Inauguration of Abu Dhabi’s Hindu Temple Milestone for Tolerance: UAE Envoy to India
New Age Islam News Bureau
12 January 2024
File
photo: BAPS Hindu Mandir, in Abu Dhabi
------
·
Minority Status of AMU:
Education of Muslims and Aligarh Muslim University Go Hand in Hand, SC Told
·
Muslim Flag Full of Excrement
Found at Scottish Mosque Site
·
Thailand And Malaysia Renew
Talks Over Muslim Separatists
·
Lebanon Supports South Africa’s
Lawsuit Against Zionist Enemy Before ICJ
-----
Arab World
·
Saudi Academy Organizes Events
To Celebrate World Arabic Language Day
·
Saudi Officials and UN Agency
Discuss Development Projects In Yemen
·
Somali Minister of Religious
Affairs Praises Services of Islamic Affairs Ministry in Islamic work
·
Saudi Arabia explores dividing
Grand Mosque in Makkah into coded zones for enhanced access
·
Saudi Arabia: A record 13.5m
Muslims performed Umrah in 2023
·
Qatar-led talks in works to get
medicine to Israeli hostages in Gaza — report
·
Saudi Arabia voices ‘great
concern’ over Yemen air strikes: foreign ministry
----
India
·
Thousands Of Indian Madrasa
Teachers in UP Set to Lose Jobs as Muslim School Funding Ends
·
PM Modi Meets Muslim
Delegation, Presents Chadar to Ajmer Dargah
·
Muzaffarnagar Slapping Case |
SC Directly Criticises Uttar Pradesh In Case of Teacher Goading
·
Students To Slap Muslim
Classmate
·
Ruckus, FIR Over Lord Ram
Posters at Dehradun Store Run by Muslim Man
·
Sunehri Bagh Mosque Demolition:
Case Transferred to Delhi High Court’s Double Bench, Next Hearing on Jan 19
·
U. P HC Adjourns Hearing In
Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Case Till Jan 17
·
MHA Empowers States, UTs to
Seize Assets Of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Muslim League-JK
·
RJD Minority Wing Leader Reads
Out Hanuman Chalisa in Public Meeting
·
UP Police Arrests Pakistani Agent
Tasked to Spread 'Jihad', Disrupt Harmony
-----
Europe
·
Muslims In Germany: Life
Post-Hamas-Attack 'Like After
·
UK’s Sunak Says Strikes Against
Houthis ‘Necessary and Proportionate’
·
9/11'
·
Russia requests UN Security
Council meeting after US and Britain strike Yemen
·
UK, US expected to launch
strikes against Houthis ‘within hours’: Report
·
France says not part of US-led
anti-Yemen coalition, focuses on own ships
------
Southeast Asia
·
Sultan Nazrin: Qualified
Shariah Lawyers No Longer Need Interview, Test to Practice in Perak
·
Malaysian King, Queen Attend
Royal Islamic Affairs Premier Forum
·
Floods: Slight drop in number
of evacuees in Johor, Pahang on Friday morning, says Nadma
----
Mideast
·
Israel To Counter Genocide
Accusations at World Court
·
Iran condemns ‘arbitrary’ US,
UK strikes on Yemen rebels
·
Blinken Says Path to Palestinian
State Can Isolate Iran, Proxies
·
Iran strongly backs ‘courageous
action’ of South Africa against Israel at ICC
·
Hamas thanks South Africa for
filing anti-Israeli genocide case at ICJ
·
Gaza officials slam Israel's
deliberate use of 'genocide, starvation'
·
Hezbollah targets KiryatShmona
with dozens of missiles
----
Africa
·
After Christmas Attacks on
Christians, Nigerian Bishops Raise Concerns of Islamist Agenda—And Government
Complicity
·
South Africa Argues Genocide
Case At UN Top Court
·
Pro-Palestinian demonstration
held in Cape Town as ICJ opens hearing
·
Imams to police force: Uphold
trust, excellence
·
Judgement Day: Kano, Bauchi, Zamfara,
Plateau, Ebonyi Govs Arrive Supreme Court
·
Tunisia: Pro-Palestinian
demonstration in front of South Africa embassy
·
Over 1,000 organizations unite
in support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at ICJ
----
North America
·
CAIR Says U.S. Bombing of Yemen
in Défense of Israeli Genocide ‘Risks More Innocent Lives’
·
American Muslim Task Force for
Palestine Announces First Group of Speakers for Jan. 13
·
March for Gaza
·
Muslim Chaplain at Toronto
Hospital for Sick Children Eulogizes Founder of Hamas
·
Ex-police officer settles
discrimination suit over Muslim faith against suburban department for $475,000
·
Biden says US, UK struck
Houthis in 'defensive action'
·
US, British military launch
massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen
·
Colombia backs South Africa’s
legal action against Israel at world court
-----
Pakistan
·
Pakistan ‘Not Interested’ In
Talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
·
Violence By Islamist Militants
Haunts Pakistani Elections In Restive Province in North Waziristan
·
Cipher case: Proceedings after
Dec 14 ‘of no legal consequences’: IHC
·
Islamabad distances itself from
Fazl’s Kabul sojourn
·
HRCP Seeks Statutory National
Commission for Minorities’ Rights
·
Pakistan, KSA sign agreements,
MoUs to facilitate Hujjaj
·
Four record statements in
Tohakhana case
·
ATC dismisses extension in
physical remand of IK in 12 cases
------
South Asia
·
US House Foreign Affairs
Committee Accuses Taliban of Supporting Terrorism, Highlights Deteriorating
Afghanistan Conditions
·
Afghan General Counsel in
Karachi Seeks UAE’s Support for Afghan Refugees
·
Sheikh Hasina sworn in as
Bangladesh PM for fifth term
·
Powerful 6.4-magnitude
earthquake strikes Afghanistan
·
Explosion kills 2, injures 12
in Kabul, Afghanistan
·
India’s wheat donation aids
nearly five million Afghans in dire need: WFP
·
Blasts Hit Kabul, Balkh Leaving
Several Killed
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/abu-dhabi-hindu-temple-uae/d/131504
------
Inauguration Of Abu Dhabi’s Hindu Temple
Milestone for Tolerance: UAE Envoy to India
File
photo: BAPS Hindu Mandir, in Abu Dhabi
------
11th January 2024
Sakina Fatima
Gandhinagar: The inauguration of the
BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi next month will be a monumental day to
“celebrate tolerance and acceptance”, the Ambassador of the UAE to India
Abdulnasser Alshaali said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
inaugurate the temple on February 14.
“We are looking forward to the
inauguration on February 14 it’s going to be a phenomenal monumental day, a
special occasion to celebrate tolerance, acceptance, and to further strengthen
this relationship,” Ambassador Alshaali told PTI.
Last month, Swami Ishwarcharandas and
Swami Brahmaviharidas extended the invitation on behalf of the Bochasanwasi
Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu Mandir, and it has
been accepted by PM Modi.
The ambassador has also confirmed the
grand diaspora gathering scheduled at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium in
Abu Dhabi on February 13.
The event is titled ‘Ahlan Modi,’ which
translates to ‘Hello Modi’.
According to the UN’s International
Migration 2020 report, the UAE boasts the largest Indian diaspora population at
3.5 million, surpassing the United States of America (2.7 million) and Saudi
Arabia (2.5 million).
On Tuesday, India and the UAE solidified
their collaboration by signing four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). These
agreements were finalised during talks between PM Modi and UAE President
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.
The countries have discussed technology,
aerospace, and space-related issues during the talks.
Three of these MoUs are between Dubai’s
Ministry of Investment and the Government of India, and the fourth one is
between DP World and the Government of Gujarat to develop sustainable ports in
the state.
“The first three MoUs are in healthcare,
renewable energy to develop 60 gigawatts of projects, and the fourth is in
terms of allocating land for the food parks project as part of the I2U2,” the
UAE ambassador said.
“There will always be tangible outcomes
when it comes to the relationship between the UAE and India. It’s not a matter
of how or what is going to happen,” the ambassador emphasised.
He further stated that defence is a
“natural area of cooperation” between the two countries.
“India is growing as a player in the
defence sector. The UAE is always looking at multiple suppliers for equipment.
And so this is also a natural area of cooperation and a natural partnership
between the two countries,” the ambassador underlined.
The UAE is the fourth largest investor
in India, while it is the third largest trading partner.
The UAE-India Business Summit, themed
“Two Nations, One Vision,” occurred alongside the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit
2024 on Wednesday.
A notable outcome of this meeting was
the formal launch of the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC).
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/inauguration-of-abu-dhabis-hindu-temple-milestone-for-tolerance-uae-envoy-2953999/
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Minority Status of AMU: Education of
Muslims and Aligarh Muslim University Go Hand in Hand, SC Told
During
Thursday’s hearing, the CJI reiterated that a minority institution will not
lose its rights under Article 30 merely because it has people from other
communities too in its administration.
------
January 11, 2024
The Supreme Court on Thursday was told
education of Muslims and the minority institution Aligarh Muslim University
(AMU) go hand in hand, and there was an overwhelming presence of Muslims in the
university’s governing bodies, faculty and students.
The seven-judge constitution bench is
hearing a batch of petitions on the issues relating to the minority status of
AMU, including two 1981 and 2019- top court reference for a relook at the
correctness of the 1967 judgment by a five-judge constitution bench.
On the third day of the hearing that had
commenced on January 9, the bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud,
Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Surya Kant, Justice J B Pardiwala, Justice
Dipankar Datta, Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was told
that parents of the Muslim students – both boys and girls – send them to AMU
for their education.
The Aligarh Muslim University’s
“identity and cultural markers help the Muslim girls’ education. It is a fact
of the community”, advocate Shadan Farasat told the constitution bench.
Shadan Farasat appeared for the
petitioner Haji Muqeet Ali Qureshi who had approached the top court way back in
April 2006.
The top court in 1967 in the Azeez
Bhasha case had held that AMU was a central university and, being a central
university, it could not be conferred the minority status under Article 29 and
Article 30.
Telling the constitution bench that the
first Chancellor of AMU was then Her Highness Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal
-from December 1920 to May 1930 – advocate Shadan Farasat said that starting
with the AMU court at the top, Executive Council, Academic Council, teaching
faculty and right upto the classrooms, the presence of Muslims is to the extent
of 82 t0 85 percent.
Pointing out that AMU is an institution
of national importance, Shadan Farasat said that as a minority institution the
AMU does what is required to be done under Article 30(1).
At this the bench asked, “Is there a
minority institution that is100% financed by the government”. Farasat named
Delhi based Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Resuming his arguments that remained
inconclusive on Wednesday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that when the
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College that was founded in 1875 graduated into AMU
in 1920 by an Act of the Central Legislature, all the moveable and immovable
assets of the college were transferred to AMU.
Responding to the posers that came in
the course of the hearing, Sibal said merely because some non-Muslims had
contributed to the setting up of the AMU in 1920, after being recognised as
University, it conforming to UGC regulations, different statuses governing
education in the country, does not denude AMU of its status of Muslim minority
educational institutions. He also analysed the 1967 five-judge constitution
bench judgment to point out “internal contradiction” in it.
The hearing will resume on January 23,
2024, as the 7-judge constitution bench will not sit during the coming week
starting from January 15, 2024.
Source: thestatesman.com
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the full text of
https://www.thestatesman.com/india/education-of-muslims-and-aligarh-muslim-university-go-hand-in-hand-sc-told-1503258694.html
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Muslim Flag Full of Excrement Found at
Scottish Mosque Site
Photo: https://www.ardrossanherald.com
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11th January
A MUSLIM prayer flag filled with
excrement has been dumped at the front door of the building earmarked to become
a Scottish council area's first mosque.
The Glasgow-based Al-Farooq Education
and Community Centre (AFECC) bought the former Barony St John Church in
Ardrossan in 2022.
They have been fundraising since then to
realise their plans to turn it into North Ayrshire's first mosque and centre
for Muslims in the area.
But on Saturday, January 6, Alan Bell,
from the neighbouring Scottish Centre for Personal Safety, found a flag and
excrement dumped on the former church's doorstep.
He said: "I thought the flag had
fallen off the front door. As I picked it up to pin it back on the door, I
noticed as I unravelled it that it was something more sinister.
"The prayer flag had an huge pile
of excrement, either human or animal, smeared in the middle of it.
"It has obviously been thrown over
the security fence which surrounds the church and had landed at the front
door."
The National: Inside the former Barony
St John Church
Bell added: "It beggars belief that
some people are so full of hatred and racism that they think it is okay to do
this – especially over the Christmas period, a time for goodwill towards all
men.
"Our centre is also right next door
and provides weekly personal safety and fitness classes for North Ayrshire‘s
New Scot refugees, many of whom are Syrian Muslims who have fled persecution.
"How welcome do you think this will
make them feel? It’s shameful."
The AFECC is a Glasgow-based charity
which has become a pillar of the community and looks to spread and preserve the
original teachings of Islam as was known by the Salaf-as-Salih, the first
generations of Muslims.
Ayrshire’s only mosque is currently
located in Kilmarnock, in East Ayrshire.
AFECC say they are aiming to raise
£100,000 for the “urgent renovation” which is required.
Launching their fundraiser last year, a
representative from the organisation said: “Join us in being part of something
special putting together a place of prayer and community centre for the Muslims
in Ardrossan and the general community.”
The appeal has so far raised more than
£28,000 of their £150,000 needed to bring the building up to the required
standard.
The AFECC has been approached for
comment.
Source: thenational.scot
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https://www.thenational.scot/news/24043597.muslim-flag-full-excrement-found-scottish-mosque-site/
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Thailand And Malaysia Renew Talks Over Muslim
Separatists
Thai Deputy
Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin
-----
01/11/2024
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Thailand’s
government, in office since early September 2023, is trying to restart talks to
ensure peace and stability in the country’s troubled south, which includes
three Muslim-majority provinces (Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala) on the border
with Malaysia.
To this end, Thai Deputy Prime Minister
Somsak Thepsuthin met yesterday with the former chief of Malaysia’s Defence
Forces, General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin (pictured), who is also a facilitator
between the Thai government and a coalition of pro-independence groups, united
in the National Revolutionary Front (Barisan Nasional Revolusi, BNR).
“The meeting was intended to build
better understanding between Thai and Malaysian authorities involved in the
peace negotiations,” said Somsak speaking about the meeting.
The latter confirmed that the Thai side
is willing to keep negotiations open, after a period of inaction, this despite
guerrilla activity that restarted in 2004 and repression by successive
governments run or controlled by the military.
The current government, an unprecedented
alliance that includes pro-military parties, appears poised to scrap a series
of harsh emergency decrees, often enforced indiscriminately in the three
provinces, in favour of the National Security Law that does not give as much
leeway to the security forces.
For Thailand’s deputy prime minister,
this would improve the atmosphere in the region and facilitate finding a
solution to its problems.
The conflict, which began after the
Second World War, escalated in the past 20 years causing the death of up to
10,000 people; finding a peaceful solution is still an uphill battle given the
various needs and interests that stand in its way.
Despite yesterday’s talks, the parties
did not set a timetable for the next steps that could bring in the BNR; all
they agreed to was to meet to discuss when would be the right time for further
discussions. This could be as early as next month if everyone is on board.
If his happens, public consultations
could be held on finding a political solution that ends the violence and
repression that have constrained a region that has great potential for
development and great capacity to lift its people out of poverty.
Source: asianews.it
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the full text of
https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Thailand-and-Malaysia-renew-talks-over-Muslim-separatists-59920.html
----
Lebanon Supports South Africa’s Lawsuit
Against Zionist Enemy Before ICJ
Sri Lankan
pro-Palestinian civil rights activists at a solidarity protest in front of the
South African embassy in Colombo on 8 January 2024. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Chamila
Karunarathne)
------
[12/January/2024]
BEIRUT January 12. 2024 (Saba) -
Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its support for South Africa’s
lawsuit against the Zionist enemy before the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) in The Hague on charges of committing genocide crimes in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement issued Thursday, the
Lebanese Foreign Ministry expressed its aspiration for a just and prompt ruling
that reflects respect for values and human rights, especially international
humanitarian law.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry thanked
South Africa for taking this principled position and all its endeavours.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3295553.htm
----
Arab World
Saudi academy organizes events to
celebrate World Arabic Language Day
January 12, 2024
RIYADH: For a second consecutive year,
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has organized a
special program of events, in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation, as part of the ongoing celebrations for World Arabic Language Day.
The events will take place on Jan. 14
under the patronage of Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan,
who is also chair of the academy’s board of trustees. They will be staged at
the offices of the OIC’s general secretariat in Jeddah, and there will also be
an international celebration at the UN headquarters in New York, the Saudi
Press Agency reported.
The celebrations will be officially
opened by Hissein Brahim Taha, the OIC’s secretary-general. Other VIP guests
will include Abdullah Al-Washami, the academy’s secretary-general; Saleh
Al-Suhaibani, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the OIC; Shaheen
Abdullayev, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom; and other ambassadors
and permanent delegates from OIC member states.
The program is part of the wider
celebrations for World Arabic Language Day, which was established by the UN
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2010 and has been
celebrated on Dec. 18 each year since 2012. That date was chosen in honor of
the day in 1973 when the UN adopted Arabic as the organization’s sixth official
language. The theme of the 2023 event was “Arabic: The Language of Poetry and
Arts.”
The events organized by the academy
include two main discussion sessions, the first on the influence and impact of
Arabic poetry, and the second on the role of the Arabic language in the arts.
Participants will include representatives of the OIC, the academy, the Islamic
World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Research
CenterFor Islamic History, Art and Culture.
