
Now
A Representative Muslim Says, 'Azan Is the Voice of Hate', Stokes Controversy
in Kolkata
UN
Human Rights Council Listens To Increasing Mob Lynching And Hate Crimes Against
Muslims And Dalits In India
When
Get Caught By Lynching Mob, Fight Back, Maulana Madani Advises Muslims
Wahhabism
Confronted: Sri Lanka Curbs Saudi Influence after Bombings
Mujahid:
Standardisation of Shariah Law by End Of Next Year
Saudi
Minister of Islamic Affairs and Tunisia's Grand Mufti Discuss Ways of
Propagating Moderation, Compassion
Hafiz
Saeed Will Be Arrested Soon, Say Pakistan Police
Sudan
Military, Opposition Reach Power-Sharing Agreement
Palestinians
Welcome Japan Offer to Mediate In Palestine-Israeli Conflict
India
Now
A Representative Muslim Says, 'Azan Is the Voice of Hate', Stokes Controversy
in Kolkata
UN
Human Rights Council Listens To Increasing Mob Lynching and Hate Crimes Against
Muslims And Dalits In India
When
Get Caught By Lynching Mob, Fight Back, Maulana Madani Advises Muslims
Firm
Believer of Islam, Respect All Religions: Nusrat Jahan After Attending Rath
Yatra Event
Polluted
River in UP Becomes Symbol of Unity, All Faiths Join Hands to Save It
Real
Danger to Kashmir Is Not From Pakistan but From Kashmiri Leaders: Shiv Sena
Mob
Lynching Paralysing India's Growth: Muttahida Majlis e Mashaikh
Encounter
breaks out between security forces, terrorists in J&K's Shopian
Pakistan
booking Hafiz Saeed ‘cosmetic step’, says India
No
meeting planned between India, Pakistan foreign ministers on sidelines of
Commonwealth event: MEA
Hurriyat
forms panel to facilitate return of Kashmiri Pandits
Supreme
Court to hear plea against India deporting Rohingya Muslim refugees to Myanmar
--------
South Asia
Wahhabism
Confronted: Sri Lanka Curbs Saudi Influence after Bombings
Bangladeshi
among 44 Libya Detention Centre Airstrike Victims: Official
Muslims
in Sri Lanka under threat: Rights group
Afghan
Special Forces kill, detain 8 Taliban militants in Khost
Afghan
Special Forces kill 2 ISIS-K militants in Nangarhar province
Afghan
forces foil deadly attack in Kabul city by defusing a car bomb
--------
Southeast Asia
Mujahid:
Standardisation of Shariah Law by End Of Next Year
China
Muslims: Xinjiang Schools Used To Separate Children from Families
Turkey's
Erdogan says solution possible for China's Muslims
Malaysian
Children in Practice Run for Haj Pilgrimage
Cops
warn Kedah group planning to nab amorous Muslim couples
South
Korean man arrested over alleged Daesh terror plot
WUC
Honored with the 2019 Democracy Award in Washington D.C.
--------
Arab World
Saudi
Minister of Islamic Affairs and Tunisia's Grand Mufti Discuss Ways of
Propagating Moderation, Compassion
New
Courses At Al-Azhar To Rehabilitate Imams
Syrian
Tribes Oppose Saudi Plots in Support of Disintegration of Kurdish Areas in Deir
Ezzur
Differences
Deepen between Russia, Turkey on Idlib
28,000
Civilians Still Held Captive by US, Affiliated Terrorists in Al-Tanf
Syrian
regime strikes kill four civilians, hit hospitals
--------
Pakistan
Hafiz
Saeed Will Be Arrested Soon, Say Pakistan Police
Dawood
Ibrahim not in Pakistan, says foreign office
Pakistan
PM Imran Khan to meet US President Donald Trump for talks on improving ties
Senate
panel calls for release of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi jails
CTD
arrests five suspects after bid to blow up train fails
Maryam’s
appointment is party’s internal matter, PML-N tells ECP
--------
Africa
Sudan
Military, Opposition Reach Power-Sharing Agreement
UN
envoy slams EU blindness to plight of migrants in Libya after strikes on
detention center
UN
says Libyan guards reportedly shot at migrants fleeing air strikes
Haftar
forces admit to Libya migrant camp airstrike
UN
Security Council fails to condemn airstrike in Libya
--------
Mideast
Palestinians
Welcome Japan Offer to Mediate In Palestine-Israeli Conflict
Iran
says it can talk to US if sanctions lifted, Khamenei permits
Arab
Coalition intercepts Houthi drones targeting Saudi Arabia’s Jazan airport
Saudi
airports come under fresh retaliatory raids by Yemen
Abbas:
Deal of century will not succeed just like Manama workshop
Saudi
air defense forces intercept Houthi drones targeting Jazan airport
Iran
demands Britain’s ‘immediate release’ of tanker in Gibraltar
--------
Europe
UK
Escalating Tension with Tehran On Behalf Of US: Analyst
Three
French women arrested in Turkey for ISIS links
Europe
trade channel with Iran about to operate in coming days: French minister
Russia
blames NATO for destruction of Libya
Dutch
House of Reps adopts resolution for Rohingya
Sheikh
Zayed's legacy lives on in first Arab arts scheme for UK schools
--------
North America
White
House Security Adviser Bolton Hails Seizure Of Tanker With Iranian Oil
US
Navy SEAL receives slap on wrist for posing with dead Iraqi prisoner
UK's
'illegal' seizure of Iranian oil tanker praised by Bolton
Turkey
slams Washington Post over PKK terrorist's op-ed
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/new-age-islam-news-bureau/now-a-representative-muslim-says,--azan-is-the-voice-of-hate-,-stokes-controversy-in-kolkata/d/119093
--------
Now
a representative Muslim says, 'Azan is the voice of hate', stokes controversy
in Kolkata
New
Age Islam News Bureau
Jul
5, 2019
When
Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam had criticised azaan over microphone, the Muslims
had branded him communal and narrowminded but now a prominent Muslim figure of
Kolkata has stoked a controversy by saying that “Azan is the voice of hate”.
More surprisingly, on hearing the sound of azan he uttered ‘La haula wala
quwwata’ to express his displeasure over the azan.
The
incident occurred during a meeting of ulema, Muslim intellectuals and
representatives of Muslim organisations that had been held to chalk out plans
to deal with the issues of mob lynching and other issues facing the Muslims of
the country in the present political and social scenario. Among the participants were Imam-e-Eidain
Qari Fazlur Rahman, State President of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Maulana Sharafat
Abrar Dinajpuri and Presdent of Khilafat Committee and member of State Hajj
Committee Shakir Randirian and others.
During
the meeting, on hearing the sound of azan, Mr Shakir Randirian uttered La Haula
Wala Quwwat and said that this was the voice of hate. He further said that our
morning begins with this voice of hate everyday. This surprised the
participants of the meeting and they warned him against making such statements.
After the meeting, the statement spread and Muslims condemned his statement and
demanded his ouster from Khilafat Committee. According to reports, Maulana
Sharafat Abrar demanded that he should resign from the post of Khilafat Committee
President by July 8.
Maulana
Noorur Rahman Barkati said that by making a statement against azan, Mr Shakir
has committed a big sin and he should renew his iman and nikah. Imam of Nakhoda
Masjid, Kolkata also condemned his statement and said that those who criticise
azan cannot claim to be Muslims.
Imam
of Nakhoda Masjid, Maulana Noor Alam said that Mr Shakir’s statement was highly
objectionable and he should withdraw his statement.
Qari
Fazlur Rahman, however, adopted a cautious approach and said that it might be a
slip of tongue. Mr Shakir might have meant that azan on mircrophone creates
hatered among non-Muslims as in the dawn, the sound of azan from several
mosques reverberates in the atmosphere giving trouble to the people and we
should take that into consideration. But he could not express his thought in an
appropriate manner. However, he too admitted that uttering La haula wala
quwwata on hearing azan was wrong.
Another
Imam of Nakhoda Masjid, Maulana Shafiqur Rehman said that uttering La haula
wala quwwata and calling azan ‘the voice of hate’ was unacceptable. Azan is a
part of Islam and is called to wake up Muslims for prayers. It says namaz is
better than sleep. The followers of all the religions practice their religion
and one should not be criticised for following his religion.
However,
the “voice of hate” statement of Mr Shakir may again stoke up a debate on the
issue of azan. Azan has been criticised by hardline Hindutva sections and also
from secular quarters but criticism of the azan by a prominent member of the
Muslim community is going to put Muslims on back foot.
--------
UN
Human Rights Council Listens To Increasing Mob Lynching And Hate Crimes Against
Muslims And Dalits In India
Shabina
Akhtar
05
Jul 2019
Kolkata:
24-year-old Tabrez Ansari’s name along with that of the Kolkata Madarsa teacher
was heard not at the Indian Parliament but at the United Nations (UN)’s
Security Council meet held at the UN headquarters in New York on July 1.
Ansari,
was lynched by the Hindutva goons at Dhadkidih village in Kharsawan district
while the Madarsa teacher was assaulted on a local train in Kolkata for not
chanting Jai Sri Ram.
It
was interesting to see Paul Newmman Kumar Stanisclavas, representing Center of
Africa Development and Progress (an NGO) of South Africa, which is a
non-permanent member of UNSC, raise the ever increasing cases of mob lynching
and hate crimes being inflicted on Indian Muslims and Dalits. He raised the
issue during the 17th Meeting, of the 41st Regular Session, that was held before
UN’s Human Rights Council.
Paul
Newmman Kumar Stanisclavas during the few minutes that he had been allotted
maintained that he was raising the issue during the session as India is the
signatory to ICCPR and ICSCR. He stated that in the last five years there has
been a rise in the number of hate crimes being committed against Muslims and
Dalits of India. In last couple of months, Indian Muslims have witnessed raise
of hate crimes against their community
He
pointed out that since April 2017 at least 10 Muslim men have been lynched
publically in India.
Paul
started his speech by saying, “In the last five years Muslims in India have
seen a rise in hate crimes committed against their community. In the last five
years there has been lynching of Muslims and Dalits in India by fanatic Hindu
mobs fortisibly for the protection of the holy cow.”
He
further stated, “The attacks have contributed to a growing sense of insecurity
among Muslims and has intensified religious tension. The recent trend is to
make Muslims chant Jai Sri Ram. Ten days ago 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari was
beaten for hours until he died in the hands of the Hindu mob in the eastern
state of Jharkhand for not chanting Jai Sri Ram. Recently a Muslim teacher was
attacked o a train for being Muslim. He was heckled to say Jai Sri Ram, when he
refused he was beaten and forced to get off the train.”
He
summed his speech by requesting the UN to remind India to follow its
Constitution. He stated, “These fanatic Hindu mobs have been allowed to move
around with apparent impunity. The
Indian state has remained mute to the cries of the minorities. We urge the UN
to intervene and request India to follow the principles laid in its own
Constitution.”
During
his speech even condemned Indian Member of Parliament (MP) Pratap Sarangi for
declaring inside the parliament that those who does not chant Hindu slogan Jai
Sri Ram should not be allowed to live in India.
Earlier,
on June 27, US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had
strongly condemned the lynching of Tabrez in Jharkhand and called on the
Narendra Modi government to take concrete actions to prevent such violence and
intimidation.
In
last three years, Jharkhand alone has witness 18 people being lynched to death.
However, since June 2019, instances of Muslims being forced to chant Jai Sri
Ram have been on the rise. After the lynching of Tabrez, at least half a dozen
similar cases have been reported from various parts of India.
https://www.newsclick.in/UN-human-right-mob-lynching-hate-crimes-muslims-dalits-india
--------
When
get caught by lynching mob, fight back, Maulana Madani advises Muslims
By
Syed Qayam Ali
Jul
04, 2019
Hyderabad:
For the first time since the lynching of Muslims got intensified more than five
years ago, a leading scholar and political activist have asked his community
members to avoid situations where they could be attacked by Hindu mobs of
zealots. First, try to escape the life-threatening situation by tact but when
failed to defend yourself, he added.
Maulana
Mahmood Madani, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said in a recent
video interview, that the Muslims should use their right to defend themselves.
“God forbid, if you find that you have been caught in a sticky situation, then
do not be afraid of death. There is no point in pleading with the mob. It would
get emboldened. You have the right to defend yourself. Use it to the full
potential,” he said.
Siasat.com
is reproducing the interview of Maulana Madani:
“One
thing I would like to tell the Muslim youth. Exercise caution. Never give up on
caution. Avoid going to places where you could be caught alone. If by chance
there is an argument, use wisdom, smile and try to leave the place. Do not
allow the argument to escalate.
If
all your precautions fail and you get stuck then do not be afraid of death.
When you try to plead politely, it does not work. They (mob) will get embolden.
Then use your right to defend. Then whatever has to happen would happen. Do not
give up your right to defend. Fight back with all the force at your disposal,”
he concluded.
https://www.siasat.com/news/when-get-caught-lynching-mob-fight-back-maulana-madani-advises-muslims-1535674/
--------
Wahhabism
confronted: Sri Lanka curbs Saudi influence after bombings
JULY
5, 2019
KATTANKUDY,
Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is moving to curtail Saudi Arabian influence,
after some politicians and Buddhist monks blamed the spread of the kingdom’s
ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam for planting the seeds of militancy
that culminated in deadly Easter bomb attacks.
On
April 21, nine Sri Lankans blew themselves up in churches and luxury hotels,
killing more than 250 people and shocking the country a decade after its civil
war ended.
Sri
Lanka has since arrested a Wahhabi scholar and is poised to take over a
Saudi-funded school. The government also says it will monitor previously
unchecked money flows from donors including prominent Saudi families to mosques
on the Indian Ocean island.
“Nobody
will be able to just make donations now,” said Muslim cabinet minister Kabir
Hashim, who has urged Muslim communities to look at how radical ideas could
have spread. He said the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs
would oversee donations.
The
outcry in Sri Lanka is the latest sign that Wahhabism, which critics deem a
root cause of the jihadist threat, is under pressure internationally.
Jihadist
organizations, including Islamic State - which claimed responsibility for the
Easter bombings - follow an extreme interpretation of Islam’s Salafi branch, of
which Wahhabism was the original strain.
Saudi
Arabia rejects the idea that Wahhabism is problematic and defends its record by
pointing to the detention of thousands of suspected militants. Riyadh in June
sent back five Sri Lankans allegedly linked to the Easter attacks.
Saudi
diplomats in Colombo have expressed “displeasure” over being targeted during a
recent meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena, a Sri Lankan official told
Reuters.
Sirisena’s
office, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Colombo embassy and the kingdom’s
communications office in Riyadh, did not respond to requests for comment on the
backlash against Saudi influence.
MONKS’
INFLUENCE
That
backlash has focused on one man in particular - Muhammad Hizbullah, a
businessman and politician who was the governor of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province
until he resigned in June following protests by hardline Buddhist monks.
The
monks, who are influential on the island where 70 percent of the population are
Buddhists, and some members of parliament say Hizbullah’s links to Riyadh
contributed to the spread of militancy in his native Kattankudy, a
Muslim-majority town.
Hizbullah’s
family helped build Saudi-financed mosques and a Saudi-funded higher education
institute, Batticaloa Campus, which has not opened yet, in the Eastern
Province.
The
mosque and school projects were led by the Hira Foundation, a non-profit owned
by Hizbullah and his son Hiras.
