Hindu School Headmaster Held After Making People Take Pledge Not to Believe in Hindu Gods and To Embrace Buddhism
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 January 2024
Representative Photo
-----
·
Hindu School Headmaster Held
After Making People Take Pledge Not to Believe in Hindu Gods and To Embrace
Buddhism
·
Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian
Discrimination in The US Rose 180% After Oct. 7
·
Around 80 Samples of Zamzam
Water Are Analysed Daily Through the Latest Devicesin Prophet's Mosque
·
Pope Says Africans Are 'Special
Case' When It Comes To LGBT Blessings
·
Killing Of Pakistani Workers in
Iran: Survivor Says Attackers Asked All Pakistanis in Room to Stand Up
-----
India
·
'Send Team to Study Kannada Inscription
on Gyanvapi Mosque'
·
‘ASI Ki Report Kya Batatihai’:
CM Adityanath’s 1st Remark On Gyanvapi Mosque Case ASI Report
·
2 held in J&K for remarks
on Babri Masjid demolition
·
Shrinking Muslim representation
in State Assemblies is a matter of concern for the community
----
North America
·
US-helmed Gaza deal in the
works; hostage pact could halt war for two months
·
Ceremony to honour memory of
those killed in 2017 Quebec City Mosque attack
·
Three US troops killed, up to
34 injured in Jordan drone strike linked to Iran
·
White House reportedly looking
into holding up weapons supplies to pressure Israel
-----
Arab World
·
Saudi Arabia, Egypt Emphasize
Commitment to Continued Coordination, Consultation for Regional, International
Security, Stability
·
CEO of Royal Commission for
AlUla arrested for corruption: Nazaha
·
KSrelief extends humanitarian
aid to Gaza, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon
·
Yemen targets US warship in
Aden Gulf in fresh pro-Palestine strike
----
Europe
·
US, Israel, Egypt, Qatar
Officials in Gaza Talks in Paris
·
France, Japan join UNRWA fund
freeze as Jordan warns against ‘collective punishment’
·
High-ranking Christian prelate
warns of spread of antisemitism by church officials
·
Pope expresses support for
church attacked in Istanbul
·
Germany failed to persuade
Hezbollah to stop retaliatory strikes against Israel: Report
----
Pakistan
·
JUIF Chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman Says JUIF Considers Politics as Jihad
·
FIR registered against PTI
workers after clash with Karachi police
·
MQM-P activist ‘killed in clash
with PPP workers’ in Karachi
·
Barrister Sultan terms India
promoter of terrorism
·
Iran offers condolences to
Pakistan over killing of nine labourers
·
‘Wrong decisions will produce
right results,’ Fazl tells supporters
·
Cases registered against firing
incidents at TLP, PPP election offices
·
Pakistani police use tear gas
to disperse pre-election rally by supporters of former leader Khan
---
South Asia
·
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Relies On ‘Other Force’ To Go to Power, PM Tells British MP Delegation
·
Daesh No Longer Threat for
Afghanistan: Islamic Emirate
·
No ‘Formal Border’ between
Afghanistan and Pakistan, says Taliban Minister Tribal Affairs
·
Kabul to Host 'Afghanistan's
Regional Cooperation Initiative' on Monday
·
SC defers till Feb 12 hearing
on contempt plea against 7 pro-BNP lawyers
·
PM calls for global efforts for
Rohingya repatriation
·
AL can't hold back
democracy-loving people: Moyeen Khan
-----
Southeast Asia
·
Melaka Council Allocates Over
RM14m To Assist Asnaf, Muslim Converts (Mualaf) This Year
·
Silat Body Defends Performance
of Malay Martial Art at Mosque in Medina
·
Number of flood victims remains
at 980 people this morning - NADMA
·
Hold state-level Unity Govt
convention to strengthen coalition’s stability - Anwar
·
Johor cops quiz residents after
two fires break out one day apart at Batu Pahat surau and mosque
-----
Mideast
·
Israeli Settlers Hold
Conference on Resettlement in Gaza
·
Hezbollah’s new attacks hit
Israeli positions using precision-strike missiles
·
UN urges reversal of funding
pause for UNRWA, warns aid for about 2mn Gazans at stake
·
Israel has jailed over 6,000
Palestinians since October 7: Report
·
ISIL claims responsibility for
attack on Istanbul church
·
Zionist enemy forces arrest 22
Palestinians from W Bank
·
Israel’s president says the UN
world court misrepresented his comments in its genocide ruling
·
More killed as Israel bombs school
housing displaced civilians in Gaza
·
At least 350 Palestinians
killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in 48 hours
----
Africa
·
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger
withdraw from ECOWAS, accusing Bloc of 'Inhumane' Sanctions
·
Uganda disowns its dissenting
judge in court ruling on Israel genocide claim
·
Assailants Kill Islamic Leader,
Remove Private Parts InKaduna
·
South Africa pays homage to
slain journalists in Gaza
·
Family raises alarm over 13
children abducted by bandits in Kaduna 23 days ago
·
KSrelief launches 24
humanitarian aid projects in Somalia
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-school-god-embrace-buddhism/d/131610
-----
Hindu School Headmaster Held After
Making People Take Pledge Not to Believe in Hindu Gods and To Embrace Buddhism
Representative Photo
-----
29.01.24
A 60-year-old headmaster of a government
school in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district has been arrested for allegedly
hurting religious sentiments after administering a pledge to people not to
believe in Hindu gods and to embrace Buddhism, police said on Monday.
The incident took place on January 22,
following which the district education officer suspended Ratalal Sarovar, who
was posted as headmaster of a government primary school in Bharari village, an
official said.
On January 22, when the consecration of
Ram Lalla's idol was held at the Ayodhya temple, Sarovar gathered a group of
people including children in Mohtarai village under Ratanpur police station
limits.
He allegedly administered them a pledge
not to worship Hindu gods, including Lord Shiv, Ram and Krishna, and to follow
Buddhism, a police official said quoting a complaint by Rupesh Shukla, an
office-bearer of a right wing organisation.
The incident came to light after a video
of Sarovar's alleged act went viral on social media, he said.
The complaint claimed his act hurt the
sentiments of the followers of Sanatan Dharma, the official said.
Based on the complaint, Sarovar was
arrested on Sunday.
He was booked under Indian Penal Code
sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of
religion, race, etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and
295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of
any class, the official said.
A probe was underway into the case, the
police added.
Except for the headline, this story has
not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a
syndicated feed.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/chhattisgarh-school-headmaster-held-after-making-people-take-pledge-not-to-believe-in-hindu-gods/cid/1996851
----
Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian
Discrimination in The US Rose 180% After Oct. 7
Mourners
hold signs during a vigil at Prairie Activity and Recreation center in
Plainfield, Illinois, for 6-year-old Wadea Al Fayoume who was fatally stabbed
in a suspected anti-Palestinian hate crime, October 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y.
Huh)
------
29.01.24
Complaints of anti-Muslim and
anti-Palestinian discrimination and hate in the US rose by about 180 percent in
the three months after Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught in southern Israel
and the subsequent war in Gaza, an advocacy group said on Monday.
Rights advocates have noted a rise in
Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias in the US and elsewhere since the
eruption of war between Israel and Hamas, which in turn sparked wider regional
tensions.
The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) said it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three
months of 2023, amid what it called “an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and
anti-Palestinian hate.”
The figure is a 178% rise from
complaints in the same period from a year earlier.
Complaints of employment discrimination
led the list with 662 instances; hate crimes and hate incidents were reported
472 times; and education discrimination 448 times, the organization said.
Of particular concern was a November
shooting in Vermont where three students of Palestinian descent, Hisham
Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, were shot during
Thanksgiving break.
The three students, childhood friends
who graduated from a private Quaker school in the West Bank before moving to
the US to study, were visiting Awartani’s relatives in Burlington when they
were shot in an unprovoked attack, Awartani’s family said.
One of the bullets fired in the attack
was lodged in Awartani’s spine, paralyzing him from the waist down.
Another incident that raised alarm was
the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American child in Illinois in
October.
Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged in the
fatal stabbing of six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume and the wounding of his mother,
Hanaan Shahin on October 14, and US authorities have said they were targeted
because of their Muslim faith and as a response to the Israel-Hamas war.
Earlier this month, the Anti-Defamation
League said that in the three months after October 7, US antisemitic incidents
rose by 360% compared to the prior year.
The US government recently issued
security guidance for faith-based communities amid heightened antisemitism and
Islamophobia since October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists poured
into Israel, slaughtering some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, of whom
132 remain captive in Gaza, not all of them alive.
In response to the deadly assault,
Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas from the Gaza Strip, which the terror group has
ruled since 2007. An aerial campaign and subsequent ground operation has laid
waste to much of the Palestinian enclave, and the United Nations has estimated
that around 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health
ministry, more than 26,000 people have been killed, though these figures cannot
be independently verified, and are believed to include both civilians and Hamas
members killed in Gaza, including as a consequence of terror groups’ own rocket
misfires.
The IDF says it has killed over 9,000
operatives in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on
October 7.
The US Justice Department is monitoring
rising threats against Jews and Muslims amid the conflict, and President Joe
Biden has condemned both antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Source: timesofisrael.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/anti-muslim-anti-palestinian-discrimination-in-the-us-rose-180-after-oct-7/
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Around 80 Samples of Zamzam Water Are
Analysed Daily Through the Latest Devices in Prophet's Mosque
Photo: spa.gov
------
28 Jan, 2024
On a daily basis, Zamzam water in the
Prophet's Mosque in Madinah goes through an intensive process of examination,
storage, transportation and distribution by a specialized team to be available
to worshipers and visitors around the clock in sufficient quantities.
The Saudi Press Agency lens captured prt
of the daily work of transporting Zamzam water to the Prophet's Mosque. Zamzam
water is transported daily by tankers from Makkah to the unloading station next
to the Prophet's Mosque, where it is kept in special tanks according to the
highest quality and safety standards.
A careful inspection process by
specialists then begins to ensure the cleanliness of the water. Workers in the
Suqya Administration in the mosque undertake the tasks of filling and
distributing the Zamzam water containers in the Prophet's Mosque and its courtyards
to worshipers and visitors.
Around 80 samples of Zamzam water are
analyzed daily through the latest devices and technologies to ensure its safety
for worshippers. Various samples are also taken from hard surfaces throughout
the Prophet's Mosque to ensure their cleanliness.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/0aa1ab2216914476ac9acd0d7348c7c2
----
Pope Says Africans Are 'Special Case'
When It Comes to LGBT Blessings
Pope Francis
leads the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, January 7, 2024. Vatican
Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
-------
29 Jan 2024
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis
said in an interview published on Monday he is confident critics of his
decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples will eventually understand it,
except for Africans who are "a special case".
Blessings were allowed last month in a
document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), which has caused
widespread debate in the Catholic Church, with particularly strong resistance
coming from African bishops.
"Those who protest vehemently
belong to small ideological groups," Francis told Italian newspaper La
Stampa, adding: "A special case are Africans: for them homosexuality is
something 'bad' from a cultural point of view, they don't tolerate it".
"But in general, I trust that
gradually everyone will be reassured by the spirit of the 'Fiducia Supplicans'
declaration by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: it aims to include,
not divide," the pope continued.
Already last week, Francis appeared to
acknowledge the pushback the document unleashed, especially in Africa, where
bishops have effectively rejected it and where in some countries same-sex
activity can lead to prison or even the death penalty.
He said that when the blessings are
given, priests should "naturally take into account the context, the
sensitivities, the places where one lives and the most appropriate ways to do
it".
In the interview with La Stampa, Francis
confirmed he is scheduled to welcome at the Vatican the president of his native
Argentina, Javier Milei, on Feb. 11, and that finally visiting the country is a
possibility.
He said his agenda for 2024 currently
includes trips to Belgium, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Speaking about his health, which has
taken some knocks in recent years with hospitalisations, mobility problems and
cancelled trips or events, the 87-year-old said, "there are some aches and
pains but it's better now, I'm fine."
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2024/01/29/pope-says-africans-are-039special-case039-when-it-comes-to-lgbt-blessings
----
Killing Of Pakistani Workers in Iran: Survivor
Says Attackers Asked All Pakistanis in Room to Stand Up
An Iranian
police official can be seen during a drill. — IRNA/File
------
January 29, 2024
ISLAMABAD: On Saturday morning, in
Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran, unidentified armed men entered and
attacked a room where 13 labourers from the Lodhran and Muzaffargarh districts
of Pakistan had been staying, the BBC reported.
Nine people were killed in the firing by
the attackers. Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Deputy Security and Law
Enforcement Officer of Sistan and Balochistan Ali Raza as saying that a police
team immediately reached the scene and the survivors of the attack told the
police that three armed men were involved in the incident who escaped after
firing.
In a statement, the spokesperson for the
Iranian foreign ministry condemned the attack on the Pakistani workers in the
suburbs of Saravan and said that an investigation had been initiated by the
relevant institutions.
Responding to the incident, the Foreign
Office of Pakistan said the Pakistani authorities were in contact with the
Iranian authorities for an immediate investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, according to an eyewitness
who survived the attack, apart from the nine deaths, two people were injured
whose condition was critical and as many injured persons were out of danger.
A labourer who was injured in the attack
said 13 people from Punjab were living in the same room and most of them
repaired vehicles.
He said the armed men entered the room
in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep. As soon as they entered
the room, the attackers told all Pakistanis in the room to stand up.
He said some people tried to run away
from the room but they were overpowered. They attackers tied them up and made
them lie upside down.
The eyewitness added that after that,
the assailants resorted to indiscriminate firing in the room. “I was also there
with others. Luckily, I got shot in my leg and arm, he said. “After the firing,
the assailants also checked whether someone was still alive. I had blood all
over me. I was buried under the corpses.”
He said he acted as if he was dead in
order to save his life. “I held my breath with all my might. They thought me
dead too and left the room.”
Another Pakistani labourer who survived
the attack said that he had luckily gone to toilet when the attackers arrived.
When he heard the sounds of gunshots and
then some people going out, if gave him some idea that the situation was
unusual. “When I entered the room, I saw that the whole room was red with
blood. I lost my senses. I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “Apparently it
looked like 12 out of 12 had died.”
In such a situation, one of the
seriously injured workers asked him to take his mobile phone and go outside to
inform the owners of the workshop.
After a while, some people, an ambulance
and police arrived. He said all the victims were taken to hospital and the
police recorded his statement.
The families of those killed in Pakistan
have demanded that the government bring the bodies to Pakistan as soon as
possible.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said that
the Pakistani embassy in Iran would make every possible effort for the
immediate return of the bodies.
Malik Arshad, a close friend of Mohammad
Zubair of Lodhran and his nephew Abu Bakr, who were killed in the attack, said
the two had gone to Iran for labour almost two years ago and used to work on
denting and painting vehicles there.