There will also be a session during
which excerpts from Islamic poems will be read by poets Mohammed Ibrahim
Mohammed Yaqoub from Saudi Arabia, Bahar Al-Din Abdullah from Sudan, and
Abdullah Mohammed Ubaid from Yemen, followed by discussions of the works.
In addition, an Arabic poetry exhibition
will display selected verses from the “Ten Mu’allaqat,” a group of seven long
poems, and there will be a presentation of selected poetry from the early
Islamic era and beyond. There will also be opportunities to learn about the
work of the academy, its activities, programs and other initiatives.
Source: arabnews.com
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the full text of
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2440201/saudi-arabia
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Saudi officials and UN agency discuss
development projects in Yemen
January 12, 2024
RIYADH: During a meeting in Riyadh on
Thursday, the assistant supervisor general of the Saudi Development and
Reconstruction Program for Yemen, Hassan Al-Attas, and a delegation from the UN
Industrial Development Organization discussed cooperation and coordination in
efforts to improve living conditions in the war-torn country and achieve
sustainable development under the leadership of the Yemeni government.
Saudi officials gave details of about
229 projects and development initiatives the program is involved with across
Yemen, which aim to provide support for the country in key sectors such as
education, health, water, energy, transportation, agriculture, fisheries,
government capacity-building, and development.
Meanwhile, the deputy CEO of the Saudi
Fund for Development, Faisal Al-Qahtani, met a delegation led by Hanan Hanzaz,
UNIDO’s regional bureau chief and special representative for the Arab region.
Their meeting focused on topics related to development and collaboration in the
industrial and mining sectors.
The visitors were also given a tour of
an interactive exhibition at the fund’s headquarters that highlights its
development projects worldwide and showcases the effects of sustainable
development on the beneficiaries, in terms of social growth and economic
prosperity.
Since it was established in 1974 to
provide development assistance to developing countries, the fund has worked in
partnership with the UN to implement projects and programs around the world.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2440181/saudi-arabia
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Somali Minister of Religious Affairs
Praises Services of Islamic Affairs Ministry in Islamic work
11 Jan, 2024
The Minister of Endowments and Religious
Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Sheikh Mohamed Haji Adam Elmi has
praised the services provided by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawa and
Guidance in numerous areas of Islamic work.
He valued the ministry's activity in spreading
Islamic knowledge, offering visual displays of Hajj and Umrah services,
implementing the Guests of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj,
Umrah and Visit, and providing services of Hajj and Umrah on smart screens to
smooth the way for their performers.
His remarks came during his visit to the
Islamic Affairs pavilion, participating in the third edition of the 2024 Hajj
and Umrah Services Conference, organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah
(MoHU) in partnership with the Pilgrim Experience Program.
The Somali minister commended electronic
technology, which enables visitors of the pavilion to obtain many services and
visual, audio and print information, pointing out that it is a qualitative
initiative from the Islamic Affairs Ministry, supported by the wise leadership.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/4ffcad5ac5534178aa37b40cc3b94980
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Saudi Arabia explores dividing Grand
Mosque in Makkah into coded zones for enhanced access
January 11, 2024
JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia is exploring the
prospect of dividing the Grand Mosque and its courtyards in Makkah into coded
zones in order to facilitate the smooth access of worshipers and workers.
The General Authority for the Care of
the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) in this regard with the Saudi Postal and Logistics Services
Company (SPL). The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Hajj and
Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition 2024.
Under the MoU, the SPL will carry out
study about dividing the Grand Mosque and its courtyards into coded zones to
help accurately determine geographical locations and facilitate spatial
description so as to guide worshippers and workers in the sprawling mosque and
its premises.
The deal is also aimed to gauge
performance, and distribution of working personnel based on the accommodation
and operational capacity, and thus ensuring the highest standards of services
provided at Islam’s holiest shrine.
It is noteworthy that the Grand Mosque
witnessed the highest number of Umrah pilgrims in its history during the last
year. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said recently that more
than 13.5 million foreign pilgrims performed Umrah in 2023. This figure showed
a 58 percent increase, with a total of five million more pilgrims compared to
the previous year, the minister said.
“I am pleased to share some good and
unprecedented news. The highest number of pilgrims arriving from outside the
Kingdom in 2019 was 8.5 million. This year, and in light of the facilities
introduced by the Saudi leadership, the number rose to 13,550,000 million Umrah
pilgrims,” al-Rabiah said in the opening session of the the Hajj and Umrah
Services Conference and Exhibition, which kicked off at Jeddah Superdome on
Jan. 8.
The Saudi government is keen on ensuring
elaborate arrangements and facilities to enable the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to
perform their rituals in ease and comfort.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/639533/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-explores-dividing-Grand-Mosque-in-Makah-into-coded-zones-for-enhanced-access
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Saudi Arabia: A record 13.5m Muslims
performed Umrah in 2023
January 11, 2024
Last year Saudi Arabia welcomed over
13.5 million Muslim pilgrims who took part in the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah, to
the holy city of Makkah, representing a 58 per cent increase – five million
more visiting the kingdom than during the year before.
On Monday, Minister of Hajj and Umrah,
Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, announced the record-breaking figure for the year-round
pilgrimage during the 3rd annual Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and
Exhibition in Jeddah.
“Previously, the largest number of Umrah
pilgrims from outside the Kingdom was in 2019, estimated at 8.55 million and
this year the number surged to 13.55 million, thanks to the elaborate
facilities and arrangements made by the Saudi government. This figure is the
largest in the history of foreign Umrah pilgrims,” he said.
“More than 35 companies will provide
their services during the Hajj this year, compared to 20 companies last year,”
he added, noting that the conference witnessed the participation of ministers
and leaders. The minister also said that the Saudi government has invested over
$1.3 billion in developing and improving infrastructure in the holy sites.
At the event, Vice-Minister of Foreign
Affairs Waleed El-Khereiji revealed the launch of electronic visas or e-visas
last month for Umrah pilgrims, enabling entry permits without the need to
physically visit the embassy.
Saudi Arabia has also introduced a
96-hour stopover visa, available to international travellers passing through
the kingdom on national air carriers Saudia or Flynas.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
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the full text of
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240111-saudi-arabia-a-record-13-5m-muslims-performed-umrah-in-2023/
-----
Qatar-led talks in works to get medicine
to Israeli hostages in Gaza — report
12 Jan 2024
High-level talks between Qatar and Hamas
are moving toward a deal that could potentially see vital medicine delivered to
Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, The New York Times reported on
Thursday.
An Israeli official told the publication
there has been progress on the issue and Hamas’s international spokesman Husam
Badran told NYT his terror group is engaged in the talks “with great
positivity.”
The talks also include negotiations on
moves to get more medical supplies into Gaza for Palestinians, as local health
authorities say they are facing shortages of drugs and equipment.
The Israeli official briefed on the
talks said discussions were underway with international organizations on how to
get the medicine to the hostages, who have had no access to the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since being abducted on October 7, during
Hamas’s murderous onslaught across southern Israel where terrorists killed
1,200 and took 240 others hostage.
Israel has blasted the Red Cross as a
mere Uber service that has sufficed with ferrying hostages released by Hamas to
the border while failing to visit them in captivity or even ensure that
much-needed medicines reach those being held, men, women, children and the
elderly. The international aid group has retorted that publicly pressuring
Hamas on these issues would not work and risks robbing the group of its
perceived status of neutrality that allows it to operate in conflict zones
around the world.
Last month, ICRC President Mirjana
Spoljaric sparked fury in Israel for saying in an interview with Israeli TV
that it was up to Israel to work out the issue with Hamas.
“The fact that so many hostages have
been denied the medications they need is a death sentence,” Daniel Lifshitz,
whose 83-year-old grandfather Oded Lifshitz is held in Gaza told the New York
Times. “They should have received what they needed on the first day.”
Some 132 hostages are believed to remain
in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas
captivity during a weeklong truce in late November. Four hostages were released
before that, and one was rescued by troops. The bodies of eight hostages have
also been recovered and three hostages were mistakenly killed by the military.
The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed
the deaths of 25 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and
findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza
Many of the remaining hostages suffer
from chronic conditions requiring specific medications and those who were freed
reported encountering Israelis held in Gaza with untreated or insufficiently
treated injuries and wounds.
Last week, the relatives of six Israeli
hostages made an unprecedented visit to Qatar, which brokered the November
hostage release deal, to speak with officials there about the stalled
negotiations for a new hostage agreement.
Lifshitz said the families raised the
urgent need for medicines to be delivered to the hostages during their meeting
with Qatari leaders. The relatives met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani and Qatari Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, who heads the Gulf nation’s negotiations
team with Israel and Qatar, during the visit.
Qatar is “painfully aware of the
suffering of the remaining hostages and their loved ones,” a Qatari official
told Axios after the visit.
“All of the hostages’ lives are at risk,
especially those who need medical treatment,” Dr. Hagai Levine, the chairman of
the medical team with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, told The New
York Times. “It’s my wish that they will finally get the treatment that they
deserve.”
“In a humanitarian initiative, ICRC
teams have been urging the parties and those with influence to get medicines
delivered to the hostages,” Jason Straziuso, a spokesman for the ICRC, told the
publication.
“The most critical step is that the
medicines get into the hands of those who need it. We won’t be satisfied until
they do,” he said.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-led-talks-in-works-to-get-medicine-to-israeli-hostages-in-gaza-report/
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Saudi Arabia voices ‘great concern’ over
Yemen air strikes: foreign ministry
January 12, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is following US and
British air strikes on neighboring Yemen with “great concern,” a foreign
ministry statement said on Friday, urging against escalation.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is
following with great concern the military operations taking place in the Red
Sea region and the air strikes on a number of sites in the Republic of Yemen,”
the statement said, calling for “self-restraint and avoiding escalation.”
The statement stressed the
"importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea
region, where freedom of navigation is crucial."
On Thursday night, US and British forces
launched air strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, calling it a
“defensive action” after attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Air strikes involving fighter jets and
Tomahawk missiles hit a number of Houthi positions, Western media reported.
US President Joe Biden said in a
statement that he “will not hesitate” to order further military action if
needed.
“Today, at my direction, US military
forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia,
Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a
number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of
navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways,” Biden said.
He called the strikes a “direct
response” to “unprecedented” attacks by the Houthis, “including the use of
anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2440271/saudi-arabia
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India
Thousands Of Indian Madrasa Teachers In
UPSet To Lose Jobs As Muslim School Funding Ends
January 12, 2024
NEW DELHI: India’s most populous state
has stopped paying some 21,000 teachers of subjects including mathematics and
science in Muslim religious schools, or madrasas, an official said on Thursday,
and they could lose their jobs altogether.
The teachers work at madrasas in Uttar
Pradesh, ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party, and
the move comes ahead of Modi seeking his third straight term in a general
election due by May.
“Over 21,000 teachers are set to lose
their jobs,” Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, chief of Uttar Pradesh’s madrasa education
board, told Reuters. “Muslim students and teachers will go back by 30 years.”
Muslims are a minority in mainly Hindu
India, accounting for about 14 percent of a population of 1.42 billion, and
they make up nearly a fifth of the population of Uttar Pradesh.
Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch
say nationalist groups have threatened and harassed Muslim and other religious
minorities with impunity under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusations
the party denies.
According to a document seen by Reuters,
the federal government stopped funding the program, called the Scheme For
Providing Quality Education in Madrasas, in March 2022.
The document, from the Ministry of
Minority Affairs, shows Modi’s government did not approve any new proposals
from states under the program between the 2017/18 and 2020/21 fiscal years,
before closing it altogether.
Modi’s government raised funding for the
program to a record of about 3 billion rupees ($36 million) in the fiscal year
to March 2016. His office did not respond to a request for comment.
India’s minority affairs ministry, which
ran the program until it was closed, also did not respond to requests to
comment.
The document did not cite a reason but a
government official said it could be because a 2009 law ensuring free
compulsory education for children covers regular government schools.
Government data shows more than 70,000
madrasas were covered in the first six years of the program, started in 2009/10
by the previous government run by the Congress party.
The program benefited Muslim children
and should be revived, said Shahid Akhter, a member of a government panel on
minority educational institutions.
“Even the prime minister wants children
to have both Islamic and modern education,” he told Reuters. “I am already
talking to officials to see that the scheme is retained.”
The federal government told states about
ending the program only in October last year, according to a letter Uttar
Pradesh madrasa official Javed sent to Modi on Wednesday.
He said his state had not paid its share
to the teachers since April and decided to stop paying altogether this month,
while the federal portion had not been paid for six years.
But they “were doing their work smoothly
in the hope your kindheartedness would resolve the issue,” added the letter
from Javed, who is also the national secretary the BJP Minority Front.
A senior Uttar Pradesh information
official had no immediate comment.
The state used to pay up to 3,000 rupees
($36) a month from its own budget to the teachers of subjects including
science, maths, social studies, Hindi and English, on top of up to 12,000
rupees from the federal government.
“We do not have any other job and I am
too old to get another one,” said Samiullah Khan, a madrasa teacher from
Bahraich district for the past 14 years.
The northeastern state of Assam,
meanwhile, is converting hundreds of madrasas into conventional schools,
despite protests from the opposition and Muslim groups. Its chief minister has
called for all states to stop funding madrasas.
Many madrasas in India are funded by
donations from members of the Muslim community, while others rely on government
aid.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2440261/world
-----
PM Modi meets Muslim delegation,
presents chadar to Ajmer Dargah
11th January 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Thursday, January 11, met with a Muslim community delegation and presented a
chadar to be placed during the Urs of the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at the Ajmer
Sharif Dargah.
The PM held discussions with the
delegation which was accompanied by Union minority affairs minister Smriti Z
Irani and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) minority morcha president, Jamal
Siddiqui.
“Met a Muslim community delegation.
During our interaction, I presented the sacred Chadar, which will be placed
during the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at the esteemed Ajmer Sharif
Dargah,” he said in a post on X.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/pm-modi-meets-muslim-delegation-presents-chadar-to-ajmer-dargah-2954266/
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Muzaffarnagar slapping case | SC
directly criticises Uttar Pradesh in case of teacher goading students to slap
Muslim classmate
January 12, 2024
Krishnadas Rajagopal
The Supreme Court on January 12, 2024,
directly blamed the Uttar Pradesh government for the incident of a teacher at a
Muzzafarnagar private school goading her students to slap their seven-year-old
Muslim classmate.
“All this happened because the State did
not do what it was expected to do. The State should be very concerned about the
manner in which this incident happened,” Justice AS Oka, heading a Bench, told
the counsel for Uttar Pradesh.
“But it was a private school…” the State
counsel protested.
The court had in November asked experts
from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to intervene and help with
the counselling of the child and his classmates.
Student slap incident throws light on
poor quality of schooling in rural Uttar Pradesh
On Friday, the Bench asked advocate
Shadan Farasat, appearing for activist Tushar Gandhi, who had brought the case
to the Supreme Court in a petition, to go through the TISS recommendations and
make further suggestions, if necessary, in consultation with the parents of the
child. Mr. Farasat said the TISS report was “inadequate”.
In an earlier hearing, the court had
flagged the incident as “very serious” and in direct violation of Article 21A
(the fundamental right of a child to free and compulsory education) of the
Constitution, the Right to Education Act and even the Uttar Pradesh Rules which
tasks the local authorities to ensure that children do not face discrimination
in classrooms.
In September, the court had criticised
the State for a “watered-down” and delayed FIR against the school teacher, who
was shown on video showering communal remarks on the child. The court had at
the time raised questions about religious discrimination and quality of
education in Uttar Pradesh. “The manner in which the incident has happened
should shock the conscience of the State,” Justice Oka had observed.
Justice Oka had pointed out that the FIR
registered after a “long delay” by the Uttar Pradesh Police has ignored
statements made by the child’s father about objectionable remarks made by the
teacher, Tripti Tyagi.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Advocate
General Garima Parshad said the school the child was currently attending was 28
km away. The Right to Education Act required a child to be enrolled in a school
within one-and-a-half km radius of home, she pointed out.
“It is the school which was within this
radius that caused harm to the child,” Mr. Farasat countered.
He said the curriculum followed by the
current school was good and the child’s father was himself taking him to and
fro from school everyday now.
Mr. Gandhi has urged the apex court to
formulate guidelines for the preventive and remedial measures within school
systems in relation to violence committed against children, including students
belonging to religious minorities.
“Corporal punishment has become rampant
in the Indian education system. The appalling and ghastly episode is preceded
by a series of instances of violence against students belonging to marginalised
communities,” the petition has said.
The plea said violence in schools had an
insidious effect even on students who witnessed it, creating an atmosphere of
fear, anxiety, intolerance and polarisation.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/muzaffarnagar-slapping-case-sc-directly-criticises-uttar-pradesh-in-case-of-teacher-goading-students-to-slap-muslim-classmate/article67733661.ece
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Ruckus, FIR Over Lord Ram Posters at
Dehradun Store Run by Muslim Man
Avaneesh Mishra
January 12, 2024
Days after a video showing a group of
people in Dehradun barging into a shop operated by a Muslim employee and
forcefully removing posters of Hindu gods went viral, police on Thursday filed
an FIR into the incident.
The 9.47-minute-long video shows a group
of people creating ruckus in the shop and raising “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. A
woman, identified as one Radha Semwal Dhoni, could be seen pointing at posters
in the shop that have images of Lord Ram. The posters, which also had the name
of the shop — Aman General Store — written on it, were then forcefully removed.
The woman could be heard saying in the
video that if the store has been given to a Muslim man to run, the name should
be changed. The owner of the store is a Hindu man.
“Change the name… and remove these pooja
items. If you keep the name of our gods, then I will cut you up right here.