Its
financial statements show income of some $31,000 between 2014 and 2018, though
Hizbullah told parliament Hira had received $2 million from foreign donors. He
did not respond to a request from Reuters for further financial details.
In
an interview with Reuters at his home in the capital, Colombo, Hizbullah, 56,
said most funds come from the Juffalis, a leading Saudi merchant family.
Reuters also found two wires from other Saudis but was not able to trace them.
Hizbullah said they were pooled contributions from smaller donors.
The
Sheikh Ali Abdullah Al Juffali Foundation Charity wired some $24.5 million to
Batticaloa Campus between 2016 and 2017, bank statements and loan agreements
seen by Reuters show.
Hizbullah
warned the experience of the Juffalis, who he said have received hate mail, was
spooking Saudi investors. He did not identify any investors.
Ongoing
investigations have not shown that any Saudi money flowed to the plotters. And
critics attribute moves against Saudi influence to burgeoning Islamophobia,
including mob attacks on Muslim properties in May.
“Not
a single Saudi institution, charity or individual gave even one rupee to
terrorists,” Hizbullah said.
The
charity did not respond to calls or messages seeking comment, and Reuters was
unable to find alternative contact details for the Juffalis. The charity’s
website lists the founders as Ali al-Juffali, a businessman and former member
of the kingdom’s consultative assembly who died in 2015, and his four sons. The
charity says its objectives include supporting orphans and activities that
promote religious tolerance.
The
Juffalis, who promised a total of $100 million to Batticaloa Campus, have
halted loans over the school’s uncertain future, Hizbullah said. Construction
of the sprawling campus, designed in Islamic architectural style, has been
paused, he added.
Hira
also connects mosques with donors.
The
modest Siharam Mosque, for example, was rebuilt in 2015 thanks to some $56,000
from the Juffalis, according to a mosque plaque and its ex-president M.Y. Adam,
who said Hira received a 10% commission. Hizbullah did not respond to questions
about mosque funding.
SCAPEGOAT?
In
the Reuters interview, Hizbullah also denied allegations made by some monks
that he had links to the attacks, and no evidence has surfaced to support that
claim.
His
critics, however, point to a 2015 photograph that shows Mohamed Hashim Mohamed
Zahran, who authorities say led the April suicide bombings and blew himself up
at a Colombo hotel, grinning under his beard as he shakes Hizbullah’s hand.
Hizbullah
said he was seeking support from Zahran, also a Kattankudy native, for a
parliamentary election. Back then, Hizbullah stressed, Zahran was just a
charismatic preacher who could deliver some 2,000 votes in the devout town of
roughly 50,000.
His
supporters - and even some opponents - say Hizbullah is a scapegoat. Ameer Ali
Shihabdeen, an Eastern Province member of parliament from a rival party, said
Hizbullah was being targeted despite a lack of evidence linking him to the
attacks.
Wahhabism
spread to Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province three decades ago, when the area was
convulsed by conflict between mostly Hindu Tamil separatists and the
Buddhist-dominated government, according to local religious leaders and
politicians.
Muslim
scholars received scholarships to study in Saudi Arabia, while impoverished
farmers escaped clashes by becoming drivers or maids in the Middle East - often
returning home with stricter Islamic practices, the sources said.
Saudi-funded
mosques mushroomed. Women ditched their saris for all-enveloping black abayas.
Some Sri Lankan Sufis, who follow a mystical form of Islam that Wahhabis consider
heretical, said they began to be persecuted.
Hizbullah’s
political career, which included stints in parliament, blossomed during this
time. In Kattankudy, his name adorns schools, a public hall and roads.
Batticaloa
Campus, the college funded by the Juffalis, initially planned to teach sharia,
which some critics say limits women’s rights. Hizbullah said sharia only meant
the academic subject of Islamic Studies, and that the discipline had been
dropped from curriculum plans.
Students
would pay half standard tuition fees, which Hizbullah said was partly why this
long-neglected area welcomes Arab donors’ deep pockets.
A
parliamentary committee last month called for authorities to take over
Batticaloa Campus and compensate investors, citing incomplete documentation,
possible violations of foreign exchange rules, and national security concerns.
No
decision has been announced yet, but a presidential spokesman told Reuters that
Sirisena, a Hizbullah ally who is on the back foot ahead of presidential
elections this year, also favors a takeover.
WAHHABI
SCHOLAR BEHIND BARS
Some
Kattankudy Sufis link the advent of Wahhabism to the 1990 opening of the
Saudi-financed Center for Islamic Guidance, which boasts a mosque, school, and
library. Reuters was unable to trace Saudi donors, who had names common in the
Middle East, thanked on a plaque at the center.
The
center “brainwashed” youth and distributed flyers denouncing Sufism, according
to H. M. Ameer, a community spokesman who said his house was destroyed during
anti-Sufi unrest in 2004. Persecution intensified with the rise of Zahran, the
suspected Easter bombings ringleader, whose followers attacked Sufis with
swords in 2017, Ameer added.
Representatives
of the center did not respond to requests for comment about the Sufis’
allegations. They previously told Reuters the center practiced “moderate
Islam”.
The
center’s Riyadh-educated founder, Mohamed Aliyar, was arrested in May for
allegedly funding Zahran.
The
charge sheet, reviewed by Reuters, details his bank accounts but does not
provide evidence of wrongdoing. A police spokesman did not respond to requests
for details.
Aliyar’s
lawyer Abdul Uwais said he was a victim of paranoia over Wahhabism.
Two
sources from Kattankudy’s Muslim leadership said Zahran voraciously read
Wahhabi texts from Aliyar’s center, but that the men were not known to be
close.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-saudi-insight/wahhabism-confronted-sri-lanka-curbs-saudi-influence-after-bombings-idUSKCN1U00LY
--------
Mujahid:
Standardisation of Shariah law by end of next year
04
July 2019
PUTRAJAYA,
July 4 — The standardisation and co-ordination of Shariah laws nationwide is
expected to be able to be realised at the end of next year, said Minister in
the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
Talking
to the media after attending a Department of Shariah Judiciary Malaysia (DSJM)
Aidilfitri Open House here today, he said that a progress of 40 per cent had
been achieved in the effort or roadmap to achieve the aspiration.
‘’We
are in the process of standardising the Shariah criminal enactment nationwide
because today everybody knows that the punishments for the same offences differ
from state to state. This is not good to show justice in Islam,’’ he said.
In
this regard, he said DSJM and the legal division of the Malaysian Islamic
Development Department (Jakim) had been asked to implement a co-ordination and
standardisation by using the Federal Territories Act 1993 as a model.
Mujahid
said that the Council of Rulers had in principle agreed with the move by DSJM
to standardise the Shariah criminal laws in the country.
Mujahid
said that he would meet with the states’ executive councillors responsible for
religious affairs to discuss the matter.
‘’We
will also look at the state enactments and will adopt them if we see that they
are the best, but the bottom line is that all will eventually be the same and
co-ordinated,’’ he said.
Mujahid
also said that the study on the punishments under the Shariah criminal laws was
being done so that the punishments meted out were more rehabilitative in
nature.
‘’Today
the punishments are punitive in nature because the judges have no choice
because they only have caning and jail. If they take the approach to free with
a good behaviour bond, it is not provided under the allocation.
‘’Since
the philosophy is not just to punish people...syarie judges can use punishments
which are rehabilitative in nature such as good behaviour bond, community
service,’’ he said. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/07/04/mujahid-standardisation-of-shariah-law-by-end-of-next-year/1768356
--------
Saudi
minister of Islamic affairs and Tunisia's grand mufti discuss ways of
propagating moderation, compassion
July
05, 2019
JEDDAH:
The Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, dawah and guidance, Sheikh Abdullatif
Al-Asheikh, received Othman Battikh, the grand mufti of Tunisia, on Thursday in
Jeddah.
Al-Asheikh
praised the good relations that bind Saudi Arabia to Tunisia, and their sharing
of common interests with regards to matters of great import for Muslims.
“Saudi
Arabia under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
is taking care of Islamic affairs and serving Muslims around the world in line
with the Kingdom’s leading position in the Islamic world and its special status
for Muslims, and the fact that it hosts the Two Holy Mosques,” he said.
He
also noted that the king and the crown prince have particular concern for the
Tunisian people, and assured his visitor of the keenness of the Saudi Islamic
Ministry to mend fences with various Islamic leaders, which comes in line with
the Kingdom’s policy to establish the bases for common Islamic action and to
spread moderation.
From
his side, Battikh said that the Kingdom is the leader of the Islamic world, and
is the sponsor of security and faith, and that it has a longstanding history in
serving Islam and Muslims and in uniting them against all that threatens
security and stability.
He
said that the Kingdom’s efforts are evident to everyone, especially since it
serves the Two Holy Mosques, pilgrims and visitors, and that the Tunisian
people will never forget the Kingdom’s stances in supporting Tunisia.
Battikh
pointed out that the meeting with Al-Asheikh is part of the continuous joint
efforts to benefit from the Kingdom’s experience in fighting terrorism and
promoting moderation and intellectual security.
The
Tunisian mufti concluded by praising the efforts of the Saudi ministry in
serving Islamic action around the globe, and in spreading the values of
tolerance, and compassion that form an integral part of the Holy Qur’an and the
Prophet’s Sunnah.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1520891/saudi-arabia
--------
Hafiz
Saeed will be arrested soon, say Pakistan police
Jul
5, 2019
LAHORE:
Mumbai attacks mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and 12 of his close aides
will be arrested “very soon”, police said on Thursday, a day after Pakistani
authorities booked them for committing multiple offences of terrorism financing
and money laundering.
The
Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Police on Wednesday registered 23
FIRs against 13 leaders of JuD, including Saeed, on the charges of terror
financing.
“The
CTD has booked the (13) leaders of JuD and other proscribed organisations on
the charges of terror financing. As the FIRs have been registered the suspects
will be arrested shortly,” Punjab police spokesperson Niyab Haider Naqvi said.
“Saeed
is present at Lahore’s Jauhar Town and the police are waiting for a green
signal from the government to raid his residence to arrest him,” a source in
Pakistan government said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/hafiz-saeed-will-be-arrested-soon-say-pakistan-police/articleshow/70081029.cms
--------
Sudan
military, opposition reach power-sharing agreement
5
July 2019
Sudan’s
ruling transitional military council and a coalition of opposition and protest
groups reached an agreement to share power during a transition period leading
to elections, mediators said on Friday.
The
two sides, which have held talks in Khartoum for the past two days, agreed to
“establish a council of sovereignty by rotation between the military and
civilians for a period of 3 years or slightly more,” African Union mediator
Mohamed Hassan said at a news conference at dawn on Friday.
They
also agreed to form an independent technocratic government and to launch a
transparent, independent investigation into violent events in recent weeks.
The
two sides agreed to postpone the establishment of a legislative council. The
two sides had previously agreed that the Forces for Freedom and Change
coalition would take two-thirds of a legislative council’s seats before
security forces crushed a sit-in protest on June 3, killing dozens, and talks
collapsed.
The
dialogue finally resumed Wednesday after intense mediation by Ethiopian and
African Union envoys, who have put forward a draft proposal to break the
deadlock.
The
generals seized power after the army ousted longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir
following months of nationwide protests against his rule of three decades, but
have resisted transferring power to a civilian administration.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/07/05/Sudan-military-council-opposition-reach-power-sharing-agreement-.html
--------
Palestinians
welcome Japan offer to mediate in Palestine-Israeli conflict
DAOUD
KUTTAB
July
04, 2019
AMMAN:
Palestinians welcomed the initiative made by Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono
in the exclusive interview he gave to Arab News about his country’s interest
playing the role of an “honest broker” in helping to resolve the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Saeb
Erekat, the secretary of the executive committee of the PLO, told Arab News
that Japan is a country that has shown a ‘tremendous commitment’ to peace and
the two-state solution.
“They
have invested in the development of institutions in Palestine and have kept a
position against Israeli settlements,” Erekat said. “We welcome their position
which is consistent with the peace plan presented by President Abbas before the
Security Council in February 2018, calling for a group of countries to
facilitate the peace process as we are not going to accept the United States to
play this role.”
Ibrahim
Milhem, spokesman of the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, noted
that the premier met a Japanese delegation that included the Middle East peace
envoy Masahiro Kono and Japan’s head of diplomatic mission in Ramallah Takeshi
Okubo. In a statement after the meeting on Wednesday the Palestinian prime
minister noted his appreciation of the bilateral relations between both sides.
“Shtayyeh praised the continuous political and economic support from Japan,
especially their support in the building of the institutions of the state of
Palestine,” the statement concluded.
Ahmad
Deek, political affairs advisor of the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, said that
the ministry “welcomes” the calls made by the Japanese foreign minister. In
answer to a question by Arab News, Deek said, “we welcome the suggestion made
by the foreign minister because we believe that any movement is helpful.” Deek
noted that Palestinians yearn for peace and welcome support from “our
international friends so long as it is not limited to only the Americans.”
Hanna
Issa, director of Islamic-Christian Commission for Support of Jerusalem, said
that Japan’s position is the correct one. “Both the Israeli and American
positions are constantly changing and therefore it is important to have a
country that is neutral like Japan, which supports the two-state solution and
has shown its backing on projects in support of Palestinian statehood.”
The
Japanese delegation to Palestine has met a number of senior Palestinian
officials and observed Japanese funded projects. Japan is a major supporter of
Palestinian agriculture through its efforts to help agricultural exports,
especially from the Jordan valley area. They also attended the first conference
on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian development (CEAPAD)
held in Palestine.
Minister
of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki opened the conference, stressing
that CEAPAD is an effective model for building bridges of communication and
transferring successful experiences in East Asia to Palestine to support the
two-state solution.
Malki
said that the initiative of the CEAPAD conference gives hope to the Palestinian
people, especially in light of Israel's control over the Palestinian economy.He
added that with the help of the countries participating in the conference they
hope to move from a state under occupation to a developed country achieving
development freely and with dignity.
The
first CEAPAD conference was first held in the Japanese capital Tokyo in 2013;
the second was in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in 2014, and the third in the
Thai capital Bangkok in 2018.
CEAPAD
member states include: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore,
Vietnam, the Sultanate of Brunei and Palestine. The observer countries and
organizations are: South Korea, Egypt, Jordan, the International Quartet, UNRWA
and the Islamic Development Bank.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1520736/middle-east
--------
India
Firm
believer of Islam, respect all religions: Nusrat Jahan after attending Rath
yatra event
July
4, 2019
"I
am firm believer of Islam [and] respect all religions," Trinamool Congress
MP Nusrat Jahan said today, hitting back at those who criticised her
participating in a Rath yatra event organised by Iskcon in Kolkata.
Nusrat
Jahan has been in the eye of a storm ever since she was seen in Parliament
wearing mangalsutra and sindoor -- this was just days after she married
businessman Nikhil Jain in Turkey.
Nusrat,
an actress by profession, is being seen in some quarters as part of TMC chief
Mamata Banerjee's ploy to reach out to Hindus.
On
Thursday, she attended the inauguration ceremony of the Kolkata Iskcon Rath
yatra. The 48th edition of the Rath yatra organised by the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) since 1971, was inaugurated by Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee.
ISKCON
had invited Nusrat Jahan for the ceremony, saying that her stand on religion
and inclusiveness is "in sync" with the Iskcon's spirit of
"social harmony".
