This Is Nothing Less Than Hate Speech on The Floor of The House': the Abused MP, Danish Ali
New Age Islam News Bureau
23 September 2023
BSP MP
Danish Ali and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
-----
India
·
India Slams Pakistan for Raking Up Kashmir AtUNGA;
Calls For Vacating Occupied Areas, Action Against Terrorism
·
Mirwaiz freed after 4 years, seeks talks, calls
for return of Pandits at Friday prayers
·
Uttarakhand: UCC drafting panel’s tenure
extended by another four months
·
Mamata Banerjee meets UAE minister of state for
foreign trade and LuLu Group officials
-----
Pakistan
·
Journalist in Pakistan arrested
for spreading "anti-state" narrative, remanded in FIA custody for two
days
·
Every politician needs to get
protective bail before polls: Parvez Elahi
·
Sara Sharif murder: New images
of 10-year-old wearing scarf released to tap public for tips
·
Afghan refugees urged to
abstain from political activities in Pakistan
·
Pakistan: Court summons Imran
Khan over ‘un-Islamic’ marriage with third wife
·
Pakistan PM: 'Stable
Afghanistan' is 'Important' Priority for Pakistan, US
-------
Southeast Asia
·
PM Anwar Says Home Ministry
Seizure on Rainbow Swatches ‘Excessive’, But Defends Malaysia’s Anti-LGBT
Stance
·
Lorry driver involved in
Putrajaya crash to be charged on Monday
·
Retiree sentenced to a day in
jail for keeping protected wildlife as pets
--------
Africa
·
Libya: Foundations Of
UNESCO-Listed Site of Cyrene Inundated After Deadly Floods
·
African nation’s president
blames West for migrant crisis
·
Libya’s flood-hit Derna to host
reconstruction conference: authorities
·
Debris and dead bodies clutter
flood-hit Libyan port
·
Troops rescue six kidnapped
Gusau Varsity female students
-------
Arab World
·
Saudi Arabia turns green for
93rd National Day … and rehearses for Expo 2030
·
Saudi FM warns of regional instability
if Kashmir issue unresolved
·
Saudi crown prince says he does
not care about 'sportswashing' claims
·
12th Conference of Ministers of
Culture in Islamic World begins in Doha on Monday
-------
South Asia
·
US Extends Afghan Citizens’
Temporary Residence Permits By 18 Months
·
Muttaqi, Durrani Discuss Joint
Committee to Solve Kabul-Islamabad Tensions
·
Islamic Emirate: Efforts
Underway to Create New Crossing with Turkmenistan
·
No one from outside should
obstruct elections in Bangladesh, PM warns in NY
·
20 hurt as bus, auto-rickshaw
workers clash
·
US taking steps to slap visa
restrictions on Bangladeshis
--------
Mideast
·
Israeli Forces Attack Palestinian
Protesters in Besieged Gaza Strip; Injure 30 People
·
Iran summons Swiss envoy to
protest 'baseless' GCC-US claims
·
Iran gives Iraq several days to
fully enforce deal on disarming terrorists: Top commander
·
Iran's enhanced ties with
regional states beneficial to Muslim world: OIC chief
·
Turkish police detain 10
accused of Daesh links, minister says
·
Palestinian killed in Zionist
military raid in northern WB
·
50 thousandPalestinians Perform
Friday Prayers InAl-Aqsa Mosque
--------
North America
·
Attendees Of March Against
LGBTQ Education Don't Represent All Muslims, Says Professorof Religion at Saint
Mary's University
·
CAIR Welcomes Arrest in Alleged
Racist Harassment Targeting Black Family in Oregon
·
Blinken urges India to
cooperate in Canada's probe of Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder
·
Biden raised issue of Canadian
Sikh's murder with India's Modi at G20: report
·
Canada's Opposition leader
condemns 'hateful comments' targeting Hindus, highlights their 'invaluable
contribution'
-------
Europe
·
Jordan, Sweden Co-Host UNRWA
Event To Raise Funds For Palestinian Refugees
·
UK police seek more information
in Sara Sharif case
·
People not ready to spend money
on anything other than weapons – Zelenskyy on elections
·
England saw 4,500+ heat-linked
deaths in 2022: Study
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hate-speech-danish-bidhuri/d/130744
------
This Is Nothing Less Than Hate Speech on
The Floor of The House': the Abused MP, Danish Ali
BSP MP
Danish Ali and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
-----
22nd September 2023
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish
Ali on Friday said if action is not taken against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri for his
derogatory remarks in the Lok Sabha, then he would consider quitting the
membership of the House.
He also said that people had not elected
him to listen to "hate speeches".
Bidhuri made certain objectionable
remarks targeted at Ali on Thursday night during a discussion in the Lok Sabha
on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
"This is unprecedented. I have
written to the Speaker. I hope action will be taken," Danish Ali said.
"This is nothing less than hate
speech. This is hate speech on the floor of the House. Hate speeches were being
made outside Parliament but now hate speech has been delivered on the floor of
the House by a BJP MP," he told PTI.
He also said that Bidhuri has shamed the
entire country and demanded the BJP MP's suspension.
Asked what would he do if action was not
taken against Bidhuri, Ali said, "I expect that the speaker will take
action on this. But if action is not taken, then with a heavy heart, I will
consider quitting the membership of this House because people have not sent me
to Parliament to listen to hate speeches."
He also alleged that there was a
difference between the words and actions of the BJP.
"Where is this kind of behaviour
and culture taught? He (Bidhuri) is a senior MP. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi
ji's two former cabinet colleagues, senior parliamentarians Ravi Shankar Prasad
and Harsh Vardhan, were laughing and thumping desks. This behaviour of the BJP
has been witnessed by people in India's new Parliament's first special
session," the BSP MP said.
On the BJP issuing showcase notice to
Bidhuri, Ali said, "That is the BJP's lookout. I can only say that the
people who have elected us have not sent us to Parliament for this."
"Are the BJP MPs learning hate
speeches in RSS shakhas or in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new laboratory of
new India?" he posed.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday
took "serious note" of the objectionable remarks made by Bidhuri in
the House and warned him of "strict action" if such behaviour is
repeated in the future, officials said.
The speaker later expunged those words.
Union minister Rajnath Singh had
expressed regret for Bidhuri's remarks.
The video of Bidhuri's controversial
references to the Muslim MP has gone viral with opposition parties demanding
strict action against him, including suspension from the House.
Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harsh Vardhan on
Friday distanced themselves from their party colleague Ramesh Bidhuri's
objectionable remarks.
While Prasad said he does not support
any indecent comment, Harsh Vardhan alleged that some people with vested
interests have "dragged" his name into the row and claimed that he
could not "clearly hear" what was being said due to the "chaos"
in the House at that time.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/sep/22/will-consider-quitting-house-if-action-is-not-taken-against-bidhuri-danish-ali-2617332.html
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Pakistan PM at 78th Session of UNGA Calls
for Countering All Terrorists Including Hindutva Inspired Extremists
Interim
Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar addresses the 78th Session of the UN General
Assembly in New York City, US, Sept 22. — Reuters
-----
September 22, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq
Kakar has urged international community to counter all terrorists without any
discrimination including Hindutva inspired extremists.
Addressing the 78th session of the UN
General Assembly in New York on Friday, he pointed out that the rising threat
by the far right extremist and fascist groups poses genocide threat to Indian
Muslims and Christians.
He stressed the need to oppose state
terrorism and address its root causes such as poverty, injustice and foreign
occupation besides distinguishing genuine freedom struggles from terrorism.
The Prime Minister noted that
development depends on peace. He said Pakistan is situated in one of the least
economically integrated region in the world and it believes that region
develops together. He said Pakistan, therefore, desires peaceful and productive
relations with all its neighbours, including India.
He pointed out that Kashmir is the key
to peace between Pakistan and India. Jammu and Kashmir dispute is one of the
oldest issues on the agenda of Security Council. He regretted that India has
evaded implementation of the Security Council's resolutions, which call for
final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir to be decided by its people through UN
supervised plebiscite.
Referring to the Indian atrocities in
the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir especially ever since 5th August 2019,
the Prime Minister called upon the UN Security Council to ensure the
implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir dispute. He suggested the UN
Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan be reinforced.
He urged the global powers to convince
New Delhi to accept Islamabad's offer of mutual restraint on strategic and
conventional weapons.
The Prime Minister termed peace in
Afghanistan a strategic imperative for Pakistan.
He said though Pakistan shares the
international community's concerns with respect to Afghanistan, particularly
the rights of women and girls.
He, however, said Pakistan advocates
continued humanitarian assistance to the destitute Afghan population in which
Afghan women and girls are the most vulnerable as well as support for revival
of the Afghan economy and implementation of connectivity projects with the
Central Asia.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan's first
priority is to prevent and counter all forms of terrorism from and within
Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan condemns the cross
border attacks against Pakistan by the TTP, Daesh and other groups operating
from Afghanistan.
He said though Pakistan enjoys Afghan
support and cooperation to prevent these attacks, but it is also taking
necessary measures to end this externally encouraged terrorism.
Alluding to the phenomenon of
Islamophobia, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said it has assumed epidemic proportions
after terrorist attacks of 9/11 as manifested in the negative profiling of
Muslims and attacks on Islamic sites and symbols such as the recent public
burning of Holy Quran.
He recalled that the UN General Assembly
last year adopted a resolution proposed by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC
declaring 15 March as an International Day to combat Islamophobia.
He said earlier this year the human
rights council adopted an OIC resolution submitted by Pakistan urging states to
outlaw the burning of the Holy Quran and similar provocations. He said
Islamabad welcomes the legislation initiated by Denmark and contemplated by
Sweden towards this end.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan and the
OIC countries will propose further steps to combat Islamophobia including the
appointment of a Special Envoy, creation of an Islamophobia data centre, legal
assistance to victims and an accountability process to punish Islamophobic
crimes.
Expressing Pakistan's commitment to
rapid economic recovery, the Prime Minister said his government will stabilize
country's foreign exchange reserves and currency, expand domestic revenues and
most importantly mobilize significant domestic and external investment.
To this end, he said Pakistan has
established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to expedite
investment decisions.
He said 28 projects have been identified
in priority sectors: agriculture, mining, energy and IT for implementation in
collaboration with Pakistan's partners.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said Pakistan's
long-term shift to geo-economics is well underway.
He said the second phase of the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been initiated covering railway,
infrastructure, and manufacturing projects.
He said Pakistan also looks forward to
the early implementation of the "Connectivity" projects with Central
Asia.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said Pakistan's
food, fuel and finance challenge is a prime illustration of the impacts of
Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts and climate on developing countries.
He pointed out that Pakistan is one of
the worst affected countries from the impacts of climate change. He recalled
the epic floods of last summer submerged a third of the country, killed 1700
and displaced over eight million people, destroyed vital infrastructure and
caused over 30 billion dollars in damage to Pakistan's economy.
He said Pakistan is gratified by the
commitments of over 10.5 billion dollars for its comprehensive plan for
recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction with resilience. He said specific
projects are being submitted to ensure timely funding and execution of the
plan. He hoped the development partners will accord priority to release funds
for its ‘resilient’ recovery Plan which has been costed at 13 billion dollars.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan also
looks forward to the fulfillment of the climate change commitments made at
COP28 by the developed world to provide over 100 billion dollars in annual
climate finance.
He stressed that attempts to selectively
provide these funds on the basis of geo-political considerations should be
resisted.
The Prime Minister said that at the SDG
Summit in New York, far-reaching commitments were made to implement the
Sustainable Development Goals.
He underlined the need to ensure
implementation of the 'SDG Stimulus'; the re- channeling of unused Special
Drawing Rights for development; the expansion of concessional lending by the
Multilateral Development Banks; and the resolution of the debt problems of the
59 countries in debt distress.
Alluding to the complex global and
regional challenges that the world faces today, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said these
can be best addressed through effective multilateralism within the framework of
the United Nations. He said Pakistan will continue to work actively to
strengthen multilateral institutions and enhance global cooperation.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan does
not believe in elitism within the comity of nations. He said Islamabad believes
that adding additional permanent members to the Security Council will further
erode its credibility and legitimacy.
He said the widest possible agreement
can be best achieved on the basis of the Uniting for Consensus Group's proposal
for expansion of the Council only in the non-permanent category with provision
for a limited number of longer-term seats.
He said Pakistan believes that to build,
preserve and promote peace and prosperity today, and in the future, it is vital
to reduce great power rivalry and tensions.
To this effect, there is a need to
ensure strict adherence to the UN Charter; consistently implement Security
Council resolutions; eliminate the root causes of conflicts; and respect the
principles of non-use of force; self-determination; sovereignty and territorial
integrity; non-interference in the internal affairs of States and peaceful co-
existence.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said the world
cannot afford Cold War 2.0. There are far greater challenges confronting
humankind which demand global cooperation and collective action.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar was appreciative of
the progress made towards ending conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
He also warmly welcomed the
normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He, however, said the
tragedy of Palestine unfortunately continues, with Israeli military raids,
airstrikes, expansion of settlements and evictions of Palestinians.
