists.
He did not specify the age or gender of the protester.
“The security guard noticed that the individual was attempting to set themselves afire” shortly after the protester arrived outside the consulate building around noon (1700 GMT), Smith said.
The guard “immediately attempted but failed to stop the individual.”
The guard was burned on his wrist and leg, Smith said, while the protester was in critical condition with “full thickness” burns to their body. Both were taken to the hospital, he added.
“We actually have dedicated patrols that are occurring at this location and other Jewish and Muslim communities in the city,” Schierbaum added.
The United States has seen an uptick in Anti-Semitic, anti-Arab and Islamophobic threats and violence since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza in October.
Earlier this week a US man was charged with attempted murder over the shooting of three men of Palestinian descent in Vermont, and a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death in Illinois in October.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2418816/world
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Africa
Why We Have Decided To Set Up Vigilantes In 36 States, FCT – Miyetti Allah Leader
2 December 2023
The National President of Miyetti Allah KautalHore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo has opened up on the reason the group is setting up vigilantes in the 36 states.
According to Bodejo, the outfit is being set up to secure the safety of farmers and herders in the bush.
Speaking during an interview with The Sun, the Miyetti Allah leader explained that the nomadic vigilantes will help in calming down the issues between herders and farmers.
He argued that Fulani herders are not responsible for the crisis in the country.
Bodejo claimed that some perpetrators sometimes use Fulani boys to commit crime.
Speaking further, he disclosed that the security outfit plans on collaborating with the police and Department of State Service (DSS).
According to him, “The reason for this nomadic vigilante is that all the farmers are doing their activities in the bush, and also the herdsmen’s areas of operation are in the bush. This security outfit can secure the farmers and the herders, and we can ask them to collaborate with any farmer in the bush to secure his farm. The Fulani are also into farming like other people; they are farming and also rearing their cows. About 75 per cent of the herders are also farmers.
“When you see somebody shouting that Fulani did this and that, such a person doesn’t understand how Nigeria is today. Herders and farmers are in the bushes doing their activities. This nomadic vigilante would really help to calm down the problem between the farmers and herders. They will protect both the farmers and the herdsmen.
“People are accusing Fulani herders of being responsible for the crisis in the country, which is not true. There is crisis everywhere, people who are under the influence of drugs engage in kidnapping, robbery. Check very well, if there is any Fulani boy among them, they would give him a very insignificant amount from the ransom they collected. Some people are using the Fulani boys to commit crime and that is why with this nomadic vigilante, we intend to stamp out this crime. We intend to collaborate with the army, police and DSS so that the nomadic vigilantes can lead them into the bushes to arrest criminals.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.naijanews.com/2023/12/02/why-we-have-decided-to-set-up-vigilantes-in-36-states-fct-miyetti-allah-leader/
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Osun mosque reopens three years after feud
December 1, 2023
The central mosque of Inisha has been reopened three years after Osun State Government shut the facility over Chief Imam feud which led to the death of two contenders.
In 2020, the administration of former Governor AdegboyegaOyetola shut the mosque after persistent crisis and fight on the facility over the appointment of Chief Imam of the mosque. The Eid prayer ground was also shut as a result of the feud.
But after intervention of top Islamic clerics in Nigeria and Osun State, the mosque was reopened on Friday for worshippers and residents of the community, including other contending factions as the Chief Imam of Oyan town, Abdulrauf Rufai led the Jumat prayer.
Speaking after the prayer, the Deputy Amir Supreme Council of Islamic Council, Southwest, Dr Sakariyawu Babalola, announced Muslim leaders have intervened in the feud after the Jumat service.
“We assure that Chief Imam of Osogbo, Grand Imam of Osun State and others leaders are going to settle all the feud which will guarantee lasting peace. I admonished all parties involve to embrace peace,” he said.
The President Inisa Muslim Elite Association, Kasali Adeyemi said: “The report I heard from home is that the mosque was opened and the MuratuMumheen group came to open it and prayer there. The contending groups all prayed at the central mosque with other Muslim faithful.
” After Jumat service, they all went to greet the king. The reason we kicked against it was the attempt to impose a criminal as the chief Imam in Inisha. The person in question has criminal case before the court which we kic5k against. We are demanding for due process for the selection of Imam.”
