‘Shift Madarsa Students To Govt Schools’: Allahabad HC Scraps UP Madrasa Law
New Age Islam
News Bureau
23 March 2024
There are 16,500 recognised
madrassas in the state. (HT Photo)
-----
·
‘Shift
Madarsa Students To Govt Schools’: Allahabad HC Scraps UP Madrasa Law
·
Attack At
Moscow-Area Concert Venue Left At Least 60 Dead, injuring 145; ISIS Claims Responsibility
·
Afghan
Taliban Harbouring al-Qaeda and TTP, Extremist Groups, Says CENTCOM Chief
·
Pakistan
Army’s Reckless Behaviour Turns ‘Good Taliban’ Into ‘Bad Taliban’: Report
·
Saudi
Scientific Panel Defines Gender Dysphoria As A Mental Illness, Says It Is Not A
Hormonal Or Organic Defect
---
India
·
ASI
Begins Survey Of Bhojshala Kamal Maula Mosque Premises In MP; For Hindus It Is
A Temple Dedicated To The Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati)
·
Aligarh
Muslim University Students Protest, Demand Quashing Of FIR Over ‘Holi Brawl’
·
Muslim Side
Petitioner Protests ASI Survey Of Disputed Bhojshala Complex
·
India
stands in solidarity with Russia: PM Narendra Modi on Moscow terror attack
-----
Europe
·
Recognition
Of Palestine State Would Be Used As Leverage To Initiate Peace Negotiations: EU
Council President
·
Spain,
Ireland, Malta, Slovenia Agree To Work Towards Palestinian State Recognition
·
Moscow
Accuses Washington Of ‘Typical Hypocritical Spectacle’ As Russia, China Veto US
Bid On Gaza ‘Ceasefire’
·
France's
Macron hails US changing its position on Gaza conflict
·
Italy’s
University of Turin to exit Israel research pact amid Gaza protests
·
Russia
Adds “International LGBT Movement” To Terrorists And Extremist Blacklist
----
Pakistan
·
Imran’s
Arrest: IHC Seeks Response From Adiala Jail Superintendent On Legality Of
Online Prisoner Meetings
·
On
Pakistan Day, President Zardari urges people to reaffirm commitment to
democracy, justice
·
Pakistan Urges
Afghanistan To Tackle Terrorism As ‘Shared Concern’ After Kandahar Attack
·
Pakistan
condemns attack on Moscow concert hall
------
South
Asia
·
Supporting
Islamic System Helps Eliminate Conflicts Among Tribes, Mawlavi Kabir
·
Over
520,000 Afghan migrants expelled from Pakistan: IOM
·
Kandahar
attack triggers national and international reactions
·
Finland
remains the world’s happiest for 7th year, Afghanistan ranks last
·
World
Reacts to Suicide Attack in Kandahar
·
IEA
condemns ‘terrorist’ attack at Moscow concert hall
-------
Arab
World
·
Yemeni
Houthi group reports additional US-UK raids against Sanaa
·
Saudi
Arabia leads condemnation of deadly terrorist attack on Moscow concert hall
·
Kuwait
prime minister performs Umrah rituals in Makkah during official Saudi visit
·
UN chief
welcomes Saudi Arabia’s $40m contribution to UNRWA
·
Saudi aid
agency highlights Kingdom’s efforts to alleviate suffering in Gaza
·
Civil
Defense Bolsters Safety Measures for Pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah during
Ramadan
------
Mideast
·
Turkey's
Erdogan Threatens To 'Send Netanyahu To Allah,' Israel Summons Envoy
·
Israeli
Forces Detain Hundreds Of Hamas And Islamic Jihad Fighters In Al Shifa Hospital
·
UN
Security Council vote on new Gaza ceasefire text postponed to Monday: diplomats
·
Ramadan
prayer at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa under the shadow of Gaza war
·
Hezbollah
retaliates against Israeli atrocities in Gaza with drone, artillery strikes
·
Hamas:
Al-Aqsa restrictions continuation of Israeli aggression
·
Israel
seizes about 2000 acres of Palestinian land in occupied West Bank
·
Israeli
forces brutally target civilians in Gaza City, burning homes
·
IDF
probes leaked footage showing strikes on apparently unarmed men near Khan
Younis
·
120,000
Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa as 2nd Friday Ramadan prayers pass peacefully
-----
Africa
·
Chad Refugee
Camps Running Out Of Funds As Sudan Crisis Worsens
·
DR
Congo’s Conflict-Driven Hunger Crisis Worsens As Violence In East Surges
·
Defence
Headquarters declares Simon Ekpa, 96 others wanted for terrorism
·
Tunisians
struggle to keep Ramadan spirit as economic crisis persists
·
Anxiety
as Saudi refuses to issue Umrah visas to Nigerian Muslims as Ramadan enters day
12
----
Southeast
Asia
·
Cabinet
Agrees To Seven Out Of Eight Proposed Constitutional Amendments On Citizenship
·
Perlis
Islamic Council Channels Over RM5.9m In ‘Fitrah’ Aid For 2024
·
Malaysia
strongly condemns terrorist attack at concert hall in Moscow
·
Former
minister Rafidah hits out at Umno Youth chief in handling of ‘Allah’ socks
issue
·
Dozens of
Rohingya feared dead or missing at sea as Indonesia ends search
·
Melaka
KDN seizes unauthorised Quran-related products in Ops Mulia
-----
North
America
·
US Has
Intelligence Confirming Islamic State Responsibility For Russia Attack,
Official Says
·
Joe Biden
To Host Iraqi PM With Talks Underway On Winding Down Coalition Against The
Islamic State
·
US
warplanes strike Houthi storage facilities in Yemen after missile and drone
attack
·
Develop
'coherent' Gaza plan or risk security peril, Blinken reportedly warns Netanyahu
·
Nearly
600 relatives of 81 hostages ask Biden to press PM for deal to free them
·
US set to
place one-year ban on UNRWA funds, while leaving door open to future
·
Netanyahu
brushes aside Blinken's plea on planned Rafah invasion
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/madrasa-schools-allahabad-hc-up-law/d/131987
-----
‘Shift Madarsa Students To Govt Schools’: Allahabad HC
Scraps UP Madrasa Law
There are 16,500 recognised
madrassas in the state. (HT Photo)
-----
Mar 23, 2024
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on
Friday declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004,
“unconstitutional” and violative of secularism, directing the state government
to accommodate students studying in madrasas in regular schools, in what is a
significant order potentially affecting the lives of tens of thousands of
students in India’s most-populous state.
A division bench of justices Vivek Chaudhary and
Subhash Vidyarthi passed the order on a petition filed by Anshuman Singh
Rathore, a practising lawyer, challenging the constitutional validity of the
act.
“The State has no power to create a board for
religious education or to establish a board for school education only for a
particular religion and philosophy associated with it,” asserted the court.
Any such action on part of the state government
violated the principles of secularism, which is in the letter and spirit of the
Constitution of India, added the court.
“It [the State] cannot discriminate and provide
different types of education to children belonging to different religions. Any
such action on part of the state would be violative of secularism, which is
part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India,” said the bench in
the 86-page order.
“We hold that the Madarsa Act, 2004, is violative of
the principle of secularism, which is a part of the basic structure of the
Constitution of India,” added the court.
The order will affect the lives of roughly 200,000
students currently enrolled in 16,500 recognised and 8,500 unrecognised madrassas
or Islamic seminaries across UP, according to the state madrasa board. Muslims
form 19.26% of Uttar Pradesh’s 190 million population.
“The budget of aided madrasas is ₹900 crore. Where will these students
go... to which schools would they be transferred? If this order is implemented,
I am also worried about the fate of 10,000 teachers and their families,” said
Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Board.
The legal team of the madrasa education board was in a
huddle after the high court’s order.
“We are studying the judgment. Our legal team headed
by advocate Afzal Siddiqui is vetting all the legal options to appeal in the
Supreme Court. However, if relief is not given, then a problem will arise
before madrasa teachers, staff, students and their family members,” said Javed.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member
Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali agreed. “Madrasas feed students and impart
education to the poorest of the poor in the society. There would be a problem
if madrasas are closed... a lot of people would be left unemployed,” he said.
“We are studying every aspect of the judgement. Once
it is done, we will challenge it in the Supreme Court,” he added.
The minister of state for minorities affairs, Danish
Azad, said, “The Yogi government in the state works for the welfare of
minorities , we are studying the judgment and will respond after going through
judgement carefully after analyzing all the minute aspects before reacting to
it.”
The Samajwadi Party, which brought the act in 2004,
said that the government did not represent the facts of the case which led to
the court declaring it “unconstitutional”.
In its 86-page order, the court said that any policy
of the state government that divides society on religious lines violates the
constitutional principles.
“Aims and objectives of the act are silent as to how
and why the requirement arose to have a separate education board for a
particular religion while there are secular primary education board and board
for high school and intermediate education in the state providing education to
one and all without making any differential between children of different
religions,” said the court in its order.
The court pointed out that modern subjects were either
absent or optional in a madrasa and a student could opt only one of the
optional subjects. “Scheme and purpose of Madarsa Act is only for promoting and
providing education of Islam, its prescriptions, instructions and philosophy
and to spread the same,” said the court.
This was contrary to the duty of the state government
that has to provide education that is secular in nature, asserted the court.
“Such an action on the part of the state is not only unconstitutional, but also
highly divisive of society on religious lines,” added the court.
The court pointed out that the state government had
sufficient power to frame laws related with education to be provided at school
level, both primary and intermediate. However, such education had to be secular
in nature.
“Under the provisions of Madarsa act for being
recognised by the madrasa board it is compulsory for an institution to be set
up as a Muslim minority institution and it is also compulsory for a student of
madrasa to study in every class, Islam as a religion, including all its
prescriptions, instructions and philosophies, to get promoted to the next
class,” added the court.
The court said that the Madarsa Board was not an
educational institution established and administered by any minority, but
instead was an institution established by the state government for providing an
education system. It prescribed courses, recognises degrees and certificates.
“We also find that since the very purpose of the
Madarsa Act is found to be violative of secularism, it is not possible to
segregate and save any portion of the act, which would be of any relevance,”
said the court.
The court found that the Madrasa Board was performing
the role assigned to the University Grants Commission by handing out degrees,
framing courses and suggesting textbooks.
The court said the Madarsa Board provided education
related to languages and Islam as a religion, and that modern subjects,
including science, were only optional. “The entire school education can be
completed without studying modern subjects,” pointed out the court.
The court asserted that the state government could not
teach a particular religion in the name of traditional education. While
fulfilling its duties of providing free and compulsory education from classes 1
to 6, the state government was bound to provide universal education, the bench
said?.
“Teaching merely one religion and a few languages
without any study of modern subjects cannot be called quality education,”
pointed out the court.
Therefore, the education being imparted in madrasas is
neither “quality” nor “universal” in nature, asserted the court.
“Education being provided by the Madrasa Board was in
violation of standards prescribed by the Supreme Court while interpreting
constitutional provisions. Therefore, this court has no hesitation in holding
that the education being provided under the Madarsa Act is violative of Article
21 and 21A of the Constitution of India,” the court held.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashutosh Varma said, “We
demand that the government study the decision and appeal in Supreme Court for
the rights of minority education in the state.”
Source:
hindustantimes.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hc-scraps-up-madrasa-law-shift-students-to-govt-schools-101711132861895.html
-----
Attack At Moscow-Area Concert Venue Left At Least 60
Dead, injuring 145; ISIS Claims Responsibility
Russian law enforcement
officers stand guard near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following
a shooting incident outside Moscow [Maxim Shemetov/Reuters]
-----
March 23, 2024
Mariya Knight, Anna Chernova and Darya Tarasova
(CNN) — ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack
at a popular concert hall complex near Moscow Friday after assailants stormed
the venue with guns and incendiary devices, killing at least 60 people and
injuring 145.
The terror group took responsibility for the attack in
a short statement published by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on
Friday. It did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Video footage from the Crocus City Hall shows the vast
complex, which is home to both the music hall and a shopping center, on fire
with smoke billowing into the air. State-run RIA Novosti reported the armed
individuals “opened fire with automatic weapons” and “threw a grenade or an
incendiary bomb, which started a fire.” They then “allegedly fled in a white
Renault car,” the news agency said.
State media Russia 24 reported the roof of the venue
has partially collapsed.
The fire had been brought largely under control more
than six hours later. “There are still some pockets of fire, but the fire has
been mostly eliminated,” Moscow governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Telegram.
The deadliest terror attack on Moscow in decades,
Friday’s assault came less than a week after President Vladimir Putin won a
stage-managed election by an overwhelming majority to secure another term in
office, tightening his grip on the country he has ruled since the turn of the
century.
With attention focused on the country’s war with
neighboring Ukraine, Putin had trumpeted a message of national security before
Russians went to the polls.
The carnage broke out before a concert by the band
Picnic, according to Russia 24.
“Unidentified people in camouflage broke into Crocus
City Hall and started shooting before the start of the concert,” the Prosecutor
General’s Office said, cited by TASS.
Video footage showed panic as the attack unfolded,
with crowds of people huddling together, screaming and ducking behind cushioned
seats as gunshots started echoing in the vast hall. One group sheltering next
to a large wall of windows outside the concert venue were forced to break them
to escape the gunfire, video obtained by CNN shows.
Footage geolocated by CNN shows an armed individual
starting at least one fire inside the venue. The individual is seen carrying
something in their hand and, as they walk off-screen, a bright flash of light
from a large flame is seen in the video.
A SWAT team was called to the area and more than 70
ambulance teams and doctors assisted victims.
One hundred and forty-five people have been
hospitalized, TASS reported. Sixty people are in a “serious condition.”
According to the Kremlin, Putin was informed about the
attack and is being kept updated on measures on the ground.
The president on Saturday wished those injured in the
attack a speedy recovery, the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency said. He also
“conveyed his gratitude to the doctors,” RIA added.
Around 100 people were evacuated from the building by
firefighters, TASS reported.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the attack a
“terrible tragedy.”
“My condolences to the loved ones of the victims. I
gave orders to provide all necessary assistance to everyone who suffered during
the incident,” Sobyanin said in a statement.
Sobyanin said on Telegram that he was canceling all
sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend.
Picnic’s manager told state media that the performers
were unharmed.
Shaman, the band’s singer, said he would pay for the
funerals of the victims and treatment for those injured.
“We are all one big family. And in a family there is
no such thing as somebody else’s grief,” the singer, known for his
nationalistic views, said in a video posted on the Russian social media network
Vkontakte to his more than 600,000 followers.
“My people, any troubles and misfortunes have always
united our country. They have made Russia tougher and stronger. It will not be
possible to frighten and break us this time either.”
US had warned of potential attack
Earlier this month, the US embassy in Russia said it
was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large
gatherings in Moscow,” including concerts. The embassy warned US citizens to
avoid large gatherings. On Friday, following reports of the Crocus City Hall
attack, it advised US citizens not to travel to Russia.
Starting in November, there has been a steady stream
of intelligence that ISIS-K was determined to attack in Russia, according to
two sources familiar with the information.
ISIS-K stands for ISIS-Khorasan, the terror
organization’s affiliate that is active in Afghanistan and the surrounding
region.
US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne
Watson said the US government had had information about a planned terrorist
attack in Moscow – potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts
– and that this is what prompted the State Department to issue the public
advisory.
“The US government also shared this information with
Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy,”
Watson said.
In a speech Tuesday, Putin had blasted the American
warnings as “provocative,” saying “these actions resemble outright blackmail
and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”
In March alone, Russian authorities had thwarted
several ISIS-related incidents, according to RIA. On March 3, RIA reported that
six ISIS members were killed in a counter-terrorist operation in the Ingush
Karabulak; on March 7, it said security services had uncovered and
“neutralized” a cell of the banned organization Vilayat Khorasan in the Kaluga
region, whose members were planning an attack on a synagogue in Moscow; and on
March 20, it said the commander of an ISIS combat group had been detained.