"Nusarat
Jahan represents new India... an all inclusive India. Respect for others
religious beliefs and participation in their festivities will make India great
again. This is what India stands for and youth like Nusarat Jahan are showing
the path forward," an Iskcon spokesperson had said.
Later,
Nusrat posted a video thanking Iskcon for inviting her to the inauguration. She
also commented on the controversy around her attire in Parliament. "... I
still remain a Muslim... And none should comment on what I choose to wear...
Faith is beyond attire."
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nusrat-jahan-iskcon-kolkata-rathyatra-mamata-banerjee-1561816-2019-07-04
--------
Polluted
River in UP Becomes Symbol of Unity, All Faiths Join Hands to Save It
July
3, 2019
Religious
co-existence is a touchy subject around the world. However, the town of Maholi,
in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, has been forging a path of co-existence.
The
people of various faiths are not just accepting of each other – they are
accommodative. From using loudspeakers judiciously, to helping out with
arrangements during festivals, the town had a spirit of getting along in every
aspect of life.
One
particular situation is the perfect example of this harmony – the River Kathina
that flows through their town. Polluted and filthy, Kathina’s deterioration was
worrying members of all faiths – all of whom used the water for their rituals and
customs.
Kickstarted
by an ashram and the temple administration, the drive to clean up the river
immediately saw members of the mosque and the gurudwara join in.
This
combined effort encouraged more people to participate, speeding up the process.
Picture
for representation only. Source: Maxpixel
“Keeping
our rivers clean is our duty and we will continue seva whenever required,”
Ujagar Singh, a member of the gurudwara community said. To the Sikhs, the
cleaning of River Kathina was equivalent to ‘seva’ or serving the community –
an essential tenet of Sikhism.
Together
they removed truckloads of hyacinth that was obstructing the flow of water and
got rid of garbage like plastic, polythene, human waste, animal carcasses, and
even boat wrecks.
It
took volunteers three days to clear excrement from the banks! Finally, they
managed to clear a one-kilometre stretch.
They
now plan to have a proper waste managing system for their small town and have
decided to muster support from local administration to prevent littering.
“The
challenge is to maintain the cleanliness level of the river. We could clean
only a small stretch this time, but we will rally again and take the movement
to the second phase,” said Abdul Rauf from the mosque committee.
Religious
centres – ashrams, temples, mosques, gurudwaras etc., are natural assemblies of
people, who can be motivated to do almost anything by their respective leaders
and community members. And the actions that led to the cleaning of the Kathina
river give ample proof – religion need not come in the way of unity, and the
common good.
In
our day-to-day lives, we owe it to our fellow human beings and to civilisation
in general to judge each person based on how they behave, speak or interact
with us rather than their faith.
Let
us hate the crime, not the co-religionists.
#EndTheStereotype
This
story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India
that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are
showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language
alphabet.
Stereotypes
exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing
and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!
We’ve
unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.
Full
report at:
https://www.thebetterindia.com/187829/religious-coexistence-maholi-uttar-pradesh-sitapur-kathina-river-cleaning/
--------
Real
danger to Kashmir is not from Pakistan but from Kashmiri leaders: Shiv Sena
July
5, 2019
The
Shiv Sena on Thursday said that the real danger to Kashmir is not from Pakistan
but from Kashmiri leaders who, it said, are the enemies of Kashmiri people.
Party mouthpiece Saamana said that the main issue in Kashmir is not the
Assembly polls but the abrogation of Article 370.
In
an editorial in Saamana, it said that the Jammu and Kashmir issue is not in
Pakistan but in our country. Justifying the extension of Presidential Rule in
Jammu and Kashmir, it said, “The environment in the Valley will be made normal.
The main issue in Kashmir is not the polls but the abrogation of Article 370.”
It
criticised Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti for their stand against the
abrogation of Article 370.
“The
people who are saying — Keep Kashmir independent without following Indian laws
and Constitution, we have nothing to do with Kashmir and if you don’t pamper
us, we are ready to sit on the lap of Pakistan — need to understand that the
government is led by PM Narendra Modi in Delhi. The days of buying peace in
Kashmir has gone,” said the editorial.
The
Sena said that development works worth crores have been taking place in Jammu
and Kashmir under Modi and the previous governments as well. “To generate
employment, the industries need to come and tourism business should be run
smoothly. To increase the trade and industry in Kashmir, the laws need to be
changed and Article 370 needs to be abrogated,” the editorial said.
The
Sena further said that leaders like Dr Farooq Abdullah have become a burden for
the country and Mehbooba Mufti’s hatred against India keeps coming out.
Full
report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/real-danger-to-kashmir-is-not-from-pakistan-but-from-kashmiri-leaders-shiv-sena-5815886/
--------
Mob
Lynching Paralysing India's Growth: Muttahida Majlis e Mashaikh
5
July 2019
Charminar:
Muttahida Majlis e Mashaikh, an umbrella organization of Islamic Sufi scholars,
organised a protest against mob lynching incidents across the country at its
headquarters of Quadria international Organization at Shalibanda in Old city.
The board representatives and members condemned the gruesome and barbaric acts
of anti-social elements and demanded an immediate action by the governments at
national and state level.
Speaking
to media persons, Member & President Qadria International Organization
Moulana Syed Ahmed Al Hussaini sayeed'ul Qadri said that mob lynching incidents
are unacceptable and they should be brought to an end at the earliest. He
demanded that the Chief Justice of India should intervene and issue a suo-motto
petition on the issue and also issue immediate directions to the central
government to stop such incidents.
Moulana
Syed Ghulam Samdani Ali Quadri, member & chairman at Seerat'un Nabi
Academy, said that India has achieved its independence by the sacrifices of
Muslim scholars. He also reminded that the first person who stood for the
country's freedom was Allama Fazl e Haq Khairabadi. He pointed out that a
particular community cannot claim right over the entire nation, as it equally belongs
to all the citizens. He urged the government to take immediate action against
the culprits and restore back normalcy in the country.
Full
report at:
https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/mob-lynching-paralysing-indias-growth-muslim-scholars-543931
--------
Encounter
breaks out between security forces, terrorists in J&K's Shopian
Jul
5, 2019
SRINAGAR:
An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Shopian
district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police said.
Acting
on a specific information about the presence of militants in the Narwani area
of Shopian district of south Kashmir, the security forces launched a
cordon-and-search operation on Friday morning, a police official said.
As
the forces were conducting searches of the area, the militants fired upon them,
he added.
The
forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter, the official said.
The
gunfight was going on and there were no reports so far of any casualties on
either side, he added.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/encounter-breaks-out-between-security-forces-terrorists-in-jks-shopian/articleshow/70084184.cms
--------
Pakistan
booking Hafiz Saeed ‘cosmetic step’, says India
TNN
| Jul 5, 2019
NEW
DELHI: A day after Pakistan claimed to have filed cases against Hafiz Saeed of
LeT/JUD on terror financing, the MEA dismissed them as “cosmetic steps”,
accusing Pakistan of trying to “hoodwink” the international community.
“Let
us not get fooled by such cosmetic steps. Pakistan’s sincerity to take action against
terrorists and terror groups will be judged on the basis of their ability to
demonstrate verifiable, credible and irreversible action against terror groups
operating from their soil and not on the basis of half-hearted measures which
they undertake sometimes to hoodwink the international community,” MEA
spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar said, adding that India wants “a normal
relationship in an environment free from terror”.
“You
claim that you have taken action but when it comes to taking action against people
who we have demanded you go into denial mode,” Kumar said.
Pakistan’s
counter-terrorism department had on Wednesday said it had filed 23 cases
against some top-billed terror leaders. Diplomats had said this was under
pressure from FATF and IMF, but the steps did not degrade terror capabilities
of these groups.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistan-booking-hafiz-saeed-cosmetic-step-says-india/articleshow/70080797.cms
--------
No
meeting planned between India, Pakistan foreign ministers on sidelines of
Commonwealth event: MEA
Jul
4, 2019
NEW
DELHI: No meeting has been planned between external affairs minister S
Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines
of a conclave of foreign ministers of Commonwealth nations in London next week,
a senior official said on Thursday.
Jaishankar
will travel to the UK to attend the conclave, external affairs ministry
spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
Replying
to a question during a media briefing, he, however, said no bilateral meeting
has been planned between Jaishankar and Qureshi on the sidelines of the
Commonwealth event.
Pakistan
is also a member of the Commonwealth and Qureshi is expected to attend the
meeting of the foreign ministers of the grouping.
"Our
foreign minister will be going to the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers'
Meeting which will be in London... But, no meeting has been planned between him
and the Pakistan's foreign minister," he said.
The
Commonwealth meeting is scheduled for July 10.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/no-meeting-planned-between-india-pak-foreign-ministers-on-sidelines-of-commonwealth-event-mea/articleshow/70078685.cms
--------
Hurriyat
forms panel to facilitate return of Kashmiri Pandits
by
Bashaarat Masood
July
5, 2019
In
a first, the All Party Hurriyat Conference has initiated a formal process to
facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley after a group of
Pandits held meetings with the separatist conglomerate here.
The
APHC formed a committee on Thursday to initiate the process after the second
round of consultation between Kashmiri Pandits and Hurriyat leaders.
A
team of Kashmiri Pandits, led by Satish Mahaldar, met Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq and other leaders at the Hurriyat office in Srinagar’s Rajbagh.
While the team met Mirwaiz at his residence last month, it is for the first
time that a Pandit group has set foot in the Hurriyat office.
“This
was our second meeting. We first met on the day of Mela Khirbhawani,” Mirwaiz
told The Indian Express. “We have agreed to take forward the initiative and
facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. We have formed a
committee to take forward this process.”
In
an official statement, the APHC said, “A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits led by
Satish Mahaldar met the APHC leaders at the Rajbagh office. The meeting was in
continuation of the previous meeting the delegation had with APHC chairman
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at his residence last month regarding the return of Pandits
to Kashmir and initiating a sustained inter-community dialogue to build mutual
trust…”
Full
report at:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/hurriyat-forms-panel-to-facilitate-return-of-kashmiri-pandits-5815665/
--------
Supreme
Court to hear plea against India deporting Rohingya Muslim refugees to Myanmar
July
4, 2019
The
Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a PIL seeking identification and
deportation of all illegal immigrants and infiltrators including Bangladesh
nationals and Rohingyas.
A
bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta took note
of submission of lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay that his plea, which
was filed in 2017, be listed for an urgent hearing.
"It
would be listed for hearing on July 9," the bench, which also comprised
Justice Deepak Gupta, said.
Ashwini
Upadhyay, in his plea, has also favoured the Centre's stand to identify and
deport to Myanmar around 40,000 illegal Rohingya Muslims staying here.
The
plea has sought a direction to the Centre and the state governments to
identify, detain and deport all illegal migrants and infiltrators, including
Bangladesh nationals and Rohingyas.
"The
large-scale illegal migrants, particularly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have
not only threatened the demographic structure of bordering districts but have
seriously impaired the security and national integration, particularly in the
present circumstances," the plea said.
The
plea alleged there was an organised influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar
through agents and touts facilitating illegal immigrants Rohingyas via
Benapole-Haridaspur and Hilli (West Bengal), Sonamora (Tripura), Kolkata and
Guwahati.
"This
situation is seriously harming the national security of the country," it
said.
The
apex court is also seized of a separate plea of two Rohingya immigrants,
Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, and the plea said that Rohingyas had
taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread
discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.
Former
RSS ideologue and Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan leader K N Govindacharaya had
also moved the Supreme Court seeking to intervene in the pending PIL filed by
Rohingyas.
Full
report at:
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/supreme-court-to-hear-plea-against-india-deporting-rohingya-muslim-refugees-to-myanmar-1562089-2019-07-04
--------
South Asia
Bangladeshi
among 44 Libya detention centre airstrike victims: Official
July
05, 2019
One
of the 44 people who were killed in the airstrike that hit a detention centre
for migrants near the Libyan capital of Tripoli early Wednesday is a Bangladesh
national.
ASM
Ashraful Islam, labour counsellor of Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, identified
the Bangladeshi as Shahjalal hailing from Mostafapur of Madaripur district.
"The
body will be sent to Bangladesh as soon as possible after necessary
formalities," he told UNB over phone.
The
airstrike claimed the lives of at least 44 people and wounded dozens of others,
reports AP.
The
Tripoli-based government blamed the attack on forces associated with Gen.
Khalifa Hifter, whose Libyan National Army has been waging an offensive against
rival militias in the capital of the war-torn North African country since
April, according to an AP report.
At
the United Nations, the Security Council held a closed emergency session on the
airstrike in Tripoli's Tajoura neighbourhood, and Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres called for an independent investigation.
https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/bangladeshi-among-44-libya-detention-centre-airstrike-victims-official-1767055
--------
Muslims
in Sri Lanka under threat: Rights group
Riyaz
ul Khaliq
05.07.2019
Muslims
in Sri Lanka are facing abuses, according to a global human rights body, which
has accused the Sinhalese government of complicity in excesses against the
community.
In
a statement this week, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said members of
the Muslim community are facing arbitrary arrest and other abuses and called on
the government to protect the community from violence.
Following
a series of interviews with members of the community, HRW said in a report that
ever since the Easter bombings on April 21 this year, “Sri Lankan Muslims have
faced an upsurge in violations of their basic rights and assaults and other abuses
from Buddhist nationalists.”
“Sri
Lankan officials and politicians should stop endorsing, ignoring, or exploiting
hate speech and mob violence directed at Muslims by members of the Buddhist
clergy and other powerful figures,” HRW's statement said.
At
least 250 people were killed and more than 500 others injured in a series of
bombings in April which targeted churches and hotels in and around the capital
Colombo when Christians were observing Easter mass.
“The
Sri Lankan government has a duty to protect its citizens and prosecute those
responsible for the terrible Easter Sunday bombings, but it shouldn’t be
punishing the Muslim community for this crime,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South
Asian director at HRW. “It’s crucial for the authorities to act swiftly to stop
mob violence, threats, and discrimination against Muslims,” she added.
HRW
noted that since the bombings, the authorities have arbitrarily arrested and
detained hundreds of people under counterterrorism and emergency laws.
Sri
Lankan lawyers “said their clients had often been arrested without any credible
evidence of terrorist involvement, for reasons including having the Quran or
other Arabic literature in their possession during searches”, the HRW statement
added.
The
rights group said the Sinhalese government-appointed Human Rights Commission
had found in May that the government had failed to protect Muslims during
communal rioting.
“Police
have repeatedly failed to act properly or prosecute perpetrators. For instance,
the manager of a Muslim-owned business who was attacked said the police did not
make any arrests ‘despite plenty of CCTV footage to identify the
perpetrators’,” the statement said.
The
rights watchdog observed the complicity of the Sinhalese government and
officials in the excesses against the Muslim community.
“Officials
have made little effort to discourage public campaigns by religious figures
that put the Muslim community at greater risk. On May 15, Gnanarathana Thero,
one of Sri Lanka’s most senior Buddhist monks, called for the stoning to death
of Muslims and propagated an unfounded allegation that Muslim-owned restaurants
put ‘sterilization medicine’ in their food to suppress the majority Sinhalese
Buddhist birthrate,” the statement added.
“Government
leaders, instead of fulfilling their duty to protect Muslim citizens, have at
times appeared to associate themselves with Buddhist nationalist elements…On
May 23, President Maithripala Sirisena pardoned Gnanasara Thero, the leader of
the nationalist Bodu Bala Sena (organization), who has long been associated
with instigating deadly anti-Muslim violence, freeing him after he had served
less than a year of a six-year prison term for contempt of court,” it added.