Keep your own name, and if you want to join our religion, then do gharwapsi,”
the woman was heard telling the store employee.
Following the incident, an FIR was
registered at the Patel Nagar police station against Radha Dhoni and her
associates under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups),
295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings)
and 505 (public mischief).
According to Dehradun police officers,
the group forcefully removed the shop’s sign board and religious posters.
According to a police statement, the
owner of the shop is one Rakesh Borai, who gave it on rent to one Girish. The
latter then hired one Shahnawaz, resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, to run
the store. “While giving the said shop on rent, the shop owner had asked the
tenant not to change the form and name of the shop, nor to remove any other
item kept inside the shop,” the statement said.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ruckus-fir-over-lord-ram-posters-at-dehradun-store-run-by-muslim-man-9105905/
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Sunehri Bagh Mosque Demolition: Case
Transferred To Delhi High Court’s Double Bench, Next Hearing On Jan 19
11 JAN 2024
The Sunehri Bagh mosque case which was
heard by single-bench inside Delhi High Court on Thursday was transferred to
double-bench.
The next date of hearing in the case has
been listed on January 19.
Sunehri Bagh mosque case:
Last year, on December 30, the cleric of
the mosque had moved the Delhi HC against the proposed demolition of the
structure due to alleged traffic congestion in the area.
The cleric Abdul Aziz in his petition
had challenged a December 24 public notice issued by the New Delhi Municipal
Council (NDMC) seeking objections and suggestions from the general public by
January 1 regarding the demolition of the mosque.
Delhi HC had accepted Aziz’s petition
and listed the case for hearing, following an assurance from the NDMC’s counsel
that nothing would happen in the meantime as a final call on the action has to
be taken by the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC).
Aziz in his petition had stated that he
was not pressing for an interim order at this stage, while his counsel had
argued that the law does not give power to the NDMC to remove a heritage
structure.
“The court may list the petition before
the roster bench. Let them take instructions. I am not asking for any stay
order,” Aziz’s counsel had told the court.
The court had questioned the locus of
the Imam to file the petition instead of the Delhi Waqf Board.
In response the Aziz’s counsel had said
that he(Aziz) filed the petition to protect his congregation as the Sunehri
Bagh mosque is a functioning mosque.
In his plea, the petitioner had said the
mosque is more than 150 years old and a heritage building that is a symbol of
cultural legacy.
“Various government buildings including
Vayu Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan and Udyog Bhawan Metro Station blended harmoniously
with the Sunehri Bagh Masjid and thus due to these offices, the movement of
vehicles started in the area which… clearly shows that these government offices
have contributed to the traffic, if any, in that area and not because of
Sunehri Bagh Masjid as theorized by NDMC/Traffic Police,” Aziz had said in his
petition.
“The petitioner being the Imam of
Sunehri Bagh Masjid is witnessing the condition of traffic in the area. The
petitioner submits that the traffic in the area is regulated and when required,
barricades are put and there is no complaint of any resistance of such
regulation and barricades from the petitioner or the worshippers,” Aziz’s
petition mentioned.
On December 18, the High Court had
closed the proceedings in a separate petition by the Delhi Waqf Board
anticipating demolition of the mosque at the Sunehri Bagh Road roundabout while
recording that the parties would act as per the law.
Source: outlookindia.com
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https://www.outlookindia.com/national/sunehri-bagh-mosque-demolition-delhi-high-court-double-bench-january-19-news-342490
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U. P HC Adjourns Hearing InKrishna
Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Case Till Jan 17
11th January 2024
Neha Khan
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on
Thursday adjourned till January 17 the hearing on the modalities of a survey of
the Shahi Idgah complex located next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in
Mathura.
On December 14, the court allowed a
court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah and said the modalities of the survey
will be discussed at the next hearing.
The Hindu side in the Krishna
Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah case had appealed for constituting a commission for the
survey, claiming the mosque holds signs suggesting that it was a Hindu temple
once.
Justice Mayank Kumar Jain adjourned the
hearing after being informed that the counsel for the UP Sunni Central Waqf
Board, Lucknow, would not be able to attend court as his father had passed
away.
“Punit Kumar Gupta, the learned counsel
of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow, has moved an application on the
ground that his father has expired and he is not able to attend court. Gupta is
also to be heard on the composition and modalities of the commission,” the
judge said.
When the hearing started, a prayer was
made on behalf of the Muslim side for adjournment of hearing on the grounds
that a special leave petition (SLP) filed against the order for survey
commission is pending and likely to be heard on January 16, and further that
its counsel Punit Gupta’s father has passed away.
On the issue of modalities and
composition of the commission, the counsel for the Hindu side said the order
for constituting the survey team is not going to harm any party. It urged the
court to pass the order for constituting the team and appoint a retired judge
of the high court to head it.
On December 14, the high court had
agreed to the appointment of an advocate-commissioner to oversee the survey of
the mosque.
Justice Jain while hearing a suit filed
by the deity Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev and seven others
had allowed the application for commission survey.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/hc-adjourns-hearing-in-krishna-janmabhumi-shahi-idgah-case-till-jan-17-2954648/
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MHA Empowers States, UTs to Seize Assets
OfTehreek-e-Hurriyat, Muslim League-JK
Jan 11, 2024
Thursday’s order by the ministry of home
affairs comes days after the Centre declared the two groups as terrorist groups
under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
NEW DELHI: The ministry of home affairs
(MHA) on Thursday issued two notifications to empower states and union
territories to act against Muslim League and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, two Jammu and
Kashmir based groups banned last month.
Muslim League, led by Masarat Alam Bhat,
and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, founded by deceased separatist leader Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, were banned by the MHA under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act
(UAPA) on December 27 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
“The Central government hereby directs
that all powers exercisable by it under section 7 and section 8 of the said
(UAPA) act shall also be exercised by the state governments and the union
territory administration in relation to the above said unlawful association
(s),” the notification said.
The two notifications empower the Jammu
and Kashmir administration to seize assets and freeze bank accounts and
finances belonging to the two outfits.
Section 7 of UAPA prohibits use of funds
by any banned organisation while section 8 allows authorities to notify any
place suspected to be used by the banned organisations for its activities and
can be investigated or searched by the police officers.
On the decision to ban both the
organisations, Union home minister Amit Shah said last month that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi government had a zero-tolerance policy against
terrorism, and that any individual or organization found involved in anti-India
activities will be thwarted forthwith.
“The Muslim League Jammu Kashmir
(Masarat Alam faction) is declared as an ‘Unlawful Association’ under UAPA.
This organisation and its members are involved in anti-national and
secessionist activities in J&K, supporting terrorist activities, and inciting
people to establish Islamic rule in J&K,” Shah said in a post on ‘X’ on
December 27.
About Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, he said - “The
‘Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, J&K (TeH) has been declared an ‘Unlawful Association’
under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The outfit is involved in forbidden
activities to separate J&K from India and establish Islamic rule”.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mha-empowers-states-uts-to-seize-assets-of-tehreek-e-hurriyat-muslim-leaguejk-101704988674019.html
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RJD Minority Wing LeaderReads Out
Hanuman Chalisa in Public Meeting
12th January 2024
Marziya Sharif
Patna: A RJD Muslim leader read out the
Hanuman Chalisa at a public meeting in Bettiah city in Bihar’s West Champaran
district on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering, RJD minority
wing leader Sadik Khan said: “Some people are creating differences in the name
of temple and mosque in the country and dividing Hindu and Muslim for vote
banks. I belong to Muslim community and it is a personal thing and I do not
hesitate in reading Hanuman Chalisa.
“I am a soldier of Lalu Prasad Yadav who
believes in good education, health, road transports, good infrastructures in
various sectors. RJD believes in providing jobs to the people of state and it
is doing that. It is a glory of India that people of Hindu and Muslim are
living together. On one hand, people are doing politics in the name of
Pakistan, Kabristan, Shamshan, and on the other hand, people are sitting here
for jobs, education, health, road infrastructure and other facilities.”
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/rjd-muslim-leader-reads-out-hanuman-chalisa-in-public-meeting-2954675/
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UP Police arrests Pakistani agent tasked
to spread 'jihad', disrupt harmony
Jan 11, 2024
LUCKNOW: In a significant breakthrough,
the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday arrested a
Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent from the Shamli district.
The national probe agency nabbed Tehseem alias Mota (45) at the GarhiShakhawat
crossing on Meerut-Karnal Road in Muzaffarnagar.
Prashant Kumar, director general of law
and order, revealed that during interrogation, Tehseem confessed to frequenting
Pakistan with his brother Kaleem. Through connections made there, they were
allegedly lured by ISI handlers with money and promises of arms, ammunition,
and funds to spread jihad and disrupt communal harmony in India.
Uttar Pradesh's top cop elaborated that
Tehseem and Kaleem used fake sim cards to send sensitive information over
WhatsApp to Dilshad alias Mirza, an ISI agent in Pakistan. They also reportedly
received counterfeit currency from another individual named Nafees.
The STF's operation began with the
arrest of Imran on August 2, 2023, in Shamli. He was found in possession of
counterfeit currency worth Rs 6.08 lakh. Subsequently, Kaleem was apprehended
on August 16 from the same district. Tehseem's name surfaced during the
investigation, prompting the STF to launch a targeted operation for his
capture.
Tehseem's Pakistan 'connections' and
Iqbal Kana
According to the STF, Tehseem visited
Pakistan in 2002 under the pretext of selling paan/tobacco. He reportedly
stayed with a relative in Kotadu for a short period and later in Lahore. While
in Lahore, he allegedly met individuals associated with a known fake Indian
currency note (FICN) dealer named Iqbal Kana and his aides. These connections
are said to have influenced Tehseem's involvement in FICN trafficking from 2002
to 2008.
The STF probe further claims that
Tehseem received and circulated counterfeit currency notes during this period.
The alleged consignments of FICN ranged in value from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 7 lakh
and were reportedly sourced from contacts in Pakistan, Delhi, and Amritsar.
Additionally, Tehseem has a past record of arrests related to FICN possession
in these locations.
Following his release from prison in
2016, Tehseem is suspected of participating in drug supply and other illegal
activities with the help of an individual named Shahid, who reportedly fled to
Pakistan after facing legal charges in India and is said to be involved in
cross-border smuggling and potentially anti-national activities.
Tehseem also faces separate charges
under the Arms Act related to a 2019 incident in Punjab and a weapons supply
case still under investigation.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/up-police-arrests-pakistani-agent-tasked-to-spread-jihad-disrupt-harmony/articleshowprint/106733820.cms?val=3728
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Europe
Muslims in Germany: Life
post-Hamas-attack 'like after 9/11'
12th January 2024
"I experienced the weeks that
followed September 11. I feel like I've been taken back there," said
Suleman Malik, a Muslim from the eastern German state of Thuringia, as he
recalled the terror attack on the United States that took place in 2001.
He added that sometimes he felt as if he
was "being led through the circus on a nose ring."
Malik said he knows that Muslims across
Germany have been suffering new recriminations since Israel's war on Hamas
began: women being yelled at for wearing headscarves, for instance, or
communities receiving hate mail.
"What is missing," he told DW,
"are people who say, 'you Muslims belong here with us, we'll protect
you.'"
A mosque being built, with Malik in the
foregroundA mosque being built, with Malik in the foreground
The Pakistani-born 35-year-old is, as
one says in Germany, a well-integrated Muslim from the Ahmadiyya community,
which began as a reform movement at the end of the nineteenth century. Malik
speaks fluent German, works as a personnel consultant and is the deputy
district mayor of the Erfurt neighborhood of Reith. For the past several years,
he has also been engaged in the construction of a small mosque in an industrial
park on the city outskirts.
Muslims: partners in the fight against
antisemitism
Malik said people who felt and
articulated empathy for the suffering of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza
were immediately, "seen as being antisemitic, even though not every Jew
thinks the Israeli government is doing the right thing."
He condemned the terror Hamas directs at
Israel and quoted a passage from the Quran that forbids attacks on the
religious sites of others.
He emphasized that "Muslims are
obliged to protect Jewish life," and that those who didn't had failed to
understand the lessons of Islam.
German society, he said, should view
Muslims as partners in the fight against antisemitism.
Malik also spoke to DW about his home
state, Thuringia, and the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Thuringia branch
of which German domestic intelligence agencies have labeled a right-wing
extremist organization.
"We have a party that has declared
Islamophobia part of its political program, and it is currently winning
approval from nearly one-third of voters in opinion polls," he said,
adding that right-wing extremists protest in front of his community's mosque
every week.
Study confirms anti-Muslim sentiment in
Germany
In June 2023, after years of research,
experts presented a comprehensive study titled "Anti-Muslim Sentiment —
Germany Takes Stock." Germany's federal government tasked the Independent
Expert Group on Anti-Muslim Sentiment (UEM) with compiling the report after a
racially motivated attack in the city of Hanau. Located in the state of Hesse,
Hanau was the scene of a February 2020 attack in which a right-wing extremist
killed nine individuals with migrant backgrounds.
The study clearly delineates the scale
of anti-Muslim sentiment in German society,y but, above all, it shows how
little is known about it. That means, for instance, that for a long time,
anti-Muslim hate crimes were rarely classified as such.
Moreover, the report makes clear that
"anti-Muslim sentiment is not a marginal phenomenon in society but is
widespread in large parts of the German population, remaining at a consistently
high level for many years."
But in the wake of Hamas' bloody October
7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, in which militants killed 1,200 people and
took 240 more hostage, and especially since protests on German streets — some
celebrating the attacks and even denying Israel's right to exist — the study
has garnered little discussion. It was even relegated to a cursory role in the
federal government's "German Islam Conference" held at the Interior
Ministry in November. The political agenda, it seems, has been reshuffled.
Was a recent arson attack in Hesse
racially motivated?
This relegation of importance is
happening despite reports of increases in attacks on mosques, property damage
and threatening anti-Muslim messages across the country in the weeks after the
Hamas attack. The most dramatic of these instances played out when a home in
Wächtersbach in Hesse was torched shortly before Christmas.
Graffiti reading "foreigners
out!" was scrawled on the house, causing authorities to question whether
the crime was racially motivated. An investigation is ongoing. The house was
home to a family from Pakistan that has long resided in the village and the
members of which, like Malik, are well-integrated.
Malik said he is frustrated that there
are too few statistics and too few facts when it comes to anti-Muslim attacks
in Germany. New statistics tracking anti-Muslim crimes over the last few months
of 2023 have yet to be published, for instance, but staff at information
centers say there has been a significant increase.
"There is a sizable Muslim
population that happily lives here in Germany and that shares the country's
societal values," said former journalist Suleyman Bag in Berlin.
"We're losing sight of that normalcy."
Muslims are often cast as the problem in
German society, but intelligence services reports clearly show that right-wing
and left-wing extremism pose a far greater threat than Islamic extremism.
One form of hate shouldn't blind people
to other forms of discrimination
Even Güvercin of the liberal Alhambra
Society said it is not enough to simply look at anti-Muslim sentiment as it
only represents one isolated form of hate.
He said that although anti-Muslim
sentiment was naturally an "important issue," we needed to avoid
"victimhood competition," in which one form of hate blinds people to
other types of hatred and discrimination.
Güvercin said that if Muslim society
fails to openly discuss its own problems, such as antisemitic stereotyping and
the hatred of Jews, it will be unable to move beyond the discrimination it
experiences itself.
The same, Güvercin said, goes for the
whole of Germany.
"Politicians and society must get
more serious about how to confront the increase in racism," he said.
That is why the June 2023 report on Anti-Muslim
Sentiment and the findings and suggestions it puts forth for politicians are so
important. Güvercin said that politicians must also finally address the issue
of racism more earnestly than they have in the past.
Source: dw.com
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UK’s Sunak says strikes against Houthis
‘necessary and proportionate’
12 Jan 2024
LONDON, Jan 12 — US and British air
strikes carried out today against Houthi targets in Yemen over recent attacks
on Red Sea shipping were “necessary and proportionate”, UK Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak said.
“Despite the repeated warnings from the
international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the
Red Sea,” Sunak said in a statement.
“We have therefore taken limited,
necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United
States... to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping,”
he said.
Sunak’s statement followed comments by
US President Joe Biden about the strikes carried out against the Houthis, who
control wide areas of Yemen.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks in
recent weeks on shipping in the Red Sea, a vital waterway through which 12 per
cent of world trade flows.
Houthi television channel Al-Massirah
said the air strikes hit the capital Sanaa as well as the cities of Hodeida and
Saada.
US and British forces this week shot
down 18 drones and three missiles fired by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in what
Washington called a “complex Iranian-designed” attack.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said
on Twitter that four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets had taken part in
Friday’s strikes against Houthi targets alongside US forces.
Sunak described the Houthi’s actions as
“irresponsible” and “destabilising” and said their attacks were “driving up
commodity prices”.
“The UK will always defend freedom of
navigation and the free flow of trade,” he said. — AFP Source: malaymail.com
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Russia requests UN Security Council
meeting after US and Britain strike Yemen
January 12, 2024
MOSCOW: Russia said it had requested an
urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss
military strikes on Yemen by the United States and Britain.
“Russia has requested an urgent meeting
of the UN Security Council on January 12 in connection with the US and UK
strikes on Yemen,” Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations said.
The United States and Britain launched
strikes from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen in
response to the movement’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a dramatic regional
widening of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
A spokesman for Yemen’s Houthis said
there was no justification for the US-British attack and said the Iran-backed
group will continue targeting ships heading towards Israel.
Source: brecorder.com
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UK, US expected to launch strikes
against Houthis ‘within hours’: Report
January 11, 2024
LONDON: Britain is expected to join the
United States in conducting overnight air strikes on military positions
belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen “within hours,” the political
editor for the Times newspaper reported on Thursday.