A US official said Friday that Washington had no
reason to doubt ISIS’ claim that it was responsible for the latest attack.
International response
Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a war with Russia
for more than two years, denied any involvement in the attack.
“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist
methods,” Ukrainian presidential adviser MykhailoPodolyak wrote, in part, in a
post on X. He said he believed Russia would use the attack to justify the
ongoing conflict and scale up operations as part of “military propaganda” in
Ukraine.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late
Friday condemned “in the strongest possible terms today’s terrorist attack”
according to a statement released by his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq.
“The secretary-general conveys his deep condolences to
the bereaved families and the people and the government of the Russian
Federation. He wishes those injured a speedy recovery,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, the UN Security Council
called the attack “heinous and cowardly.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping offered his condolences to
Putin on Saturday “over the serious terrorist attack that caused heavy
casualties,” according to a report from Chinese state media.
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the
attack. “France expresses its solidarity with the victims, their loved ones and
all the Russian people,” the Elysee Palace said, AFP and Reuters reported.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman both also denounced the attack.
Source:
edition.cnn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/22/europe/crocus-moscow-shooting/index.html
------
Afghan Taliban Harbouring al-Qaeda and TTP, Extremist
Groups, Says CENTCOM Chief
Commander of US Central
Command (CENTCOM), General Michael E Kurilla. PHOTO: FILE
-------
March 22, 2024
Kamran Yousaf
ISLAMABAD:A top US General on Saturday said the Afghan
Taliban were harbouring the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other
violent extremist organisations days after Pakistan conducted rare cross border
strikes inside Afghanistan.
"In a classified session I can give you great
detail but I would tell you that we do see the Taliban as harbouring al-Qaeda,
they're also harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other violent
extremist organisations," General Michael Kurilla, the CENTCOM Chief told
the US Senate Arms Services Committee.
"The only one that they are actively fighting is
ISIS Khorasan," the US General added.
The CENTCOM chief informed the committee that he spoke
to Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir on Friday and discussed the renewed
terror threat.
"Congressman so I literally talked to the chief
of the army staff from Pakistan this morning in a regular scheduled call. They
have tremendous insight into the violent extremist organisations inside of
Afghanistan and I think there is tremendous opportunity to be able to partner
with Pakistan on that," he said.
His testimony endorsed Pakistan's stance that the
Afghan Taliban were patronising the TTP and using them as proxy.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned the
terrorist attack that took place in Kandahar on 21 March, saying terrorism is a
common threat and requires collective efforts.
"The government and the people of Pakistan extend
their sincere condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the early
recovery of the injured," a statement issued by the foreign office said.
"Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Terrorism is a shared concern
that both countries need to address through collective efforts," the
statement added.
The statement from the foreign office came despite
simmering tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the banned
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan conducted cross border attacks targeting the
hideouts of Hafiz Gul Bahadur group inside Afghanistan on March 18.
The strikes were in retaliation to the March 16
terrorist attack in Mir Ali, North Waziristan that left seven soldiers
including two officers martyred.
Islamabad said it doesn't want armed conflict with
Afghanistan but would respond if cross border terrorist attacks do not stop.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in a recent interview
even hinted at the possibility of blocking Afghan exports to India via
Pakistan's land route.
Tensions have been on the rise for months as the
Afghan Taliban are not ready to rein in the TTP and other terrorist outfits.
Pakistan has refused to hold talks with the TTP and
has been pressing upon the Taliban to tackle the terrorist outfit.
Source:
tribune.com.pk
Please
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2460181/afghan-taliban-harbouring-ttp-extremist-groups-says-centcom-chief
----
Pakistan Army’s Reckless Behaviour Turns ‘Good
Taliban’ Into ‘Bad Taliban’: Report
Photo: Khaama Press
-----
Fidel Rahmati
March 22, 2024
The Pakistani newspaper Dawn wrote in an analytical
piece that with the resurgence of the Afghan Taliban, the forces of Hafiz Gul
Bahadur, from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have become more daring and
active.
The newspaper wrote, “Hafiz Gul Bahadur, once known as
the ‘good Taliban,’ has turned into the ‘bad Taliban.'”
In the analytical piece published on Thursday, March
21, it is stated, “The ruthless tactics of the Pakistani army, besides killing
Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s relatives, have helped his growing animosity towards the
Pakistani government.”
Zia-ur-Rehman, the author of this analysis, citing a
source, wrote: “Hafiz Gul Bahadur, due to his group’s previous cooperation with
Pakistan, expected a soft treatment from the army of this country during the
operation, but this expectation was in vain. His houses were destroyed, and his
family displaced during the military operation.”
The source told Dawn, “Pakistan’s aggressive behavior
has caused Hafiz Gul Bahadur to lean towards an anti-Pakistan position.”
The author of this analytical piece, referring to
recent attacks on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, writes that the TTP has
carried out several major attacks against Pakistani security forces.
The author also briefly introduces Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s
life; his peace agreement with the Pakistani government in 2006 is mentioned.
The author of this analysis says this agreement ended
after Pakistan’s principal operation in North Waziristan in 2014.
According to sources cited in this analysis, Hafiz Gul
Bahadur’s forces have also received significant support from senior leaders of
the Haqqani network.
The newspaper wrote: “According to reports, this
support includes safe havens in Afghanistan, additional manpower, financial
resources, and even advanced weaponry left over from American forces.”
Recently, Pakistan conducted airstrikes against Hafiz
Gul Bahadur’s forces in North Waziristan and Paktika. The Afghan Taliban claim
several non-combatants were killed in these operations.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur is one of the key commanders of the
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan who, according to Pakistan, operates in Afghanistan.
However, the Taliban reject these allegations and
claim that they are not allowing any individuals or groups to use Afghan soil
against neighboring countries, including Pakistan.
Source:
khaama.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-armys-reckless-behavior-turns-good-taliban-into-bad-taliban-report/
----
Saudi Scientific Panel Defines Gender Dysphoria As A
Mental Illness, Says It Is Not A Hormonal Or Organic Defect
March 22, 2024
RIYADH — Gender dysphoria (GD), previously gender
identity disorder, is a mental illness and not a hormonal or organic disorder,
according to a competent Saudi scientific body.
“Gender dysphoria is a psychological illness, and
those affected by it do not have any hormonal, organic, or genetic defect. They
have complete external and internal organs of masculinity or femininity
according to the sex they were assigned at birth,” the Committee for
Professional and Ethical Practices in Mental Health, affiliated with the
National Center for Mental Health Promotion, said in a statement issued on
Wednesday.
Gender dysphoria is the distress a person experiences
due to a mismatch between their perception of own gender and the sex they were
assigned at birth. The causes of gender incongruence are unknown but a gender
identity likely reflects genetic, biological, environmental, and cultural
factors.
The committee noted that gender is determined by
examining chromosomes — the male having 23 pairs of XY chromosomes and the
female having 23 pairs of XX chromosomes. Sex is not determined by abstract
self-desire, it added.
“Those who suffer from GD do not accept the gender
identity with which they were born, and they have a strong desire to make
external and internal physical changes to conform to the form of the
psychologically desired gender. It was found in the follow-up of such cases
that there is a percentage of affected people who want to return to their
primary sex and accept it after specialized medical assistance,” the statement
pointed out.
The committee pointed out that medical interventions
such as hormone therapy and gender affirmation surgeries on these patients are
not only ineffective but also lead to serious psychological and medical
complications in the short and long term. These include the need for long-term
hospitalization in psychiatric wards, high suicide rates, increased incidence
of cancer, and the possibility of early death, in addition to many social
challenges faced by those who undergo such procedures.
“Based on the above factors, and in line with
professional practices and medical ethics applied in Saudi Arabia, the
Committee for Professional and Ethical Practices in Mental Health considers
that since the disorder is basically a psychological problem, the therapeutic
intervention shall also be psychological. Therefore what is expected of the
doctor is to diagnose the condition and explain its nature to the affected
person, making available the options for psychological intervention, providing
available psychological treatments to alleviate their suffering and improve
their adaptive skills, and explain this scenario to their families as well,”
the statement said.
The committee also considered that recommending gender
affirmation surgeries, or prescribing sex hormones before or after surgeries,
is deceitful for patients suffering from GD. There is no conclusive scientific
evidence to prove such interventions have improved the psychological
satisfaction associated with the disorder, it added. Therefore, those
interventions are unacceptable because their negative consequences are a lot
more than their positive outcomes.
The committee stressed the need for doctors to adhere
to professional practice and medical ethics, by not recommending or approving
gender change for patients with gender dysphoria, and writing a medical report
to describe the patient’s condition, diagnosis, and the necessary psychological
recommendations is sufficient.
The committee stressed the need to take stringent
measures and hold accountable those who mislead people suffering from the
disorder, through false hormonal or surgical interventions, either for
convictions that have not been scientifically proven or for personal motives
and gains.
It called on the health sector in Saudi Arabia to
establish specialized psychological treatment programs based on solid
scientific research for such psychological disorders and support its
psychological services to do their part in dealing with cases of GD or other
psychological disorders, which require the combined efforts of several
specialties such as mental health, social service, religious guidance, and
occupational therapy.
The committee also underlined the need for an
accredited national guide to deal with these cases and the commitment to work
on it by all practitioners in all relevant specialties. It also called on
everyone to communicate with the committee via e-mail cpemh@ncmh.org.sa in the
event of any comments, suggestions or inquiries
Source:
saudigazette.com.sa
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/641445/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-scientific-panel-Gender-dysphoria-nbspis-a-mental-illness-and-not-a-hormonal-or-organic-disorder
---
India
ASI Begins Survey Of Bhojshala Kamal Maula Mosque
Premises In MP; For Hindus It Is A Temple Dedicated To The Goddess Vagdevi
(Saraswati)
March 23, 2024
Anand Mohan J
A team of the Archaeological Survey of India Friday
began a survey of the Bhojshala temple/Kamal Maula mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh’s
tribal-dominated Dhar district.
The ASI team, comprising more than a dozen members,
reached the complex in the morning accompanied by senior police and district
administration officials.
The team worked until noon, leaving before the
afternoon Namaz. The second phase of the survey will be conducted on Saturday.
On March 11, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered
the ASI to conduct within six weeks a survey of the premises, observing that
its nature and character needs to be “demystified and freed from the shackles
of confusion”.
On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to interfere
with the HC order. A bench presided by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, before whom an
appeal against the order was mentioned for an urgent hearing, said it cannot
grant stay without hearing the other side. The bench, also comprising Justice P
K Mishra, pointed out that it has already been listed for hearing on April 1.
The appellants said “the survey may cause damage to
the place of worship and affect religious sentiments of communities at large”,
and sought urgent hearing “in view of the sensitivity of the issue”.
For Hindus, the ASI-protected complex is a temple
dedicated to the Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while for Muslims, it is the site
of the Kamal Maula mosque. As per an arrangement in 2003, Hindus perform puja
at the complex on Tuesdays while Muslims offer namaz on Fridays.
Dhar Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh said
he would discuss with ASI officials and make adequate arrangements for
faith-related activities.
Flanked by heavy police presence, ASI workers were
allowed entry into the complex after being checked with a metal detector, while
their mobile phones were confiscated. The entire area is being monitored with
the help of 60 cameras, due to the sensitive nature of the operation, police
said.
Gopal Sharma, the coordinator of the Bhoj Festival
Committee, said that “on the first day of the survey today, the length and
breadth of Bhojshala were measured”.
“Videography has been done at the places where marks
are present, and all the marks have been secured. The areas where the survey is
to be conducted in the future have been marked with machines. The next phase of
work will be on Saturday,” he said.
Speaking to reporters later, Dhar town’s ‘Shahar Qazi’
Waqar Sadiq said that no authorised member of the Muslim community was present
during the survey, though Kamal Moula mosque’s representative Abdul Samad was
supposed to be there. He claimed the ASI had not given him notice.
Sadiq said ASI records from 1902 mention that “this is
a mosque”.
“A petition was again filed in the high court in 1998
by Vimal Kumar Godha on behalf of the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu bodies. Atal
Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister then. A reply was filed that time that
it was ‘Kamal Maula mosque’ and the existence of Bhojshala was a mystery,” he
said.
Sadiq said they have documents to show that namaz can
be offered at the site five times a day, but they have curbed it in the
interest of “peace and harmony”.
Stressing that there is no dispute with the Hindus, he
said, “Only 13-14 persons, who are the self-proclaimed leaders of the
community, are creating problems. Now we think that we have to insist on
starting namaz five times a day at the site. We will move the High Court and
the Supreme Court on this,” he said.
The High Court order is based on a petition by a group
called the Hindu Front for Justice, which argued that Kamal Maula mosque was
constructed during the reign of Alauddin Khilji between the 13th and 14th
Centuries by “destroying and dismantling ancient structures of previously
constructed Hindu temples”
Source:
indianexpress.com
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----
Aligarh Muslim University Students Protest, Demand
Quashing Of FIR Over ‘Holi Brawl’
Amit Sharma
March 23, 2024
A day after a brawl between two groups of students
over celebrating Holi on the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus, a section
of students launched a sit-in protest at the varsity’s main entry gate,
demanding immediate quashing of the FIR registered against 10 students.
The protesting students offered the Friday Namaz at the
main entry gate of the AMU and said their sit-in protest and boycott of classes
would continue till their demand is met.
Following Thursday’s brawl between the two groups,
police registered an FIR against 10 students — Misbah Quaiser, ZakirurRhman,
Zaid Sherwani, Shahrukh Shabri, Shoaib Qureshi, Ahmed Mustafa, Afaq Sherwani,
Shahbaz Khan, Faisal Tyagi, and Arman Siddiqui – on a complaint lodged by
Aditya Pratap Singh, a post-graduation student at AMU.
The police, which raided the AMU hostels to nab those named
in the FIR, said no arrests have been made so far. A heavy police force
deployment has also been made outside the AMU gates.
“Directives have been given to the police force
deployed outside the campus to take immediate action if they get to know about
any unlawful activity aimed at disturbing communal peace by the protesting
students,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Aligarh Civil Lines) Amrit
Jain.
On the counter-complaint lodged by the protesting
students, Jain said: “We have received a complaint from the opposite group in
this regard but the FIR from their side is yet to be registered because we are
investigating the veracity of the claims made in the complaint.”
Trouble erupted on Thursday when a group of students
assembled at a park on the campus to celebrate Holi. “We had gathered in the
park and were starting to celebrate Holi when dozens of Muslim students
carrying sticks and clubs rushed towards us and said that if we wanted to
celebrate Holi on the campus, we would have to pay them Rs 1,000 per month.
They beat and chased us outside the campus,” said Aditya Pratap Singh, the
complainant.
Meanwhile, the AMU in a statement said that there is
no restriction on celebrating festivals on the university campus. “There is no
restriction for any group to celebrate their respective festivals within the
AMU campus. No group needs to seek permission from anyone to observe their festivals.
I received a complaint from a group of students and forwarded the same to the
Civil Lines Police Station immediately. For years, AMU has been known for not
playing any partisan role on the basis of caste, community or creed,” Mohammed
Wasim Ali, the proctor of the AMU, said.
Source:
indianexpress.com
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----
Muslim side petitioner protests ASI survey of disputed
Bhojshala complex
Mar 23, 2024
A day after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
began a survey of the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in
Dhar, Abdul Samad, the petitioner for the Muslim side, said he disagreed with
the exercise as directed by the high court.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, the petitioner for the
Muslim side said features at the complex have changed a lot from what they were
before.
"This survey was not necessary as a similar exercise
had been conducted previously and the report is in the public domain. We are
against this new survey, as several new things have started here since the last
survey. There have been some changes to the monument as well. We have already
voiced our misgivings over these changes," the petitioner told ANI.
"Seeing such changes and new activities in the
complex, we moved the high court urging that if they allow such movement (of
people from the Hindu community) inside the monument, they should lay down
proper guidelines on things that could be carried inside," he added.