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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https://thenationonlineng.net/osun-mosque-reopens-three-years-after-feud/
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Soldiers take over Kogi REC’s residence after attack
2nd December 2023
The Kogi State Police Command Police has confirmed the reported attack on the residence of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Gabriel Longpet.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, who confirmed the attack to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lokoja on Friday, described the incident as very unfortunate and wicked.
He explained that the attackers came to the REC’s residence around 3:00 a.m. on Friday but met stiff resistance from security operatives.
“The joy of it all is that the hoodlums did not succeed in their nefarious act as my officers gallantly repelled their attack and burnt the vehicle they came with.
“Right now, there are soldiers stationed in the house alongside our personnel to keep watch and ensure safety.
“Again, all the junctions around the house and INEC office have heavily armed soldiers and policemen keeping watch to forestall any eventuality,” he said.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress and the Social Democratic Party in the state, while condemning the attack, traded blame.
The SDP called for an immediate investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to book, while the APC blamed it on the SDP with a call for the immediate arrest of the party’s governorship candidate, Alhaji MuritalaAjaka over the attack.
The Director of Media and Publicity/spokesperson for the APC Campaign Council, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, in an emergency news conference on Friday, said that aside from the INEC commissioner’s residence, there were attempted attacks on the Government House and the party’s secretariat.
He accused the SDP of trying desperately to cover their electoral offences in Kogi East in the just concluded November 11 governorship election and attempting to corrupt INEC documents that could be used at the election petition tribunal.
Fanwo called on the police, department of state services and other security agencies to immediately arrest what he described as a slide to anarchy in the state by arresting Ajaka and his supporters for allegedly masterminding the attack on the residence of the REC.
“The attack was perpetrated days after we alerted the nation of plans by the SDP thugs to attack INEC.
“They have finally done their worst by attacking the residence of the Kogi INEC commissioner, engaging security agents in a fierce gun battle and eventually burning down some vehicles in the residence and the area,” he said.
However, the SDP through its Director of New Media, Muri/Sam Campaign Council, Mr Isaiah Ijele, in a statement said, “We strongly condemn the assassination attempt on the INEC REC.
“We call for all those who have been involved in the protests, inciting violence and making provocative statements, to be apprehended and brought to justice,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission said some unidentified gunmen launched an attack on the residence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lokoja, Kogi State in the early hours of Friday.
The attack occurred a day after the state INEC’s office in Lokoja was besieged by a mob that barricaded all entrances to the office and prevented staff from carrying out their duties.
They also prevented attorneys representing political parties involved in the recent off-cycle governorship election from inspecting documents and materials used in the election.
It took the intervention of the Nigerian Army to return to normalcy at the state headquarters.
In a statement shared on their X account on Friday, INEC noted that a team of combined security personnel have been deployed to protect the residence.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/soldiers-take-over-kogi-recs-residence-after-attack/
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WHO’s data on maternal, infant deaths in Nigeria worrisome – Bank
2nd December 2023
The management of Access Bank has expressed worry over the World Health Organisation’s data that 1,047 out of 100,000 births in Nigeria always lead to deaths and thus called for concerted efforts to redress the trend in the healthcare delivery sector.
The Head, South-West II Zonal Operations (Ondo and Ekiti States) of the bank, Dare Adetosoye, said that investigation showed that a larger percentage of the deaths cames from areas where basic health was not available or was lacking, hence the bank’s decision to intervene.
Adetosoye, who spoke at Ago Aduloju Farmstead, Ado Ekiti, on Friday during the official handover of a basic health centre renovated and equipped by Access Bank to Ekiti State Government, said the bank’s intervention was an attempt “to ensure availability of the things that make life easier and enjoyable for citizens”.
Calling on other corporate bodies to take a cue, he said, “We came here because of the alarming statistics of the WHO that 1,047 out of 100,000 births in Nigeria lead to deaths and this is because healthcare is not available especially at the primary level which is the basic place where healthcare should be”.
Adetosoye said that the bank recognised the needs of host communities and intervened at appropriate times, saying, “This is what led to the theme of Access Bank retail operations’ Corporate Social Responsibility this year, ‘Nurturing Love for Babies and Mothers’.