HRW
further said that the Sinhalese government has invoked the criminal law to
arrest peaceful critics of Sri Lankan Buddhism in violation of their rights to
free expression.
“The
situation has caused mounting international alarm for the safety of Muslims and
other minorities,” it stressed.
“The
ethnic violence and human rights violations that many Sri Lankans have suffered
are now being directed against Muslims,” Ganguly said.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/muslims-in-sri-lanka-under-threat-rights-group/1523710
--------
Afghan
Special Forces kill, detain 8 Taliban militants in Khost
04
Jul 2019
The
Afghan Special Forces killed 2 Taliban militants during an operation in
south-eastern Khost.
The
informed military sources said Thursday that the Special Forces killed the two
militants in Sabari district.
Furthermore,
the Special Forces arrested six Taliban militants during the same operation.
Meanwhile,
the Afghan Special Forces destroyed an IED during an operation in Qala-e-Zal
district of Kunduz.
Full
report at:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-special-forces-kill-detain-8-taliban-militants-in-khost-03815/
--------
Afghan
Special Forces kill 2 ISIS-K militants in Nangarhar province
04
Jul 2019
The
Afghan Special Forces killed 2 militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS-K) in Nangarhar province.
The
military officials said Thursday that the Special Forces conducted an operation
against ISIS Khurasan militants in Deh Bala district of Nangarhar.
Furthermore,
the officials said the Special Forces killed 2 militants of ISIS-K terrorist
group during the operation.
The
anti-government armed elements have not commented regarding the operation so
far.
The
security situation in Nangarhar has deteriorated during the recent months.
Both
Taliban and ISIS militants are active in some districts of the province and often
conduct terrorist related activities.
Meanwhile,
the Afghan forces routinely conduct counter-terrorism operations against the
anti-government armed groups in this province.
Full
report at:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-special-forces-kill-2-isis-k-militants-in-nangarhar-province-03824/
--------
Afghan
forces foil deadly attack in Kabul city by defusing a car bomb
04
Jul 2019
The
Afghan security forces thwarted militants plot to carry out a deadly attack by
detonating a car bomb in Kabul.
The
Ministry of Interior spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the security forces
discovered the car bomb in Paghman district of Kabul.
Rahimi
further added that the security forces defused the car bomb shortly after
discovering it in Paghman district.
The
anti-government armed militants including Taliban have not commented in this
regard so far.
This
comes less than 24 hours after the security forces shot and wounded a suicide
bomber in Kabul city.
Full
report at:
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-foil-deadly-attack-in-kabul-city-by-defusing-a-car-bomb-03822/
--------
Southeast Asia
China
Muslims: Xinjiang schools used to separate children from families
Jul
5, 2019
China
is deliberately separating Muslim children from their families, faith and
language in its far western region of Xinjiang, according to new research.
At
the same time as hundreds of thousands of adults are being detained in giant
camps, a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools is under way.
Based
on publicly available documents, and backed up by dozens of interviews with
family members overseas, the BBC has gathered some of the most comprehensive
evidence to date about what is happening to children in the region.
Records
show that in one township alone more than 400 children have lost not just one
but both parents to some form of internment, either in the camps or in prison.
Formal
assessments are carried out to determine whether the children are in need of
"centralised care".
Alongside
the efforts to transform the identity of Xinjiang's adults, the evidence points
to a parallel campaign to systematically remove children from their roots.
China's
tight surveillance and control in Xinjiang, where foreign journalists are
followed 24 hours a day, make it impossible to gather testimony there. But it
can be found in Turkey.
In
a large hall in Istanbul, dozens of people queue to tell their stories, many of
them clutching photographs of children, all now missing back home in Xinjiang.
"I
don't know who is looking after them," one mother says, pointing to a
picture of her three young daughters, "there is no contact at all."
Another
mother, holding a photo of three sons and a daughter, wipes away her tears.
"I heard that they've been taken to an orphanage," she says.
In
60 separate interviews, in wave after wave of anxious, grief-ridden testimony,
parents and other relatives give details of the disappearance in Xinjiang of
more than 100 children.
They
are all Uighurs - members of Xinjiang's largest, predominantly Muslim ethnic
group that has long had ties of language and faith to Turkey. Thousands have
come to study or to do business, to visit family, or to escape China's birth
control limits and the increasing religious repression.
But
over the past three years, they have found themselves trapped after China began
detaining hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities in giant camps.
The
Chinese authorities say the Uighurs are being educated in "vocational
training centres" in order to combat violent religious extremism. But
evidence shows that many are being detained for simply expressing their faith -
praying or wearing a veil - or for having overseas connections to places like
Turkey.
For
these Uighurs, going back means almost certain detention. Phone contact has
been severed - even speaking to relatives overseas is now too dangerous for
those in Xinjiang.
With
his wife detained back home, one father tells me he fears some of his eight
children may now be in the care of the Chinese state.
"I
think they've been taken to child education camps," he says.
New
research commissioned by the BBC sheds light on what is really happening to
these children and many thousands of others.
Dr
Adrian Zenz is a German researcher widely credited with exposing the full
extent of China's mass detentions of adult Muslims in Xinjiang. Based on
publicly available official documents, his report paints a picture of an
unprecedented school expansion drive in Xinjiang.
Campuses
have been enlarged, new dormitories built and capacity increased on a massive
scale. Significantly, the state has been growing its ability to care full-time
for large numbers of children at precisely the same time as it has been
building the detention camps.
And
it appears to be targeted at precisely the same ethnic groups.
In
just one year, 2017, the total number of children enrolled in kindergartens in
Xinjiang increased by more than half a million. And Uighur and other Muslim
minority children, government figures show, made up more than 90% of that
increase.
As
a result, Xinjiang's pre-school enrolment level has gone from below the
national average to the highest in China by far.
In
the south of Xinjiang alone, an area with the highest concentration of Uighur
populations, the authorities have spent an eye watering $1.2bn on the building
and upgrading of kindergartens.
Mr
Zenz's analysis suggests that this construction boom has included the addition
of large amounts of dormitory space.
Xinjiang's
education expansion is driven, it appears, by the same ethos as underlies the
mass incarceration of adults. And it is clearly affecting almost all Uighur and
other minority children, whether their parents are in the camps or not.
In
April last year, the county authorities relocated 2,000 children from the
surrounding villages into yet another giant boarding middle school, Yecheng
County Number 4.
Yecheng
County Middle Schools 10 and 11
The
image above shows a site being prepared for two new boarding schools in
Xinjiang's southern city of Yecheng (or Kargilik in Uighur).
Dragging
the slider reveals the pace of construction - the two middle schools, separated
by a shared sports field, are each three times larger than the national average
and were built in little more than a year.
Government
propaganda extols the virtues of boarding schools as helping to "maintain
social stability and peace" with the "school taking the place of the
parents." And Mr Zenz suggests there is a deeper purpose.
"Boarding
schools provide the ideal context for a sustained cultural re-engineering of
minority societies," he argues.
Just
as with the camps, his research shows that there is now a concerted drive to
all but eliminate the use of Uighur and other local languages from school
premises. Individual school regulations outline strict, points-based
punishments for both students and teachers if they speak anything other than
Chinese while in school.
And
this aligns with other official statements claiming that Xinjiang has already
achieved full Chinese language teaching in all of its schools.
Speaking
to the BBC, Xu Guixiang, a senior official with Xinjiang's Propaganda
Department, denies that the state is having to care for large numbers of
children left parentless as a result.
"If
all family members have been sent to vocational training then that family must
have a severe problem," he says, laughing. "I've never seen such a
case."
But
perhaps the most significant part of Mr Zenz's work is his evidence that shows
that the children of detainees are indeed being channelled into the boarding
school system in large numbers.
There
are the detailed forms used by local authorities to log the situations of
children with parents in vocational training or in prison, and to determine
whether they need centralised care.
Mr
Zenz found one government document that details various subsidies available to
"needy groups", including those families where "both a husband
and a wife are in vocational training". And a directive issued to
education bureaus by the city of Kashgar that mandates them to look after the
needs of students with parents in the camps as a matter of urgency.
Schools
should "strengthen psychological counselling", the directive says,
and "strengthen students' thought education" - a phrase that finds
echoes in the camps holding their parents.
It
is clear that the effect of the mass internments on children is now viewed as a
significant societal issue, and that some effort is going into dealing with it,
although it is not something the authorities are keen to publicise.
Some
of the relevant government documents appear to have been deliberately hidden
from search engines by using obscure symbols in place of the term
"vocational training". That said, in some instances the adult
detention camps have kindergartens built close by, and, when visiting, Chinese
state media reporters have extolled their virtues.
These
boarding schools, they say, allow minority children to learn "better life
habits" and better personal hygiene than they would at home. Some children
have begun referring to their teachers as "mummy".
We
telephoned a number of local Education Bureaus in Xinjiang to try to find out
about the official policy in such cases. Most refused to speak to us, but some
gave brief insights into the system.
We
asked one official what happens to the children of those parents who have been
taken to the camps.
"They're
in boarding schools," she replied. "We provide accommodation, food
and clothes… and we've been told by the senior level that we must look after
them well."
In
the hall in Istanbul, as the stories of broken families come tumbling out,
there is raw despair and deep resentment too.
"Thousands
of innocent children are being separated from their parents and we are giving
our testimonies constantly," one mother tells me. "Why does the world
keep silent when knowing these facts?"
Back
in Xinjiang, the research shows that all children now find themselves in
schools that are secured with "hard isolation closed management
measures." Many of the schools bristle with full-coverage surveillance
systems, perimeter alarms and 10,000 Volt electric fences, with some school security
spending surpassing that of the camps.
The
policy was issued in early 2017, at a time when the detentions began to be
dramatically stepped up. Was the state, Mr Zenz wonders, seeking to pre-empt
any possibility on the part of Uighur parents to forcibly recover their
children?
"I
think the evidence for systematically keeping parents and children apart is a
clear indication that Xinjiang's government is attempting to raise a new
generation cut off from original roots, religious beliefs and their own language,"
he tells me.
"I
believe the evidence points to what we must call cultural genocide."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48825090
--------
Turkey's
Erdogan says solution possible for China's Muslims
Jul
5, 2019
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a solution could be found to help Muslims
interned in Chinese camps "taking into account the sensitivities" of
both sides, in comments published on Thursday.
Turkey
is one of the only Muslim-majority countries to have criticised China over the
detention of an estimated one million ethnic Uighurs and other mostly Muslim
minorities in the Xinjiang region.
But
Erdogan struck a softer tone after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on
Tuesday in Beijing.
"I
believe we can find a solution to the issue taking into account the
sensitivities of both sides," Erdogan told Turkish journalists in Beijing
before flying back to Turkey, according to the Hurriyet daily.
Beijing
has led an increasingly repressive campaign in Xinjiang following a series of
knife attacks and ethnic riots over the past 10 years.
China
denies holding people against their will in what it describes as
"vocational education centres" aimed at steering citizens away from
"religious extremism".
Turkey's
foreign ministry in February lambasted China's treatment of Uighurs as "a
great embarrassment for humanity", and said those in the centres and
prisons were "subjected to torture and political brainwashing".
'Negative
impact'
Chinese
state media claimed Erdogan said ethnic minorities live happily in Xinjiang,
but he made no such comments to Turkish reporters.
Turkey's
president warned against those who sought to "abuse" the Xinjiang
issue to create tensions with China, a key investor and trading partner.
"This
abuse is having a negative impact on Turkish-Chinese relations. It is necessary
that we do not give opportunity to such abuse," Erdogan said.
He
added that Turkey could "send a delegation to East Turkestan", the
name given by activists to Xinjiang.
The
president's communications director, Fahrettin Altun, tweeted on Wednesday that
the invitation came from the Chinese side.
Full
report at:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/turkey-erdogan-solution-china-muslims-190704163630632.html
--------
Malaysian
children in practice run for Haj pilgrimage
04
July 2019
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 4 — Thousands of Malaysian children took part in a practice run
today of the Muslim Haj pilgrimage, marching around a model of the holy Kaaba,
Islam’s most sacred site.
Dressed
in white robes, the youngsters circled the black cuboid in the compound of a
convention centre just outside Kuala Lumpur.
The
Kaaba sits inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and Muslims around
the world turn towards it to pray. Part of the Haj involves walking around the
Kaaba.
“We
are learning how to do the Haj,” six-year-old Aqra Izz told AFP, as nearly
6,000 boys and girls took a break after marching under the tropical sun.
“I
want to do this when I get older... like my mother and father.”
The
Haj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims must perform the
Haj at least once in their lives, if able, and it marks the spiritual peak of
their lives.
Millions
of devotees from around the world travel to Saudi Arabia annually for the
pilgrimage.
For
today’s event, called the “Little Haj”, buses dropped off the children at the
compound as loudspeakers played Muslim-themed songs and prayer chants in
Arabic.
Guided
by female teachers, the children also took part in a practice of a ritual known
as “The Stoning of the Devil”, picking up mock stones before throwing them at
makeshift pillars.
Organisers
said the gathering was aimed at helping Islamic kindergarten students get a
better understanding of performing the Haj.
“We
do this so the children can understand and easily memorise the various aspects
of the pilgrimage,” said Roslan Nordin, chief executive of Little Caliphs
International, which organised the event.
“When
they go through it, they can comprehend many things that can’t be taught in a
classroom, read in books or learnt from their parents.”
Roslan
said that other Islamic kindergartens around the country have also been
teaching children how to perform the Haj.
“These
children are the future leaders,” said Sumarti Samsuddin, from an Islamic
kindergarten group that took part in today’s event.
“We
hope that with this programme, what they learn will stay with them,” she said.
More
than 60 per cent of Malaysia’s population of 32 million people is Muslim,
although the country also has sizeable Buddhist and Christian minorities.
Full
report at:
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/07/04/malaysian-children-in-practice-run-for-muslim-haj/1768315
--------
Cops
warn Kedah group planning to nab amorous Muslim couples
July
4, 2019
PETALING
JAYA: Bukit Aman has warned a Kedah-based group known for nabbing amorous
Muslim couples not to act against the law amid reports that it is seeking to
make a comeback.
In
a statement, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Mazlan Mansor said the group,
named Skuad Badar, was not a legal religious enforcement body and had no power
to carry out enforcement activities.
He
was commenting on remarks by the group’s founder Azhar Mohamad that the group
intended to be active once more and that they would expand their activities
nationwide to stop amorous activities among Muslims.
“It
must be stressed that any group that is not registered with the Registrar of
Societies (RoS) is considered an illegal organisation and action will be taken
against those involved.”
Previously,
in an interview with Malaysiakini, Azhar said the group would make an
appearance once more, this time, under the name Skuad Badar al-Qubra.
Skuad
Badar’s activities had come to a halt in January after Azhar was arrested by
the police.
Full
report at:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/07/04/cops-warn-kedah-group-planning-to-nab-amorous-muslim-couples/
--------
South
Korean man arrested over alleged Daesh terror plot
JEFF
SUNG
July
04, 2019
SEOUL: A South Korean man with alleged links to
Daesh militants was on Thursday arrested on suspicion of plotting acts of
terrorism.
The
23-year-old soldier, identified only by his surname Park, had been discharged
from the East Asian country’s army on July 2 this year, according to South
Korean national television channel, KBS.