Samad said they have already moved the Supreme Court,
challenging the high court's direction of a new survey and the submission of
the report by the next date of hearing--April 1.
"On February 5, we made a special request to the
high court with regard to a new survey. However, the court directed a new
survey of the complex on March 11. We moved the Supreme Court on March 16,
challenging the high court decision. The Supreme Court admitted our plea and
listed the matter for hearing on April 1," he said.
"I consider yesterday's survey to be of zero
significance. Why did they (ASI) have to carry out a survey when the petitioner
from the other side wasn't around? The court directed a survey in the presence
of the petitioners from both sides. If they wanted to conduct the survey
(yesterday), they should have informed us at least 24 hours in advance,"
he added.
Earlier, on Friday, the Hindu side's advocate Shreesh
Dubey told media persons, "Four petitions are in court as of now... The
survey began today at 6 am. The report will be submitted before the court
soon."
Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court allowed the
survey by the ASI at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex
situated in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
"In compliance with the instructions of the High
Court, we have received a letter from the Additional Director of the Indian
Culture Department. After receiving the letter, today we inspected the
Bhojshala premises. We discussed what kind of security arrangements are to be
provided during the survey and what is their (ASI) demand," Dhar
Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Singh said.
He further said proper security arrangements would be
provided.
"In compliance with the instructions of the High
Court, whatever security arrangements are required, so that the survey work is
completed peacefully, we will provide that. I want to appeal to the entire
public of Dhar district that the High Court has directed that the survey work
should be completed by ASI, everyone should cooperate in it and we will provide
complete arrangements to ensure that there is no hindrance in the survey
work," he further said.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court allowed the survey by the
ASI at the disputed Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex, advocate
Vishnu Shankar Jain said.
Hindus consider Bhojshala, to be a temple dedicated to
'Vagdevi', while Muslims called it the Kamal Maula Mosque.
The court, in its order shared by advocate Vishnu
Jain, stated, "It is contended on behalf of the petitioners while pressing
the interlocutory application that survey by the Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) is a statutory duty, which the ASI ought to have performed long
back."
"Any other study, investigation, or inquiry,
which the said five (5) member committee of the ASI feel it is necessary to be
undertaken without "destroying, defacing, or destructing the original
nature of the whole complex be undertaken, towards ascertaining the true nature
and character of the Bhojshala Temple cum Kamal Maula Mosque for arriving at
the truth," it added.
The order said that the right to worship and perform
rituals in the disputed premises shall be considered only after receipt of the
aforementioned report from the Expert Committee.
Source:
hindustantimes.com
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-----
India stands in solidarity with Russia: PM Narendra
Modi on Moscow terror attack
23.03.24
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India
strongly condemns the heinous terror attack in Moscow and stands in solidarity
with the government and the people of Russia in this hour of grief.
Assailants burst into a large concert hall in Moscow
on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing more than 60 people,
injuring over 100 and setting fire to the venue in a brazen attack, according
to media reports.
"We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack
in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,"
Modi said in a post on X.
"India stands in solidarity with the government
and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief," he said.
Media reports said the Islamic State group claimed
responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on its affiliated channels
on social media.
Source:
telegraphindia.com
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---
Europe
Recognition of Palestine state would be used as
leverage to initiate peace negotiations: EU Council president
AysuBiçer
23.03.2024
EU Council President Charles Michel revealed Friday
that Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia expressed that they are prepared to
recognize the state of Palestine once appropriate conditions are met and he
said it would be used as leverage to initiate peace negotiations.
Michel made the remarks to reporters at the end of a
EU summit held in Brussel and underscored the importance of initiating a
process toward recognizing Palestine.
He emphasized the need for mutual steps from both
sides to achieve the goal.
Michel highlighted that while the debate on
recognizing Palestine was not fully on the table during recent discussions, it
remains a crucial decision for each EU member state to consider.
He acknowledged that some members have recognized
Palestine as a sovereign state and emphasized the significance of beginning a
structured process toward recognition.
He stressed the importance of acknowledging steps
taken by authorities, particularly in Israel, as part of the process.
"This is not the topic we discussed yesterday
evening, but we discussed in depth the two-state solution and the purpose is to
have two peoples living side by side in security, which is mutual recognition
this is the purpose and it's why we coordinate with all our member
states," he said.
"There's a process so that it can be seen as
leverage to make steps and to support the efforts for the resumption of the
peace talks," he added.
Michel also addressed the question of if Europe is
"ready for a possible war."
He said Russia's war in Ukraine justified taking steps
to strengthen Europe's defense preparedness.
Expressing a desire not to spread concern about war
throughout European society, he said: "On the other hand, (defense
preparedness) should be accepted by our citizens throughout the EU and we
should explain this to our public."
"If we want peace, security, and stability, it is
extremely important to strengthen our defense capacity and capabilities and
build a EU in the defense field,” he said.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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----
Spain, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia agree to work towards
Palestinian state recognition
22 March 2024
Spain has agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta
and Slovenia to take the first steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state,
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday following a meeting of the
European Council in Brussels.
Speaking for Spain, Sanchez expected the recognition
to happen during the current four-year legislature that began last year.
He told reporters the agreement was reached after
meeting with his Irish, Maltese and Slovenian counterparts on the sidelines of
the Council gathering on Friday morning.
“We are agreed that the only way to achieve lasting
peace and stability in the region is through implementation of a two-state
solution, with Israeli and Palestinian States living side-by-side, in peace and
security,” read a joint statement issued by Ireland after the meeting.
In February, the Knesset voted to back Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration opposing any “unilateral” recognition of a
Palestinian state, as international calls grow for the revival of efforts to
reach a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
Issued amid the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by
Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, the Israeli position states that any permanent
accord with the Palestinians must be reached through direct negotiations
between the sides and not by international dictates.
Netanyahu brought the vote to the Knesset in the wake
of reports that the United States and several Arab partners were preparing a
detailed plan for a comprehensive peace deal between Israel and the
Palestinians that includes a “firm timeline” for a Palestinian state.
Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting
in Spain in November that a two-state solution was the answer to the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Since 1988, 139 out of 193 United Nations member
states have recognized Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu has in the past spoken out against the
creation of a Palestinian state and others have also pushed back against
comments from Washington and elsewhere suggesting that talks on ending fighting
in Gaza be used to jumpstart long-moribund efforts to reach a two-state
solution.
While some international actors believe the violence
only underlines the need for a peace deal, Israeli leaders argue the attack
highlighted the extreme danger of an autonomous Palestinian entity near its
population centers. And amid soaring support among Palestinians for the October
7 atrocities, there appears to be little appetite in the Israeli public for
peace efforts.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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----
Moscow accuses Washington of ‘typical hypocritical
spectacle’ as Russia, China veto US bid on Gaza ‘ceasefire’
March 22, 2024
Russia and China on Friday vetoed a US-led draft
resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a ceasefire in
Gaza, joining Arab countries in saying it did not pressure Israel as Moscow
accused Washington of a “typical hypocritical spectacle”.
The United States, Israel’s main ally which has vetoed
previous ceasefire calls, put forward the resolution in which the UNSC would
have supported “the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire” and for
the first time condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Russia and China exercised their vetoes, Algeria also
voted against and Guyana abstained. The other 11 UNSC members, including
permanent members France and Britain, voted in favour.
Russia’s ambassador, VasilyNebenzia, said that the
text would do nothing to rein in Israel, mocking Washington for speaking of a
ceasefire after “Gaza has been virtually wiped off the face of the Earth.”
“We have observed a typical hypocritical spectacle,”
he said.
Nebenzia said the US draft was intended to “play to
voters and throw them a bone in the form of some kind of a mention of a
ceasefire in Gaza.”
The resolution will “ensure the impunity of Israel,
whose crimes are not even assessed in the draft.”
The draft had stopped short of explicitly demanding
that Israel immediately end its campaign in Gaza. In the delicate language of
UNSC resolutions, the draft “determines” the “imperative” of an “immediate and
sustained” ceasefire.
It linked a ceasefire to ongoing talks, led by Qatar
with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for
Hamas releasing hostages.
China’s representative, Zhang Jun, said the draft
“dodged the most central issue, that of a ceasefire” through its “ambiguous”
language.
“Nor does it even provide an answer to the question of
realising a ceasefire in the short term,” he said.
Push on alternative resolution
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Brussels
immediately after the vetoes, said France would keep pushing for an alternative
resolution for a ceasefire.
The UNSC may consider another resolution late on
Friday or Saturday with an explicit call for an immediate ceasefire, said
Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour.
He said that Arab nations backed Algeria in opposing
the US text, saying it was not a “crystal-clear call for a ceasefire”.
The US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, indicated
opposition to the alternative draft, saying it would jeopardise ongoing talks
for the release of hostages.
Thomas-Greenfield called the Russian and Chinese
vetoes “not just cynical” but also “petty”.
“Russia and China simply did not want to vote for a
resolution that was penned by the United States,” she said.
“Let’s be honest — for all the fiery rhetoric, we all
know that Russia and China are not doing anything diplomatically to advance a
lasting peace or to meaningfully contribute to the humanitarian response
effort,” she said.
Russia, China and Algeria said that the resolution
should stop Israel from a threatened offensive in the city of Rafah, where more
than one million Palestinians have sheltered.
The United States has publicly opposed the operation,
but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday to go into Rafah
even without Washington’s support.
Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, said the vetoes
of the US resolution meant that “terrorists can continue benefitting from this
Council.”
“The Council’s decision to not condemn Hamas is a
stain that will never be forgotten,” he said.
More than 1,160 people, mostly civilians, died on
October 7 when Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel in the country’s
deadliest-ever attack, according to Israeli official figures.
Israel afterwards vowed to eradicate Hamas, which
controls the Gaza Strip.
Some 32,000 people, mostly civilians, have died,
according to the Gaza health ministry, and the United Nations has warned of
imminent famine in the territory.
Source:
dawn.com
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---
France's Macron hails US changing its position on Gaza
conflict
Nur AsenaErtürk
23.03.2024
The French president on Friday praised the US change
of position on Gaza by supporting a cease-fire, including by sponsoring a UN
Security Council resolution.
“It is important to note that the US changed its
position and clearly expressed its will to back a cease-fire, which is a good
thing for us and the progress of our project,” Emmanuel Macron told a news
conference following an EU Council meeting in Brussels.
“We have a resolution project that we will submit
again. We’ll work with multiple partners,” he also said.
Russia and China earlier vetoed the latest attempt to
pass a cease-fire resolution at the UN Security Council, led by the US, which
tried to link a cease-fire in Gaza to the release of hostages by Hamas and
called for support for diplomacy. Hamas denounced the proposed resolution for
its attempt at linkage.
The French leader also voiced hope that working with
other countries in the Middle East could help convince Russia and China.
He also commended the EU urging an "immediate
humanitarian pause" in Gaza as well as access to sufficient humanitarian
in the face of the imminent risk of famine, which he called “unjustifiable.”
“We have collectively exhorted Israeli authorities to
not launch a land operation in Rafah, which would only aggravate the
humanitarian situation that is already disastrous as over a million
Palestinians went there,” Macron added, referring to a city in southern Gaza.
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the
Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200
Israelis were killed.
Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children,
have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass
destruction and shortages of necessities.
Israel also stands accused of genocide at the
International Court of Justice in The Hague.
- Ukraine war
Macron also commented on the war in Ukraine, now into
its third year, saying that European countries vowed to support Ukraine not
only as long as needed but also as much as needed.
“This means that we are ready to react to any action
by the Russian aggressor, which is a real change of approach,” he added.
The question now is to find more radical and
innovative solutions if it becomes necessary to go further and if things
deteriorate, Macron added.
He vowed that particularly Germany and France would
continue working in that direction.
Macron also criticized Russian officials for
“disgrace” and “nervousness” in their comments on his Feb. 26 remarks about
possibly sending troops to Ukraine.
“We wil kill all the French soldiers who come to Ukrainian
soil. All of them,” Pyotr Tolstoy, a deputy head of the Russian State Duma,
told French broadcaster BFMTV on Thursday, following Macron's remarks last
month on not ruling out any options to support Ukraine, including sending
troops.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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---
Italy’s University of Turin to exit Israel research
pact amid Gaza protests
SHIRA LI BARTOV
22 March 2024
JTA — The University of Turin is suspending a
collaboration agreement with Israeli universities and research institutes after
a wave of student protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
The school’s academic senate voted on Wednesday to ban
participation in an initiative financing joint research projects between Italy
and Israel, while rejecting calls for a broader cessation of ties with Israeli
universities.
The decision has raised concerns among Italian Jewish
leaders even after the university’s rector emphasized that collaboration
currently in place would continue.
Student groups had appealed to repeal nine
collaboration agreements the University of Turin currently has with Israeli
universities, citing a fear they could finance dual-use technology — or
projects that serve both civil and military purposes — amid Israel’s ongoing
war in Gaza. The student collectives “CambiareRotta” and “ProgettoPalestina”
interrupted an academic senate session with protest banners on Tuesday.
But the senate only agreed to vote on a motion
prohibiting participation in the “Italy-Israel industrial, scientific and
technological cooperation agreement,” a 2024 initiative of Italy’s Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation focused on soil technology, water
technology and precision optics. The motion was approved by a majority of
members, with two abstentions and one vote against by Susanna Terracini,
director of the mathematics department.
“I would have had no problem approving a request for a
ceasefire, because I am deeply disturbed by the massacre that is taking place
in the Gaza Strip,” Terracini told the local newspaper Corriere Torino. “But I
am strongly against academic boycotts, because since possible war projects are
excluded, collaborations are an element that brings understanding and peace.”
While the decision is limited in scope, it is still
notable as the University of Turin is the first Italian university to break any
ties with Israeli universities and because calls for academic boycotts of
Israel are not uncommon around the world, but result in practical consequences
only very rarely.
Since its decision, the university has fielded
accusations of succumbing to antisemitic sentiments. Noemi Di Segni, president
of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, told ANSA that her alarm about
antisemitism at Italian universities was “overflowing.”
Di Segni said she urged Italian Prime Minister
GiorgiaMeloni and university administrators to “ensure that the International
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism is fully
implemented by all Italian universities, making it abundantly clear that all
forms of boycott and demonization are antisemitism.”
The University of Turin’s rector Stefano Geuna said
the academic senate’s decision against scientific collaboration was neither a
boycott of Israel nor a form of antisemitism, but instead “an action on a very
specific call.” He said collaboration between the university and Israeli
academics would continue.
“All the agreements currently in force with Israeli
universities, and there are many, remain valid,” Geuna said.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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---
Russia Adds “International LGBT Movement” To
Terrorists And Extremist Blacklist
22 Mar 2024
MOSCOW, March 22 — Russia’s financial watchdog said
today it had added what it calls the “international LGBT movement” to its list
of terrorists and extremists.
The implication of its listing was not immediately
clear.
The Rosfinmonitoring watchdog has the power to freeze
bank accounts of specific entities named on the list, but did not name any
person or organisation on its website.
Russia’s Supreme Court declared the movement as
“extremist” last November, without saying to whom it referred but effectively
banning LGBTQ activism across the country.
The Kremlin has taken a conservative turn since
launching its offensive in Ukraine two years ago, casting the conflict as a
battleground against the West and its ideas.
Russia banned what it calls “gay propaganda” among
adults in 2022, extending an earlier law that forbade it among minors. That
effectively outlawed any representation of “non-traditional sexual relations”
in public and in the media.
A Russian court on Wednesday ordered two employees of
a gay bar to be held in pre-trial detention, accusing them of organising an
“extremist organisation”, the first such case after the Supreme Court decision.
— AFP
Source:
malaymail.com
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----
Pakistan
Imran’s arrest: IHC seeks response from Adiala jail
superintendent on legality of online prisoner meetings
March 22, 2024
Umer Burney
The Islamabad High Court on Friday sought a response
from Adiala Jail Superintendent Asad Warraich on a petition filed by PTI
leaders against a two-week ban on all public visits and meetings at the prison,
where ex-premier Imran Khan is incarcerated.