The US has not confirmed any intention
to launch air strikes and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street
office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The Houthis need to stop these attacks
... they will bear the consequences for any failure to do so,” White House
national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.
Sunak briefed his cabinet of ministers
on the imminent military intervention earlier on Thursday, the Times report
added.
British media also reported that other
political figures, including the leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party,
Keir Starmer, as well as the speaker of the House of Commons, had been briefed
by the government.
Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi militants
have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against
Israel’s war in Gaza. Various shipping lines have suspended operations, instead
taking the longer journey around Africa.
The US military said the Houthis earlier
on Thursday had staged their 27th attack on shipping since Nov. 19, firing an
anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of
Aden.
Earlier this week, US and British naval
forces had shot down drones and missiles fired by the Houthis toward the
southern Red Sea.
The US deployed warships and set up an
international coalition in December to protect maritime traffic in the area,
through which 12 percent of world trade flows.
Late Tuesday, British and US forces shot
down 18 drones and three missiles fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea, in what
London on Wednesday called the most significant attack by Yemeni rebels to
date.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps
warned Wednesday that there was “no doubt” Iran was involved and providing
weapons and intelligence, while insisting that “enough is enough.” He added
that “we must be clear with the Houthis that this has to stop.”
The UN Security Council also Wednesday
urged an immediate halt to the attacks on shipping, warning of a threat to
regional peace and security.
Source: arabnews.com
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France says not part of US-led
anti-Yemen coalition, focuses on own ships
11 January 2024
A top French commander says the naval
forces are accompanying ships with French interests through the Red Sea, as
Yemeni armed forces continue to target vessels bound for the occupied
Palestinian territories.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday,
Rear-Admiral Emmanuel Slaars said the French forces remained entirely under
French control. He said France's current mandate did not include directly
striking Yemeni armed forces.
"We regularly escort French-flagged
ships or with French interests in the Red Sea. We accompany them all along
their crossing," Slaars stated.
The commander, however, said France was
also working closely with the United States in the area by exchanging
information.
The French Defense Ministry recently
announced it supported efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea
and said it already operated in the region. However, it said its ships would
stay under French command and did not say if it would deploy more naval forces.
Yemen has already warned it will prevent
the passage of all ships in the Red Sea bound to the occupied territories and
has dismissed plans to build a US-led coalition against the Yemeni forces.
In a major setback to the US-led
coalition in the Red Sea to protect passage of Israeli-owned and Israel-bound
merchant vessels, France, Spain, and Italy have officially withdrawn from the
alliance. The trio explicitly stated their commitment to operating exclusively
under the command of international bodies such as the United Nations, NATO, or
the European Union, choosing not to align with the United States.
The US-led maritime task force in Red
Sea has suffered a major setback as France, Spain and Italy withdraw from the
naval coalition.
Yemen has vowed retaliation in the wake
of the killing of 10 Yemeni naval personnel in late December, when the US Navy
sunk three of speedboats of Ansarullah.
The leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah
movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has made it clear all other ships except those
bounded for occupied Palestinian territories are safe as long as their
countries were not part of or planned to join the US-led anti-Yemen coalition.
Reports revealed that Israeli shipping
companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by
Yemeni forces.
Source: presstv.ir
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Southeast Asia
Sultan Nazrin: Qualified Shariah lawyers
no longer need interview, test to practice in Perak
12 Jan 2024
IPOH, Jan 12 ― Any qualified individuals
holding a Shariah legal practice certificate in any state who want to practice
in Perak, can now do so without having to go through the test and interview set
by the state Syariah Lawyer Admission Committee.
The Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah
said that from October 18 last year, qualified individuals only need to submit
an application to the committee for approval to practice as a Shariah lawyer in
the state.
Sultan Nazrin previously decreed that
the Rules of Syariah Lawyer (Perak) 2003 stipulate that any individual who
intends to become a Shariah lawyer in Perak, in addition to having a recognised
academic qualification, must undergo examinations or interviews set by the
Syariah Lawyer Admission Committee.
“Responding to my advice, starting Oct
18, 2023, the committee has streamlined the procedures for accepting Shariah
lawyers according to Section 69 (4) of the Administration of Islamic Religious
Affairs Enactment (Perak) 2004, which allows any qualified person, who has a
Shariah law practice certificate in any state, (to be) accepted to practice in
Perak without having to go through tests and interviews,” he said.
His Royal Highness said this at the
presentation ceremony of the instruments of appointment to Perak Islamic
Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) office bearers for the 2024-2025
term, as well as state Shariah Court judges, here today.
Sultan Nazrin said that the move is
believed to facilitate the wishes of Shariah lawyers who want to practice law
in Perak, in addition to benefiting clients to have the option of obtaining a
wider range of Shariah legal services.
At the ceremony, Sultan Nazrin presented
the instruments of appointment to the Perak Syariah Supreme Court judge Datuk
Mohd Amran Mat Zain and the state Syariah Court of Appeal chairman Mohamad
Taifor Ahmad Rusdi.
The other five state Syariah Court of
Appeal judges who received the instruments of appointment today are Datuk Abd
Aziz bin Mohd Yusof; Datuk Kamardin Hashim; Datuk Mohd Radzi Abd Latif; Datuk
Mohamad Shakir Abdul Hamid and Datuk Abas Nordin.
It also carved new history in the state
of Perak with the appointment of Nor Hadina Ahmad Zabidi as the sole female
judge at the Syariah Court of Appeal. ― Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Malaysian King, Queen Attend Royal
Islamic Affairs Premier Forum
12-01- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-PertuanAgong
Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja
PermaesuriAgongTunku Azizah Aminah MaimunahIskandariah graced the Royal Islamic
Affairs Premier Forum at Istana Negara, yesterday’s night.
The forum titled “Royal Institution
Uniting the Ummah” was organised by the Department of Islamic Development
Malaysia (Jakim) and Istana Negara to enhance the understanding and foster the
belief that the royal institution was a symbol of uniting the ummah within a
diverse and varied community.
More than 400 people attended the forum
at Istana Negara which lasted for one hour and 30 minutes and was also
broadcast live on TV1 Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
Also present were Dewan Rakyat Speaker
Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Finance Minister
II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
(Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar along with the government’s top
leadership, including Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali
and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
Among other things, the forum discussed
the vital role played by the Malay Rulers in being the pillars of Islamic
strength and uniting the people in Malaysia.
It featured Ustaz Zakaria Othman from
Jakim as the moderator along with three panelists, namely Deputy Mufti of
Pahang Datuk Badli Shah Alaudin, UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia lecturer Assoc
Prof Dr Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashi and Universiti Malaya lecturer Assoc Prof
Dr Sharifah Hayaati Syed Ismail.
The panelists also discussed Al-Sultan
Abdullah’s wisdom in steering the country during the COVID-19 pandemic and the
political uncertainties resulting from the occurrence of a hung parliament
after the 15th General Election, which proved the importance of the royal
institution in the governance of the country.
After the forum ended at 10.30 pm, Their
Majesties mingled and dined with the guests before leaving the
ceremony.–Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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Floods: Slight drop in number of
evacuees in Johor, Pahang on Friday morning, says Nadma
12 Jan 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The number of flood
victims in Johor and Pahang dropped slightly to 5,800 people at 45 relief
centres (PPS) as of 6am on Friday (Jan 12), compared to 5,897 people last
night.
According to the latest report by the
National Disaster Control Centre of the National Disaster Management Agency
(Nadma), the number of flood victims in Johor dropped to 5,020 people compared
to 5,117 people last night.
The victims, involving 1,397 families
are still at 36 PPS in six districts in the state, with Kota Tinggi recording
the highest number, at 4,135 people in 24 PPS, followed by Kluang (350
victims), Johor Baru (336 victims) and Segamat (95 victims) at three PPS in
each of the district, while in Batu Pahat, there are 87 victims at two PPS and
in Pontian (17 victims) at one PPS.
In Pahang, a total of 780 victims are
still seeking shelter at nine PPS in three districts, namely five PPS with 191
victims in Rompin, three PPS in Pekan (564 victims) and one PPS in Maran (25
victims).
Meanwhile, two rivers in Johor still
recorded a dangerous level, namely Sungai Johor in Kota Tinggi and dan Sungai
Endau in Kluang.
In Pahang, Sungai Pahang at Pekan, Bera,
and Maran, as well as Sungai Rompin still record a dangerous level, and also
Sungai Arau in Perlis and Sungai Terengganu in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
The report also stated that 61 roads are
still closed due to flood, damaged or collapsed bridges and landslides,
including Jalan Durian Mentangau in Dungun, Terengganu, Jalan Petri Jaya in
Kota Tinggi, Johor and Jalan Pekan Sehari Kampung Awah in Maran, Pahang. –
Bernama
Source: thestar.com.my
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Mideast
Israel to counter genocide accusations
at World Court
January 12, 2024
THE HAGUE: Israel will respond on Friday
to accusations brought by South Africa at the UN’s top court that its military
operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign aimed at wiping out the
Palestinian population.
South Africa, which filed the lawsuit at
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December, asked judges on Thursday
to impose emergency measures ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive.
It said Israel’s aerial and ground
offensive — which has laid waste to much of the narrow coastal enclave and
killed more than 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities — aimed to
bring about “the destruction of the population” of Gaza.
Israel rejected the accusations of
genocide as baseless and said South Africa was acting as a mouthpiece for
Hamas, which it views as a terrorist organization seeking to eliminate the
Jewish state. Its military was targeting Hamas militants, not Palestinian
civilians, it said.
Israel launched its all-out war in Gaza
after a cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants in which Israeli
officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken
hostage back to Gaza.
The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in
the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as
“acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group.”
Since Israeli forces launched their
offensive, nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their
homes at least once, causing a humanitarian catastrophe.
Post-apartheid South Africa has long
advocated the Palestinian cause, a relationship forged when the African
National Congress’ struggle against white-minority rule was cheered on by
Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization.
The court is expected to rule on
possible emergency measures later this month, but will not rule at that time on
the genocide allegations — those proceedings could take years.
The ICJ’s decisions are final and
without appeal — but the court has no way to enforce them.
Source: arabnews.com
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Iran condemns ‘arbitrary’ US, UK strikes
on Yemen rebels
January 12, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran on Friday lambasted strikes
in Yemen by US and British forces, saying that the attacks against
Tehran-backed Houthi rebels were “arbitrary” and a “violation” of international
law.
The overnight strikes followed weeks of
missile and drone attacks by Houthi forces on vessels in the Red Sea, claiming
to act in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman
Nasser Kanani said in a statement that Tehran “strongly condemned the military
attacks of the United States and the United Kingdom this morning on several Yemeni
cities.”
He said the strikes were “an arbitrary
action, a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Yemen, and a violation of international laws and regulations.”
The United States and its allies said in
a joint statement following the air strikes on Houthi targets that their goal
“remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea.”
The attacks by the Houthis have
disrupted traffic through the vital maritime route, with some companies
suspending passage through the area.
Kanani warned that the attacks “will
have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region” as
well as “diverting the world’s attention from the crimes” in Gaza, where Israel
has been fighting the Palestinian territory’s Hamas rulers.
The Iranian spokesman urged the
international community to take action “to prevent the spread of war.”
The Israel-Hamas war erupted on October
7 with attacks by Palestinian militants on southern Israel, resulting in about
1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli
figures.
Iran, which supports Hamas financially
and militarily, has hailed the attack but denied any involvement.
Israel has responded with a relentless
military campaign that has killed more than 23,000 people in the besieged Gaza
Strip, the majority of them women and children, according to the health
ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.
The Islamic republic has repeatedly
warned of a widening conflict. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in
November said the intensity of the war had rendered its expansion “inevitable.”
The Houthi rebels — part of the regional
Tehran-aligned “axis of resistance” against Israel and its allies — seized
Yemen’s capital Sanaa in 2014 and now control large swathes of the country.
Washington had said Iran was “deeply
involved” in the Houthis’ maritime attacks, a claim Tehran has denied.
President Ebrahim Raisi has said Iran
sees it as “its duty to support the resistance groups” but insisted that they
“are independent in their opinion, decision and action.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Blinken says path to Palestinian state
can isolate Iran, proxies
January 11, 2024
CAIRO: Offering a pathway to a
Palestinian state is the best way to stabilize the wider region and isolate
Iran and its proxies, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday, as
he ended a frenetic regional tour over the Gaza war in Cairo.
Speaking to reporters after meeting
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Blinken said the region faced two
paths, the first of which would see “Israel integrated, with security
assurances and committments from regional countries and as well from the United
States, and a Palestinian state — at least a pathway to get to that state.”
Blinken said Israel bolstering its
security and the creation of a Palestinian state is the best way to thwart
attacks from Iran’s regional proxies, like Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s
Houthis and various militia that have staged attacks on US and foreign
interests in Iraq and Syria.
He added: “The other path is to continue
to see the terrorism, the nihilism, the destruction by Hamas, by the Houthis,
by Hezbollah, all backed by Iran.”
“If you pursue the first path ... that’s
the single best way to isolate, to marginalize Iran and the proxies that are
making so much trouble — for us and pretty much everyone else in the region.”
He said there is “a greater willingness
now of countries to make the hard decisions and do what’s necessary to advance
on that track.”
The meeting President El-Sisi and
Blinken outlined Egyptian efforts to communicate with all parties, to reach an
immediate ceasefire,and to ensure accessibility to humanitarian aid.
According to a statement from El-Sisi’s
office, both sides stated their rejection of any displacement of Palestinians
from their lands.
Egyptian General Intelligence Service
Director Major General Abbas Kamel also attended the meeting.Presidential
spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said that the regional situation was discussed,
especially in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories.
Blinken was keen to share with El-Sisi
the course of his expanded tour in the region and to listen to Egypt’s vision
on theprospects for a solution.
El-Sisi stressed the need for the
international community to undertake its responsibilities to implement the
relevant UN resolutions so that aid could enter in sufficient quantities to
help the people of Gaza.
He said it was also imperative for the
calming efforts to lead to a just and comprehensive settlement to the
Palestinian issue that addressed the roots of the current situation, enabled
the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights, and achieved
security, development and prosperity for all the people of the region.
Modest success
American officials claimed modest
success in getting wide regional support for planning for reconstruction and
governance in Gaza after Israel’s war with Hamas ends.
But progress is uncertain because
Israel’s far-right government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not
on board with several key points and it remains unclear if it can be convinced
to accept them.
Still, Blinken secured buy-in from
previously reluctant Arab and Muslim nations to begin post-war planning
planning for Gaza in discussions with the leaders of Turkiye, Jordan, Qatar,
the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Palestinian Authority
over the weeklong mission, his fourth to the Middle East since the war began in
October.
Winning approval for the consideration
of post-conflict scenarios along with tamping down renewed fears that the Gaza
war could spread were Blinken’s main goals.
Each country — along with Greece, which
Blinken also visited — pledged to participate in the general planning, although
precise contributions have yet to be determined and Israel remained an outlier.
“On our previous trips here, I think
there was a reluctance to talk about some of the day-after issues in terms of
long-term stability and security on a regional basis,” Blinken told reporters
at Cairo’s airport after his meeting with El-Sisi. “But now we’re finding that
our partners are very focused on that and wanting to engage on those
questions.”
“They’re also clearly prepared to take
steps to do things, to make commitments necessary both for Gaza’s future and
for long-term peace and security of the region,” Blinken said.
However, Arab support is contingent on
not only the end of the conflict but also the establishment of a pathway for
the creation of an independent Palestinian state, something that Netanyahu
opposes.
US officials, speaking on the condition
of anonymity to describe private diplomatic talks, said the conversations
Blinken had in Israel on Tuesday were the most difficult on the trip. But, they
added, the talks had been successful in getting Israel to agree to a United
Nations inspection team visit to northern Gaza to gauge whether it is safe for
residents who fled the Israeli offensive to return.
Also key to the plan is the reform of
the Palestinian Authority, which was the main agenda item at a summit held
Wednesday in Aqaba between El-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas.
“We have a commitment from the
Palestinian Authority to pursue meaningful reform,” Blinken said. Officials
said the changes would include the appointment of a new technocratic
government, a crackdown on corruption, judicial reform and an easing of media restrictions.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Iran strongly backs ‘courageous action’
of South Africa against Israel at ICC
11 January 2024
Iran has strongly supported the
“courageous” move of the South African government against Israel which faced
accusations at the World Court of genocide in its war on Gaza brought by
Pretoria.
"The disgust and hatred toward the
animalistic behavior of Netanyahu and the terrorist army of the Zionist regime
in committing genocide and war crimes against the Palestinians cannot be washed
away in the public opinion of the world under any title or logic,” Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian wrote on X.
“And now everyone is waiting for the
immediate and decisive decision of the international justice to stop the
killing machine of the Zionists,” he added.
On the first of two days of hearings at
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday, South Africa accused
Israel of carrying out a genocide, saying the invasion aimed to bring about
"the destruction of the population" of Gaza.
TembekaNgcukaitobi, advocate of the High
Court of South Africa, told the court that the “intent to destroy Gaza has been
nurtured at the highest level”, demanding that the UN's top court order an
emergency suspension of the devastating campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
“We strongly support the courageous
action of the South African government against the apartheid and child-killing
regime before the International Court of Justice (citing the 1948 Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide)," Amir-Abdollahian wrote.
The Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, or the Genocide Convention, is an
international treaty that criminalizes genocide and obligates state parties to
pursue the enforcement of its prohibition.