The Pakistan Prime Minister said durable
peace can be established only through a two state solution and the
establishment of a viable and contiguous Palestinian State within the pre June
1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/22-09-2023/pm-kakar-calls-for-countering-all-terrorists-including-hindutva-inspired-extremists
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Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Delivers
Friday Sermon At New York Mosque
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the first foreign leader to be given the
honour of delivering a sermon at the Islamic Cultural Centre of New York. ―
Bernama pic
-----
23-09- 2023
NEW YORK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim today delivered the Friday prayer sermon at the Islamic Cultural
Centre of New York (ICCNY).
Anwar, who is here for the 78th United
Nations General Assembly, is the first foreign leader to be given the honour of
delivering a sermon at the center, which is the first mosque opened in New York
City.
In his sermon delivered in front of over
800 congregation, Anwar shared Malaysia’s experience in managing a multiracial
and multi-religious society.
“We always try to promote understanding,
tolerance and the need to understand others culture and religion. That’s
important for us to live in peace and harmony,” he said.
At the same time, the prime minister
said Muslims must strengthen unity among themselves, as well as acquire
information and knowledge.
Anwar also took the opportunity to
explain the ‘Malaysia Madani’ concept that he introduced in Malaysia and the
threat of Islamophobia worldwide.
“When Quran burning happened, Malaysia
printed one million copies to be distributed worldwide. In fact we sent 15,000
copies to Sweden so that they can look and understand, and not fight because of
ignorance,” he added.
The centre’s Imam, Saad Jalloh said it
was a historic moment for the centre to receive Anwar and his entourage as he
is the first leader to visit the mosque.
Anwar was also given the opportunity to
lead the ‘syahadah’ of a man known as Andrew Vinals, who embraced Islam after
the Friday prayer.
The prime minister was about to leave
the prayer hall when it was announced that that there was a man who wanted to
convert to Islam and they called upon him to complete the man’s conversion to
Islam. – Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/anwar-delivers-friday-sermon-at-new-york-mosque-PH11527484
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Islam Encourages You to Attack
Terrorists– Katsina-Based Cleric Urges Residents
September 23, 2023
Popular Islamic cleric in Katsina State,
Sheikh Musa Ibrahim Faskari, on Friday told residents of the state that Islam
encourages them to stand and defend themselves against terrorist attacks.
Sheikh Musa mentioned this in his sermon
that went viral on social media, expressing his worry over the failure of the
Nigerian security operatives to defend the people of the state from terrorism.
He said Islam encouraged people who were
being attacked and killed to take arms and defend themselves and the affected
communities were allowed to take up arms in order to defend five things:
religion, lives, wealth, dignity and family.
He was quoted by Daily Trust as
saying: “We have seen how our towns and
villages are full with security agents, but we are being attacked on daily
basis, we are being killed and robbed on our roads, our brothers have become
slaves in their own lands, they work for others on their own farms, this
humiliation is unacceptable.
“But the problem is that each one of us
wants to live, we don’t want to die. We failed to contribute with our energy,
wealth, wisdom and connections to bring an end to these problems.
“We make noise more on social media
rather than actions. The most patriotic amongst us is the one who posts on
social media that we are under attack.
“We need to do more than that. We need to meet
our leaders if they lack the wisdom and courage to call us, let us prepare and
draw our own border, that whoever among the terrorists crosses into our
territory will he dead.”
“Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an that
when you have an encounter with terrorists, deal with them in such a way that
it will serve as a lesson for those who will come after them.”
He quoted a prophetic narration which
says whoever is killed in the course of defending his life, his family, his
wealth, his dignity and his religion is a martyr, adding that if the affected
communities will go all out with such good intention, victory will be theirs.
Source: saharareporters.com
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https://saharareporters.com/2023/09/23/islam-encourages-you-attack-terrorists-nigerian-security-agents-cannot-help-katsina
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Saudi Crown Prince: Saudi Arabia Getting
Closer To Israel Normalisation
Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the comments in an interview with Fox News
Reuters
-----
22 September, 2023
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
gave a rare interview on Wednesday, which aired on Fox News, in which he
discussed many issues.
He mentioned Saudi Arabia’s
normalisation deal with Israel, the importance of tackling “the Palestine
issue,” and Riyadh's possible development of a nuclear programme.
Known by his acronym MBS, Saudi Arabia’s
de facto leader told Fox News journalist Bret Baier: “If they get one, we have
to get one,” in reference to Iran’s own possible acquiring of nuclear weapons –
forewarning that the Saudi kingdom would not be left behind in a potential arms
race.
Source: newarab.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.newarab.com/video/saudi-crown-prince-mbs-getting-closer-israel-normalisation
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India
India slams Pakistan for raking up
Kashmir at UNGA; calls for vacating occupied areas, action against terrorism
Sep 23, 2023
NEW DELHI: India strongly criticized
Pakistan following the invocation of the Kashmir issue by Pakistan's interim
Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar during his speech at the United Nations
General Assembly.
In a counterstatement, Petal Gahlot, the
First Secretary at the United Nations representing the Second Committee of
UNGA, asserted that Pakistan ought to relinquish the territories it occupies
within India and cease all instances of cross-border terrorism.
Petal Gahlot said, "In order for
there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are
threefold first stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of
terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and
forcible occupation. And third stop the grave and persistent human rights
violations against the minorities in Pakistan."
The Indian diplomat reaffirmed that the
union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are intrinsic components of
India. They emphasized that Pakistan lacks the legal standing to comment on
India's internal affairs.
"We reiterate that the union
territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India.
Matters pertaining to the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are purely
internal to India," Petal Gahlot said.
"Pakistan has no locus standi to
comment on our domestic matters. As a country with one of the world's worst
human rights records, particularly when it comes to minority and women's
rights, pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before venturing
to point a finger at the world's largest democracy," she added.
Indian diplomat slammed Pakistan for
making "baseless and malicious propaganda" against India at the
United Nations General Assembly.
In her remarks, Gahlot said,
"Pakistan has become a habitual offender when it comes to misusing this
august forum to peddle baseless and malicious propaganda against India. Member
States of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations are well
aware that Pakistan does so to deflect the international community's attention
away from its own abysmal record on human rights."
Calling Pakistan home to the largest
number of internationally proscribed terrorist entities, Gahlot urged Pakistan
to take "credible and verifiable action" against perpetrators of the
2011 Mumbai terror attack.
"Pakistan has been the home and
patron to the largest number of internationally proscribed terrorist entities
and individuals in the world. Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we
callupon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the
perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks whose victims await justice even
after 15 years," Petal Gahlot added.
Shedding light on the systematic
violence against minorities in Pakistan, Petal Gahlot addressed the plight of
Christians and Ahmadiyya communities. She specifically referenced the tragic
Jaranwala incident, in which Churches and Christian residences were maliciously
set ablaze.
"A glaring example of the systemic
violence against minorities in Pakistan was the large-scale brutality
perpetrated against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala in Pakistan's
Faisalabad district in August 2023 where a total of 19 churches were gutted and
89 Christian houses were burnt down," the Indian diplomat said.
"Similar treatment has been meted
out to the Ahmadiyya whose places of worship have been demolished. The
condition of women belonging to minority communities in Pakistan notably
Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, remains deplorable," she added.
She made reference to a report published
by Pakistan's Human Rights Commission which revealed that 1000 women from
minority communities were subjected to abduction and forced conversion and
marriage.
"According to a recent report
published by Pakistan's own Human Rights Commission, an estimated 1,000 women
from minority communities are subjected to abduction and forced conversion and
marriage in Pakistan every year," Petal Gahlot said.
Pakistan caretaker PM Kakar's remarks
came during his address to the 78th session of the United Nations General
Assembly in New York today. He said, "Pakistan desires peaceful and
productive relations with all our neighbours including India," and added
that "Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India."
India has consistently voiced its
apprehensions regarding Pakistan's endorsement of cross-border terrorism,
emphasizing the incompatible nature of terrorism and diplomatic discussions.
Moreover, India has presented
substantiated proof at numerous global platforms illustrating Pakistan's
backing of terrorist organizations. Nevertheless, Pakistan's interim Prime
Minister focused his remarks on what he referred to as the unlawful occupation
of Jammu and Kashmir.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-slams-pakistan-for-raking-up-kashmir-at-unga-calls-for-vacating-occupied-areas-action-against-terrorism/articleshow/103878766.cms
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Mirwaiz freed after 4 years, seeks
talks, calls for return of Pandits at Friday prayers
Sep 23, 2023
SRINAGAR: Hurriyat Conference chairman
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was released from house arrest on Friday, more than four
years after he had been detained in the wake of Article 370’s abrogation. He
led the prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid where he called for the Kashmir
issue to be resolved through talks. “We have always invited our Pandit brothers
to return to the Valley,” he said.
Mirwaiz, put under house arrest on eve
of Article 370 repeal, finally released
More than four years after being
detained in the wake of Article 370’s abrogation, Hurriyat Conference chairman
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was released from house arrest on Friday and soon after led
the prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid where he called for the Kashmir issue to
be resolved through dialogue.
Leading the prayers as Kashmir’s top
clergyman that gives him the Mirwaiz title, he lamented that despite advocating
peace, it was unfortunate that he was branded “anti-national, anti-peace and
separatist”.Holding fort at his usual pulpit for the first time since he was
put in detention on August 4, 2019 -- a day ahead of Article 370’s scrapping --
the Mirwaiz pushed for the return of Pandits. “We have always invited our
Pandit brothers to return to the Valley,” he said, often turning emotional and
teary-eyed during his address.
The Mirwaiz pointed out that Kashmir
might be a territorial question for many but for the people of the region, it
was “foremost a humanitarian issue” to be addressed through talks. According to
him, Hurriyat believes “J&K’s one part is in India while the rest two are
in Pakistan and China, and by merging them fully, J&K will be complete, as
it was on August 14, 1947”.
The Hurriyat chief referred to PM
Narendra Modi’s statement on the Ukraine conflict that “this is not an era of
war”, arguing the sentiment holds true in the context of Kashmir, too. “We have
always believed and participated in efforts of resolution through an
alternative to violent means, which is dialogue and reconciliation. We have
personally suffered for pursuing this route,” he said.
After August 5, 2019, people have faced
difficult times as J&K’s “special identity was snatched and was bifurcated
in two UTs”, the Mirwaiz said, describing his detention as the “most difficult
phase” of his life after his father’s death. “I was forced to move courts and
was informed yesterday by senior officers that I will be released.”
The Mirwaiz had on September 15 moved
the Jammu and Kashmir high court, which had sought the government’s response in
four weeks.
Asserting that he had “the
responsibility to raise the voice for the people” as the Mirwaiz, the Hurriyat
chief called for release of all political prisoners, journalists, lawyers,
civil society members and youths. “I want to tell my people to be patient, to
keep faith in the almighty,” he said, signing off by urging the gathering to
leave the mosque “peacefully”.
The request was kept, with divisional
commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri confirming the congregation concluded
peacefully. “The credit goes to the people and (security) agencies, who took
the decision after calculating things,” Bidhuri said. The allusion possibly was
to releasing the Mirwaiz and allowing him to lead the prayer meet.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mirwaiz-freed-after-4-years-seeks-talks-calls-for-return-of-pandits-at-friday-prayers/articleshow/103875272.cms
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Uttarakhand: UCC drafting panel’s tenure
extended by another four months
Press Trust of India: 23rd September
2023
Dehradun: The tenure of the committee to
draft a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for Uttarakhand has been extended by four
months, according to an official order.
This was the third extension given to
the panel whose tenure was to end on September 27. The order extending the
committee’s tenure by four months was issued by Additional Chief Secretary
Radha Raturi on Friday.
The panel, headed by retired Supreme
Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, was constituted on May 27, 2022. It was to
submit a draft UCC to the state government by the end of June this year.
A Uniform Civil Code for Uttarakhand was
one of the major poll promises of the BJP in the run-up to the state assembly
elections held last year. After being voted to power for a consecutive term,
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami gave his nod to setting up a committee to
draft the UCC at the first cabinet meeting headed by him.
The Uttarakhand government had
constituted the committee of experts under retired Supreme Court judge Desai to
examine various existing laws regulating personal civil matters of the
residents of Uttarakhand and to prepare draft law or laws or suggest changes in
existing laws on such subjects as marriage, divorce, property rights,
succession, inheritance, adoption, maintenance, custody, and guardianship.
The five-member committee got its first
extension of six months in November 2022, and the second of four months in May
this year.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/uttarakhand-ucc-drafting-panels-tenure-extended-by-another-four-months-2703674/
-----
Mamata Banerjee meets UAE minister of
state for foreign trade and LuLu Group officials
Meghdeep Bhattacharyya Calcutta ,
23.09.23
Mamata Banerjee on Friday met UAE
minister of state for foreign trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and a LuLu Group
International delegation led by its executive director Ashraf Ali M.A. in Dubai
where she also hosted a Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) campaign event.
“What an incredibly fruitful day it has
been!” the Bengal chief minister posted on X after the meetings and the
campaign programme.
“I had the pleasure of meeting with His
Excellency @ThaniAlZeyoudi, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade,”
Mamata wrote after inviting the minister to the BGBS.
“Our discussions revolved around one key
goal: elevating trade relations and exports from West Bengal to the UAE. I
couldn’t be prouder to announce that nearly 12% of West Bengal’s total goods
exports find a home in the UAE,” she added.
“In our conversation, I had the
privilege of showcasing the remarkable economic growth of Bengal which is well
on track to reach a staggering GDP of 212 billion US Dollars by 2023-24.”