On March 12, the Punjab home department had banned all
public meetings, visits and interviews at the jail, citing “security” threats.
The move had been decried by PTI leaders, who deemed it a deliberate plan to
stop them from meeting Imran.
The next day, hearing PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s plea
against the ban, the IHC had sought a reply from the jail superintendent on the
matter.
A day later, Marwat had confirmed the IHC’s decision
to allow online interactions with Imran, praising the court’s “excellent
development” in allowing video conferences for those who are incarcerated.
Today, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq took up the
petitions, including one filed by Marwat, who also appeared before the court.
State counsel Abdul Rehman was present on behalf of Warraich.
The judge wondered how online meetings could be
allowed at the KotLakhpat jail but not at the Adiala jail if, according to the
superintendent, the rules did not permit them.
He sought a “clear stance” from Warraich on the
legality of online meetings of prisoners by the next hearing on March 29.
The hearing
At the outset of the hearing, Warraich refused to
allow online meetings with Imran, stating that they were not allowed under the
rules.
The court then cited reports regarding Punjab Chief
Minister Maryam Nawaz announcing the facility of online meetings at KotLakhpat
jail. “The chief minister has proudly said that it is Asia’s first jail where
this facility is being provided,” the judge remarked.
He wondered how the “illegal” move was taken by Maryam
when the jail rules did not allow it. The superintendent replied that a letter
had been written to the Punjab government to amend the jail rules.
“Are the jail authorities saying in their response
that the Punjab CM’s step was illegal?” Justice Ishaq asked. “You are saying
that the court order cannot be implemented and an amendment is needed,” he
added.
Here, the state counsel asked for more time to “seek
further directives”.
The court then said there was “no need” to seek
directives as according to the jail superintendent, the jail rules did not
permit online meetings.
“The same government barred online meetings without an
amendment [in the jail rules] while it proudly did the same in another jail,”
the judge noted.
Here, court assistant lawyer Zainab Janjua said that
the superintendent’s stance should not be contradictory to the Punjab
government’s.
Justice Ishaq further observed that the court had to
settle the matter soon, noting that the question now was whether political
conversations could be held during jail meetings or not.
“If we reach the conclusion that political
conversations can be held, then an amendment would be needed. Let this matter be
solved. Online meetings cannot be prevented now,” the judge said.
“If we would say that we cannot hold online meetings,
the entire world would joke about it,” he remarked.
Here, Marwat said, “We are stopped 1.5 kilometres away
from the jail and sent onward on foot.”
Justice Ishaq went on to say, “We are also doing a
drama over here. Everyone knows what is happening. If the orders stop coming to
the jail authorities from where they are [coming from], then all of this would
end.”
“If 200 senior civil officers in the country refuse to
abide unlawful orders then the entire system would be corrected,” the judge
said. To this, Marwat replied, “If the court sends 200 civil servants to jail,
even then there could be an improvement.”
Justice Ishaq then said, “At one place, there is a
written paper and at another, there is a gun pointed at his head. On the other
hand, there is a threat to his family and career.
“Unless 200-300 give sacrifice for an ideology, things
will remain the same,” he added. The judge expressed his surprise when Marwat
said a pen wielded more power than a gun.
Justice Ishaq then ordered the state counsel to adopt
a “clear stance” at the next hearing.
Here, the jail superintendent informed the court that
the meetings at Adiala Jail had not been allowed since March 12 due to “threat
alerts”, adding that the same ban had been placed at three other prisons as
well.
The judge then asked Warraich, “Are you at a greater
risk at the jail?” He noted that a “huge march” would be taking place the next
day — presumably referring to the March 23 parade. “Is there no threat to it?”
he asked.
“Tomorrow, thousands of people will be on the streets
[and] jets would fly. Is there not a threat to them?” the judge asked.
Justice Ishaq observed, “I do not see good intentions
that there is a threat over there (Adiala) but not here (Islamabad).”
The state counsel then reiterated that he would “seek
new directives after the developments of KotLakhpat jail”.
“I am unable to understand how can online meetings be
legal at one jail and illegal at another,” Justice Ishaq remarked.
He then sought a response from the state counsel on
behalf of the jail superintendent on whether Maryam’s announcement of online
meetings was illegal or the jail authorities’ response stating that jail rules
did not permit such meetings.
Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned till March 29.
Source:
dawn.com
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---
On Pakistan Day, President Zardari urges people to
reaffirm commitment to democracy, justice
March 23, 2024
As nation celebrates Pakistan Day, President Asif Ali
Zardari urged the people to reaffirm commitment to democracy, justice, and
equality.
Pakistan Day marks adoption of historic Lahore
Resolution this day in 1940 that provided a framework for realization of the
goal of a separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia.
Through this resolution, the All-India Muslim League
demanded a separate nation for the Muslims of the British Indian Empire.
The day began with a 31-gun salute in the federal
capital and 21-gun salute in provincial capitals. A change of guards ceremony were
also held at the mausoleums of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama
Iqbal in Karachi and Lahore.
The grand military parade held in Islamabad featured
contingents of the three armed forces and other security forces conducting a
march past.
Fighter planes also presented aerobatic maneuvers.
Meanwhile, an investiture ceremony will also be held
at Aiwan-e-Sadr in the afternoon where President Zardari will confer awards and
medals to personalities for their outstanding contribution in different fields.
In his message, the president stressed upon the nation
to participate in nation-building process actively, embracing the values of
hard work, integrity, and compassion, as per Radio Pakistan.
President Zardari said the armed forces, civil
administration, police, and law enforcement agencies have, with unwavering
commitment, “ensured the safety, security, and sovereignty of our nation”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his
message asked nation to follow the footsteps of founding fathers to make Pakistan
a trivet of peace, progress and stability.
“Our forefathers made untiring efforts and rendered
exemplary sacrifices for Pakistan as millions of Muslims left their homes in
India and decided to migrate to Pakistan.
We are completely cognizant of the serious challenges
confronting Pakistan currently including inflation, unemployment, circular
debt, fiscal and trade deficit, and above all the growing scourge of
terrorism.“
Source:
brecorder.com
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---
Pakistan urges Afghanistan to tackle terrorism as
‘shared concern’ after Kandahar attack
March 22, 2024
Abdullah Momand
Pakistan on Friday urged Afghanistan to tackle the
issue of terrorism as a “shared concern” through “collective efforts” following
the attack in Kandahar, according to the Foreign Office (FO).
A day ago, a suicide bombing killed three people and
wounded 12 others in the Afghan city of Kandahar, the heartland of the Taliban
authorities that rule the country.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and
while multiple explosions have been reported around the country since the start
of the holy month of Ramazan on March 11, few have been confirmed by Taliban
officials.
A press release from the FO today strongly condemned
the terrorist attack in Kandahar, adding that the people and the government of
Pakistan extended their sincere condolences to the bereaved families and prayed
for the early recovery of the injured.
“Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
“Terrorism is a shared concern that both countries
need to address through collective efforts,” the FO stressed.
The FO had on Thursday reiterated Pakistan’s desire to
address the issue of terrorism with Afghanistan through dialogue and
cooperation.
Speaking at her weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said: “Pakistan has repeatedly said that we prioritise
dialogue and cooperation in finding solutions to issues of mutual concern and
that is why Pakistan has been engaged in conversations and dialogue with
Afghanistan to fight the threat that we face that is of terrorism that emanates
from these groups which are currently based in Afghanistan.”
She was responding to questions about Pakistan’s air
strikes against Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group targets inside Afghanistan on Monday
after militants based there carried out an attack on a Frontier Corps camp on
March 16.
The Afghan Taliban administration had responded
angrily to the air strikes and fired heavy weapons into Pakistan from across
the border in retaliation.
“We will continue to engage with Afghanistan so that
we are able to defeat these terror groups and the threat that they pose to
Pakistan and the friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Baloch had
further said, adding that “the channels of communication between the two
countries remain open.”
Resurgent terrorism
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities
in 2023, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned
militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the
government in November 2022.
The Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s
media wing, said earlier this week that the “recent wave of terrorism in
Pakistan has the full support and assistance of Afghanistan”.
“The Afghan interim government is not only arming the
terrorists but also providing a safe haven for other terrorist organisations as
well as being involved in the incidents of terrorism in Pakistan,” it had
stated.
The FO had also said that terror outfits, including
the TTP, “pose a grave threat to Pakistan’s security and have consistently used
Afghan territory to launch terror attacks inside Pakistani territory”.
The ISPR said earlier this month that 10 militants
were killed in two separate operations by security forces in the North
Waziristan district. It had added that Pakistan expected the Afghan government
to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists.
Last month, a late-night attack on a police station in
Dera Ismail Khan was repulsed. Gunmen had mounted an attack using heavy weapons
but fled in the cover of darkness when police personnel fired back.
In December last year, 23 soldiers were martyred and
more than 30 troops wounded after militants belonging to the Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan
stormed a compound used by the military in Dera Ismail Khan’s Daraban area.
According to an annual security report issued by the
Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan witnessed 1,524
violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and
counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a record six-year high.
KP and Balochistan were the primary centres of
violence, accounting for over 90 per cent of all fatalities and 84pc of
attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations.
Source:
dawn.com
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---
Pakistan condemns attack on Moscow concert hall
2024-03-23
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan strongly condemned the horrendous
attack carried out at a concert hall in Moscow in which dozens are reported to
have been killed or injured.
“We strongly condemn the horrendous attack carried out
at a concert hall in Moscow. We express our deepest sympathies with the
families of the victims,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said
in a statement.
“At this difficult hour, we stand in solidarity with
the people and Government of the Russian Federation,” she added.
Source:
brecorder.com
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---
South
Asia
Supporting Islamic system helps eliminate conflicts
among tribes, Mawlavi Kabir
March 23, 2024
KABUL: The Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs
Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, in a meeting, with the Acting Minister of Borders and
Tribal Affairs, Mullah Noorullah Noori, said strengthening and supporting the
system and unity of ethnic groups are important in eliminating conflicts among
the tribes in the country. Sharing information about his-led ministry’s
activities and achievements, Mullah Noori said lots of efforts have been made
to unite the tribes and solve their problems countrywide, Arg said in a
statement Friday. Mullah Noori said providing the necessary services to the
deprived and remote areas of the country is ongoing and his-led ministry and
aid agencies are working together to provide the people with basic services in
the said areas, according to the statement. The deputy PM Mawlavi Kabir
appreciated the ministry’s efforts and said due to the ministry’s tireless
efforts, conflicts among tribes have significantly decreased in the country.
Mawlavi Kabir added that supporting and strengthening the current Islamic
system and supporting and uniting ethnic groups is important in eliminating
conflicts among the tribes in the country. The Kabul Times
Source:
thekabultimes.com
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----
Over 520,000 Afghan migrants expelled from Pakistan:
IOM
Fidel Rahmati
March 22, 2024
The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
states that nearly 525,000 Afghan migrants have returned from Pakistan to
Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings.
The organization said on Thursday on its social media
platform X that many returning Afghans have abandoned everything in Pakistan
and returned to Afghanistan.
The International Organization for Migration adds that
returning Afghans from Pakistan need assistance.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan began the process
of deporting undocumented Afghan nationals in November of last year.
Following the initiation of the deportation process of
Afghan migrants from various states of Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of
migrants were forcibly and voluntarily deported to Afghanistan in recent
months.
This is happening while Pakistan is set to begin the
second phase of deporting and returning Afghan migrants from the country.
Some Pakistani media outlets recently reported that
the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan has instructed the Punjab provincial
government to start the second phase of deporting Afghan citizens holding
Afghan citizenship cards on April 15 of this year.
Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan face dire
conditions upon return to Afghanistan, including lack of foodstuffs, shelter,
water, and job opportunities. Many of them left everything behind in these host
countries and now struggle to reintegrate into a homeland plagued by conflict
and instability.
Despite efforts by international organizations, the
scale of need often overwhelms available resources, leaving these vulnerable
populations in a precarious state. Long-term solutions addressing both the root
causes of displacement and the challenges of return and reintegration are
urgently needed to alleviate the suffering of Afghan refugees.
Source:
khaama.com
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----
Kandahar attack triggers national and international
reactions
Fidel Rahmati
March 22, 2024
The explosion outside the Kabul Bank office in
Kandahar province on Thursday has led to both domestic and international
reactions, resulting in three deaths and 12 injuries.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas
West, has vehemently denounced the suicide attack in Kandahar.
“The United States condemns the senseless terrorist
attacks in Kandahar and Kabul earlier today [Thursday] that claimed innocent
civilian lives during the holy month of Ramadan. Our thoughts and prayers are
with the families of those lost,” West said in a post on social media platform
X.
The US Embassy for Afghanistan, now based in Qatar,
also condemned the explosion, labeling it as “cowardly.
“We condemn all acts of terror, whether they occur in
the Dasht-e-Barchineighborhood of Kabul or outside New Kabul Bank in Kandahar,
as cowardly acts. My sympathies are with the families of the victims. Afghans
should be able to observe Ramadan peacefully & without fear,” said Karen
Decker, US Chargé d’Affaires for Kabul based in Qatar.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned
the attack in Kandahar province yesterday.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the
Thursday attack in Kandahar province.
In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
stated that the country rejects violence or terrorism for any reason.
The United Arab Emirates labeled the attack in
Kandahar Thursday as “criminal”. It stated, “It rejects all forms of violence
and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability in violation of
international laws.”
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called
the attack “terrorism.” It stated that the country continues to support the
people of Afghanistan against any form of “violence, terrorism, and extremism.”
Hamid Karzai, the former President of Afghanistan,
also referred to the events in Kandahar Thursday as “un-Islamic and inhumane
acts” and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
Additionally, Abdullah Abdullah, the former Chief
Executive of the High Council for National Reconciliation, also denounced
attacks in which civilians were killed and injured as “criminal acts contrary
to all laws and principles.”
It is worth mentioning that in the attack on Thursday
in Kandahar province, which ISIS claimed responsibility for, according to the
officials, three people were killed and 12 others were injured, while the
Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar said that 21 people were killed and another 50
were injured in the attack.
Source:
khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/kandahar-attack-triggers-national-and-international-reactions/
---
Finland remains the world’s happiest for 7th year,
Afghanistan ranks last
Fidel Rahmati
March 22, 2024
In the 2024 Happiness Report, Finland was named the
happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year, while
Afghanistan was identified as the unhappiest.
The World Happiness Report, done yearly by the United
Nations, ranks countries according to factors such as life satisfaction, GDP
per person, social support, health, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
This report is based on data from the Gallup World
Poll and interviews with people in over 140 countries worldwide.
Finland has been named the happiest country in the
world for the seventh consecutive year. Other Nordic countries like Denmark,
Iceland, and Sweden reached the top 10 happiest nations.
Afghanistan, which has faced a humanitarian crisis
since the Taliban regained control in 2021, is ranked at the bottom of the
list.
Iran, neighboring Afghanistan, holds little praise and
ranks hundredth among 143 countries.
A new aspect of this report is that Lithuania tops the
list for children and young people under 30, while Denmark is the happiest
country for individuals aged 60 and above.
The report also states that, on average, those born
before 1965 are happier than those born in 1980.
Another noteworthy point concerns the United States,
which, for the first time since the inception of the World Happiness Report in
2012, dropped from the top 20 countries to 23rd place. This decline in
happiness is attributed to a significant decrease in American well-being over
the past 30 years.
Source:
khaama.com
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----
World Reacts to Suicide Attack in Kandahar
Sabria Abdal
March 22, 2024
The explosion on Thursday morning in Kandahar sparked
reactions both domestically and abroad.
A suicide, which happened near a bank, resulted in the
death of three civilians and injured 12 others.
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and former
chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah,
condemned the attack, with Karzai calling it a “crime against humanity.”
Abdullah said that such attacks, which result in the
death and injury of civilians during the holy month of Ramadan, are crimes
contrary to all laws and principles.