He
was arrested by a police and military task force for having stolen a
sparking-plug for explosives in October 2017 while participating in special
training on demolition techniques.
The
man is accused of having collected video clips of Daesh operations and other
related materials to post online. The TV report said investigation authorities
had seized emails Park had received from Daesh on how to join the terror group.
South
Korean police and military started their probe after obtaining intelligence on
Park provided by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If
the allegations are found to be true, it would be the second reported
Daesh-linked case involving a South Korean national.
In
2015, a 17-year-old South Korean, identified only as Kim, disappeared after
telling family he was going to study in Turkey. Authorities suspect he made his
way into Syria to try and join Daesh.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1520806/world
--------
WUC
Honored with the 2019 Democracy Award in Washington D.C.
Jul
5, 2019
The
World Uyghur Congress, China Aid and the Tibet Action Institute together
received the 2019 Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy on
4 June 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. exactly 30 years after the
massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing in 1989.
The
Democracy Award is given annually by the NED Board of Directors to recognize
the courageous and creative work of individuals and organizations that have
advanced the cause of human rights and democracy around the world.
The
award ceremony was held at the Capitol Hill where the President of NED Carl
Gershman opened the ceremony and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made a
statement addressing the Uyghur crisis in China.
Congressman
Mike McCaul presented ChinaAid President Bob Fu with the first award. Bob Fu
made strong statement stressing the importance of religious freedom.
Congressman Thomas Souzzi presented Lhadon Tethong, Executive Director of the
Tibet Action Institute with the second award. Lastly Congressman James McGovern
presented WUC President Dolkun Isa with the Democracy Award.
Around
40 Uyghur representatives and special guests from all around the world attended
the ceremony and witnessed this special moment in the history of Uyghur
advocacy.
WUC
Raises Awareness of Chinese Human Rights Atrocities at D.C. Conference
From
6 to 7 June 2019, the World Uyghur Congress, in cooperation with the Uyghur
Human Rights Project, the Uyghur American Association as well as the George
Washington University Central Asia Program, organized a conference in
Washington D.C. entitled “Confronting Atrocities in China: The Global Response
to the Uyghur Crisis”. The opening ceremony was held at the U.S. Capitol.
The
conference addressed over two days in seven separate panels solutions-based
strategies on how to effectively engage China on the atrocities being committed
by its government against the Uyghur people in East Turkistan. Speakers from
various backgrounds and disciplines discussed a number of key open questions on
how to best galvanize further support for Uyghurs, to mount a coordinated
campaign to pressure China to close the camps, ensure accountability for those
responsible for ongoing abuses, and adopt measures to safeguard fundamental
rights.
In
the first panel, which dealt with a survey of available evidence on the
concentration camp system, Harald Maass, a journalist from Germany, detailed
the first-hand experiences from his investigative trip to East Turkistan in
2018, stating that the total surveillance of Uyghurs he witnessed was worse
than anything he had ever seen in his long-standing experience reporting from
China. Dr. Adrian Zenz, an independent researcher, appealed to the
international community to call out China’s policy of “transformation through
education” policy as brainwashing.
The
following panel on mobilization of the Chinese community analyzed the emotional
rift going through Han-Chinese intellectual, human rights lawyer and democracy
activist communities. Even though they often feel touched by the plight of the
Uyghur people and consider their treatment discriminatory, they also insisted
that there were no other options than to suppress the Uyghur community due to
their alleged secessionist activities, stated scholar Xiaorong and dissident
activist Uerkesh Davler (Wu’er Kaixi).
A
further panel made up of academics from various backgrounds discussed the
Chinese scheme to link Uyghur identity to the terrorism issue (Sean Roberts,
Associate Professor and Director, International Development Studies, George Washington
University) and the fact that “the CCP has chosen to carry out this detention
scheme completely outside China’s legal system, unencumbered by any rules”, as
stated by Donald Clarke, Professor of Law, George Washington University Law
School.
The
panel on perspectives and solutions from civil society especially raised a
large number of recommendations on different kinds of civil society action in
favor of Uyghur human rights. Recommendations included calls for economic
sanctions (Sophie Richardson, China Director, Human Rights Watch),
strengthening the cooperation with Uyghur communities in Central Asia (Ulrich
Delius, Director, Society for Threatened Peoples), creating a document for
refugees on the dos and don’ts of the asylum process (Lucia Parrucci, Advocacy
& Training Coordinator, Unrepresented Nations and People Organization),
using any momentum from the public to demand divestment from questionable
assets in East Turkistan (Annie Boyajian, Director of Advocacy, Freedom House),
and making use of the UN Commission of Inquiry (Lea Perekrests, Deputy
Director, Human Rights Without Frontiers).
The
witness testimony panel saw a touching and at times gut-wrenching account of a
concentration camp survivor, Mihrigul Tursum, as well as of Ferkat Jawdat whose
relatives in East Turkistan have been affected by reprisals due to his activism
in overseas. Dolkun Isa, President, World Uyghur Congress also gave a statement
on the harassment of his family in East Turkistan and the complications
instigated by the Chinese government regarding his freedom of movement even
outside of China.
A
panel on legal perspectives to the Uyghur issue examined the possibility of
having China answer to human rights charges in from of the International
Criminal Court (ICC) despite not having ratified the Rome Statute. Michael
Polack, Barrister at the Church Court Chambers, UK, asserted that the
jurisdiction of the ICC would be opened if a member of the Uyghur community
were to be forced to leave China for a Rome Statue party state due to fear of
deprivation of fundamental rights, torture or enforced disappearance.
The
panel dealing with the journalistic take on the Uyghur crisis illuminated the
involvement in and crucial contribution of journalism to finding a solution to
the hardship faced by Uyghurs on a daily basis. Harald Maass, a journalist from
Germany, stated that due to the lack of personalized stories and high-quality
pictures, media outlets were not interested in publishing big stories on the
Uyghurs. He thus called on his fellow journalists to report on stories which
grant their readers a more personally relatable insight into the suffering of
China’s Uyghur population.
The
WUC would like to thank all speakers and guests of the event who filled the
conference with lively discussions as well as the co-organizers who made this
impactful event possible. The WUC is looking forward to continuing cooperation
aimed at the improvement of the dire human rights situation faced by Uyghurs in
East Turkistan.
WUC
President and Chairman of WUC Executive Committee Attend High-Level Meetings in
Washington D.C.
From
30 May to 5 June 2019, the World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa and WUC
Chairman of the Executive Committee Omer Kanat held several high-level meetings
with policy makers and civil society representatives.
On
30 May 2019, the WUC representatives gave a video interview to the National
Endowment for Democracy (NED), who hosted their advocacy trip to Washington
D.C. alongside the Tibet Action Institute and ChinaAid.
On
31 May 2019, Mr. Isa and Mr. Kanat met with Randall Schriver, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon. The WUC
delegation also met at the U.S. Department of State with Deputy Assistant
Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Scott Busby to
discuss the Uyghur issue.
On
3 June 2019, the WUC representatives met with Wendy Coursen, Legislative Fellow
for Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Chairwoman, House Approriations Committee.
Another meeting was conducted with Congresswoman Lois Frankel, Member of the
House Appropriations Committee.
On
4 June 2019, Mr. Isa and Mr. Kanat met with the Washington Post Editorial
Board. Furthermore, the WUC delegation had meetings with Congressman Ted Yoho
and Congresswoman Dina Titus, both members of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, as well as with Congressman Tom Suozzi, Congressional-Executive
Committee on China.
On
5 June 2019, the WUC representatives attended a Senate Foreign Affairs
Committee Hearing entitled "Rule by Fear: 30 Years After Tiananmen
Square". Mr. Isa and Mr. Kanat, moreover, conducted on this day a meeting
with Alex Pinson, Senior Legislative Assistant and Council for Congressman Hal
Rogers, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. The WUC delegation
also met with Eddie Linczer, Assistant for Senator Tom Cotton as well as with
staff of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
WUC
Protests Chinese Propaganda at United Nations in Geneva
On
Monday, 24 June 2019, the World Uyghur Congress led a protest in front of the
United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The protest was aimed at countering the
speech of the Vice Governor of the Uyghur region, Erkin Tuniyazi (Aierken
Tuniyazi), at the occasion of the 41st regular session of the Human Rights
Council. Uyghur communities from all over Europe gathered together near the
Broken Chair outside the United Nations Geneva office with banners and pictures
of their missing loved ones.
In
the opening remarks of the protest, Dolkun Isa, President of the WUC, stated that
“the fact that Erkin Tuniyazi was invited to speak at the UN at all, is deeply
disappointing”. The Vice Governor “is actively committing a crime against
humanity” he continued. Mr. Isa furthermore stressed that “instead of holding
criminals like this responsible for these horrific acts, the UN is increasingly
giving them a platform to spread propaganda and hide their egregious human
rights violations”.
The
protest also addressed the fact that the mass arbitrary detention of over one
million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in internment camps is being
exacerbated by the visit of the UN Under Secretary General for
Counterterrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, to the Uyghur region earlier this month.
Mr. Isa regretted that no independent fact finding mission under the aegis of
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, or under any of
the Special Rapporteurs who had requested access to the region was sent by the
UN to investigate the camps. Moreover, he asserted that the visit of Mr.
Voronkov “has been used by the Chinese government to justify the existence of
the camps and to try and cover up their true scale, nature and intention”.
Welcoming
Event with Uyghur Friendship Group at European Parliament
In
Wednesday, 26 June 2019, The World Uyghur Congress held - together with the
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), the Belgium Uyghur
Association and the Uyghur Friendship Group in the European Parliament - a
welcoming event to further spread awareness of the current crisis in East Turkistan.
The
event was hosted by the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Csaba Sogor,
the Vice-Chair of the Uyghur Friendship Group. He delivered the opening speech
at the event, emphasising how important it was for the European Parliament (EP)
to speak out and take action on the persecution of Uyghurs and other
marginalized groups.
The
Uyghur Friendship Group has been vital in raising the mass arbitrary detention
of Uyghurs in internment camps in the EP. In the past year alone, two strong
urgency resolutions were passed by the EP addressing the camps and the
persecution of Uyghurs. Uyghur Friendship Group member Helga Trüpel also spoke
at the event, emphasising the important role that MEPs play in addressing human
rights concerns.
WUC
President Dolkun Isa also spoke at the event, informing participants about the
crimes against humanity being perpetrated against Uyghurs by the Chinese
government and the tremendous suffering which the crisis has caused the Uyghur
people, inside and outside of East Turkistan.
The
WUC and UNPO also thanked the outgoing members of the Uyghur Friendship Group
for their important work over the past few years. The EP has been among the
most vocal institutions with regards to the crisis in EastTurkistan because of
their work. Moreover, UNPO Advocacy and Training Coordinator Lucia Parrucci
spoke to participants about the work of the WUC and UNPO in the EP and about
the significant achievements of the Uyghur Friendship Group.
The
WUC would like to thank all the MEPs, activists, journalists and academics who
attended the event. The WUC and UNPO look forward to working with MEPs and the
Uyghur Friendship Group to push for the EU to take further action to address
the crisis in East Turkistan in the year ahead.
--------
Arab World
New
courses at Al-Azhar to rehabilitate imams
MOHAMED
EL-SHAMAA
July
04, 2019
CAIRO:
A new training course has started at Al-Azhar Foundation to rehabilitate
British and Ethiopian Muslim imams to spread the moderate concept of Islam,
enhance the presence of Al-Azhar in Islamic territories around the world and
counter extreme ideologies. Al-Azhar is known for its enlightened moderate
heritage.
The
training course for British imams and scholars began at Al-Azhar University in
Cairo on June 23 and continues till July 18.
Jurisprudence
Several
young Imams and female teachers are attending. They have been briefed on
intensive scientific and jurisprudence material summarizing the history of
Al-Azhar and the main pillars of its moderate ideology.
Dr.
Mohamed Abdel Fadil Al-Quossy, vice chairman of the World Organization for
Al-Azhar Graduates, told Arab News that nowadays the Islamic world needs imams
and sheikhs who have the tools of advocacy to spread the genuine religion and
the spirit of peace and purity, as well as to emphasize good manners and
enlighten people minds with the importance of constructive thoughts instead of
destructive ones.
He
added that the trainees should spread the true Islamic religion, which resists
the ideas of extremists.
The
course is presented by senior Al-Azhar scholars and includes a number of key
topics, including Al-Azhar’s moderation, countering extreme ideology and
spreading the culture of peaceful co-existence and communication to highlight
Islam’s tolerance and teaching.
It
also provides an integrated and systematic vision to help the sheikhs to
understand the issue of extremism at all levels and prepare mosque sheikhs to
spread the values of tolerance.
The
Azhar imam and supervisor of the courses, Ahmed Hamido, stated that the trainees
are learning several sciences and subjects, including “The History of
Al-Azhar,” “The linguistic miracles of the Qur’an and Sunnah,” “Media and
Extremism,” “Ash’arism and Materedeya” (both are of the main schools of Sunni
Islam theology, and considered of the orthodox Sunni creeds) “Belonging and
confronting extremism,” “Fatwas and solving contemporary issues,” and
“Jurisprudence of Priorities.”
The
Azhar sheikh, Saleh Abbas, stated that Al-Azhar and its sponsors help all its
students on the course because it represents the symbol of moderation and the
lighthouse of science for 1,400 years now, and works on immunizing young
Muslims against extreme thoughts and destructive ideas.
The
British Imam Asrar Hussein, who is attending the course in Cairo, completed his
studies at the University of Karam, an Islamic studies college located in
Retford, Nottinghamshire, attached to the branch of World Organization for
Al-Azhar Graduates in Britain.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1520836/middle-east
--------
Syrian
Tribes Oppose Saudi Plots in Support of Disintegration of Kurdish Areas in Deir
Ezzur
Jul
04, 2019
The
Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper reported on Wednesday that al-Jamel tribe in
Eastern Deir Ezzur has issued a statement to emphasize its opposition to the
appointment of SDF-affiliated Ahmed al-Khabil as the Sheikh of al-Bakir tribes
in Eastern Deir Ezzur and the head of Syria's military democratic council.
Al-Jamel
tribe has referred in the statement to the terrorist acts by the SDF in Eastern
Euphrates region, and said that it does not recognize al-Khabil who has been
appointed with the support of Saudi Minister for Persian Gulf Affairs Thamer
al-Sabhan and the terrorist militias as the Emir of al-Bakir Sheikhs.
Other
Syrian tribes had also earlier stressed their opposition to al-Khabil's
appointment.
Meantime,
the Arabic-language al-Baladi news website affiliated to the militants reported
that one of the leaders of Syria's Arab tribes namely Obaid Khalaf al-Hissan
was assassinated in the town of al-Ali Bajeliyeh in Tal Abyadh region in
Northern Raqqa after stopping cooperation with the Kurdish forces in Eastern
Euphrates.
It
added that the SDF commanders had earlier attempted to return him.
Relevant
reports also said in June that the Syrian tribes in Deir Ezzur province had
stood against a Saudi-US plot to support the Kurds to decompose Eastern
Euphrates from Syria.
The
Arabic-language al-Ahd news website quoted the leader of al-Moshahedah in
al-Jazeerah region in Eastern Euphrates Sheikh Heidar al-Hamadi as saying that
all Syrian tribes, except a little number of them, had opposed the recent
meeting by al-Sabhan to Kurdish-occupied regions to study plots to separate
Eastern Syria from the country's territory.