The chief minister was in the UAE after
a visit to Spain to attract investments to Bengal.
At the campaign event, Al Zeyoudi said:
“Bengal certainly offers considerable promise for our private sector, and a
range of sectors.”
“This reflects in our bilateral trade
that was valued at more than 3.3 billion dollars last year, which represents
almost 5 per cent of our UAE-India trade,” added the minister. “Ultimately, we
recognise that our economies work better when they work in harmony. This is
just the beginning of our new journey together.”
Speaking after him, Mamata said Bengal
played a prominent role in India-UAE trade and economic relations and exports
from the state, including precious metal, jewellery, iron, steel, tea,
readymade garments, telecom instruments, petroleum products and marine products
to the Middle Eastern nation in 2022-23 amounted to 1.49 billion dollars.
“I hope this relationship will become
stronger as trade is key to our future prosperity,” said the chief minister.
At the BGBS campaign event — quite like
she did in its Madrid and Barcelona editions — Mamata highlighted the inclusive
character of Bengal, along with an abundance of skills, availability of proper
infrastructure, a social safety net for the citizenry and empowerment of women
in the state.
“Bengal is the only place where you can
see unity in diversity, where members of every community visit all religious
places. We don’t (perceive) titles or surnames, we (perceive) humanity. That is
the purpose of our development,” she said.
Before and after Mamata spoke, several
prominent industrialists, Sanjiv Goenka of RPSG Group, Sanjiv Puri of ITC,
Harsh Neotia of Ambuja Neotia who were in Mamata’s delegation, lavished praise
on Bengal and its investment climate during the Trinamul Congress-regime.
In her address, the chief minister
hailed Bengal as a leading state in manufacturing and exports and highlighted
various aspects of its soft power. She underscored advantages such as low cost
of operation and labour, top-notch human capital, abundant supply of power and
excellent connectivity.
“One must invest in Bengal as our talent
is a benchmark for the entire world,” said Mamata.
“The infrastructure is ready. We have
200 industrial parks. Land and land-use policies have been made available along
with land maps,” she added. “Along with offering a lease for an earmarked
period, we have put in provisions to allow freehold rights, if you want to
invest your money in the state.”
Earlier in the day, she met the LuLu
Group International delegation to discuss possibilities of engagement and
investment, such as a “world-class” mall in New Town, retailing or setting up
counters of Biswa Bangla products in their malls globally, and back-linkages
for procurement of fruits and vegetables for their stores from Bengal alongside
setting up food-processing centres.
“There was also an expression of keen
interest from LuLu in dairy, poultry, fish-processing and meat-processing.
Besides, they showed interest in skill development projects in Bengal,” said
Mamata.
Founded by M.A. Yusuff Ali from Kerala,
the Abu Dhabi-headquartered LuLu Group International operates a chain of
hypermarkets and retail companies. Besides India, it has 230-plus retail stores
in the Middle East and North Africa and Southeast Asia.
In India, its has over Rs 20,000 crore
invested in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Telangana,
with a target of enhancing that by Rs 10,000 crore in the next three years.
Having already generated over 22,000 jobs in the country, it aims to employ
50,000 people, going forward.
“Today’s meeting with Mr. @asharfalima,
Executive Director of LuLu Group International, was immensely promising for
Bengal’s growth!” Mamata posted on X after the meeting. She invited the LuLu
Group to the BGBS to “deepen our collaboration and set a course for shared
prosperity”.
“We delved into a range of exciting
possibilities, foremost among them being the prospect of a world-class mall in
Newtown. We discussed the global promotion of Biswa (Bangla) products in LuLu
Group’s retail outlets,” she added.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/mamata-banerjee-meets-uae-minister-of-state-for-foreign-trade-lulu-group-international-officials/cid/1968304
-----
Pakistan
Journalist in Pakistan arrested for
spreading "anti-state" narrative, remanded in FIA custody for two
days
Sep 23, 2023
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and
sessions court on Friday remanded journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil in the
custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days, Pakistan-based
Dawn reported.
The development comes after Jamil's
arrest on Thursday night. According to FIA, Khalid Jamil was detained on
charges of spreading a "provocative narrative" against state
institutions through his posts on social media.
ABN News, the TV Channel with which
Jamil is affiliated confirmed his arrest in a post shared on X. The first
information report lodged by the agency said the accused was "found
sharing and propagating highly intimidating content/tweets on social media/Twitter"
(now X), Dawn reported. The FIR invoked Section 20 of the Prevention of
Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), which states: "Whoever intentionally and
publicly exhibits or displays or transmits any information through any
information system, which he knows to be false, and intimidates or harms the
reputation or privacy of a natural person, shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one
million rupees or with both," Dawn reported.
In addition, the FIR included Section
505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The
FIR said, "The accused had knowingly misinterpreted and disseminated
anti-state narrative by sharing false misleading and baseless information which
are also likely to cause fear in the public and may incite anyone to commit an
offence against the state or the state institution or public
tranquillity."
The agency further said that the
"accused persons including Muhammad Khalid Jamil propagated, promoted and
glorified anti-state, provocative and hatred narrative against the state
institutions." The FIA did not reveal details regarding other individuals
involved in the alleged crime, according to Dawn report.
The agency called such intimidating
content of blaming and naming through social media accounts a mischievous act
of subversion to create a rift between the general public and state
institutions to "harm the state of Pakistan".
It further said that the accused through
such intimidating content including videos "attempted to provoke the
general public against the state institutions including judiciary, by trying to
create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the state."
The journalist community has condemned
the arrest of Khalid Jamil. They have called for an explanation for the action
taken by the agency.
Journalist Maria Memon expressed concern
over the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) swift action in Jamil's case.
Menon spoke about the agency's inconsistency in their response to other online
harassment cases.
Meanwhile, journalist Nusrat Javeed in a
post shared on X stated, "Just got the news that @khalidjamil had been
arrested by FIA. He had been a colleague of mine at @AajTv. Always found him
extraordinarily soft and polite. Wonder how could he provoke trouble 4 him. The
government surely needs a flawlessly credible story to defend his arrest."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/journalist-in-pakistan-arrested-for-spreading-anti-state-narrative-remanded-in-fia-custody-for-two-days/articleshow/103877695.cms
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Every politician needs to get protective
bail before polls: Parvez Elahi
September 23, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) President Parvez Elahi on Friday advised all politicians to get
protective bail ahead of the elections, considering the political environment
of the country.
Elahi gave the advice when he was asked
by a journalist whether he would be freed ahead of the elections during his
appearance at an anti-corruption court (ATC) in Islamabad in relation to the
Judicial Complex attack case, Geo News reported.
“Only God knows about my release.
Considering the [political] situation, every politician should get protective
bail before the elections,” Elahi said in response. He also added that the
delay in the elections had stopped the country’s system from working.
“I cannot comment on the backdoor talks
with the PTI chairman,” said Elahi.
On the back-breaking inflation, the
former Punjab chief minister said the common man was “finished”. He also laid
the blame on PMLN and Shehbaz Sharif for the high electricity tariffs.
When asked about the reports of change
in Nawaz Sharif’s plan to return to Pakistan, Elahi said: “Nawaz Sharif himself
has also changed.”
The PTI leader also complained that the
jail food was affecting his health, adding that he was provided access to a
doctor but that was also stopped.
On Friday, Elahi was presented in the
ATC, hearing the Judicial Complex attack case, after the completion of his
14-day judicial remand. Elahi had failed to submit his surety bonds despite
getting bail in the case.
At the outset of the hearing, ATC Judge
Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain asked if the surety bonds had been submitted. He also
gave the option to Elahi’s counsel to submit the bonds and gave him the option
of giving the surety in cash, if required.
Moving on, the judge asked whether Elahi
was on judicial remand in any other case, adding the PTI leader was free on
bail if he submitted his surety bond in the case. He was informed by Elahi’s
counsel that his client was on judicial remand in an anti-corruption case.
The judge then questioned whether Elahi
had submitted his bail application in the anti-corruption case on which he was
on judicial remand.
“Bail application has been filed in the
anti-corruption case,” said the lawyer. He then requested the court to give an
extended date of the case.
On this point, the judge adjourned the
hearing till October 13.
The ATC, earlier this month, had
approved Elahi’s petition seeking bail in the case. ATC Judge Abual Hasnat
Zulqarnain accepted the former Punjab chief minister’s bail against the surety
bond of Rs20,000. He has yet to submit those surety bonds.
The PTI president is accused of sending
rioters to Islamabad to vandalise the Judicial Complex along with providing
vehicles and batons for the same, the police claimed, adding the physical
remand was being sought to question him about unidentified criminals and
recover the vehicles.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1112429-every-politician-needs-to-get-protective-bail-before-polls-elahi
--------
Sara Sharif murder: New images of
10-year-old wearing scarf released to tap public for tips
September 23, 2023
LONDON: Fresh images of Sara Sharif have
been unveiled by the police as part of their ongoing appeal for information
following her tragic death. The 10-year-old’s dead body was discovered at her
family’s residence in Woking on August 10.
These newly released photos depict Sara
as investigators believe she may have appeared in the months leading up to her
demise.
Law enforcement officers hope that these
images will encourage more individuals to step forward with any details they
may possess about Sara and her family.
Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif, her
stepmother, Beinash Batool, and her uncle, Faisal Malik, recently appeared at
the Old Bailey, facing charges of murder and causing or allowing the death of a
child.
They have all been remanded in custody,
with a provisional trial date set for September 2, 2024.
Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman of
Surrey Police expressed the hope that the newly released images would inspire
those who knew Sara and her family to come forward with information.
He emphasised that even seemingly
insignificant details are valuable to the investigation team and will be
thoroughly examined.
A Surrey Police spokesperson stated that
officers have been actively engaging with community leaders and distributing
leaflets in Woking.
Posters have also been prominently
displayed in and around the town’s railway station and taxi ranks to reach a
wider audience. In addition to these efforts, officers fluent in Urdu are
providing essential support to the investigation team, ensuring effective
communication with the community.
During the recent court hearing, it was
revealed that Sara had suffered a series of both healed and healing injuries,
shedding light on the severity of her circumstances.
These included a previously healed
collarbone fracture, multiple rib fractures, bruising on her torso and limbs,
and a brain haemorrhage. The investigation into Sara Sharif’s tragic death
remains ongoing as authorities seek to uncover the circumstances surrounding
her passing and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1112442-sara-sharif-murder-new-images-of-10-year-old-wearing-scarf-released-to-tap-public-for-tips
--------
Afghan refugees urged to abstain from
political activities in Pakistan
September 22, 2023
Abdul Jabbar Takhari, the Acting Consul
General of Afghanistan in Karachi, has urged Afghan refugees residing in
Pakistan to abstain from participating in public gatherings hosted by Pakistani
political parties, Tolo News reported
Takhari said that they will not be able
to defend any Afghan refugee who comes under criticism by the Pakistani
government amid ongoing disputes among the political parties in the country.
"They [Afghan refugees] should not
interfere in political affairs of parties here because they have differences
among themselves,” the report quoted him saying.
He warned that interfering with any
party, collaborating with them, or attending their meetings could leave Afghan
refugees vulnerable if they encounter government-related issues, saying that
the Afghan government will not be able to provide support to them.
Read more: Afghan refugee influx
Over 600,000 Afghans have arrived in
Pakistan in the two years since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in
2021.
In addition to the new arrival, Pakistan
hosts 1.3 million Afghan refugees who are holding the Proof of Registration
Cards issued by the government, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
spokesman Qaiser Khan Afridi had recently said.
Over the last two years, over 16,000
Afghans have returned to Afghanistan through the UNHCR-facilitated voluntary
repatriation programme, he added.
In 2017, the government issued a
one-time Afghanistan Citizen Card (ACC) to approximately 880,000 refugees which
expired this year.
"UNHCR is in talks with Pakistani
authorities about extending the registration cards of Afghan refugees,"
Afridi said, adding that they are hopeful for a positive outcome on this issue.
According to Afridi, a positive decision
from the authorities will provide relief to Afghan refugees, who are
experiencing uncertainty and anxiety due to the expiration of their cards.
Prior to August 20, 2021, Pakistani
authorities estimated that 500,000 to 600,000 Afghans lived in the country.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2437221/afghan-refugees-urged-to-abstain-from-political-activities-in-pakistan
-------
Pakistan: Court summons Imran Khan over
‘un-Islamic’ marriage with third wife
Sep 22, 2023
A court in Pakistan on Thursday (Sept
21) directed the troubled former Prime Minister Imran Khan to appear in a case
related to his alleged “un-Islamic” third marriage.
According to the allegations, the
cricketer-turned-politician tied the knot with his wife Bushra Bibi in an
“un-Islamic” fashion, a criminal offence in Pakistan.
The Islamabad High Court directed him to
appear on September 25, as per an order issued by civil Judge Qudratullah to
the Superintendent of Attock prison.
The court also advised Imran Khan’s
lawyers to prepare arguments to be submitted before the court next week in the
same case.
What are the allegations against Khan?
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
chairman is accused of marrying his third wife Bushra Bibi even as her 'Iddat'
was going on.
Iddat refers to the Islamic practice of
a woman abstaining from marriage for a period of time after getting divorced or
becoming a widow.