Meanwhile, the German Foreign Office, the US Special
Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, The Dutch Embassy for Afghanistan,
the United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry, the foreign ministry of Saudi
Arabia, and the chargé d'affaires of the US embassy for Afghanistan, Karen
Decker have condemned the attack.
Decker emphasized that the citizens of Afghanistan
should observe Ramadan peacefully and without fear.
Thomas West said that the US condemns the
"senseless terrorist attack” in Kandahar.
The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry in a
statement condemned yesterday's suicide attack in Kandahar, calling it a
"criminal act."
The statement said that the United Arab Emirates
rejects all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and
stability in contravention of international law.
The foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia condemned the
suicide attack in Kandahar, calling it a “terrorist attack.”
The Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia in a statement
also announced its continued support for the Afghan people against any form of
"violence, terrorism, and extremism."
The Ministry of Interior condemned the suicide attack
in Kandahar and pledged that the perpetrators of this incident will be
identified and brought to justice.
Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Source:
tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187940
----
IEA condemns ‘terrorist’ attack at Moscow concert hall
March 23, 2024
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has strongly
condemned the recent “terrorist attack” at a concert hall in Russian capital
Moscow, calling it a “blatant violation of all human standards.”
At least 60 people were killed and 145 others were
injured after gunmen opened fire at concertgoers in Moscow on Friday. Daesh
claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Daesh, which has targeted civilians in Afghanistan
& other regions of the world as well, again cearly demonstrated through
this incident that it is a group in the hands of intelligence agencies aimed at
defaming Islam & posing a threat to the entire region,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi,
spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on X.
“The regional countries must take a coordinated, clear
& resolute position against such incidents directed at regional
destabilization,” he added.
Source:
ariananews.af
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---
Arab World
Yemeni Houthi group reports additional US-UK raids
against Sanaa
Ahmed Asmar
23.03.2024
The Yemeni Houthi group reported Friday a series of US
and UK airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa, which is under the group's control.
"American-British aggression targeted the capital
Sanaa," said Houthi-run Al-Masirah Channel in a statement.
The television station, however, did not elaborate on
the raids or if they resulted in property damage or casualties.
Early Friday, the group reported two US-UK raids on Al
Hudaydah province in western Yemen.
The US has yet to comment.
The group, almost daily has announced American and
British airstrikes on areas in Yemen under its control.
The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red
Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from
Israel in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since
Oct. 7.
With tensions escalating due to the US and UK conducting
joint airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, the group declared it
considered all American and British ships to be legitimate military targets.
A coalition led by the US -- under the name Operation
Prosperity Guardian -- has conducted intermittent airstrikes since Jan. 12 that
have targeted "Houthi locations" in Yemen in response to the attacks
in the Red Sea.
The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used
sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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----
Saudi Arabia leads condemnation of deadly terrorist
attack on Moscow concert hall
March 23, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Friday condemned a terrorist
attack on a concert hall near Moscow that killed and injured dozens of people.
At least 40 people were killed and over 100 hurt when
gunmen in camouflage clothing opened fire with automatic weapons on people at a
concert in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow on Friday, Russia’s FSB security
service said.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack via its
Telegram channels but Russia is yet to make a final assesment on who is behind
the incident.
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
offered their condolences to the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
expressed Saudi Arabia’s condolences and sympathy with the families of the
deceased, and to the Russian government and people for this “painful incident.”
The Kingdom stressed the importance of combating all
forms of extremism and terrorism, the ministry added.
It also called for “security and safety for the
Russian Federation and its friendly people, and a speedy recovery for the
injured,” the statement said.
The Saudi embassy in Moscow called on citizens to take
care and avoid the area around the attack venue, and to adhere to the
instructions issued by local authorities. It said citizens can contact the
embassy on +79175110815 for emergencies.
The UAE, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain have also
expressed their condemnation of the attack, and extended their sympathy to the
victims as well as the Russian government.
In statements released through their foreign affairs
ministries, the Gulf and Arab states also rejected all forms of violence that
undermined security and stability and contravene all human and religious values
and principles.
The UN
Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack in the strongest
possible terms, according to spokesman.
The Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general Jassem
Mohamed Albudaiwi also issued a statement condemning and denouncing the attack.
He emphasized the unwavering and rejecting stance of
the GCC towards all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism that aim to
undermine security and stability in any region of the world.
The UN Security Council also offered its condolences
and urged all states “to cooperate actively” with the Russian government and
other authorities to hold perpetrators and backers of “these reprehensible acts
of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.”
“The members of the Security Council condemned in the
strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack,” their statement said.
The White House sent its condolences to the victims of
the “terrible” shooting, saying it was trying to get more information.
“Our thoughts are with the victims of this terrible
shooting attack,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“The images are just horrible and just hard to watch.”
The White House also said that the United States
warned Russian authorities earlier in March about a “planned terrorist attack”
possibly targeting “large gatherings” in Moscow.
President Xi Jinping “strongly condemned” the attack
and sent his condolences to Putin, state media reported.
Xi “stressed that China opposes all form of terrorism,
strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian
government’s efforts to safeguard its national security and stability,” Xinhua
news agency said.
The European Union said it was “shocked and appalled”
by the Moscow attack.
“The EU condemns any attacks against civilians. Our
thoughts are with all those Russian citizens affected,” said an EU spokesman.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he “strongly
condemns the terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State,” according to the
Elysee Palace.
“France expresses its solidarity with the victims,
their loved ones and all the Russian people,” the palace said.
Albudaiwi extended his “sincere condolences and
sympathy to the Russian government and its people, as well as to the families
of the victims of this tragic incident,” and wished a speedy recovery to all
the injured.
Spain said Friday it was “shocked” by an attack on a
Moscow concert that Russian authorities said left at least 40 dead and 100
injured, saying it “condemns any form of violence.”
“We are shocked by the news from Russia. Our
solidarity with the victims, their families and the Russian people. Spain
condemns any form of violence,” the Spanish foreign ministry wrote on X, the
former Twitter.
Italian Prime Minister GiorgiaMeloni also condemned an
“odious act of terrorism” after a Moscow concert attack that Russian
authorities said killed 40 and injured more than 100.
“The horror of the massacre of innocent civilians in
Moscow is unacceptable,” Meloni said in a statement, expressing her “full
solidarity with the affected people and the victims’ families.”
The MWL also denounced the “heinous” attack at the
concert hall and reaffirmed the organizations stance against all forms and
reasons for violence, terrorism and extremism.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Kuwait prime minister performs Umrah rituals in Makkah
during official Saudi visit
March 23, 2024
JEDDAH: Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Sabah
Al-Salem Al-Sabah on Friday performed Umrah rituals during his official visit
to Saudi Arabia, coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
He was received at the Grand Mosque by a number of
officials in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Sheikh Mohammed then departed from Jeddah after concluding
his visit, during which he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed
bilateral ties and ways to boost cooperation.
The Kuwaiti senior official was seen off at King
Abdulaziz International Airport by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Saud
bin Mishal and a number of Saudi government and security officials.
Sheikh Mohammed “expressed deep gratitude to the
Kingdom, its government and people for the warm hospitality and wished them
ever-lasting stability and prosperity,” Kuwait News Agency reported.
Source:
arabnews.com
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---
UN chief welcomes Saudi Arabia’s $40m contribution to
UNRWA
March 23, 2024
RIYADH: The UN Secretary-General on Friday welcomed a
$40 million contribution announced by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian
Aid and Relief Center to support a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees emergency appeal in Gaza.
Antonio Guterres said that “at a time when the people
of Gaza face the threat of looming famine, such a donation is crucial to
ensuring the ability of UNRWA, which is the backbone of the humanitarian
response in the occupied Palestinian territory, to continue operating and
providing services to the people of Gaza in their time of need,” according to
the Saudi Press Agency.
UNRWA confirmed that the donation will provide food
for more than 250,000 people and tents for 20,000 families in Gaza.
A UN spokesman said that the donation was an important
step toward ensuring the well-being of the people of Gaza, SPA said.
Guterres also called on Israel to ensure full and
unrestricted access to humanitarian supplies to all parts of Gaza.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Saudi aid agency highlights Kingdom’s efforts to
alleviate suffering in Gaza
March 22, 2024
BRUSSLES: A delegation from Saudi aid agency KSrelief,
led by Hana Omar, director of the center’s department of partnerships and
international relations, participated in a meeting in Brussels last week
addressing the Gaza crisis.
The meeting was chaired by the European Commission and
France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs as part of the High-Level
European Humanitarian Forum’s third session, which took place on March 18 and
19.
Addressing the meeting, Omar highlighted the Kingdom’s
efforts to alleviate the repercussions of the ongoing violence in Gaza and
expressed her gratitude to Belgium for hosting the meeting amid “escalating
hostilities and blatant violations of international humanitarian law” in Gaza.
She also conveyed appreciation for the efforts of humanitarian workers in Gaza
and offered condolences to the families of those who had lost their lives
during recent events.
Since November, the Saudi leadership has spearheaded a
campaign through the “Sahim” relief platform for the Palestinian people in
Gaza. This initiative has received donations exceeding $180 million.
The forum was focused on the humanitarian requirements
in nations impacted by crises worldwide. Participants emphasized the importance
of bolstering cooperation between affected countries, donors, international
stakeholders, and the European Union in order to identify sustainable and
effective solutions to humanitarian challenges, particularly in Gaza.
Source:
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---
Civil Defense Bolsters Safety Measures for Pilgrims in
Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan
22 Mar, 2024
The Civil Defense in Makkah and Madinah has
intensified its teams' capabilities to ensure Umrah performers' safety during
the blessed month of Ramadan, 1445 AH.
Civil Defense teams continue implementing various
preventive and rapid intervention measures to tackle emergency situations in
the Two Holy Mosques.
The Civil Defense has affirmed providing necessary
resources to all field teams in the Two Holy Mosques and their courtyards and
to the rapid intervention teams in Makkah's central zone.
These efforts are part of the Civil Defense's
commitment to preserving the safety and comfort of the pilgrims to perform
Umrah with ease and tranquility.
Source:
alriyadhdaily.com
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----
Mideast
Turkey's Erdogan threatens to 'send Netanyahu to
Allah,' Israel summons envoy
MARCH 23, 2024
Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned the Turkish
ambassador after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to
"send [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to Allah" in a post on X on
Friday.
"I instructed Israel's Foreign Ministry officials
to summon the Turkish deputy ambassador to Israel for a serious reprimand,
following Erdogan's attack on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his threats to send
PM Netanyahu to Allah and to convey a clear message to Erdogan," Katz
wrote. "You who support the burning of babies, murderers, rapists, and the
mutilation of corpses by Hamas criminals, is the last one who can speak about
God.
"There is no God who will listen to those who
support the atrocities and crimes against humanity committed by your barbaric
Hamas friends. Be quiet and ashamed!” he continued.
This was shortly after an election rally last Thursday
where the Turkish President had made these statements, the Jewish National Syndicate
reported.
Earlier incidents between Turkish, Israeli officials
Earlier this month, Erdogan compared Netanyahu in a
speech to some of history's known dictators, including Mussolini, Hitler, and
Stalin, multiple media sources reported.
The Turkish President was also quoted by multiple
outlets saying that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but rather a
resistance, and we stand firmly behind them and [are] in constant contact with
its leaders,” to which the Israeli prime minister responded by saying that
"Israel observes the laws of war and will not be subject to moral
preaching from Erdogan, who supports murderers and rapists of the Hamas
terrorist organization, denies the Armenian genocide, and massacres Kurds in
his own country."
Source:
jpost.com
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---
Israeli forces detain hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad
fighters in Al Shifa hospital
23.03.24
Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Hamas and
Islamic Jihad fighters including a number of security officials and military
commanders during its extended raid into Gaza’s main hospital, the military’s
main spokesperson said.
Israeli troops entered the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza
City on Monday morning and have been combing through the sprawling complex,
which the military says is connected to a tunnel network used as a base for
Palestinian fighters.
It says troops have killed hundreds of fighters in the
operation and also detained over 500 suspects, including 358 members of Hamas
and Islamic Jihad, the largest number captured at the same time since the
beginning of the war nearly six months ago.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said special forces units
had used “deception tactics” to surprise the fighters and had severely damaged
Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Among the detainees were 3 senior Islamic Jihad
military commanders and two Hamas officials responsible for operations in the
occupied West Bank.
Source:
telegraphindia.com
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---
UN Security Council vote on new Gaza ceasefire text
postponed to Monday: diplomats
March 23, 2024
UNITED NATIONS, United States: A vote at the UN
Security Council on a new text calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in the
Israel-Hamas war was postponed to Monday, diplomatic sources said, after a
separate, US-lead draft resolution was vetoed.
The United States, Israel’s main ally and military
backer, had put forward a resolution mentioning “the imperative of an immediate
and sustained ceasefire” and condemning the October 7 attack by Hamas.
Russia and China on Friday vetoed that resolution,
which was also opposed by Arab states for stopping short of explicitly
demanding Israel immediately end its campaign in Gaza.
The new ceasefire text was meant to go to a vote on
Saturday, but was pushed back to allow further discussions, the diplomatic
sources said.
The new, tougher draft resolution, seen by AFP,
“demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan
that leads “to a permanent sustainable ceasefire” respected by all sides.
Eight of the council’s 10 non-permanent members have
been working on the draft, which also calls for the “immediate and
unconditional” release of hostages seized by Hamas and the lifting of “all
barriers” to humanitarian aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip.
“We as (the) Arab Group unanimously endorse and
support the draft resolution,” said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad
Mansour, who had denounced the US-led text as biased.
But US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield indicated
opposition, saying the resolution would jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts
to secure the release of hostages — the same reason the United States gave
before vetoing previous ceasefire resolutions.
“In its current form, that text fails to support
sensitive diplomacy in the region. Worse, it could actually give Hamas an
excuse to walk away from the deal on the table,” she said.
Friday’s text did not explicitly use the word “call,”
but simply stated that a ceasefire was imperative, and linked to ongoing talks,
led by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in
return for Hamas releasing hostages.
“If the US is serious about a ceasefire, then please
vote in favor of the other draft resolution, clearly calling for a ceasefire,”
China’s representative, Zhang Jun, said.
More than 1,160 people, mostly civilians, died on
October 7 when Hamas militants infiltrated Israel in the country’s deadliest
attack, according to Israeli official figures.
Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas, which controls
the Gaza Strip. More than 32,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the
retaliatory campaign, according to the Gaza health ministry, and the United
Nations has warned of imminent famine in the territory.
Source:
arabnews.com
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---
Ramadan prayer at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa under the shadow
of Gaza war
March 23, 2024
JERUSALEM: Muslims worshippers flocked to Jerusalem’s
Al-Aqsa mosque compound for the second Friday prayer of Ramadan under the heavy
presence of Israeli police, a sign of lurking tensions in the holy city.
“We feel lucky to be at Al-Aqsa while hundreds of
thousands are deprived of access to it,” said Mustafa Al-Sheikh, a 62-year-old
Palestinian who traveled with his wife from Anata, a town near Jerusalem in the
occupied West Bank.
The couple were among about 180,000 people who prayed
on Friday at the mosque compound, according to the religious body that
administers the historically sensitive site in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
“The prayer went smoothly and peacefully,” Azzam
Al-Khatib, head of the Waqf Islamic affairs council, told AFP.
The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is Islam’s third holiest
site and Judaism’s most sacred, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. It is also a
frequent source of tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which have
soared this year as war rages in the Gaza Strip.
In past years, violence flared around Al-Aqsa during
the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, with Palestinians accusing Israel of
increasingly restricting access to the site.
Thousands of police officers were deployed to the area
surrounding the compound on Friday, some of them heavily armed, in part to
enforce age restrictions imposed on West Bank Palestinians.
Israel has said only men aged 55 and over and women
older than 50 would be allowed to enter from the territory.
But for many, simply reaching Jerusalem from other
parts of the West Bank, dotted with Israeli checkpoints, could be a challenging
feat.