Source: presstv.ir
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----
Hamas thanks South Africa for filing
anti-Israeli genocide case at ICJ
11 January 2024
The Palestinian resistance movement of
Hamas expresses gratitude towards South Africa for the latter's taking legal
proceedings against the Israeli regime over Tel Aviv's ongoing genocidal war
against the Gaza Strip.
Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas'
Political Bureau, made the remarks on Thursday when the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) held its first hearing in the case that was lodged by Pretoria
with the tribunal in late December.
Rishq said the evidence that Pretoria
had presented at the court "proved to the entire world that the Zionist
regime had resorted to mass killings and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian
people in Gaza."
"Once again, South Africa proved
the authenticity of its principled position of support for the Palestinian
nation," the Hamas official stated.
Pretoria, he added, "proved that it
is against the Zionist regime's savage crimes against our nation and its
legitimate rights."
The Israeli regime launched the war on
October 7 in response to an operation conducted by Gaza's resistance groups.
Since the start of the United
States-backed offensive, the regime has killed at least 23,210 Palestinians,
mostly women and children, and injured more than 59,167 others. Thousands more
are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
Israel bombs the southern and central
Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, ahead of the ICJ
South Africa stipulated at the hearing
that Israel’s response to the October 7 operation had breached the United
Nations Genocide Convention, presenting evidence of genocidal brutality being
perpetrated by the regime in Gaza.
South Africa says Israel’s response to
Hamas offensive on October 7 had breached Genocide Convention, as proceedings
at the ICJ have started.
Taking the floor, Adila Hassim, the
advocate representing South Africa’s case, noted that the regime had
"deployed 6,000 bombs per week" throughout the offensive.
"At least 200 times, it has
deployed 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) bombs in southern Gaza, which it [had]
designated [as] safe," she added. "No one is spared. Not even
newborns. UN chiefs have described it as a graveyard for children."
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/11/718045/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-thanks-South-Africa-lawsuit-genocide-war-Gaza
-----
Gaza officials slam Israel's deliberate
use of 'genocide, starvation'
12 January 2024
Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip,
which has been suffering under more than three months of an unrelenting Israeli
war, slam the regime's deliberate use of a combination of "genocide and
starvation" against the coastal sliver.
In a statement on Wednesday, Gaza's
Government Media Office (GMO) said the regime was deploying the policy to bring
about forced displacement of the people of the Palestinian territory.
The regime launched the war on October 7
in response to an operation conducted by Gaza's resistance groups, dubbed
Operation al-Aqsa Storm.
The majority of respondents viewed the
US position about Israeli aggression on besieged Gaza Strip negatively.
Since the start of the United
States-backed offensive, the regime has killed close to 23,500 Palestinians,
mostly women and children, and injured more than 59,167 others. Thousands more
are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble.
Israel will face the ‘genocide’ charge
at the International Court of Justice for its brutal war on Gaza.
The regime has also cut off the flow of
basic supplies such as water, electricity, medicines, and fuel, to one of the
world's most densely-populated territories that houses over two million
Palestinians.
The media office cited Israeli
communications minister Shlomo Karhi as recently revealing the true goal that
lied behind the genocidal war, namely displacement and expulsion of
Palestinians from the territory.
It quoted the minister as saying,
"Israel must enforce a precise practical plan following the policies of
genocide, starvation, water cut off, massive destruction, placing more pressure
on the Palestinians, creating a repellent environment, and imposing difficult
conditions in order to achieve the goal of displacing Palestinians out of their
homeland."
The "malicious displacement
plans," the GMO, however, asserted, were doomed to fail since the
Palestinian people were adamant to retain their land, sanctities, and just
cause of liberation from Israeli occupation and aggression.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/12/718048/Palestine-Israel-Gaza-genocide-starvation-war
----
Hezbollah targets KiryatShmona with
dozens of missiles
[11/January/2024]
BEIRUT Jan 11. 2024 (Saba) - The
Lebanese Hezbollah announced that it targeted the KiryatShmona settlement with
dozens of missiles at 4 p.m. today, Thursday.
The party said in a statement: This
bombing comes “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza
Strip... and in response to the Zionist attacks on civilians, the most recent
of which was the attack on the Voluntary Civil DefenseCenter in the town of
Hanayen in southern Lebanon, where this attack led to the martyrdom of two
paramedics.”
The statement stressed that "the
resistance is ready to respond immediately to any aggression targeting
civilians."
The party also announced that it
targeted a gathering of Zionist enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Birkat
Risha site with missile weapons, expecting confirmed casualties, including one
dead and one wounded.
The "Resistance Regiments",
the armed arm of the Lebanese "Amal" movement, also announced that it
targeted, this afternoon, "military gatherings of the Zionist enemy in
KiryatShmona with a missile salvo, and they achieved direct hits."
The "KiryatShmona" settlement
is considered one of the first settlements established by the occupation, in
1949 on the lands of the "Khalisa" village in northern occupied
Palestine. Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3295514.htm
-----
Africa
After Christmas attacks on Christians,
Nigerian bishops raise concerns of Islamist agenda—and government complicity
January 11, 2024
Kevin Clarke
Followers of America Media’s
“Dispatches” already know that the section—weekly online and monthly in
print—seeks to bring issues of international and U.S. regional significance to
the attention of our readers. This week America is launching a new column that
will explore breaking events and issues of significance that may not have
gotten the attention they warrant, not only alerting readers to news they may
have missed but offering a slightly deeper dive into it, providing the
background they need to make better sense of the headlines speeding past us
each week.
The lead-off focus of this new column
derives from some grave news over Christmas out of Nigeria.
As many as 295 people were killed and
more than 500 wounded in a series of apparently coordinated raids on some 30
villages in Nigeria’s Plateau State that began on Dec. 23 and continued through
Christmas Day. More than 10,000 were displaced by the violence, and sporadic
attacks in other Nigerian states have followed.
The attackers are believed to be members
of Nigeria’s Fulani community, the majority of whom are Muslim
pastoralists—cattle herders who frequently cross state and national borders
across West Africa in search of grazing land and water. Their victims were
Christians gathered in farming communities across Plateau State and other
“Middle Belt” states in Nigeria, so named because they create a kind of
dividing line between Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north and its Christian south.
Nigeria, a West African nation of more
than 226 million people, is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines.
Just over 46 percent of the population of Nigeria is Christian and about 25
percent of Nigeria’s Christians are Catholic—12 percent of the overall
population.
The attacks have left the Christian
community of Nigeria “shaken and distraught,” said Wilfred ChikpaAnagbe,
C.M.F., the bishop of Makurdi in Benue State, in a letter to Aid to the Church
in Need on Dec. 28 that was shared with America. A.C.N. is a pontifical
foundation serving imperiled Christian communities around the world.
“The violence inflicted upon the people
of Plateau State is a stark reminder of the pressing need for immediate
action,” Bishop Anagbe wrote. “We cannot remain silent while innocent lives are
lost and families torn apart. It is our collective responsibility to raise our
voices and demand justice for the victims and their grieving communities.”
In a statement released on Dec. 28, Isa
Sanusi, the director of Amnesty International Nigeria, described the Christmas
rampage as an “inexcusable” security lapse and urged an impartial and
independent investigation of the failure of the Nigerian military to halt the
bloodshed. According to Amnesty International Nigeria, villagers in Plateau
State waited hours for Nigerian security forces to arrive after the assaults on
their communities were first reported.
“I called security, but they never
came,” Sunday Dawum, a youth leader in the Christian community of Bokkos told
The Associated Press. “The ambush started [at] 6 in the evening, but security
reached our place by 7 in the [next] morning,” he said. At least 27 people were
killed in his village, Mbom Mbaru, including his brother, Mr. Dawum said.
“Patterns of recent deadly attacks on
the rural areas of Plateau State clearly show the Nigerian authorities have
left these communities at the mercy of rampaging gunmen,” Mr. Sanusi said.
“Nigerian authorities’ failure to tame the tide of this violence is costing
people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action, many more lives
may be lost.”
The attackers have been called bandits
by Nigerian authorities, and some analysts say their presence reflects years of
inattention by the central government, violence in response to land-grabbing by
other ethnic communities and lack of economic opportunity. According to this
perspective, Fulani pastoralists, unable to continue their herding tradition or
to find other work, turn to violent crime.
Other analysis focuses on how the
increasingly arid conditions caused by climate change have escalated resource
competition between Fulani herders and Christian agrarian communities, but Joop
Koopman, the director of communications at Aid to the Church in Need-USA,
believes that ecological and economic pressures alone cannot make sense of the
ferocity of the violence.
He explained that tensions between
Christian farmers and Fulani-Muslim herdsmen have been a long-term reality. But
this level of violence against Christian villages in Nigeria is a comparably
new phenomenon that has been building since 2009.
In an interview conducted over email,
Mr. Koopman agreed that climate change “has worsened the situation through the
desertification of arable land, driving the Fulanis southward into the fertile
Middle Belt of Nigeria.” But he insists that the systematic massacres of
thousands of Christian farmers in recent years cannot be solely attributed to
resource competition heightened by the impact of climate change.
“Fulani attackers are well armed with
expensive sophisticated equipment, which suggests there is—as several bishops
have charged—a source for funding these clearly now radicalized Fulanis,” he
said. Christian farmers have so far not taken up arms in response, he
explained, but there is a growing concern some might because of the ineffectual
government response.
In a powerful reflection on the recent
violence posted on Dec. 30, Matthew Hassan Kukah, bishop of Sokoto, shared his
concern that the patience of Christians—and members of Muslim agrarian
communities that have also been targeted—is running out.
Sadly, with time, Nigerians are
gradually losing hope in the ability of their government to protect and secure
them. While we religious leaders have continued to use our moral authority to
encourage our people not to take the laws into their hands, we risk being swept
away by the anger and frustration of our people. We even risk being seen as
accomplices to an erring state. The Nigerian state itself risks becoming an
undertaker in the eyes of its citizens. Our cups of sorrow are overflowing. We
have cried enough tears.
According to Mr. Koopman, successive
leaders of Nigeria, including its current president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who
assumed office in May, have failed to protect Christian farmers. “Despite the
scale of the killings,” Mr. Koopman said, “no one yet has been arrested and
brought to trial.”
The inaction, he said, has created a
suspicion among Nigeria’s Christians of “a willful neglect” of the plight of
Middle Belt Christians. Adding to those suspicions, he said, was the fact that
under the previous administration led by former military leader Muhammadu
Buhari, a member of the Fulani community, leadership of Nigeria’s military and
security sectors “were exclusively in the hands of Muslims.”
In his post, Bishop Kukah raised the
specter of government complicity in the attacks on Christians. “These killers
are professionals,” he wrote, adding, “their sponsors are among us.”
"They must be in high places,” he
said. “They are now embedded in the architecture of state. President Tinubu
must know that the legitimacy of his government hangs on resolving this and
giving us our country back.”
More than 5,000 Christians were killed
in attacks by bandits and Islamic or Fulani militia across Nigeria in 2022, and
in 2023, Nigeria’s Christians endured a similarly high toll. According to an
analysis from Intersociety, a Nigerian civil society group, between 2009 and
2022 more than 52,000 Christians “have been butchered or hacked to death for
being Christians.” According to the report, 34,000 moderate Muslims suffered
the same fate. Intersociety added that 18,000 Christian churches and 2,200
Christian schools were also partially damaged or completely razed during that
period.
Mr. Koopman reports that the Nigerian
church is doing what it can to respond to the ongoing crisis, but its capacity
is limited. Because of the violence, more than 2.3 million displaced people
have been living under extreme conditions in camps in Benue State, the
epicenter of Fulani attacks, where the Diocese of Makurdi is attempting to
assist thousands of people. Only a few of the camps, church officials say, are
patrolled by the Nigerian military, leaving hundreds of camps still vulnerable
to attack.
Catholic leaders in Plateau State are
certain that the attacks on Christian villages are the product of Islamic
extremism, long a problem in Nigeria where both Boko Haram and ISIS terrorist
networks remain active, and have been direct in their language about the
crisis. Bishop Anagbe, in a previous letter to A.C.N. dated the day before the
Christmas attacks, wrote:
The activities of jihadist Fulani
terrorists who masquerade as herdsmen started surreptitiously in Benue State
over two decades ago. Successive governments, because of Islamic leanings,
neglected the attacks and its victims, and where action was taken, it was
insufficient.
According to Bishop Anagbe, in recent
years the attacks increasingly “took on a genocidal dimension with appalling
killings and other atrocities… [against] Christians in the area, the
destruction of places of worship, schools, hospitals, homes and the destruction
of livelihoods, compounded by a complete loss of human dignity.”
Political leaders in the United States
could do much more to come to the aid of Nigeria’s Christians, Mr. Koopman
says. A House resolution that calls for the appointment of a special envoy for
Nigeria and the Lake Chad region has been sponsored by Representative Chris
Smith, a New Jersey House Republican. That envoy “would have the authority to
call the U.S. government to action, for example by wielding diplomatic leverage
or by using economic pressure,” Mr. Koopman says.
Bishop Anagbe endorsed Mr. Smith’s
effort in his letter to A.C.N. The resolution, he wrote, should “add pressure
on Nigeria’s international partners and the government to address the silent
persecution of Christians in our country.”
Mr. Smith’s resolution also calls for
the State Department to redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular
concern” because of religious freedom violations. Nigeria was dropped from the
annual list of nations of concern in 2021, a move deplored by many advocates of
religious freedom. And, despite the Christmas attacks and other violent
incidents throughout 2023, Nigeria was not included on the 2024 list posted on
Jan. 4 by Secretary of State Blinken. But “the utter neglect of the needs and
safety of Christians,” Mr. Koopman said, suggests that Nigeria should be
included with other states where religious persecution is tolerated or
encouraged by governments.
The State Department’s decision was
sharply criticized by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom,
which called for congressional hearings on the status of Nigeria and India,
another nation not designated as a country of concern despite ongoing
persecution of minority Muslim and Christian communities.
Source: americamagazine.org
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https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2024/01/11/christmas-attack-nigeria-christians-islamists-246902
-----
South Africa argues genocide case at UN
top court
11 Jan 2024
**On the first of two days of legal
arguments at the International Court of Justice, South Africa's Justice
Minister presented his country's case against Israel whom they accuse of
genocide in its war in Gaza. **
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said
Thursday that Israel's response to the 7th of October 2023 attack had crossed a
line "and gives rise to the breaches of the convention."
South Africa launched its case at the
United Nations' top court in November and has asked the ICJ to order an
immediate halt to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
The case centres on the 1948 Genocide
Convention, which both South Africa and Israel are signatories to.
South African lawyer Adila Hassim argued
that Israel's conduct violated articles 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D of the convention.
"The first genocidal act committed
by Israel is the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza, in violation of article
2A of the Genocide Convention," she said.
South Africa has been highly critical of
Israel's military operations in Gaza since the war began, with lawmakers voting
in November to suspend diplomatic ties until a ceasefire is agreed.
The Israeli offensive has killed more
than 23,200 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. About
two-thirds of those killed are women and children.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/11/south-africa-argues-genocide-case-at-un-top-court/
-----
Pro-Palestinian demonstration held in
Cape Town as ICJ opens hearing
11 Jan 2024
South African legal experts, academics,
lawyers and Pro-Palestine organisations picketed Thursday (Jan. 11) outside
Western Cape High Court in Cape Town.
The move was a show of solidarity for
the nation's delegation appearing before the International Court of Justice.
South Africa wants the court order Israel to halt its deadly campaign.
"South Africa brought its
application to be able to ensure that there is a ceasefire and that Israel is
actually committing these acts of genocide. In addition to that we all know
that the court in itself consists of 15 members of different countries and that
South Africa and Israel has also appointed additional judges to be able to
serve on the bench," SeehamSamaai, attorney and Director of Women’s Legal
Centre said.
"We are hoping that in the next
month the order, that the remedies which we have asked, that we are given those
remedies. And then from there we will go into the main application.”
In Cape Town's Bo Kaap neighbourhood,
residents showed support for the Palestinian people with a range of murals and
by flying Palestinian flags outside their homes.
Resident Osman said the reason they show
solidarity with Palestine is because they come from a past of Apartheid.
"I think one of the things that we
have in our favour in South Africa, we come from that past and that experience
of Apartheid South Africa. We have all witnessed and endured the hardships of
what it felt to live in the Apartheid era," he says.
"We have also fought to liberate
our country from that Apartheid scourge and we have, that is why it is a
natural feeling for us to actually associate ourselves with the people of
Palestine who are fighting the same type of scourge on a different level and we
would say that Apartheid Israel is also our enemy if it is the enemy of
Palestine.”
Rights organizations have long accused
Israel of the crime of Apartheid under the Apartheid Convention and Rome
Statute namely.
The crime of apartheid under the
Apartheid Convention and Rome Statute consists of three primary elements: an
intent to maintain a system of domination by one racial group over another;
systematic oppression by one racial group over another; and one or more
inhumane acts, as defined, carried out on a widespread or systematic basis
pursuant to those policies.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/11/south-africa-pro-palestinian-demo-held-in-cape-town-as-icj-opens-hearing/
-----
Imams to police force: Uphold trust,
excellence
January 12, 2024
In the Friday sermon, imams emphasised
the crucial role of the police in maintaining trust, professionalism, and
discipline, as the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) commemorated its 103rd
anniversary on January 1, 2024.
Religious leaders urged officers to
carry out their duties impartially, fostering an environment of fairness and
striving for excellence.
Imams also underscored the importance of
continuous learning, encouraging police personnel to enhance their knowledge
and skills to effectively shoulder their responsibilities.
The Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the
capital. PHOTO: ARI KUSTIAWAN
Emphasis was placed on setting a
positive example for the public, portraying the police force as a dedicated
entity safeguarding the community from crime, ultimately contributing to
national stability.
Highlighting the significance of peace
as a divine blessing, imams expressed gratitude for this precious gift and
called upon citizens and residents to actively defend and appreciate it. They
asserted that a peaceful environment facilitates comfortable living, progress,
and safety for all.
As one of the government’s longstanding
security agencies, the RBPF holds the responsibility of upholding peace,
well-being, and harmony within society and the nation. Imams urged a
collaborative effort between the police force and the community to combat
crime, emphasising the shared goal of ensuring the peace and prosperity of the
beloved country.
Recognising the challenges posed by the
cyber era, imams commended the police force for adapting to technological
advancements. They encouraged continuous knowledge enhancement to address the
complexities of modern criminal trends, particularly the rising threat of
cybercrime.
The police force’s commitment to
strategic planning aligns with the goals of Brunei Vision 2035, ensuring a
secure and thriving future for the nation. – Azlan Othman
Source: borneobulletin.com.bn
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https://borneobulletin.com.bn/imams-to-police-force-uphold-trust-excellence/
-----
Judgement Day: Kano, Bauchi, Zamfara,
Plateau, Ebonyi govs arrive Supreme Court
January 12, 2024
Fadehan Oyeyemi
At least five sitting governors have
stormed the Supreme Court to witness judgments billed to be delivered in their
respective legal battles.
They are Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano, Bala
Mohammed, Bauchi, Caleb Mutfaang, Plateau, Dauda Lawal, Zamfara and Francis
Nwifuru of Ebonyi.
Former Plateau State governor and
currently a senator, Simon Lalong is also inside the courtroom for the make or
mar verdict.
As expected, the governors arrived the
court room with a retinue of followers who were however turned back immediately
after escorting their principals into the courtroom.
At the time of this report, the court
room has been jam-packed by lawyers, journalists and accredited political party
leaders.
Meanwhile, the Justices are being
awaited into the courtroom for the judgment delivery.
The states where their governors are
expected to know their fate on whether to remain in office or be removed are
Kano, Plateau, Bauchi, Cross River, Abia, Zamfara, Cross River and Ebonyi.
Source: dailypost.ng
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https://dailypost.ng/2024/01/12/judgement-day-kano-bauchi-zamfara-plateau-ebonyi-govs-arrive-supreme-court/
------
Tunisia: Pro-Palestinian demonstration
in front of South Africa embassy
January 12, 2024
Singing "down with the
occupation" or "free Palestine", demonstrators gathered in front
of the South African Embassy in the Tunisian capital on Thursday (Jan. 11).
Various civil society organizations
expressed support for the country's case against Israel at the International
Court of Justice (ICJ).
Many hoped the ICJ will follow the
request of the south African legal team and grant an interim order calling for
a ceasefire in Gaza as south africa has pleaded.
“We wanted to thank South Africa,
through its embassy in Tunisia, for doing what no Arab or Islamic country has
done with (its request) of a cease-fire because innocent people are still dying
in Palestine today,” the president of Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
Naila Al-Zouglami said.
The growing list of countries that have
endorsed the case includes the Arab League bloc.
South Africa's envoy to Tunisia believes
his country's legal team has solid arguments.
“The difference between what has been
happening before and what has been happening now, is that hard evidence from
the government of Israel and the military of Israel has been gathered and it
can be used against them.”
The Israeli offensive has driven nearly
85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes. With only a trickle
of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/11/tunisia-pro-palestinian-demonstration-in-front-of-south-africa-embassy/
-----
Over 1,000 organizations unite in
support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at ICJ
Seda Sevencan
11.01.2024
More than 1,000 popular movements,
political parties, unions, and various organizations worldwide called on
countries to endorse South Africa's genocide case against Israel.
“We now urge other countries to
reinforce this strongly worded and well-argued complaint by immediately filing
a Declaration of Intervention with the ICJ, also called the World Court,” they
said in a statement.
The statement expressed grave concerns
over Israel's genocidal actions, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in
Gaza.
“Many countries have rightly expressed
their horror at the State of Israel's genocidal actions, war crimes, and crimes
against humanity being committed against Palestinians.”
“Israeli Occupying Forces have bombed
hospitals, residences, United Nations refugee centers, schools, places of
worship, and escape routes, killing and injuring tens of thousands of
Palestinians since October 7, 2023. More than half of the dead are women and
children,” the statement said.
Citing open declarations from Israeli
leaders expressing their intent to permanently displace Palestinians from their
own land, the organizations supported South Africa's contention that these
actions fall under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide.
“South Africa is correct in charging
that under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, Israel's actions ‘are genocidal in character, as they are committed
with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part
of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.’”
Underlining the urgency of the
situation, the statement pointed out that parties to the Genocide Convention
are obligated to prevent genocide.
“A Declaration of Intervention filed
with the ICJ in support of the South African case against Israel is one way to
ensure that all acts of genocide are stopped and those responsible are held
accountable.”
The statement concluded by emphasizing
that Israel's actions, including killing, injuring, traumatizing, and
displacing Palestinians while denying essential resources to an occupied
population, meet the criteria for the crime of genocide.
“If a majority of the world’s nations
call for a ceasefire, yet fail to press for prosecution of Israel – what is to
stop Israel from ethnically cleansing all Palestinians?”
In a final plea, they urged national
governments worldwide to promptly file Declarations of Intervention in support
of the South African case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Amongst the signatories to the statement
are Nahostgruppe Mannheim (Germany), Malcolm X Center for Self-Determination
(US), Islamic Human Rights Commission (UK), Israelis Against Apartheid
(Israel), Jordanian Federation of Independent Trade Unions, MedicianaDemocratica
(Italy), Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism, One Justice (France),
South African Jews for a Free Palestine, and the International Iraqi Women’s
Assembly.
In a historic first, the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague on Thursday opened its inaugural session on
South Africa's genocide allegations against Israel, a development that has
garnered widespread support from many nations, echoing global calls for a
cease-fire in Gaza, while facing opposition from some countries, including the
US and UK.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/over-1-000-organizations-unite-in-support-of-south-africa-s-genocide-case-against-israel-at-icj/3106359
----
North America
CAIR Says U.S. Bombing of Yemen in
Defense of Israeli Genocide ‘Risks More Innocent Lives’
Ibrahim Hooper
January 11, 2024
The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy
organization, today said the Biden administration’s decision to bomb Yemen
without congressional approval instead of ending the Gaza genocide that is fueling
conflict in the region “unnecessarily, illegally and dangerously” risks a
regional war and endangers more innocent lives.
In a statement, CAIR National Executive
Director Nihad Awad said:
“We fail to understand why President
Biden would rather risk a regional war by bombing Yemen instead of simply
stopping the Gaza genocide that is fueling conflict across the world.
“More killing is not the solution to
this crisis. Ending Netanyahu’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza and
securing a just, lasting peace by ending the occupation is the solution.
“This president is unnecessarily,
illegally and dangerously risking the loss of more innocent lives – including
the lives of Americans – for the sake of the genocidal Israeli government, all
without approval from Congress.”
Awad also urged community members to
join the March on Washington for Gaza on January 13. The location for the
protest has been updated to Freedom Plaza (1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW,
Washington, D.C.
The American Muslim Task Force for
Palestine today announced the first group of speakers who plan to deliver
remarks at the Jan. 13 march.
Speakers include Dr. Cornel West, Jill
Stein, Ms. Ilyasah Shabbazz (daughter of Malcolm X), Imam Omar Suleiman, Dr.
Osama Aburishaid, Nihad Awad, Colorado state Rep. Iman Jodeh, Code Pink
Director Medea Benjamin, and others.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-says-u-s-bombing-of-yemen-in-defense-of-israeli-genocide-risks-more-innocent-lives/
------
American Muslim Task Force for Palestine
Announces First Group of Speakers for Jan. 13 March for Gaza
Ismail Allison
January 11, 2024
The American Muslim Task Force for
Palestine today announced the first group of speakers who plan to deliver
remarks at the January 13 March on Washington for Gaza.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The location for the
march has been changed to Freedom Plaza, 1455 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington,
D.C.
Speakers include Dr. Cornel West, Jill
Stein, Ms. Ilyasah Shabbazz (daughter of Malcolm X), Imam Omar Suleiman, Dr.
Osama Aburishaid, Nihad Awad, Colorado state Rep. Iman Jodeh, Code Pink
Director Medea Benjamin, and others.
Palestinian families from Gaza whose
family members have been killed, injured, displaced and abducted in Israel’s
assault on Gaza over the past three months also plan to share their stories
during the rally.
Featured speakers include:
Abed Ajrami (TX), who has had 32 family
members of his family killed in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp, plans to share the
story of how his nephew, a soccer player, is now paralyzed from an Israeli
blast that killed his entire family immediately after evacuating to an area the
Israeli army told them was “safe”.
Adam Abosherieah (NJ) shares the story
of his elderly mother, father and brother, who were killed in consecutive
Israeli air strikes, along with more than 104 family members in Gaza City.
Dr. Alaa Hussein Ali (MI) plans to share
the story of the more than 100 members of his family who were killed in
November in Israeli attacks, including the murder of his brother by sniper as
he attempted to fetch water, and all of his in-laws after fleeing for safety to
the south of Gaza.
Mazin Badr (VA) plans to speak about
about the killing of 10 of his closest family members, including his blind
sister and his 84-year-old mother, a survivor of over 12 wars who had given up
her home to host other displaced families.
Randa Muhtaseb (MD) plans to speak about
about how her cousin was operated on without anesthesia after an Israeli bomb
killed her husband and unborn child. Thirty-six of her family members were
killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Yasmeen El-Agha (IL) plans to share
stories of 120 of her family members killed in Israeli airstrikes, the youngest
of whom was just a few months old. One elderly uncle froze to death after being
forced from his home, and the small decayed bodies of two cousins under the age
of 6 were found a month after they were killed under the rubble.
Wa’el al-Dahdouh (by video from Gaza)
plans to discuss the loss of his family to Israeli airstrikes and his coverage
of the war as a journalist.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
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Muslim Chaplain at Toronto Hospital for
Sick Children Eulogizes Founder of Hamas
JANUARY 11, 2024
Ben Cohen
An Islamic chaplain at Toronto’s main
pediatric hospital was under scrutiny on Thursday after video emerged of him
encouraging parents to show their children a clip of the founder of Hamas
predicting the eventual destruction of the State of Israel.
The video clip — unearthed by the
Washington, DC-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) — showed imam
Ayman Taher praising remarks made by the late Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder
of Hamas, in a 1998 interview with the Qatari-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
“If you did not watch this, Google it
and watch it, let your children watch it, because this is history that needs to
be absorbed,” Taher — who serves as the Islamic chaplain of the Hospital for
Sick Children in Toronto and as imam of the Ibrahim Jame Mosque in Hamilton,
Ontario — stated during a Dec. 18 speech at Palestine House in Toronto, the
headquarters of a nonprofit organization that caters to the Palestinian
community in Canada.
“When [Al Jazeera correspondent] Ahmed
Mansour was asking Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, he said to him: ‘Sheikh…’ And the
sheikh was barely out of Israeli jails, by the way. He said to him: ‘Do you
believe that Israel will [be] finished?’ He [Yassin] said to him with
confidence: ‘Yes.’ He [Mansour] said to him: ‘When do you think it will [be]
finished?’ He [Yassin] said: ‘2027.’ And I said to myself: ‘How calm, how
confident this man is.'”
Taher went on to eulogize Yassin, a
wheelchair-bound cleric whom Israel held responsible for the deaths of several
Israeli citizens and who was killed in a March 2004 Israeli strike on Gaza
City.
“Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was handicapped,”
Taher said. “The only thing that moved in him was his tongue. Allah gave him
that faith to speak his mind and inspire the generations to come. In the most
difficult time, when his own life was not safe, and we know how Allah has
honored him.”
He said that when Yassin “was in jail
and after that when he was living in very difficult times, he never had doubt
that Allah is going to give victory to his religion, we [also] should not,
because he has inspired millions.”
He then added: “I know I am getting myself in trouble now
for speaking on social media. Who cares, because if [we] do not get ourselves
into trouble, we will not be getting victory.”
A spokesperson for the Hospital for Sick
Children said in a statement shared with The Algemeiner that Taher had been
placed on paid leave as a result of the video.
“Concerns about comments made by a
member of the Spiritual and Religious Care Department at SickKids related to
the war in Israel and Gaza and shared on social media have been brought to our
attention,” the statement noted. “We of course take this extremely seriously
and are investigating as per SickKids’ Code of Conduct. The individual is on a
paid leave while we investigate. For confidentiality reasons we are unable to
share any additional information.”
The hospital added that “all who come to
SickKids are entitled to be treated with respect, professionalism and feel
safe.”
Reacting to the announcement of an
investigation into Taher, one X/Twitter user responded indignantly, “What is
there to investigate? It’s right there in black and white. SickKids that should
have acted before now. Repugnant.”
Source: algemeiner.com
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Ex-police officer settles discrimination
suit over Muslim faith against suburban department for $475,000
Jan 12, 2024
A former North Chicago police officer
has settled a lawsuit for $475,000 in a case against the department for
religious and national origin discrimination.
Ramtin Sabet sued the city of North
Chicago and its former and current police chiefs in March 2017 — a month after
he was fired from the department. Sabet joined the department in 2007 and faced
harassment for his Muslim faith and Iranian origin, according to the Chicago
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
While working at the department, Sabet
filed multiple complaints alleging coworkers made Islamophobic comments and
insults. The complaints included one for discrimination to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission in 2016.
However, despite the efforts a hostile
work environment continued and eventually led to Sabet’s termination in
February of 2017, CAIR said.
“This settlement represents not only a
personal victory but a triumph for everyone who has faced discrimination at the
workplace,” Sabet said in a statement. “It re-affirms that standing up against
injustice can lead to positive change. I am grateful to CAIR-Chicago for
standing with me through the hardships of all these years, and to the Almighty
Allah for giving me the strength and courage to persevere even while facing
constant harassment and injustice in North Chicago.”
Source: chicago.suntimes.com
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Biden says US, UK struck Houthis in
'defensive action'
12 Jan 2024
WASHINGTON, Jan 12 — President Joe Biden
said Thursday that US and British forces had launched air strikes against
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in “defensive action” after attacks on
shipping in the Red Sea.
In a statement, Biden said the strikes
on the Houthis were carried out with “support” from Australia, Bahrain, Canada
and the Netherlands, adding that he “will not hesitate” to order further
military action if needed.
“Today, at my direction, US military
forces... successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen
used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's
most vital waterways,” Biden said.
“These targeted strikes are a clear
message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on
our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one
of the world's most critical commercial routes,” he added.
US media said the strikes involved
fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles.
Biden did not give details of the
involvement of the other nations who supported the operation.
The strikes followed an “unprecedented”
spate of 27 Houthi attacks on ships in the busy international sea route
“including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in
history,” Biden said.
“These attacks have endangered US
personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and
threatened freedom of navigation,” Biden added.
The Houthis, who control a swathe of
Yemen, have carried out a growing number of attacks in the Red Sea since the
Gaza war erupted with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
“I will not hesitate to direct further
measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as
necessary,” Biden added. — AFP
Source: malaymail.com
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US, British military launch massive
retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen
January 12, 2024
WASHINGTON: US-led airstrikes on Yemen
killed at least five people and wounded six others, a military spokesman from
the Houthi rebels said Friday.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree made the
announcement in a videotaped address.
“The American and British enemy bears
full responsibility for its criminal aggression against our Yemeni people, and
it will not go unanswered and unpunished,” Saree said.
He described 73 strikes hitting five
regions of Yemen under Houthi control. He did not elaborate on what the US-led
strikes targeted.
US Central Command described military
strikes against Houthi sites as a ‘success’ in a statement on Friday morning.
The US Central Command said they hold
the Iranian-backed Houthis responsible for attacks on international shipping
over the past few weeks. These strikes aimed to undermine the Houthi ability to
carry out more attacks.
Sixty targets at 16 Houthi locations
were hit by more than 100 precision-guided munitions, it said.
Adding “We hold the Houthi militants and
their destabilizing Iranian sponsors responsible for the illegal,
indiscriminate, and reckless attacks on international shipping that have
impacted 55 nations so far, including endangering the lives of hundreds of
mariners, including the United States,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla,
USCENTCOM Commander.
Friday’s strikes targeted an air base,
airports and a military camp, the Houthi rebels’ Al-Masirah TV station said,
with AFP correspondents and witnesses also reporting they could hear
bombardments.
“Our country was subjected to a massive
aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines and warplanes,”
Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Ezzi said, according to official
rebel media.
“America and Britain will have to
prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant
aggression,” he said.
“Today, at my direction, US military
forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia,
Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a
number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of
navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways,” Biden said in a
statement, using an alternative spelling of Houthi.
British Armed Forces minister James
Heappey said “Our action and the action of the Americans last night was in
self-defense in order to defend against further attacks on our warships as they
go about their legal and reasonable business,” Heappey said.
Heappey described the strikes as a
proportionate response to the crisis in the Red Sea.
“Of course we have an eye on the need to
make sure it doesn’t cause a regional escalation,” he said. “We’ll see over the
course of the next few days whether the attacks stop,” he added.
Associated Press journalists in Yemen’s
capital, Sanaa, heard four explosions early Friday local time but saw no sign
of warplanes.
Two residents of Hodieda, Amin Ali Saleh
and Hani Ahmed, said they heard five strong explosions. Hodieda lies on the Red
Sea and is the largest port city controlled by the Houthis.
