Zakir Naik's Heated Exchange with Pakistani Girl On ‘Paedophilia in Islam’
New Age Islam News Bureau
07 Oct 2024
A girl, identified herself as a Pashtun, asked Zakir Naik why issues such as paedophilia, adultery, and drug addiction persist in her region, despite its strictly religious nature.
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· Zakir Naik's Heated Exchange with Pakistani Girl On ‘Paedophilia in Islam’
· ‘Prophet Muhammad’ Remark Row: UP CM's Sys, Derogatory Remarks Against Saints and Priests of Any Religion or Faith Are Unacceptable
· British Muslim and Jewish Communities' Relationship ‘Fractured’ By Israel's Attacks On Gaza: Chairman of The Mosques &Imams Advisory Board
· Anti-Semitic Incidents Spike in US Since the Onset of the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza – Report
· Iran’s Quds Force Chief Esmail Qaani, Who Travelled to Lebanon After the Killing Nasrallah, Out of Contact, Officials Say
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Pakistan
· FIR Amid Lahore PTI Protest Carries Sedition, Terrorism, Attempted Murder Charges Against Imran, Others
· PM Blames PTI for 'Adopting Path of Violence' After Cop's Martyrdom
· Govt imposes ban on Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement
· 2 Chinese nationals among 3 dead in massive blast near Karachi airport
· PTI protesters damaged official property worth Rs154m, says IGP
· No one will be allowed to create instability, vows PM Shehbaz
· Mianwali police repel two terrorist attacks
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India
· Probe BJP MP’s Conduct Over ‘ISI-Pakistan-Zakir Naik Link’ Remark On Waqf Bill Suggestions: All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz to JPC
· Gouge Out Eyes, Burn Shops': Uttarakhand BJP Leader Openly Threats On Love Jihad, Booked
· 'Don't Become Congress's Vote Bank': Union Minister's 'Warning' To Muslims
· Meghalaya CM Defends Varsity Amidst 'Flood Jihad' Accusations from His Assam Counterpart
· MP Cleric Asks Muslims to Keep Off Garba ‘Keeping in Mind the Situation’
· Gold Smuggling Through Karipur International Airport Linked to Muslims, Says Left MLA Jaleel; Sparks Row
· Businessman-Turned-Politician PV Anwar Poses Challenge to LDF’s Bid to Garner Votes of Muslims in Kerala
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Europe
· NATO State’s PM Pledges to Block Ukrainian Membership
· Medvedev calls for ‘sinking’ of Great Britain
· 'October 7 changed UK politics - PM Keir Starmer isn't seen as neutral in Muslim communities'
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North America
· US Journalist Sets Self On Fire at Pro-Palestinian Rally To Protest Media “Misinformation” About Israel’s War In Gaza
· What American Jews and Muslims Can Learn from One Another with Samuel Heilman, Mucahit Bilici, Sarah Breger and Zainab Khan
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Mideast
· Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine Reiterates Commitment To Armed Resistance Against Zionist Project
· Zionist settlers storm blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards
· Iran Condemns Israeli Raid on Mosque-Turned-Shelter in Gaza
· Gaza Endowment: 79% of Gaza’s Mosques Levelled During Genocide
· Hamas Armed Wing Claims to Fire Rockets At Southern Israel
· Iran air traffic resumes after suspension: state media
· Hezbollah rockets hit Israel’s Haifa and Tiberias, 10 injured
· Russia says it struck two Syrian militant sites
· Iran raps Zionists’ deadly raids on Gaza mosque, Lebanon
· 600-year-old Sarıhacılar Mosque reopens for worship in Türkiye's Antalya
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Southeast Asia
· PM Anwar Says ‘Reject The Hypocrisy and Double Standards’, Outlines Vision of Unity, Inclusivity for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship
· Penang Cops Nab Two Locals For Selling Floor Mats With Designs Akin To Mosque, Kaaba
· Number of Suspects in Hotel Attack Rises to Nine
· Defending unpopular financial reforms, PM Anwar says his govt willing to ‘take bull by the horns’ and steer Malaysia away from bankruptcy
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Arab World
· Riyadh Hosts Forum On Arabic Language Computing
· Saudi Arabia intensifies its efforts to provide aid to Gaza
· King Salman undergoes medical tests due to lung inflammation
· Makkah deputy governor receives US consul general in Jeddah
· Saudi FM meets with Solomon Islands officials in Riyadh
· Deal signed to promote falconry on Hawi platform
· Saudi Arabia expands services at Grand Mosque, enhancing accessibility for elderly worshippers
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Africa
· Breaking: Police Unseal All 23 LGA Secretariats in Rivers State
· ‘Avoid Violence and Follow My Approach’ – Fubara Tells Rivers LG Chairmen
· NDLEA Arrests Canadian Lady for ‘Importing’ Canadian Loud Into Nigeria
· Presidential election: voting in Tunisia ends
· Democratic Republic of Congo kicks off vaccinations against mpox, following delays
· Tunisia’s Saied toward landslide win in election, supporters celebrate
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South Asia
· Panjshir Set to Become Tourism Hub with New 100 Million AFN Recreational Park
· MoIC Concludes 3rd New Vision Short Film Festival, Honoring Afghan Filmmakers
· Police Reform: Changing 150- Yr-Old Law Will Be Top PriorityFor Bangladesh
· 105 children killed in July uprising
· Golden Opportunity for Foreign Businessmen to Invest In Afghanistan
· ICRC Donates 13 Ambulances to Strengthen ARCS’s Humanitarian Response
· MoFA Spokesman Urges Constructive Dialogue Amid Rising Political Tensions in Pakistan
· Acting Mines Minister Welcomes Indian Firm’s Interest in Afghanistan’s Mineral Sector
· Stanikzai: Islamic Emirate Seeks Reciprocal Relations with Countries
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/zakir-naik-pakistani-pashtun-paedophilia/d/133379
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Zakir Naik's Heated Exchange with Pakistani Girl On ‘Paedophilia in Islam’
A girl, identified herself as a Pashtun, asked Zakir Naik why issues such as paedophilia, adultery, and drug addiction persist in her region, despite its strictly religious nature.
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By HT News Desk
Oct 07, 2024
A video of fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik surfaced on social media showing him in a heated exchange with a girl who questioned the prevalence of societal ills such as paedophilia in Islamic communities.
A girl, identified herself as a Pashtun, asked Zakir Naik why issues such as paedophilia, adultery, and drug addiction persist in her region, despite its strictly religious nature.
A girl, identified herself as a Pashtun, asked Zakir Naik why issues such as paedophilia, adultery, and drug addiction persist in her region, despite its strictly religious nature.
The incident took place during a public gathering organised for Zakir Naik in Karachi, on his visit to Pakistan, where the girl, identifying herself as a Pashtun, asked the preacher why issues such as paedophilia, adultery, and drug addiction persist in her region, despite its strictly religious nature. She also inquired why Muslim scholars (ulemas) do not address these problems.
Zakir Naik initially responded dismissively, joking that men should follow women's example by not stepping out without a reason. When the girl attempted to elaborate, expressing concerns about the growing normalisation of paedophilia in her area, Zakir Naik interrupted her and repeatedly asked her to remain silent so he could answer.
He then denied her claims, asserting, "There is no mention of paedophilia in the Quran or any Islamic scripture," and accused her of defaming Islam.
Zakir Naik, known for his staunch defence of Islamic teachings, went on to say, “A Muslim can never commit sexual abuse against children,” advising her to “think 10 times before making such accusations”.
When the girl tried to further explain her point, Zakir Naik sharply told her she was wrong and demanded an apology.
Social media backlash
The video sparked widespread backlash on social media, with many accusing Zakir Naik of gaslighting the girl and trivialising her serious concerns. His dismissive behavior was seen as a deflection from addressing critical issues within society.
Who is Zakir Naik?
Zakir Naik, originally from Mumbai, has been a fugitive from India, where he faces multiple charges of terror funding, money laundering, and hate speech. His organisation, the Islamic Research Foundation, has been banned by the Indian government, and his passport was revoked. Zakir Naik has been living in Malaysia since 2017, continuing to give lectures and sermons.
The Islamic preacher was granted permanent residency in Malaysia by the previous government led by Mahathir Mohamad.
Critics argue that Naik's teachings promote a narrow, intolerant interpretation of Islam, often misrepresenting Islamic texts, and contributing to the radicalization of young Muslims.
(With inputs from agencies)
Source:hindustantimes.com
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‘Prophet Muhammad’ Remark Row: UP CM's Sys, Derogatory Remarks Against Saints and Priests of Any Religion or Faith Are Unacceptable
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. (File Photo)
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By HT News Desk
Oct 07, 2024
Amid the ongoing controversy around priest Yati Narsinghanand's contentious remarks against Prophet Muhammad, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that derogatory remarks against saints and priests of any religion or faith are unacceptable and people responsible for that will be punished.
Stressing the fact that every faith and sect should be respected, Adityanath said, "If any person tampers with faith, makes derogatory remarks against the faith of great men, deities, sect, etc, then he will be brought under the purview of law and punished rigorously, but people of all sects, religions will have to respect each other."
The chief minister made the statement while reviewing the law and order situation with the chief secretary, DGP, and other officials given the upcoming festivals.
Adityanath also stated that "anarchy, vandalism or arson in the name of protest will not be tolerated" and whoever dares to do this will have to pay the price for it".
Yati Narsinghanand's ‘Prophet Muhammad’ remark row
Yati Narsinghanand, a Ghaziabad-based priest known for his controversial remarks, recently sparked another massive row after he made some objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad. An FIR has been filed against him but the priest's close aides said he had been detained in Ghaziabad, a claim the UP police haven't confirmed yet.
Meanwhile, several Muslim organisations and political parties like the BSP, the National Conference, and the Samajwadi Party have called for his immediate arrest over the remark.
According to news agency PTI, the UP chief minister directed the police administration that every district and every police station must ensure that the upcoming festivals are celebrated with joy and strict action is taken against any anti-social element.
"Identify those who spoil the atmosphere and take strict action against them. Deal strictly with those who work against the law," he said.
The chief minister also instructed his officers to remain vigilant and ensure women's safety across the state. For that, he ordered frequent patrolling by officials and said police response vehicles should be available in crowded areas at all times.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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British Muslim and Jewish Communities' Relationship ‘Fractured’ By Israel's Attacks On Gaza: Chairman of The Mosques &Imams Advisory Board
Imam Sabah Ahmedi, who has said relations between Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain are ‘fragile and fractured’ 12 months into the war in Gaza which has seen thousands killed
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Peter Lazenbymonday,
OCTOBER 7, 2024
ALEADING British imam has warned that relationships between Islamic and Jewish communities in Britain have become “fragile and fractured” as a result of Israel’s year-long onslaught in Gaza.
And Imam Qari Asim, chairman of the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board, said that Israel’s military expansion of its attacks into Lebanon has created an “apocalypse.”
But he praised those members of both communities who were maintaining dialogue.
Today marks the first anniversary of Hamas’s attack, which prompted Israel’s onslaught on the people of Gaza, in which at least 42,000 Palestinians have now died.
Mr Asim said that despite the fragility in relationships between the communities, he had had “a number of open and frank conversations” with Jewish faith leaders “about the pain, trauma and heartbreak that British Muslims feel when they hear on their screens the cries of young children.”
And he paid tribute to those who have “come together to keep communication open between both communities.”
He said: “Despite the extremely aching and traumatic last 12 months, I see that brave members of our respective communities have continued some form of dialogue.
“These encounters and activities show that no matter how fractured interfaith relationships between the two communities may seem in this country, people of all faiths and beliefs stand together when they see a stain on our national moral conscience.”
Another imam has criticised the normalising of the deaths of thousands of Palestinians: Sabah Ahmedi, known as “the young imam,” said there had been a “complete injustice and double standard” over Palestinian deaths.
“You’ve got 50 or 60 people being killed in Gaza [being seen] as normal whereas if one or two people are killed in the West, it’s such big news,” he said. “They’re the double standards.”
One of Britain’s best-known liberal Jewish rabbis, Jonathan Romain, who has led the Maidenhead Synagogue since 1980, told the PA news agency that British Jews have been left feeling targeted and less secure in Britain in the past 12 months. Many were shocked by the speed at which anti-Israel feeling “quickly morphed into anti-Jewish feeling,” he said.
He added that while he is optimistic about the likelihood of a long-term peaceful solution in the Middle East, peace in the near future “looks pretty impossible at the moment.”
Source:morningstaronline.co.uk
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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/british-muslim-and-jewish-communities-relationship-fractured-by-israel-attacks-on-gaza-leading-imam-warns
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Anti-Semitic Incidents Spike in US Since the Onset of the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza– Report
Pro-Israel demonstrators have made their feelings known - here a man holds up an Israeli flag at Baruch College in New York City
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7 Oct, 2024
A record number of anti-Semitic incidents have been recorded in the US since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza last October, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has reported.
Monday marks exactly one year since the militant group attacked Israel, killing around 1,100 people and taking more than 200 hostages.
Israel’s bombing and ground operation against Hamas in Gaza, in which more than 40,000 people are reported to have been killed, has sparked pro-Palestinian and anti-war protests around the world, including a number of large protests on US college campuses.
In the past year, more than 10,000 anti-Semitic incidents have been recorded in the US, more than three times the number in the year before, the New York-based ADL said in a press release on Sunday. The incidents were recorded between October 7, 2023 to September 24, 2024. At least 1,200 of the cases took place on US college campuses, while more than 3,000 happened during “anti-Israel rallies,” according to a statement from the NGO.
“Today, we mourn the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, marking one year since the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. From that day on, Jewish Americans haven’t had a single moment of respite,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.
According to statistics collated by the ADL Center of Extremism, 150 of the cases involved physical assault, 1,840 were vandalism, and 8,015 were incidents of verbal or written harassment.
Among recent incidents, two Jewish students were physically assaulted on separate occasions in the US. In the first case, a Jewish university student was wearing a Star of David necklace when he was attacked, while the second was asked whether they were Jewish before being assaulted.
To date, the Israeli military operation has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the local Health Ministry. Israel’s actions have prompted South Africa to bring a case to the International Court of Justice, accusing the Jewish state of committing a ‘genocide’ against Palestinians.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/605337-antisemitic-incidents-us-peak-adl/
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Iran’s Quds Force Chief Esmail Qaani, Who Travelled to Lebanon After the Killing Nasrallah, Out of Contact, Officials Say
Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, speaks during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of senior Iranian military commander Mohammad Hejazi, in Tehran, Iran April 14, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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October 07, 2024
DAMASCUS: Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who travelled to Lebanon after the killing last month of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike, has not been heard from since strikes on Beirut late last week, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.