According to him, both were thinking of
returning to Pakistan due to lack of work and preparations were also under way
for Abu Bakr’s marriage in Pakistan. Arshad said Abu Bakr’s mother frequently
asked her son to return and he would reply there would be expenses in his
marriage and if he quit work, how he would meet those expenses.
On the other hand, family members in
Muzaffargarh district are in grief over the death of the sole sponsor of the
entire family, Ghulam Shabbir. He has left a widow and one child to mourn.
Shabbir’s uncle Mohammad Akram said he
was an expert mason. “He went to Iran about 10 months ago. Some people from our
area were working in Iran, they told Ghulam Shabir if he goes with them, he can
get enough work.”
Akram said Shabbir was not paid a
regular salary but it was a kind of contract system. The more he worked, the
more money he would get. According to Akram, Shabbir wanted to return to
Pakistan and open his own workshop.
Similarly, Muhammad Akmal of Alipur, who
died in the incident, has left behind a widow and three children. His
brother-in-law Tariq Mehmood said he went to Iran two months ago to work at a
car wash. In his area, he used to run a small sanitary shop but it was not
running in profit and he was not able to meet his household expenses.
Mehmood said a friend advised Akmal to
go to Iran where he could earn money. “He was compelled to go to Iran, but even
there his work was not so good.”
According to Mehmood, Akmal was very
sensitive about education of his children. The reason for his leaving Pakistan
was that the children’s fees and expenses were not being met and he wanted his
children to be able to read and write.
Mohammad Azhar and his cousin Mohammad
Asif from Alipur were also among the nine labourers killed in the firing.
According to his uncle Malik Khuda
Bakhsh, Azhar was working as an electrician in Iran for 10 years and his
bereaved family included two children and a widow. Asif was about 18 years old
and he went to Iran six months ago to work as Azhar’s helper.
“All the families are looking for when
the bodies of their loved ones will reach Pakistan and when they can bury
them,” he said.
Journalist Ejaz Khan Sahu of Lodhran
said that due to the increase in inflation in Pakistan, hardworking and skilled
people such as car mechanics, boring workers, and car painters chose to work in
Iran. Some agencies were also established in the area for recruitment.
He said that people used to go to Iran
before but the trend increased in the last two or three years. “They are all
poor people supporting their families.”
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1152435-killing-of-pakistani-workers-in-iran-survivor-says-attackers-asked-all-pakistanis-in-room-to-stand-up
-----
India
'Send Team to Study Kannada Inscription
on Gyanvapi Mosque'
Jan 29, 2024
BENGALURU: The discovery of a Kannada
inscription on one of the beams in the northwest corner of Gyanvapi Mosque in
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, revealed in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
survey report, has several historians in Karnataka excited.
The inscription in Kannada from the
mediaeval era has whipped up curiosity among epigraphists and historians about
the background of the people mentioned on the inscription. Historians have now
demanded the state government send a team to trace the missing historical links
to Karnataka's presence in Varanasi.
The Kannada inscription reads:
"DoddarasayyanaNarasamananaBhimnaha" (Plea by Doddarasayyana
Narasimha). ASI states in the survey report: "The inscription records the
obeisance by two individuals - Doddarasayya and Narasimha. The inscription can
paleographically be traceable to the 16th century."
PL Udaya Kumar, founder and project
director (honorary) of Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project
at Mythic Society, said: "There are hundreds of such inscriptions in
Karnataka and there is similarity - both in shape and form of letters. It may
also be that the sculptor was the scribe and scholar, as the letters have been
accurately carved on stone. The people named in the inscription may be from the
time of the Vijayanagar empire."
TalakaduChikkarangegowda, a historian,
who has worked extensively on the history of southern Karnataka, said:
"There are hundreds of Kannada inscriptions in Varanasi. There's evidence
to show that several kings from ancient and mediaeval Karnataka ordered land
grants to the Kashi Vishwanatha temple... while a few of the many inscriptions
have been recovered and retained, several historic links between Karnataka and
Varanasi are missing."
The latest inscription could also refer
to one of those contributions by Karnataka kingdoms, he says.
"A lot of research will be needed
to ascertain the background of people named in the inscription. They could
either be from a royal family, wealthy merchants, or chieftains. Field research
by experts could reveal more such secrets and the state government must send
(to Varanasi) a team of historians and epigraphists," Chikkarangegowda
said.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/send-team-to-study-kannada-inscription-on-gyanvapi-mosque/articleshowprint/107216478.cms?val=3728
-----
‘ASI Ki Report Kya Batatihai’: CM
Adityanath’s 1st Remark On Gyanvapi Mosque Case ASI Report
JANUARY 28, 2024
Days after the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi Mosque complex became public, Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has now shared his views, saying “Abhi apne
Varanasi ka dekhahoga, Varanasi mein, Kashi Vishwanath mein, Gyanvapi mein, ASI
ki report samaneaayihai. ASI ki report kyabatatihai, bahut
kuchapkesamneudharanprastutkarta hain,”
He added that the ‘virasat’ that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi gave to the people during the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahostav
came to the people with the help of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. Through
the campaign the people of India participated in the mahostav, said the CM.
WHAT ASI REPORT REVEAL?
A large Hindu temple existed before the
construction of Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, said Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain,
representing the Hindu side in the case while reading out the report from the
Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) survey.
Jain further claimed that the ASI report
suggests that the temple was destroyed to construct the mosque.
Jain said pillars were studied
systematically, and parts of the pre-existing Temple were reused in the
construction of the new structure.
“The central structure of the
pre-existing structure is being used as the hall of the existing mosque. The
temple had a big central chamber, one centre to north, south and west. But
remains to east and others couldn’t be ascertained,” he added.
Jain further said that the carvings were
destroyed to be reused. “34 inscriptions of the previous structure were used in
the existing mosque. This means that the temple was destroyed to make this
mosque,” he added.
Certain excerpts of the conclusion of
the ASI report accessed by CNN News18 say, “Central chamber of the pre-existing
structure forms the central hall of the existing structure. This structure with
thick and strong walls, along with all architectural components and floral
decorations was utilised as the main hall of the mosque. Animal figures carved
at the lower ends of decorated arches of the pre-existing structure were
mutilated, and the inner part of the dome is decorated with geometric designs.”
Based on the court’s order, the
Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report on Gyanvapi Mosque was provided
to both Hindu and Muslim sides.
Source: news18.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.news18.com/india/asi-ki-report-kya-batati-hai-cm-adityanaths-1st-remark-on-gyanvapi-mosque-case-asi-report-8757386.html
----
2 held in J&K for remarks on Babri
Masjid demolition
28th January 2024
Arsalan Nazir
Two persons were arrested in Jammu and
Kashmir on January 22, on the day of consecration of the Ram temple, for
allegedly making comments on the demolition of Babri Masjid.
According to reports, cases were filed
in the districts of Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, and Kathua in the Jammu division,
and as many as six people were detained.
The Telegraph reported that one of the
accused was identified as Zaffar Hussain, who lives in Khanna Chargal village
in the Jammu district.
Another accused was identified as a
female college student. However, her family refuted that the girl was arrested.
They told The Telegraph that “she too
has been booked but not arrested so far. Some other youths, however, have also
been picked up for questioning. We have moved court for their bail.” They
further said that the girl was akin to Zaffar, and they had posted some
comments regarding the demolished mosque.
The family asserted that the duo were
disappointed over the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the construction of a
temple on the same site.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.siasat.com/2-held-in-jk-for-remarks-on-babri-masjid-demolition-2965426/
-----
Shrinking Muslim representation in State
Assemblies is a matter of concern for the community
Syed Ali Mujtaba
28th January 2024
The recently concluded Assembly election
in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana has witnessed an
abysmal representation of the Muslim community in the legislature. This needs introspection and cannot be blamed
on the community whose representation is fast dwindling in the state
assemblies.
In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh
Assembly, there are only 02 Muslim MLAs. Rajasthan’s 200-member Assembly has
only 06 Muslim MLAs. In Telangana’s 119-member Assembly, there are only 07
Muslim MLAs. In Chhattisgarh, the 90-member Assembly has no Muslim representation.
The population of Muslims in Madhya
Pradesh is 7 per cent and as per their electoral strength, Muslims should have
at least 16 MLAs but there are only 2 representatives from the community. There
are no Muslims in the 163 winners from the BJP. In the state, Congress that has
won a total of 66 seats, there are 2 two
Muslim MLAs from the party, both coming from Bhopal.
In Chhattisgarh, Muslims stare at their
diminishing representation in the legislative assembly. In the 90-member
Legislative Assembly, there is no Muslim MLA.
As per the 2011 Census, Muslims are around 2.2 percent in Chhattisgarh
and in 20023 they may have become 3.5 percent, but there is no representation
of the Muslims in the Assembly. Both
Congress and the BJP have sidelined the Muslims in the distribution of the
tickets. The Congress has fielded only
one candidate Mohammad Akbar who had won the 2018 assembly election but this
time he lost to BJP’s Vijay Sharma in his Kawardha constituency. Mohammad Akbar
the Congress candidate from Kawardha constituency was particularly targeted by
the BJP had left no stone unturned to ensure his defeat.
In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly,
there are 6 Muslim MLAs. None of the 115 winners from the BJP ticket is a
Muslim All the winning Muslim MLAs
belong to the Congress party except Yoonus Khan who won as an Independent. In
2018, Yoonus Khan had contested the election on the BJP ticket. The Congress had fielded 15 Muslim candidates
but 10 of them lost the elections, mostly against the BJP candidates. The population of Muslims in Rajasthan is
about 10 percent and they should have at least 20 Muslim MLAs but only 6
Muslims have found their way into the assembly.
In Telangana’s 119-member Assembly,
there is only 7 Muslim MLAs. All 7 candidates belong to the AIMIM (All India
Majlis- e -Ittehadul Muslimeen). The Congress Party won a total of 64 seats but
none among them was a Muslim. The ruling BRS won a total of 39 seats but none
of them is a Muslim. The population of
Muslims in Telangana is around 13 percent and they should have at least 15
Muslim MLAs but have just 7 Muslim members in the assembly.
In Telangana, the BJP has not given
tickets to the Muslim candidates but the Congress and the BRS have given the
tickets to the Muslim candidates but none of them could win the election.
With 7 Muslim MLAs in Telangana, 6 in
Rajasthan, and 2 in Madhya Pradesh, there is no Muslim elected member on the
treasury side in all three states of India. This is a serious matter and needs
introspection.
What is amply demonstrated from the
state Assembly elections is Muslims are marginalized in terms of political
representation and this poses a grave danger to the community.
The Assembly results have sent the
message that it is politics that is going to decide the future of the Muslim
community in India. If such is the case then Muslims have to decide as to what
kind of politics they want, if they have to live with dignity in this country.
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/shrinking-muslim-representation-in-state-assemblies-is-a-matter-of-concern-for-the-community/
----
North America
US-helmed Gaza deal in the works;
hostage pact could halt war for two months
29.01.24
Peter Baker
American-led negotiators are edging
closer to an agreement in which Israel would suspend its war in Gaza for about
two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages still held by
Hamas, a deal that could be sealed in the next two weeks and would transform
the conflict consuming the region.
Negotiators have developed a written
draft agreement merging proposals offered by Israel and Hamas in the last 10
days into a basic framework that will be the subject of talks in Paris on
Sunday. While there are still important disagreements to be worked out,
negotiators are cautiously optimistic that a final accord is within reach,
according to US officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive talks.
President Biden spoke by phone
separately on Friday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, who have served as
intermediaries with Hamas, to narrow the remaining differences. He is also
sending his CIA director, William J. Burns, to Paris for Sunday’s talks with
Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. If Burns makes enough progress, Biden
may then send his West Asia coordinator, Brett McGurk, who just returned to
Washington, back to the region to help finalise the agreement.
“Both leaders affirmed that a hostage
deal is central to establishing a prolonged humanitarian pause in the fighting
and ensure additional lifesaving humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in
need throughout Gaza,” the White House said in a statement on Friday night
summarising the President’s conversation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
al-Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister. “They underscored the urgency of the
situation and welcomed the close cooperation among their teams to advance
recent discussions.”
In a statement in Israel on Saturday,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to securing the
release of those hostages who were not freed as part of a more limited
agreement in November. “As of today, we have returned 110 of our hostages and
we are committed to returning all of them home,” he said. “We are dealing with
this and we are doing so around the clock, including now.”
The hostages have been in captivity
since October 7, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel and killed an estimated
1,200 people and seized about 240 more in the worst terrorist attack in the
country’s history. Israel’s military retaliation since then has killed more
than 25,000 people, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health
ministry. It is not clear how many of those killed in Gaza were Hamas
combatants.
The short-lived truce in November,
brokered by Biden along with Qatar and Egypt, resulted in a seven-day pause in
the fighting in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages by Hamas and
about 240 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. About 136 people
seized on October 7 remain unaccounted for, including six American citizens,
although about two dozen of those are presumed to be dead.
The deal now coming together would be
more expansive in scope than the previous one, officials say. In the first
phase, fighting would stop for about 30 days while women, elderly and wounded
hostages were released by Hamas. During that period, the two sides would work
out details of a second phase that would suspend military operations for
roughly another 30 days in exchange for Israeli soldiers and male civilians
being held. The ratio of Palestinians to be released from Israeli prisons is
still to be negotiated but that is viewed as a solvable issue. The deal would
also allow for more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
While the agreement would not be the
permanent ceasefire that Hamas has demanded for the release of all hostages,
officials close to the talks believe that if Israel halts the war for two
months, it would likely not resume it in the same way that it has waged it
until now. The truce would provide a window for further diplomacy that could
lead to a broader resolution of the conflict.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/us-helmed-gaza-deal-in-the-works-hostage-pact-could-halt-war-for-two-months/cid/1996751
----
Ceremony to honour memory of those
killed in 2017 Quebec City mosque attack
Jan 29, 2024
QUEBEC — A ceremony commemorating the
deadly 2017 attack on a Quebec City mosque is scheduled to take place today.
Six Muslim men were killed and five
others wounded when a gunman burst into the Quebec City Islamic cultural centre
shortly after evening prayers on Jan. 29, 2017.
Organizers say the event is intended to
honour the memory of the dead and show support for their families, as well as
for survivors of the attack.
The 6 p.m. ceremony will take place at
the centre and will be streamed online.
Source: cfjctoday.com
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https://cfjctoday.com/2024/01/29/ceremony-to-honour-memory-of-those-killed-in-2017-quebec-city-mosque-attack/
----
Three US troops killed, up to 34 injured
in Jordan drone strike linked to Iran
January 29, 2024
Three U.S. service members were killed
and dozens may be wounded after an unmanned aerial drone attack on U.S. forces
stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden
and U.S. officials said on Sunday.
Biden blamed Iran-backed groups for the
attack, the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war
erupted in October and sent shock waves throughout the Middle East, Reuters
reported.
“While we are still gathering the facts
of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant
groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden said in a statement.
“Have no doubt – we will hold all those
responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” he said.