“We chose six locations across the country, Ago Aduloju, Ado Ekiti, is the one chosen for this geo-political area. The remaining five are in Rivers, Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa and Bauchi states”.
Adetosoye, said, “Here, we have provided an ambulance stretcher in case of an emergency, we provided a ramp for those who are being wheeled, two new delivery beds for the delivery room, a double suction machine which is used for taking care of children and mothers at birth.
“We also provided a wheel chair in the event that there is a need for moving somebody that cannot walk and needs attention and we provided a steriliser. We did all the furnishing, we changed the ceiling, changed the windows and we repaired and painted everywhere. We also provided potable water supply,” the banker said.
Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr OyebanjiFilani, who appreciated the bank for the gesture, said, “With this, you have taken a burden off the state government.”
Filani, represented by the Permanent
Secretary in the ministry, Dr Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, said the state government
was paying a lot of attention to healthcare delivery in the people’s interest,
urging the people of the area to patronise the facility and make good use of
it. Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/whos-data-on-maternal-infant-deaths-in-nigeria-worrisome-bank/
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Kenya's President Urges Global Action at COP28 Amid Climate Crisis in Eastern Africa
December 1, 2023
During a speech at the international climate talks (COP28) in Dubai, Kenya's president issued a warning about a "disastrous turn of events" in Eastern Africa.
President William Ruto highlighted the rapid shift from the most severe drought in the region in over 40 years to catastrophic flooding, resulting in over 200 fatalities and the displacement of tens of thousands in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
"A spectacular situation of this disastrous turn of events is currently unfolding in Eastern Africa, where catastrophic flooding has swiftly followed the most severe drought the region has seen in over 40 years. Scientific evidence clearly and strongly links these extreme weather events to human induced climate change. Studies indicate that droughts are now at least 100 times more likely in parts of Africa than they were in the pre-industrial era. This translates into a dramatic reduction in long term rainfall. While short term, rainfall patterns remain erratic and unpredictable. All of us are already living in this dire reality. Kenya has been besieged by relentless torrents that have claimed lives and displaced countless communities," said President William Ruto.
The UN had previously labelled the preceding drought as the "worst in the past 40 years." Ruto emphasized the disproportionate impact on the region, urging swift and inclusive action to address the imbalance.
Developing countries, including Kenya, are appealing to the global community, particularly developed nations, to fulfil their pledges and contribute millions of dollars to help mitigate the climate crisis.
Ruto underscored Africa's ongoing struggle with the adverse effects of climate change, producing less than 3 percent of greenhouse gases but bearing a disproportionate burden in the global climate crisis.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/01/kenyas-president-urges-global-action-at-cop28-amid-climate-crisis-in-eastern-africa/
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Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Residence Of INEC’s REC In Kogi
December 1, 2023
A group of gunmen on Friday, December 1 launched a brazen assault on the residence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lokoja, Kogi State in Nigeria.
The incident resulted in a fierce gun battle with security personnel that lasted for over 30 minutes, according to the INEC.
Despite the intensity of the firefight, no lives were lost. However, property damage occurred as a consequence of the violent confrontation. A quick response from security forces eventually brought the situation under control.
“The armed men engaged the security personnel in a gun battle for over 30 minutes until reinforcement arrived. “ INEC said in on X.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another security challenge the Electoral Commission faced just a day earlier. A mob besieged the state office, highlighting the escalating security concerns in Kogi State.
the Electoral Commission has called for a thorough investigation into the attack on the REC's residence and is urging authorities to enhance security measures for both personnel and assets in Kogi State.
While the motives behind the attacks remain unclear, the Electoral Commission emphasizes the importance of ensuring the safety and security of its personnel, particularly as the country navigates the delicate process of electoral activities.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/01/nigeria-gunmen-attack-residence-of-inecs-rec-in-kogi/
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Libya frees four Hamas members held since 2016: media
December 02, 2023
TRIPOLI: Libyan authorities on Friday released four members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas who were arrested in 2016 on charges including trafficking arms to Gaza, according to Libyan media.
The four men — Marwan Al-Ashqar, his son Baraa, Mouayad Abed and NasibChoubeir — were detained in Tripoli in October 2016.
Their arrest was made public by the Libyan prosecutor’s office a few months later.