One of the officials said Qaani was in Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as the Dahiyeh, during a strike that was reported to have targeted senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine but the official said he was not meeting Safieddine.
A Hezbollah official said Israel was not allowing a search for Safieddine to progress after it bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday. The officials said the group would only announce Safieddine’s fate when the search concluded.
Safieddine is seen as a likely successor to Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Dahiyeh on Sept. 27.
The Iranian official said Iran and Hezbollah had not been able to contact Qaani, named by Tehran as the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps’ overseas military-intelligence service, or Quds Force, after the United States assassinated his predecessor Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.
Israel has been hitting multiple targets in Dahiyeh as it pursues a campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.
The second Iranian official also said Qaani had traveled to Lebanon after the killing of Nasrallah and the Iranian authorities had not been able to contact him since the strike against Safieddine, who was widely expected to be the next Hezbollah chief.
Asked about reports that Qaani may have been killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut, Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the results of the strikes were still being assessed.
He said that Israel had conducted an attack late last week against Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in Beirut.
“When we have more specific results from that strike, we will share it. There’s a lot of questions about who was there and who was not,” he told a briefing with reporters.
The Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, oversees dealings with militias allied with Tehran across the Middle East, such as Hezbollah.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Brig. Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan was killed with Nasrallah in his bunker when it was hit on Sept. 27 by Israeli bombs.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574207/middle-east
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Pakistan
FIR amid Lahore PTI protest carries sedition, terrorism, attempted murder charges against Imran, others
Asif Chaudhry
October 7, 2024
LAHORE: The Lahore police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the founding chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan, 200 other leaders, workers and lawyers under sedition, terrorism and attempted murder charges.
Three other cases were lodged against hundreds of other PTI leaders and supporters with various police stations for defying Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government.
The action was initiated in wake of rallies the PTI leaders took out in Lahore on Saturday and Sunday.
The main FIR was lodged with the Islampura police station wherein the police nominated jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, party’s senior leaders including Hammad Azhar, Musarrat Cheema, Shabbir Gujjar, Ali Ahmad Warraich, Rana Zameer Ahmad Jhedu advocate, MPA Rana Shahbaz Ahmad and others who were nominated under the serious provisions of sedition, terrorism and attempted murder.
Police Inspector Anthony Victor alleged in the FIR that the PTI leaders nominated in the FIR had held meetings with party’s founder Imran Khan in the jail to create anarchy, law and order situation, and made hate speeches against the state institutions.
He alleged that Imran Khan incited these leaders from the jail to commit violence against the state, take law into their hands and attack the law enforcement agencies.
Anthony claimed that the PTI leaders allegedly raised anti-state slogans with their supporters and injured Constable Bilal in the process.
They were carrying sophisticated weapons, patrol bombs, bricks and clubs to attack police, he said, adding that Rana Zameer Ahmad Jhedu led a violent and charged mob of 200 lawyers and party workers and marched towards the PMG Chowk, instigating violence.
They raised the slogan ‘agar hemara Murshid Imran Khan nahi to Pakistan bhi nahi’, the complainant alleged.
He alleged in the FIR that the charged mob of lawyers and PTI workers also made announcements and threatened: “If Imran Khan was not released from the jail, we will wage a war against Pakistan.”
They blocked roads, spread terror in the vicinity, the FIR said, adding when the police officials warned the protestors to disperse as the Section 144 had been enforced, they attacked police deployed for security.
The PTI leaders, lawyers and workers pelted the police with stones, damaged official vehicles and threatened them with dire consequences.
In defence, police fired tear gas and arrested 16 violators from the spot, according to the complainant.
Another case was lodged against 20 PTI workers with the Hanjarwal police station for taking out illegal rallies, defying ban under Section 144.
Similarly, Millat Park police registered a case against PTI activists and supporters on identical charges.
According to some reports, most parts of the provincial capital returned to normalcy when the police removed barricades, containers and other obstacles from exit/entry points and major roads on Sunday.
However, police security remained on high alert in the city to thwart any possible attempt of violence by the PTI leaders and workers.
TOBA TEK SINGH: Police raided houses of a number of PTI leaders and activists on Sunday to arrest them ahead of countrywide shutter-down call by the party for Monday.
Police arrested Babar Javed Chaudhry of Gojra. All others, including former MPA Saeed Ahmad Saeedi, NA-106 PTI-backed candidate Khalid Nawaz Sadhraij, PP 121 PTI-backed defeated candidate Sardar Khawar Sher Gadhi and Toba tehsil president Rana Sarwar Babar were not present in their houses during raids.
Faisalabad police raided the house of MPA Sardar Nazar Latif Gujjar to arrest him but he was not present there.
Toba Correspondent Tariq Saeed also contributed to this report
Source:dawn.com
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PM blames PTI for 'adopting path of violence' after cop's martyrdom
By Web Desk
October 06, 2024
LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for staging violent protests in Islamabad during which a policeman succumbed to injuries after being reportedly tortured by the protesters.
The prime minister, while condemning the tragic incident, accused the Imran Khan-founded party of always adopting the path of violence under the guise of protests.
The premier's comments came after a policeman, Abdul Hameed, was attacked by miscreants and badly tortured while performing his duties at Chungi Number 26 on GT Road.
Later, the cop — reportedly subjected to violence after being "kidnapped" — succumbed to his injuries.
The law and order situation in Islamabad remained volatile as PTI tried to stage a protest at D-Chowk, despite the imposition of Section 144 (which bars political activities and gatherings) in the twin cities to ensure security ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's meeting.
The opposition party initiated a series of protests for the independence of the judiciary and the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail for more than a year.
Clashes also broke out between law enforcers and party workers, with both sides blaming each other for starting the violence.
The prime minister, while offering condolences to the martyr's family, said the former ruling party had attacked the PTV building and broken the gate of Parliament House in the past.
In this regard, PM Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to bring the culprits to justice.
Later, the prime minister said that no one would be allowed to destabilise Pakistan’s economy and that all upcoming international events in Pakistan would take place as scheduled.
He made the remarks while talking to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who called on him in Lahore today.
The premier said the situation was rapidly returning to normalcy and that the development of the economy and the nation’s prosperity were the top priorities of his government.
He appreciated the interior minister, Islamabad administration, and Islamabad Police for maintaining law and order in the federal capital.
Naqvi also expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Islamabad police personnel, offering his condolences to the family of the martyred officer.
PTI protests
The situation in Islamabad turned violent after the PTI staged its protest at D-Chowk amid the imposition of Section 144, resulting in clashes between the police and the party workers.
Police fired tear gas at the protesters on Saturday in the capital as well as the convoys tried to enter Islamabad, while the workers used slingshots to hit the law enforcers.
The PTI started protests in Lahore as well, badly affecting the routine life due to blockade of roads, police-protesters’ clashes, and suspension of metro services.
Citing the tense situation, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the local authorities on Saturday to allocate a designated place to the PTI for organising its demonstration and to stop any unlawful protest in the federal capital that create situation of lockdown or disrupt peace during the period of SCO summit.
The directives were issued by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq through a three-page order after hearing the petition filed by Traders Welfare Association President Raja Hassan Akhtar, who sought the court's order to stop the ongoing protest in Islamabad.
As the situation began to ease on Sunday, a new case was lodged against PTI founder Imran Khan and 105 others including 14 party leaders on the charges of terrorism and others.
Other charges included in the FIR registered in Taxila are attempted murder, kidnap, interference in state affairs and attack on policemen
As per the text of FIR available to Geo News, the nominated suspects attacked the state vehicles and subjected cops to violence.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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Govt imposes ban on Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement
October 7, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Sunday imposed a ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), citing threats to national peace and security.
The PTM was declared “unlawful” under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. A notification issued by the interior ministry mentioned that the PTM posed a “significant danger” to public order and safety in the country, and wans being in the First Schedule of ATA as a proscribed organisation.
Founded in the wake of the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, a youth from South Waziristan, the movement and its leader, Manzoor Pashteen, came under severe criticism from the ruling establishment, which accused it of fomenting unrest and working at the behest of foreign agencies, charges PTM leaders denied vehemently.
The move comes in the lead-up to the PTM-initiated Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga, scheduled for Oct 11. In recent days, security agencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had come under fire for raids on PTM camps.
Last week, police in the Khyber tribal district set fire to a PTM camp during multiple raids. The camp was established for the jirga planned for Oct 11.
Both the provincial and federal governments tried to blame each other, with KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Saif claiming that the provincial chief secretary had received orders to this effect from the federal interior ministry.
On the other hand, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi questioned the need for a police crackdown on PTM, saying that the action was carried out by KP police, which did not act on the orders of the interior ministry.
In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the PTM was “a rights-based movement that has never resorted to violence and always used the framework of the Constitution to advocate its cause. This extreme decision was neither transparent nor warranted.”
Ex-MNA Mohsin Dawar, who used to be part of the PTM before forming the National Democratic Movement, also condemned the move.
“This sends a message to families of missing persons and those demanding human rights that the State doesn’t believe in peaceful struggles,” he wrote on X.
In a message on X, former ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak said that banning the movement “days before the peaceful Pashtun conference is a typical colonial act against an oppressed people.”
The Awami Workers Party (AWP), in a statement, said that this will serve only to “antagonise and alienate” the war-torn Pakhtun people and provide space for far-right militancy to thrive.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1863545/govt-imposes-ban-on-pashtun-tahaffuz-movement
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2 Chinese nationals among 3 dead in massive blast near Karachi airport
Imtiaz Ali
October 7, 2024
Three people, including two Chinese nationals, were killed and at least 11 others injured when a massive explosion occurred last night near the Karachi airport, officials said on Monday.
Conflicting accounts emerged in the wake of the powerful explosion, which was heard across town — as far away as Clifton — with officials oscillating between calling it an “IED (improvised explosive device) blast” and an explosion triggered after a vehicle collided with an oil tanker.
Footage of the scene of the explosion showed several vehicles engulfed in flames. Officials said the Bomb Disposal Squad was working to ascertain the nature of the blast.
The outlawed Majeed Brigade of the banned outfit Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, but this could not be independently verified.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan confirmed that two of its nationals had died and another was injured, along with “some local casualties”.
It said a “convoy carrying Chinese staff of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near the Jinnah International Airport”.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that the bodies of the two Chinese nationals and an unidentified individual were brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). Their autopsies were conducted and relevant samples were collected, she added.
Dr Syed said a total of 10 injured individuals were brought to JPMC, including one whose condition was critical. Four of the injured were discharged after providing them with first aid treatment.
In its statement issued today, the Chinese embassy strongly condemned the “terrorist attack”, expressing deep condolences to the “innocent victims of both countries and sincere sympathies to the injured and families”.
The embassy and consulate generals were “making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side”, it added.
The embassy requested Pakistan to “thoroughly investigate the attack, severely punish the perpetrators, and take all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan”.
It reminded “Chinese citizens, enterprises and projects in Pakistan to be vigilant, pay close attention to the security situation, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions”.
Meanwhile, a statement by Rescue 1122 said that the blaze caused in five vehicles by the blast had been brought under control. A total of at least seven vehicles were destroyed in the incident.
Earlier, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar said he had information the explosion was caused by an IED blast. However, Deputy Inspector General (East) Capt (retd) Azfar Mahesar said it would take time to ascertain the exact nature of the explosion.
Following the explosion, the Airport Security Force sealed the exit and entry points of the airport and cordoned off the area. A traffic police statement issued at 8:22am said the airport road had been cleared and was open for traffic.
It said vehicles coming from Jinnah International Airport were being diverted to Model Colony Graveyard and Super Highway.
The Civil Aviation Authority said flights from Karachi were continuing “as usual” and “agencies are investigating the cause at the scene of the accident/explosion”.
Source:dawn.com
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PTI protesters damaged official property worth Rs154m, says IGP
Munawer Azeem
October 7, 2024
• Three-member committee set up to probe use of KP’s official resources for rally
• Cop injured from stone pelting passes away; funeral held at Express Chowk
• 10 cases registered against miscreants
• 120 Afghans, eight KP policemen among 878 arrested during demonstrations
ISLAMABAD: Announcing the death of a policeman, who was injured allegedly during rioting by the PTI protesters, the IGP of Islamabad on Sunday disclosed that the miscreants had damaged 441 cameras of Safe City Authority, 10 vehicles and 31 motorcycles of police officials and private guards.
Addressing a news conference, IGP Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said Constable Abdul Hameed Shah, a father of three, had sustained injuries from stone pelting at Chungi No 26 and was also subjected to torture. He was hospitalised where he passed away.
The IGP added that another 31 policemen were injured during rioting in the capital over the past two days, adding that the PTI protesters had damaged official property worth over Rs154 million.
Mr Rizvi promised justice to the deceased cop’s family and added that a murder case is being registered against all those found involved in the incident.
He said the miscreants also set fire to a crane and two motorcycles and damaged or destroyed traffic signals and several private vehicles.
Advances teams of different countries were in Islamabad in connection with the upcoming SCO meeting as was the Malaysian prime minister when the PTI miscreants stormed the capital, he regretted.
“This was not just a protest, but terrorism,” the IGP said, adding that official resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including police weapons, clubs, masks, and tear gas shells were used in it.
The protesters fired tear gas shells at the police and resorted to firing at various entry points, he claimed.
Ten cases were registered against the miscreants at eight police stations under separate sections of laws, including Anti-Terrorism Act, Mr Rizvi said, adding that so far 878 protesters, including 120 Afghans and eight police officials of KP, were taken into custody. He said a number of miscreants managed to escape.
He pointed out that most of the Afghan detainees were staying in Pakistan illegally, adding that some of them had come from outside.
The PTI protesters led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur wanted to storm Islamabad, he said, adding that they rioted at Chungi No 26 before reaching Jinnah Avenue.
The miscreants engaged the police at Chungi No 26, Faizabad, D-13, China Chowk, and at the Islamabad entry point from Haripur via Margalla Hills with the strategy to open several fronts with law enforcers so that they could reach D-Chowk and stage a sit-in, he said.
“Now we will trace the hideouts of the miscreants in Islamabad to arrest them,” Mr Rizvi said, adding that Safe City Islamabad and Special Branch of the police had been tasked with the responsibility of identifying the miscreants and their vehicles.
The IGP said it was for the first time in the history of Islamabad that an 8,800-strong force was deployed to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, funeral of Constable Abdul Hameed Shah was held at Express Chowk on Sunday. The cop had joined the police service in 1988 and was due to retire in three months.
Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and senior officers from Islamabad and Punjab police as well as Frontier Constabulary were among those who attended the funeral prayers.
The funeral procession concluded with a heartfelt salute from the squad before the constable’s body was transported to his hometown with full official honours.
Probe panel
In a significant development, the Interior Ministry constituted a committee to probe the use of official resources and manpower by the KP government in the rally organised for the PTI sit-in at Islamabad.
According to a notification, the committee comprises Additional Secretary Interior Ministry Riffat Mukhtar, who will be convener, Additional Director General FIA Munir Masood Marath and a representative of IB not below grade 20.
The committee will ascertain the number and types of government vehicles used in the rally, besides the number of government employees and officials accompanying it.
It will establish who had ordered the departments of the KP government for the use of government resources in the rally.
The inquiry committee shall submit its findings in seven days.
Police had recovered official weapons, rubber bullets, tear gas shells along with marbles, sacks of stone, salt, and face masks from the KP House when they entered the premises in hot pursuit of CM Gandapur.
Remand of Imran’s sisters
A local court handed over 10 women supporters of PTI, including two sisters of the party’s founder Imran Khan, to police on remand.
Police officers told Dawn that 10 women supporters of PTI, including Mr Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma, were arrested on Friday, and a case was registered against them at Kohsar police station.
Since the police were busy controlling PTI’s protest, they failed to produce the accused before a judge within 24 hours, which is a requirement under the law.
A senior police officer told Dawn that Mr Khan’s sisters — who were arrested under terrorism charges — were presented before a duty magistrate instead of an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge due to their unavailability on Sunday.
The judge gave them into police custody on one-day transit remand. They will be produced in an ATC on Monday for physical remand, the officer said.
The eight other women were remanded into judicial custody for 14 days.
Source:dawn.com
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No one will be allowed to create instability, vows PM Shehbaz
Amjad Mahmood
October 7, 2024
• Interior minister rules out talks with those who engaged in violence
• Imran, other PTI leaders booked in terror cases
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged on Sunday that no one will be allowed to create instability in the country, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also ruled out any possibility of talks with PTI protesters.
“No one will be allowed to take any illegal course for causing instability in the country,” PM Shehbaz said while receiving a briefing from Mr Naqvi on Sunday regarding the situation in Islamabad following the PTI rally.
Mr Sharif lauded the interior minister and Islamabad’s administration for “foiling the attempt to create chaos in the federal capital”. He also commended the Islamabad and Punjab police, as well as the Rangers, for their role in maintaining law and order.
The prime minister expressed condolences for Constable Abdul Hameed Shah, who was martyred while on duty during the protest. He instructed the interior minister to ensure that the family of the fallen officer is properly taken care of.
Economic development and prosperity remain top priorities of the government, he said, accusing political opponents of trying to disrupt the country’s progress.
“The world recognises Pakistan’s economic policies, while our political opponents want to disrupt Pakistan’s development. But no one will be allowed to create instability illegally in the country,” he added.
Naqvi rules out talks
Interior Minister Naqvi ruled out any possibility of talks with PTI protesters, announcing financial assistance for the family of Constable Hameed.
Speaking to the media following the funeral of the constable, the minister vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
Mr Naqvi revealed that the Shaheed package for the constable’s family, including employment opportunities for his two sons and a plot of land, would be processed within the next two to three days.
On the issue of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Mr Naqvi said Mr Gandapur was not present at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, and the Islamabad police were searching for him.
He said Rangers and police had raided Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House on Saturday to arrest Mr Gandapur, but he allegedly escaped through the main entrance. The minister claimed that there were photos of Mr Gandapur fleeing.
“The chief minister is neither in their custody nor in the custody of any Pakistani institution. We had suspicions about his presence at two to three locations, which led to the raids, but they are still maintaining roadblocks. Wherever he is found, the police will take necessary action,” Mr Naqvi said.
He ruled out negotiations with individuals who had instigated violence, asserting that those involved would face legal action. “If there’s no possibility of a peaceful resolution, we will not engage with those responsible for attacks,” he said, adding that the situation in Islamabad would soon be fully under control.
He noted that the KP chief minister was wanted in connection with the events in Islamabad and further details would be provided later.
Imran, others booked in terror case
Meanwhile, Lahore police registered an FIR against PTI founder Imran Khan, along with 200 other party leaders, workers and lawyers, on charges of sedition, terrorism and other serious offences.
Three additional cases were lodged against hundreds of PTI leaders and supporters for violating Section 144, imposed by the Punjab government, and for other related charges.
Police arrested 16 PTI leaders and activists in Lahore. In Toba Tek Singh, raids were carried out on the homes of several PTI leaders to arrest them ahead of a countrywide protest scheduled for Monday.
In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, authorities registered a dozen cases and detained over 1,000 PTI supporters, including around two dozen police officers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The arrests followed two days of violent clashes between PTI activists and law enforcement as protestors attempted to march on D-Chowk in Islamabad.
While the intensity of the protests has subsided, a small group of demonstrators gathered at Express Chowk and Kulsoom Chowk but were quickly dispersed by police, with over 45 arrests made. Similar protests in otherareas, including Koral, Tarnol and Sangjani, were also suppressed by law enforcement agencies.
Source:dawn.com
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Mianwali police repel two terrorist attacks
October 7, 2024
MIANWALI: The Mianwali police repelled two terrorist attacks on Sunday without any casualties.
The police said they received intelligence about the presence of militants near the shrine of Malakhel Khasa Baba in the mountainous region under the jurisdiction of Makarwal police. When a police team raided the area, militants opened fire. The police retaliated, and after an hour-long exchange of gunfire, the militants fled.
Later, a large police contingent from Mianwali arrived in Makarwal to begin a combing operation. In the evening, militants launched a second attack on the police force during the search operation. However, the police repelled the attack after another hour of gunfire.
The incident is part of a long history of terrorist attacks on police check posts in Mianwali district. Due to its geographical location, bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Mianwali has seen several attacks since 2009.
Militants often cross the hilly areas from KP, and there have been multiple attacks on police posts, starting with the destruction of a non-functional patrolling check post in Kundal, Isakhel Tehsil, in 2009. In 2010, militants attacked a post in Dara Tang and in 2022, they targeted the Sharifabad check post in Isakhel. In 2023, Makarwal police was also attacked.
In 2023, militants attacked the functional Kundal patrolling post, where Constable Haroonur Rashid Khan was martyred, and two terrorists were killed. Another attack occurred in 2024 at the Qabool Khel check post in Isakhel, where two police personnel were injured.
Source:dawn.com
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India
Probe BJP MP’sConduct Over ‘ISI-Pakistan-Zakir Naik Link’ Remark On Waqf Bill Suggestions: All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz ToJPC
7 Oct 2024,
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey has stirred controversy with his ‘ISI and China link’ remarks about those who have sent suggestions to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
Dubey has been accused of trying to tarnish the image of Muslims in the name of people making suggestions to the JCP. A Muslim body – the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM) has raised objections and written to the JPC seeking a probe against the BJP leader’s comments.
“There has been an attempt to tarnish the image of Muslims in the name of people making suggestions to the JCP. The conduct of the member must be probed. We understand Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up the panel on the Waqf Bill with noble intentions to consider views from various sections,” AIPMM chief Ali Anwar Ansari was quoted as saying in a report by the Indian Express.
Ansari has also been a member of Rajya Sabha has shot off a letter to JPC chairperson and BJP leader Jagdambika Pal.
'Zakir Naik or foreign powers like the ISI'
In August, Modi government faced opposition while it tried to pass the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Parliament. The government finally decided to form a JPC with as many as 21 members to scrutinise the proposed law. Dubey is also one of the members of JPC.
Dubey, in a letter to Pal, had in September sought an investigation by the Union home ministry into the origin of the feedback to the parliamentary panel, according to news agency PTI.
Dubey, a four-time MP, said the number of submissions was "unprecedented" and had set a global record for legislative submissions.
“Fundamentalist groups, individuals like Zakir Naik or foreign powers like the ISI (Pakistan) or China or their proxies may be involved given that 1.25 crore submissions have been received. If such forces are involved, it would be an attempt to manipulate our legislative process, an attack on the very foundations of our parliamentary system and must be treated as a national security issue,” Dubey, the Godda constituency in Jharkhand, had said last week.
We want to know on what grounds the member made such a statement.
The amended bill provides for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the state Waqf boards and ensures the representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims in such bodies. The Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2013 provided that “at least two of the members appointed under sub-clauses (i) to (viii) shall be women.”
“We saw a statement by a committee member (Dubey) that the JCP had received about 1.25 crore suggestions … There was a demand for an investigation of the origin of suggestions as some of them came from those suspected to have a ‘radical Islamic image and alleged links to the ISI’. We want to know on what grounds the member made such a statement,” read the October 3 letter, as per the Indian Express report.
Earlier, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the apex body of Muslim clerics in India, had said the volume of response was on expected lines. The AIMPLB junked Dubey's conspiracy claims, citing an earlier instance when 4.85 crore suggestions were sent to the government after its appeal, according to a report in India Today.
Source:livemint.com
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'Will Gouge Out Eyes, Burn Shops': Uttarakhand BJP Leader Openly Threats On Love Jihad, Booked
OCTOBER 06, 2024
BJP leader Lakhpat Singh Bhandari has been booked here for allegedly trying to disrupt communal harmony with his ”objectionable” remarks on ’love jihad’, police said on Sunday.
While addressing an event in Srinagar on October 2, the party’s Pauri Garhwal unit vice-president allegedly made comments warning people of a particular community to stay away from ’love jihad’ or their ”eyes would be gouged out and shops burned down”.
BJP state unit media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said his party does not support such statements, but attempts to spoil the atmosphere in the name of ’love jihad’ and ’land jihad’ in the state will not be allowed to succeed.
A video of Bhandari’s speech went viral on social media, however, it has now been taken down.
Taking cognizance of the video, the police have registered a case against Bhandari for trying to disrupt peace and harmony between communities, Srinagar Police Station Inspector Manibhushan Srivastava said.
Source:news18.com
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'Don't Become Congress's Vote Bank': Union Minister's 'Warning' To Muslims
By Tanya Shrivastava
Oct 07, 2024
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Congress of creating divisions among Hindus while appeasing Muslims.
In an interview with news agency IANS, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister claimed that Congress treats Muslims as a vote bank.
Rijiju said, "During elections, the Congress says its 15% vote share (in reference to the Muslim support) is reserved. This reflects the mindset of the party."
He added that the Congress's approach is "a huge loss for the Muslims."
Political strategy
Rijiju criticizes Congress's alleged divide and rule strategy
Rijiju further claimed that a significant part of the Congress's strategy is to maintain Muslims as its vote bank while dividing Hindus.
He also criticized Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for his lack of understanding about issues faced by people belonging to SC, ST, and OBCs.
"Rahul Gandhi does not even know the ABCD about the problems and issues faced by...SC, ST, and OBCs," he said in the interview.
Economic allegations
Rijiju accuses Congress of impoverishing Muslims
Recently, Rijiju accused the Congress of impoverishing Muslims over the past six decades.
"I want to ask our Muslims, who made you poor in the last 60 years? The Congress did it," he said.
He contrasted this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, which he claimed treat all Indians equally and provide benefits such as bank accounts, housing, water, electricity, and loans.
Counter accusations
Gandhi accuses BJP government of inaction against minority attacks
Last month, Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of being a "mute spectator" to "continuous attacks" on minorities, particularly Muslims. He demanded strict action against those responsible for such incidents.
His comments followed two incidents of mob violence in BJP-ruled Haryana and Maharashtra, where a Muslim migrant was allegedly killed by cow vigilantes and an elderly man was assaulted on suspicion of carrying beef.
Source:newsbytesapp.com
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Meghalaya CM defends varsity amidst 'flood jihad' accusations from his Assam counterpart
06 October 2024
Shillong: Under attack from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for allegedly engaging in "flood jihad" in Guwahati, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Sunday defended the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), praising its "contributions as a leading educational institution".They are doing an excellent job. The USTM team is one of the premier education institutions in our state," Sangma said during a talk show in New Delhi. He emphasised that the university has obtained all necessary permissions required for construction and establishing a varsity. USTM, which has named its medical college after the CM's father P A Sangma, was recently granted permission to start an MBBS course with 150 seats, making it the first private medical college in the state. According to the Chief Minister, USTM is providing quality education across its various departments. "I've seen the commitment they have shown. While there are other issues that can be debated, the key point is that they are delive ing quality education to their students," he told Pratidin Times. Congratulating the USTM team for adhering to the rules and guidelines for construction, Sangma remarked, "All necessary permissions as per the regulations have been obtained from the deputy
Source:deccanherald.com
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MP cleric asks Muslims to keep off garba ‘keeping in mind the situation’
By HT News Desk
Oct 06, 2024
A Muslim cleric in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam city has urged members of his community to avoid participating in Garba, a traditional Hindu folk dance, during the ongoing Navratri festival. The cleric, Syed Ahmed Ali, known locally as the 'Shahar Qazi,' said that attending such events goes against Islamic teachings.
“I request Muslim young people, mothers, sisters, and daughters not to visit fairs or watch Garba events. Instead, I call upon you to stay at home, keeping in mind the situation,” Ali said in a written message addressed to the Muslim community.
The cleric, speaking to PTI on Sunday, said his appeal was made “keeping in mind the current situation,” but did not elaborate further.
Garba has recently seen restrictions placed on the entry of non-Hindus in certain parts of Madhya Pradesh. In Ratlam, organisers of several Garba events have explicitly banned the participation of non-Hindus, with banners at entry points conveying this message.
Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said police patrols, including teams of women officers on scooters, have been monitoring Garba venues from 7 pm to 1 am to ensure incident-free celebrations.
Meanwhile, a controversy erupted in Indore following a call by a local BJP leader, who suggested that Garba participants should be required to sip cow urine before entering the event. BJP district president Chintu Verma argued that a true Hindu would not refuse this ritual, sparking criticism from the opposition Congress party, which accused the BJP of promoting divisive tactics.
"Aadhaar card can be edited. However, if a person is a Hindu, he will enter the Garba pandal only after aachaman of cow urine and there is no question of refusing it," he said.
According to Hindu customs, aachaman means taking a sip of water while reciting mantras for purification before starting religious rituals.
Verma later dubbed them a personal view, saying he never meant to stop anybody from visiting garba pandals through any pre-condition.