Biden later asked for a moment of
silence for the three killed service members during a campaign event in South
Carolina, adding, “We shall respond.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
echoed that threat. He and other senior officials briefed Biden earlier in the
day on the attack.
At least 34 personnel were injured in
the attack, but that number is expected to change as more people seek care,
according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. Eight personnel were
evacuated from Jordan for higher level care, but are in stable condition.
Two U.S. officials said the drone struck
near the barracks early in the morning, which could explain the high number of
casualties.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an
umbrella organization of hardline Iran-backed militant groups, claimed attacks
on three bases, including one on the Jordan-Syria border.
The attack is a major escalation of the
already tense situation in the Middle East, where war broke out in Gaza after
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 which killed
1,200. Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza has killed over 26,000 Palestinians,
according to the local health ministry.
Since then, U.S. forces have come under
attack more than 150 times by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, causing at
least 70 casualties prior to Sunday’s attack, most of them traumatic brain
injuries. U.S. warships have also been fired at by Iran-backed Houthi forces in
Yemen, who are regularly attacking commercial ships passing through Red Sea
waters off Yemen’s coast.
While the United States has thus far
maintained an official line that Washington is not at war in the region, it has
been retaliating against the Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria and carrying
out strikes against Yemen’s Houthi military capabilities.
Source: ariananews.af
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https://www.ariananews.af/three-us-troops-killed-up-to-34-injured-in-jordan-drone-strike-linked-to-iran/
-----
White House reportedly looking into
holding up weapons supplies to pressure Israel
LAZAR BERMAN
28 January 2024
Washington is weighing using weapons
supplies as leverage to pressure Israel to reduce the intensity of its
operations in the Gaza Strip, according to a Sunday report by US television
network NBC.
Although no decisions have been made,
the White House asked the Defense Department to review which weapons could be
used as leverage on Israel, the report said, pointing at 155 mm artillery
shells and JDAM kits to turn missiles into precision munitions.
The report cited three current US
officials and a former official.
The White House did not issue an
outright denial in its response to the report on Sunday, but said that there is
no change in its Israel policy.
“Israel has a right and obligation to
defend themselves against the threat of Hamas, while abiding by international
humanitarian law and protecting civilian lives, and we remain committed to
support Israel in its fight against Hamas,” a spokesperson for the White House
National Security Council said. “We have done so since October 7, and will
continue to. There has not been a change in our policy.”
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to
comment on the report.
The administration is focused on
offensive military equipment in its review of what it could possibly withhold
or delay,” the report said. It noted, however, that officials “have also
discussed offering the Israeli government more of the weapons it has requested”
— to encourage Israel “to take some steps the administration has requested.”
NBC said defensive systems and
munitions, like Iron Dome interceptors, are not under consideration for having
their delivery slowed down.
One of Washington’s goals is to convince
Israel to open humanitarian corridors to allow more aid to reach Gazans. The US
has also repeatedly urged Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties.
“There’s a lot more that needs to be
done and that they need to be more careful about,” says an administration
official.
In December, US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken fast-tracked the sale of munitions to Israel, bypassing
congressional review, including 155 mm artillery shells and related equipment
worth $147.5 million.
Earlier the same month, Blinken used the
same emergency authority to fast-track the sale of $106 million in roughly
14,000 tank shells to Israel on December 9.
The White House has been pressing Israel
on the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in Gaza, its vision for the “day
after” Hamas and the growing number of civilian casualties in the Strip.
The Netanyahu government has made some
concessions on humanitarian issues, including allowing large shipments of flour
to enter Gaza through the Ashdod port earlier this month.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is of
increasing urgency for Biden, as he faces protests from progressives upset
about his administration’s support for Israel in its offensive against Hamas in
Gaza and the rising civilian death toll.
Biden faces an election in November, and
is lagging behind likely GOP challenger Donald Trump in most polls. In
November, Biden helped broker a temporary ceasefire that saw critical aid reach
Gaza and the release of some hostages held by the terrorists.
Last week, Defense Ministry
Director-General Eyal Zamir conducted a working visit to Washington, during
which he met with senior Pentagon and State Department officials, as well as
executives from major US defense companies to discuss the advancement of the
defense deals.
Defense sources told The Times of Israel
that Israel’s plans to procure a new squadron of 25 F35i stealth fighter jets,
a squadron of 25 F-15IA fighter jets — the Israeli variant of the advanced
F-15EX — and a squadron of 12 Apache helicopters were advanced during the
discussions.
The Defense Ministry delegation also
worked to advance the continued supply of American munitions amid the war.
War erupted in Gaza after Hamas’s
October 7 massacres, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border
into Israel from the Strip by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people,
most of them civilians slaughtered amid brutal atrocities, and seizing over 250
hostages, over 130 of whom are still held captive in Gaza.
Vowing to destroy the terror group,
Israel launched a wide-scale military campaign that the Gaza health ministry
says has killed over 26,000 people. The UN estimates that some 1.9 million
Gazans are currently displaced due to the war, with many being forced to find
shelter in tent cities or makeshift camps and slums sprouting up in parts of
the Strip.
The figures issued by the Hamas-run
health ministry cannot be independently verified, and are believed to include
both civilians and Hamas members killed in Gaza, including as a consequence of
terror groups’ own rocket misfires. The IDF says it has killed some 10,000
terror operatives in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel
on October 7.
Israeli protesters, including the
families of hostages, have been blocking aid shipments into Gaza through the
Kerem Shalom crossing in recent days. Biden administration officials were
pressing Israel to ensure the crossing remains open, the Kan public broadcaster
reported Thursday.
According to the report, the US
officials called for the crossing to continue operating as usual and said
Israel must ensure aid continues flowing into Gaza, without specifically
referring to the protests.
On Sunday, the IDF declared the area
around the crossing a closed military zone, aimed at preventing such
demonstrations moving forward, but many protesters bypassed the blockades
regardless and blocked at least some of the aid from entering.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/white-house-reportedly-looking-into-holding-up-weapons-sales-to-pressure-israel/
-----
Arab World
Saudi Arabia, Egypt Emphasize Commitment
to Continued Coordination, Consultation for Regional, International Security,
Stability
29 Jan, 2024
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab
Republic of Egypt have emphasized their commitment to continue coordination and
consultation, contributing to regional and international security and
stability, in line with the aspirations of the leadership of both countries.
This came during a joint press
conference held by the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin
Farhan bin Abdullah, and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, following a
ministerial-level meeting of the Joint Follow-up and Political Consultation
Committee between the two countries in Cairo today.
Prince Faisal indicated that, in the
joint committee meeting, he conveyed the Kingdom's desire to enhance relations
across diverse fields. He praised the current state of these relations under
the guidance of the leaderships of both nations.
The Saudi minister highlighted
discussions on various regional and international topics of mutual interest.
Both countries affirmed their commitment to clear policies that support
peaceful solutions and collaborative efforts aimed at fostering peace, security,
stability, and prosperity in the region and globally.
He also stated that the situation in
Palestine was discussed, emphasizing the shared priorities of both countries
towards an immediate ceasefire, the entry of sufficient and necessary
humanitarian aid, paving the way for a fair and sustainable political solution
based on the two-state resolution.
Regarding economic and trade
cooperation, Prince Faisal highlighted the review of the importance of
stability and growth in both the Kingdom's and Egypt's economies, emphasizing
their integration.
He also underscored the commitment to
ongoing coordination and increased collaboration to overcome investment
obstacles, boost trade exchange, and fortify economic ties between the two
nations.
Furthermore, Prince Faisal highlighted
that a comprehensive discussion on regional issues took place, expressing the
Kingdom's anticipation for continuous cooperation and coordination with Egypt
in all fields and in confronting all challenges in the region.
In response to the question, "Have
the recent developments in the region altered the strategic relationship
between the Kingdom and Egypt, either politically or economically?" Prince
Faisal emphasized, "These transformations underscore the importance of
maintaining the stability of the relationship between the two countries."
He added, "Such transformations also shed light on the enduring
Saudi-Egyptian relationship and the Saudi-Egyptian cooperation and coordination
that serve the stability and prosperity of the region. This stresses the
importance of this relationship between the two sisterly nations," the
Saudi minister said.
In response to another question
regarding "What do we need to urge Israel to stop the war in Gaza and move
towards peace?" Prince Faisal said, "The most crucial thing we need
is a decision from the international community because international law and
humanitarian international law have value and are binding for everyone. This
applies to Israel and others." He noted, "The full rejection by the
Israeli side of the International Court of Justice ruling is what has led to
the current situation, with tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and a
systematic policy of starvation and blockade as collective punishment for the
Palestinian people. All of these are clear violations of international
humanitarian law and international law," the Saudi minister said. He
added, "The international community is faced with the choice of 'Does it
want international law to have value?' and 'Does it want there to be a place
for peace?'” He further emphasized, "The necessity of unified
international action towards this crisis, adding that as Arab countries, the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt as well as others will
continue to exert pressure in this direction." Prince Faisal stressed,
"What is required is to compel Israel to adhere to what our countries
commit to, meaning compliance with international law and international
humanitarian law."
Meanwhile, the Egyptian foreign minister
stressed, "the commitment of Cairo and Riyadh to the annual convening of
the ministerial-level Political Consultation Mechanism, in addition to
quarterly consultations at the level of senior officials." Shoukry said,
"This underscores the priority and significance that both countries place
on continuous and in-depth consultation and coordination regarding various
matters." He emphasized, "These consultations are particularly
significant given their timing, as they come at a time when crises in the
region are escalating, becoming increasingly complex, posing real and serious
risks to the countries and peoples of the region." Shoukry added,
"These crises also have tangible repercussions on the international scene,
which is already fraught with challenges." The Egyptian minister noted
that, "In these challenging moments, the importance of coordination among
brothers and the integration of roles increases, especially when goals,
visions, and interests align between Cairo and Riyadh." He pointed out
that today, "several urgent priority topics were discussed, with the
situation in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian cause at the forefront."
"We have repeatedly affirmed, whether individually or through the Arab
League or the recent Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, our reiterated call for
an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza. We urge the international
community, in all its components, to demonstrate a level of responsibility and
determination towards achieving this goal, addressing the dire humanitarian
conditions, ending the blockade, starvation, collective punishment, and
attempts at forced displacement of the residents of the Gaza Strip,” Shoukry
said.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/7f5ce619820a4eebb19ef891a96b3945
-----
CEO of Royal Commission for AlUla
arrested for corruption: Nazaha
January 29, 2024
RIYADH: The CEO of the Royal Commission
for AlUla Amr bin Saleh Abdulrahman Al-Madani has been arrested for his
involvement in corruption, an official source at the Oversight and
Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) stated on Sunday.
The crimes include abuse of authority
and money laundering.
The authority said Al-Madani illegally
obtained contracts for the benefit of the National Talents Company (of which he
is an owner) from King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, before
joining the government sector and through the mediation of one of his
relatives.
The value of the contracts was SR 206.6
million ($55.1 million).
After joining the government sector,
Al-Madani continued to own part of the company and recommended it to the
responsible departments of RCU.
As a result, the company was able to
obtain projects with a total value of SR 1.3 million.
Al-Madani acquired personal benefits
from contracting companies with the commission and received profits from those
projects through a relative of his called Mohammed bin Sulaiman Mohammed
Al-Harbi who was also arrested.
Al-Harbi admitted to receiving money
from the company and its owners and transferring it to Al-Madani.
Al-Madani’s partners in the company were
also arrested and their names are: Saeed bin Atef Ahmed Saeed and Jamal bin
Khaled Abdullah Al-Dabal. They acknowledged that they conspired with the CEO
with regard to the incidents mentioned above.
Nazaha said legal procedures are
currently being taken against the detainees for prosecution in a court of law,
in line with laws and regulations.
The authority affirmed its commitment to
pursuing anyone who exploits public office to achieve personal gain or harm
public interest in any way, and will continue to implement the law.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449851/saudi-arabia
-----
KSrelief extends humanitarian aid to
Gaza, Pakistan, Yemen, Lebanon
January 28, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief
provided humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip, Pakistan, Yemen and
Lebanon, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
In collaboration with the Palestinian
Red Crescent, KSrelief distributed food baskets in the city of Khan Younis in
the southern Gaza Strip.
As part of the third phase of the 2024
project to support food security in Pakistan, KSrelief distributed 500 food
baskets to 3,500 people in the Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province.
In collaboration with the Emergency
Center for Epidemic Disease Control in Yemen’s Hajjah governorate, KSrelief
provided treatment services to 1,225 patients from Jan. 3-9.
The services included emergency clinic
visits, internal medicine consultations, epidemiology clinic attendance,
laboratory services, medication provision and patient observation.
The Al-Amal Charitable Bakery project in
Akkar governorate and Al-Minieh district in Lebanon, supported by KSrelief,
distributed 150,000 bundles of bread to families of Syrian and Palestinian
refugees, along with the host community in northern Lebanon.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449556/saudi-arabia
-----
Yemen targets US warship in Aden Gulf in
fresh pro-Palestine strike
29 January 2024
Yemen's Armed Forces have conducted a
fresh strike against an American warship in the Gulf of Aden in another show of
support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have come under a genocidal
US-backed war by Israel.
In a statement on Monday, the forces’
spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that USS Lewis B. Puller had been
targeted by a naval missile on Sunday evening.
He added that one of the tasks of the US
Navy ship is to provide logistical support to the American forces participating
in the Saudi-led military aggression against Yemen.
“The operation lies within measures
taken by the Yemeni Armed Forces in defense of Yemen and support of the
oppressed Palestinian people,” Saree said.
He also stressed that the Yemeni forces
will continue to block Israeli navigation in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea
and prevent ships from heading to ports in the occupied lands until Israel’s
Gaza onslaught ceases and its siege on the Palestinian territory is lifted.
A senior Ansarullah official says all US
and British vessels are now ‘legitimate targets’ in response to their direct
and declared aggression against the Republic of Yemen.
Israel waged its brutal war on Gaza on
October 7 following a historic operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance
group against the occupying entity.
The US has offered untrammeled support
for Israel during the aggression that has so far killed at least 26,422
Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured at least 65,087 others.
In solidarity with the Palestinians in
besieged Gaza, Yemeni forces have targeted ships in the southern Red Sea, the
Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and even in the Arabian Sea with owners
linked to Israel or those going to and from ports in the occupied territories.
In response to the maritime campaign in
support of Palestine, the US and its allies have launched strikes on Yemen in
violation of the country’s sovereignty and international law.
The illegal strikes prompted Yemen to
declare American and British vessels as legitimate targets for its armed
forces.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/29/719091/Yemen-US-warship-Aden-Gulf-Palestine
----
Europe
US, Israel, Egypt, Qatar officials in
Gaza talks in Paris
2024-01-29
PARIS: The head of the US Central
Intelligence Agency as well as top Egyptian, Qatari and Israeli officials were
in Paris on Sunday working towards a ceasefire in Gaza, officials close to the
participants said.
French authorities were also in touch
with these four countries with the aim of negotiating a halt to hostilities
between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the besieged
territory, the sources said.