In February 2019, they were sentenced by a Tripoli court to terms ranging from 17 to 22 years in prison, according to Libyan media, on charges of arms trafficking and spying.
Their release on Friday was reported by several Libyan media, which said that the men were freed at the request of the Libyan prosecutor’s office following Turkish mediation.
There was no immediate official confirmation of their release, including from the government of Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah.
Reports said the four men, who were incarcerated in the Mitiga detention center in Tripoli, left for Turkiye then Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s political leadership.
An unverified image, shared on social media, showed three men in what appeared to be a private jet.
Their reported release comes against the backdrop of a nearly eight-week-old war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The fighting was triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 during which about 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, and around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
The Hamas government in Gaza says Israeli retaliatory strikes have killed more than 15,000 people, also mostly civilians.
Thrown into chaos since the fall of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Libya is split between Dbeibah’s United Nations-supported government in the west and a rival administration in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2418851/middle-east
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”Tinubu under pressure to legalise homosexuality in Nigeria, he should shun it” – Islamic group
December 2, 2023
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged President Bola Tinubu to shun the “LGBT accord which will legalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in Nigeria”.
MURIC gave the advice on Saturday in a statement signed by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement said: “Western countries under the aegis of the EU-ACP have been putting Nigeria under pressure to join countries that legalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) relationships.
“This has always been the goal of globalisation from the onset. We reject this concept. It is evil, immoral, luciferous and abominable. It is also against the order of nature. Allah created all in pairs of opposite sex. How can life continue if we turn it to same sex?
“Any agreement signed with the Satanic LGBT group will contravene Nigeria’s Anti-Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2013. This law was designed to protect morality and sanity in the Nigerian society. We endorse this law, and we assert that it must remain sacrosanct.
“Prophet Lut (peace be upon him) clearly condemned homosexualism when he said, ‘Do you lustfully approach men instead of women? No, you are an ignorant people’ (Glorious Qur’an 27:56). He also said, ‘You approach the men of all creatures and you leave your wives whom your Lord created for you’ (26:166-167).
“It was for this satanic act that Allah destroyed the people of Lut in Sodom and Gomorrah. ‘When Our command came, we turned that city upside down and rained layer upon layer of clay on it’ (Glorious Qur’an 11:83).
“Neither does the Bible endorse lesbianism and homosexuality. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says homosexuality will prevent those who engage in it from entering the kingdom of God. Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 29:13 affirm that it is an abomination for a man to lie with another man as he would with a woman. Paul the apostle said homosexuality results from a rejection of God (Romans 1:26-27).
“Homosexuality is straight from the pit of hell as far as Nigerian traditional practices are concerned. Nothing like it has surfaced in our history. Our ancestors were conscious of an Almighty Creator who arranged nature with divine wisdom, pairing masculine with feminine. They never permitted any pollution or deviation.”
Source: politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/tinubu-under-pressure-to-legalise-homosexuality-in-nigeria-he-should-shun-it-islamic-group/
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Arab World
UAE hosting Israeli president emboldens regime to commit more crimes: Yemen
01 December 2023
Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has lashed out at the United Arab Emirates for hosting the Israeli president for the UN climate summit, saying this emboldens the regime to commit even more acts of massacre against the Palestinian people.
In a post on X, Muhammad Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the movement, said conferences should be held to address Israeli atrocities, which he said have polluted "the humanitarian climate."
“The humanitarian climate is polluted by Israel’s crimes and those who encourage, support, and assist it, and this is what requires conferences to confront, combat, and address it by all possible means.”
The Palestinian movement Hamas also denounced the invitation of Herzog to the conference at a time when the occupation forces were committing massacres in their genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“We earnestly urge the friendly state, the United Arab Emirates, as the host nation, to cancel this invitation, irrespective of the conference’s nature,” the movement said in a statement on Friday.
Instead of providing the “criminal” Herzog with a platform, the conference should have boycotted the regime and held Herzog and other Israeli leaders over the heinous crimes perpetrated against defenseless civilians in Gaza, Hamas said.
Iran has also condemned the UAE’s decision to host Herzog for the conference amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has left over 15,000 dead so far.