He
underlined al-Sabhan's attempts to coax the tribes in Eastern Syria into
implementation of separatist plots, and said most of them want Damascus to
retake control of the region.
Meantime,
al-Watan newspaper reported that a Swedish delegation, including the country's
representative for Syria affairs, the Swedish foreign ministry official for
Syria affairs and the official for the agency on international aid, have
entered the Kurdish-occupied regions in Eastern Syria and held meetings with a
number of commanders in line with the western states' accelerated attempts to
interfere in Syria's internal affairs and assist the Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF) in their separatist dreams.
Mohammad
al-Akam, a senior Syrian legislator, said that a tripartite coalition has been
formed among Saudi Arabia, the Kurdish forces and Israel under the US
supervision which pursues pressures on Damascus after gaining victory over
terrorist groups, by separating the Northeastern parts of the country.
Head
of the politburo of Turkey-backed Lawa al-Mo'etasam-Free Syrian Army terrorists
Mostafa Sejari wrote on his twitter page on Monday that Riyadh had stopped
financial support for the terrorist groups in Northern Syria in line with a
fresh scheme to help Kurds cut off Eastern Syria from the mainland after a
Saudi-US delegation met in Deir Ezzur.
He
added that Saudi Arabia had decided to cut financial support for the regions
occupied by the terrorist groups in Northern Syria.
He
added that the measure was adopted after Riyadh started support for the
separatist Kurdish groups in Northeastern Syria following a visit by al-Sabhan
to Kurdish-occupied regions.
Full
report at:
https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980413000182
--------
Differences
Deepen between Russia, Turkey on Idlib
Jul
04, 2019
Tahrir
al-Sham al-Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front)
terrorists stationed near the towns of al-Hawijeh and Shir Maqar in
Northwestern Hama targeted the residential areas in the towns of al-Rasid and
al-Aziziyeh in Qalat al-Maziq region with rockets, killing two children and
wounding several other civilians.
Meantime,
the Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday that the Syrian
army's artillery and missile units responded the attacks by destroying the
terrorists' positions in the towns of Abu Ra'eideh, Hasraya, al-Latamineh,
Kafar Zita, al-Hawijeh and Shir Maqar in Northwestern Hama, inflicting a heavy
toll on the militants.
Also,
the Syrian air force in several airstrikes bombed Tahrir al-Sham's bases near
Khan Sheikhoun, Hasaneh, al-Naqir, Abedin, Kanasfareh, Babolin and al-Habit,
smashing a number of them and killing the terrorists inside.
It
also quoted analysts as saying that continued dispatch of the Turkish army's
military convoys to Northern Syria and Russia's airstrikes against the
Ankara-backed militants in the region indicated increased differences between
Russia and Turkey on Idlib.
Al-Watan
had also reported in June that Turkey ordered Tahrir al-Sham to reinforce
strategic military positions in Jbal al-Zawiyeh in Idlib province after it
turned down Russia's demand for withdrawing militants from the region.
It
wrote that with an aim to confront the Syrian Army in Northern Hama, Tahrir
al-Sham has sent large volumes of its military equipment to al-Jolmeh to North
of Mahradeh.
"Turkey's
intelligence body has asked Tahrir al-Sham and other terrorist groups in
Northern Syria to reinforce its defense lines, including 50 towns and villages
up to the city of Ariha in Aleppo-Lattakia international highway as clean-up
operation by the Syrian and Russian armies in Jabal al-Zawiyeh in Idlib is
imminent," al-Watan quoted local and opposition sources in Idlib as
saying.
The
sources reiterated that Turkey's operations room in Shir Mughar region in Jabal
Shahshabou in Northern Hama where terrorists are constantly supported in terms
of weapons, ammunition and intelligence has warned terrorists that the Syrian
army might soon capture Jbal Shahshabou which overlooks Sahl al-Ghab in
Northwestern Hama and towns to the South of Idlib and then advance towards
Jabal al-Zawiyeh.
The
newspaper also further quoted the sources as saying that Russia had recently
asked Turkey to make terrorists retreat from Jbal Shahshabou region in
Northwestern Hama and Kabani town in Northeastern Lattakia which are regarded
as the Southern and Western gates of Idlib, but Ankara has strongly turned down
the demand.
Full
report at:
https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980413000208
--------
28,000
Civilians Still Held Captive by US, Affiliated Terrorists in Al-Tanf
Jul
04, 2019
Field
sources in Eastern Homs reported on Thursday that a new group of 1,000
civilians could flee al-Rukban camp at the borders with Iraq on Wednesday
through Jaliqam corridor in Eastern Homs towards the Syrian army-controlled
regions.
Meantime,
the medical team affiliated to the Red Crescent in Syria reported that most
children who have left the camp are suffering different diseases due to the
lack of medical and treatment facilities.
Also,
the Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees said that around 28,000 Syrian
citizens still remain in al-Rukban refugee camp.
"Most
Syrian citizens return from Syria’s neighboring states. Every day, between
1,000 and 2,000 people come to the country from Jordan and Lebanon, confirming
that the measures have been effective," said a statement signed by the
heads of the Russian and Syrian coordination headquarters Mikhail Mizintsev and
Hussein Makhlouf.
It
added that more than 1.8mln refugees have come back home, including over 1.3mln
internally displaced and another 500,000 refugees coming back from other
countries.
The
Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees had also earlier declared that
around 28,000 Syrian citizens are still in al-Rukban refugee camp since they
are unable to leave the area.
"About
28,000 Syrians who cannot leave its territory remain in Rukban in appalling
conditions due to being hostage to the US-controlled armed groups," read
the document signed by the committees’ heads Mikhail Mizintsev of Russia and
Hussein Makhlouf of Syria.
It
stressed that the armed groups demanded up to $1,500 for leaving the camp and
"the vast majority of camp residents do not have."
Full
report at:
https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980413000278
--------
Syrian
regime strikes kill four civilians, hit hospitals
4
July 2019
Regime
air strikes Thursday on an anti-government bastion in northwest Syria killed
four civilians, two of them children, and hit three hospitals already damaged
in previous raids, a monitor said.
A
fifth person, another child, was killed in a separate air raid by regime ally
Russia also in the Idlib region, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights war monitor said.
The
Idlib region is supposed to be protected from a massive regime assault by a
September buffer zone deal, but the area housing three million people has come
under increased regime and Russian fire since April.
The
region is administered by Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham, but other jihadist and opposition factions are also present.
“Regime
warplanes again targeted three hospitals in the south of Idlib,” which had been
hit and damaged in raids in previous weeks, the Observatory said.
There
were no casualties in these raids on the village of Hass and the town of Kafr
Nabl, it added.
Obeida
Dandouch, who heads a rescue group in the area, said the strike in Kafr Nabl
damaged a large part of what was still standing at the local hospital.
In
May, Amnesty International accused the Syrian regime and Russia of launching
“deliberate and systematic” assaults on hospitals in the northwest.
At
least 25 hospitals and clinics have been destroyed or damaged by air strikes
and shelling since the end of April, according to the United Nations.
Five
rescuers were also killed in the last two weeks of June in air strike on the Idlib
region.
Thursday’s
strikes killed four civilians, two of them children, in Kafr Nabl, Hass and the
town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib region, the Observatory said.
A
Russian air strike near Al-Bara village killed a little girl and wounded
several people, it added.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/07/04/Syrian-regime-strikes-kill-four-civilians-hit-hospitals.html
--------
Pakistan
Dawood
Ibrahim not in Pakistan, says foreign office
Jul
4, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is not in Pakistan, the foreign office asserted
on Thursday, a day after a UK court was informed that the gangster wanted for
the deadly coordinated bombings in Mumbai in 1993 is currently in exile in the
country.
"Dawood
Ibrahim is not in Pakistan," Foreign office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal
said in response to a question during his weekly press conference here.
During
the ongoing extradition trial of 51-year-old Jabir Moti, a "high-ranking
member of D-Company", Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on
Wednesday heard that Dawood, wanted for coordinated bombings in Mumbai in 1993
that killed more than 200 people, is currently in exile in Pakistan.
"The
head of D Company is Dawood Ibrahim, an Indian Muslim currently in exile in
Pakistan. Dawood Ibrahim and his brother and top lieutenant, Anis Ibrahim, have
been fugitives from India since 1993, when D Company was implicated in
coordinated bombings in Mumbai that killed more than 200 people,"
according to excerpts of a US Attorney's affidavit for extradition read out by
Moti's barrister, Edward Fitzgerald.
"The
present investigation has revealed that Jabir Motiwala is a top lieutenant in D
Company who reports directly to Dawood," he added.
Fitzgerald
was trying to establish that his client being linked by the US authorities to
Dawood and D Company would mean he would be subjected to "special
administrative measures" (SAMs) at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in
New York, which would involve isolation and put him at the “risk of harm” due to
his “suicidal tendencies”.
Dawood,
who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India's most
wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
According
to the US, Dawood maintains close links with terror outfit al-Qaeda. As a
result, the US declared him a "global terrorist" and pursued the
matter before the United Nations in an attempt to freeze his assets across the
world and crack down on his operations.
Dawood's
aide Moti faces extradition to the US on charges of money laundering, extortion
and conspiracy to import unlawful substances such as heroine.
Moti
was arrested by Scotland Yard officers from a London hotel in August 2018 in
connection with a US grand jury indictment following an extensive FBI
investigation.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/dawood-ibrahim-not-in-pakistan-says-foreign-office/articleshow/70075612.cms
--------
Pakistan
PM Imran Khan to meet US President Donald Trump for talks on improving ties
Jul
4, 2019
SLAMABAD:
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet US President Donald Trump in
Washington later this month, its foreign office said on Thursday, a visit that
could help to ease tensions between the two countries.
Trump
late last year accused Pakistan of not doing "a damn thing" for the United
States despite billions of dollars in aid, angering Islamabad which has long
been at odds with Washington over the war in Afghanistan.
By
February, Trump said the United States had developed a "much better"
relationship and may set up some meetings with Pakistan.
Khan
accepted an invitation to visit Washington and will meet Trump on July 22, the
foreign office said in a statement.
"The
focus will be to refresh the bilateral relationship," it said.
Pakistan
and the United States are officially allies in fighting terrorism but they have
a complicated relationship.
Washington
depends on Pakistan to supply its forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, where
14,000 U.S. troops are deployed, but ties are strained by allegations that
Pakistan offers safe havens to the Afghan Taliban, which Islamabad denies.
Pakistan
has played a behind-the-scenes role in supporting U.S. peace talks with the
Afghan Taliban, including facilitating travel to negotiations, and is a key
player in Washington's plans to end its longest war.
Full
report at:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-to-meet-us-president-donald-trump-for-talks-on-improving-ties/articleshow/70075644.cms
--------
Senate
panel calls for release of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi jails
Jamal
Shahid
July
05, 2019
ISLAMABAD:
A Senate committee on Thursday lamented that Pakistani prisoners were
languishing in Saudi jails six months after Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman
announced that they would be released.
The
committee met for a briefing by the Foreign Office on the total number of
Pakistani nationals jailed in Saudi Arabia due to non-payment of fines.
“The
fact that not a single Pakistani prisoner has been released in these several
months is quite disturbing. The details of the prisoners have not been shared
despite repeated reminders by the Pakistani government,” said chairman of the
Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
“We
were all quite hopeful and welcomed the news of Pakistani prisoners being
released from Saudi prisons. We hope that the government will take up the
matter at the highest level again with the Saudi government,” said the
chairman.
During
his visit in February this year, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman had announced
that more than 2,000 Pakistani prisoners would be released after Prime Minister
Imran Khan welcomed him to the Prime Minister House. The PM made a “special
request” to the crown prince to look into the hardship of Pakistani labourers
working in the kingdom, and to “look upon them as your own people”.
In
April, the opposition had also expressed concern over delays in the release of
Pakistani prisoners.
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs’ additional secretary Mohammad Nadeem Khan informed the
committee that during his visit in May, Prime Minister Imran Khan had reminded
Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman about the latter’s promise.
The
official claimed that the Pakistani government had repeatedly reminded the
Saudi government. “The standard response from the Saudi government is that they
will start processing their release soon,” Mr Khan informed the members.
Full
report at:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1492201/senate-panel-calls-for-release-of-pakistani-prisoners-in-saudi-jails
--------
CTD
arrests five suspects after bid to blow up train fails
Jul
5, 2019
The
Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday arrested five suspects after
they failed to derail Karachi-bound Khushal Khan Khattak Express by destroying
the track in Rajanpur.
The
explosives attached to the tracks were neutralised by the Bomb Disposal Squad,
which weighed around 5kg, according to the reports.
It
was temporarily halted at the DG Khan station after police sealed off the area
and began a search operation. Later in the evening, the CTD notified the arrest
of five suspected terrorists from Rajanpur’s Giamal area.
The
CTD said that additional explosives and some ammunition were recovered from the
suspects’ possession.
They
said that a case had been registered against the suspects on charges of
terrorism. Further investigation is underway, and “important disclosures are
expected”.
According
to a statement from the spokesperson of the Punjab CTD, the five arrested were
identified as follows: Hussain Bakhsh, aka Bagga Reesh; Bakhsh; Balach, aka
Balash; Rahem Ali; Mujahid Din, aka Mojoo.
Full
report at:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/07/04/ctd-arrests-five-suspects-after-bid-to-blow-up-train-fails/
--------
Maryam’s
appointment is party’s internal matter, PML-N tells ECP
JULY
5, 2019
The
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday told the Election Commission
of Pakistan (ECP) in its reply that Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as party’s vice
president was an internal matter.
A
three-member commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad
Raza heard the petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking Maryam
Nawaz’s removal from the party post. Maryam’s counsel Barrister Zafarullah and
PML-N lawyer Jahangir Jadoon appeared before the ECP.
The
reply submitted by the PML-N stated that the petitioner has no relation with
the internal affairs of the party and the plea has been submitted on the basis
of dishonesty. The plaintiff is not affected by any means owing to PML-N’s
in-house decisions.
The
commission was told that the Articles 62 and 63 are applicable on party chief,
not any member. PML-N not only requested the ECP to dismiss the plea, but also
asked to impose heavy fine on petitioner, Malika Bukhari. The lawyer for
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf requested the commission to issue copy of the answer
submitted by the PML-N. The ECP approved the plea and adjourned the hearing
until August 1.
Talking
to media outside the ECP, Barrister Zafarullah affirmed that PTI
representatives will back off in the next hearing and we will ensure that the
ECP fines them after dismissing their petition.
Full
report at:
https://dailytimes.com.pk/424077/maryams-appointment-is-partys-internal-matter-pml-n-tells-ecp/
--------
Africa
UN
envoy slams EU blindness to plight of migrants in Libya after strikes on
detention center
Jul
4, 2019
The
UN has lambasted the EU's “blindness” on the plight of refugees in Libya,
urging a rethink of returning Europe-bound migrants intercepted at the
Mediterranean to the North African country.
UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Mediterranean Vincent Cochetel
made the remarks on Thursday, two days after airstrikes on a migrant detention
center at Tajoura near capital Tripoli killed 44 people.
According
to a controversial agreement reached between the EU and the Libyan coastguard,
the intercepted migrants must be returned to Libya and held at detention
centers, in conditions which the UN has described as “ghastly.”