Zainab Ramadan Freij, a 70-year-old resident of the
northern West Bank’s Tulkarem refugee camp, said she had to take a bus at 6:30
am from to make it to Jerusalem — just over 60 kilometers (40 miles) away — in
time for the noon prayer.
Once inside the compound, worshippers rejoiced and
took photos on Al-Aqsa’s iconic rock stairs.
“My friend Lina has been in America for 20 years. I
want to send her these pictures because she loves Al-Aqsa and misses it,” said
Rabab Hadiya, a 49-year-old teacher from Jerusalem.
Just two weeks ago, mass prayers at the compound ended
in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces, but so far Ramadan has
passed without any major incident.
Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at Israeli
think-tank the Institute for National Security Studies, attributed the relative
calm to several policy decisions.
Officers had been told to be particularly careful and
police were monitoring social media for incitement, Michael told AFP.
He also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had
reined in the firebrand Israeli minister overseeing the police force, who had
suggested barring all West Bank residents from the revered mosque.
“Netanyahu himself intervened” to strip National
Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of his “authority on the issue of
Palestinians’ access to Al-Aqsa during Ramadan,” Michael said.
In his sermon, the preacher spoke of Palestinians
suffering hunger in the war-battered Gaza Strip.
“Do not forget and remember your brothers in Gaza who
sleep without food in a tent or in a destroyed house,” he said.
This message resonated with 69-year-old Mohammad Abu
Arar, whose wife’s family in Gaza are currently sheltering in tents in the
far-southern city of Rafah.
“We pray for our people there to be safe and for the
war to end peacefully, from the most sacred place for us,” said Abu Arar.
Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has killed at
least 32,070 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the
Hamas-ruled territory’s health ministry.
It was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on
southern Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people,
mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
International mediators had aimed for a new truce
before Ramadan, but more than two weeks into the holy month and nearly six
months into the war, no agreement has been reached.
Source:
arabnews.com
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----
Hezbollah retaliates against Israeli atrocities in
Gaza with drone, artillery strikes
23 March 2024
Hezbollah fighters have conducted several retaliatory
strikes against Israeli positions, targeting various locations, including
barracks and gathering sites in the 1948 occupied territories, in response to
the ongoing war on Gaza.
Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television news network, citing
a Hezbollah statement, reported that the group targeted the Ruwaisat al-Alam
site in Kfarshouba Hills on Friday, causing casualties.
The statement said Hezbollah fighters also struck a
group of Israeli soldiers near the Jal al-Alam military base, facing the Alma
al-Shaab village in southern Lebanon, with artillery rounds. Several Israeli
troops were killed and wounded as a result, it said.
They targeted an Israeli battle tank in the Metula
post with an explosive-laden drone. Hezbollah fired artillery shells at Israeli
troops near the Zar'it barracks as well, wounding a number of the soldiers.
Israeli warplanes, meanwhile, bombed the southern
Lebanese border town of Aita al-Shaab, while Israeli tanks and artillery
shelled a house in al-Khiam town, Hamames Hill and the outskirts of al-Odaisseh
and Kfarkela villages.
The Israeli regime has been attacking southern Lebanon
off and on since October 7, when it launched the devastating campaign of death
and destruction in Gaza.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily
rocket attacks on Israeli positions.
At least 322 people have been killed on the Lebanese
border, including 56 civilians.
Israel says at least ten of its troopers and seven
settlers have been killed in the area.
The fighting has forced the evacuation of tens of
thousands from the northern part of the occupied territories, which have been
pummeled by rocket fire and shelling carried out by Hezbollah and allied
Palestinian groups.
Hezbollah has already fought off two Israeli wars
against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. The resistance forced the regime to retreat
in both conflicts.
Source:
presstv.ir
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----
Hamas: Al-Aqsa restrictions continuation of Israeli
aggression
22 March 2024
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the
Israeli-imposed restrictions on Palestinian worshippers’ access to al-Aqsa
Mosque during the holy fasting month of Ramadan is a continuation of the
regime’s aggression on the Palestinians and their sanctities.
Hamas said on Friday that hundreds of Palestinians in
the occupied al-Quds are banned from reaching the mosque on the second Friday
of the holy month and they have been assaulted.
The resistance movement said the restrictive measures
are “a continuation of the overall state of aggression waged by the Zionist
enemy against our people, our land, and our sanctities, which our people in the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank are confronting with utmost courage.”
The movement also hailed the “steadfast” people who
defied the restrictions and staged a sit-in at the mosque.
Warning of the danger of the Israeli escalation, Hamas
urged the international community, not least the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) to take a serious action to protect al-Aqsa Mosque and the Islamic and
Christian holy sites from Israel’s plans to “liquidate the Palestinian cause.”
Ramadan has historically seen an escalation of Israeli
violence against the Palestinians, particularly around Al-Aqsa Mosque.
This year’s Ramadan is expected to be more violent
than previous years given the regime’s incessant bombing of Gaza.
The genocidal US-backed war started after Hamas
carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023 against the usurping
entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities.
Since early October, the regime has killed nearly
32,000 Palestinians and injured more than 74,000 others in Gaza.
Israel has also killed at least 440 Palestinians and
injured about 4,700 others in the occupied West Bank ever since.
Source:
presstv.ir
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----
Israel seizes about 2000 acres of Palestinian land in
occupied West Bank
23 March 2024
Israel has announced to seize hundreds of acres of
more Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank to expand settlements. It is
viewed as one of the regime’s biggest land-grab schemes.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced
on Friday to grab 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of more land in the occupied West
Bank after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel for talks with
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The minister emphasized the regime’s determination to
press ahead with settlement building in the occupied West Bank, despite growing
international outcry.
Smotrich said that “we promote settlement through hard
work and in a strategic manner all over” Israel.
The Israeli regime has before also denominated land of
300 hectares (740 acres) in the Jordan Valley as state land in the MaaleAdumim
area of the West Bank.
This is although even Israel’s ally the United States
said last month that Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank was
inconsistent with international law.
Earlier this month, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk
said, “The establishment and continuing expansion of settlements amount to … a
war crime under international law.”
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230
settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East
al-Quds.
While all Israeli settlements are illegal under
international law, Israel has stepped up settlement expansion in blatant
violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future
independent state with East al-Quds as its capital.
Palestinian authorities condemned the land seizure and
expansion of illegal settlements.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the
latest move a “crime” that is part of an “official policy racing against time
to annex the West Bank and eliminate the possibility of creating a Palestinian
state.”
“There are no morals, values, principles or
international resolutions that can stop the extremist right,” the ministry
said.
“The international failure to protect our people is
complicity and cover for Israel’s ongoing evasion of punishment,” it added.
The Palestinian Authority has called on all countries
to put individuals tied to settler organizations or companies investing in
settlement construction across the occupied Palestinian territories on their
terror lists.
The United Nations has already published a list of
companies with business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian
territories.
The Palestinians have called for serious international
intervention to force the regime to stop the settlement expansion.
The UN is concerned about the surging violence
perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, terming it “terrorism”
against the Palestinians.
The Israeli regime has escalated its acts of
aggression against the Palestinians across the West Bank since October 7, 2023,
when it began the campaign of death and destruction in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Source:
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----
Israeli forces brutally target civilians in Gaza City,
burning homes
23 March 2024
Israel has been carrying out a horrendous campaign of
bloodshed and human rights violations against Palestinian civilians in Gaza
City, according to testimonies.
Israeli occupation forces are burning Palestinian
homes and properties, escalating the genocidal war being committed against the
residents of the besieged strip since 7 October 2023, Euro-Med Human Rights
Monitor reported on Saturday.
The Monitor has documented shocking testimonies about
a series of crimes systematically committed by Israeli forces in Gaza over the
past 24 hours.
The crimes include deliberate killings, extrajudicial
executions, communication cutoffs, and intense shelling targeting areas and
homes surrounding the al-Shifa Medical Complex.
This medical facility, which serves as a shelter for
thousands of displaced Palestinian families, has been under inclusive Israeli
military attack for the fifth consecutive day.
Israeli occupation forces have been strip-searching
civilians and using them as human shields, raiding residential homes,
conducting arbitrary arrests, and torturing residents, including women and
children, according to the testimonies.
Shockingly the children were forced by occupation
forces to evacuate without the presence of male family members towards the
central and southern areas of the strip, before burning their homes.
"We saw death before our eyes. They stormed the
residential building where my family resides, and suddenly we found 50 armed soldiers
in the middle of the living room,” Roula Saad stated.
“They ordered the men to strip naked and the women to
follow them. They took us to the first floor, where they placed the men in a
room next to us before taking them to al-Shifa Hospital,” she added.
“As for us women, they ordered us to go down and head
towards the southern areas of the strip."
Another witness reported that the Israeli forces
raided her house during the iftar (fast-breaking meal), separated women from
men, and instructed women to go alone with their children to the southern areas
of the strip, and then set their house on fire and burnt it completely.
Israel launched the war against Gaza on October 7.
However, almost six months into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to
achieve its objectives of "destroying Hamas" and finding Israeli
captives despite killing at least 31,923 Palestinians, mostly women and
children, and injuring 74,096 others.
In response, resistance movements from Lebanon, Iraq,
and Yemen have been carrying out military operations against the Tel Aviv
regime and its interests in the region.
The regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the
territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the Palestinians
living there.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk
condemned the rampant hunger and looming famine in Gaza.
He lamented the world’s inaction in the face of what
he described as a man-made catastrophe despite the UN’s repeated alerts in the
past months.
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-----
IDF probes leaked footage showing strikes on
apparently unarmed men near Khan Younis
22 March 2024
EMANUEL FABIAN
The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it was probing
leaked drone footage aired by Al Jazeera this week showing recent Israeli
strikes on seemingly unarmed Palestinian men in the Khan Younis area.
The graphic high-quality footage showed several men
struck by munitions while walking in open areas.
In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF
Spokesperson’s Unit said the footage was from an “active combat zone in Khan
Younis, which had been significantly evacuated of the civilian population, and
in which the troops experienced many encounters with terrorists who fought and
moved [around] in civilian clothing, and disguised weapons in buildings and
property that are believed to be civilian.”
It also said the footage had been handed over to the
General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, an independent military body
responsible for investigating unusual incidents amid the war, for further
review.
The military has said that throughout the months-long
war, it has regularly encountered terror operatives posing as civilians while
moving from point to point, only arming themselves just prior to attacking
Israeli forces. It has thus often used intelligence and extensive monitoring to
identify and target operatives.
It was not immediately clear whether the men seen in
the footage had been confirmed as combatants prior to being targeted.
Warning: Graphic footage
Graphic scenes: An Israeli army drone pursued four
civilian youths who attempted to reach their destroyed homes and killed them
with missiles in Khan Younis at the start of last February.
pic.twitter.com/6aQv5VLkdK
It was unclear where Al Jazeera obtained the footage.
The IDF did not respond to requests for comment on whether it was investigating
the leak itself.
The IDF has been operating in Khan Younis for several
months as part of the war against Hamas. The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s
October 7 massacres, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border
into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253
hostages, mostly civilians.
Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a wide-scale
military campaign in Gaza, aiming to destroy the terror group and return the
hostages. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says some 32,000 people have
been killed in fighting so far, a figure that cannot be independently verified,
and includes some 13,000 Hamas terrorists Israel says it has killed in battle.
Israel also says it killed some 1,000 gunmen inside Israel on October 7.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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----
120,000 Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa as 2nd Friday
Ramadan prayers pass peacefully
22 March 2024
Some 120,000 people attended the second Friday prayers
of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa-Mosque on the Temple Mount, which ended peacefully
and without any disturbances, police and religious authorities said.
The Islamic Waqf, which administers the mosque
compound, estimated that around 120,000 people took part in the prayers, up
from an estimated 80,000 last week.
Police in a statement said that they had deployed
thousands of officers in Jerusalem’s Old City and around the Temple Mount to
ensure that the event passed peacefully. Police did not give a specific number,
saying only that “tens of thousands took part.”
Police said there were “no unusual disturbances,”
however, they noted that there had been attempts to “spread fake news and false
stories on Arabic social media” in an attempt to incite violence.
The Haaretz daily reported that around 10,000 of the
worshippers traveled from the West Bank to attend the prayers.
This marked the second successive Friday prayers to
pass without incident in the Muslim holy month despite fears of disturbances
after the Hamas terror group had called on Palestinian worshipers to barricade
themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In a statement last week, Hamas had called on
followers to “participate urgently in defending Al-Aqsa Mosque against the
aggression that lurks in these critical times.”
In past years during Ramadan, Palestinians have at times
barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is situated on the
Temple Mount, some with explosives and rocks. Police operations to clear them
out have often resulted in violence.
This year’s Ramadan comes amid tinderbox tensions
stemming from the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the group’s
shock October 7 attack, when thousands of terrorists rampaged through southern
Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages.
Terror groups have called on Palestinians to come to
the Al-Aqsa Mosque to confront Israel over the war in Gaza.
Police officers scuffled with some attendees at the
Temple Mount entrance on the first night of Ramadan, but the holy site has been
relatively peaceful since.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged ahead of
Ramadan that the number of worshipers allowed to pray on the Temple Mount would
be the same as in previous years and that no restrictions would be imposed on
Arab Israelis, overruling the wishes of National Security Minister Itamar Ben
Gvir, an ultranationalist firebrand who oversees the Israel Police.
COGAT, the Israeli defense body in charge of civilian
affairs in the West Bank, has ruled that Palestinian residents’ access to the
site for Friday’s prayers will be limited to men over 55, women over 50, and
children under 10.
The Temple Mount is the holiest place in Judaism,
where two biblical Temples once stood, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the
third-holiest shrine in Islam, making the site a central flashpoint of the
Israeli-Arab conflict.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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----
Africa
Chad refugee camps running out of funds as Sudan
crisis worsens
22 March 2024
Overcrowded refugee camps in eastern Chad are set to
run out of money soon, exacerbating a dire humanitarian crisis caused by the
spillover from a deadly conflict in Sudan, the UN has said.
More than a million people in Chad, including
refugees, face losing access to lifesaving aid unless more funding is raised to
help, the UN World Food Program said this month.
The devastating conflict between feuding generals in
Sudan has killed more than 5,000 people there and displaced over 5 million, the
United Nations said. In Chad, refugee numbers are at a 20-year high.
The UN has warned that the conflict is on course to
become the world’s worst hunger crisis, with a third of Sudan’s 18 million
people facing acute food insecurity already.
At the Metche Camp, which is sheltering some 40,000
refugees, people are in dire need of water, food, shelter and basic sanitation.
Earlier this month an Associated Press reporter saw
aid workers unload sacks of grain from trucks for distribution as fierce winds
blew across the rocky, sandy terrain.
Aid workers used loudspeakers to explain the work and
distribute tokens among refugees. “Here we do distribution in a targeted
manner,” AhmatAbsakine, an aid worker with Caritas, another aid group in the
region.
Water shortages are causing diseases to spread, and
aid workers fear a catastrophe if supplies run out.
“The spillover from the crisis in Sudan is
overwhelming an underfunded and overstretched humanitarian response in Chad. We
need donors to prevent the situation from becoming an all-out catastrophe,”
said Pierre Honnorat, the World Food Program’s top representative in Chad.
Analysts also fear the humanitarian situation could
cause Chad's political tensions to erupt.
In February, opposition leader Yaya Dillo was killed
in the capital. He was the president’s cousin and a strong contender in the
presidential election scheduled for May.
Finances and aid supplies at humanitarian operations
are critically low. This will increase competition over resources between
refugees and host communities in eastern Chad, further fueling local tensions
and regional instability,” said Andrew Smith, senior Africa analyst at Verisk
Maplecroft.
Chad’s interim president, MahamatDebyItno, seized
power after his father who ran the country for more than three decades was
killed fighting rebels in 2021.
Last year, the government announced it was extending
the 18-month transition for two more years, which led to protests across the
country.