The strikes marked the first US military
response to what has been a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks on
commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas.
And the coordinated military assault
comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a
final warning to the Houthis to cease the attacks or face potential military
action. The warning appeared to have had at least some short-lived impact, as
attacks stopped for several days. On Tuesday, however, the Houthi rebels fired
their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles targeting shipping in the Red
Sea, with US and British ships and American fighter jets responding by shooting
down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship missile.
And on Thursday, the Houthis fired an
anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was seen by a
commercial ship but did not hit the ship.
The rebels, who have carried out 27
attacks involving dozens of drones and missiles just since Nov. 19, said
Thursday that any attack by American forces on its sites in Yemen will spark a
fierce military response.
“The response to any American attack
will not only be at the level of the operation that was recently carried out
with more than 24 drones and several missiles,” said Abdel Malek Al-Houthi, the
group’s supreme leader, during an hour-long speech. “It will be greater than
that.”
The Houthis say their assaults are aimed
at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But their targets
increasingly have little or no connection to Israel and imperil a crucial trade
route linking Asia and the Middle East with Europe.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council
passed a resolution Wednesday that demanded the Houthis immediately cease the
attacks and implicitly condemned their weapons supplier, Iran. It was approved
by a vote of 11-0 with four abstentions — by Russia, China, Algeria and
Mozambique.
Source: arabnews.com
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Colombia backs South Africa’s legal
action against Israel at world court
Laura Gamba
11.01.2024
Colombia has declared its backing for
South Africa’s legal action against Israel before the International Court of
Justice (ICJ), citing alleged violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention during
the Gaza war.
“As President (Gustavo) Petro has said,
from the very beginning of the bloody phase of the conflict in Palestine, it is
very clear that the actions and measures adopted by the government of Israel
constitute acts of genocide.
“As a State, Israel is obliged to
prevent and avoid these types of international criminal offenses at all costs
and, consequently, its failure to comply with these commitments entails its
responsibility to the entire world,” said a statement on Wednesday by the
Foreign Ministry.
The statement that Petro published on X
said that “South Africa’s demand is a brave step in the right direction,” and
that Colombia “intends to enforce the lofty objectives of the convention to
which it is also a state party.”
The Foreign Ministry assured that it
hopes that the court “adopts decisions that allow the bloodbath in Gaza and the
occupied territories to cease now.”
The ICJ is hearing South Africa’s legal
team for urgent provisional measures on the first day of hearings on Thursday
on allegations Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel, which described the request as
“atrocious and absurd,” will be heard on Friday in a process in which South
Africa already has several supporters, such as Jordan, Türkiye and Bolivia, but
also the rejection of others, such as Guatemala and the US.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da
Silva also announced on Wednesday that his country will support South Africa’s
international lawsuit in The Hague.
Since the start of the current conflict
on Oct. 7 following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, Israel
has said repeatedly that it aims to eliminate Hamas.
In attacks on the Gaza Strip since that
date, Israel has killed over 23,000 Palestinians and injured some 60,000, most
of them women and children, along with a draconian blockade on much-needed
supplies.
Source: aa.com.tr
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Pakistan
Pakistan ‘Not Interested’ In Talks with
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
January 11, 2024
Kamran Yousuf
ISLAMABAD: A day after a reported
meeting between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Taliban chief Haibatullah Akhundzada,
Pakistan made it clear on Thursday that it had no interest whatsoever in
holding talks with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistani officials also clarified that
the visit by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief was a private one, and
he was not representing the government of Pakistan.
The statements from the Foreign Office
spokesperson and the information minister came against the backdrop of reports
that Fazl’s visit might lead to the resumption of talks with the TTP and that
he had gone there with the blessing of the government.
In a weekly media briefing, Foreign
Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, while clarifying Pakistan’s stance,
stated that the TTP had accepted responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks
in the country.
“First, Maulana Fazlur Rahman is a
private citizen, who is visiting Afghanistan on a private visit at the
invitation of the Afghan authorities. This is not a visit sponsored by the
government of Pakistan,” she explained.
“Secondly, before his travel to
Afghanistan, he visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs briefed him on our policy towards Afghanistan,” the
spokesperson added.
“This is a normal practice whenever a
senior official or political figure wishes to receive a briefing from the
Foreign Office, we provide those briefings.”
However, the spokesperson stressed that
Fazl was not visiting Afghanistan as an emissary of the government of Pakistan
and that he was there in his individual capacity.
“As far as Pakistan’s position with
respect to dialogue with TTP is concerned, we have articulated our position
several times and reiterated it in this forum and gathering on many occasions.
Our position hasn’t changed,” the spokesperson told reporters.
She went on to say that Pakistan was not
interested in dialogue with TTP. “We have no dialogue taking place, nor do we
intend to have a dialogue with TTP, which is responsible for several terrorist
incidents inside Pakistan and is responsible for killing of Pakistani civilians
and law-enforcement officials.”
“Our demands from the Afghan authorities
haven’t changed, they remain the same, which is that the Afghan authorities
should take action, effective action against terrorist elements inside
Afghanistan, including TTP leadership,” according to the spokesperson.
Afghan authorities, she continued,
should “ensure that the hideouts and sanctuaries inside Afghanistan for these
terrorist groups are eliminated and those responsible for terrorist incidents
in Pakistan are handed over to Pakistan”. She said: “Our demand … is that they
take action against the terrorists.”
Separately, Information Minister Murtaza
Solangi said in a statement there would not be any talks with the TTP. He also
said the visit of the JUI-F chief to Afghanistan was private but added that the
government would welcome if his engagements in Kabul would bring any positive
outcome.
Fazl went to Kabul on Sunday, and on
Wednesday he travelled to Kandhar on a chartered plane along with a prominent
cleric from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) to meet the Taliban chief. This was the
first known meeting between any Pakistani leader and the reclusive Afghan
Taliban chief.
Haibatullah Akhundazada, who took over
the reign of Afghan Taliban in 2016 after the assassination of his predecessor
Mullah Mansur in the US drone strike, rarely meets people from outside. Since
the Taliban returning to power in August 2021, the cleric runs the country from
Kandahar.
This was only the second known meeting
Akhundazada held with any outsider, following his interaction with the Qatari
prime minister last year. Even though the JUI-F chief went there in a private
capacity but his visit was seen as significant in view of the brewing tensions
between the two countries.
Officials said the outcome of the visit
depended on what message the JUI-F chief would bring for Pakistan. They added
that the Taliban leadership was aware of Pakistan’s concerns and demands and
hence unless they come up with a workable solution to the TTP issue, there
won’t be any change in Pakistan’s stance.
Tensions have been simmering between the
two countries in recent months primarily over the lack of action against the
TTP by the Afghan Taliban government.
Even during the visit of Fazl, the
Taliban government spokesperson reiterated Kabul’s stance that the TTP was
Pakistan’s internal issue, and therefore, it had to find a solution from
within. Pakistan, however, does not share the Taliban’s perspective.
Previously, Islamabad shared
‘irrefutable evidence’ of the TTP presence on Afghan soil. Publically, the
Taliban government may have been denying the presence of TTP on Afghan soil but
privately they have been pushing for the resumption of talks. However, Pakistan
is adamant that it would no longer hold talks with the TTP.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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Violence By Islamist Militants Haunts
Pakistani Elections In Restive Province in North Waziristan
January 11, 2024
Former lawmaker Mohsin Dawar recalls the
moment a hail of bullets hit his Toyota Land Cruiser as he campaigned for
upcoming parliamentary elections in Pakistan.
Dawar was attacked on January 3 as he
approached the village of Tappi in North Waziristan, a mountainous district in
the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
The attackers fled after his supporters
returned fire. His armored-plated SUV kept him safe.
Dawar, who leads the secular National
Democratic Movement political party, says he was attacked again on his way home
from Tappi.
"The militants appear to enjoy a
lot of space," he said. "We can't determine whether [they want] to
delay elections or scrap the process.”
Dawar argues that Pakistan desperately
needs the February 8 elections to end uncertainty amid the severe political and
economic crises the South Asian nation of 220 million people is facing.
But he adds that it is “tough to
campaign in these conditions."
Dawar was actually fortunate to survive
the attacks on him, as others in North Waziristan have not been as lucky.
On January 10, Malik Kaleem Dawar (no
relation to Mohsin Dawar), a provincial candidate and two of his supporters
were killed in an attack in Tappi.
Elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, another
candidate survived roadside bombs as Islamist militants continue to try to
disrupt those campaigning for the elections. Civilians, police, and soldiers
are killed in almost daily clashes with militants across the province, which is
home to 35 million people.
Experts say candidates and political
leaders remain under severe threat in the province, which was the epicenter of
Pakistan’s domestic war on terrorism between 2003 and 2014.
More than 80,000 residents of the
predominantly ethnic Pashtun-populated region were killed and more than 6
million displaced in the fighting during that time.
Since the Taliban's return to power in
August 2021, its ideological and organizational ally, the Tehrik-e Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), has increasingly expanded its campaign of violence. It is
seeking to return to the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa strongholds it controlled
before 2014.
Smaller and newly emerging Islamist
militant groups also frequently claim responsibility for attacks in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, which further complicates the security picture in the run-up to
the vote.
In South Waziristan, which abuts North
Waziristan, Ayaz Wazir is campaigning on the secular Awami National Party (ANP)
platform. He says the lack of access to the Internet prevents him from reaching
his potential voters remotely.
“Campaigning in person is very risky
amid frequent terrorist attacks,” he told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal. “One has to
risk one’s life to campaign in this environment.”
Mounting Security Fears
Since 2007, hundreds of ANP leaders and
supporters have been killed in attacks by the TTP during parliamentary election
campaigns.
Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, director of news
at the Khorasan Diary, a website tracking militant groups in Afghanistan and
Pakistan, says that security fears are mounting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the
crucial weeks before the vote.
He says officials and observers are
worried about what might happen when political parties start holding large,
noisy campaign rallies that typically mark the election season.
“Fear and threats are so pervasive that
it is preventing senior politicians from holding rallies,” Mehsud adds.
In addition to the TTP, Islamic
State-Khorasan (IS-K) and new murky groups have emerged as a significant threat
to the elections. For nearly a year, the Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan, a
lesser-known militant group, has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on
security forces.
“All these entities can target
candidates who had opposed them in the past or continue to do so,” Mehsud said.
He adds that an indication of the
presence and influence wielded by militants in the province is how some groups
are trying to extort money from candidates in exchange for them not being
attacked.
“Direct and indirect threats from
various militant groups are front and center across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Mehsud
said.
Islamist political parties -- previously
immune from attack by the Islamist militants -- have become their main target
in the province.
On January 3, Qari Khairullah, a
candidate of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the largest Islamist political
party, survived a roadside bomb attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s northern Bajaur
district.
That came just three days after the
convoy of JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman was shot at in Dera Ismail Khan, a
southern district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The IS-K claimed in July to have carried
out a devastating attack on a JUI-F rally in Bajaur. At least 56 people were
killed and hundreds more injured in one of the deadliest attacks ever on
Pakistani political parties.
An injured man receives medical
treatment at a hospital in Peshawar on July 31.
“Our supporters are being threatened to
keep them away from our rallies,” Rehman told Pakistan’s private Geo News TV.
He argued that, while militant attacks
plagued elections in 2008 and 2013, these incidents didn’t threaten the overall
political process.
“We need an election, but we also need a
conducive environment for [holding] elections,” he said.
Rehman is visiting Taliban-ruled
Afghanistan in an apparent bid to improve tense relations between the Taliban
and its erstwhile ally Pakistan, where many are wondering whether the Taliban
can persuade the TTP to refrain from attacking politicians and campaign
rallies.
On January 11, Pakistani Information
Minister Murtaza Solangi told journalists that the constitution requires the
caretaker government to support the Election Commission to hold free, fair, and
transparent elections.
“We will meet all the demands of the
Election Commission regarding security,” he said, adding that the security
threats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “are real, which the government is seeking to
address.”
Attacks by the Taliban and other
Islamist militants had a significant impact on three previous elections in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Days before voting in July 2018, a
suicide bomber killed senior ANP leader Haroon Bilour and scores of his
supporters in Peshawar, the provincial capital.
In 2013, the TTP warned people to avoid
three secular parties: the ANP, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and the
Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Scores of ANP supporters and candidates were killed
in the run-up to the elections in daily TTP attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On December 27, 2007, former Pakistani
Prime Minister and PPP leader Benazir Bhutto was killed just days ahead of the
January 2008 parliamentary elections. The PPP won the vote.
Source: rferl.org
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Cipher case: Proceedings after Dec 14
‘of no legal consequences’: IHC
2024-01-12
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court
(IHC), Thursday, declared all the proceedings in the cipher case after December
14 “of no legal consequence”.
The bench declared all proceedings
illegal after the Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan assured the
court to restart the case and record the statements of 13 witnesses again in
the case.
A single bench of Justice Miangul Hassan
Aurangzeb conducted hearing of Imran Khan’s petition challenging his de-novo
trial in jail and subsequent developments, including the framing of charges and
a gag order on the media.
At the very outset of the hearing, the
Attorney General submitted that the impugned order dated 14.12.2023 is not
sustainable in law as the same is not in accord with the law laid down by the
Supreme Court in the case of Ghulam Muhammad Vs. The State (PLD 1967 SC 175).
He further submitted that he would have
no objection if the said order is set-aside and that the prosecution has no
intention of filing an application for proceedings before the Special Court to
be in camera.
At this stage, Raja Rizwan Abbasi
advocate who is one of the prosecutors, submitted that the testimonies of the
witnesses after 21.12.2023 were recorded in open Court and therefore, such
testimonies should be saved.
The IHC bench observed that since the
impugned order dated 14.12.2023 had not been recalled by judge, Special Court
at any material stage and since his order dated 23.12.2023 cannot be treated as
an order to recall the said order dated 14.12.2023 or as an order for further
proceedings not to be held in camera, the request made by Abbasi cannot be
acceded to.
Justice Miangul Hassan wrote in his
written order, “In view of the said submission of the Attorney-General, the
instant criminal revision petition is allowed; the impugned order dated
14.12.2023 passed by the Judge, Special Court is set-aside; and all the
proceedings conducted by the Judge, Special Court after the said order dated
14.12.2023 are declared to be of no legal consequence.”
Imran Ahmad Khan had challenged order
dated 14.12.2023 passed by the Judge, Special Court designated to try offences
under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, whereby the application filed by the
prosecution under Section 14 of the OSA, was allowed by excluding the public
from the proceedings in the trial against the petitioner.
Furthermore, through the said order, the
reporting or publication with respect to the proceedings by the print,
electronic and social media was prohibited. A direction was issued to the
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Pakistan Electronic Media
Regulatory Authority to ensure that no reporting
with respect to the proceedings before
the said Court takes place.
Through the said order, the family
members of the persons accused in case FIR No.06/2023 dated 15.08.2023
registered under Sections 5 and 9 of the OSA read with Section 34 of the
Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (“PPC”) at Police Station Counter Terrorism Wing,
FIA, Islamabad were allowed to attend the proceedings but were prohibited from
publishing any evidence given or statements made during the course of the
proceedings.
The IHC bench stated that the reason
given by the learned Judge, Special Court for allowing the said application
under Section 14 of the OSA was “to protect the sanctity of the cypher, a
secret communication system in place between foreign missions of Pakistan and
the foreign office and sanctity of the State which is inevitably intertwined.”
It was also held that “the publication
of any evidence given and or any statement made in the court will be
prejudicial to the safety of the State.”
The IHC order mentioned that during the
hearing on 28.12.2023, it also transpired that the learned Special Court had
issued certified copies of the testimonies of all the witnesses including PWs-1
to 3 and 7 (who, according to the learned Attorney-General were witnesses whose
testimonies, if published, would cause prejudice to the safety of the State).
The attested copies of the testimonies had also been produced before this
Court, which were taken on record.
It added that this court, in its order
dated 28.12.2023, had observed that it is the “publication of any evidence”
that may be prejudicial to the safety of the State that forms the basis for
passing an order under Section 14 of the OSA. By issuing certified copies of
testimonies of PWs-1 to 3 and 7, the learned Special Court had given the status
of public documents to these testimonies.
Source: brecorder.com
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-----
Islamabad distances itself from Fazl’s
Kabul sojourn
January 12, 2024
Baqir Sajjad Syed
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on
Thursday distanced itself from Jamiat Ulama-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman’s visit to Afghanistan that focused on the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) issue, a key point of contention in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
“He (Fazl) is not visiting Afghanistan
as an emissary of the Government of Pakistan and he is there in his individual
capacity,” FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at the weekly media
briefing while responding to multiple questions about the trip by the prominent
religio-political figure.
Maulana Fazl had travelled to Kabul on
Sunday leading a delegation of Deobandi clerics, some of whom enjoy
considerable influence on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers.
Though this is the second time that FO
dissociated itself from the visit, Pakistani chargé d’affaires in Kabul Obaid
Nizamani had accompanied him on the journey from Islamabad. He had, moreover,
been briefed on Afghan ties at FO before embarking on the visit.
Maulana Fazl received the official
invitation for the trip from Taliban administration after he conveyed his
desire to visit Afghanistan for discussing issues that had been souring the
ties, especially that of TTP.
FO spokesperson rubbishes claims in
ex-Indian envoy’s book as attempt to advance India’s ‘fictitious narratives’
During his visit, Maulana Fazl, who
undertook the trip in the middle of hectic election campaign, met key Taliban
leaders, including the Prime Minister of the interim Afghan government and the
supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada in Kandahar. It was Maulana Fazl’s first
trip to Afghanistan since Taliban’s assumption of control following the US
withdrawal in 2021.