Earlier, a petition was filed against
Imran Khan alleging criminal conduct. The petition accused Khan and his wife of
cohabiting after their initial "nikkah" during Bushra Bibi's Iddat
period.
Khan has been incarcerated following his
conviction in the Toshakhana case, with his arrest taking place at his Zaman
Park residence in Lahore on August 5.
Brief timeline of the case
In July, the PTI chairman challenged the
trial court's decision to admit a petition concerning the alleged unlawful
marriage, resulting in a detailed judgment by Judicial Magistrate Qudratullah
on July 18.
This ruling declared the petition
admissible and summoned both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to appear in court.
Additionally, on July 14, Islamabad
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Azam Khan transferred the case
to the judicial magistrate, overturning another civil court's ruling that
deemed the plea against the marriage's legality inadmissible.
In his petition, the former Pakistan PM
said that the allegations mentioned in the private complaint do not constitute
an offence within the ambit of Section 496 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
It further stated, “Thus continuation of
the trial would amount to the abuse of the process of law.”
Source: wionews.com
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https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-court-summons-imran-khan-over-un-islamic-marriage-with-third-wife-638480
---------
Pakistan PM: 'Stable Afghanistan' is
'Important' Priority for Pakistan, US
Sep 22, 2023
The caretaker prime minister of
Pakistan, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, said that a stable Afghanistan is an important
foreign policy priority for Pakistan and the US.
Addressing the prominent US-think tank
Council on Foreign Relations, on the sidelines of the 78th UNGA session in New
York on Thursday, Kakar said that Pakistan would push the Afghan government to
honor their commitments to women's rights and girls’ education.
“A stable Afghanistan continues to
remain an important foreign policy priority for Pakistan and the United States.
We welcome the US direct engagement with Afghan government and in on our part
(will) continue to push them to honor their commitments to women rights, girls’
education and ensuring the Afghan soil is not used for terrorist attacks
against other countries,” he said.
US Special Envoy Thomas West emphasized
the need to support women's education and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in
side meetings of the United Nations General Assembly.
On the sidelines of UNGA78, the US envoy
met with Jalil Abbas Jilani, the foreign minister of Pakistan, and they spoke
about security matters as well.
“We discussed shared security interests,
the imperative to support Afghan women and girls’ rights, and the status of
humanitarian support in Afghanistan,” West said on X.
Meanwhile, Catherine Colonna, Minister
for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France criticized what she considers to be
the repression of women due to gender in Afghanistan at the UN General Assembly
meeting.
“In Afghanistan where women are repressed
because of their gender by a Taliban regime that sadly has faced a policy of….
violence against women at the heart of its political identity,” Catherine
Colonna said.
Earlier, US Special Envoy Thomas West on
the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, said
that the restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls affect their families
the most.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185215
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Southeast Asia
PM Anwar says Home Ministry seizure on
rainbow Swatches ‘excessive’, but defends Malaysia’s anti-LGBT stance
By Shathana Kasinathan
23 Sep 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Malaysia bans
content that openly supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
community because its people of diverse faiths have agreed to reject such
public displays, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
But he also said in an interview with
international broadcaster CNN aired in Malaysia early this morning that the ban
does not mean that the government condones harassment of the LGBT community.
In the interview, Anwar was asked about
the Home Ministry’s seizure of Swatch’s Pride collections of rainbow watches to
celebrate the LGBT community back in May, with the law prescribing a three-jail
jail term on those found guilty of selling or wearing such items.
“I will not defend that action, it is
excessive. But the law, people in this country are Muslim and non-Muslim,
Christian, Hindu and Buddhist; they expressed their consensus, in this country
they do not accept open public displays.
“In the issue of Swatch watches, no
charges have been imposed,” he replied.
Asked about the law being changed, Anwar
expressed a desire for reform.
At the same time, he said there is a
need to respect both the law and the Malaysian public’s consensus. Currently in
New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Anwar said Malaysia’s stance
on LGBT should not be seen as a crackdown on individuals.
“But do we then go and harass them?
That’s a different subject. I don’t approve of any attempt to harass,” he said.
In the interview, Anwar also refuted CNN
interviewer Christiane Amanpour’s suggestion that Malaysians accept a “don’t
ask, don’t tell” policy regarding LGBT matters.
He said that tolerance should be the
prevailing approach. According to Anwar, the core issue regarding the LGBT
community was harassment.
He said he is against harassment, and
cited his own past experience facing sodomy charges.
Anwar underscored the need for a
comprehensive review of the law to prevent its misuse for political
persecution, as he had previously encountered.
“I have made it quite clear that we need
to review and look at the law. It should not be abused. It should not be an
attempt in the case to be used for political persecution.
“But finally, we have to respect the
general sentiment of Malaysians,” he said.
On May 13 to 15, 2023, Home Ministry
officers raided 16 of Swatch’s stores throughout Malaysia and seized 172
watches from its Pride collection.
In August, the ministry banned all
elements of "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Plus” on
Swatch’s timepieces and accessories, nearly after three months of the raid.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/23/pm-anwar-says-home-ministry-seizure-on-rainbow-swatches-excessive-but-defends-malaysias-anti-lgbt-stance/92465
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Lorry driver involved in Putrajaya crash
to be charged on Monday
23 Sep 2023
PUTRAJAYA, Sept 23 ― The driver of a
lorry which crashed into several vehicles in an accident at KM5.7 of Jalan
Persiaran Utara Puchong-bound, killing two motorcyclists on the spot, will be
charged at the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court on Monday (September 25).
Putrajaya district police chief ACP A.
Asmadi Abdul Aziz said the 29-year-old driver will be charged under Section
41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
“The remand order has been extended for
two days for the accused to be brought to court,” he said when contacted here
today.
The driver was previously remanded for
four days to enable the police to conduct an investigation in accordance with
Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
In the 10.15 am accident on Wednesday,
two motorcyclists were killed, while seven were injured after a lorry laden
with sand crashed into several vehicles at KM5.7 of Jalan Persiaran Utara
Puchong-bound.
The incident occurred when all the
vehicles involved stopped to make way for the convoy involved in training for
the Le Tour de Langkawi (LTDL). ― Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/09/23/lorry-driver-involved-in-putrajaya-crash-to-be-charged-on-monday/92473
--------
Retiree sentenced to a day in jail for
keeping protected wildlife as pets
23 Sep 2023
ALLISON LAI
KUALA LUMPUR: A 53-year-old retiree has
been sentenced to a day in jail and a fine of RM130,000 after he pleaded guilty
to seven charges of keeping protected wildlife without a special permit.
Wong Kek Choong pleaded guilty at the
Sessions Court here on Friday (Sept 22) before judge Azrul Darus, who meted out
the sentences.
In March, Wong was slapped with seven
charges for keeping wildlife without a special permit, which is an offence
under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
The protected wildlife he kept were a
black pond turtle (geoclemyshamiltonii), a river terrapin (bataguraffinis), and
an African spurred tortoise (geochelonesulcata) among others.
Aside from these, the other protected
animals kept by Wong were a leopard tortoise (stigmochelys pardalis), an Asian
forest tortoise (manouriaemys), a red-eared slider (trachemys scripta elegans)
and a yellow-bellied slider (trachemys scripta scripta).
These are all protected wildlife species
under the Second Schedule of the Wildlife Conservation Act.
On Friday, Wong pleaded guilty to two
charges under Section 68(1)(a) of the Act, three charges under Section 60(1)(a)
and two other charges under Section 117(1) of the same Act.
In mitigation, Wong’s counsel Alvin Tan
Keng Yi from Daljit Singh Partnership, said his client did not harm the
wildlife as he loved them as pets.
"The accused was keeping the
tortoises as his hobby. He never hurt or tortured the animals; instead, he had
been taking good care of them. He never starved the animals and even sunbathed
them," said Tan.
He said that the Act should be used to
punish those who tortured animals, and not those who loved them.
Tan also said his client had severe
osteoarthritis in his right knee and had been advised to go for an operation
and added that he also supported his family.
"Since the cases started, he has
been suffering mental distress, and he has sought psychological help. He is
remorseful and took the incident as a great lesson for himself," said Tan,
adding that the accused has always cooperated with the authorities from the
start of the investigation.
Tan asked for a minimal fine for the
charges and only one day of jail for the offences with mandatory imprisonment.
Wildlife and National Parks Department
(Perhilitan) prosecuting officer Mohd Khairul Mubin Ab Satar prosecuted.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/09/23/retiree-sentenced-to-a-day-in-jail-for-keeping-protected-wildlife-as-pets
----
Africa
Libya: Foundations of UNESCO-listed site
of Cyrene inundated after deadly floods
23 Sep 2023
Floods that killed thousands in Libya's
east also inundated parts the region's sole UNESCO-listed site threatening the
monuments with collapse, a recent visitor and a leading archaeologist said.
The immediate damage to the monuments of
Cyrene, which include the second century AD Temple of Zeus, bigger than the
Parthenon in Athens, is relatively minor but the water circulating around their
foundations threatens future collapses, the head of the French archaeological
mission in Libya, Vincent Michel, told AFP.
The ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene
(Shahhat) is located about 60 km (37 miles) west of flood-hit Derna.
Settled from the Greek island of
Santorini around 600 BC, Cyrene was one of the leading centres of the Classical
world for nearly a millennium before being largely abandoned following a major
earthquake in 365 AD.
Its name lives on in Cyrenaica, the
historical name for eastern Libya.
UNESCO declared its surviving monuments
a World Heritage Site in 1982. When the overthrow of longtime dictator
MoamerKadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising ushered in years of conflict and
neglect, UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage in Danger list in 2016.
According to Claudia Gazzini, Libya
specialist at the International Crisis Group think tank, who recently visited
the site, much of it remains waterlogged days after the torrential rains
triggered by Storm Daniel on September 10 to 11.
In places, ancient walls have collapsed,
blocking the water courses that would normally drain the sprawling site, which
also boasts a necropolis outside its walls as large as the city itself.
"There's a street lined by ancient
walls that connects the upper and lower levels down which rainwater would
normally escape but large boulders have fallen in, blocking the flow,",
Gazzini told AFP by telephone from Libya's main eastern city of Benghazi.
"On the lower level, there's also
dirty water continuously bubbling out of the ground in the middle of the
ruins," she said, adding that neither residents of the adjacent village of
Shahat nor an official from local antiquities division that she met there,
could tell her where it was coming from.
"If water continues to flow in and
remains trapped in the site, the retaining wall could collapse, taking with it
a large chunk of the ruins," she said.
Foundations weakened
French archaeologist Michel, who knows
the site well having worked 10 years in another part of the area, said he had
been able to analyse pictures of the monuments taken after the floods.
"For the moment, there's no major
destruction at Cyrene -- the monuments are still standing," he said.
"But the torrents of water, earth
and rock have created gullies in the ancient streets, particularly the Royal
Road, and the main damage is still to come as the water has spread over a wide
area and has weakened the foundations of the monuments.
"Since the stone in the region is
of poor quality, the monuments risk falling apart due to lack of good
foundations," he added.
The adjacent necropolis has been
inundated by "hundreds of cubic metres of water which has shifted and
submerged some of the tombs," he added.
Michel said he was also concerned about
the risks of looting in the aftermath of the floods, which killed more than
3,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.
The site in the Jebel al-Ahkdar
mountains, inland from the Mediterranean coast, is normally popular with
visitors for its panoramic views. But Libyans have more pressing worries after
the deadly floods.
Michel said his concerns had been
partially allayed by the rapid mobilisation of Libya's antiquities department,
which had already sought help from the Italian archaeological mission in
protecting Cyrene and from the French mission he heads in protecting two nearby
sites.
The aim is to "join forces with the
local authorities in coordination with UNESCO to raise the main points of
weakness in the monuments and record any deterioration," Michel said.
Actions should then be taken to repair
the drainage of the site and shore up the monuments' foundations.
Source: africanews.com
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African nation’s president blames West
for migrant crisis
22 Sep, 2023
The president of the Central African
Republic (CAR), Faustin Archange Touadera, has accused the West of sparking a
migration crisis by exploiting Africa’s natural resources and causing economic
hardship through slavery and colonialism.
Referring to the recent arrival of
thousands of African migrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa, Touadera told
the UN General Assembly on Thursday that “these young people who represent the
present and the future of our continent, Africa, are desperately seeking to
join the countries of the European continent, in search of an El Dorado.”
Lampedusa, which is less than 150 km (90
miles) from the Tunisian coast and roughly half-way between Libya and Sicily,
has been overwhelmed by migrants and remains a popular destination for arrivals
from North Africa. A facility built to house a maximum of 450 people on the
island now reportedly shelters over 2,000.
Last week, the authorities on Lampedusa
declared a state of emergency after the UN migration agency reported that over
8,000 migrants had arrived in 199 boats over the course of three days. Local
mayor Filippo Mannino was quoted as saying that the crisis had reached a “point
of no return.”
According to the Italian Interior
Ministry, 125,928 migrants and refugees had arrived in Italy as of September
14, twice the number for the same period last year.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
blamed the crisis on migrant smugglers, while a senior Polish diplomat,
Arkadiusz Mularczyk, claimed earlier this week that the surge in numbers could
be part of a Russian hybrid operation designed to erode European Union support
for Ukraine.