"I had expressed my personal views with great sanctity, but many people and Congress turned them into a controversy, which shouldn't have happened," Verma told reporters.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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Gold smuggling through Karipur international airport linked to Muslims, says Left MLA Jaleel; sparks row
06 October 2024
Thiruvananthapuram: Left MLA K T Jaleel on Sunday sparked controversy by stating that most of the individuals involved in gold smuggling through the international airport in Malappuram district are from the Muslim community, drawing sharp reactions from the IUML and dissident legislator P V Anvar. In a detailed Facebook post, the ruling MLA said a significant percentage of Muslims involved in crimes like gold smuggling and hawala believe that none of these activities are "irreligious." He also called for the intervention of community leaders to create awareness among members being involved in such crimes. His statement comes amidst a raging political row in the state over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's recent allegedly controversial remarks about the Muslim-dominated district of Malappuram. In the Facebook post, Jaleel noted that regardless of the communChristians should be the ones to come forward to oppose wrongdoings in the Christian community, and Muslims should point out crimes committed by Muslims," e said. Hindus should address wrong practices within their community, the Thavanur MLA noted, adding that otherwise such interventions might be misinterpreted as attempts by other religions to degrade"The majority of those caught in gold smuggling cases centered around Karipur International Airport (in Malappuram) are from the Muslim community," he Said responsible for decisions on matters of faith for Muslims in local areas) should be ready to declare that gold smuggling is anti-religious. Soon after Jaleel put up the post, the IUML strongly criticised him, calling it "extremely derogatory." "What he said was that members of the Muslim community are carrying out smuggling. Where did he get this information? On what basis is he saying this?" senior IUML leader P M A Salam asked. He wondered how a person could take such a stance, accusing an entire community of involvement in such a crime. Salam said that Jaleel might have many frustrations in life, but he should not have tarnished an entire community becaus of them. Jaleel courted fresh controversy at a time when Chief Minister Vijayan himself denied allegations of making any adverse remarks about Malappuram, the IUML leader added. Dissident MLA Anvar also came down on Jaleel over his comments, saying if the Thavanur MLA had indeed made such remarks, it was the "worst thing" in his public life. Earlier, the opposition Congress accused Vijayan of attempting to "appease majority communalism" through his recent interview, in which he was quoted as saying that gold smuggling and hawala cases were more prevalent in Malappuram district. The Chief Minister and his office subsequently denied making any such remarks in the interview.
Source:deccanherald.com
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Businessman-Turned-Politician PV AnwarPoses Challenge to LDF’s Bid to Garner Votes of Muslims in Kerala
By Vishnu Varma
Oct 07, 2024
Businessman-turned-politician PV Anwar, who once described Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a “father figure”, has now turned against him, accusing him of protecting “corrupt” officials and throwing a challenge to the beleaguered CM who is trying to win Muslim votes in the state.
Backed by CPI(M), the two-time independent MLA even went ahead and demanded the resignation of the CM.
“I put my belief in him (Vijayan) to take action on the complaints that I have raised against ADGP MR Ajith Kumar and political secretary to CM, P Sasi. I wanted them to be removed from their positions, but I didn’t want the CM to take the hit. So, I always protected him all this while. But I was cheated. I told the CM to his face that his political graph has plummeted to zero and that people hate him now,” Anvar told reporters at the PWD rest house in Nilambur on September 26.
The 57-year-old MLA accused the chief minister of protecting Ajith Kumar whom he has accused of misappropriating gold, smuggled via the Calicut international airport, amassing illegal wealth, tapping phone calls of ministers, and being involved in felling and sale of valuable trees.
“The CM has failed as the home minister. He must quit,” Anvar said.
Following his allegations, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government announced probes against the controversial police officer and dismissed Anvar’s charges against CM Vijayan.
A week later, Anvar, who won the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections from Nilambur constituency as a CPI(M)-backed Independent, left the LDF fold and vowed to launch a political party to contest the elections in the state.
Anvar launched his movement, calling it the Democratic Movement of Kerala, in Manjery on Sunday, and said that it will uphold the secular, socialist and democratic values. He also announced that he will contest the 2026 assembly polls.
It is the first instance of a Left legislator breaking ranks with the coalition and directly taking on the chief minister in over eight years.
Anvar’s movement is seen as a big blow to the LDF, which has been trying to make inroads into the Muslim community that accounts for nearly 27% of the state’s electorate and has traditionally backed the Congress-led UDF.
In Kerala, while Muslims are present in all 14 districts, they are concentrated in the northern districts of Kasaragod (37%), Kannur (29%), Wayanad (28%), Kozhikode (39%) and Malappuram (70%) as per 2011 census data – forming a key vote bank across seven of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies.
According to the CSDS-Lokniti post-survey in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, around 65% of the Muslim vote in Kerala had consolidated behind the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), helping it to win 19 seats.
Two years down the line, the LDF returned to power following the assembly polls, first time in three decades, sweeping northern and southern districts, getting sizeable Muslim vote. It won three out of five seats in Kasaragod, nine out of 11 in Kannur, and 11 out of 13 in Kozhikode – a near repeat of 2016 elections.
In Malappuram, the LDF could win only four of 16 seats, but was still remarkable considering the district is the fortress of the IUML, an ally of the Congress. A CSDS survey claimed that 39% of Muslims backed LDF compared to 35% in 2016, while the community’s support for UDF remained stagnant at 58%.
In 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the LDF sank again, winning just one out of the 20 seats, a repeat of 2019. The margins of its defeat in constituencies, where Muslims play a key role, were recorded: in Malappuram, it went from 260,000 to 300,00; in Ponnani, 193,000 to 235,000; in Vadakara, 84,000 to 114,000; and in Kannur, 94,000 to 108,000. The CPM, in its post-poll review, admitted that key sections of the Hindu Ezhava community and Muslim community drifted from it towards the UDF.
Asharaf A, head of the department of Islamic and West Asian studies at the Kerala University, said that LDF had benefited massively in 2016 and 2021 assembly elections from the attempts on part of Vijayan to build bridges with the Muslim community.
“For a long time, the Communist parties could not get close to the Muslim community as the latter felt that all those holding the red flag were against religion and religious practices. It was in 1986 that the first breakthrough happened when AP Aboobacker Musaliyar faction of the Sunnis got close to the CPM as a result of divisions within the clerics group of Samastha,” said Asharaf.
“The LDF got the majority support from the Muslim community in the last eight years. Many figures and groups that were acting as satellites of parties such as IUML got close to the CPM and were willing to listen to what the party had to say. But now, the government’s actions are seen to be damaging the prospects of the LDF in Malabar. Anvar today is a catalyst and the issues he is raising will have a big political impact, especially among the Muslims,” he added.
Many within the CPI(M) believe with Anvar has raised the correct issues and was being talked in local committee conferences of the CPI(M).
EA Suku, a former CPI(M) area committee member, said that there is a feeling within the CPI(M) that the party has not been able to respond properly to Anvar’s allegations. “Many people attending Anvar’s meeting are CPI(M) workers,” said Suku, who served as the Vazhikkadavu panchayat president between 2015 and 2020.
He said that the news of ADGP Ajith Kumar having secretly met top RSS leaders last year has brought fears within the Muslim community, which accounts for 26.5% of the state’s population as per the 2011 census. “It’s unusual for a top police officer under a Left regime holding secret talks with RSS leaders a year before elections without the knowledge of CPI(M) leaders,” said CK Nasar, a panchayat member in Vazhikkadavu associated with IUML.
J Prabhash, former professor of political science at the University of Kerala, said that CPIM workers and sympathisers can relate to Anvar as he is articulating what has been going on in their minds.
“Many feel that Vijayan is running a one-man show and all the power is concentrated in him. The allegations that Anvar is making about police and the home department are grave and his credibility currently is very high. The LDF supporters and insiders were waiting for someone to articulate these issues and Anvar came in at the right time. This way, he can sway a lot of independent voters and Left sympathisers who have lost trust in the party,” said Prabhash.
The CPI(M), however, is accusing Anvar of leading an “unholy alliance” with extremist forces such as SDPI, political wing of the PFI, and Jamaat-e-Islami. In return, the MLA alleged that he was being labelled “communal” for offering prayers five times a day, portraying the Left as “anti-faith”.
“The Left strategy of using communalism to target Anvar will backfire. They are using the language of the BJP/RSS,” Prabhash said, asking why did the LDF carry Anvar onboard all these years if he was a communal man. He agreed with Ashraf that Vijayan will not get the Muslim support that he had got in the 2021 assembly polls.
Ashraf added that Anvar’s party would “definitely” create a crisis for the CPI(M) not just in Nilambur but across Malappuram. “The beneficiary ultimately will be the IUML and UDF,” he said.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/anvar-poses-challenge-to-ldf-s-bid-to-garner-votes-of-muslims-in-kerala-101728241968200.html
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Europe
NATO State’s PM Pledges To Block Ukrainian Membership
6 Oct, 2024
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said that his country will not allow Ukraine to join NATO as long as he is in power. Admitting Kiev into the US-led military alliance would trigger a new world war, he warned in an interview with STVR on Sunday.
“As long as I am the prime minister of the Slovak Republic, I will lead the legislators, whom I have control over as a party chairman, to never agree to Ukraine’s membership in NATO,” Fico said. “Ukraine’s entry into NATO would serve as a good basis for a third world war.”
Fico, a longtime critic of Western military and financial aid to Ukraine, has insisted that the conflict must be resolved through diplomatic means. He has repeatedly warned against further escalation with Moscow.
The accession of new countries must be approved by all of NATO’s 32 members, with national parliaments voting in favor of or against new candidates.
Kiev formally applied to join NATO in September 2022, citing the conflict with Russia. While many Western states publicly back Ukraine’s aspirations, they have refused to provide a concrete roadmap or timetable for accession. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged in July that “we will not be in NATO until the war is over in Ukraine.”
Russia views NATO’s expansion eastward as a security threat and has cited Ukraine’s cooperation with the bloc as one of the main reasons behind the conflict.
President Vladimir Putin warned last month that using Western-supplied longer-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia would be tantamount to “direct involvement” of NATO in the conflict.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/605332-nato-state-kiev-never-join/
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Medvedev calls for ‘sinking’ of Great Britain
6 Oct, 2024
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and former president, has suggested ‘sinking Great Britain’ as a way to solve the country’s problems with London.
The former president was responding to a statement made late last month by renowned Russian skiing champion Elena Vyalbe. In an interview with NEWS.ru outlet, the three-time Olympic champion and head of Russia’s Cross-Country Skiing Federation slammed the West for banning the country’s athletes from most international sports tournaments in response to the Ukraine conflict.
Vyalbe claimed that “if we had dropped a serious bomb in the center of London, it would have all been over by now and we would have been allowed everywhere.”
Medvedev, who has become known for his sharp language in social media posts, argued that there are more effective ways to deal with the problem than bombing.
“Our famous skier Elena Vyalbe suggested dropping a bomb on London. She’s right, of course, but we need to solve the problem radically and just sink the damned island of Anglo-Saxon dogs,” Medvedev said. He did not elaborate on whether ‘the problem’ refers to sports or the state of Russia’s relations with the UK in general.
The UK and NATO have sided with Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, providing Kiev with financial and military aid and placing sanctions on Moscow. London was among 30 nations that urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to uphold a ban it had placed on Russian and Belarusian athletes when it proposed allowing them to compete in the Summer Olympics this year.
Most Western-based sports bodies banned Russia and Belarus from taking part in international sports tournaments shortly after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, including the IOC, FIFA, FIDE, and others. Moscow has repeatedly criticized the restrictions.
In her interview, Vyalbe slammed the IOC, calling it a “trash heap” that is “engaged in who knows what, but certainly not honest sport.” She added that while “sports has always been tied with politics,” the sweeping bans on athletes for political reasons “no longer resemble sport at all.”
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/605323-medvedev-great-britain-sink/
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'October 7 changed UK politics - PM Keir Starmer isn't seen as neutral in Muslim communities'
6 Oct 2024
ByKevin Maguire
War has already started in the Middle East and the “vile hatred” against Jews and Muslims in Britain, which Keir Starmer condemns, is already here.
The upsurge in stomach-churning anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, deplored by the Prime Minister, is witnessed on our streets and read on social media. Stopping it spreading then turning the tide is the only principled position yet too many MPs, mostly on the Right, detect gain in whipping up the mob.
Nigel Farage refused to apologise for inflaming conspiracy theorists who falsely claimed the Southport killings were by a Muslim asylum seeker – the suspect is British-born. But it fuelled attacks on police, nurses, taxi drivers, members of the public, mosques, hotels, shops and, in Sunderland, a Citizens Advice Bureau.
He wasn’t alone, however. On the first anniversary of the horrific Hamas pogrom that a year ago slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and seized 250 hostages, the tinderbox tensions are worsening not lessening. British Jews and Muslims both live in fear as the Middle East conflict spirals out of control. Benjamin Netanyahu’s vengeful settler government slaughtering 42,000 in Gaza and now striking Lebanon is killing more civilians than it is Hamas and, very likely, Hezbollah enemies.
The conflict with Tehran’s authoritarian religious rulers will, unless checked, result not only in fresh bloodshed but potentially huge financial mayhem here, when Iran is the world’s seventh largest oil producer and a fifth of the globe’s consumption passes through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. October 7 changed UK politics. Starmer initially backed Israel cutting water, food, power and medical supplies to Gazans – a war crime – resulting in four Muslim independents taking Parliamentary seats from Labour.
Next election it could be more. Starmer isn’t viewed as neutral in Muslim communities, when the RAF will shoot down Iranian drones but not Israeli missiles killing Palestinians and Lebanese. Jewish supporters of Israel and their allies protest that blocking 30 arms licences was unjustified. Calling for calm, protecting all British citizens, prosecuting racists and striving for peace are all legitimate but the Prime Minister taking Israel’s side, which he has, comes at a political cost.
Source:mirror.co.uk
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/october-7-changed-uk-politics-33832875
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North America
US Journalist Sets Self On Fire at Pro-Palestinian Rally To Protest Media “Misinformation” About Israel’s War In Gaza
6 Oct, 2024
A CBS News journalist set himself on fire at a pro-Palestinian protest near the White House on Saturday. In a blog post written beforehand, the man said that he was self-immolating to protest media “misinformation” about Israel’s war in Gaza.
Video footage shared on social media showed the man lighting his left arm on fire, before police officers and bystanders surrounded him and extinguished the blaze with water and a traditional Palestinian keffiyeh headdress.
“We spread the misinformation,” he screamed afterwards, followed by “I’m a journalist and I said it was okay.”
The man was later identified as Samuel Mena, a photojournalist with CBS affiliate network KTVK/KPHO in Arizona. The network said that Mena was “off duty and not in Washington on station business” at the time of the incident, and that he would be sacked for breaching company policy on “objectivity and neutrality.”