A security source on Friday told AFP
that CIA chief William Burns would meet his counterparts from Israel and Egypt,
as well as Qatar’s prime minister “in the coming days”.
The source confirmed a report in The
Washington Post last week that US President Joe Biden was sending Burns to try
to negotiate the release of remaining Hamas-held Israeli hostages in exchange
for a ceasefire.
The New York Times said on Saturday that
US-led negotiators were getting closer to an agreement under which Israel would
suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in return for the release of more
than 100 hostages.
Quoting unidentified US officials, it
said negotiators had developed a draft agreement that would be discussed in
Paris on Sunday.
US President Joe Biden on Friday spoke
with Qatar’s emir to discuss efforts to free the hostages, the White House
said, however warning “imminent developments” were unlikely.
Qatar is playing a key role in the
latest talks after brokering a hostage release deal in November.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel
resulted in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of
official figures.
Militants also seized about 250 hostages
and Israel says around 132 of them remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at
least 28 dead captives.
Israel’s ensuing military offensive has
killed at least 26,422 people, most of them civilians, in Gaza, according to
the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40286137/us-israel-egypt-qatar-officials-in-gaza-talks-in-paris
-----
France, Japan join UNRWA fund freeze as
Jordan warns against ‘collective punishment’
28 January 2024
France and Japan said Sunday that they
were suspending funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, becoming the
latest country to make such a move after accusations of staff involvement in
the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, while Jordan warned that cutting financial
support to UNRWA amounted to “collective punishment.”
“France has not planned a new payment
for the first half of 2024 and will decide when the time comes on the action to
take together with the United Nations and the main donors,” the French Foreign
Ministry said, calling the allegations against UNRWA “exceptionally serious.”
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said the
country had decided to suspend additional funding to the agency for now, was
“extremely concerned about the alleged involvement of UNRWA staff members in
the terror attack on Israel,” and has been “strongly urging UNRWA to conduct
the investigation in a prompt and complete manner.”
Donors including the US, Germany,
Britain, Italy, Australia and Finland announced they had suspended additional
funding to the agency, and UNRWA said on Friday it had fired several employees
over the unspecified accusations.
In a post on X, Jordanian Foreign
Minister Ayman Safadi wrote: “UNRWA is the lifeline for over 2m Palestinians
facing starvation in Gaza. It shouldn’t be collectively punished upon
allegations against 12 persons out of its 13,000 staff.”
“UNRWA acted responsibly and began an
investigation. We urge countries that suspended funds to reverse [their]
decision,” Safadi added, echoing a call made on Saturday by UNRWA’s
Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini.
The UN agency provides services, such as
education and healthcare, in 10 Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan – the only
Arab country where Palestinians have been granted citizenship. According to the
agency’s data, only about 18% of the country’s two million Palestinians and
their descendants still live in camps.
There are today 58 designated refugee
camps where UNRWA operates, in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said
the body “must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and
development” after Gaza’s bloodiest war, and has called for the resignation of
the agency’s head Lazzarini.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Sunday
also expressed concern over the decision made by several countries to suspend
funding for UNRWA, and urged them to reconsider their move.
In a statement, the ministry said the
suspension of funding, following allegations by Israel that a dozen of its
13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in Hamas’s October 7 massacre — in which
1,200 Israelis were murdered and another 253 taken hostage — primarily harmed
Palestinian civilians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
has called on donor states to guarantee the flow of aid to Gaza amid the
funding freezes, and said the “abhorrent alleged acts” of some UNRWA staff
should not mean that its thousands of other humanitarian workers were
penalized.
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign
Ministry panned the suspension of funds as a demonstration of “deplorable
double standards” and “collective punishment.”
Israeli officials and their allies —
including in the US Congress — have repeatedly alleged over the years that
UNRWA allows anti-Israeli incitement to be taught in its hundreds of schools
and that some of its staff collaborate with Hamas. The Trump administration
suspended funding to the agency in 2018, but US President Joe Biden restored
it.
The agency’s supporters say the
allegations against it aim to diminish the long-festering refugee issue. Last
week, Lazzarini said he would appoint an independent entity to look into the
claims — both “what is true or untrue” and “what is politically motivated.” He
also said the accusations were hurting the agency’s already stretched
operations.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza
says more than 26,000 people have been killed and some 64,000 people wounded in
the war, in unverified figures which include close to 10,000 Hamas operatives
Israel said it has killed during fighting in the Strip.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/france-joins-unrwa-fund-freeze-as-jordan-warns-against-collective-punishment/
----
High-ranking Christian prelate warns of
spread of antisemitism by church officials
29 Jan, 2024
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Speaking on
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a high-ranking Christian official of
the Orthodox Church warned Sunday against the spread of antisemitism by
religious and church officials.
“I am worried by the spread of
antisemitism internationally,” Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, spiritual
leader of Greek Orthodox faithful in North and South America, told an audience
in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city.
He added that he was particularly
worried that “the ointment of the Church does not heal wounds, but spreads the
fire” of antisemitism, though he didn’t give any specific examples.
“Evil has a name, an identity and a
history, and it is called fascism and Nazism. … It has no relation to Christian
theology despite the efforts of some to dress their far-right ideology with the
cloak of Christianity,” Elpidophoros said.
The archbishop and a former city mayor,
Yiannis Boutaris, were made honorary members of the Jewish community in
Thessaloniki, which now numbers only about 1,200.
Earlier in the day, Elpidophoros, city
officials and the ambassadors of Israel and the United States commemorated the
Holocaust at Eleftherias (Freedom) Square. That is where the city’s Jews were
rounded up by Nazi German occupying troops in 1943 before being packed into
trains and sent to concentration camps.
The vast majority went to
Auschwitz-Birkenau, and about 50,000 perished.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-ranking-christian-prelate-warns-of-spread-of-antisemitism-by-church-officials/
------
Pope expresses support for church
attacked in Istanbul
January 28, 2024
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis expressed his
support for a Catholic church in Istanbul where one person was killed in an
armed attack during Mass on Sunday.
“I express my closeness to the community
of the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul,” the Argentine pope said at the end of
his weekly Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya
condemned the attack and said authorities were working on capturing the
assailants.
An investigation was opened.
Turkish authorities have instituted a
media ban on coverage of the attack. Two masked assailants attacked the Santa
Maria Church in the Sariyer district at 11:40 a.m., Yerlikaya said in a
statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He did not specify what kind of weapons
were used or whether anyone else was wounded.
A short video circulating on social
media apparently depicts the moment of the attack, with two masked men entering
the church and opening fire, with all service-goers hitting the floor.
The two men then abruptly leave.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu offered
his condolences and support for religious minorities in the city.
“There are no minorities in this city or
this country. We are all actual citizens,” he said.
Speaking to the Associated Press, the
victim’s nephew identified the man who died as Tuncer Cihan.
He noted that the target was the church
and not his uncle.
“He was a mentally disabled individual
who had no connection to politics or (criminal) organizations. He went there on
an invitation and was a victim of fate,” Cagin Cihan said.
An Italian order of Franciscan friars
runs the church.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani
said that his ministry followed the situation along with the Italian Embassy in
Ankara and the consulate in Istanbul.
“I express my condolence and firm
condemnation for the vile attack on Santa Maria Church, Tajani tweeted.
He added that “I am certain that the
Turkish authorities will arrest those responsible.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was
in the central Anatolian province of Eskisehir for his party’s rally ahead of
March local elections, expressed condolences during a phone call with the
priest of the Italian church and other local officials.
He assured that “necessary steps are
being taken to catch the perpetrators as soon as possible,” according to his
office.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449811/world
-----
Germany failed to persuade Hezbollah to
stop retaliatory strikes against Israel: Report
28 January 2024
A Lebanese daily newspaper has revealed
that a recent meeting between the deputy director of German intelligence and a
top Hezbollah official failed to convince Lebanon’s resistance movement to stop
its retaliatory strikes against the Israeli regime in support of Palestinians
in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The Beirut-based Al-Akhbar daily said in
a report on Saturday that the meeting took place around two weeks ago between
UliDiyal, deputy director of Berlin’s foreign intelligence, and Sheikh Naim
Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general.
The meeting was in line with “Western
efforts to separate the Lebanese front from the Palestinian front,” the
Lebanese daily said, adding that, “The Germans were unable to persuade the
resistance to stop its operations or to promote the idea of separating the
fronts.”
Citing sources, the report said, “Sheikh
Qassem emphasized the resistance’s decision and its ability to defeat the enemy
if it expanded its aggression. He refused to enter any discussion [on ending
operations] before stopping the war on Gaza, urging Germany to put pressure on
Israel to stop the war.”
The Hezbollah official added, “Unless
the war stops in Gaza, it cannot stop in Lebanon.”
Earlier in the month, the Lebanese daily
newspaper said White House advisor Amos Hochstein had visited Beirut and told
officials that Hezbollah must withdraw from the southern border.
“Otherwise, Israel will launch a war
against Hezbollah, which, along with Lebanon, must learn from what happened in
Gaza,” Hochstein threatened.
Since the beginning of Hezbollah’s
near-daily attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories in support of Gaza in
early October, Western governments have been pressuring Lebanon on behalf of
the illegal entity to stop its retaliatory strikes.
The Israeli regime launched its
hostilities in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, after the territory’s
Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups launched surprise Operation Al-Aqsa
Storm against the occupyiers.
The Israeli military has also been
conducting attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting
retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in condemnation of the regime's bombardment
of Gaza.
The movement has vowed to keep up its
retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught
on Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 26,000
people, most of them children and women, in Gaza since early October.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/28/719068/Al-Akhbar-daily-German-intelligence-Hezbollah-official-strikes-Israel
----
Pakistan
JUIF Chief Maulana Fazlur RehmanSays
JUIF Considers Politics as Jihad
January 29, 2024
Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR: JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman
on Sunday said that JUIF considered politics as a holy Jihad while others
fought for power.
He said this during a public meeting in
Sukkur and Ghotki. He said that people were ready to vote for JUIF candidates.
He said that he had been observing distortion of the Islamic republic of
Pakistan which was made in the name of Islam. He said, “Politics is a holy
jihad for him but this holy struggle has been marred with lies and deceit.” He
said, “We consider this holy jihad to bring Islam to the governance, but you
are focusing on power and rule. We have taken a difficult journey, in this way,
we have presented the blood of our leaders like Dr Khalid Mahamood Soomro.”
“We have fought for the country’s human
rights, better economy, better employment, while some look to socialism and
some in western culture. As a nation, we have to think about where we have gone
astray, where we are going.” He said, “When one is ungrateful for blessings,
Allah brings two kinds of punishment, one is hunger and the other is poverty. I
ask if there is peace and law and order in Sindh.” “I have always found love in
Sindh, when we were politically weak, we could not save the people here, but now
we will save the people here from powerty, inflation and lawlessness,” JUIF
chief maintained. Maulana Fazl said, “JUIF takes its manifesto from Quran. More
than twenty-five thousand Palestinians have been martyred in the war, where he
human rights organiszations are. South Africa is better than us, as it has gone
to the International Court of Justice on the issue of Palestine.” “Today the
entire Islamic community has left the Palestinians alone, even food is not
reaching to them. If you want to fight with Hamas, why you are fighting with
ordinary people of Palestinians, He said. He said when there was an attack in
Afghanistan, the Taliban were declared terrorists but JUIF alone said that the
Taliban were their brothers not the terrorists.
He said that if US minister could go to
Tel Aviv and say that he had come as a Jewish. So even Maulana Fazlur Rahman
could go and say that he had come as a Muslim.
JUI-F Sindh Amir Maulana Abdul Qayyum
Halijvi, Secretary General Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro, Maulana Siraj Ahmad
Shah Amrooti, Allama Nasir Mahmood Soomro, Maulana Abdullah Mahar, Maulana
Muhammad Saleh Indhar, Haji Deedar Ali Jatoi and others also addressed the
Public meeting.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1152403-fazl-says-juif-considers-politics-as-jihad
----
FIR registered against PTI workers after
clash with Karachi police
January 29, 2024
KARACHI: The police on Monday registered
a first information report (FIR) against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders
after they clashed with the law enforcement officials in Karachi's Teen Talwar
during a rally.
The development came after PTI leaders
held a rally in the port city ahead of the much-awaited general elections
slated for February 8.
The police officials claimed that no
permission was sought by the party to hold its rally as required by the
Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) code of conduct.
The clashes occurred as the police
resorted to baton charges, aerial firing, and the use of tear gas to disperse
the party workers, including women, who had gathered at the busy interchange.
The clashes, which resulted in several
arrests, also saw media personnel, including a Geo News cameraman suffering
injuries due to the clashes between party workers and the police.
As per Deputy Inspector General (DIG)
South Asad Raza, at least seven officers, including Boat Basin SHO, suffered
injuries after PTI workers attacked the police.
FIR
The FIR has been filed at the Frere Town
Police Station on the government's complaint. It includes various provisions
including riot, vandalism, attempted murder and terrorism.
According to the FIR, party leaders
Khurram Sher Zaman, Faheem Khan, Saeed Afridi and Adeel Ahmed have been named
in the case.
"The leaders provoked the workers
after which they attacked the police party present at the spot," said the
FIR, adding that the PTI leadership and workers spread fear in the area.
The FIR added that a lady constable and
eight policemen including two station house officers (SHOs) were injured during
the clashes. "Workers from different areas of the city gathered at Teen
Talwar in the form of rallies," it added.
It also mentioned that the PTI workers
did not have legal permission to hold the rally.
Meanwhile, the deputy inspector general
of police (DIG) South said that about 15 people have been taken in custody and
action is being taken to arrest others.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1152463-fir-registered-against-pti-workers-after-clash-with-karachi-police
-----
MQM-P activist ‘killed in clash with PPP
workers’ in Karachi
January 29, 2024
A clash between the workers of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has
left one person dead and another injured in Karachi’s Nazimabad area.
The incident took place in the Nazimabad
No 2 area late Sunday as political parties are busy canvassing, holding public
gatherings and corner meetings to mobilise their supporters ahead of the
February 8 elections, according to police, Geo News reported.
Police said clashes erupted between the
workers of the two political parties and unidentified persons also lit two
vehicles during the violence.
They said the deceased person was
identified as 48-year-old Faraz.
A video of the incident also emerged
wherein the political parties’ activists can be seen hurling chairs at each
other.
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital administration
said the man was brought to a hospital dead and added that he died of a bullet
wound in his head.
Meanwhile, MQM-Pakistan Rabita Committee
member Taha Siddiqui claimed that PPP workers opened fire at their office which
resulted in the death of UC-incharge.
“The Peoples Party [PPP] cannot occupy
the city through terrorism,” he alleged while speaking to the media outside the
hospital.
In a statement issued following the
incident, a MQM-Pakistan spokesperson claimed that PPP workers tried to remove
their party’s flag which led to the altercation between the workers of the two
parties.
However, the spokesperson said the
dispute between them was settled after some time.