Though Maulana Fazl and his entourage
were warmly welcomed in Afghanistan, many Taliban leaders were sceptical about
the initiative as they believed that the cleric undertook the visit for
personal interests.
Maulana Fazl reportedly assured his
Taliban interlocutors that the incoming government, which will take office
after Feb 8 polls, will review the issue of negotiations with TTP. He had also
sought Afghan Taliban administration’s help for preventing TTP attacks during
elections.
On the possibility of resumption of
talks with TTP that broke down in late 2022 when the terrorist group ended the
ceasefire, the FO spokesperson said: “Our position hasn’t changed. Pakistan is
not interested in dialogue with TTP. We have no dialogue taking place, nor do
we intend to have a dialogue with TTP.”
“Our demands from the Afghan authorities
haven’t changed, they remain the same, which is that the Afghan authorities
should take action, effective action against terrorist elements inside
Afghanistan, including TTP leadership,” she said.
Indian diplomat’s book
The spokesperson disparaged the former
High Commissioner of India to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria’s newly released book,
Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and
Pakistan, as an attempt to “advance India’s fictitious narratives around the
developments of February 2019 and the usual chest thumping that Indian
officials have adopted as their default narrative”.
The book covers significant events such
as the Pulwama attack, the Balakot airstrike, and the abrogation of Article 370
in Kashmir. The book notably reveals an incident where former PM Imran Khan,
fearing an Indian missile attack post-Balakot, tried to initiate a midnight
call with Indian PM Narendra Modi to avert further escalation.
As the next Lok Sabha elections draw
closer, it is not surprising that a Pakistan bashing, jingoistic and
militaristic narrative is now being unleashed in India,” she further noted. Source:
dawn.com
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----
HRCP seeks statutory national commission
for minorities’ rights
January 12, 2024
ISLAMABAD: A national roundtable
convened by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday called
for the establishment of a statutory national commission for the rights of
minorities as per the recommendation of the 2014 Supreme Court Jillani
judgement.
HRCP’s director Farah Zia recalled that
the national commission for minorities that was set up in 2020 failed to meet
the demands of minorities. She underscored the need for an autonomous
commission established along the lines of the Paris Principles.
A statement issued by HRCP said that
representatives from minority groups, political parties, and government
departments, the Ministry of Human Rights, the National Commission for Human
Rights, and rights organisations proposed several recommendations regarding the
setup of such a commission.
Pritam Das Rathi from the Hindu
community said that the majority of the members must be minorities.
Furthermore, the commission must report on the state of minorities’ rights to
the prime minister on a quarterly basis. Professor Mehar Dad from the Bahai community
said that the commission’s role must extend to all provinces and regions.
Father Sarfraz Simon from the Christian
community pointed out that the school curriculum must be reformed to remove
hate speech and reflect the role of minorities in the formation of Pakistan.
Mahmood Iftikhar from the Ahmadiyya community added that the commission must be
inclusive of the rights of vulnerable groups such as Ahmadis, who had
experienced numerous desecrations of their sites of worship in 2023.
Rights activist Peter Jacob said that
the Jillani judgement addressed majoritarian imbalances in institutions. The
work of national human rights institutions was complementary to the executive,
not parallel to it. He further urged political parties to include the
implementation of the Jillani judgement in their election manifestos.
JUI-F representative Aasia Nasir said
that a national commission for minorities must be people-oriented, with
separate budgetary allocations and a clear mandate. Dr Shoaib Suddle from the
Suddle Commission emphasised how societal attitudes must change, to which HRCP
council member Farhatullah Babar added that addressing majoritarian bias was
necessary given the refusal to accept the validity of such a commission.
HRCP council member Hina Jilani
recommended developing a statute for a commission after a wide consultation,
adding that Ahmadi representatives be included in the commission to uphold
their rights. The Supreme Court must also make an implementation plan for the
Jillani judgement, and mob mentality to block progressive legislation must be
discouraged.
Concluding the discussion, HRCP’s
secretary-general, Harris Khalique, said that the national commission for the
rights of minorities must meet internal accountability mechanisms along with
the Paris Principles in terms of its composition, mandate, authority, and
resources. Salman Farrukh from HRCP, who moderated the roundtable, announced
the launch of an HRCP awareness campaign for the implementation of the Jillani
Judgement.
Source: dawn.com
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----
Pakistan, KSA sign agreements, MoUs to
facilitate Hujjaj
January 11, 2024
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed
different agreements and Memorandums of Understanding to provide better
facilities to Pakistani pilgrims during this year Hajj.
Director General Hajj, Ministry of
Religious Affairs signed these agreements and MoUs on behalf of the government
of Pakistan.
Speaking on this occasion, Minister for
Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed, who was also present on
this occasion, said that Pakistani pilgrims would be provided better place at
Mina and Arafat during this year Hajj.
He also appreciated the authorities of
Ministry of Religious Affairs for their hectic and consistent efforts to
provide better facilities to the pilgrims during Hajj as compared to last year.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/11-01-2024/pakistan-ksa-sign-agreements-mous-to-facilitate-pilgrims-during-hajj
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Four record statements in Tohakhana case
January 12, 2024
Imran Asghar
RAWALPINDI:Four more witnesses recorded
their statements on Thursday in the Toshakhan case against Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who was also remanded to judicial
custody in 12 case registered in Rawalpindi over the May 9, 2023 violence.
The hearing of the Toshakhana case was
held in Adiala Jail, conducted by Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir.
The court recorded statements of four witnesses. However, the statement of the
two other witnesses could not be recorded.
Those, who recorded their statements,
were Tosha Khana Section Officer Bin Yamin, National Accountability Bureau
(NAB) Additional Director Qaiser Mehmood, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Joint
Director Sajid Khan and Foreign Ministry Assistant Director Muhammad Faheem.
However, the statement of two female
officers, Rabia Samad, and former section officer of Toshakhana, Nida Rahman
could not be recorded after objections were raised by the defence lawyers. The
court, then adjourned further proceedings of the case till Friday (today).
In the May 9-related cases, the PTI
founder was presented in an anti-terrorism court, where the investigating
officers (IO) requested the court for a 30-day physical remand. However, the
court rejected the request and ordered that Imran to be kept in jail on 14-day
judicial remand.
Talking to the media outside the jail
after the hearing, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said that the PTI founder had
been facing 202 cases and “offers are coming that if Imran Khan listened, all
these cases will end”. She added that the PTI’s aim was that the law should be
applied equally to all.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2452938/four-record-statements-in-tohakhana-case
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ATC dismisses extension in physical
remand of IK in 12 cases
2024-01-12
RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court
(ATC) on Thursday dismissed the police request to extend physical remand of
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan in 12
cases about the May 9 violence, including the attack on the General
Headquarters (GHQ) and sent him to jail on judicial remand.
ATC judge Malik Aijaz Asif, while
hearing the case at Adiala Jail, sent Khan on a 14-day judicial remand. Jail
authorities produced Khan before the court. Khan’s legal team as well as the
investigation officers (IO) of these cases appeared before the ATC.
At the start of the hearing, prosecutor
requested the court to extend the physical remand of Khan to conduct further
investigation from him regarding 12 cases.
During the hearing, the investigating
officers of the 12 cases presented their report about the investigation
conducted against the PTI founder during his remand.
The PTI founder’s lawyer objected to the
prosecution’s request and pleaded with the court to reject the prosecution’s
request.
The court after hearing arguments sent
Khan to jail.
Source: brecorder.com
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-----
South Asia
US House Foreign Affairs Committee
Accuses Taliban Of Supporting Terrorism, Highlights Deteriorating Afghanistan
Conditions
Fidel Rahmati
January 12, 2024
Michael McCaul, the Chairman of the US
House Foreign Affairs Committee, did not mince words when he openly criticized
the Taliban, denouncing them as “terrorists” during a recent meeting focused on
the Biden Administration’s Afghanistan policy.
In his remarks, McCaul drew attention to
the Taliban’s alleged support for various terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda.
He underscored the grim deterioration of conditions for Afghan women and girls
following the US withdrawal.
The recent actions of the Taliban have
drawn widespread condemnation as they have escalated their restrictions on
women in Afghanistan, detaining numerous women for dress code violations. This
crackdown has sparked significant criticism and concern.
Rina Amiri, the US special
representative for Afghan women’s affairs, delivered a clear message on
Thursday, stressing that the United States should not normalize its relations
with the Taliban. Her statement underscores the ongoing challenges and human rights
issues faced by Afghan women in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power.
McCaul firmly stated, “The Taliban,
despite seeking removal from the terrorist list, remain terrorists. Afghanistan
is deteriorating daily. Contrary to what some in the administration may
believe, there are no ‘moderate’ Taliban members.”
Expressing scepticism about the
administration’s approach to the Taliban, McCaul remarked, “It seems the
administration thinks befriending the Taliban might influence their actions.
However, the Taliban’s behavior clearly shows they cannot be influenced. Today,
Afghan women and girls are in a dire state, worse than at any point since the
US withdrawal.”
Additionally, McCaul raised alarm over
the Taliban’s alleged involvement in the global arms trade, saying, “The
Taliban are funding, equipping, and providing safe haven to terrorist groups,
including al-Qaeda. The $7 billion worth of military equipment left behind
during the withdrawal is being sold by the Taliban, aiding terror groups and
other American adversaries around the world.”
McCaul’s comments shed light on the
ongoing concerns regarding the Taliban’s activities and the challenges facing
Afghanistan post-US withdrawal.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/mccaul-accuses-taliban-of-supporting-terrorism-highlights-deteriorating-afghanistan-conditions/
-----
Afghan General Counsel in Karachi Seeks
UAE’s Support for Afghan Refugees
2024-01-11
KABUL (BNA): Mawlawi Abdul Jabbar
Takhari, the Acting General Counsel of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi,
Pakistan, met with Ateeq- Al-Rumaisi, the General Counsel of the United Arab
Emirates, in this city.
During the discussion, the Afghan
General Counsel highlighted Afghanistan’s accomplishments under Islamic Emirate
authority, as well as the issues that Afghan migrants face in Karachi.
He stated that hundreds of Afghan
families reside in camps and distant sections of the city, without basic living
necessities.
The General Counsel of the Islamic
Emirate of Karachi has called for additional aid from UAE humanitarian
organizations to assist Afghan migrants in the neighboring country.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/afghan-general-counsel-in-karachi-seeks-uaes-support-for-afghan-refugees/
----
Sheikh Hasina sworn in as Bangladesh PM
for fifth term
11 January 2024
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
was sworn in for a fifth term after her party, Awami League won a landslide
victory in the general election boycotted by the opposition.
Hasina, 76, who will serve her fourth
consecutive term as the 12th prime minister, got her oath ceremony administered
by President Mohammad Shahabuddin, which was attended by politicians, foreign
diplomats, civil society figures and senior civil and military officials at
Bangabhaban presidential palace.
“I am, Sheikh Hasina, taking oath...that
I will discharge my duties faithfully as the prime minister of the government
as per the law," Hasina said during her oath-taking ceremony which was
broadcast live on television.
Her 36-member cabinet was also sworn
into office during the ceremony, but the names circulated by the cabinet office
showed around 15 ministers from the previous cabinet were dropped but most
senior ministers retained their positions.
The Awami League secured an overwhelming
three-fourths of elected seats (223 seats out of 300) in parliament, while the
remaining seats were filled by allied parties and independent candidates.
The polling witnessed the absence of
ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP); after their
demand for Hasina to step down and allow a neutral authority to oversee the
January 7 polls was rejected by Hasina.
Bangladesh election officials began
counting votes Sunday after polls guaranteed to give a fifth term in office to
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina closed.
The opposition also described the
elections as a "sham" designed to entrench Hasina in power.
Hasina said she did not need to prove
the credibility of the election to anyone. "What is important is if the
people of Bangladesh will accept this election."
Both Hasina and her adversaries have
levied allegations against their opponents for attempting to instigate disorder
and aggression to impede political harmony and endanger the nascent democracy
of the nation, which is home to a population of 170 million individuals.
The daughter of Bangladesh's founder
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina has been ruling the strategically located South
Asian nation since 2009.
Bangladesh, once engulfed by grinding
poverty, has upheld office throughout the speedy economic growth in Bangladesh
and is among the world's longest-serving female heads of government.
Source: presstv.ir
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Powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake
strikes Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
January 12, 2024
A massive earthquake with a magnitude of
6.4 struck Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries on Thursday at 1:40 pm
local time.
The earthquake’s epicentre was located
in Jurm, a region within Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, as reported by the
United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The tremors from the earthquake were
felt not only in Kabul but also in other Afghan cities. Additionally, parts of
Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan experienced the quake’s effects.
At this time, there is no available
information regarding any casualties or damage caused by the earthquake.
Afghanistan is a country prone to
various natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides, droughts,
avalanches, and flooding.
The recent earthquake in Herat had a devastating
impact, affecting thousands of people across the country, and highlighting the
ongoing vulnerability to such disasters in Afghanistan.
According to the World Health
Organization’s assessment, the recent earthquake has resulted in an estimated
1,482 fatalities and 2,100 injuries.
Furthermore, the earthquake has had a
widespread impact, affecting approximately 43,400 individuals and leaving
114,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/powerful-6-4-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-afghanistan/
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Explosion kills 2, injures 12 in Kabul,
Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
January 12, 2024
An explosion in the capital city of
Kabul on Thursday killed two and injured 12 individuals as confirmed by the
officials.
According to Khalid Zadran, the
spokesman for the Kabul security department, the explosion was attributed to a
grenade blast that occurred in PD 18 of Kabul.
Officials have initiated an
investigation to identify those responsible for the explosion, stated Zadran.
In addition to the Kabul incident,
another explosion was reported in northern Mazar-e-Sharif, although authorities
have not disclosed any information regarding potential casualties, according to
reports.
These recent explosions follow a bomb
blast that occurred on Tuesday in Kabul, resulting in the tragic loss of at
least three lives.
Moreover, late on Saturday, an explosion
in the capital resulted in the death or injury of 25 individuals.
The United Nations mission in
Afghanistan has indicated that this blast specifically targeted the ethnic
Hazara community in the western Dasht-e Barchi area of Kabul.
The repeated instances of violence and
explosions in Afghanistan underscore the ongoing security challenges facing the
country and its people.
Source: khaama.com
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India’s wheat donation aids nearly five
million Afghans in dire need: WFP
Fidel Rahmati
January 11, 2024
Over the past year and a half, the
Government of India has made a substantial donation of 50,000 metric tons of
wheat grains to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan.
This donation has played a crucial role
in providing food assistance to a significant number of people in the country,
as reported by the WFP on Wednesday via its social media platform X.
The donation has allowed WFP to support
more than one million people in Afghanistan in the current year and 4.7 million
people in the year 2022. This aid has been particularly vital considering the
challenging circumstances faced by the people in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of External Affairs of the
Government of India stated that they decided to assist the Afghan people in
response to the deteriorating situation in the country. India has been actively
involved in providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan during this period.
India’s contributions included multiple
shipments of humanitarian assistance, totaling 50,000 metric tons of wheat.
Notably, a recent shipment of 10,000 metric tons of wheat was transported
through the Shahid Behesti Terminal of Chabahar Port, emphasizing India’s
commitment to helping the Afghan people, the statement said.
Five shipments of wheat were sent from
India and were subsequently milled and fortified by Ten Afghan Companies,
resulting in the production of 41,500 metric tons of wheat flour. This locally
processed wheat flour was then distributed to vulnerable communities by WFP.
Milling and fortifying the wheat flour
within Afghanistan had several benefits, including supporting the local
economy, reducing the need for wheat flour imports, and expediting the delivery
of food to communities in dire need.
Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFP Country Director in
Afghanistan, expressed gratitude for India’s support, emphasizing that India’s
contributions have been vital in reaching hungry families during times of
heightened need.
Despite some progress in Afghanistan’s
food security, a substantial portion of the population, including one-third of
Afghans, continues to grapple with food insecurity. The World Food Programme
(WFP) has been working diligently to provide emergency food assistance, aiding
approximately 15.7 million food-insecure individuals in Afghanistan, with 7.7
million of them being women and girls, from January to November 2023.
Meanwhile, there are reports of people
enduring dire humanitarian conditions during the harsh winter in Afghanistan.
Simultaneously, the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and
Iran has further exacerbated the country’s already challenging situation,
highlighting the urgent need for assistance.
The combination of severe weather
conditions and the displacement of Afghan migrants has created a humanitarian
crisis, emphasizing the importance of international aid and support to address
the pressing needs of the Afghan population.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/indias-wheat-donation-aids-nearly-five-million-afghans-in-dire-need-wfp/
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Blasts Hit Kabul, Balkh Leaving Several
Killed
Mujeeb Rahman Awrang Stanikzai
January 11, 2024
At least two civilians were killed and
12 others were injured in a grenade blast in PD 18 of Kabul today, a spokesman
for the Kabul security department, Khalid Zadran said.
He said that an investigation is
underway to arrest the perpetrator.
Kabul-based Emergency NGO– a
humanitarian health organization- said that “the number of patients that our
Surgical Centre received following “the explosion in Kabul PD18 has risen to
13, including 6 women, 4 men, a 17-year-old boy and 2 children.”
Meanwhile, sources in Mazar-e-Sharif
said that an explosion took place this afternoon (Thursday) in the city.
The explosion took place around 3:00 PM
in PD4 of Mazar-e-Sharif, sources said.
So far, there are no details about
possible casualties or the cause of this explosion, and local officials have
not yet made comments on it.
No one has claimed responsibility for
either of the blasts.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186920
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/abu-dhabi-hindu-temple-uae/d/131504