In a lengthy blog post published before the incident, Mena complained at having to describe the war in Gaza as a conflict between Israel and Hamas, when the majority of its victims have been civilians.
“How many Palestinians were killed that I allowed to be branded as Hamas? How many men, women, and children were struck with a missile cosigned by the American media?” he wrote.
“To the ten thousand children in Gaza that have lost a limb in this conflict, I give my left arm to you,” he concluded.
Mena’s injuries did not appear severe in the video, and police later said that he was taken to the hospital and treated for minor burns.
The incident took place eight months after Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC to protest American support for Israel. Bushnell soaked himself in flammable liquid and screamed “Free Palestine” as he burned. Police put out the blaze with fire extinguishers, but Bushnell succumbed to his injuries and died later that day.
Monday marks the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, during which the Palestinian militants killed around 1,100 people and took around 250 hostages back to Gaza. Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas, and after almost a year of aerial bombardment and ground operations, nearly 42,000 Palestinians lie dead, the majority of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/605328-palestine-protester-sets-fire/
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What American Jews and Muslims Can Learn from One Another with Samuel Heilman, Mucahit Bilici, Sarah Breger and Zainab Khan
OCT 06, 2024
What American Jews and Muslims Can Learn from One Another with Samuel Heilman, Mucahit Bilici, Sarah Breger and Zainab Khan
Tuesday, October 8 at 1pm, ET / 10am, PT
The Israel-Hamas war and its polarizing repercussions in America have strained Muslim-Jewish interfaith relationships in the United States. However, many people fail to see the similarities between the two groups. In their new book Following Similar Paths: What American Jews and Muslims Can Learn from One Another, Professor Samuel Heilman and Professor Mucahit Bilici highlight these similarities. Professors Heilman and Bilici join Moment Magazine Editor Sarah Breger and MALA (Muslim American Leadership Alliance) Founder and President Zainab Khan for a conversation about how Jews and Muslims follow similar paths in their American experience.
This program serves as the official launch of Beni Adam/Bnei Adam: Restoring Humanity, a joint program series sponsored by MALA (Muslim American Leadership Alliance) and Moment Magazine. With the disturbing rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry that has unfolded across the country since October 7th, MALA and Moment have joined forces to promote and restore a sense of humanity amidst an era marked by widespread dehumanization. Beni Adam/Bnei Adam: Restoring Humanity aims to foster empathy, understanding, and respect across diverse communities, counteracting the negative forces that seek to divide and dehumanize people based on their differences. Through our collaborative efforts, MALA and Moment will work to bring together our unique, diverse communities to foster a healthy and impactful exchange of dialogue, dispel myths, and build solidarity that transcends beyond borders and religion.
Source:momentmag.com
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https://momentmag.com/what-american-jews-and-muslims-can-learn-from-one-another-with-samuel-heilman-mucahit-bilici-sarah-breger-and-zainab-khan/
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Mideast
Islamic Jihad Movement InPalestineReiterates Commitment To Armed Resistance Against Zionist Project
06 Oct 2024
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine on Sunday reiterated its commitment to armed resistance as the sole means of confronting the Zionist project and reclaiming Palestinian land.
In a press release marking its 37th anniversary, the movement stated: “We have engaged in numerous battles, from the Battle of Shuja’iyya and the significant escape from Gaza Central Prison in 1987, to the First Intifada in 1987, through major operations in Beit Lid and others, culminating in the al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, which featured significant operations like the Great Battle of Jenin in 2002. Our resistance continued as we faced assaults on Gaza after forcing the enemy’s retreat in 2005, including the Freedom Tunnel operation in 2021, and the ongoing confrontations in the West Bank, which have inflicted considerable pain on the enemy, such as the Battle of Jenin’s Bast, the Battle of Unity of the Arenas in 2022, and the Battle of Free Men’s Revenge in 2023, leading up to our strong participation in the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa.”
The movement emphasized its loyalty to the martyrs of its cause and vowed to persist in its struggle until the Zionist project is defeated and expelled from Palestinian territory. It characterized the "Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa" as a rightful response to the enemy's arrogance and attempts to diminish and erase the Palestinian cause. The events of October 7, 2023, were framed as a culmination of an 18-year siege on the Palestinian people, highlighting conspiracies aimed at displacing Palestinians, Judaizing their sacred sites, annexing the West Bank, and eliminating the refugee issue.
The statement stressed that the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa thwarted efforts to marginalize the Palestinian cause and reaffirmed the existential threat posed to the Zionist entity, exposing its falsehoods to the world.
The movement noted that, despite the suffering and sacrifices endured, the resilience of the Palestinian people has unveiled hidden agendas, making it clear that the Zionist aggression against Gaza was not merely a reaction to the recent battles, but part of a premeditated plan aimed at establishing a vision of "Greater Israel" and regional dominance, as articulated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
It condemned the shifting of blame onto the resistance in Gaza for the destruction and casualties resulting from Zionist actions, labeling such narratives as a moral failure and an intellectual misstep that obscures the truth about demographic and strategic manipulation.
The movement expressed gratitude to those who have supported the Palestinian struggle, including solidarity from regions like southern Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, while honoring the memory of Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for his unwavering commitment to Palestine.
It also acknowledged the support of the Iranian leadership and condemned Arab countries that normalized relations with Israel, calling on Arab and Islamic peoples to reject oppression and reclaim their dignity in the face of normalization agreements.
The statement criticized international bodies like the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court for their inaction regarding the violence perpetrated by the Zionist regime and urged global solidarity against such injustices.
Concluding its statement, the Jihad Movement reaffirmed its commitment to resistance as the only means to confront Zionist aggression, expressing confidence in the eventual downfall of the Zionist entity, asserting that resistance forces will shape the region's history.
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3380479.htm
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Zionist settlers storm blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards
06 Oct 2024
Hundreds of Zionist settlers and tourists have reportedly stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Quds, under protection from the Israeli police
The Quds Governorate said 116 settlers and 135 tourists stormed the mosque.
The settlers attempt to change the status quo and temporarily divide the mosque, as military measures are being implemented in the Old City, including searches and assaults on citizens and worshippers.
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3380481.htm
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Iran Condemns Israeli Raid on Mosque-Turned-Shelter in Gaza
October, 06, 2024 -
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s bomb attack on a mosque sheltering displaced people in central town of Deir el-Balah in the Gaza Strip that has killed dozens of Palestinians.
In a statement released on Sunday, Esmaeil Baqaei abhorred the Zionist regime’s anti-human crimes and massacre of people in Palestine and Lebanon, including the latest fatal strikes on a mosque in Deir el-Balah and on residential buildings in Beirut’s Dahiyeh.
He said the Israeli regime’s recent attacks, carried out with the weapons supplied by the US, against the holy sites, schools, mosques and medical centers of Palestine and Lebanon are reminiscent of the crimes committed by the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group.
“The killing of civilians and destruction of civil sites and infrastructures are an indispensable part of ideologies of Zionism and Takfirism,” the spokesman said.
The relentless massacre of displaced Palestinians who have taken shelter in sanctuaries or cultural and medical centers amounts to blatant war crimes and crimes against humanity, Baqaei stated, urging the international community to act seriously and effectively against the “Hitler of new age, namely Netanyahu and the criminal heads of the Zionist regime.”
The Iranian spokesman also cautioned that the Israeli regime’s policy of fomenting insecurity in the region poses a serious threat to international peace and stability, saying inaction in the face of such Israeli crimes will have irreparable consequences for the whole regional countries and beyond.
He finally called on all countries, particularly the Muslim nations, to employ their great potential to deliver immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza and Lebanon and counter the Zionist regime’s policy of terror and regional insecurity.
Israeli strikes on Ibn Rushd school and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque in central Gaza have killed at least 26 Palestinians, as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Beirut in its widening war across the region.
The strike hit the mosque and school where displaced people were sheltering near the main hospital in the central town of Deir el-Balah.
The Israeli regime, meanwhile, announced a new air and ground offensive in Jabalia in northern Gaza, home to a densely-populated refugee camp dating back to the 1948 war.
Source:tasnimnews.com
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https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2024/10/06/3172814/iran-condemns-israeli-raid-on-mosque-turned-shelter-in-gaza
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Gaza Endowment: 79% of Gaza’s Mosques Levelled During Genocide
October 6, 2024
The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs revealed that the Israeli occupation forces have destroyed 79% of the mosques in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing genocide.
The Gaza Endowment said that the Israeli army has levelled 814 out of 1,245 mosques to the ground in the Gaza Strip, representing a staggering 79% of these sacred sites.
Additionally, 148 mosques sustained partial damages, and three churches were also completely destroyed throughout Gaza City.
The ministry disclosed that the Israel army unleashed devastating airstrikes on several mosques and prayer halls, targeting innocent worshippers.
One particularly harrowing incident occurred at the Al-Tabi’in School’s prayer hall in Gaza City, on August 10, 2024, where the attack resulted in a horrific massacre, claiming the lives of one hundred people and leaving many others gravely wounded.
The ministry further reported that Israeli airstrikes struck 19 of the 60 cemeteries in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the complete destruction of eight cemeteries and causing partial damage to an additional 11.
A range of Israeli atrocities were also documented by the ministry including the exhumation of graves, the theft of thousands of remains belonging to the deceased and martyrs, and their subsequent mutilation.
The compilation of statistics regarding the cemeteries remains incomplete, as access to several sites is hindered by the ongoing campaign of extermination, the ministry noted.
The Endowment’s report revealed that 11 administrative and educational facilities affiliated with the ministry were directly targeted, accounting for 79% of the total 14 headquarters in the Gaza Strip. Among these, nine were completely destroyed.
The ministry listed the names of its facilities that were completely destroyed during the Genocide. These include the ministry’s main headquarters, the headquarters of the Holy Quran Radio, the Khan Yunis Endowments Directorate, the Antiquities and Manuscripts Center, the Endowments Sharia School for Boys, and the Northern Branch of the College of Islamic Propagation.
There are 238 employees from the endowment ministry, including preachers and imams, were killed. Other 19 members are currently detained in Israeli prisons.
The Israeli military has destroyed nine of the ministry’s vehicles, with six completely destroyed and three others sustaining severe damages.
The ministry decried the Israeli atrocities inflicted upon the Palestinian people, sacred spaces, and cemeteries, calling on nations and international organizations to unite in denouncing these horrific acts against humanity.
It implored the global community to take decisive action to end the relentless campaign of genocide.
Source:daysofpalestine.ps
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https://daysofpalestine.ps/gaza-endowment-79-of-gazas-mosques-leveled-during-genocide/
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Hamas armed wing claims to fire rockets at southern Israel
October 07, 2024
GAZA: The Israeli military said Monday that at least four projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip just minutes after the country began to formally commemorate last year’s October 7 attacks.
“Following the sirens that sounded at 06:31 in several communities near the Gaza Strip, four projectiles were identified crossing from the southern Gaza Strip. Three of the projectiles were intercepted by the IAF (air force) and a fallen projectile was identified in an open area,” the military said in a statement.
The armed wing of Hamas said it had fired rockets into southern Israel at “enemy gatherings” at Rafah crossing, Kerem Shalom crossing and kibbutz Holit near the border with Gaza.
The Israeli military said it had also prevented an “immediate threat” from Hamas’ intentions to fire rockets.
“The IAF (air force) struck Hamas launch posts and underground terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza Strip,” the military said.
“Furthermore, overnight, the IAF and IDF (Israeli army) artillery struck targets in the central Gaza Strip that posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area.”
The military said sirens also sounded in the Upper Galilee area of northern Israel, with no let-up in the daily rocket fire from neighboring Lebanon, where Israeli forces are fighting Hezbollah militants.
Earlier on Monday the military said it had also intercepted two “suspicious aerial targets” that were launched from the east.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574228/middle-east
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Iran air traffic resumes after suspension: state media
October 07, 2024
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities announced Monday the resumption of air traffic after flight cancelations at some airports over “operational restrictions,” state media reported, as Israel vowed to retaliate for an Iranian missile strike.
Flights have been operational again since 11:00 p.m. (1930 GMT) Sunday and were being “carried out in accordance with the flight schedule,” said Jafar Yazarloo, spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, quoted by the IRNA state news agency.
Iran on Tuesday launched around 200 missiles in its second direct attack on Israel, in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region, along with a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Ever since, Israel has said that it will respond to Iran’s attack.
Iran initially closed its airspace for less than two days, from Tuesday night until Thursday morning.
The aviation body announced then that both domestic and international flights were grounded for security reasons until the reopening.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has advised European airlines to avoid Iranian airspace until October 31, with the situation under ongoing review.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574218/middle-east
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Hezbollah rockets hit Israel’s Haifa and Tiberias, 10 injured
October 07, 2024
JERUSALEM: Hezbollah rockets hit Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, Israeli police said early on Monday, and Israeli media reported 10 people were injured in the country’s north.
Hezbollah said it targeted a military base south of Haifa with a salvo of “Fadi 1” missiles. Media reports said two rockets hit Haifa on Israel’s Mediterranean Coast and five others hit Tiberias 65 km (40 miles) away.
Police said some buildings and properties were damaged, and there were several reports of minor injuries with some people taken to a nearby hospital.
Video taken by surveillance camera showed the moment a Hezbollah rocket hit Haifa.
Reuters was able to independently verify the location with the design and outline of the buildings, business signs, trees and road layout that match the file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters was able to independently verify the date with corroborating reports and the timestamp of the footage.
Israel’s military said fighter jets hit targets belonging to Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters in Beirut, including intelligence-gathering means, command centers, and additional infrastructure sites.
Over the past few hours, the airstrikes struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the area of Beirut, the military said, noting that secondary explosions were identified following the strikes, indicating the presence of weaponry.
Airstrikes also struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area, including weapons storage facilities, infrastructure sites, a command center, and a launcher, the military said.
It blamed Hezbollah for deliberately embedding its command centers and weaponry beneath residential buildings in the heart of the city of Beirut and endangering the civilian population.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574210/middle-east
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Russia says it struck two Syrian militant sites
October 07, 2024
DAMASCUS: Russia’s air force carried out strikes on two militant sites in Syria outside the area of Al-Tanf, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported on Sunday, referring to the region of a US military base.
Citing Captain Oleg Ignasyuk, the report did not specify the location but said the militants had recently left the Al-Tanf area, which borders Jordan.