The PPP workers returned after two hours
with armed guards and resorted to firing which left their worker dead, the
statement added.
The MQM-P said a first information
report (FIR) of the incident will be lodged following the funeral prayer of the
deceased worker.
Addressing a press conference, MQM-P
senior leader Mustafa Kamal claimed that the PPP workers carrying Kalashnikov
opened fire at their members following altercation over flag removal.
He claimed that MQM-P workers were
unarmed and did not “even throw stones” at them in retaliation.
He accused PPP leader Asim Hussain of
orchestrating the attack on the MQM-P workers.
“I am warning for the last time that I
will not let my workers to even suffer a single scratch,” the MQM-P leader
added.
Earlier in December last year, MQM-P
claimed that its three workers were shot dead and others injured when PPP
members fired on them.
In a statement, the party said its
election office in Karachi’s Machar Colony — one of the largest slums of the
port city — was attacked whilst workers and leaders were busy in
election-related activities.
Police, on the other hand, had claimed
that “two groups” had a clash in the area, adding that three people were
killed, while the main suspect and his brother were arrested.
Previous election campaigns in the
metropolis have witnessed spasms of violence, with scores of candidates and
voters targeted by bombings and gun attacks.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1152462-mqm-p-activist-killed-in-clash-with-ppp-workers-in-karachi
------
Barrister Sultan terms India promoter of
terrorism
January 29, 2024
Syed Abbas Gardezi
ISLAMABAD: President Azad Jammu and
Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry said India has emerged as a promoter
of terrorism that is not only involved in terrorist activities in occupied
Kashmir but also in Pakistan, Canada and other parts of the world.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the AJK
president said that India’s expansionist designs posed a serious threat to the
peace and security in South Asia.
The Hindu supermacist regime led by Modi
was hell bent on expelling Muslims of the occupied Kashmir and India to make
India a Hindu Rashtra- a purely Hindu state for upper caste Hindus in India.
“Muslims living in India for centuries
are being rendered homeless, and forced to leave the country,” he added.
Referring to the post August 05 scenario
in Kashmir, Barrister Chaudhry said that after stripping the region of its
special status and splitting it into two parts, the Modi regime had turned it
into a colony.
Terming these actions as a violation of
all the UNSC resolutions and international treaties, he said the people of
Kashmir have outright rejected this illegal move.
“Since then, the political and human
rights situation in the IIOJ&K has worsened,” he said, adding that innocent
youths were being arrested and subjected to the worst torture in detention
camps and torture cells.
He said that rape was being used as a
weapon of war by the Indian occupation forces in Kashmir. About India’s land
grab policy in Kashmir, he said that Kashmir’s prime land was being sold to
non-Kashmiris on nominal prices under the so called investment policy.
On the other hand, the president,
pointed out that the fascist regime had intensified its efforts to alter the
region’s demography.
He said that granting domicile
certificates to non state subjects was part of the Modi government’s policy to
turn Muslim majority into a minority.
Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry said
that it was high time that the international community should take immediate
notice and stop India from its terrorist activities.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1152426-barrister-sultan-terms-india-promoter-of-terrorism
----
Iran offers condolences to Pakistan over
killing of nine labourers
2024-01-29
ISLAMABAD: Iran has offered condolences
to Pakistan over the killing of nine of its labourers on its soil. Iranian
envoy to Pakistan in his statement condemned the killings of Pakistani
labourers in Iran and said Tehran and Islamabad will not tolerate affliction of
damage to the countries’ relations.
“Iran and Pakistan will not allow
enemies to cause damage to the countries’ brotherly relations,” the Iranian
envoy said in his statement.
His remarks came hours after unknown
assailants gunned down at least nine Pakistani nationals and injured three
others in the suburb of the city of Saravan in the southeastern Iranian
province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
According to a private TV channel, among
the victims, five hailed from different areas of Alipur in Punjab province and
had been working in Iran for the past decade.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter),
Pakistan’s envoy to Tehran condemned the “horrifying killings” and called upon
Iran to extend full cooperation with Pakistani authorities on the matter.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40286184/iran-offers-condolences-to-pakistan-over-killing-of-nine-labourers
-----
‘Wrong decisions will produce right
results,’ Fazl tells supporters
2024-01-29
LARKANA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal
(JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday advised against blaming the
politicians for everything by shifting all the responsibility to them in
democracy and said February 8 was the day for the people to perform their
‘duty’.
The days leading to February 8 were the
time when the people had to fulfil their responsibility, Fazal said, as he
described the elections as a process which depended upon the masses.
“People would be responsible for the
good or the bad (result on February 8),” the JUI-F chief told his supporters in
Larkana as he is aiming at a strong showing in upper Sindh where has been able
to garner a large support base due to a number of economic, social and
political factors.
In his address, the seasoned politician
also talked about the supremacy of parliament. “We have made the law. Only we
will interpret it,” he said, asking the institutions to respect the
politicians, and made it clear that Pakistan can not be run without following
the law and the constitution.
He promised a comprehensive
accountability of those “robbing the mankind” – a reference to the inability to
protect people’s rights and the practice of denying the very basic needs to
them in the context of Sindh.
Earlier on Saturday, Fazal said killings
and kidnappings were a norm in Sindh, adding that the people associated with
his party were facing pressure and threats in the province.
The Maulana regretted the fact that
Pakistan couldn’t march forward and was in a reverse gear at a time when the
neighbouring countries had achieved a remarkable economic growth and
development. “There is something wrong. Someone isn’t discharging the responsibility.”
He said the people making laws were weak
but those violating them were strong in Pakistan and wondered when “we would
stop opting for wrong decisions”. Wrong decisions could never produce right
results, the seasoned politician told his supporters.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40286168/wrong-decisions-will-produce-right-results-fazl-tells-supporters
-----
Cases registered against firing
incidents at TLP, PPP election offices
January 29, 2024
LAHORE: An FIR [first information
report] has been lodged at the Badami Bagh police station, over a firing
incident at Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) election office.
TLP leader Akram Rizvi alleged that the
suspects, identified as Riaz Khan and Atif alias Toka, hurled threats for
contesting election against Ghazali Saleem Butt before attacking their office
in PP-147 constituency at Madni Chowk. They shot at and injured he and his
supporters including Usama, Mushtaq, Afzal Tahir, Tabib Akhtar Butt and Afaq
Butt.
Reportedly, the situation became tense
in the locality after a shoe hurling incident at Hamza Shehbaz was reported
during the election campaign.
In another incident of firing at PPP
election office in NA-126 Rasoolpur village, an FIR was registered against PMLN
workers in Nawab Town police station. Akhtar alias Akhtari, Faizan and 12 other
unidentified persons were nominated in the case.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1152407-cases-registered-against-firing-incidents-at-tlp-ppp-election-offices
----
Pakistani police use tear gas to
disperse pre-election rally by supporters of former leader Khan
January 29, 2024
KARACHI, Pakistan: Pakistani police
fired tear gas to disperse supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in
the southern city of Karachi on Sunday, less than two weeks before a national
parliamentary election that Khan was blocked from running in because of a
criminal conviction.
An Associated Press reporter at the
scene saw between 20 and 30 people getting arrested at the rally. A dozen
workers from Khan’s political party were arrested for attacking officers and
blocking the road, police said.
Although Khan will not be on the ballot
for the Feb. 8 election, he remains a potent political force because of his
grassroots following and anti-establishment rhetoric. He says the legal cases
against him were a plot to sideline him ahead of the vote.
Senior police superintendent Sajid
Siddozai said workers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI party
organized the rally without obtaining permission from authorities and blocked
the road. Siddozai confirmed the use of tear gas.
“When police officials attempted to
negotiate and persuade them not to block the road, they attacked the police,”
he said. “This resulted in injuries to five police officials, including a
female officer. One of the wounded is in a critical condition.”
The police operation was ongoing,
Siddozai added.
PTI worker Waheedullah Shah said Khan
had called for rallies across the country and that Sunday’s event in Karachi
was peaceful. “But police dispersed our rally and arrested our workers,” Shah
said. “We will not be deterred by such tactics. We stand by Khan and will
always support him.”
There were violent demonstrations after
Khan’s May 2023 arrest. Authorities have cracked down on his supporters and
party since then.
Pakistan’s independent human rights
commission has said there is little chance of a free and fair parliamentary
election next month because of “pre-poll rigging.” It also expressed
concern about authorities rejecting the
candidacies of Khan and senior figures from his party.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449886/world
----
South Asia
Bangladesh Nationalist PartyRelies On
‘Other Force’ To Go to Power, PM Tells British MP Delegation
Jan 28, 2024
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said
BNP always looks for "other force" to assume power rather than going
through the democratic process.
"…whenever the election arrives,
they (BNP) look for some other force who can put them in the power," she
said.
The prime minister said this while
visiting British cross party parliamentary delegation led by Virendra Sharma
called on her at her official residence Gono Bhaban.
The other members of the delegation are
Paul Scully, Neil Coyle and Andrew Western.
PM's speech writer M Nazrul Islam
briefed reporters after the call on.
Nazrul quoted Hasina as telling the
delegation that whenever BNP finds no one to put them in power, they step back
from participating in the election.
"BNP is a terrorist party. They
always had come to power without a fair election. They always think that
someone will put them in the power," she said.
She said that not participating in the
election was their choice.
She mentioned that BNP was founded
inside cantonment by a military man and that person just polluted the election
process and democratic system of the country.
She said that undemocratic forces ruled
Bangladesh for long 29 years.
"At that time there was no
democracy in the country. As a result, no development was done in the
country," she told the delegation.
The prime minister said that BNP does
not have any leadership and they usually get dictation from London.
"As a result, after 2008 they did
not participate in any election sincerely. They boycotted the election in 2014.
Though in 2018 BNP decided to
participate in the election the party nominated multiple candidates in one
seat.
"At last they withdrew their
candidatures whenever they had felt that they will not be able to win in the
election," she said.
She also said that there was a free and
fair election under the military-backed caretaker government in 2018.
"There is no question about that
election. In that election BNP-led 20-party alliance bagged 30 seats while
Awami League won 233 seats. It proves that BNP does not have any base among the
mass people," she said.
She further said that though BNP
boycotted the election held on January 7 this year, people cast their votes
with turnout reported at 41.8 percent.
"People rejected BNP's appeal to
reject vote," she said.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/bnp-relies-other-force-go-power-pm-tells-british-mp-delegation-3530441
-----
Daesh No Longer Threat for Afghanistan:
Islamic Emirate
29.01.24
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman,
Zabiullah Mujahid, said that Daesh is not a threat for Afghanistan and that the
Islamic Emirate’s forces have tightened the security across the borders.
Mujahid made the remarks in reaction to
a report of an Indian newspaper in the Sunday Guardian, which cited senior
members of the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan as saying that the motive behind the
clash alongside the Durand Line on Jan. 20 was that “the Pakistan military was
trying to push ISIS terrorists into Afghanistan and it was to pursue this
objective that its armed forces stirred up the dispute at the border so that
the ISIS cadre could enter into Afghanistan while the Afghanistan guards were
engaged against their much well equipped neighbors.”
Mujahid added that Daesh is not acting
in the interest of any country.
“The borders of the countries are
safeguarded. Our security forces are paying attention to any kind of danger. We
don’t believe that there is Daesh in Afghanistan,” he said.
Among those cited was the former TTP
commander Ehsanullah Ehsan, who called it a ‘Kashmir-style infiltration’
attempt on the Afghan border by the Pakistan army, the Sunday Guardian
reported.
“After the said incident, social media
accounts linked to the Pakistani army claimed that the skirmish took place
after Pakistani forces retaliated to the Afghan forces’ objection to the repair
that was being carried out at the border fence. However, according to my
information, this happened when ISIS fighters were trying to cross the border
from Pakistan and were spotted and confronted by the Afghan border guards.
Their intruders had the full support of the Pakistani army and were being
provided military [cover] by the Pakistan army which was noticed by the Afghan
side,” he was quoted by the Sunday Guardian.
This comes as political and military
analysts said they consider Daesh a threat to the interim government and urged
the Islamic Emirate to suppress the group.
“Pakistan is seeking to implement its
intelligence and its strategic projects of the western countries not only in
Afghanistan but also within the Central Asian countries,” said Sadeq Shinwari,
a military analyst.
“Daesh is a dangerous phenomenon in
Afghanistan and it affects the internal security of Afghanistan,” said Aziz
Maarij, a political analyst.
This comes as the acting Defense
Minister, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid stressed that Daesh was defeated in
Afghanistan.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187174
---
No ‘Formal Border’ between Afghanistan
and Pakistan, says Taliban Minister Tribal Affairs
Fidel Rahmati
January 28, 2024
Taliban Minister of Borders and Tribal
Affairs, Noorullah Noori, made a statement during his visit to the Torkham
crossing, addressing the border situation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Noori emphasized that Afghanistan does
not have an officially recognized border with Pakistan, and instead, there
exists a “hypothetical line” between the two nations.
In a released video, Noori highlighted
the lack of clarity regarding the border’s demarcation, underscoring the
absence of a defined zero point.
Noori’s remarks shed light on the
ongoing tensions that occasionally arise along this hypothetical line and the
efforts of the Taliban authorities to manage and resolve these conflicts.
Prior to this statement, both countries
experienced a prolonged blockage of all common crossings for cargo vehicles,
resulting in significant financial losses for traders and investors.
Noori’s visit and his comments draw
attention to the complexities of border issues in the region and the need for a
diplomatic resolution.
The situation at the
Afghanistan-Pakistan border remains a critical concern, with the “hypothetical
line” continuing to be a focal point of discussions and disputes between the
two nations.
Recently, tensions between Afghanistan
and Pakistan have escalated due to various factors. These include allegations
from Pakistan regarding the presence of TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) members
on Afghan soil, concerns about Pakistan’s alleged support for ISIS in
Afghanistan, the blockage of the Torkham border crossing, expulsion of Afghan
refugees and skirmishes between the forces of both parties.
These issues have contributed to a
complex and strained relationship between the two neighbouring countries, with
security and border concerns at the forefront of their diplomatic challenges.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/no-formal-border-between-afghanistan-and-pakistan-says-noori/
----
Kabul to Host 'Afghanistan's Regional
Cooperation Initiative' on Monday
Mitra Majeedy
January 28, 2024
The spokesman for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said that the Islamic Emirate on Monday
will host “Afghanistan's Regional Cooperation Initiative" in which envoys
and ambassadors of regional and neighboring countries will participate.
According to Balkhi, the participants
will discuss the extension of regional cooperation between the Islamic Emirate
and regional countries.
“Under the title of Afghanistan’s
regional cooperation initiative a meeting will be held, in which envoys of
regional countries will attend. The meeting will discuss the issues related to
economy, connectivity and strengthening of economy and other cooperation,” he
said.
The political analysts meanwhile said
such a conference can improve the Islamic Emirate’s relations with the
neighboring and regional countries.