Illegal immigration to Italy surges
under right-wing coalitionREAD MORE: Illegal immigration to Italy surges under
right-wing coalition
However, CAR leader Touadera suggested
otherwise in his comments at the UN.
“This escalation of the migrant crisis
is one of the appalling consequences of the plundering of natural resources of
countries made poor by slavery, colonization and Western imperialism, terrorism
and internal armed conflicts,” the leader said.
Last week, Germany announced the
suspension of an agreement with Italy to voluntarily take in refugees, citing
Rome’s failure to fulfill its commitments under the EU’s Dublin Regulation.
Under a voluntary EU solidarity initiative, Germany had promised to assist by
accommodating 3,500 migrants from member states facing substantial pressures.
Source: rt.com
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Libya’s flood-hit Derna to host
reconstruction conference: authorities
September 22, 2023
BENGHAZI, Libya: Libya’s eastern-based
administration said on Friday that it would host an international conference
next month in the flood-hit port city of Derna to aid reconstruction efforts.
A tsunami-sized flash flood broke
through two aging dams upstream from Derna after a hurricane-strength storm
lashed the area on September 10, razing entire neighborhoods and sweeping
thousands of people into the sea.
“The government invites the
international community to participate in the conference planned for October 10
in Derna to present modern, rapid projects for the reconstruction of the city,”
the administration said in a statement.
It said the conference was being held in
“response to the demands of residents of the stricken city of Derna and other
towns that suffered damage” during the flooding.
Wracked by divisions since a 2011
NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed veteran dictator Muammar Qaddafi, Libya
has for years been ruled by two administrations vying for power.
A UN-backed, internationally recognized
administration in the capital Tripoli is run by Prime Minister Abdulhamid
Dbeibah, while a rival administration in the east is backed by military
strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The official death toll from the flood
stands at more than 3,300 — but the eventual count is expected to be far
higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people
missing.
The International Organization for
Migration on Thursday said more than 43,000 people have been displaced by the
flood.
Source: arabnews.com
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Debris and dead bodies clutter flood-hit
Libyan port
September 22, 2023
DERNA, Libya: Libya’s devastating flood
has transformed Derna from a busy port welcoming fishing boats and ships loaded
with goods and passengers into a dump brimming with rubble, car wrecks and dead
bodies.
Tugboat captain Ali Al-Mismari, 60,
recalled the night of September 10 when torrential rains caused by Storm Daniel
battered the eastern Libyan city, bursting two dams and wiping out entire
neighborhoods.
At first, Mismari told AFP, he wanted to
take his boat, the “Irasa,” out of the harbor to avoid putting the crew at risk
and to avoid damage to the vessel.
But in the chaos of the storm, with
water levels rapidly rising, he was unable to see the seawalls surrounding the
port and navigate a safe exit.
“There was nothing (to do) but pray,” he
said.
When day broke, the scale of the
devastation became clear.
Mismari said he saw “massive trucks, car
tires, people, houses, entire palm trees... heaters, washing machines,
refrigerators” had all been washed into the harbor by the flash flood.
The official death toll from the
disaster stands at more than 3,300 — but the eventual count is expected to be
far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000
people missing.
Since the tsunami-sized flood lashed
Derna, port workers, fishermen and passers-by have largely abandoned the
seafront, and only a handful of vessels, the Irasa included, were still there.
The tugboat was enlisted along with
local and foreign teams to clear the bottom of the harbor.
The walkways surrounding the port are
now paved with items retrieved by divers.
Captain Mohamed Chalibta, head of the
port authority’s crisis management committee, said the search was concentrated
on “objects that had sunk in the port,” including cars with people still
thought to be inside.
An Emirati team, equipped with boats and
jet skis, scoured one part of the harbor.
But the water was dark brown, filled
with mud brought by the flood, and there was virtually “zero visibility,”
according to one of the divers.
The Emirati search mission chief, Col.
Ali Abdullah Al-Naqbi, was giving directions to his team, stressing the need to
take full precautions.
Two by two, scuba divers secured with
safety ropes descended from their yellow boat.
One emerged from the muddy water after a
short while, and said: “We tied (a rope) to a car. We can’t see anything.”
Another diver meanwhile found a second
car.
Back on their boat, other team members
helped the divers remove foliage that had become stuck on them and sprinkled
fresh water on their faces.
The Emirati team, in coordination with
Libyan authorities, called in a crane that pulled one of the mangled wrecks out
the water.
As it was being removed, mud, water and
what appeared to be human remains spilled out of the vehicle.
Lowered onto the dock, Libyan men in
white coats, gloves and face masks took over to check the vehicle for bodies,
but on this occasion they found none.
Officials expect the process of clearing
the port to take a long time.
Rescuers are also searching the sea
beyond the harbor, with maritime experts saying many bodies may have been
carried eastward by the current.
Hafez Obeid, head of the Libyan forensic
team, said the salinity of the water helps to preserve bodies, making the
identification process easier than for corpses found on land.
Aboard the Irasa, captain Mismari said
“private fishing boats were the first to rush to the rescue” on the night of
the disaster.
Next to him, technician Taoufik Akrouch,
61, recalled that “the water level rose above the dock by about one and a half
meters (five feet).”
The Irasa began tilting violently and
the crew started its engines before cutting mooring lines.
At dawn, they heard a cry for help.
They found a survivor — a naked woman
floating inside a refrigerator, according to two crew members.
They said she asked them: “Where is my
sister?“
Another survivor rescued by Mismari’s
team, an Egyptian, could not say how he got to the harbor.
“He had been sleeping, and then found
himself there,” Mismari said. “Maybe he had been unconscious.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Troops rescue six kidnapped Gusau
Varsity female students
September 22, 2023
Operatives of the Joint Task Force,
Operation Hadarin-Daji, have rescued six female students of Federal University,
Gusau, Zamfara, abducted in the early hours of Friday.
Force Information Officer, Operation
Hadarin-Daji, Cpt. Ibrahim Yahaya confirmed this to the newsmen via telephone
on Friday in Gusau.
Nigerian Tribune online reported that 24
female students had been abducted from their rented hostels at Sabon-Gida, a
few metres away from the university.
Yahaya said the troops pursued the
abductors who took the students, mostly females, to the forest.
He said that the troops engaged the
abductors in a gun duel, supported by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) air
component, and rescued six students.
Yahaya further stated that several
bandits were neutralised during the rescue effort, which, he said, was still
ongoing.
“The troops also recovered one AK-47, a
magazine, four motorcycles and one communication gadget from the terrorists,”
the officer said.
Efforts to speak with the school
authorities on the incident proved abortive, as the institution’s Spokesperson,
Umar Usman, did not respond to several calls put through to him.
Source: tribuneonlineng.com
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia turns green for 93rd
National Day … and rehearses for Expo 2030
September 23, 2023
RIYADH: Welcome to the day Saudi Arabia
turns green! Saudis will take to the flag-decked streets in their thousands
today to celebrate the Kingdom’s 93rd national day.
A raft of free activities will be
available for families to enjoy the day.
Among the most eagerly awaited events is
the air show by the Saudi Hawks, the aerobatics team of the Royal Saudi Air
Force. Pilots will take to the skies in their six BAE Hawk Mk.65A aircraft for
a gravity-defying display, leaving a trail of Saudi flags in their wake.
Horse-drawn artillery and other vehicles
will take part in a military march through Riyadh at 4 p.m., accompanied by
musicians from the Border Guard, the National Guard, and the Royal Guard. The
parade will travel from Prince Mohammed bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Road to Umm
Ajlan Park in the Qairawanneighborhood.
There will also be special events at the
already buzzing Boulevard Riyadh City, including fireworks, a drone show and
traditional folklore acts.
A young girl joins citizens and
residents celebrating Saudi National Day at a park in the waterfront of Qatif
in the Eastern Province as early as Friday. (SPA)
The celebrations are a dress rehearsal
for what the Kingdom can expect if its bid to host the Expo 2030 world fair is
successful. In a special edition of Arab News today, we explain why the answer
to that should be a resounding “yes.”
We explore the natural, archeological
and architectural wonders that define Riyadh, learn about the history of the
Ardah dance, and sample the Kingdom’s coffee culture.
We unpack how Salmani architecture
redefined Riyadh’s development, highlighting the capital’s megaprojects, and
look at how King Salman International Airport and the Riyadh Metro are
transforming the city.
Riyadh’s hospitality industry serves up
what it has to offer Expo visitors, while we examine the distinctive Saudi
characteristic of generosity.
We highlight Riyadh’s thriving business
landscape and booming retail sector, and check its cultural pulse, including
headline events such as Noor Riyadh.
And taking readers on a tour of Expo
2030 preparations, we speak to Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary general of the
Bureau International des Expositions, which will elect the host city by secret
ballot in November.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi FM warns of regional instability
if Kashmir issue unresolved
September 23, 2023
NEW YORK:Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister
Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah has said that the Kashmir issue
constitutes one of the pressing challenges facing the security and stability of
the region, warning that leaving the issue unresolved will contribute to
regional instability.
Addressing a meeting of the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Kashmir on the sidelines the 78th
session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prince Faisal stressed
that Saudi Arabia stood by the “Muslims in maintaining their Islamic identity
and preserving their dignity”.
According to the Saudi Press Agency,
Faisal told the meeting that the kingdom was “exerting unremitting effort to
mediate between the parties of the conflict … to reduce escalation and achieve
calm and a peaceful settlement to the issue in accordance with the relevant
international resolutions”.
He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for
the afflicted people in areas witnessing conflicts and unrest, including the
people of the Jammu and Kashmir region. “Such efforts emanate from the
kingdom’s unwavering stance in support of Islamic peoples,” he added.
The OIC Contact Group said in a
statement that during the ministerial-level meeting on Wednesday, the
international community was urged to “intensify its efforts to settle the issue
of Jammu and Kashmir” based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
At the meeting, chaired by OIC
Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas
Gilani provided an “update on the current situation in the region”.
He thanked the secretary-general and the
Contact Group members for their “unwavering support”.
According to the joint communiqué of the
meeting, also released by the Foreign Office in Islamabad, the participants of
the meeting rejected India’s illegal and unilateral actions of Aug 5, 2019 as
well as the subsequent steps to undermine the internationally recognised
disputed status of the IIOJK.
The group expressed serious concern over
the statements by the Indian political leaders as well as military officers
about their readiness to attack Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and
Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), calling such statements a serious threat to regional
peace and stability.
The OIC Contact Group demanded of India
to reverse all illegal and unilateral measures taken on or after Aug 5, 2019,
stop the gross, systematic, and widespread human rights abuses in IIOJK, and
halt and reverse the illegal demographic changes in the occupied territory.
It demanded release of all Kashmiri
political prisoners by rescinding the trumped-up and fallacious charges against
the Kashmiri leadership and the repeal of all draconian laws.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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Saudi crown prince says he does not care
about 'sportswashing' claims
September 22, 2023
RIYADH:Saudi Arabian Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman said he does not care about allegations of
"sportswashing" against the kingdom and that he will continue funding
sport if it adds to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
The allegation of
"sportswashing" is levelled at countries perceived to be using sport
to improve their tarnished image abroad.
"If sportswashing (is) going to
increase my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing," the crown
prince told Fox News.
Saudi Arabia has made massive
investments in soccer, golf Formula One, boxing and tennis in recent years
through its Public Wealth Fund, which is chaired by the crown prince, the
kingdom's de facto ruler since 2015.
Critics accuse the country of using its
sovereign wealth fund to engage in "sportswashing" in the face of
heavy criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human
rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
When asked specifically about the term
"sportswashing", the crown prince said: "I don't care. I have 1%
GDP growth from sports and I'm aiming for another 1.5%. Call it whatever you
want - we're going to get that other 1.5%."
PIF owns an 80% stake in Premier League
club Newcastle United and funded LIV Golf, which recruited high-profile players
from the PGA Tour and Europe's DP World Tour before announcing an agreement to
merge and form one unified commercial entity.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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12th Conference of Ministers of Culture
in Islamic World begins in Doha on Monday
22 Sep 2023
Doha: The State of Qatar, represented by
the Ministry of Culture, will host the 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture
in Islamic World under the theme 'Toward renewing cultural action in the
Islamic world' on Monday.
The two-day conference, which the
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is
organizing within the framework of its competencies, will discuss a number of
topics, including issues of cultural development in the Islamic world, and
mechanisms for developing the ICESCO's Program for Cultural Capitals in the
Islamic World, in addition to some projects such as the program to value living
human treasures and traditional knowledge in the Islamic world, cultural policy
guidelines and indicators for sustainable development in a transforming world,
and strategy to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property in the Islamic
world.
The conference will be attended by
ministers of cultural affairs from a large number of ISESCO member states,
along with representatives of regional and international organizations working
in the areas of culture and heritage. to discuss renewing collaborative
cultural actions and ways to develop cooperation among Islamic countries in
this sphere.
Qatar's hosting of this ministerial
conference is the culmination of the efforts of the Ministry of Culture to
support joint cultural action and consolidates the traditions of cultural and
civilizational exchange among the peoples of the Islamic world. It also
confirms the common civilizational and cultural values on which the state's
vision for a diverse and rich Arab-Islamic cultural scene is based.
It is also the culmination of the
success of Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021 under the slogan
"Our Culture is Enlightenment", that was held within the ICESCO's
Program for Cultural Capitals in the Islamic World.