“Russian Aerospace Forces have struck two identified sites of militant who left the Al-Tanf zone,” RIA quoted Ignasyuk, who is also theputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, as telling a briefing.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574211/middle-east
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Iran raps Zionists’ deadly raids on Gaza mosque, Lebanon
October 6, 2024
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, vehemently condemned Israel's deadly attack on a mosque in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, which had sheltered Palestinian refugees, as well as the aerial bombardments of residential buildings in southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut
Esmail Baghaei reminded that the recent attacks by the Zionist regime carried out with U.S.-supplied weaponry against sacred sites, schools, mosques, and medical facilities in Palestine and Lebanon, evoke memories of the crimes of Daesh.
He added the massacre of civilians and the destruction of civilian sites and infrastructure are inextricably linked to the ideology of Zionism and Takfirism.
Baghaei said it is incumbent upon the international community to take serious and effective action against the new Hitler of our time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the “criminal leaders” of the Zionist regime.
He noted that inaction in the face of these crimes will have irreparable consequences for all countries in the region and beyond.
Baghaei underscored that the Islamic Republic of Iran once again calls upon all nations, particularly Muslim countries, to use all available means and the vast capacities at their disposal to immediately send humanitarian aid to the defenseless and displaced people in Gaza and Lebanon.
Heavy consecutive strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs from late Saturday into Sunday.
Meanwhile Gaza’s civil defence agency said 24 people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a mosque in central Gaza early on Sunday.
Source:ifpnews.com
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https://ifpnews.com/iran-zionist-deadly-raids-gaza-mosque-lebanon/
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600-year-old Sarıhacılar Mosque reopens for worship in Türkiye's Antalya
BY DAILY SABAH WITH IHA
OCT 06, 2024
In Antalya, southwestern Türkiye, the 600-year-old Sarıhacılar Mosque, located in the historical Sarıhacılar neighborhood of Akseki district, renowned for its button houses, takes visitors on a journey back through centuries.
The mosque features an original mihrab, pulpit and dome that have survived to the present day with their full authenticity.
The mosque's walls are adorned with pots, enhancing its acoustic properties along with its wooden carvings.
Restoration work on the 600-year-old Sarıhacılar Mosque, initiated by the Antalya Regional Directorate of Foundations in 2019, preserved the region-specific architectural style.
Experts renovated the wooden roof, weakened walls, courtyard floor and restroom area, the meticulous efforts to pass down this centuries-old history to future generations also included the completion of landscaping around the mosque and the conservation of its decorative sections.
The restoration of the mosque, which is notable for its button architecture and acoustic properties, was completed in 2022, contributing to regional tourism with its renewed appearance, it has become a popular spot for both domestic and foreign tourists visiting the area.
Mehmet Orhan Can, the chairperson of the Sarıhacılar Village Culture and Tourism Solidarity Association, emphasized that Sarıhacılar Mosque has a rich history of 600 years.
He noted that the restoration work on the historic mosque was initiated by the Antalya Regional Directorate of Foundations at the end of 2019, stating: "Restoration work began at the end of 2019. It was expected to take 18 months. However, due to the pandemic, the restoration process extended to three years, and it has now been completed. The mosque has reopened for worship."
Can highlighted that the mosque, with its unique architecture and artwork, is a unique piece of art. He stated: "The mosque stands out particularly for its wooden mihrab, which is adorned with decorations, the structure's floor, ceiling, doors and windows. The women’s gallery, pulpit, mihrab and minbar are all made of wood."
"It is especially a historic and ancient mosque. Its characteristics and structure from the time of construction have been preserved. The exterior features markings from the Anatolian Seljuk period. We believe it can be traced back to the Anatolian Seljuk period."
One of the mosque's most important features is that it was constructed without any concrete or traditional building techniques. Can emphasized: "This mosque is built entirely in the same technique as the well-known button houses. Another significant feature of the mosque is its mihrab, which is carved from a single piece of tar wood, shaped entirely by hand."
He added: "The paints used are natural. During the restoration, verses from the Quran emerged from the mihrab. These were restored to their original state."
Can noted that the mosque's lighting system was designed in the 1800s and operates like an elevator system. He explained: "In this cast iron system, gas lamps and candles can be adjusted to the desired height by hand. When restoration began, it was dismantled and transferred to the Antalya Regional Directorate of Foundations' warehouse in Antalya."
"Similarly, the flag that Sultan Mehmed V Reşad personally donated in 1917 and a piece of the Kaaba cover are also being repaired at the Tourism Side Directorate. These artifacts will be returned to the mosque once their restoration is completed," he added.
Another striking feature of the mosque is the pots embedded in its walls, which contribute to the building's acoustics. Can emphasized: "Thanks to this system, conversations held in any part of the mosque can be easily heard in all corners."
He continued: "Here, we witness the use of a rare technique. The mosque was restored exactly as it was in its original state. All the wooden textures were preserved just as they were in the past. We can say that our mosque has gained popularity in recent years, attracting between 50,000 and 100,000 domestic and foreign visitors each year."
The people of Sarıhacılar have expressed their desire for the restoration to include the return of notable artifacts, such as the flag that Sultan Mehmed V Reşad personally donated in 1917, a piece of the Kaaba cover, unique carpets gifted by prominent individuals, and the lighting system from the 1800s that can be adjusted to different heights, and they hope these significant items will be reinstated in the mosque.
Source:dailysabah.com
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https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/600-year-old-sarihacilar-mosque-reopens-for-worship-in-turkiyes-antalya/news
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Southeast Asia
PM Anwar says ‘reject the hypocrisy and double standards’, outlines vision of unity, inclusivity for Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship
07 Oct 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Malaysia is prepared to lead with a vision of unity, inclusivity and collaboration during its tenure as Asean Chairman next year, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He is optimistic that Asean can overcome challenges such as the recent geopolitical divisions that threaten the stability of the region, with a shared leadership and a policy of strong neutrality.
“And we may go beyond Asean, as we explore partnerships with BRICS, which will deepen global South-South relationships.
“We reiterate the paramount importance of adhering to a rules-based order, regionally and internationally, but we reject the hypocrisy and double standards observed by those when it suits them,” said the prime minister in his opening remarks at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum (KMF) 2024 here today.
Also present were Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
Malaysia will officially take over the Asean Chairmanship from Laos on Oct 11.
In his address, the Prime Minister also stressed the need for the world to have a new financial architecture, founded on the principles of equity, fair play and justice.
“As we navigate this age of turbulence and contradiction, let us do so with courage, conviction, and a commitment to the greater good,” he said.
The two-day forum, themed ‘Pursuit of Potatoes — Paving Paths from the Probable to the Possible’, gathered experts and thought leaders to discuss global trends as well as to address current critical issues. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/07/pm-anwar-says-reject-the-hypocrisy-and-double-standards-outlines-vision-of-unity-inclusivity-for-malaysias-asean-chairmanship/152825
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Penang cops nab two locals for selling floor mats with designs akin to mosque, Kaaba
By Malay Mail
07 Oct 2024
GEORGE TOWN, Oct 7 — Penang Police said today that it has arrested two local men for selling floor mats with designs resembling a mosque and Kaaba — the holy Islamic structure in Mecca.
In a statement, they said that the two men aged 26 and 41 are the employee and owner of the shop, respectively.
The police said it received a report from a local man yesterday over the matter.
The complainant said it saw the floor mats being sold on at one of the bazaar tents here, and subsequently bought one of them on Saturday.
The police said the case is being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code, and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, while a remand request will be lodged today.
Section 298 handles “uttering words or others with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person”, while Section 14 handles “insulting behaviour”.
In April this year, Johor State Islamic Religious Affairs Department seized 11 floor mats bearing the images of the Kaaba from a supermarket.
Hypermarket Aeon Big (M) Sdn Bhd and the product's supplier A&R Fashion Collection later said in a joint statement that the product was mislabelled as “doormat”, but was actually meant for use as a mini “sejadah”, or prayer mat.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/07/penang-cops-nab-two-locals-for-selling-floor-mats-with-designs-akin-to-mosque-kaaba/152797
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Number of Suspects in Hotel Attack Rises to Nine
Ilham Oktafian
October 7, 2024
Jakarta. The Jakarta Police have identified a total of nine suspects in connection with the vandalism and assault on a political discussion at the Grand Kemang Hotel in South Jakarta late last month.
Jakarta Police spokesman Ade Ary Syam Indradi revealed the suspects' initials and outlined their roles in the incident, which occurred during a gathering of government critics on September 28.
FEK was identified as the "field coordinator." GW, YL, WSL, RAS, and FMC were accused of vandalizing property, including microphones, a projector screen, a meeting table, and a banner. MR allegedly assaulted hotel security personnel, while RR and YS were accused of shouting insults at the meeting participants and ordering them to leave, Ade said.
Police have seized iron bars used in the attack and reviewed footage from the hotel’s security cameras as part of the investigation, he added.
The incident unfolded as a group of attackers stormed the venue, assaulting hotel security guards who tried to stop them. Once inside the meeting room, they reportedly vandalized the stage backdrop, damaged microphones, and ordered the participants to leave.
The event, organized by the Love Motherland Forum (Cinta Tanah Air), featured speakers known for their critical views of the government, including social media figure Refly Harun, politician Marwan Batubara, former government official Said Didu, and former Muhammadiyah Chairman Din Syamsuddin.
The attackers allegedly accused the participants of sowing division and claimed that the gathering was held without proper permits. Several of the perpetrators are believed to have stayed at the hotel the night before and participated in a rally outside the venue prior to the attack.
In an interview with a local broadcaster, Refly Harun said the attackers called the forum’s participants "traitors" and hurled insults during the raid. He clarified that the forum was a peaceful gathering meant for exchanging views and did not require a permit, emphasizing that the right to assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Source:jakartaglobe.id
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Defending unpopular financial reforms, PM Anwar says his govt willing to ‘take bull by the horns’ and steer Malaysia away from bankruptcy
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
07 Oct 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today again stressed to investors his commitment to stop subsidising the rich, pointing to the ruling coalition’s move to rationalise diesel subsidies even as it knew the move would be unpopular.
Speaking at this year’s Khazanah Megatrends Forum, Anwar said he has fixed a problem that the past government has failed to — and did so by “taking the bull by the horns”, a point he has made persistently when addressing the business community.
“In this regard, rather than playing to the gallery of populist demand, responsible governance warrants that we must sometimes take the bull by the horns. Which is exactly what the government did last May when we decided to implement the diesel subsidy rationalisation plan,” he said.
“Rather than taking the safe course of merely paying lip service...as previous governments had done, we had to summon firm political courage to take this course of action at the risk of being unpopular.”
“If we had chosen to play safe and do nothing, knowing that the continued situation would only take us on the road to bankruptcy, then that would be dereliction of the moral duty of good and responsible governance,” he added.
Anwar insisted that the reforms were not taken in order to inflict pain and suffering on the public, but were done so they can continue to enjoy the subsidies they deserve to have while the elites “must pay back what they ought to”.
Anwar had vowed to reform government spending as part of his party’s election pledge to end what he called welfare for the rich.
In the two years since he took office, his government has rolled back blanket subsidies for essential goods like chicken, sugar, and electricity that the prime minister said had mostly benefited the rich and big companies.
The ruling coalition ended indiscriminate diesel subsidies in July this year and is expected to see through its plan to rationalise petrol subsidies, although when remains unclear.
In 2023, Malaysia allocated approximately RM81 billion to subsidies, with fuel assistance comprising the majority, but recalibrating subsidies for diesel could save the government up to RM4 billion annually — which Anwar today said is being channelled back in subsidies and cash transfers.
Anwar said today he opposes “unbridled capitalism” as he pledged to continue assisting vulnerable communities, citing his support for the views of American economist Joseph Stiglitz that the government should play an active role in balancing economic growth with social good.
Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate, is one of the speakers at the Khazanah forum.
“This is where Prof Stiglitz and I are on the same page: perhaps we differ only in terminology or the exact wording used. Prof Stiglitz calls it ‘progressive capitalism’ and I call it ‘humane economy for social justice’,” said Anwar.
He pointed to Stiglitz’s suggestions that he agree with, including more government regulations on issues such as environment and finance, and the need for the government to spend money on physical, technological and social infrastructures.
“Malaysia, like many nations, stands at a critical crossroad: to leap forward or be left vulnerable to ‘destructive’ processes,” said Anwar.
“The answer is crystal clear: Our development pathway must be forward-looking, and our solutions must serve the wellbeing of the rakyat, addressing inequality, and cultivating a mindset of shared responsibility and innovation.”
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/07/defending-unpopular-financial-reforms-pm-anwar-says-his-govt-willing-to-take-bull-by-the-horns-and-steer-malaysia-away-from-bankruptcy/152808
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Arab World
Riyadh hosts forum on Arabic language computing
HEBSHI ALSHAMMARI
October 06, 2024
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launched its third international conference on Sunday in Riyadh, called “Arabic Language Computing and Linguistic Data Enrichment.”
The event drew participants from local, regional, and international institutions, along with researchers from 22 countries, who focused on computational linguistics, computer science, and the Arabic language.
The conference aims to foster collaboration between computational experts and linguists, bridging knowledge gaps and showcasing key projects in Arabic language computing.
It seeks to enrich Arabic language datasets to enhance artificial intelligence models and support Arabic language processing.
Abdullah Al-Washmi, the academy’s secretary-general, spoke of the need to improve academic practices in the Arab world and provide a platform for discussing challenges and opportunities in linguistic data quality and accessibility.
Topics include machine learning, speech-to-text conversion, and automated text recognition, as well as the use of computational linguistics in Arabic language learning, digital dictionary techniques, and linguistic corpus analysis.
Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Mahyobi, an associate professor of computational linguistics at Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University, said that research would result in more objective and precise language analysis results.
He noted that automation eliminated subjective guesswork, leading to reliable and verified outcomes.
Al-Mahyobi added that automating language processing could revolutionize machine translation, error detection, speech recognition, and text compression and indexing.
He said that Arabic’s structured morphological, syntactical, and lexical systems made it particularly suited for advanced digital processing.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574147/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia intensifies its efforts to provide aid to Gaza
LAMA ALHAMAWI
October 06, 2024
RIYADH: As violence continues to spill across borders, Saudi Arabia has ramped up its long-standing humanitarian efforts in Palestine, enhancing both financial contributions and essential medical resources.
Since the conflict erupted on Oct. 7 last year, Saudi Arabia has directly donated $185 million in humanitarian aid to Palestine through the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told the UN General Assembly.
Prince Faisal also noted in his speech on Sept. 28 that Saudi Arabia is working with different UN agencies to raise a total of $106 billion for reconstruction and humanitarian aid.
According to KSrelief, total Saudi support for the Palestinian people over the years has exceeded $5.3 billion in a total of 289 projects.