“We know that there is a consensus
regarding Afghanistan at the regional level and international community, which
stipulates that women's rights should be respected and the rights of minorities
should be recognized,” said Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst.
“This is the first meeting which focuses
on the mutual regional interest and regional threat,” said Abdul Hai Qanat, a
political analyst.
This comes as the Doha conference on the
situation of Afghanistan, which is chaired by the UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres is due to be held within nearly three-weeks.
The Doha conference will be attended by
the envoys of the countries for Afghanistan, Afghan civil rights activists,
representatives of women and the Islamic Emirate.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187165
-----
SC defers till Feb 12 hearing on
contempt plea against 7 pro-BNP lawyers
Jan 29, 2024
The Supreme Court today again deferred
till February 12 the hearing on a contempt of court petition filed against
seven pro-BNP lawyers for their "slanderous, derogatory and
contemptuous" comments about two apex court judges.
The Appellate Division of the SC headed
by Justice Burhanuddin, which was scheduled to hear the matter today, passed
the deferment order as Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan did not sit in the bench.
Earlier in the day, all the seven
lawyers, against whom the contempt of court petition was filed, appeared before
the bench in compliance with its previous order.
They will have to appear before the apex
court bench on February 12 in connection with the petition, the court said.
The seven lawyers are Md Kayser Kamal,
Abdul Jamil Mohammad Ali, Fahima Nasrin, Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Md Ruhul
Quddus Kazal, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Khan and Gazi Kamrul Islam Sajal.
On January 15, the SC deferred till
today the hearing of the contempt of court petition.
Following the same contempt of court
petition, the SC on November 15 summoned the seven lawyers, asking them to
appear before this court January 15 over their comments about two apex court
judges.
SC lawyer Md Nazmul Huda on August 29
last year submitted the petition through his lawyer Nahid Sultana Juthi to the
apex court appealing to it to draw contempt of court proceedings against the
seven lawyers and to punish them for their comments about the two SC judges at
a press conference held on the Supreme Court Bar Association premises on August
27.
In the petition, he said that the
pro-BNP lawyers at the press conference demanded that they be kept away from
discharging judicial functions, and said otherwise they will enforce new
programme demanding resignation of the judges after 48 hours.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/ayans-death-father-files-gd-over-death-threat-3530956
----
PM calls for global efforts for Rohingya
repatriation
Jan 28, 2024
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today
called upon the international community to take measures to repatriate
Rohingyas to their homeland of Myanmar and ensure their dignified lives there.
"The world should think about how
the Rohingya crisis can be resolved so that they can return to their
homeland," she said.
The premier said this while a British
cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Vice Chair of All Party
Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Bangladesh and Chair of APPG on Indo-British,
Virendra Sharma, MP, paid a courtesy call on her at the Gono Bhaban.
PM's Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed
journalists after the meeting.
This is the first parliamentary visit
from the UK since the national elections were held in Bangladesh on January 7.
During the meeting, Hasina said they
gave shelter to Rohingyas after their mass exodus in face of inhuman torture in
2017.
Myanmar has agreed to take back their
nationals, but has yet to take any measure to this end despite the fact that
six years have already passed, she said.
Mentioning that the global monetary
assistance has decreased since the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war,
she said, "So, Rohingyas are now becoming a huge burden for a small
country like Bangladesh".
The five-member parliamentary delegation
includes Paul Scully, MP, former Conservative Minister for Tech and Digital
Economy, Neil Coyle, MP, Member of UK House of Commons Select Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Andrew Western, MP, Opposition Whip at the House of Commons
and Dominic Moffitt, Senior Parliamentary Assistant at House of Commons.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/pm-calls-global-efforts-rohingya-repatriation-3530371
----
AL can't hold back democracy-loving
people: Moyeen Khan
Jan 28, 2024
BNP standing committee member Abdul
Moyeen Khan today said the party was not able to achieve what they expected on
January 7, but there is no point in being disappointed about it.
"Don't be disappointed. Keep your
morale high," he said, addressing the party men at a discussion organised
by Gonoforum and Bangladesh Peoples Party in the capital.
He said the BNP wants to bring back a
"democratic environment" in the country, not terrorism.
"Awami League will not be able to
hold back the democracy-loving people of the country," Moyeen said.
Opposition parties have been most
"oppressed" during AL's regime, while BNP never oppressed opposition
parties when it was in power, he said.
Moyeen said black flag marches are a
globally recognised form of peaceful protest.
"It's the language of protest. This
is the language we will not stop using until this government is
overthrown," he added.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/al-cant-hold-back-democracy-loving-people-moyeen-khan-3530566
-----
Southeast Asia
Melaka Council Allocates Over RM14m To
Assist Asnaf, Muslim Converts (Mualaf) This Year
28 Jan 2024
MELAKA, Jan 28 — The Melaka Islamic
Religious Council (MAIM) has allocated a sum of RM14,740,526 to assist the
asnaf (eligible tithe recipients) and Mualaf (Muslim converts) this year,
according to the state deputy executive councillor for education, higher
education, and religious affairs, Rosli Abdullah.
He said that the allocation has
increased by 12.3 per cent or RM1.803 million compared to last year to help
uplift the living standards of the targeted groups.
“This allocation will be channelled
through various forms of assistance such as education, welfare, monthly food
provisions, medical aid, and support for Muslim converts’ children. The
increase also involves monthly food assistance and self-support allowances for
them in higher education institutions,” he said.
He said this in his speech at the
Appreciation Ceremony for the Excellence of Fardhu Ain Mualaf in the State of
Melaka for the Year 2024/1445 Hijrah held here today.
Also present were Melaka Islamic
Religious Department (JAIM) director, Datuk Badaruddin Mohd Kassim, and MAIM’s
Baitulmal manager, Mohd Hairulamin Mohd Sis. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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-----
Silat Body Defends Performance of Malay
Martial Art at Mosque in Medina
29 Jan 2024
A SILAT association in Malaysia has
defended a demonstration of the Malay martial arts form which was recently held
at a historic mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, after it drew criticisms from
various quarters in Malaysia.
A video clip of the performance at the
Nabawi Mosque by an adult and two young boys has gone viral over the last few
days and elicited rebuke by many who consider it inappropriate.
Silat Cekak Arts Association of Malaysia
president Datuk Maideen Kadir Shah said that the individuals who performed the
demonstration were only displaying a cultural feature which is part of the
identity of the Malays and did not breach any manners or ethics.
The mosque, referred to as the
“Prophet’s Mosque”, is said to be one of the largest in the world and built
during the time of Prophet Muhammad.
He said that the performers were dressed
appropriately and did not do anything to violate manners and ethics as Malays
and Muslims
"What was displayed was a good
thing because it was not prayer time and it was in the outer hall, not in the
Prophet's Mosque itself.
“So it reflects something good which is
our identity as they were attired in that (silat) style,” he was quoted as
saying by Utusan Malaysia to reporters in Alor Setar yesterday.
He was asked to comment on the 27-second
video clip that shows a man with two children performing silat on the grounds
of the mosque.
The video, which has gone viral over the
past few days, has attracted criticism among netizens for allegedly
disrespecting the holy area.
Even Minister in the Prime Minister's
Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar expressed concern that
the actions of the three individuals may have tarnished Malaysia's image.
Mohd Na'im cautioned that any intention
in being at a mosque other than for the purpose of worship could potentially
not only affect the worship but also damage the good name of the country.
He advised those visiting or making
pilgrimage to important mosques in Saudi Arabia to go with correct intentions
and focus on worship.
He also said that he did not see the
incident affecting the the Hajj quota that the Saudi Arabian government has set
for Malaysia.
Displaying Malay cultural values
Maideen, who is also the principal
teacher of the association, said that the art of silat has a high position in
Islam and should be respected by all parties.
He said it is appropriate in Malaysia
for silat to be brought to enliven a mosque.
“So, what is wrong if silat people
perform, but with due manners and ethics, to demonstrate something good?"
he added.
Touching on the criticism from various
parties, he said that if the issue invites problems at the international level,
including Malaysia's relationship with the host country concerned, it needs to
be resolved diplomatically.
He stressed that silat is an identity of
the nation and culture of Malaysia, and it also helps nurture people to become
good leaders.
"If there is an issue, we can
resolve it at the ministerial level. Why do we depict something that is good as
bad?
“They were not fighting and beating
other people, they were just displaying our cultural values," he said.
Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan
Mohd Noor also weighed in on the matter.
He was quoted by Getaran as saying that
silat performances in front of the Grand Mosque in Mecca or the Prophet's
Mosque in Medina should be done with prior permission of the Saudi Arabian
authorities.
There is no ban on martial arts or
performing martial arts in mosques, he stressed. – The Vibes, January 29, 2024
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
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-----
Number of flood victims remains at 980
people this morning - NADMA
29-01- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The number of flood
victims in Terengganu, Pahang and Johor remained at 980 people at 10 relief
centres (PPS) as of 6 am today.
According to the latest report from the
National Disaster Control Centre of the National Disaster Management Agency
(NADMA), a total of 923 victims from 275 families were recorded at seven PPS in
Dungun, Terengganu.
In Johor, 29 victims are at a PPS in
Kota Tinggi, while in Pahang, 28 victims are at two PPS in Rompin.
Meanwhile, checks at the Telemetry
Station of the Drainage and Irrigation Department found that several rivers are
still at a dangerous level, namely in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis,
Sabah, Selangor and Terengganu.
They are Sungai Johor at Kota Tinggi
(Johor), Sungai Kedah at Kota Setar (Kedah), Sungai Golok in Pasir Mas
(Kelantan), Sungai Rompin and Sungai Pahang (Pahang), Sungai Arau (Perlis),
Sungai Kinabatangan (Sabah), Sungai Klang in Petaling (Selangor), Sungai Dungun
and Sungai Terengganu in Hulu Terengganu (Terengganu).
NADMA said 5 roads are closed due to
floods, damaged bridges, and collapsed roads and slopes, among them are Jalan
Raya Timur Barat Hulu Perak, Perak; Jalan Bukit Jugra in Kuala Langat,
Selangor; and Jalan Durian Mentangau in Dungun, Terengganu. –Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/local_news/number-of-flood-victims-remains-at-980-people-this-morning-nadma-LA12038164
-----
Hold state-level Unity Govt convention
to strengthen coalition’s stability - Anwar
28-01- 2024
IPOH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim has urged all state Unity Governments to organise the Unity Government
Convention to strengthen the coalition’s stability.
“I will use this experience. (The Perak
Unity Government Convention) is the beginning. I urge all other states to
follow suit,“ he said during his speech at today’s closing ceremony of the
Perak Unity Government Convention.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, Perak Menteri
Besar and Perak BN chairman, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, Perak Pakatan Harapan
(PH) chairman Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof and DAP vice chairman Nga Kor Ming were
also present.
Anwar said Perak had made history by
organizing the state-level convention, adding that it serves as a benchmark of
understanding among the unity government’s components because mixed coalition
governments in any country are often considered challenging.
The PH chairman said past experiences
witnessed phases of ‘separations’ among political coalitions that formed a
government.
“PH could not sustain after PAS chose to
exit, but now, with DAP and Amanah (Parti Amanah Negara), it has become more
robust.
“It (Unity Convention) will become a new
force for decades to come and not easily refuted or destroyed,“ he said.
Over 1,500 delegates from state PH and
BN wings attended the convention. – Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/local_news/hold-state-level-unity-govt-convention-to-strengthen-coalition-s-stability-anwar-EA12037636#google_vignette
-----
Johor cops quiz residents after two
fires break out one day apart at Batu Pahat surau and mosque
29 Jan 2024
BATU PAHAT, Jan 29 — Police have taken
statements from 23 residents of two villages here after two fires occurred at a
mosque and a surau in a 24-hour period.
The residents, from Kampung Parit Simis
Darat and Parit Bangas in Sri Medan here, gave their statements to assist
investigations into the two fires that broke out about two weeks ago.
Batu Pahat police chief Assistant
Commissioner Ismail Dollah said the statements will aid investigators with
potential leads in relation to the two fires that happened two nights in a row
on January 14 and 15.
“In addition to that, police are also in
the process of obtaining a forensic report from the Fire and Rescue Department
to complete the investigation.
“We (police) have requested for a fire
forensic report on the two fires, and it is expected to be handed to us soon,”
said Ismail when contacted by the media today.
He was commenting on the latest
investigation update on the two fires by police.
Earlier, investigators said they
suspected that the two incidents may involve foul play and classified the cases
under Section 436 of the Penal Code for committing mischief by fire.
Ismail called for calm and advised the
public to refrain from any speculation that may cause unease among the
community.
He also appealed to those with
information on the two incidents to contact the Sri Medan police station or
their nearest police station.
“The probe into the two fires is still
ongoing and police hope to identify the perpetrators responsible,” he said.
On January 14, a 10.46pm fire at the
Kampung Parit Simis Mosque had caused over RM150,000 in damages. Barely 24
hours later, the Ar-Raudah Surau in nearby Parit Bangas in Sri Medan was
damaged in another fire that was noticed by residents at 10pm.
It was reported that Kampung Parit Simis
Mosque committee chairman Mat Sunari Paiman said that the Fire and Rescue
Department personnel had found traces of petrol under the carpet, in addition
to broomsticks believed to be used to ignite the fire.
Both incidents, involving Muslim places
of worship, were widely shared on social media platforms, causing much
speculation about the involvement of foul play.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/01/29/johor-cops-quiz-residents-after-two-fires-break-out-one-day-apart-at-batu-pahat-surau-and-mosque/115224
----
Mideast
Israeli settlers hold conference on
resettlement in Gaza
January 29, 2024
JERUSALEM: Hundreds of members of the
Israeli settler community gathered for a convention in Jerusalem on Sunday
calling for Israel to rebuild settlements in Gaza and the northern part of the
Occupied West Bank.
Israel withdrew its military and
settlers from Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year occupation, and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it does not intend to maintain a permanent
presence again, but that Israel would maintain security control for an
indefinite period.
There has been little clarity, however,
about Israel’s longer-term intentions, and countries including the United
States have said that Gaza should be governed by Palestinians.
The conference was organized by the
right-wing Nahala organization, which advocates for Jewish settlement expansion
in territories including the West Bank, where they are classified as illegal by
international and humanitarian groups and where violent clashes between
settlers and Palestinians are frequent.
The conference, titled “Settlement
Brings Security,” was not organized by the Israeli government, though its
hard-right coalition has been criticized for supporting settlement expansion, a
position seen as hindering a possible future two-sate solution with the
Palestinians.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that 12
ministers from Netanyahu’s Likud party, along with public security minister
Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich — both from far-right
parties in the governing coalition — attended the conference.
Smotrich said that many of the children
who were evacuated from settlements in Gaza had returned as soldiers to fight
in a war with Hamas and that he stood against the government’s decision to
evacuate Jewish settlements from Gaza in the past.
“We knew what that would bring and we
tried to prevent it,” Smotrich said in a speech. “Without settlements there is
no security.”
The crowd roared with enthusiastic
chants to rebuild Jewish communities in Gaza.