Within the preparation for the
Ministerial Conference, the 18th session of the Consultative Council for
Cultural Development in the Islamic World, whose General Secretariat is held by
ICESCO, will be held tomorrow to discuss a number of draft decisions and
documents related to the work of the Ministerial Conference, most notably the
adoption of the draft agenda of the 12th Islamic Conference of Culture
Ministers, and the formation of the office of the Consultative Council for
Cultural Development in the Islamic World.
An intellectual symposium to discuss the
influences on Islamic civilization and its impact on humanity will be
organized, while the Doha declaration on renewing cultural action in the
Islamic world will be adopted in the closing session of the conference.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
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South Asia
US extends Afghan citizens’ temporary
residence permits by 18 months
Fidel Rahmati
September 22, 2023
The United States government has extended the
“Temporary Protected Status,” which prevents the deportation of Afghan citizens
from the United States, for another 18 months.
The Department of Homeland Security in
the United States announced Thursday that Afghan citizens who entered the
United States after March 15, 2022, and before September 20, 2023, will receive
temporary documents.
Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, the U.S.
Secretary of Homeland Security, stated that after assessing the conditions in
Afghanistan and consulting with international partners, the necessity of
extending the Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan for eighteen months,
November 21, 2023, to May 20, 2025, has been determined.
This American official mentioned that
this extension allows the United States government to continue providing safety
and protection services for Afghan citizens who cannot return to their home
country due to armed conflicts, extraordinary circumstances, and economic
instability, among other factors.
Certain Afghan citizens who have resided
in the United States for more than one year will benefit from this decision.
According to the statistics of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a
total of 14,600 Afghans are eligible for this process.
Meanwhile, last year, there was a
proposal to provide permanent residency for Afghan citizens in the United
States through legislation. However, this bill was not approved by the United
States Senate. With the current decision, there will be no provisions for
permanent residency or citizenship for Afghan citizens in the United States.
Source: khaama.com
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Muttaqi, Durrani Discuss Joint Committee
to Solve Kabul-Islamabad Tensions
September 22, 2023
The acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan
Muttaqi, in a meeting with Asif Ali Durrani, Pakistan's special representative
for Afghanistan, who was on a visit to Kabul, discussed issues related to
security and the formation of a joint
committee to address problems between Kabul and Islamabad.
Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Hafiz
Zia Ahmad Takal said on X that they had a "detailed" discussion over
security, the detention and treatment of Afghan people in Pakistan, as well as
the export and transit of goods.
Muttaqi said that Kabul and Islamabad
should refrain from expressing opinions against each other and security issues
should be resolved by the joint committee.
During the meeting, Durrani said that
Pakistan is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in many sectors and Islamabad
will find a solution for the problems arising in the crossings.
Durrani, who was also leading a
Pakistani delegation, visited Kabul on
Thursday afternoon.
"Some officials in Kabul said that
because of the recent issues happening between the two countries such as the
TTP (Tahreek-Taliban Pakistan) and also the closure of Torkham as well as the
detention of Afghan refugees and treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan,
these were the issues discussed between the two sides," said Tahir Khan, a
Pakistani journalist.
Political analysts said that the visit
of the Pakistan envoy is important as tensions have recently risen between
Kabul and Islamabad.
"The visit of Pakistan's special
envoy for Afghanistan is likely to convey the views and red lines of Pakistan
to the Taliban officials," said Sayed Jawad Sijadi, a political analyst.
Durani's visit to Kabul comes two weeks
after the clashes between the Islamic Emirate’s forces and the Pakistani
military.
Source: tolonews.com
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Islamic Emirate: Efforts Underway to
Create New Crossing with Turkmenistan
By Habib Rahman Qooyash
September 22, 2023
The Islamic Emirate said it plans to
establish a new transit crossing with Turkmenistan through the Bala Murghab
District of Badghis Province.
The Islamic Emirate spokesperson,
Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the purpose of creating this new route is to
facilitate the export and import of goods.
Mujahid noted that the construction cost
of this route has been determined and efforts are underway to implement it.
"We planned a new route to connect
with Turkmenistan via the Bala Murghab. The work is underway, and the project
has been determined. We are talking to the companies to sign contracts with
them regarding its construction, and its practical work will begin,” the
spokesperson said.
The Ministry of Borders and Tribes said
that, in accordance with the Islamic Emirate's leader's order, the ministry had
carefully inspected the areas of this new crossing in Bala Murghab and sought
the opinions of the local people on the matter.
"Noori and his delegation observed
and carefully inspected this area. They also paid close attention to what
people wanted. The report will also be shared with the Amir al-Mu'minin,” said
Hamdullah Fitrat, spokesperson of the ministry.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and
Investment (ACCI) said he considers the establishment of a new route and
transit crossing with Turkmenistan as beneficial for the development of the
country's trade and economy.
"The port that will be constructed
in Bala Murghab will be the best port. Both oil and flour can come through that
port. We want the necessary things to be installed and built in this port as
soon as possible,” said Mohammad Yunus Momand, the head of ACCI.
"The port needs to have facilities,
services, and infrastructure. It should build its capabilities. We welcome this
and will cooperate with the Islamic Emirate in the construction of this port,”
said Khanjan Alkozi, a member of the ACCI.
There are already two operational ports
with Turkmenistan, at Aqina port in Faryab and Turghandi port in Herat.
Source: tolonews.com
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No one from outside should obstruct
elections in Bangladesh, PM warns in NY
Sep 23, 2023
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said
there is no scope now for anyone to grab power illegally in Bangladesh and the
violators have to face the music.
"If anyone comes to power, creating
trouble and violating the constitution, then s/he will face punishment. It
should not be forgotten," she said.
The prime minister made the remarks
while addressing a press conference at Bangladesh Permanent Mission in UN in
New York yesterday. She is now in New York to participate in the 78th session
of the United Nations General Assembly.
She said if anyone other than only
elected representatives want to come to power through an alternative way, they
will have to face punishment.
"It will have to be kept in mind.
They will have to face the music," she said.
The PM said she has been in power facing
many obstacles emerging from inside of the country. If the people vote for
Awami League, the party will come to power again.
Pointing to those who are saying that
they would impose sanctions, if an attempt is made to thwart the election, she
said, "I would like to say that this attempt to thwart the election should
not be made from outside the country as well."
She said if the election is spoiled from
outside the country, the people of Bangladesh will also impose sanctions.
"We would like to see that no attempt is made from outside the country as
well," she said.
Noting that she introduced the slogan
that "I cast my vote on my choice" in the country, Hasina said her
party was able to establish it. The people are now conscious enough over their
voting rights, she added.
Focusing on the electoral reforms made
by her government, the premier said now the ballot boxes are transparent and
there is no scope for filling the boxes with fake votes. The electoral rolls
are prepared with photographs. These (the electoral system) were reformed, she
added.
She said the law regarding the
constitution of the Election Commission was made by none other than Awami
League. "We've made the electoral process transparent. We've given the
Election Commission the absolute financial freedom," she said.
She said the EC was once under the
control of the Prime Minister's Office. "The Election Commission is now
completely independent. It is the Awami League government that made it. It'll
have to be kept in mind," she went on.
Hasina said she would like to tell those
who are becoming worried about the election of Bangladesh that people are the
source of power and the owners of the state as per the article-7 of its
constitution.
In reply to another question about the
new visa policy announced by the USA in case of undermining the election in
Bangladesh, the PM said the people voted spontaneously in many elections,
by-elections and local body elections held during the regimes of Awami League.
She said AL came in power, getting the
mandate of the people in the election. "So, we also want the election to
be free and transparent," she added.
Noting that opposition was also
mentioned in today's visa policy announcement, she said it is good from one
perspective that BNP cannot go for thwarting the election like they unleashed
arson violence to obstruct the 2014 election and resorted to violence and
attacked police to spoil the 2018 election.
The PM said they should impose
sanctions, considering who starts undermining the election first. "If only
the Awami League is targeted, I've nothing to say," she said.
Responding to a question if Saima Wazed
would be picked for the next leadership position, Sheikh Hasina said, "The
possibility is very slim. The people of Bangladesh and my party (Awami League)
will decide who will come to the leadership or not in future."
In reply to a question over corruption,
she said many people now try to tarnish the image of Bangladesh by publishing
news "exaggerating tiny things". This evil-attempt is very harmful
for the image of the country, she added.
She said her government does not spare
anyone even in case of any small corruption.
She questioned how Bangladesh would have
been able to witness such a huge development if such corruption had taken
place.
The PM asked the Bangladeshi expatriates
to send remittance through legal channels and not pay heed to rumours.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/no-one-outside-should-obstruct-elections-bangladesh-pm-warns-ny-3425781
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20 hurt as bus, auto-rickshaw workers
clash
Sep 23, 2023
At least 20 people were injured when a
clash broke out between bus and CNG auto-rickshaw workers in Naogaon's Manda
upazila yesterday.
During the clash, two buses and 15
auto-rickshaws were vandalised. The clash took place around 3:00pm in Sabaihat
and Ferighat areas. Following the clash, the movement of vehicles remained
suspended on the Naogaon-Rajshahi highway.
SM Matiuzzaman Moti, general secretary
of Naogaon District Motor Workers Union, said three-wheelers are banned on the
highways yet they continue to ply them.
Recently tensions escalated between the
two sides over the issue. Around 2:30pm, CNG drivers and owners vandalised two
buses and beat the drivers and helpers.
Later, bus workers placed a bus on the
road in the Ferighat area to protest the incident, resulting in clashes again
between the two groups.
Shafiqul Islam, president of CNG-Owners
Workers' Association, Sabaihat Branch, said the members of Naogaon Bus Owners'
Association and Motor Workers' Union had been obstructing the movement of
auto-rickshaws for a long time.
Yesterday, they attacked CNG owners and
drivers in Ferighat leaving 15 drivers injured, he added. They also vandalised
15 auto-rickshaws.
OC Mozammel Haque Kazi of Manda Police
Station said they are trying to bring the situation under control.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/lost-2-votes-now-wins-4-after-recount-3425751
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US taking steps to slap visa
restrictions on Bangladeshis
Sep 22, 2023
The US Department of State said it is
taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible
for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in
Bangladesh.
"These individuals include members
of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition," said
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement today.
He said the US is committed to
supporting free and fair elections in Bangladesh that are carried out in a
peaceful manner.
"These persons and members of their
immediate family may be found ineligible for entry into the United
States," he added.
Additional persons found to have been
responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process
in Bangladesh may also be found ineligible for US visas under this policy in
the future, Miller said.
"This includes current and former
Bangladeshi officials, members of opposition and ruling political parties, and
members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services."
"Our actions today reflect the
continued commitment of the United States to supporting Bangladesh's goal of
peacefully holding free and fair national elections, and to support those
seeking to advance democracy globally," reads the statement.
The announcement comes when Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina is visiting the US to attend the UN General Assembly in
New York.
It also comes as the ruling Awami League
and the opposition BNP are at odds over the polls-time administration just
ahead of the national elections due by January next year.
On Tuesday, she attended a banquet
hosted by US President Joe Biden. On Thursday, she held a meeting with US Under
Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya and US
Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.
During the meeting, Zeya said Washington
seeks to support Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's public calls for free and fair
elections that are carried out in a peaceful manner.
Earlier on May 24 this year, Washington
announced the visa policy on Bangladesh against the backdrop of the alleged
irregularities in the 2014 and 2018 elections.
The government says the elections will
be held under the current administration as per the constitution, but the
opposition BNP is demanding an interim administration, arguing that a free and
fair election under the current government is not possible.
In the announcement on May 24,
Washington said the actions that undermine the democratic election process
include vote rigging, voter intimidation, the use of violence to prevent people
from exercising their right to freedoms of association and peaceful assembly,
and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil
society, or the media from disseminating their views.
Following the announcement, Awami League
leaders said BNP should be worried because of the visa policy as violence
before or during the election is a criterion that may trigger visa
restrictions.
On the other hand, BNP leaders welcomed
the US visa policy, saying that it would play a supporting role in ensuring
fair elections.
Earlier on December 10, 2021, the US
imposed sanctions on RAB and seven of its current and former officials for
alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and torture. The US
did not invite Bangladesh to the democracy summit in 2021 and 2023.
A series of visits to Bangladesh by the
top US officials took place over the last two years. They invariably spoke of
free and fair elections, upholding human rights, media freedom and the
protection of the human rights defenders.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/president-seeks-vietnamese-investments-bangladesh-3425331
--------
Mideast
Israeli forces attack Palestinian
protesters in besieged Gaza Strip; injure 30 people
23 September 2023
Israeli forces have attacked Palestinian
protesters in the besieged Gaza Strip, injuring more than 30 people.
The protesters gathered near the fence
separating Gaza from the occupied territories on Friday. The Israeli military
said its forces have conducted air attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The demonstrators expressed support for
the al-Aqsa mosque and the occupied West Bank, amid rising acts of violence
committed by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians there.
They also voiced solidarity with
Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Israeli forces used live ammunition and
tear gas to disperse the protesters.
In response, the protesters launched
incendiary balloons toward Israeli settlements near Gaza, causing fires.
Israeli forces then launched aerial and
artillery attacks on resistance positions in eastern Gaza, injuring at least
one Palestinian.