Since Oct. 7 the Kingdom has significantly intensified its support, broadening the capacity, scope, and effectiveness of its aid initiatives to meet the urgent needs of those affected by the ongoing crisis in Palestine.
Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.
One of the major donations following Oct. 7 involved the Kingdom donating $34.8 million of relief and humanitarian aid to provide food, shelter, health, and logistical support via sea and air support, with a total weight of about 6,535.5 tonnes.
In an interview conducted by Arab News’ “Frankly Speaking” on Dec. 3, 2023, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor general of KSrelief, noted the effectiveness of the organization’s donation platform Sahem.
He said: “Nobody can deny the evidence and the numbers, and I think the Sahem platform is seen by the world.”
Al-Rabeeah insisted that “we haven't stopped yet,” adding: “Our businessmen have donated ambulances, medical equipment, food supplies, nutritious food, and formula for children. These are not reflected on the platform, so we’re talking about a lot of donations.”
KSrelief launched the Saudi National Campaign to Support the Palestinian People in the Gaza Strip on Nov. 2, 2023.
On the first day of the campaign, the total number of donors to have accessed the platform stood at 72,375 and by that afternoon donations had reached SR64,274,009 ($17,139,735).
Five days following the launch, donations had exceeded SR375 million.
By Dec. 1, total donations to the Saudi campaign to aid the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had exceeded SR600 million, with over 350,000 donors.
Samer Al-Jutaili, the spokesman for KSrelief, told Arab News in 2023 that 32 relief aircraft with 695 tonnes of food and supplies had been sent to the Palestinians in Gaza as of Dec. 18.
Under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has not only reaffirmed its dedication to the Palestinian cause, but has also actively sponsored humanitarian initiatives on the international stage.
When looking internationally, the Kingdom has signed agreements with multiple international agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Addressing a virtual summit of the BRICS group on Nov. 21, 2023, the crown prince said that there was no way to achieve security and stability in Palestine except through the implementation of international decisions related to a two-state solution.
He added: “We demand an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.”
On Nov. 23, 2023, KSrelief and the Egyptian Red Crescent signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in aid delivery to Gaza, facilitating the sending of aid by land and air routes.
In the same month, KSrelief supported the UNRWA Emergency Appeal for the Occupied Palestinian Territories with a $15 million donation. This provided and distributed ready-made meals to benefit more than 180,000.
The project also distributed mattresses and blankets to 40,000 beneficiaries and provided medicines, doctors and nurses to 97 UNRWA shelters in the Gaza Strip.
KSrelief in March this year provided $40 million in support of UNRWA to further aid its emergency appeal in the Gaza Strip.
UNRWA’s Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini was moved to comment: “As UNRWA continues to provide food, water, and medical services in Gaza, this generosity by KSrelief reflects the solidarity that the Kingdom has always shown Palestinians, especially during dire times.
“One knows their friends during hardship, and for this we are grateful to Saudi Arabia, to Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and KSrelief, and to the Saudi people for their solidarity with the people of Gaza.”
The arrangement ensured the food security of 250,638 and provided tents and non-food items to more than 200,190 people.
In continuing its legacy of support of the Palestinian cause, Saudi Arabia has recently announced a monthly financial grant intended to tackle the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its surrounding areas.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication, the grant is a “direct response to the suffering inflicted by the Israeli occupation and its blatant violations of international law.”
Most recently, on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, KSrelief signed a cooperation agreement with UNRWA to share knowledge, expertise, research, and best practices in humanitarian efforts.
The agreement also includes cooperation on training, capacity building, media outreach, and implementing volunteer medical projects such as surgeries, medical clinics, and educational programs.
KSrelief donated $10 million this year to support the healthcare system in Gaza by providing medical supplies, ambulances, and logistical support to those affected in Gaza.
The organization then donated $5 million in food baskets to help save the lives of displaced Palestinians.
Source:arabnews.com
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King Salman undergoes medical tests due to lung inflammation
October 06, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will undergo some medical tests on Sunday evening due to a lung inflammation, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The tests were based on the recommendations of the Royal Clinics, SPA added.
Source:
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Makkah deputy governor receives US consul general in Jeddah
October 06, 2024
JEDDAH: Makkah’s Deputy Gov. Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz received US Consul General Dao Le in Jeddah on Sunday.
The parties discussed topics of common interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The American Chamber of Commerce recently held its annual general meeting in Jeddah, where Le affirmed his country’s commitment to ensuring it remained Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2574191/saudi-arabia
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Saudi FM meets with Solomon Islands officials in Riyadh
October 06, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received the prime and foreign ministers of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele and Peter Shanel Agovaka in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between the Kingdom and the Solomon Islands and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields.
They also discussed intensifying joint coordination on many issues of interest to the two countries.
An agreement on mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special, and official passports was signed between the two countries during the meeting.
Prince Faisal also met with Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland separately on Sunday.
During the meeting, the officials discussed opportunities to enhance Saudi-Commonwealth cooperation and topics of common interest.
Source:arabnews.com
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Deal signed to promote falconry on Hawi platform
October 06, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Falcons Club’s CEO Talal Al-Shamaisi, and Khalid Al-Baker, the Quality of Life Program’s CEO, have signed a memorandum of cooperation to support falconry and establish amateur clubs through Hawi, the national hobbies portal.
The deal was signed on the sidelines of the International Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition, which is being held in Malham, Riyadh, until Oct. 12, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
The agreement will help enthusiasts form falconry clubs and produce supplies via the Hawi platform. It will also facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration to promote falconry and enhance the community’s cultural and recreational life.
Hawi, an initiative of the Quality of Life Program, aims to stimulate the hobbies sector by creating clubs while providing a supportive environment.
The memorandum supports the club’s goals to increase the number of falconry practitioners, preserve cultural heritage, promote environmental awareness, and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for falconry.
Separately, the Saudi Falcons Club and King Khalid University have signed a memorandum of cooperation to implement awareness initiatives and rehabilitation programs related to falcons and falconry.
The agreement also includes research and training programs in falconry. It aims to attract investors, share data and studies, and collaborate on events, exhibitions, and conferences.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia expands services at Grand Mosque, enhancing accessibility for elderly worshippers
October 06, 2024
Dubai: Saudi Arabia has expanded its range of services at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, specifically aimed at providing greater comfort and accessibility for elderly worshippers.
The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has implemented a series of initiatives designed to ensure that older visitors can perform their religious duties with ease.
One of the key initiatives is the introduction of electric shuttle services in the eastern square, transporting elderly worshippers from the Gaza Bridge to the Al Salam Basement, easing their navigation through the vast grounds.
Additionally, large electric vehicles have been stationed at several key locations, including the Al Marwah, Al Arqam and Al Qarara stairways and elevators, to assist in the performance of the Saa’i, the traditional ritual walk between Safa and Marwah.
The service is available on the second floor, with staff on hand to ensure the safety and comfort of those using the vehicles.
The mosque has also been equipped with prayer rooms specifically designed for elderly visitors and those with disabilities.
These rooms, located in the King Fahd expansion near Gates 91 and 64, offer a more accessible space for worship. Meanwhile, Gates 68 and 90 have been outfitted with ramps and signage to accommodate electric vehicles, further enhancing access for those with limited mobility.
To streamline movement within the mosque complex, several bridges and elevators, including the Ajyad, Al Shobaika, and Al-Marwah bridges, have been set up to facilitate the use of electric vehicles throughout the mosque.
Source:gulfnews.com
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https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-expands-services-at-grand-mosque-enhancing-accessibility-for-elderly-worshippers-1.104307273
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Africa
Breaking: Police Unseal All 23 LGA Secretariats In Rivers State
7 October 2024
By Enioluwa Adeniyi
The Rivers State Police Command has officially unsealed all 23 Local Government Area Secretariats in the state, following the successful election and swearing-in of new chairmen.
This development was confirmed in a statement released by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, earlier on Monday morning.
According to Iringe-Koko, the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala, acted on the orders of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the council secretariats.
The statement emphasized that the police presence in these locations will only be reinstated in the event of a crisis or a breakdown of law and order.
The statement reads, “In view of the recent political developments in Rivers State, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha hereby convey the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the Local Government Secretariats in the state.
“This decision is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.
“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the Local Government Secretariats, which were earlier secured by police personnel. The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or breakdown of law and order, in which case emergency measures will be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.
“The Rivers State Police Command assures the public of its readiness to maintain peace and order across the state and will continue to act professionally in discharging its duties. We urge all residents and stakeholders to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation evolves.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/07/breaking-police-unseal-all-23-lga-secretariats-in-rivers-state/
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‘Avoid Violence And Follow My Approach’ – Fubara Tells Rivers LG Chairmen
6 October 2024
By Rachel Okporu Fadoju
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged the newly elected local government area chairpersons in the state to emulate his approach to governance.
Naija News reports that the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs in Saturday’s election, while the Action Alliance (AA) was victorious in one LGA.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the chairpersons on Sunday at the government house in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital, Fubara said there are plans to perpetrate violence against the elected officials when they resume their duties on Monday.
The Rivers governor urged the LG bosses to see their election as an opportunity to work for the people at the grassroots level, adding they should be “patient and calculative”.
He said, “I’m aware that they are mobilising 20 people per unit to go and confront you tomorrow when you resume in your local government headquarters.
“Please, if they are coming with violence, avoid them.
“The peace of this state is too important to us. Everybody knows what they are planning, but please I want to beg everyone to follow my approach.
“At the right time, you will always win if you are patient and calculative. We have made our promises to our people. We are going to lead them to the promised land.”
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/06/avoid-violence-and-follow-my-approach-fubara-tells-rivers-lg-chairmen/
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NDLEA Arrests Canadian Lady For ‘Importing’ Canadian Loud Into Nigeria
6 October 2024
By Oladipo Abiola
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 41-year-old Canadian lady for importing hard drugs into Nigeria.
The lady, identified as Adrienne Munju, was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos, for importing a large consignment of ‘Canadian Loud’, a strong strain of synthetic cannabis.
According to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the suspect was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on a KLM airline flight from Canada at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on Thursday, 3rd October 2024.
During a joint examination of her three bags, Adrienne, who was coming to Nigeria for the first time, was found with 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms stuffed in two of her three bags.
In her statement, she claimed she was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos. She said she took the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing master’s degree programme in Canada.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports, Onne, Rivers state have intercepted Thirteen Million Two Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand (13,298,000) pills of opioids including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol and Carisoprodol as well as Three Hundred and Thirty Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Three (338, 253) bottles of codeine based cough syrup, all worth over Nine Billion Seventeen Million Seven Hundred and Seventy One Thousand Naira (N9,017, 771,000) in street value.
The opioids were recovered in three containers coming from India, targeted by the NDLEA during a 100% joint examination of the cargoes with men of the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd October 2024.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Thursday 3rd October intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50kg. The consignment was packed in 20 parcels each in five jumbo bags concealed in a container with four units of imported vehicles that came from Canada. Though the container had earlier been cleared out of the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu but based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives were able to trace it to a warehouse in Ikorodu where the illicit consignments were discovered in one of the imported vehicles, a Toyota Sienna bus. A suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has already been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
In Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday 3rd October intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Jalingo. Large quantities of opioids: tramadol, rohypnol and codeine-based syrup concealed in body compartments of the vehicle were recovered when it was searched, while two suspects: Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor were arrested. Another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor was arrested at Wukari on Wednesday 2nd October with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg hidden in bags of garri.
In Lagos, a suspect Bolanle Ajenifuja was on Friday 4th October arrested at Afo – Media area of Ojo where 700 litres of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and cocktail of illicit drugs were recovered from her, while three suspects: Ezekiel Akpele; Elijah Michael; and Goddard John, were nabbed same day when NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms located at bridge camp, a boundary community between Edo and Ondo states. Not less than 9,966.332kg of the substance was destroyed on over three hectares of farmland with 48kg of the already processed psychoactive substance recovered.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2024/10/06/ndlea-arrests-canadian-lady-for-importing-canadian-loud-into-nigeria/
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Presidential election: voting in tunisia ends
6 October 2024
Tunisians headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the country's presidential election, which analysts say President Kais Saied looks set to win.
With most of his challengers in prison or barred from running, Saied is accused of suppressing political competition.
Only two other candidates were given the go ahead by the electoral commission to run against Saied, leaving some Tunisians feeling apathetic about the vote, but not for those who cast their ballots.
“It’s a duty. You have to understand that. Just now I called my daughter, I told her to bring her kids – because she doesn’t live here, she’s in another neighborhood – to teach her children about this duty as citizens of this country.”
In light of the commission's decision, the opposition called for a boycott of the vote.
But some in the country who hope that the elecion will bring about positive change, do not agree with abstaining from the vote.
“Not to vote is not a solution, on the contrary, voting is a positive response. People must come out and vote to show that the Tunisian people participate in these elections and Tunisia can be better over the next five years.”
Almost 10 million Tunisians were eligible to vote on Sunday, but with the calls for a boycott, voter turnout remains to be seen.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/06/presidential-election-voting-in-tunisia-ends/
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Democratic Republic of Congo kicks off vaccinations against mpox, following delays
6 October 2024
After a delay due to logistical difficulties, Congolese authorities have started administering vaccinations against mpox in an attempt to curb the outbreak.
265,000 doses were given to the DRC by the EU and the US, have been administered in the city of Goma and north Kivu province, where healthcare resources have been stretched amid the surge in mpox cases.
The country, which has recorded some 30,000 cases, accounts for more than 80% of all the cases and 99% of deaths reported on the continent this year. More than 850 deaths from the disease have been reported in the DRC this year.
Back in August, the WHO declared that the surge in mpox cases in the DRC, which spread to several countries, constituted a global health emergency.
Beyond the African continent, a handful of cases have also been recorded in countries including Sweden and Pakistan.
Caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, mpox was initially passed from animals to humans. It is transmitted from person to person through close contact with someone who is infected.
The current outbreak has seen the spread of a new strain of the disease dubbed clade 1b, which is more serious than clade 2, which triggered a public health emergency in 2022.
Source:africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/06/democratic-republic-of-congo-kicks-off-vaccinations-against-mpox-following-delays/
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Tunisia’s Saied toward landslide win in election, supporters celebrate
October 07, 2024
TUNIS: Supporters of current Tunisian President Kais Saied began celebrations in the capital on Sunday night after an exit poll broadcast on state television showed him winning, beating two rivals, one of whom is now in prison
Saied on Sunday faced two election rivals: his former ally turned critic, Chaab Party leader Zouhair Maghzaoui, and Ayachi Zammel, who was jailed last month.