Ben Gvir said he had protested the
evacuation of Jewish settlements from Gaza and warned it would bring “rockets
upon Sderot” and “rockets upon Ashkelon” in southern Israel.
“We yelled and we warned,” Ben Gvir
said. “If don’t want another October 7, we need to return home and control the
land.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449856/middle-east
----
Hezbollah’s new attacks hit Israeli
positions using precision-strike missiles
29 January 2024
Hezbollah resistance movement says it
has used precision-strike missiles in a series of new attacks against Israeli
targets across Lebanon's border with the occupied territories in support of
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Lebanese resistance movement made
the announcement in a statement on Sunday.
The movement identified some of the
targets as gathering sites of Israeli soldiers at the regime's barracks and
bases, saying the operations "resulted in direct hits."
Hezbollah said it targeted Al-Raheb site
with Burkan missiles, while striking the Khirbet Ma’er base using two Falaq 1
missiles.
The movement added that it also
successfully targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers east of the Birkat Risha
site with precision missiles, scoring direct hits.
Hezbollah also released a video on
Sunday capturing its precision operation that targeted Israel's espionage
equipment at the regime's Ras Naqoura naval site.
The strikes set off sirens as far as
illegal Israeli settlements of Sderot, Efim, and Niram near the occupied
territories' border with Gaza.
"The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon
remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the people and resistance of
Gaza amidst the brutal Zionist aggression, backed by an American green light
and [with] complicity of Western and numerous Arab regimes," the movement
said in its statement.
Hezbollah resistance fighters target and
destroy a surveillance system at an Israeli military outpost in the occupied
territories, as they strike military sites and settlements for over an hour.
The regime began its onslaught against
Gaza on October 7, 2023 following an anti-Israeli operation by the territory's
resistance movements, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.
At least 26,422 Palestinians, mostly
women and children, have been killed and over 65,000 others injured as a result
of the regime's brutal military onslaught that enjoys ample military and
political support of the United States.
After the onset of the war, the Israeli
regime began its attacks against Lebanon, which sparked a firefight with
Hezbollah.
Hezbollah's confrontation with Israel
grew remarkably in intensity following a spate of assassinations carried out by
the regime, including against Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior official of the
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, who was martyred in a targeted
assassination on January 2.
Also on Sunday, Hezbollah announced the
martyrdom of three of its members, whom it identified as Sadiq Mohammad Hashem,
Ali Jamal Shokr, and Hussein Hassan Halawi.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/29/719073/Lebanon-Israel-Hezbollah-surgical-strikes-Gaza-war
-----
UN urges reversal of funding pause for
UNRWA, warns aid for about 2mn Gazans at stake
28 January 2024
The United Nations has urged the
countries that have paused funding for the world body's Palestinian refugee
agency, UNRWA, to reverse their decision, warning that aid for some two million
people in the besieged Gaza Strip is at stake.
"...I strongly appeal to the
governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the
continuity of UNRWA's operations," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA's
commissioner general, urged those countries to "reconsider their decisions
before UNRWA is forced to suspend its humanitarian response."
At least nine countries, including the
United States and some of its allies, have paused their funding for the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, citing
allegations by the Israeli regime that some of its employees were involved in
the Palestinians' anti-regime operation on October 7, 2023, dubbed Operation
Al-Aqsa Storm.
The decision came amid the genocidal war
that the Israeli regime has been waging against Gaza since that operation was
staged. The regime's war of aggression has so far killed more than 26,400
Palestinians, mostly women and children, with over 65,000 others injured.
Since the onset of the war, most of
Gaza's 2.3 million people have become more reliant on the aid that UNRWA
provides, including about one million who have been displaced by the Israeli
bombardments.
The head of the Palestinian refugee
agency UNRWA says cutting the “lifeline” 2 million people in Gaza depend on is
a “collective punishment.”
Norwegian Refugee Council: Do not starve
children
"Donors, do not starve
children," said Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian
Refugee Council, while Michael Fakhri, a UN-appointed expert on the right to
food, warned that the funding cuts meant that famine was now "inevitable"
in Gaza.
"We used to say Israel was
launching a war of famine against us in parallel to its war of destruction.
Now, those countries who suspended the aid to UNRWA declared themselves
partners in this war and collective punishment," Yamen Hamad, who lives at
an UNRWA-run school in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, was quoted by
Reuters as saying.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry,
for his part, said he was surprised by the move to pause UNRWA funding, adding
that it would lead to more suffering for Palestinians.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has also
urged countries that have paused funding for UNRWA to reconsider their move.
On Sunday, Iran condemned Israel’s
allegations against UNRWA's employees as yet another "malicious" move
and part of the regime’s "inhumane" treatment of Palestinians.
The United States has announced halting
funding to UNRWA because of the Israeli allegations against the agency’s 12
employees.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser
Kan'ani said Israel has leveled the allegations to justify its restrictions on
humanitarian organizations active in the besieged Gaza and the occupied West
Bank.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special
rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, said the governments
cutting funds to UNRWA were most likely violating their obligations under the
UN Genocide Convention.
The Israeli regime has killed 165
Palestinians and injured 290 others in one day.
Albanese also highlighted the timing of
the defunding, which came a day after the International Court of Justice's
conclusion that Israel was plausibly committing genocide in Gaza.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/28/719070/Palestine-Israel-UNRWA-funding-cuts-war-Gaza
----
Israel has jailed over 6,000
Palestinians since October 7: Report
28 January 2024
The Israeli regime has jailed at least
6,330 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, when it launched a genocidal war
against the besieged Gaza Strip and intensified its aggressive raids across the
occupied West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Information
Center, the Sunday report was released jointly by the Palestinian Commission of
Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS).
Noting that the number of Palestinian
children detained during the said period stands at 400, the report added that
30 of the youngsters were being held in administrative detention.
Administrative detention is an inhumane
policy exercised by Israel, which allows the regime's authorities to
incarcerate Palestinians indefinitely without pressing formal charges or
putting them on trial.
"The number of administrative
detainees in Israeli prisons is the highest since the 1987 [Palestinian]
uprising [against the Israeli occupation], surging to 3,291 administrative
detainees by the end of last December," the PPS said.
The number of administrative detainees
has, accordingly, gone higher than the prisoners serving ordinary sentences or
awaiting trial, the society noted.
Tensions have been high across the West
Bank since Israel launched its genocidal war against Gaza following an
anti-Israeli operation by the territory's resistance movements, dubbed
Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.
According to the Palestinian Health
Ministry, as many as 373 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces
throughout the occupied territory since the onset of the aggression, with over
4,300 others injured.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 26,422
Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 65,000
others injured as a result of Israel's brutal military onslaught.
The PPS, meanwhile, said there are
currently 11 Palestinian women, out of 90 female prisoners held at the Damon
jail in the northern part of the occupied Palestinian territories, who have
been administratively detained with no indictment or trial.
It added that Israel has recently issued
a four-month administrative detention order against lawyer and human rights
activist Diyala Ayesh after she was kidnaped by the regime's forces at a
checkpoint in the north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The society added that over 50 other
women have forcibly disappeared after being kidnapped by Israeli forces from
Gaza recently.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/28/719071/Palestine-Israel-prisoners-war-Gaza-West-Bank
-----
ISIL claims responsibility for attack on
Istanbul church
Jan 29, 2024
TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (MNA) – The ISIL
terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack on a church in
Turkey's Istanbul on Sunday.
Assailants launched an armed attack on
an Italian church in Istanbul during a religious ceremony on Sunday, leaving
one person dead, Turkey's interior minister said.
The attack occurred at around 11:40 in
the Sariyer district of Istanbul and was carried out by two masked men, Ali
Yerlikaya said.
The minister said an individual
identified as C.T. -- who was among those attending Sunday's service -- had
died after the armed attack.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/211422/ISIL-claims-responsibility-for-attack-on-Istanbul-church
-----
Zionist enemy forces arrest 22
Palestinians from W Bank
[28/January/2024]
RAMALLAH January 28. 2024 (Saba) - A
Palestinian statistic reported on Sunday that the Zionist enemy has arrested
about 6,330 citizens since October 7 of last year.
According to the Palestine Today Agency,
the Prisoner’s Club said in a press statement that the occupation forces
arrested at least 22 citizens from the West Bank, from Saturday evening until
Sunday morning, including a woman from Qalqilya, a wounded child from Jenin,
and a father and his four children from Hebron city.
The statement indicated "The number
of arrests after October 7 in 2023 rose to about 6,330 and this toll includes
those who were arrested from homes, through military checkpoints, those who
were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, and those who were held
hostage."
It stressed that the ongoing and
escalating arrest campaigns in an unprecedented manner come within the
framework of the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people and
the ongoing genocide in Gaza, after October 7.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3300125.htm
----
Israel’s president says the UN world
court misrepresented his comments in its genocide ruling
January 29, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel’s president on Sunday
accused the UN world court of misrepresenting his words in a ruling that
ordered Israel to take steps to protect Palestinians and prevent a genocide in
the Gaza Strip.
The court’s ruling on Friday cited a
series of statements made by Israeli leaders as evidence of incitement and
dehumanizing language against Palestinians. They included comments by President
Isaac Herzog made just days after the Oct. 7 Hamas cross-border attack that
triggered Israel’s war against the Islamic militant group.
Hamas militants killed around 1,200
people in that attack and took about 250 others hostage. The Israeli offensive
has left more than 26,000 Palestinians dead, displaced more than 80 percent of
Gaza’s inhabitants and led to a humanitarian crisis in the territory.
Talking about Gaza’s Palestinians at an
Oct. 12 news conference, Herzog said that “an entire nation” was responsible
for the massacre, the report by the International Court of Justice noted.
But Herzog said that it ignored other
comments in the same news conference in which he said “there is no excuse” for
killing innocent civilians, and that Israel would respect international laws of
war.
“I was disgusted by the way they twisted
my words, using very, very partial and fragmented quotes, with the intention of
supporting an unfounded legal contention,” Herzog said Sunday.
In its ruling, the court stopped short
of ordering an end to the Israeli military offensive. But it ordered Israel to
do all it could to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza
and issued a series of orders to Israel that includes an end to incitement and
submitting a progress report to the court within one month.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449941/middle-east
-----
More killed as Israel bombs school
housing displaced civilians in Gaza
28 January 2024
A number of Palestinian civilians have
been killed and dozens more injured after Israeli artillery bombed a school
housing displaced people in the southern Gaza Strip.
Medical sources said that the incident
took place in the al-Amal neighborhood, west of the city of Khan Younis, on
Sunday, the Palestinian WAFA agency reported.
Several people were also injured after
the Israeli army targeted the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, north of the
strip.
More civilians were killed and wounded
in an Israeli bombing that targeted a residential apartment east of the
Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
More deaths and destruction in the Gaza
Strip as Israel bombs nearly two dozen locations 114 days into its onslaught on
the territory. The regime has killed 165 Palestinians and injured 290 others in
one day.
Doctors Without Borders says Gaza no
longer has a functioning healthcare system.
The Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip
has led to mass displacement of Palestinians in the coastal territory.
Under relentless bombing since October
7, residents of the strip were first pushed further south, which did not prove
safe.
They’re now moving to the small
southernmost city of Rafah, which the Israeli military told them would be safe.
Rafah is a small city on the border with
Egypt and is hosting around 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.
An analysis by The Guardian has revealed
that the recent ICJ ruling against the Israeli regime over the Gaza genocide
can implicate the US in war crimes.
The city is facing a severe shortage of
resources. And Israel is launching strikes on civilians in Rafah. The dire
situation is a testament to the United Nations reports that there is no haven
in Gaza for the displaced.
The death toll from the nearly
four-month genocide now stands at 26,422, most of them children and women.
Rejecting ICJ’s interim ruling, the
Israeli regime would continue its genocidal war on Palestinian civilians.
Meanwhile, a UN expert slams countries
that have paused funding for UNRWA, saying their decision overtly defies the
order by the International Court of Justice to allow humanitarian assistance to
reach Gaza.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special
rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, said the governments
cutting funds to UNRWA are most likely violating their obligations under the
Genocide Convention.
Albanese also highlighted the timing of the
defunding, which came a day after the International Court of Justice's
conclusion that Israel is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza.
Several Western countries, including the US
and UK, have suspended funding to UNRWA following Israeli allegations that some
of the agency’s staff were involved in Hamas’ October 7 operation.
Head of UN agency for Palestinian
refugees calls on states to reverse decision to impose 'additional collective
punishment' on Gaza.
The head of the Palestinian refugee
agency UNRWA says cutting the “lifeline” 2 million people in Gaza depend on is
a “collective punishment.”
Iran has also condemned Israel’s
allegations against several employees of the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA
as yet another “malicious” move and part of the regime’s “inhumane” treatment
of the Palestinians.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser
Kan'ani said on Sunday that Israel has leveled the allegations to justify its
restrictions on humanitarian organizations active in the besieged Gaza Strip
and the occupied West Bank.
He said the accusations also seek to
make Israel get away with the unprecedented and heinous crime of killing at
least 150 members of international institutions, such as UNRWA, since early
October.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/28/719067/Palestine-Gaza--al-Amal-neighborhood-UN-Israel-
----
At least 350 Palestinians killed in
Israeli attacks on Gaza in 48 hours
29 January 2024
At least 350 Palestinians have been
killed over the past 48 hours in Israeli Gaza attacks as there is no let-up in
relentless Israeli atrocities inflicted on the besieged territory.
Citing medical sources, the Palestinian
WAFA news agency reported on Sunday that at least 24 of the killings were
caused by the Israeli shelling of the city of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society
(PCRS) also said that three of the Khan Yunis martyrs were buried inside the
courtyard of the al-Amal hospital due to the ongoing Israeli blockade on the
facility.
Israel waged the genocidal war on
besieged Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement
carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation
for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed
at least 26,422 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 65,087
others.
The Israeli military has committed war
crimes in Gaza by targeting medical facilities, personnel, and transport and
destroying the healthcare system in the Palestinian territory.
Only 4 health centers operational in
Gaza, warns UNRWA
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees
(UNRWA) announced that only four out of 22 of its health centers in the Gaza
Strip are operational due to Israeli bombardment and access restrictions.
Last week, UNRWA had six operational
health centers in Gaza.
Before the start of the Israeli war,
UNRWA provided basic services, from medical care to education to Gaza’s nearly
2.2 million residents.
The agency is now supplying aid to
desperate people in Gaza and using its facilities to shelter those fleeing
Israeli raids.
Israel has recently claimed that 12 of
UNRWA staff members participated in Hamas’ October 7 operation.
In a statement, Hamas said the occupying
regime is trying to undermine UNRWA and other organizations providing
humanitarian relief in Gaza.
Following Israeli accusations against
UNRWA, several countries, including the US and the UK, suspended funding for
the agency, in a move condemned by Palestinian officials.
The head of the Palestinian refugee
agency UNRWA says cutting the “lifeline” 2 million people in Gaza depend on is
a “collective punishment.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
said the loss of funding meant the UN could not guarantee aid to Gaza for
February.