The Israeli military said a drone hit
two military posts belonging to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas,
which governs the Gaza Strip.
Separately, an Israeli tank hit another
military post, claiming that shots were fired from there towards Israeli troops
confronting protesters.
The Hamas-affiliated radio station Aqsa
said several people had been wounded in the strikes.
Palestinians in Gaza have been holding
protests along the separation fence for days over the regime’s treatment of
Palestinian prisoners and provocative visits by settlers to the Al Aqsa mosque
compound.
Smoke billows following Israeli military
strikes launched into Gaza on May 10, 2023.
On Friday, the health ministry in Gaza
said more than 30 Palestinian protesters had been wounded by Israeli troops,
which came days after a protester was shot dead by troops.
Hamas has reacted to the Israeli attack,
with its spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua saying the assaults are a continuation
of the Israeli aggression.
“It comes in the context of continuous
and extended Zionist aggression against all our people in an attempt to break
his will and defeat his will.
The spokesman stressed that the
Palestinian people have the right to express their anger and engage in
resistance in all its forms and use all the tools at their disposal against the
Israeli occupation.
Israel’s violence against Palestinians
has escalated in recent months under what is seen as the most right-wing
Israeli Cabinet.
A Palestinian youth has died after being
shot by Israeli military forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian
medical sources say.
More than 200 Palestinians have been
killed this year in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza.
Those figures indicate that 2023 is
already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the United
Nations began keeping track of fatalities in 2005.
Previously, 2022 had been the deadliest
year with 150 Palestinians killed, of whom 33 were minors, according to the
United Nations.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/22/711345/Israel-bombards-Gaza-strip-anti-regime-protests-continue-there-
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Iran summons Swiss envoy to protest
'baseless' GCC-US claims
22 September 2023
Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned the
chargé d'affaires of Switzerland, which represents Washington’s interests in
Tehran, to protest "baseless" allegations leveled by the United
States and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.
According to a Friday statement by
Iran's Foreign Ministry, the Swiss chargé d'affaires was summoned on Thursday
to express Iran’s "strong protest and condemnation" of a joint
statement issued following the ministerial meeting of the United States and the
Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in New York on Tuesday and the US acts of
provocation.
The ministry reiterated Iran's
determination to "defend its territorial integrity, and protect its
security and interests against any threats posed by the US government in
connection with maritime security and commercial shipping."
"Iran will take the necessary
strategies in this regard and to secure its national interests," it said.
Based on its wise approach to safeguard
security and stability in the region, the statement added, Iran would never
allow the US to plunder regional assets and resources through the continuation
of its Iranophobia policy. The Swiss envoy assured that he would convey Iran’s
message to American officials, it noted.
The US-GCC statement renewed their call
for Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
It accused Iran of proliferating
unmanned aerial vehicles and other dangerous weapons that pose a grave security
threat to the region and called on Tehran to stop its activities in this
regard.
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned
that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities,
which are entirely meant for defense.
The US and GCC foreign ministers also
reiterated their support for the United Arab Emirates’ call to reach a peaceful
solution to the dispute over the three islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb,
and the Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf through bilateral negotiations or the
International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international
law including the UN Charter.
The three Persian Gulf islands have
historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be found and corroborated by
countless historical, legal, and geographical documents in Iran and other parts
of the world. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to
the islands.
The three islands fell under British
control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the
region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation,
Iran’s sovereignty over the islands was restored.
A senior Iranian official says the UAE
will destabilize the region’s security by repeating its claims of ownership
over the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf.
Iran recognizes that Arabs ruled the
islands for centuries, but all historical documents show that they did so from
the Iranian port city of Lengheh and therefore as Iranian subjects.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/22/711332/Iran-Switzerland-Persian-Gulf-Cooperation-Council
--------
Iran gives Iraq several days to fully
enforce deal on disarming terrorists: Top commander
22 September 2023
A top Iranian military commander said
the country has given Iraq several more days to fully implement a March
agreement to relocate and disarm anti-Iran groups operating from the Arab
country’s Kurdistan region, stressing that all terrorist groups in the region
must be disarmed.
Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri,
the Chief of General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said the March agreement
stipulated that these groups be disarmed by September 19 but this has not
happened yet.
“What happened during this six-month
respite was that [they] just distanced a bit from the borders of our country,”
he said while thanking the Iraqi government for its efforts to disarm the
separatists.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a
Friday military parade marking the beginning of the National Holy Defense Week.
“The president said that the armed
forces give [them] a few days. We will wait for several days and we will send
observer teams to this region to see if the disarming is completed or not.
After that, we decide what to do,” he said.
General Baqeri stressed all the
terrorist groups should be disarmed and relocated.
“The president said separatist
terrorists' armed forces should not be present in the Kurdistan region and all
of Iraq. These terrorists should be fully disarmed and get expelled from Iraq,”
he said.
Iraqi authorities have expressed the
country’s commitment to the security agreement with Iran, saying anti-Iran
terrorist groups have been evacuated from the common borders between the two
neighbors and pushed back deep inside Iraqi soil.
Iraqi officials have in recent days
reported that government forces have gained full control over all border points
with neighboring Iran and the terrorists have been evacuated from the border
regions.
Iraq’s defense minister Thabet Muhammad
Saeed al-Abbasi on Tuesday told the Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya that the
presence of Kurdish groups operating against Iran has been limited to five
camps inside Iraq.
Iraqi authorities have repeatedly
stressed Baghdad is committed to the security agreement with Iran.
The presence of Kurdish terrorist
groups, including the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Komala, Kurdistan Free Life
Party, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party, has been a source of tension between
Iran and Iraq for years, with these groups often carrying out terrorist attacks
on Iranian soil.
Following last year’s riots, triggered
by the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, these groups intensified their
subversive operations against Iran and smuggled weapons to their local agents.
That prompted Iran to push Iraq to put
an end to terrorist activities of the anti-Iran groups, leading to the March
agreement.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/22/711335/Iran-gives-Iraq-several-days-to-enforce-deal-on-separatist-terrorists-top-commander
--------
Iran's enhanced ties with regional
states beneficial to Muslim world: OIC chief
22 September 2023
The improvement of Iran's ties with
regional countries will be beneficial to the Muslim world, Secretary General of
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha says.
In a meeting with Iranian Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the 78th session of the
UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, Taha said Iran plays a pivotal role
in the Muslim world.
He added that Muslim countries should
reinforce their unity to confront Israel and the threats facing the Muslim
world and solve their problems and misunderstandings through dialogue.
The OIC chief also decried desecration
of the Holy Qur'an and the sanctities of Muslims with the slogan of freedom of
expression.
Several incidents have occurred in
recent months that featured the desecration of the Holy Qur'an both in Denmark
and Sweden with the approval of the two countries' authorities.
“Burning books, thoughts and ideas does
not resemble freedom, but rather spells barbarism,” Iran
The incidents drew strongly-worded
condemnations from across the globe. The sacrilegious acts also opened the
floodgates of protests throughout the Muslim world, including in Iran, with all
Muslim countries condemning them in the strongest terms.
Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, said
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi held aloft a copy of the holy Qur'an during
his address to the General Assembly to urge the international community to
prevent more acts of sacrilege against the holy book and sanctities.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi holds up
a copy of the Holy Qur'an as he addresses the 78th session of the United
Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on September 19, 2023.
(Photo by United Nations)
The Iranian foreign minister expressed
hope that the resolution adopted by the OIC after its emergency meeting would
be seriously pursued to prevent blasphemous acts against the holy Qur'an.
He hailed great efforts by the OIC chief
to boost unity among Muslim countries and invited him to visit Tehran.
The top Iranian diplomat welcomed
political dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and threw Tehran's support
behind the settlement of the Yemeni crisis through political approaches.
He also called on the Muslim world to
support the Palestinian people and resistance.
Pointing to "very good" talks
between senior Iranian and Saudi officials, Amir-Abdollahian
praised progress made by both sides to
improve constructive ties.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/22/711339/Iran-OIC
--------
Turkish police detain 10 accused of
Daesh links, minister says
September 22, 2023
ANKARA: Turkish police detained 10
people believed to be linked to Daesh and have arrested five of them, Interior
Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.
Yerlikaya said Turkiye’s MIT
intelligence agency, police, and counter-terrorism squads carried out an
operation in the western coastal city of Izmir after intelligence showed the
suspects had hidden supplies in the city.
The authorities discovered explosive
gels, materials used to make explosives, as well as weapons and ammunition
hidden in the mountainous region of Izmir’s Bornova district, Yerlikaya added.
“As a result of the operation, 10
suspects were detained. Of these, five were arrested and judicial control
rulings were made for five others,” the minister said on social media platform
X.
Under judicial control rulings, the
suspects may leave police detention but they have certain conditions and
oversights imposed on them.
Footage from the operation, shared by
Yerlikaya on X, showed several police cars in a mountainous area, with police
searching inside of a small cave for the hidden materials. It also showed
authorities searching a house and detaining the suspects. Reuters could not
independently verify the footage.
Daesh has conducted numerous attacks
across Turkiye, including on a nightclub in Istanbul on Jan. 1, 2017, in which
39 people were killed. Turkish police have carried out several operations
targeting the militants.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2378881/middle-east
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Palestinian killed in Zionist military
raid in northern WB
Sep 22, 2023
TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) – The Israeli
regime's military forces have shot and killed a Palestinian youth during a raid
in a village in the northern occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials
say.
Abdullah Emad Abu al-Hasan, 18,
succumbed to wounds from live fire by Israeli occupation forces during an
assault on the village of Kafr Dan, located 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) northwest
of Jenin, early on Friday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
The injured teenager was transferred to
a hospital for medical treatment, where he has pronounced dead shortly
afterward.
The official Palestinian news agency
Wafa reported that confrontations broke out in the village as young
Palestinians tried to repel the Israeli soldiers following the incursion.
Israeli troops fired live rounds, stun
grenades and tear gas canisters to disperse the protesting crowd.
The young Palestinians hurled stones at
Israeli military vehicles, while resistance fighters exchanged gunfire with the
soldiers.
Witnesses said Hasan was struck in the
abdomen with a bullet. A number of Palestinians were also shot and injured
during the raid, while several others suffered breathing difficulties as a
result of Israeli-fired tear gas.
Meanwhile, seven Palestinians, including
an elderly woman, were injured and more than 100 others suffered from tear gas
inhalation after Israeli soldiers raided the city of Nablus on Friday.
Local sources reported that Israeli
special forces stormed the Rafidianeighborhood in the western part of the
occupied West Bank city, and surrounded a residential building amid heavy
gunfire before targeting the house with four rockets.
The Israeli military later announced the
arrest of a “wanted” Palestinian and two other young men. Meanwhile, a report
by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed identified the arrested Palestinian as Khaled Tabila, one
of the founders of Lions' Den.
Armed clashes erupted in the area, where
several residents were injured.
According to Palestinian medical
sources, Israeli forces prevented ambulances from reaching the neighborhood
where the raid was taking place.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/206346/Palestinian-killed-in-Zionist-military-raid-in-northern-WB
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50 thousand Palestinians perform Friday
prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque
[22/September/2023]
OCCUPIED AL-QUDS September 22. 2023
(Saba) - 50.000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers in the blessed Al-Aqsa
Mosque, despite the strict military measures imposed by the Zionist enemy
forces at the gates and entrances of the Old City in occupied Jerusalem.
Palestinian Wafa News Agency quoted the
Islamic Endowments Departmentoccupied Jerusalem as saying that about 50,000
worshipers performed Friday prayers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite the enemy’s
restrictions.
For its part, local sources reported
that enemy forces deployed in the streets of the city and the vicinity of
Al-Aqsa Mosque, and were stationed at its gates, stopping the worshipers and
checking their personal cards.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3266477.htm
-------
North America
Attendees Of March Against LGBTQ
Education Don't Represent All Muslims, Says Professorof Religion at Saint
Mary's University
Sep 22, 2023
Some of the protesters at this week's
march against LGBTQ-inclusive education in Halifax were noted to be wearing
visible signs of their Muslim faith.
But Syed Adnan Hussain, an associate
professor of religion at Saint Mary's University, says objecting to LGBTQ
rights has little to do with core Islamic beliefs.
He says there's no explicit condemnation
of homosexuality in the Qu'ran. He worries that many decided to participate
based on rampant misinformation instead.
"I think there's a tendency to say,
Islam rejects X, Y, or Z, but it does not," Hussain said.
The march that took place in Halifax and
cities across the country on Wednesday was organized by a socially conservative
group called 1 Million March 4 Children. The group doesn't want gender-identity
issues taught or discussed in schools.
While the founder of the march, Kamel
El-Cheikh, is a Muslim man who lives in Ottawa, those protesting came from a
variety of different cultural backgrounds.
The protest was met by a
counter-protest, which drew members of the LGBTQ community and its allies.
Hussain, whose research focuses on LGBTQ
rights and Islam and the Canadian diaspora, spoke with Information Morning Nova
Scotia on Friday.
Source: cbc.ca
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lgbtq-education-muslims-protests-professor-1.6975325
------
CAIR Welcomes Arrest in Alleged Racist
Harassment Targeting Black Family in Oregon
Ismail Allison
September 22, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/22/2023) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of the suspected
perpetrator of racist harassment targeting a Black family in Gresham, Ore.