On Thursday, Iran’s government said President Ebrahim Raeisi had skipped the conference due to the invitation of the Israeli president to the summit.
On Friday, Iran’s delegation to the meeting, led by Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, left the conference and headed back in protest to the participation of Herzog.
Iran’s delegation to 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference leaves the venue of the international event in the UAE in protest at the presence of Israel’s president.
“Iran regards the political and biased presence of the fake Zionist regime in the climate change summit, which aims to evaluate the performance of the international community in facing climate change, as contrary to the objectives of this conference, and vacates the conference venue in protest,” Mehrabian said before leaving Dubai.
An Israeli delegation of 28 officials attended this year’s annual United Nations climate summit COP28, which kicked off Thursday.
Israeli media have reported that the purpose of Herzog’s visit to the UAE was to use the “diplomatic space” available in the international climate summit to consolidate Tel Aviv's position in the war on Gaza and the release of Israeli captives.
Herzog has held meetings with several world leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/01/715628/UAE-hosting-Israeli-president-emboldens-regime-to-commit-more-crimes-Yemen-ansarullah
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24th Saudi relief plane heads to Gaza Strip
December 01, 2023
RIYADH: The 24th Saudi relief plane, operated by the Riyadh-based King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), arrived in Egypt on Friday carrying 31 tons of aid, including food and shelter materials, the official SPA news agency reported.
The assistance, which was dispatched on Thursday, is to be transported to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
The aid efforts are in keeping with Saudi Arabia’s historic role in supporting the Palestinian people in times of crisis, the SPA statement said.
Source: arabnews.com
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Flynas launches operation base at Madinah, announces 6 new international, domestic destinations
December 02, 2023
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flynas on Friday launched its newest operation base at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The airline also inaugurated six destinations and routes, including two domestic flights to Abha and Tabuk, and four in the international category — to Dubai, Amman, Istanbul, and Ankara — to be operated alongside the other four existing destinations, from Madinah to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Cairo.
It brings to 10 the total destinations that are now served by Flynas from the new operation base at Madinah.
Flynas, the leading low-cost carrier in Saudi Arabia, has now become the only airline with four bases across the Kingdom, in line with its expansion and growth plans and in parallel with the objectives of the Pilgrim Experience Program to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques, and the National Civil Aviation Strategy.
The strategy will enable national air carriers to contribute to connecting 250 international destinations to the Kingdom, as well as reaching 330 million passengers and attracting 100 million tourists annually by 2030.
Bander Al-Mohanna, CEO and managing director of Flynas, said: “Launching our newest operation base and inaugurating the new routes come in response to the high demand for Madinah, notably from pilgrims and visitors to the holy mosque.”
He added that more new destinations and routes will be announced in the future.
Al-Mohanna said: “Operating 10 routes from the new base as a start was made possible as a result of more than 100 percent upscaling of our all-Airbus fleet in less than two years, in line with the growth and expansion plan launched early last year under the slogan ‘We Connect the World to the Kingdom’.”
One of its key features was signing an agreement with Airbus for 30 new A320neo aircraft last June, as part of an order of 120 Airbus aircraft and approval to increase new orders to 250, he added.
Flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1,500 weekly flights and has flown more than 60 million passengers since its launch in 2007. It aims to reach 165 domestic and international destinations, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Source: arabnews.com
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Crown Prince performs funeral prayers for Prince Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz
December 01, 2023
RIYADH — Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman performed the funeral prayers for the late Prince Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz at the Grand Mosque in Makkah after the Asr prayer.
Members of the Saudi Royal Family and a number of senior officials also attended the funeral prayer.
The Royal Court has conveyed the news of the passing of Prince Mamdouh bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, according to a statement released on Friday. — SG
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs Concludes Holy Quran Memorization, Cultural Competition at Salafia University Islamabad
01 Dec, 2023
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's embassy, on Wednesday concluded the Holy Quran memorization competition for female students from the Salafia University Islamabad in the Republic of Pakistan.
A total of 350 male students participated in the Holy Quran memorization competition, of which 80 have been selected, while 400 female students participated in the cultural competition.
Delivering a speech at the closing ceremony of the competition, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki extended his thanks and gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their services to Islam and Muslims around the world.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/up-arrested-religious-conversion-law/d/131241