“There
is a certain blindness among European countries about the situation of migrants
in Libya, which has been deteriorating for months," Cochetel .
The
commissioner said the recent fighting in Libya has created an even worse
situation. "It cannot be business as usual in terms of this cooperation on
returns to Libya,” Cochetel said.
The
UN says more than 2,300 illegal migrants have been intercepted at sea and
brought back to Libya since January.
The
airstrikes on Tuesday night, which also wounded 80 people, have been blamed by
the detention center’s officials on militiamen loyal to the renegade commander
of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar.
The
ill-fated detention center was in fact a former military camp and it is highly
likely that it was mistaken for an operating military camp run by the other
warring side in the country.
“This
is a tragic event which could have been avoided (as) we had passed on to all
parties the GPS coordinates of all the detention camps,” Cochetel added.
Libya
has been divided between two rival governments, the House of Representatives,
based in the eastern city of Tobruk, and the internationally-recognized
government of Fayez al-Serraj, or the Tripoli-based unity Government of
National Accord (GNA).
Haftar,
who is presumably loyal to the government in the east, launched a deadly
campaign on April 4 to invade and conquer Tripoli, the seat of the GNA,
resulting in repeated fierce clashes, particularly on the southern edges of the
capital, leaving over 700 people killed so far.
“We
have been repeatedly saying that people should not be returned to Libya because
people disappear between the points of disembarkation and the detention
centers. Some people are taken to the detention centers where they are
mistreated and held arbitrarily while others end up being rented out or sold to
business people,” Cochetel said.
Separately,
the African Union, the EU and the UN jointly issued a statement on the tragic
event of Tajoura detention center and called “on all sides in the conflict to
respect international humanitarian law and call for an immediate investigation
into this attack.”
Libya
has been the scene of increasing violence since 2011, when former dictator
Muammar Gaddafi was toppled from power after an uprising and a NATO military
intervention.
His
ouster created a huge power vacuum, leading to chaos and the emergence of
numerous militant outfits, including the Daesh terrorist group.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/04/600144/Libya-UN-migrants-EU-GNA-LNA-Haftar-Mediterranean
--------
UN
says Libyan guards reportedly shot at migrants fleeing air strikes
July
04, 2019
GENEVA:
The United Nations said on Thursday it had information that Libyan guards shot
at refugees and migrants trying to flee from air strikes that killed at least
53 people, including six children, in a migrant detention centre.
A
report from the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said
there were two air strikes late on Tuesday, one hitting an unoccupied garage
and one hitting a hangar containing around 120 refugees and migrants.
"There
are reports that following the first impact, some refugees and migrants were
fired upon by guards as they tried to escape," the OCHA report said.
Bodies
were still being recovered from the rubble, the report said, suggesting the
death toll could rise.
There
are still about 500 people at the detention centre at Tajoura, east of Tripoli,
with four Nigerians set for release to the Nigerian embassy on Thursday and a
plan for 31 women and children to be sent to the UN refugee agency's departures
facility in Tripoli.
Libya
is one of the main departure points for African migrants fleeing poverty and
war to reach Italy by boat, but many are intercepted at sea and brought back by
the Libyan coast guard, with the approval of the European Union.
The
53 dead was the highest publicly reported toll from an air strike or shelling
since eastern forces under Khalifa Haftar launched a ground and aerial
offensive three months ago to take Tripoli, the base of Libya's internationally
recognised government in the northwest of the country.
"The
number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict has almost doubled as the
result of this single attack," the OCHA report said, a day after UN
officials said the air strikes may have constituted a war crime.
The
United Nations has repeatedly said Libya is not a safe place for rescued
migrants to be sent back to and has called for refugees and migrants to be
released and given safe shelter.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1520621/middle-east
--------
Haftar
forces admit to Libya migrant camp airstrike
By
Enes Canli
04.07.2019
East
Libya-based forces on Thursday admitted to carrying out an airstrike on a
migrant camp that left dozens dead.
At
least 44 people were killed and 130 others injured on Tuesday in an airstrike
on a migrant detention center in the Tajoura suburb of the country's capital,
Tripoli.
The
location "is actually a base of a military brigade and arms depot,"
spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said late Wednesday at a press conference in
Benghazi.
Al-Mismari
added that this was not the first of such attack on what he described a
"legitimate target", claiming the camps had previously been a base
for Government of National Accord (GNA) forces.
"We've
repeatedly targeted it with airstrikes and artillery," the spokesman said,
adding: "In this case, the main responsible ones are those who brought
illegal immigrants here."
The
Tripoli-based GNA blamed the airstrike on commander Khalifa Haftar's forces.
Libya
has remained beset by turmoil since 2011 when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led
to the ouster and death of long-serving leader Muammar Gaddafi after more than
four decades in power.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/-haftar-forces-admit-to-libya-migrant-camp-airstrike-/1523301
--------
UN
Security Council fails to condemn airstrike in Libya
Umar
Farooq
04.07.2019
WASHINGTON
The
UN Security Council on Wednesday failed to condemn a recent airstrike in Libya
because the U.S. would not support the statement's text, according to multiple
reports.
The
council met behind closed doors for two hours to discuss the attack, which took
place Tuesday, on a migrant detention center in the Tajoura suburb of the
country's capital, Tripoli, which killed at least 44 people and injured 130
others.
The
emergency meeting was called by Peru, which holds the council presidency in
July.
The
U.K. reportedly circulated a statement that condemned the attack and called for
a ceasefire and return to political talks.
But
U.S. diplomats did not approve the statement, saying they would need word from
Washington to be able to vote in favor of it, according to reports.
Libya’s
Government of National Accord (GNA) blamed the airstrike on commander Khalifa
Haftar's forces.
UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was outraged over the attack and
called for an independent investigation.
The
U.S. State Department condemned the attack but did not call for a ceasefire.
In
early April, Haftar, who commands forces loyal to a rival government based in
eastern Libya, launched a wide-ranging campaign to take the capital, but his
forces have failed to achieve their primary objective, although they have
captured several strategic towns and cities in the vicinity.
Libya
has remained beset by turmoil since 2011 when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led
to the ouster and death of long-serving President Muammar Gaddafi after more
than four decades in power.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/un-security-council-fails-to-condemn-airstrike-in-libya/1522793
--------
Mideast
Iran
says it can talk to US if sanctions lifted, Khamenei permits
4
July 2019
Iran’s
intelligence minister said Tehran and Washington could hold talks only if the
United States ended its sanctions and Iran’s top authority allowed the talks
between the arch foes, state news agency IRNA reported on Thursday.
“Holding
talks with America can be reviewed by Iran only if (US President Donald) Trump
lifts the sanctions and our supreme leaders gives permission to hold such
talks,” said Mahmoud Alavi on late Wednesday.
“Americans
were scared of Iran’s military power that is the reason behind their decision
to abort the decision to attack Iran.”
Trump
said last month that he aborted a military strike to retaliate for Iran’s
downing of an unmanned US drone on June 20 because it could have killed 150
people, and signaled he was open to talks with Tehran.
On
Wednesday, President Trump warned Iran that its threats could “come back to
bite” after Tehran vowed to exceed the maximum uranium enrichment level allowed
by the 2015 nuclear deal.
Rouhani
said Wednesday’s decision to exceed the enrichment limit was in response to
failure by other parties to the deal to keep up their promises and provide Iran
relief from the US sanctions.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/07/04/Iran-says-can-talk-to-US-if-sanctions-lifted-Khamenei-permits.html
--------
Arab
Coalition intercepts Houthi drones targeting Saudi Arabia’s Jazan airport
5
July 2019
The
Arab Coalition said its forces were able to intercept and destroy drones
launched by the Houthi militia toward the airport in the southern Saudi city of
Jazan.
The
traffic at Jazan airport was normal after it being targeted by the Houthi
projectiles.
In
a statement, the Arab Coalition spokesman, Col. Turki al-Maliki, said the
drones were launched by the Houthi militia from Sanaa in Yemen.
“The
Houthi terrorists continue to launch drones to carry out hostile and terrorist
acts by targeting civilians and public facilities,” al-Maliki said.
On
Tuesday, a Yemeni rebel attack on Abha airport left nine civilians wounded, the
coalition said.
On
June 12, a rebel missile attack on Abha airport wounded 26 civilians.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2019/07/05/Arab-Coalition-intercepts-destroys-Houthi-drone-targeting-Jazan-airport.html
--------
Saudi
airports come under fresh retaliatory raids by Yemen
Jul
5, 2019
Yemen's
Houthi Ansarullah forces have carried out fresh retaliatory strikes against
military sites in Saudi Arabia's Abha and Jizan airports after bypassing the
kingdom's air defenses.
During
the attacks on Thursday night, drones operated by the Yemeni resistance forces
once again targeted aircraft hangars and other military positions inside the
airports, which have become a regular target for Yemen's retaliatory attacks.
According
to a report by Yemen's al-Masirah TV network, the attacks disrupted air traffic
and delayed at least four flights in Abha.
Saudi
media only confirmed the attacks on Jizan airport and quoted military
commanders as saying that the drones had been intercepted without elaborating.
The
intensified drone attacks over the past months have proven an effective
response to the years-long deadly war waged by Saudi Arabia and its regional
allies, including the United Arab Emirates, against the impoverished country.
Tens
of thousands of people have been killed since Saudis launched the illegal
campaign in March 2015 to drive Houthis out of the capital Sana’a and to
restore power to a fugitive president.
The
Saudi war, which is propped up by a number of Arab allies and enjoys support
from Western governments, have also left hundreds of thousands of Yemenis in
dire need of humanitarian assistance.
The
Thursday attacks come after the Houthis pledged a firm response to Saudi
airstrikes earlier this week that targeted two residential houses in the
southern province of Ta'izz, killing eight members of a family.
For
long, Yemenis relied on domestically-developed missiles to respond to the
Saudi-led aggression.
That
strategy worked well on many instances, as they were able to hit targets deep
inside Saudi territories, including the international airport in Riyadh, which
is some 800 kilometers away from Yemen's northernmost parts.
To
reach such targets, the missiles had to bypass layered air defenses that have
US-made Patriot missile systems as their
backbone.
Drones
have opened a new chapter in the war, allowing Yemeni resistance forces to
carry out even more precise attacks at much lower costs.
Using
the domestic Qasef-2K design, Yemeni forces have been able to deliver
devastating blows to various targets across Saudi Arabia.
The
one attack that stood out, however, took place in May, when the Houthis
targeted two oil pumping stations near Riyadh, forcing Saudi authorities to
stop oil flow in one of the country's main pipelines.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/05/600180/Yemen-Saudi-Houthis-Ansarullah-Jizan-Abha-drone-attacks
--------
Abbas:
Deal of century will not succeed just like Manama workshop
Jul
4, 2019
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas says US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal
for “peace” between the Israeli regime and Palestinians, dubbed “the deal of
the century,” will fail just like a recently concluded US-backed economic
workshop in Bahrain.
“We
said no to the deal of the century and will not accept it. I will not dare to
gamble with the interest of my people and I will not give up on their rights.
We do not accept (the United States of) America alone as a mediator. Since Oslo
Accords, we have not made any progress at the hands of Americans. If we have
made some progress, America has not been a partner in it,” Abbas said during a
meeting with representatives, senior editors and reporters of Palestinian and
Arab media organizations in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on
Wednesday evening.
He
stressed that the Palestinian leadership will not deal with the US
administration unless it reverses all decisions it has already taken against
the Palestinian issue.
“The
Palestinian side wants to implement the international resolutions related to
resolving the Palestinian cause. Individual and unilateral decisions do not
apply to us and we cannot accept them. If they want to impose the status quo by
force, we have the strength of righteousness, which we always adhered to,”
Abbas underlined.
The
Palestinian president further noted that Israeli officials have spared no
effort to destroy the Oslo Accords ever since they were signed in 1993,
accusing the Tel Aviv regime of canceling all related agreements with the
Palestinian Authority.
Abbas
emphasized that the Palestinians intend to get to the United Nations Security
Council “in order to renew the bid for forming a mechanism and a committee to
run the negotiations with Israel based on the international resolutions.”
Asked
about the economic workshop held in Bahrain late last month, Abbas said, “We
said political solution first and then the economic solution, simply because we
need dignity, security and an independent state for our people.”
The
so-called Peace to Prosperity workshop opened in Bahrain on June 25 and ran
through June 26.
The
Palestinian leadership boycotted the meeting, leading critics to question the
credibility of the event.
Palestinians
staged rallies across the occupied West Bank in protest against the conference
and participation of Arab delegations.
Demonstrators
gathered in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, al-Khalil, Tulkarm, Salfit, Qalqilyah
and Ariha, while a general strike was staged in the besieged and impoverished
Gaza Strip.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/04/600146/Abbas-Deal-of-century-will-not-succeed-just-like-Manama-workshop
--------
Saudi
air defense forces intercept Houthi drones targeting Jazan airport
July
05, 2019
JEDDAH:
Saudi air defense forces intercepted weaponized drones launched by Houthi
terrorists toward southern Saudi Arabia, the coalition supporting Yemen's
legitimate government said early Friday.
In
a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), coalition spokesman Col.
Turki Al-Maliki said the unmanned aircraft were launched on Thursday night from
Yemen, targeting King Abdullah Airport in the border region of Jazan.
Al-Maliki
bewailed that the Iran-backed "Houthi criminals" continue to carry
out "hostile and terrorist acts targeting civilians and civilian
installations" in Saudi Arabia.
The
attack on Jazan follows a series of missile and drone strikes launched by the
Yemen-based Houthi terrorist militia on the city of Abha in nearby Asir region
in the past weeks.
A
missile attack on June 12 on Abha airport wounded 26 civilians, drawing
retaliatory strikes by the coalition on Houthi positions.
Another
attack on June 23 on the same airport killed a Syrian national and wounded 21
other civilians, according to the coalition.
On
July 2, an attack on the airport left nine civilians wounded.
Repeated
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have been reported since the Kingdom led a
coalition intervention in March 2015 to restore the UN-backed Yemeni government
of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, which the Houthi militia had ousted.
Full
report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1520886/saudi-arabia
--------
Iran
demands Britain’s ‘immediate release’ of tanker in Gibraltar
5
July 2019
Iran
demanded on Friday that Britain “immediately release” an oil tanker it has
detained in Gibraltar, accusing it of acting at the bidding of the United
States.
A
senior foreign ministry official “described the UK move as unacceptable” in a
meeting with the British ambassador, who had been summoned to hear a formal
protest, the ministry said in a statement.
He
“called for the immediate release of the oil tanker, given that it has been seized
at the request of the US, based on the information currently available”, the
statement added.
The
EU and others have imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s
government over its continued crackdown against civilians. They currently target
270 people and 70 entities.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/07/05/Iran-demands-Britain-s-immediate-release-of-tanker-in-Gibraltar.html
--------
Europe
UK
escalating tension with Tehran on behalf of US: Analyst
Jul
4, 2019
In
an interview with Press TV, political commentator Andre Vltchek says the UK
seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian oil is a provocation from London on behalf
of Washington.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/04/600168/UK-Iran-US
--------
Three
French women arrested in Turkey for ISIS links
4
July 2019
Three
French citizens suspected of belonging to ISIS extremist group were detained
along with nine children as they tried to enter Turkey from Syria, Turkish
media reported on Thursday.
Turkish
authorities stopped the three women, sought by Interpol and identified by their
initials JC, CA and MD, in the border province of Kilis, according to state
news agency Anadolu.