Turnout stood at 27.7 percent, the election commission said after the close of polls — just half what it was in the runoff round of the 2019 presidential election.
Official results are not expected until Monday evening but an exit poll by Sigma company, a polling agency, showed Saied in the lead with 89.2 percent of votes, according to state television.
In his first comment, Saied told state television, “This is a continuation of the revolution. We will build and will cleanse the country of the corrupt, traitors and conspirators.”
Zammel and Maghzaoui’s campaigns rejected the exit poll results saying the real results will be different.
On the main avenue of Habib Bourguiba in the capital city of Tunis, celebrants raised pictures of Saied and the Tunisian flag, chanting “The people want to build and develop.”
“We rejoice for a person because he served the state and not for his own benefit, he serves for the benefit of the people and the state,” Mohsen Ibrahim said when he was celebrating.
Tunisia had for years been hailed as the only relative success story of the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprisings for introducing a competitive, though flawed, democracy following decades of autocratic rule.
However, rights groups now say Saied, in power since 2019, has undone many of those democratic gains while removing institutional and legal checks on his power. Saied, 66, has rejected criticism of his actions, saying he is fighting a corrupt elite and traitors, and that he will not be a dictator.
Senior figures from the biggest parties, which largely oppose Saied, have been imprisoned on various charges over the past year and those parties have not publicly backed any of the three candidates on Sunday’s ballot. Other opponents have been barred from running.
“The scene is shameful. Journalists and opponents in prison, including one presidential candidate.” said Wael, a bank employee in Tunis, who gave only his first name.
CANDIDATES DISQUALIFIED
Political tensions have risen since an electoral commission named by Saied disqualified three prominent candidates last month, amid protests by opposition and civil society groups.
Lawmakers loyal to Saied then approved a law last week stripping the administrative court of authority over election disputes. This court is widely seen as the country’s last independent judicial body, after Saied dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges in 2022.
While elections in the years soon after the 2011 revolution were fiercely contested and drew very high participation rates, public anger at Tunisia’s poor economic performance and corruption among the elite led to disillusionment.
Saied, elected in 2019, seized most powers in 2021 when he dissolved the elected parliament and rewrote the constitution, a move the opposition described as a coup.
A referendum on the constitution passed with turnout of only 30 percent, while a January 2023 runoff for the new, nearly powerless, parliament he created with that constitution had turnout of only 11 percent.
Although tourism revenues are on the rise and there has been financial help from European countries worried about migration, state finances remain strained. Shortages of subsidised goods are common, as are outages of power and water.
Source:arabnews.com
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South Asia
Panjshir Set to Become Tourism Hub with New 100 Million AFN Recreational Park
2024-10-06
PANJSHIR(BNA): A modern recreational park, aimed at enhancing the tourism industry in Panjshir, is set to be constructed in Bazarak, the provincial capital, with an estimated investment of 100 million Afghanis.
Rahmatullah Mohammadi, the Mayor of Bazarak, told the Bakhtar News Agency that this initiative, supported by the financial resources of the Panjshir Municipality, is part of broader efforts to promote tourism and attract both local and international visitors.
The park, which will span 18 acres of land, has already reached the final planning stages, with construction expected to commence in the near future.
Mayor Mohammadi emphasized that the park will meet modern standards, featuring extensive green areas, shower facilities, football and futsal grounds, volleyball courts, a restaurant, children’s play zones, and decorative lighting.
These features are intended to provide a high-quality recreational experience, catering to both tourists and local residents while contributing to the overall development of Panjshir’s tourism sector.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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MoIC Concludes 3rd New Vision Short Film Festival, Honoring Afghan Filmmakers
2024-10-06
KABUL(BNA): The Afghan Film Directorate, under the Ministry of Information and Culture, hosted the closing ceremony of the 3rd New Vision Short Film Festival today.
Speaking at the event, Mawlawi Atiqullah Azizi, Deputy Minister for Culture and Art, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting films, documentaries, and other audiovisual productions that align with Islamic Sharia, national interests, and cultural values. He praised filmmakers for producing works that respect these principles, underscoring the importance of such creative efforts in shaping the national narrative.
Mawlawi Azizi emphasized that holding festivals of this nature plays a pivotal role in presenting an accurate and authentic image of Afghanistan to the international community, particularly at a time when hostile foreign media are attempting to misrepresent the realities of Afghanistan.
Additionally, Mawlawi Faizullah Jawhari, Director of Afghan Film, noted that the festival, which commenced a month and a half ago, featured entries in four main categories, Achievements of the Islamic Emirate, General Documentaries, Documentaries on Gaza, and Short Fiction Films.
During the ceremony, several awards were presented to recognize outstanding contributions. Abdulhaq Khuroshan received the Best Actor Award for his role in the film Cheshman Besta, Sulaiman Ghafoori was honored with the Best Cinematography Award for Bigana, Irfan Khan Safi won Best Screenplay for Takya Gah, and Abdulhadi Tahiri took home the Best Director Award.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Police Reform: Changing 150- Yr-Old Law Will Be Top PriorityFor Bangladesh
Oct 7, 2024
The Police Reform Commission will primarily focus on the amendment to the police laws and regulations to make the force time-befitting and turn it into pro-people and service-oriented.
The commission's Chairman Safar Raj Hossain disclosed this after meeting the commission members at the Secretariat yesterday.
He added that the force has been operating under a 150-year-old police law, the Police Act of 1861, and the Police Regulations of Bengal, 1943.
"These laws are outdated. No major changes have been made to them," he said while speaking to reporters after the meeting.
The commission plans to engage individuals, including police officers, experts, lawyers, and journalists … who have been working on laws to bring necessary changes, said Safar Raj.
He said they would incorporate the best practices from police reform proposals being implemented in various democratic countries.
"We have an understanding of how police operate in different democratic countries, and we will try to include the best practices of those countries in our reform proposals as recommendations ... ," he said.
The chairman further said the commission intends to get opinions from stakeholders, including civil society members, experts, media personalities (print and electronic media), university students and teachers, and the people to formulate a set of suggestions for reforming the police.
"We have a limited timeframe for completing the work -- three months. We have a plan to launch a website with questions in which the stakeholders can write their suggestions."
Safar Raj said they want to complete the task within the stipulated time.
"After discussing all inputs, we will simply suggest the government what changes need to be made in various sections of the police laws to make them modern and relevant.
"We have to build a good police force for a democratic country, and its main task will be to serve the masses."
During the briefing, Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said they would extend all possible support to the reform commission to carry out its task.
The commission, led by former home secretary Safar Raj, was constituted on October 3 and has been given 90 days to finish its job.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/law-reform/news/foreign-investment-and-property-law-bangladesh-perspective-3567101
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105 children killed in July uprising
Oct 7, 2024
At least 105 children were killed during the recent student-led uprising in July and August, Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmin S Murshid said yesterday.
Each victim's family will receive Tk 50,000 as compensation, Sharmin, also the social welfare adviser, announced during a press conference at the secretariat.
The list was finalised by the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reports UNB.
The monetary grant and a certificate will be distributed on World Children's Day today among families of the deceased children.
The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
Additionally, Murshid noted that Tk 82,70,898 has been allocated to assist students injured during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement through the Social Service Office and the Upazila Patient Welfare Association.
The ministry is also in the process of securing $5 million from the World Bank to fund rehabilitation and treatment for those affected by the uprising.
She also said the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs currently operates 12 daycare centres and is advocating for the establishment of daycare facilities in all government institutions by June 2026.
The government is also exploring the possibility of introducing private-sector daycares to enhance employment opportunities and provide essential services.
Meanwhile, the interim government yesterday published a preliminary list of at least 737 people who died during the student-led mass protests in July and August.
The names and identities of the dead were collected from different public and private hospitals, reports our staff correspondent.
The list is available at https://medical-info.dghs.gov.bd/.
Being a preliminary list, it's a work in progress and is being updated. The website's filtering function was not working accurately as of last night. However, initial analysis indicates that the majority of fatalities occurred in Dhaka, and most of the victims were students.
Earlier on September 24, the government published a draft list of 708 names on the website of the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The draft list was scrutinised again and the preliminary list was released yesterday.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/saber-hossain-chowdhury-arrested-3721251
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Golden opportunity for foreign businessmen to invest in Afghanistan
October 7, 2024
W ith the Islamic Emir ate takeover and the improvement of the overall security situation across Afghanistan, both foreign and domestic investment has been made in various fields as mining, agriculture, and infrastructure. The Islamic Emirate has created a favorable environment for investment in Afghanistan. Besides, efforts have been made to attract new foreign countries’ investments for businesses in the country. The economy of Afghanistan has improved significantly with the improvement of the overall security situation in the country in the past three years as we see some increased foreign investment and improved domestic production, which has resulted in economic growth in recent months. Afghanistan, currently, in an economic recovery stage, is trying to attract more foreign countries’ investment and businesses; therefore, various national and international exhibitions and trade fairs are held in Kabul and provinces for increasing trade with other countries in the world and region. This time, the Imam Abu Hanifa Expo and Trade Fair was opened for the third time in Kabul yesterday to bring local and foreign investors and businesses together. Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar, opened it and said that there have been good opportunities for foreign and domestic investment and businesses in the country. The expo will last for seven days and is showcasing a variety of locally manufactured products and services at 700 booths. In the opening ceremony of the expo and trade fair, Mullah Beradar said: “The good thing about this exhibition is that domestic and foreign traders and investors exchange views and these exhibitions play an important role in improving the market situation for producers and solving the problems of traders.” While appreciating the activities of businessmen and investors in Afghanistan, he reminded them that there were good investment opportunities for foreign countries and businesses in Afghanistan. In the meantime, Nooruddin Azizi, the acting minister of industry and commerce, said at the opening ceremony of the expo that such events were a good opportunity to introduce the industrial and production capacities of countries to foreign investors. Azizi said the main objective of the current expo was to strengthen domestic markets, market products and expand the interaction of the countries of the region with the Islamic Emirate. Launching such expos and trade fairs is an opportunity to exchange experiences and introduce Afghan products to foreign traders. With the Islamic Emirate (IEA) takeover and the improvement of the overall security situation across the country, the ground has been provided for launching locally manufacturing companies in the country. The Islamic Emirate leadership by supporting the private sector and prioritizing domestic products wants to open a new chapter of economic development. It is now a gold opportunity for all countries in the world and region to go for investment and businesses in Afghanistan as all necessary ground have been provided for both foreign and domestic investment in the country. Mukhtar Safi
Source:thekabultimes.com
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ICRC Donates 13 Ambulances to Strengthen ARCS’s Humanitarian Response
2024-10-07
KABUL(BNA): The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has officially handed over 13 ambulances to the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) to support the organization’s humanitarian efforts. According to the ARCS press release, the vehicles consist of 11 standard ambulances and two large trucks, aimed at enhancing the operational capacity of the national charity.
During the handover ceremony, Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, Acting President of the ARCS, extended his gratitude for the ICRC’s enduring support. He called on the ICRC to further extend its assistance, particularly in providing aid to underprivileged and vulnerable families across the country.
Sheikh Delawar highlighted that the newly acquired vehicles will play a crucial role in expediting and expanding ARCS services and urged staff to ensure proper maintenance and management of the fleet.
Scott Doucet, Head of Operations for the ICRC in Afghanistan, commended the ARCS for its humanitarian services and pledged continued cooperation. He reaffirmed that supporting the Afghan population, especially those in need and affected by ongoing challenges, remains a top priority for the ICRC in collaboration with the ARCS.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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MoFA Spokesman Urges Constructive Dialogue Amid Rising Political Tensions in Pakistan
2024-10-07
KABUL(BNA): Abdul Qahar Balkhi, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, highlighted growing concerns over the escalating tensions between government supporters and political opposition in neighboring Pakistan. He stressed that this internal unrest has reached a worrying level, with potential adverse effects on the stability of the entire region.
In a message posted on his official X account, Balkhi underscored that negotiation and mutual understanding remain the most effective means to address the legitimate demands of the people. He further stated that recent developments have shown that the refusal to engage in constructive dialogue only serves to exacerbate challenges.
Balkhi assured that the Islamic Emirate is closely monitoring the situation in Pakistan, expressing optimism that the Pakistani government and its key institutions will act with prudence and realism as public dissatisfaction continues to rise.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Acting Mines Minister Welcomes Indian Firm’s Interest in Afghanistan’s Mineral Sector
2024-10-06
KABUL(BNA): Mullah Hedayatullah Badri, the Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, has warmly welcomed the interest expressed by Srinivasan Akapidi, the head of the Infrastructure Projects extraction company from India, regarding Afghanistan’s mineral resources.
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, it was reported that during their meeting, Srinivasan Akapidi provided comprehensive insights into the company’s operations, highlighting its extensive experience of over 30 years in the mining sector, supported by a team of skilled engineers and specialists.
He emphasized the company’s keen interest in investing in the extraction of metals, precious stones, as well as oil and gas resources in Afghanistan.
For his part, the Acting Minister Badri acknowledged this interest and assured Mr. Akapidi that the Ministry would facilitate investment opportunities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations governing the mining sector, thereby fostering a collaborative partnership for sustainable development in Afghanistan’s mineral resources.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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Stanikzai: Islamic Emirate Seeks Reciprocal Relations with Countries
October6, 2024
The Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, said that the Islamic Emirate seeks positive interactions with all countries.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Third National and International Imam Abu Hanifa Exhibition, Stanikzai emphasized that Afghanistan's soil will not be used against any country, and no one will be allowed to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
The Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs said: "We will not allow anyone to use Afghanistan's soil against other countries, and similarly, the Islamic Emirate wants reciprocal relations with countries. We will not permit anyone to meddle in Afghanistan's internal matters. Just as we fought against the United States, we will also combat imported terrorist groups."
According to the Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, over the past three years, all terrorist groups that existed during the US presence in Afghanistan have been eliminated by Islamic Emirate forces. He also stressed that no one would be allowed to disrupt the country’s security or use Afghan soil against other nations.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said: "In the past three years, the terrorist groups that existed during the US presence in Afghanistan have been almost entirely eradicated, and recently, a terrorist group whose bases were outside Afghanistan was also arrested."
Meanwhile, Noor-Ul-Haq Anwar, the head of the general directorate of the Islamic Emirate in Administrative Affairs, said that the Islamic Emirate desires peace and stability in neighboring countries, the region, and the world. He stated, "Just as we want security and peace in our own country, we also seek peace and stability in the region and across the world."
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai also mentioned that recently, Islamic Emirate forces arrested a terrorist group whose hideouts and centers were located outside of Afghanistan.
Source:tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-191055
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