He also pleaded for donor states to
continue supporting the UN agency, adding, “The dire needs of the desperate
populations they serve must be met.”
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA's commissioner
general, said, he is “shocked” by the decision made by certain Western
countries to pause funding to the aid agency based on allegations leveled by
Israel.
“Our humanitarian operation, on which 2
million people depend as a lifeline in Gaza, is collapsing. I am shocked such
decisions are taken based on the alleged behavior of a few individuals and as
the war continues, needs are deepening and famine looms. “
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/29/719082/Israel-Gaza-attacks-Palestinians-killed
------
Africa
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger withdraw
from ECOWAS, accusing Bloc of 'Inhumane' Sanctions
28-01- 2024
The military juntas in West African
nations Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger jointly announced their immediate
withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States on Sunday.
The juntas accused the regional economic
bloc of imposing inhumane sanctions aimed at reversing recent coups in their
respective countries.
The joint statement, broadcast on state
television in all three nations, asserted that the decision to withdraw was
made in complete sovereignty, alleging that ECOWAS had deviated from the ideals
of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism after nearly 50 years of existence.
The juntas contended that ECOWAS,
influenced by foreign powers, had become a threat to its member states and
their populations.
ECOWAS, established in 1975 to promote
economic integration in member states, is considered West Africa's top
political and regional authority.
The bloc has faced challenges in recent
years as it strives to address coup incidents in the region and ensure the
equitable distribution of natural resources.
The juntas did not provide details on
how the withdrawal process would unfold, and neither has ECOWAS for the time
being.
The regional bloc, which recognizes only
democratic governments, has faced previous challenges to its authority, with
its regional court ruling last year that juntas lack the power to act on behalf
of their nations in place of elected governments.
This announcement follows a series of
events that heightened political tensions in West Africa, including a coup in
Niger last year. The three nations, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have
recently formed a security alliance and severed military ties with France and
other European nations, turning to Russia for support.
The joint statement criticized ECOWAS
for failing to assist the countries in addressing "existential"
threats like terrorism, a common reason cited by their militaries for the
coups. The juntas argued that ECOWAS sanctions, instead of improving their
situations, have further weakened populations already affected by years of
violence. The development adds a new layer of complexity to the evolving
political landscape in West Africa.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/28/mali-burkina-faso-and-niger-withdraw-from-ecowas-accusing-bloc-of-inhumane-sanctions/
----
Uganda disowns its dissenting judge in
court ruling on Israel genocide claim
28 January 2024
Uganda has distanced itself from an
opinion written by a Ugandan judge on the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
dissenting from the panel’s ruling in South Africa’s genocide case against
Israel and said the remarks do not reflect Uganda’s position.
Julia Sebutinde was the only judge on
the 17-member ICJ panel to vote against all six measures adopted by the court
in a ruling ordering Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide as it
fights Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
She was also one of only two judges to
oppose the court’s assertion that some Israeli actions in the war against Hamas
may violate the Genocide Convention. The other was Israeli Justice Aharon
Barak.
“The position taken by Judge Sebutinde
is her own individual and independent opinion and does not in any way reflect
the position of the government of the Republic of Uganda,” the government said
in a statement issued late on Saturday.
It added that the East African country
supported the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on the conflict that was
adopted at its summit in the Ugandan capital this month.
That NAM position, contained in a
document issued at the end of the summit, condemned Israel’s military campaign
and killing of civilians and also called for an immediate ceasefire and
unimpeded humanitarian access.
The movement was formed officially in
1961 by countries opposed to joining either of the two major Cold War-era
military and political blocs. Many of the countries were newly independent of
their colonial rulers.
The war erupted when Palestinian terror
group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 in an assault that killed 1,200
people, mostly civilians. Hamas-led terrorists who burst into southern Israel
from the Gaza Strip rampaged through the area, slaughtering those they found,
gang-raping women, and torturing victims. They also abducted 253 people who
were taken as hostages to Gaza, where more than half remain captive.
Israel responded to the attack with a
military campaign to destroy Hamas, remove it from power in Gaza, and release
the hostages.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza,
which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, says the war has
killed at least 26,000 Palestinians. The figures are unverified and are
believed to include close to 10,000 Hamas operatives Israel said it has killed
during fighting in the Strip. Over 200 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the
Gaza fighting.
The ICJ decision, made 15-2 on Friday,
said there was “plausibility” to South Africa’s claims that Palestinians
require protection from genocide. It said numerous and highly inflammatory
comments made by some senior Israeli officials, which could be interpreted as
an endorsement of deliberately harming civilians, gave plausibility to South
Africa’s allegations that Israel has genocidal intent against Palestinians in
Gaza in the current conflict.
However, the court did not take the
action most desired by South Africa and feared by Israel — that of ordering an
immediate, unilateral ceasefire, which would have stymied the war effort and
indicated that the court believes genocide is actively taking place.
Judge Sebutinde, in her dissent, argued
that “South Africa has not demonstrated, even on a prima facie basis, that the
acts allegedly committed by Israel and of which the Applicant complains, were
committed with the necessary genocidal intent, and that as a result, they are
capable of falling within the scope of the Genocide Convention.”
She added that “the Applicant has not
demonstrated that the rights it asserts and for which it seeks protection
through the indication of provisional measures are plausible under the Genocide
Convention.”
Sebutinde said the failure of states to
reach a political solution to conflicts “may sometimes lead them to resort to a
pretextual invocation of treaties like the Genocide Convention, in a desperate
bid to force a case into the context of such a treaty, in order to foster its
judicial settlement… In my view, the present case falls in this category.”
She said a careful review of Israel’s
war policy “demonstrates the absence of a genocidal intent,” though she
stressed that Israel is bound by international law in its conduct of the war.
“Unfortunately, the scale of suffering
and death experienced in Gaza is exacerbated not by genocidal intent, but
rather by several factors, including the tactics of the Hamas organization
itself which often entails its forces embedding amongst the civilian population
and installations, rendering them vulnerable to legitimate military attack,”
she said.
As for the statements of Israeli
officials who used inflammatory language, or made comments seen as minimizing
the need to protect civilians, Sebutinde argued that taken in context, “the
vast majority of the statements referred to the destruction of Hamas and not
the Palestinian people as such;” that “certain renegade statements by officials
who are not charged with prosecuting Israel’s military operations were
subsequently highly criticized by the Israeli government itself; and that “more
importantly, the official war policy of the Israeli government, as presented to
the court, contains no indicators of a genocidal intent.”
In his separate opinion, Barak
criticized South Africa for focusing on Israel instead of Hamas for carrying
out the October 7 terror onslaught that sparked the war in Gaza, saying it
“wrongly sought to impute the crime of Cain to Abel.”
Source: timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/uganda-disowns-its-dissenting-judge-in-court-ruling-on-israel-genocide-claim/
----
Assailants kill Islamic leader, remove
private parts in Kaduna
SaxoneAkhaine, Kaduna
29 January 2024
There was pandemonium in Awai community
in Soba Local Council of Kaduna State, following discovery of the lifeless body
of Malam Salisu Mai Almajirai by a road side, with his genitals removed.
The Guardian learnt that the incident
occurred over the weekend, about 24 hours to the victim’s wedding. Speaking to
newsmen on the incident, yesterday, a leader in the area, Sarkin Awai, Rufa’i
Waziri, said the entire community was thrown into confusion over the killing of
“an innocent man with integrity”.
Waziri said when “they wanted to take
him away for the burial, during preparations, they discovered that his penis
had been removed. This kind of brutal killing is disturbing”.
The wife of the deceased, Malama
Zulaihat, said her husband left home in the morning, on Wednesday. He headed to
his former house to exchange pleasantries with the people. But a few hours
later, one of his pupils came and informed her that he had gone to his tailor
in Zaria to collect the new clothes he wanted to use for the wedding.
Zulaihat, who was in tears, said when
Malam Salisu did not return in the evening, she sent for his new bride. When
she came, she informed her of the situation, and requested to use her phone to
call him.
According to Zulaihat, “when we called,
he answered that the tailor didn’t finish on time. But he was at Wanka, about
to board a motorcycle, on his way home. After that, we called the number
several times but it was no longer available. We decided to call it a day. I
saw the bride off, came back, and locked the house because night had fallen.
Early in the morning, my son went out and returned in a hurry, telling me that
his father had been murdered.”
Reacting, a neighbour, Ali Hadimi,
described the deceased as “a complete gentleman, who hated trouble, loved peace
and unity”. Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police
Command, ASP Mansur Hassan, said that the police had begun investigations in an
effort to apprehend the culprits.
Source: guardian.ng
Please click the following URL to read
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https://guardian.ng/news/assailants-kill-islamic-leader-remove-private-parts-in-kaduna/
-----
South Africa pays homage to slain
journalists in Gaza
29 January 2024
South African-based journalists and
pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Johannesburg on Sunday to pay tribute
to journalists who lost their lives in the conflict in Gaza.
According to the Committee to Protect
Journalists, at least 83 journalists and media workers have lost their lives
since the conflict began. This includes 76 Palestinian journalists, four
Israeli journalists, and three Lebanese journalists.
During the vigil, attendees, including
journalists, discussed the challenges faced by reporters, touching upon the
concept of objectivity. Deshnee Subramany, the organizer of the vigil,
emphasized the impact of the ongoing conflict on journalists' ability to
maintain objectivity. She stated, "(Objectivity) is even on journalists'
minds, especially as this genocide is happening, and we're not really sure
where to go and how to say things. So it was a very poignant conversation, and
I'm really glad we had it."
In the Gaza Strip, under Hamas rule, the
Health Ministry reported 26,083 deaths and over 64,400 injuries since October
7. This period marks the launch of a surprise attack by militants from Gaza in
southern Israel, resulting in around 1,200 casualties and approximately 250
hostages.
South Africa has accused Israel of
genocide and has approached the International Court of Justice in The Hague,
Netherlands, seeking interim measures while the case proceeds. These measures
include halting Israel's offensive, providing Gaza residents access to aid, and
ensuring "reasonable measures" are taken to prevent genocide. The
vigil in Johannesburg reflects solidarity with the victims and raises awareness
of the challenges faced by journalists reporting on the conflict.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/29/south-africa-pays-homage-to-slain-journalists-in-gaza/
----
Family raises alarm over 13 children
abducted by bandits in Kaduna 23 days ago
Jerry Wright-Ukwu
January 29, 2024
The family of the thirteen children
abducted by suspected bandits in the Katari area of Kaduna on January 6, 2024,
hhaveraised an alarm over the welfare of the kids.
The children have so far spent 23 days
in captivity with the terrorists.
The bandits reportedly killed a
53-year-old baker, Mr Tijani Amedu, and abducted his 13 relatives, who are
mainly children and were travelling alongside him, in the Katari area of the
state.
The incident happened while the victims
were returning to Kaduna after visiting Warri, Delta State.
The Edo State-born businessman’s
brother, Rasaq, in a chat with Punch, when asked about the children, told our
correspondent, “They are still with the kidnappers.”
When asked what the police had done
concerning the matter, he said, “Nothing please.”
While narrating how the incident
happened over a week ago, Rasaq said, “They came to visit for the Christmas and
New Year holidays. But they got attacked by bandits when they were going back
to Kaduna, using two buses. I was told the bandits started shooting on seeing
them. The first bus drove through them but the second bus stopped. My elder
brother and the 13 kids were on the second bus. The bandits took all of them.”
He said the family members later got to
know when the children started communicating from their captivity. The
kidnappers, according to the family, are asking for N50 milliion after
negotiating from N200 million.
“My elder brother’s head was hit and he
fell (leading to his death),” Rasaq said, according to the information given to
him by the children, adding, “They started (the ransom) negotiation from N200
million, but now, we’re at N50 million.”
Source: politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/family-raises-alarm-over-13-children-abducted-by-bandits-in-kaduna-23-days-ago/
-----
KSrelief launches 24 humanitarian aid
projects in Somalia
January 28, 2024
MOGADISHU: Saudi aid agency KSrelief on
Sunday launched 24 humanitarian aid projects in Somalia totaling over SR171.8
million ($45.8 million).
“I’m really happy and glad to be here in
Mogadishu … and launching very important projects … in areas which are very
important for the people of Somalia,” Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor
general of KSrelief, told Arab News.
Accompanied by his delegation, he
traveled to Somalia on Sunday for the ceremony inaugurating the projects, which
span multiple sectors including healthcare, food security, water and
environmental sanitation, shelter security, volunteer programs and education.
It is estimated that the projects will benefit almost 5.8 million people across
the country.
On the Somali side, attendees of the
ceremony included Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Health Minister Ali Haji
Aden and Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulqadir.
Saudi Ambassador Ahmed bin Mohammed
Al-Mawlid and George Conway, UN deputy special representative for Somalia, also
attended.
Barre thanked KSrelief during his
speech, calling it a role model in health, food security and aid.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor
general of KSrelief, during the trip to Mogadishu. (AN Photo/Abdulrahman bin
Shalhoub)
Somalia is doing all it can “to achieve
sustainable development in order to cope with climate change and have a
balanced economy,” he said.
During the ceremony, each of the
humanitarian aid projects was highlighted, including how they will help
beneficiaries.
A focus of the healthcare project is
women’s health and efforts to reduce mortality rates in pregnant women.
KSrelief also aims to reduce child
deaths due to pneumonia, and to treat respiratory infections by providing fresh
oxygen and other crucial medical supplies needed in Somalia.
In partnership with the International
Society for the Care of Victims of War Disasters, KSrelief is set to prepare
and operate the Saudi Dialysis Center in Mogadishu to provide free and
accessible treatments.
Within education, KSrelief announced
that it is set to build and repair primary and secondary classrooms, and
provide technical job training and vocational skills.
In Somaliland and the Banadir region,
KSrelief has an educational project to distribute 30,000 bags filled with
school supplies.
Within education, KSrelief announced
that it is set to build and repair primary and secondary classrooms, and
provide technical job training and vocational skills. (AN Photo/Abdulrahman bin
Shalhoub)
The food security project sets out to
support families affected by drought and natural disasters by providing them
with food baskets in different regions of Somalia.
In the water security and sanitation
sector, KSrelief aims to build new artisan wells, making clean water accessible
across multiple areas where it is crucially needed.
“These are very important projects
touching the people in Somalia,” said Al-Rabeeah, who met with Barre after the
ceremony. They reviewed areas of joint cooperation in humanitarian and relief
affairs.
Al-Rabeeah told Arab News that Barre was
“very appreciative” of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “for
the generous gestures when it comes to humanitarian projects.”
The people of Somalia “depend highly on
aid from Saudi Arabia” and want to improve bilateral relations, Al-Rabeeah
said.
“They look at Saudi Arabia as a country
which is actually a reference to the Arab world and the Islamic world, and also
a very global actor and influencer.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449611/saudi-arabia
-----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-school-god-embrace-buddhism/d/131610