Police confirmed that they have arrested
a man accused of making violent racist threats to a Black mother and daughter,
who had recently moved in to the same building. The man reportedly brandished a
knife outside their door and threatened them with rape.
“No one should be subjected to the
horrific harassment and intimidation that this mother and daughter were
subjected to,” said CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison. “We
thank law enforcement for apprehending the suspected perpetrator before he took
his threats to the level of action.”
He said CAIR and the American Muslim
community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic
anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other
forms of bigotry.
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-arrest-in-alleged-racist-harassment-targeting-black-family-in-oregon/
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Blinken urges India to cooperate in
Canada's probe of Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder
September 23, 2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has
appealed to India to cooperate with Canada in the investigation of the murder
of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist.
Canada has accused Indian agents of
involvement in the killing, which took place near Vancouver in June.
Blinken stressed the importance of
accountability and allowing the investigation to run its course during a press
briefing at the UN General Assembly.
"We want to see accountability. And
it's important that the investigation run its course and lead to that
result," Blinken said, underscoring the gravity of "transnational
repression" as a broader issue.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
had previously called on India to assist in the probe, alleging Indian
government agents' role in Nijjar's murder.
Nijjar was a Canadian citizen wanted by
India on charges of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder. He was
associated with the Khalistan movement, advocating for a separate Sikh
homeland.
In response to Canada's accusations,
India took diplomatic actions, reducing its embassy staff in Canada and
suspending visa services.
The United States, which has been
fostering stronger ties with India, expressed its concern. US national security
adviser Jake Sullivan stressed that India would receive no "special
exemption" in this matter.
President Joe Biden recently hosted
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state visit, highlighting the
importance of the US-India relationship.
When asked about the potential impact of
this incident on bilateral relations, Sullivan asserted that the US would stand
up for its principles regardless of the country involved.
Canada, actively pursuing credible
allegations linking Indian government agents to Nijjar's murder, maintains
close communication with the United States.
Sullivan also dismissed impression of a
rift between the US and Canada, stressing their shared concerns and commitment
to seeing the investigation through and holding perpetrators accountable.
"We have deep concerns about the
allegations, and we would like to see this investigation carried forward and
the perpetrators held to account," Sullivan affirmed.
The situation remains tense, with
diplomatic efforts underway to address the issue between Canada, India, and the
United States.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1112421-blinken-urges-india-to-cooperate-in-canadas-probe-of-hardeep-singh-nijjar-murder
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Biden raised issue of Canadian Sikh's
murder with India's Modi at G20: report
22 September, 2023
US President Joe Biden and other leaders
expressed concern to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit this
month about Canadian claims that New Delhi was involved in the murder of a Sikh
separatist leader in Canada, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Several members of the Five Eyes – an
intelligence-sharing network that includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia
and New Zealand – raised the June killing in British Columbia of Hardeep Singh
Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, with Modi, the newspaper said, citing three
people familiar with the discussions at the summit.
The White House did not immediately
respond to a request for comment on the FT report.
The summit was held in India days before
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made his allegations public in an address to the
Canadian parliament earlier this week.
The leaders intervened at the G20 summit
after Canada urged its allies to raise the case directly with Modi, the
newspaper reported.
US national security adviser Jake
Sullivan said earlier on Thursday that the US is in touch with Indians at high
levels following Ottawa's claims about the murder of the Sikh separatist leader
in Canada, and Washington is giving India no "special exemption" in
the matter.
India has rejected Canada's allegations
and called them "absurd". The crisis has put a further dent in
Canada-India ties. India on Thursday suspended new visas for Canadians and
asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country.
The situation has put some Western
nations in a tough position as Canada has been a long-standing partner and ally
while those countries are also seeking to build strong ties with New Delhi to
counter the influence of China in the Asia Pacific region.
(Reuters)
Source: newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/biden-raised-canadian-sikhs-murder-modi-g20-report
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Canada's Opposition leader condemns
'hateful comments' targeting Hindus, highlights their 'invaluable contribution'
Sep 23, 2023
OTTAWA: Canada's Opposition leader
Pierre Poilievre has condemned the "hateful comments" targeting
Hindus in Canada. He stated that Hindus have made "invaluable
contributions" to every part of Canada and added that the Hindu community
"will always be welcome here."
Conservative leader Poilievre said that
each Canadian deserves to live without fear in the country. His remarks come
after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a
pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India in 2019, in a viral video, threatened
Hindus of Indian origin and asked them to leave Canada.
In a post shared on X, formerly known as
Twitter, Poilievere said, "Every Canadian deserves to live without fear
and feel welcomed in their community. In recent days, we have seen hateful
comments targeting Hindus in Canada. Conservatives condemn these comments
against our Hindu neighbours and friends. Hindus have made invaluable
contributions to every part of our country and will always be welcome
here."
Poilievre's tweet comes amid strain in
India-Canada relations after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday
alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep
Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down
in Canada's Surrey on June 18.
India has rejected Trudeau's allegations
and called them "absurd and motivated." On Wednesday, Indian
nationals, students in Canada and those planning on travelling to the country
were advised to exercise caution, according to the Ministry of External
Affairs. India on Tuesday expelled a senior Canadian diplomat to India in a
reciprocal move to Canada expelling a senior Indian diplomat.
Meanwhile, Canada's opposition leader
Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday said that Trudeau should come out clean with all
the facts in order to make judgements.
In a media address on Tuesday, Poilievre
said, "I think the prime minister needs to come clean with all the facts.
We need to know all the evidence possible so that Canadians can make judgments
on that.
Poilievre's remarks came in response to
a media query that asked what more should be done as an Indian diplomat was
expelled by Canada.
"The prime minister hasn't provided
any facts. He provided a statement. And I will just emphasize that he didn't
tell me anymore in private than he told Canadians in public. So we want to see
more information," Poilievre said.
He stated that the allegations could be
found untrue or uncredible if more information is not provided.
"We need to have the evidence that
drew that allowed the prime minister to come to the conclusions he made
yesterday," he said.
"I would have to have more evidence
to make a judgment on that. I do find it interesting that he knew about vast
foreign interference by Beijing for many years, at the same time as Beijing had
kept two Canadian citizens hostage. And he said nothing. And he did nothing.
Just very interesting that that was the approach he took in that case," he
added.
Notably, Pierre Poilievre, the
Opposition Conservative Party leader is the preferred choice as prime minister
by 40 per cent of Canadian citizens, as incumbent Justin Trudeau lags behind,
according to a new Ipsos poll done for Canada-based news platform Global News.
The gap between Poilievre leaders gives
an indication that Conservatives have high chance of getting a majority to form
the government in the next elections in 2025 reports Global News.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's
polling momentum continues to chug along with 40 per cent of Canadians saying
he's the best choice to be PM. His favourables on this question are up five
points from a year ago.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/canadas-opposition-leader-condemns-hateful-comments-targeting-hindus-highlights-their-invaluable-contribution/articleshow/103879224.cms
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Europe
Jordan, Sweden co-host UNRWA event to
raise funds for Palestinian refugees
22 September, 2023
Jordan and Sweden co-hosted a high-level
ministerial meeting on Thursday in support of Palestinian refugees and the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency on the sidelines of the 78th United
Nations General Assembly, a UNRWA statement said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
was present at the meeting which saw member states reaffirm strong support for
the UNRWA and explore ways to break the deadlock that threatens the agency's
ability to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees in the region.
Member states made "generous
pledges" to UNRWA, which has been crippled by recent lack of funding.
"I’m immensely proud of the work of
UNRWA - a lifeline for millions of Palestine Refugees," Guterres said at
the meeting.
"But I'm very concerned about its
future. Needs keep increasing but funds are stagnating or decreasing.
Sustaining UNRWA is in our collective interest and is our collective
responsibility."
With Thursday's pledges, UNRWA will only
be able to sustain its critical core services for the months of September and
October, the agency said in a statement, adding that it will pursue efforts to
raise the necessary funds to maintain services until the end of the year.
"What is urgently needed is a just
political solution for Palestine Refugees, whose plight remains one of the
longest unresolved refugee crises in the world," said UNRWA
Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
"While we welcome pledges made at
this meeting, I urge our partners to put the protection of the rights of
Palestine Refugees at the top of their political agendas and address the
sustainability of UNRWA."
The organisation needs about US$200
million to pay employees' salaries and continue services until the end of 2023.
UNRWA runs 288 schools in the
Palestinian territories, out of 700 schools it funds in the Middle East region,
along with 140 medical clinics.
It is estimated that around two-thirds
of Gaza's population of 2.3 million are refugees, the descendants of those who
fled or were forced to flee their original towns and villages during the 1948
war that saw the forceful creation of the State of Israel.
Almost half of Gaza's students learn in
UNRWA schools, about 300,000 students receive their education in government-run
schools, and others learn in privately owned schools.
Source: newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/jordan-sweden-raise-funds-palestinian-refugees
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UK police seek more information in Sara
Sharif case
September 23, 2023
Atika Rehman
LONDON: Surrey Police on Friday released
two images of 10-year-old Sara Sharif taken prior to her death with the hope
that “more people will come forward with information”.
The images show Sara, who was found dead
in her family home in Woking, Surrey, wearing the hijab. One appears to be a
passport style photo, with the other an image of the young girl outdoors.
The photos show how investigators
believe she may have been dressed in the months before she died.
A month earlier, it was reported that,
according to her stepmother Beinash Batool, Sara was pulled out of school after
being “bullied for wearing the hijab”.
Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman of
Surrey Police said: “We have released these new images this week in the hope
that it will prompt more people who knew Sara and her family to come forward.
“We are grateful to everyone who has
already contacted us, and I would like to stress that any information, no
matter how insignificant it might seem, is reviewed by the investigation team
and further enquiries carried out if appropriate.
“I would urge anyone who may have
information and hasn’t yet come forward to reach out to us.”
According to news reports, flyers have
been put up in Woking train stations and taxi stands with regard to Sara
Sharif, the information police are seeking.
A court was informed on Tuesday that
10-year-old Sara Sharif suffered a “constellation” of injuries, culminating in
her untimely death.
Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, aged 41, her
stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 28, made their
appearance at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday following their return from
Pakistan on Sept 13, when they were apprehended at Gatwick Airport.
The trio will face a six-week trial for
her murder next year, with a date provisionally set for Sept 2, 2024. A plea
hearing will take place on Dec 1. The charges against them include the murder
of Sara and causing or permitting the death of a child.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1777360/uk-police-seek-more-information-in-sara-sharif-case
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People not ready to spend money on
anything other than weapons – Zelenskyy on elections
23 SEPTEMBER 2023
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said
he is ready for elections, but society would not support it if money is used
for purposes other than weapons.
Source: Zelenskyy said this during a
press conference in Canada
Details: Zelenskyy said that the biggest
challenges for elections during the war are security issues regarding the
presence of observers, voting by the military, residents of the temporarily
occupied territories and Ukrainians abroad, and campaign financing.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "In Ukraine,
which is absolutely fair, the society is responding harsh[ly] whenever the
parliament or the government is willing to, you know, to allocate money to a
certain direction which is different from weapons. I mean, the society is not
ready to support that. And the society is, in fact, absolutely against that,
because we are at war.
We haven’t raised the issue of elections
because it’s not a topical issue considering the security aspects. You were
right to mention that the law prohibits the elections at the time of the
martial law period. I am ready. But the security is a very complicated aspect
of running the elections. The first complexity is to have the elections in a
democratic and transparent manner. For that, we need independent observers from
different countries in the world.
How are they going to vote while in the
trenches? How will they be able to visit the polling stations close to the
frontline? So everything should be organised in bomb shelters. You know, we
know Russia, because they will simply open fire at all the people who would be
coming to the elections. And, I mean, will you be able to find the observers
ready to go to the trenches and to make sure there is a transparent election?
The people who are protecting the rights
and liberties of the citizens won’t have a chance to vote, that’s
nonsense."
Source: pravda.com.ua
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https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/09/23/7421064/
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England saw 4,500+ heat-linked deaths in
2022: Study
Sep 23, 2023
LONDON: There were an estimated 4,507
heat-related deaths in England in 2022, according to an official study on
climate-related mortality published on Friday which showed some signs of an
increase in deaths linked to hot weather.
Britain recorded its hottest day ever in
July 2022, when temperatures exceeded 40C as part of a climate change-fuelled
heatwave across Europe. The Office for National Statistics said their study
showed "some indication that heat-related deaths have risen over recent
years" but described the data as experimental and advised caution when
making individual year-to-year comparisons. "Any change in climate towards
more extreme temperatures would likely lead to an increase in attributable
deaths," the ONS said.
UK's 10 warmest years on record have all
occurred this century, according to the Met Office national forecaster. The ONS
said during the 35 years from 1988 and 2022 an estimated 51,670 deaths in
England were associated with the hottest 5% of days and an estimated 199,298
deaths were associated with the coldest 5% of days. The highest mortality risk
was in London when temperatures rose above 29C, where the risk of death was
three times higher than when mercury was between 9C and 22C. Temperatures in UK
this summer did not hit the highs of 2022. The Met office said 2023 was the
eighth warmest summer on record.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/england-saw-4500-heat-linked-deaths-in-2022-study/articleshow/103877600.cms
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hate-speech-danish-bidhuri/d/130744