A
security source told AFP that JC referred to Jennifer Clain, niece of the brothers
Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain, who claimed responsibility on behalf of ISIS for
the attacks that hit the Bataclan nightclub and other Paris locations in
November 2015.
She
is also married to Kevin Gonot, a French citizen sentenced to death in Iraq last
May for his role in ISIS.
Anadolu
said 12 people had been arrested and were being transferred to immigration
authorities awaiting their expulsion from Turkey.
In
the first years after the Syrian conflict began in 2011, Turkey was the main
point of entry for foreign fighters seeking to join extremist groups.
Full
report at:
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/07/04/Three-French-women-arrested-in-Turkey-for-ISIS-links.html
--------
Europe
trade channel with Iran about to operate in coming days: French minister
Jul
4, 2019
French
Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire says he hopes that a special
financial mechanism set up by European powers with Iran, known as Instex, will
complete the first transaction in the coming days.
“We
want Instex to enter into force in a few days and I hope that we will be able
to operate in a few days. I hope the first transaction will be completed in a
few days,” Le Maire said at a press conference in Poland on Thursday.
Initiated
by France, Britain and Germany mainly to circumvent unilateral US sanctions on
the Islamic Republic, the channel could be funded by future sales of Iran’s oil
so that trade between Tehran and Europe can continue.
Under
Instex, which is exclusive to European businesses, exports to Iran should be
compensated by imports from the country. A mirror company in Iran would carry
out the same transactions for Iranian companies exporting to and importing from
Europe.
“The
first transaction will be a limited one but this is a starting point and we
expect Instex to be an efficient tool,” Le Maire said.
Instex
was launched after President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of
Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, officially known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May last year.
The
trade channel, however, has so far failed to revive bilateral trade. Last
Friday, the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal - France,
Germany and the UK - confirmed that Instex was finally operational, but Iran
was not impressed.
The
Europeans say the scope of Instex is initially confined to humanitarian goods
such as medicine, medical devices and food.
On
Tuesday, Iran's Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said the mechanism won’t
be useful if it doesn’t allow for oil sales.
“Without
oil deal, it’s very clear, Instex will not work,” he told Bloomberg in Vienna
where he was to attend an OPEC meeting.
Iranian
officials have said the amount of financial transfers made through Instex is
also important to Tehran. They have stated that Iran used to sell about 2.8
million barrels per day of oil and receive the revenues before the US pullout.
After
the Europeans announced the official operation of Instex recently, Iran's
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said it was a step forward, but not
enough and was not meeting Tehran's expectations.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/04/600159/France-Instex-Bruno-Le-Maire-deal-Iran-US-Trump-JCPOA
--------
Russia
blames NATO for destruction of Libya
Senhan
Bolelli
05.07.2019
Russian
President Vladimir Putin blamed NATO Thursday for the destruction of Libya,
saying the result is chaos.
Speaking
at a news conference in Rome along with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte,
Putin said it is also important to recall how it started.
“Do
you remember who destroyed Libya? It was a NATO decision. It was European
aircraft that bombed Libya.
"What
we see is chaos and fighting between various armed groups. I do not think that
Russia needs to be the main contributor to a resolution of the conflict. Let's
ask those who created the problem," he noted.
“We
want to tackle this problem. We believe that it is important to talk to
everyone. We also think it is necessary to stop the bloodshed as soon as
possible. It is necessary to start dialogue as soon as possible," he
added.
He
said more and more militants and terrorists are moving from Syria into Libya,
which is “very threatening”.
“We
need to work with our EU friends to maintain dialogue with all parties in Libya
in order to help the Libyan people restore the functioning of their
institutes."
Conte
said the international community can unite and help all the involved parties in
Libya come to the negotiation table and reach a ceasefire.
Libya
has remained beset by turmoil since 2011 when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led
to the ouster and death of long-serving leader Muammar Gaddafi after more than
four decades in power.
Since
then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power
-- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a host of heavily armed militia
groups.
Touching
on the trade dispute between the U.S. and China, Putin said the global economy
will be harmed if the two countries fail to find a way out of the trade
frictions.
"The
entire global economy will be hurt, with global trade being down by 17% by 2024
and global GDP down by 2%," he said, adding this would be bad for
everyone.
"We
would like them to reach an agreement that would be beneficial to both of
them," he said, adding no efforts must be spared to reach an agreement.
U.S.
President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed at the G20
summit Saturday in Osaka to restart trade talks.
Since
assuming office in 2017, Trump has been saying that China is waging a trade war
against the U.S. by subsidizing Chinese state-owned businesses, stealing U.S.
intellectual property for years and pressuring American companies to share
trade secrets if they want to do business in China.
Commenting
on Russia's extension of retaliatory sanctions on the European Union until the
end of 2020, Putin underlined that EU countries are losing millions of dollars
due to the sanctions, but ending them mostly depends on the EU.
The
EU first imposed economic sanctions on Russia in 2014 over its role in the conflict
in Ukraine. In response, Russia halted imports of some European foods and other
products.
Ukraine
has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of
Crimea after an illegal independence vote.
The
UN General Assembly voted to proclaim the Russian annexation illegal.
Russia’s
annexation led Western powers, including the U.S., to impose sanctions on
Moscow.
Along
with the UN General Assembly, the U.S., EU and Turkey do not recognize Crimea
as Russian territory.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/russia-blames-nato-for-destruction-of-libya/1523713
--------
Dutch
House of Reps adopts resolution for Rohingya
Abdullah
Asiran
04.07.2019
The
Dutch House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, on Thursday adopted
a motion asking the government to investigate Myanmar's genocide against
Rohingya Muslims, in order to pave the way to open a case in the International
Court of Justice (ICJ).
The
resolution which requests the government to gather support of other countries
to back the case was accepted by majority of votes.
Rohingya
the most persecuted community in the world has long been facing government
atrocities in the western Rakhine state of Maynamar.
According
to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and
children, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces
launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017.
Since
Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s
state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development
Agency (OIDA).
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/dutch-house-of-reps-adopts-resolution-for-rohingya/1523637
--------
Sheikh
Zayed's legacy lives on in first Arab arts scheme for UK schools
Nicky
Harley
July
5, 2019
A
UK charity co-established by Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, has
launched the first tool for teachers to help educate youngsters across Britain
about the Arab world.
The
Arab British Centre, founded in 1977, launched the project 18 months ago to
help children gain a better understanding of the Arabic world through culture.
The
project, Exploring the Curriculum through Contemporary Arab Arts, was launched
on Thursday in London and is due to be introduced in schools from September.
The
resource for teachers has been made available for free on the centre's website.
“This
is our first foray working with schools, largely in response to what teachers
and students want," said Nadia El Sebai, the centre's director.
“We
have always wanted to work with schools to help change perceptions of the Arab
world."
The
charity has been working with state schools in Tower Hamlets, east London.
The
authors of the resource have worked with youngsters to develop the best way to
help them expand their learning.
On
Thursday, the charity tried out the activities on teachers from across the
country.
Artists
include Dubai-based French-Tunisian street artist El Seed, who combines Arabic
calligraphy with graffiti; Mona Hatoum, who uses maps in her artwork to
challenge preconceptions about the world; musician Cheb Khaled; and rapper Mona
Haydar.
The
work has been a collaboration with the HEC Global Learning Centre to explore
global citizenship.
The
programme’s author, Alia Al Zougbi, took theatre and art into schools to
establish the resource.
“It
is not just for children," Ms Al Zougbi said. "We all have the child
within us and this is what we are trying to create from this resource.
"We
want to tackle important issues through contemporary Arab art."
Ms
El Sebai said: “We spoke about the spirit of the work and why we did it.
Full
report at:
https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/sheikh-zayed-s-legacy-lives-on-in-first-arab-arts-scheme-for-uk-schools-1.882982
--------
North America
White
House security adviser Bolton hails seizure of tanker with Iranian oil
5
July 2019
White
House National Security Adviser John Bolton on Thursday welcomed Britain’s
seizure of an oil tanker loaded with Iranian oil bound for Syria, saying the
United States and its allies will continue to prevent Syrian and Iranian
governments “from profiting off this illicit trade.”
British
Royal Marines seized a giant Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar on Thursday for
trying to take oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions, a dramatic step that
drew Tehran’s fury and could escalate its confrontation with the West.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/07/05/White-House-security-adviser-Bolton-hails-seizure-of-tanker-with-Iranian-oil.html
--------
US
Navy SEAL receives slap on wrist for posing with dead Iraqi prisoner
Jul
4, 2019
A
US Navy SEAL, who was acquitted of killing a wounded Iraqi prisoner but
convicted of posing with the corpse, has received a light sentence.
Special
Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was sentenced on Wednesday by a military jury
composed of war veterans to a reduction in rank and four months of confinement.
Charges
of murder, attempted murder and other counts stemming from an incident during
Gallagher's 2017 deployment to Iraq were dropped by the jury.
The
jury ordered Gallagher's rank to be reduced to petty officer 1st class and
fined him $10,788 equivalent to four months salary.
The
judge then reduced the sentence, capping the pay cut at $5,594.
However,
the judge gave Gallagher two months credit for being held in overly harsh
conditions before being tried, as well as being deprived of medical treatment
for brain injury. In addition, Gallagher also got credit for 201 days of
pretrial confinement. The Navy prosecutor had asked for a reduction in rank,
and not any prison time.
Gallagher
told the jury he was fully responsible for his actions on the day he took
photos with the body of the 17-year-old prisoner.
One
image showed him clutching the hair of the corpse with one hand and holding a
knife in another.
"Got
him with my hunting knife," Gallagher wrote in a text with the photo.
The
prosecutor, Lt. Brian John, said Gallagher was the platoon chief and should not
have been the centerpiece of the photos in which nearly all the members posed
with the body. John said Gallagher should have stopped the photos from being
taken.
"For
that reason, he no longer deserves to wear anchors," the prosecutor said.
President
Donald Trump, who intervened earlier this year to get Gallagher a lighter
sentence, tweeted congratulations to the SEAL and his family.
"You
have been through much together. Glad I could help!" the president wrote.
Gallagher
thanked Trump along with Republican Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Ralph
Norman of South Carolina.
"I've
made mistakes throughout my 20-year career — tactical, ethical, moral — I'm not
perfect," he said. "I put a black eye on the two communities that I
love — the US Marine Corps and the US Navy — specifically the SEAL
community."
He
added that the SEALs in his platoon, who had reported his criminal activities
to his military superiors, "in no way, shape or form represent the
community that I love."
The
most important quality in a Navy SEAL "loyalty, is a trait that seems to
be lost," he complained.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/04/600171/US-Navy-SEAL-Edward-Gallagher-Iraq-Daesh
--------
UK's
'illegal' seizure of Iranian oil tanker praised by Bolton
Jul
5, 2019
US
National Security Adviser John Bolton has hailed Britain's "illegal"
seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar.
British
Royal Marines stationed in Gibraltar seized the supertanker on Thursday
accusing it of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of European Union (EU)
sanctions against the Arab country.
Spain
does not recognize the waters around Gibraltar as British.
"Excellent
news: UK has detained the supertanker Grace I laden with Iranian oil bound for
Syria in violation of EU sanctions," Bolton tweeted on Wednesday.
Excellent
news: UK has detained the supertanker Grace I laden with Iranian oil bound for
Syria in violation of EU sanctions. America & our allies will continue to
prevent regimes in Tehran & Damascus from profiting off this illicit trade.
—
John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) July 4, 2019
"America
& our allies will continue to prevent regimes in Tehran & Damascus from
profiting off this illicit trade," he claimed.
Iran
condemns 'illegal' tanker seizure
Iran
on Thursday condemned the British forces seizure of the tanker, summoning
Britain’s ambassador to the country.
"We
declared to the ambassador that this move amounts to strange unconventionality,
because the sanctions that they have announced are not based on the Security
Council [resolutions],” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Moussavi said in an
interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)’s News Network.
"Iran
does not accept this measure (seizure of the tanker)," Moussavi added.
The
Iranian official further stated that the Spanish Foreign Ministry has confirmed
that the move was made at the request of the US and that the seizure amounted
to “implementation of a type of extraterritorial sanctions despite the fact
that the European Union has invariably been against such bans.”
Experts
believe that the measure taken by the British government in seizing the
Syria-bound Iranian tanker is illegal and can have serious consequences for the
government in London.
Since
Iran's tanker was carrying fuel and oil to Syrian people for solely
humanitarian purposes, the measure taken by the British government is not only
illegal, but also inhumane.
Iran
and Syria enjoy vast commercial and trade ties and under the international law,
Britain has no right to interfere in their relations.
The
US has avowed an intention to reduce Iran’s oil exports to “zero” as part of
the sanctions that it reinstated after leaving a multilateral nuclear deal with
Iran last year. Both Washington’s withdrawal from the deal and its
reintroduction of the sanctions came while the accord has been ratified in the
form of the United Nations Security Resolution 2231.
Bolton's
warmongering
Bolton
has made several anti-Iran remarks, aimed at discrediting the Islamic Republic.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has previously pointed to the belligerence
in Bolton's remarks regarding Iran.
“Today,
the world's catching on to Amb. John Bolton’s chronic warmongering,” Zarif
tweeted on April 30.
Full
report at:
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/07/05/600176/US-UK-Bolton-Oil-Tanker
--------
Turkey
slams Washington Post over PKK terrorist's op-ed
Zehra
Nur Düz
04.07.2019
Turkey
on Wednesday denounced the U.S.-based Washington Post newspaper for publishing
an article by Cemil Bayik, one of the leaders of the PKK terrorist
organization.
“A
head terrorist of the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by many
countries, including the U.S., and which has brutally massacred tens of
thousands of innocent people -- has brazenly engaged in terrorist propaganda by
using The Washington Post,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
This
publication has violated the principle of “preventing the promotion of
terrorism”, which is the most important commitment of the international
community in the fight against terrorism, the statement said.
The
statement also stressed that there should be no discrimination between
terrorist organizations in the fight against terror.
It
underlined that this approach is a tool for the PKK’s terrorist propaganda and
is incompatible with the sensitivity displayed towards Daesh, al-Qaeda and
other terrorist organizations.
“This
approach is a new and serious example of hypocrisy in the fight against
terrorism,” the statement added.
The
Washington Post provided space for a terrorist who is a member of a group
listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union, openly
produces terrorist propaganda and violates U.S. laws, Turkish presidential
spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in a written statement.
Asserting
that this article did not fall under the category of freedom of press and
expression, Kalin said the daily's actions were tantamount to publishing an
article from a member of al-Qaeda or Daesh.
To
portray one of the leaders of a terrorist organization as the representative of
the Kurds is, above all, an insult to the Kurds, Kalin said.
He
stressed that Turkey would continue to fight against all forms of terrorism and
its supporters.
Turkey's
Ambassador in Washington, Serdar Kilic, said on Twitter that the Post
"took the profession of journalism to new lows" by giving a platform
to one of the PKK’s "bloodthirsty" leaders.
“This
is an affront not only to the Turkish people but also to the memories of tens
of thousands of innocent men, women and children who became victims of terror
at the hands of the PKK,” he stressed.
“It
should be noted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that providing support to
even nonviolent activity of a terrorist organization violates the anti-terror
laws of the U.S.,” Kilic added.
Full
report at:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkey-slams-washington-post-over-pkk-terrorists-op-ed/1522770
--------
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