Source:
trtworld.com
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https://www.trtworld.com/africa/chad-refugee-camps-running-out-of-funds-as-sudan-crisis-worsens-17465493
----
DR Congo’s conflict-driven hunger crisis worsens as
violence in east surges
22 March 2024
The Democratic Republic of Congo's conflict-driven
hunger crisis is worsening as violence in the eastern province’s surges,
forcing families to flee once again.
More and more people are arriving at overcrowded camps
where there is a lack of food, sanitation and shelter.
Just since February, 230,000 people have been
displaced to Goma by the M23 conflict bringing the total estimated displaced
population to almost a million people around the city - almost double what it
was four months ago.
Eastern Congo has been riddled by conflict for
decades, linked to more than 120 armed groups fighting for land and power and
in some cases, protecting their communities.
The government said the violence in the east has
plagued the country with recurrent conflict and resulted in a surge of attacks
that have spread terror among the communities.
In recent years, the M23 rebel group — the most
dominant in the region with alleged links to neighboring Rwanda — has continued
to attack villages, forcing many to flee to Goma, the region’s largest city.
M23 has laid siege to several communities with about
half of North Kivu province under its control.
The violence in the province has worsened in recent
weeks as security forces battle the rebels.
Residents have said the group’s fighters mostly launch
attacks with bombs out of hills overlooking remote towns.
Families face extreme shortages as they have
inadequate shelter, and limited access to water, food and protection from
abuse.
In DRC, WFP’s emergency response in the east said it
has tripled its beneficiary reach, from an average of 400,000 people in May
2023 to an average of 1.3 million people today.
Nearly one million people have been displaced due to
conflict since the start of the year, leading to food shortages and increased
commodity prices in Goma's markets.
Around a quarter of DRC’s population – 23.4 million
people – are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse.
Many live in poor and cramped conditions with little
or no access to food, health services, and education.
At the heart of a deepening hunger crisis lies a
troubling situation for women and girls, particularly those living in IDP
camps, where they face a constant threat from sexual violence.
Funding shortages mean WFP is forced to choose who
gets food and who goes without, it said, especially in the east where
humanitarian needs and conflict are surging.
WFP needs US$ 548.5 million to keep comprehensive
operations in the DRC, it said.
Source:
africanews.com
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/03/22/dr-congos-conflict-driven-hunger-crisis-worsens-as-violence-in-east-surges/
---
Defence Headquarters declares Simon Ekpa, 96 others
wanted for terrorism
Jerry Wright-Ukwu
March 23, 2024
Simon Ekpa, leader of the unknown gunmen terrorising
the southeast, is one of the 97 people declared wanted by the Defence
Headquarters (DHQ) for alleged terrorism and allied acts against the nation’s
security.
Also wanted by the state in a public notice issued by
the DHQ are alleged terror gang leaders in the North East, North West, North
Central and South East.
They include AlhajiShingi, MalindiYakubu, Boka, Dogo
Gide, HaliluSububu, Ado Aliero, Bello Turji, Dan Bokkolo, LabiYadi, Nagala,
Saidu Idris, KachallaRugga and Sani Gurgu.
Also listed are: Abu Zaida; ModuSulum; Baba Data;
Ahmad; Sani Teacher; Baa Sadiq; Abdul Saad; Kaka Abi; Mohammad Khalifa; Umar
Tella; Abu Mutahid; Mallam Mohammad; MallamTahiruBaga; Uzaiya and Ali Ngule.
The rest include Chika Edoziem, Egede, Zuma, ThankGod,
Gentle, Flavour, Mathew, David Ndubuisi, High Chief Williams Agbor, EbukaNwaka,
Friday Ojimka, ObiemesiChukwudi aka Dan Chuk; David EzekwemChidiebube and
AmobiChinonso Okafor aka Temple.
Ekpa, 35, trained as a lawyer and is based in Finland.
Source:
politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/defence-headquarters-declares-simon-ekpa-96-others-wanted-for-terrorism/#google_vignette
---
Tunisians struggle to keep Ramadan spirit as economic
crisis persists
Ghaya Ben Mbarek
Mar 23, 2024
At the SidiBahri popular supermarket in downtown
Tunis, business during Ramadan has been slower than previous years.
As it is for Muslims all around the world, Ramadan for
Tunisians is not only a holy month of worship but it is also a chance to bring
families together and celebrate traditions.
But Ramadan has turned into another reminder for
Tunisians of their country’s visible economic strains and the basic needs they
no longer can afford.
“Ramadan has lost its taste,” say most people on the
street.
Traditions such as big family and friends gatherings
have mostly stopped because of the worsening economic situation.
For one Tunisian, such drastic change makes her feel
sad and nostalgic for the old days when the arrival of the holy month meant
only joy.
“In the past, all corners of our houses used to be
filled [with food], there used to be goodness and bliss everywhere,” says Fatma
Hilal, 60, a homemaker. “But now we find ourselves lacking many things and
barely buying what we need with these price rises.”
In the past, Tunisians would gather at Ramadan to make
oula, which involves preparing meals from things like couscous, spices and
dried meat.
Today, only the well-off are able to keep that
tradition.
According to the most recent figures from the National
Statistics Institute, the overall inflation rate in Tunisia fell to 7.5 per
cent in February – compared to 10.4 per cent in the same month last year – but
it remains high for food.
Food inflation reached 12.1 per cent in January, with
the highest increases reported for coffee (35 per cent), lamb meat and cooking
oils (23 per cent) and fresh vegetables (19.3 per cent.)
Mrs Hilal no longer buys fish or red meat.
“There is nothing that you would lay your hand on at
the supermarket and actually feel confident that you could afford,” she says.
After working for more than 30 years as a clerk for
the Tunis Municipality, FathiHanchouch, 67, says that he is now left with a 280
dinars ($90) monthly pension to cover all of his expenses.
“All prices are on fire now and 200 dinars could
barely cover one week’s expenses so we find ourselves obliged to buy certain
types food and cut it into small portions to consume slowly,” he tells The
National at SidiBahri market.
He was holding an almost empty shopping basket with
only a can of concentrated tomato paste and few leafy vegetables inside, just
enough for him to cook a small stew to break his fast at the end of the day.
“I hope they [the state] would show kindness to those
who spent their lives working only to end up impoverished at the end like me,”
Mr Hanchouch says.
What could be done?
Despite the Tunisian government’s actions to counter
the hoarding of certain basic products by wholesalers and their recent
announcement that they will be importing food like beef, poultry and certain
fruits to boost the local market in preparation for Ramadan, merchants at
SidiBahri market say that it is a little too late for such measures to work on
the ground.
“If you want to actually revive the market,
importation is the only solution for prices to stabilise and for citizens to be
able to afford meat again,” butcher Mohamed Mlouki, 75, tells The National.
Although the solution may seem clear, it remains
nearly impossible to achieve with a crisis in public finances, low foreign
currency reserves and the devaluation of the dinar.
“The state keeps lying about importing, they do not
have the money for it and the citizen already lost hope and no longer bother to
buy [certain food,] Mr Mlouki says.
The situation is even more precarious because of the
inherent monopoly of some stakeholders that have maintained their control over
the domestic market for decades.
“Red meat prices have only reached this ultimate high
because the state had long granted the licence for selling cattle fodder to
only one person that has kept using it to dictate the prices in our market,” Ali
Aafli, a butcher working at Mr Mlouki's shop said.
Source:
thenationalnews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/tunisia/2024/03/23/tunisians-struggle-to-keep-ramadan-spirit-as-economic-crisis-persists/
----
Anxiety as Saudi refuses to issue Umrah visas to
Nigerian Muslims as Ramadan enters day 12
TaofeekOyedokun
March 22, 2024
Thousands of Nigerian pilgrims might miss the 2024
Ramadan Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia due to the suspension of Umrah visa
issuance by the authorities.
The decision has caused anxiety among intending
pilgrims, especially as Ramadan enters its 12th day.
Also, Hajj and Umrah operators face significant
financial losses from hotel bookings in Makkah and Madinah.
Several flights intended to transport pilgrims for the
Umrah exercise have been cancelled or rescheduled.
For instance, a flight scheduled to depart from Kano
to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, carrying over 300 intending pilgrims, was grounded
due to visa issues, as reported by Daily Trust.
Umrah pilgrimage during Ramadan is a common practice
in Nigeria and other countries, with Muslims aiming to spend the last 10 days
of fasting in Saudi Arabia. However, this year’s plans are jeopardised by the
Saudi authorities’ decision not to issue visas to intending pilgrims.
The decision to halt visa issuance by Saudi
authorities aims to alleviate overcrowding during the holy month of Ramadan.
In Kano, hundreds of intending Umrah pilgrims are
awaiting entry visas. Some travel agents attribute the delays to a new visa
policy introduced by Saudi authorities. According to the policy, visas have a
three-month validity and a two-week duration of stay, leading to confusion
among pilgrims.
Haruna Ismail, Kano zonal chairman of the Association
of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON), explained that many pilgrims
delayed their entry until Ramadan due to the visa’s validity period. However,
some pilgrims overstayed their duration in the kingdom, unaware of the visa
policy.
Ismail said many pilgrims had secured the visa since
Rajab (the 7th month in the Islamic calendar) but delayed entry till Ramadan
(the 9th month) because the visa has three months validity.
Abdulaziz Sabitu Mohammed, AHUON vice chairman,
revealed that over 7,000 Umrah pilgrims have secured visas but have not entered
the kingdom. He noted that discussions with the National Hajj Commission of
Nigeria (NAHCON) are ongoing to resolve the issue.
“From our estimation last year, Saudi Arabia received
more than 25 million Umrah pilgrims out of which, three million performed Umrah
in Ramadan, but this year, because of the new visa policy, three months
validity and duration of stay of two weeks instead of one month, made many to
overstay in the Kingdom. There were people who visited since Sha’aban (8th
month) and stayed after performing the Umrah,” he said.
Intending pilgrims are resorting to extreme measures,
such as paying exorbitant amounts up to N2 million for visas.
BabangidaDanazumi expressed frustration over the
delays. Also, Sadi Hamisu Ala highlighted the inconvenience caused by the visa
uncertainty.
“Our booking was March 15, but we have to reschedule
it because the visa is not ready. I belong to a group of eight persons and we
bought our tickets seven months ago, believing that visas will be easy as every
year. Usually, it is cheaper to book ahead and it makes things easier,” Ala
said.
AlhajiYahayaNasidi, president of AHUON, confirmed that
90% of intending Umrah pilgrims may miss the pilgrimage due to visa issues,
leading to cancellations of flights and hotel bookings.
“It is just unfortunate. Many people have cancelled
their flights. The predicament is that most travel agents have made
arrangements for hotels for the pilgrims and the pilgrims are not going. We
don’t know how it is going to be. There would be a huge loss on hotels
particularly,” he said.
However, NAHCON declined to comment on the matter when
contacted.
Source:
businessday.ng
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https://businessday.ng/news/article/anxiety-as-saudi-refuses-to-issue-umrah-visas-to-nigerian-muslims-as-ramadan-enters-day-12/
---
Southeast
Asia
Cabinet agrees to seven out of eight proposed
constitutional amendments on citizenship
22-03- 2024
PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed to seven out of
eight proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution involving citizenship
issues tabled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN).
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the
matter was agreed upon in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim here today.
“Today, I made a presentation to the Cabinet. All the
proposed amendments took into account the opinions of all parties, including
after the Prime Minister held discussions with Unity Government component party
leaders and chief whips,” he told a press conference here.
Saifuddin said the other constitutional amendment that
was not agreed to by the Cabinet, namely the one regarding Articles 19(b) and
14(1)(e) will remain as they were in the Federal Constitution.
He said all the proposed amendments had also gone
through a lengthy engagement session handled by the KDN before being tabled.
Saifuddin said he personally will hold another
engagement session with the government’s backbenchers on Monday to give them
further explanation about the proposed amendments.
He also expressed hope that the amendments would be
passed in Parliament later as it would enable every citizenship application to
be processed faster using clearer methods, terms of regulations and mechanisms.
Prior to this, KDN identified eight issues to be
included in its proposed constitutional amendments related to granting
citizenship to children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreign
spouses. –Bernama
Source:
thesun.my
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/local_news/cabinet-agrees-to-seven-out-of-eight-proposed-constitutional-amendments-on-citizenship-NF12249567
----
Perlis Islamic council channels over RM5.9m in
‘fitrah’ aid for 2024
22 Mar 2024
KANGAR, March 22 ? The Perlis Islamic Religious and
Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) has channelled RM5,998,500 in “fitrah” aid to benefit
11,997 poor and destitute individuals.
MAIPs, in a statement today, said the aid will be
distributed through five zones, namely the northern, southern, eastern, western
and central zones.
“In the northern zone, it will involve RM1,028,000 for
2,056 recipients, southern zone (RM1,341,000 for 2,682 recipients), eastern
zone (RM1,187,500 for 2,375 recipients), western zone (RM1,116,500 for 2,233
recipients) and central zone (RM1,325,500 for 2,651 recipients),” the statement
read.
It said the symbolic presentation ceremony took place
yesterday at Masjid Muhammadiyah Guar Gajah, Arau.
The Raja Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra
Jamalullail, who is also MAIPs president, handed over the aid to
representatives from the five zones. ? Bernama
Source:
malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/22/perlis-islamic-council-channels-over-rm59m-in-fitrah-aid-for-2024/125003
---
Malaysia strongly condemns terrorist attack at concert
hall in Moscow
23 Mar 2024
PUTRAJAYA, March 23 — Malaysia strongly condemns the
terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, Moscow on March 22, which resulted in the
death of at least 60 people and injuries to more than 145 others.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry, in a statement on
Saturday, also confirmed that all registered Malaysians, including students in
Moscow, have been accounted for and are safe.
It advised all Malaysians in Moscow to stay updated on
the latest developments and follow the latest updates and guidance provided by
the local authorities.
“Malaysia expresses its deepest condolences to the
government and people of the Russian Federation, in particular the bereaved
families of the victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” said
the ministry.
It added that Malaysia reaffirms its stance in
rejecting terrorism and violent extremism in all forms and manifestations,
underscoring the urgent need for a concerted international effort to eliminate
the scourge of terrorism comprehensively and effectively. — Bernama
Source:
malaymail.com
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click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/23/malaysia-strongly-condemns-terrorist-attack-at-concert-hall-in-moscow/125088
---
Former minister Rafidah hits out at Umno Youth chief
in handling of ‘Allah’ socks issue
23 Mar 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Former minister Tan Sri
Rafidah Aziz has hit out at Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh following the
controversy on the issue of socks bearing the word “Allah” sold at a local
convenience store.
She urged the government to stop such firebrand
troublemakers within the ruling coalition who would only divide Malaysians.
Last night, Free Malaysia Today reported Rafidah
saying that even Prophet Muhammad had shown “exemplary restrained behaviour”
when confronted by those who were hostile towards him.
The former Umno Wanita chief, who did not directly
name Akmal, pointed out that Prophet Muhammad did not allow his ego to get in
the way.
“If people like the Umno Youth chief cannot even try
to emulate our great Prophet, in terms of how he treated others, then (Akmal)
has not upheld what Islam expects of him,” she told the news portal in a report
published last night.
Rafidah was believed to be responding to Akmal who had
previously dismissed an apology made by the convenience store chain KK Mart
after photographs of the socks, sold at an outlet, appeared on social media
last week.
In defending Islam, Akmal deemed the apology
insufficient and pushed for a boycott, adding that he was not answerable to
anyone.
Rafidah was also reported saying that Putrajaya must
not allow itself to be caught in a difficult situation of being linked to such
“rabble-rousers” and ensure that tensions do not escalate.
“There are already so many pressing issues to address
and manage without being distracted by such unwarranted problems, like the
socks.
“Action is already being taken and no one should be
allowed to politically capitalise on it. Enough already,” Rafidah was quoted in
the report.
Last night, it was reported that Akmal continued his
tirade against KK Mart, calling on its owners to “look for another business,”
suggesting the convenience chain will go under from his call to boycott it over
the “Allah” socks row.
Akmal, who is also the Merlimau assemblyman, said he
was not answerable to anyone in the matter, stating that neither he nor Umno
Youth are answerable to higher powers.
Earlier, Umno secretary-general Datuk
AsyrafWajdiDusuki said the party agreed strict action should be taken against
those who belittle the word “Allah,” as decreed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan
Ibrahim.
Asyraf said the Umno supreme council discussed such
matters including that the latest incident of socks printed with the word
“Allah” found for sale at a convenience chain.
The incident has caused major controversy in Malaysia,
with Sultan Ibrahim expressing displeasure over the matter and decreeing on
Tuesday that authorities must act sternly in response regardless of intent.
Source:
malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/23/former-minister-rafidah-hits-out-at-umno-youth-chief-in-handling-of-allah-socks-issue/125056
---
Dozens of Rohingya feared dead or missing at sea as
Indonesia ends search
MAR 22, 2024
MEULABOH, Indonesia – Dozens of Rohingya refugees are
feared dead or missing after their boat capsized off Indonesia’s westernmost
coast this week, the United Nations said on March 22, as local rescuers called
off the search despite survivor accounts that many were swept away.
The mostly Muslim Rohingya are heavily persecuted in
Myanmar, and thousands risk their lives each year on long and expensive sea
journeys, often on flimsy boats, to try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
Authorities staged a dramatic rescue of 69 Rohingya
who had been adrift at sea for weeks before the boat and another trying to help
them capsized a day earlier, with many found clinging to the hull of an
overturned vessel.
Survivors told local authorities that as many as 151
refugees were onboard the boat.
“When we were on the sea, at that time, we feel like
we will die, everyone will die,” survivor Rehena Begum, 33, told AFP through a
translator at a shelter in Aceh, her voice trembling.
“There were many people dying. Many females, many children
were dying in front of us.”
If those still missing are confirmed to have died, it
would represent the biggest loss of life for the Rohingya at sea in 2024,
according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
“The fear is for those out of the 151, that haven’t
been so far rescued, is that those lives have been lost or they have gone
missing,” UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told AFP.
UNHCR Representative to Indonesia Ann Maymann pleaded
“for the search efforts to continue in hope of finding survivors” in a post on
X.
But local authorities nixed the search earlier on
March 22 because there was no list of passengers.
“The search ended on Thursday. All Rohingya refugees
on top of the boat yesterday have been rescued,” Mr Muhammad FathurRachman, an
official from the search and rescue agency in Aceh, said through a
spokesperson.
The group of 69 who were found off Aceh province on
March 21, made up of 40 men, 18 women and 11 children.
Six others, including four women and two men, were
rescued by fishermen a day earlier.
But rescuer Mr Rachman said there was “no additional
information that we received about missing persons, and there is no manifest of
the boat”.
“Our analysis is the boat cannot hold 150 people.”
A protection associate for the United Nations refugee
agency (UNHCR), Mr Faisal Rahman, told AFP that one of the survivors said “the
boat took 151 people – once the boat capsized, approximately around 50 people
(were) maybe missing and passed away”.
Ms Begum estimated there were more than 140 people on
the boat and said many died because they were trapped inside a section of the
boat with no exit.
“Many people passed away... there were two or three
halls in the boat. In one hall there are many people and there is no access to
go outside from that hall, so that’s why the people passed away,” she said.
The large room where the refugees were staying had
been partitioned between men and women with no air conditioning or fans despite
the heat, according to an AFP journalist.
Outside their room, the building was dusty with
cracked tiles and rubbish strewn around.
Local police were identifying the refugees and some
were receiving medical checks on March 22.
At least eight of the refugees were hospitalised on
March 21 evening. The search and rescue agency said they were admitted for
dehydration.
The others were taken to a temporary shelter at an old
Red Cross building in a village near West Aceh district capital Meulaboh.
Survivors said they had travelled from Bangladesh,
where many Rohingya have fled into squalid camps to escape persecution at home.
Some said they were trying to reach Malaysia via Indonesia.
Many Rohingya make the perilous 4,000km journey from
Bangladesh to Malaysia, fuelling a multimillion-dollar human-smuggling
operation that often involves stopovers in Indonesia.
At the temporary shelter, many of the refugees were
eating food cooked by local residents, who also gave them used clothes.
Some were sleeping on a tarpaulin sheet on the floor,
using sarongs as blankets.
At dawn, refugees were taking part in morning prayer,
using donated Qurans.
But some local residents protested against their
arrival, unfurling a banner that said they rejected the Rohingya being there.
Some Rohingya boats landing in Aceh in recent months
have been pushed back out to sea as sentiment towards the minority group shifts
in the ultra-conservative Indonesian province.
Many Acehnese, who themselves have memories of decades
of bloody conflict, are sympathetic to the plight of their fellow Muslims.
But others say their patience has been tested,
claiming the Rohingya consume scarce resources.
From mid-November 2023 to late January, 1,752
refugees, mostly women and children, landed in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh
and North Sumatra, according to the UNHCR.
The UN agency said it was the biggest influx into the
Muslim-majority country since 2015. AFP
Source:
straitstimes.com
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-ends-search-for-rohingya-refugees-after-boat-capsized
----
Melaka KDN seizes unauthorised Quran-related products
in Ops Mulia
22-03- 2024
MELAKA: Numerous unauthorised Quran-related products
were seized in an integrated operation here yesterday.
Melaka Home Ministry (KDN) Enforcement and Control
Division, through its official Facebook page, announced that the operation,
dubbed Ops Mulia carried out in collaboration with the Melaka Islamic Religious
Department (JAIM), targeted several locations for investigations under the
Printing of Quranic Text Act (APTQ) 1986.
During the operation, the enforcement team scrutinised
Quranic texts and related materials such as calligraphy frames, keychains,
digital Qurans and wall clocks.
The investigation also uncovered items on the shelves
of the premises that were in breach of Section 14(1) of the APTQ 1986
(Amendment 2023) and violated the Guidelines for the Production, Handling,
Sale, and Disposal of Publications and Decorative Materials Containing Quranic
Verses.
“The items confiscated were estimated to be worth
RM64,702,“ said the Enforcement Division, adding that any sale and distribution
of Quranic texts must obtain certification from the Quran Printing Control and
Licencing Board. –Bernama
Source:
Please
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https://thesun.my/local_news/melaka-kdn-seizes-unauthorised-quran-related-products-in-ops-mulia-JF12249642
---
North
America
US has intelligence confirming Islamic State
responsibility for Russia attack, official says
23 Mar 2024
WASHINGTON, March 23 ? The United States has
intelligence confirming Islamic State's claim of responsibility for a deadly
shooting at a concert near Moscow, a US official said yesterday.
The official said the United States had warned Russia
in recent weeks about the possibility of an attack.
“We did warn the Russians appropriately,” said the
official, speaking on condition of anonymity, without providing any additional
details.
At least 40 people were killed and 145 wounded
yesterday when camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on
concertgoers near Moscow in one of the deadliest attacks on Russia in decades.
Islamic State, the militant group that once sought
control over swathes of Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack,
the group's Amaq agency said on Telegram.
The death toll made it one of the worst attacks on
Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege, when Islamist militants took more
than 1,000 people hostage, including hundreds of children. ? Reuters
Source:
malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2024/03/23/us-has-intelligence-confirming-islamic-state-responsibility-for-russia-attack-official-says/125039
---
Joe Biden to host Iraqi PM with talks underway on
winding down coalition against the Islamic State
23.03.24
President Joe Biden plans to host Iraqi Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani next month, a visit that comes as the countries hold
formal talks about winding down the mission of a US-led military coalition that
was formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq.
The meeting is scheduled for April 15, the White House
said Friday.
The leaders will “consult on a range of issues,”
including the fight against the Islamic State and “ongoing Iraqi financial
reforms to promote economic development and progress toward Iraq's financial
independence and modernisation,” the White House said.
The two countries have a delicate relationship due in
part to Iran's considerable sway in Iraq, where a coalition of Iran-backed
groups brought al-Sudani to power in October 2022.
The U.S. in recent months has urged Iraq to do more to
prevent attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria that have further roiled the
Middle East in the aftermath of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. It's also
sought to apply financial pressure over Baghdad's relationship with Tehran,
restricting Iraq's access to its own dollars in an effort to stamp out money
laundering said to benefit Iran and Syria.
The US and Iraq, meanwhile, began formal talks in
January about ending the coalition created to help the Iraqi government fight
the Islamic State, with some 2,000 US troops remaining in the country under an
agreement with Baghdad. Iraqi officials have periodically called for a
withdrawal of those forces.
The visit will also come about a year after the
kidnapping in Baghdad of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian academic at
Princeton University who is believed to be held by an Iran-backed militia,
Kataib Hezbollah, that is regarded by Washington as a terrorist group and is
seen as one of the most powerful armed groups in Iraq. It was formed during the
power vacuum that followed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, with support from
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
On Thursday, Tsurkov's sister, Emma, urged the State
Department to declare Iraq a state sponsor of terrorism and called on the White
House to make the al-Sudani meeting contingent on the prime minister arranging
for the release of her sister — something she said that he was empowered to do.
“I am appalled that Sudani will be allowed to shake
President Biden's hand while his other hand holds the keys to my sister's
shackles,” Tsurkov said at an event outside the Iraqi Embassy in Washington.
Source:
telegraphindia.com
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----
US warplanes strike Houthi storage facilities in Yemen
after missile and drone attack
March 23, 2024
WASHINGTON: American fighter jets struck three
underground storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen late Friday
in an apparent counter-strike after the Iran-backed militia launched another
set of missiles and drones toward targets in the Red Sea.
A US official late on Friday said the jets from the
aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carried out the sortie from the Red
Sea, where the US Navy is leading a coalition task force to protect transiting
commercial vessels from Houthi attacks.
Strikes and explosions were seen and heard in Sanaa on
Friday night, according to witnesses and videos, some circulating on social
media. Footage showed explosions and smoke rising over the Houthi-controlled
capital.
There was no official confirmation of the origin of
the explosions. Yemeni TV station Al-Masirah, which is linked to the Houthis,
reported strikes hitting the city.
In a statement posted early on Saturday on X, formerly
known as Twitter, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the “strike
against three Houthi underground storage facilities in Iranian-backed Houthi
terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen.
“These strikes targeted capabilities used by the
Houthis to threaten and attack naval ships and merchant vessels in the region.
Illegal Houthi attacks have killed three mariners, sunk a commercial vessel
lawfully transiting the Red Sea, disrupted humanitarian aid bound for Yemen,
harmed Middle East economies, and caused environmental damage,” the statement
said.
“These weapons storage facilities presented a threat
to US and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region. These actions
are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make
international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels,”
it added.
It said that between approximately 4:22 a.m. and 11:10
p.m. (Sanaa time), CENTCOM forces “destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in self-defense.”
It added during this timeframe, the Houthis fired four
anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) toward the Red Sea and that no injuries or
damage were reported by US coalition or commercial ships.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which are allied with Iran and
control much of the country’s north and west, have launched a campaign of drone
and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which the rebels describe as an
effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have kept up their campaign of attacks
despite two months of US-led airstrikes.
Source:
arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2481371/middle-east
---
Develop 'coherent' Gaza plan or risk security peril,
Blinken reportedly warns Netanyahu
22.03.2024
During a meeting in Tel Aviv, US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken reportedly expressed concerns to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and his war cabinet regarding Israel's security and global standing,
warning of potential peril if a coherent plan for Gaza is lacking.
According to Axios news website, which cited a source
familiar with the meeting, Blinken warned Israeli leaders about the importance
of a clear strategy for Gaza's post-war scenario, saying that they need a
"coherent plan, or either you're going to be stuck in Gaza".
"You might not realize it until it's too
late," Blinken was quoted as saying.
"The Secretary of State said that on the current
path, Hamas will stay in control in Gaza or there will be anarchy, which will
just create the conditions for more terrorism," it reported.
"We will have our hands full for decades,"
Netanyahu reportedly said in response.
Neither State Department nor Netanyahu's office
immediately responded to requests for comment about the meeting in Tel Aviv.
Blinken arrived in Israel on Friday from Egypt on the
third leg of his sixth Middle East tour since Oct. 7.
The visit is dominated by efforts to reach an
agreement on a hostage swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian group
Hamas, to establish a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, and discuss the risks of
Israeli army's ground assault in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
A new round of indirect negotiations between Israel
and Hamas is underway in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Egypt and with the
participation of the US, to reach a cease-fire and hostage exchange deal.
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the
Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200
Israelis were killed.
Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children,
have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass
destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population
into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water,
and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or
destroyed, according to the UN.
Source:
aa.com.tr
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----
Nearly 600 relatives of 81 hostages ask Biden to press
PM for deal to free them
March 23, 2024
Nearly 600 relatives of 81 Israeli hostages held in
Gaza have signed a letter to US President Joe Biden expressing their
frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of ongoing
hostage negotiations, urging him to press the Israeli premier and all other
parties to reach an agreement.
“We are reaching out to you because we are
increasingly frustrated and worried about the lack of ongoing communication and
commitment from the Israeli Prime Minister and the War Cabinet to the hostage
release cause,” the relatives stated in the letter, the first time a large
group of hostage families have sent a letter to Biden.
The letter, which was coordinated by the Hostages and
Missing Families Forum, came as Mossad chief David Barneatraveled to Doha to
meet CIA director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
Al-Thani and Egypt’s intelligence head Abbas Kamel to discuss a potential truce
and hostage release deal in Gaza.
The truce talks are centered on a proposed agreement
for a six-week ceasefire, vastly more aid entering Gaza and the initial release
of about 40 female, elderly and wounded hostages in exchange for Palestinian
prisoners.
“We encourage you to use the means available to you,
to press and convince all parties, including the Israeli prime minister, to
agree to the deal that you assess is reasonable,” the families wrote to the US
president.
“We stand ready to work closely with your
administration to mobilize the Israeli people and to articulate to the American
people and their elected officials the need to support the current deal. We
believe that the hostage families could play an important role in garnering
public support to make the deal possible.”
The letter expressed “appreciation” for US efforts in
securing a weeklong truce in late November, during which some of the hostages
taken on October 7 were released from Hamas captivity, while pointing to the
“unimaginable hardship” being endured by the hostages still in Gaza.
“They are suffering physical, emotional, and sexual
abuse, hunger, and an immediate risk to their lives. They are dying with every
passing hour and day,” the letter said.
The hostages were taken on October 7, when thousands
of Hamas-led terrorists rampaged through southern Israel, killing some 1,200
people and kidnapping another 253, mostly civilians, many amid horrific acts of
brutality and sexual violence.
Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel launched a
wide-scale offensive in Gaza, aimed at destroying the terror group’s military
and governance capabilities and returning the hostages.
The families’ letter also came as US Secretary Antony
Blinken wrapped up his sixth trip to the region since October 7, as part of the
Biden administration’s efforts to secure a truce agreement.
It is believed that 130 hostages abducted by Hamas on
October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were
released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and
four hostages were released prior to that.
Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and
the bodies of 11 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly
killed by the military. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 33 of those still
held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops
operating in Gaza. One more person is listed as missing since October 7, and
their fate is still unknown.
Hamas is also holding the bodies of fallen IDF
soldiers OronShaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli
civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive
after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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https://www.timesofisrael.com/nearly-600-relatives-of-81-hostages-ask-biden-to-press-pm-for-deal-to-free-them/
----
US set to place one-year ban on UNRWA funds, while
leaving door open to future
JACOB MAGID
22 March 2024
A massive appropriations package Congress is set to
pass on Friday will include a one-year ban on US funding to UNRWA, in the
latest blow to the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees
following allegations earlier this year that 12 of its employees actively
participated in Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught and that many others have
ties to terror groups.
The text of the legislation states that UNRWA funding
will be banned “for any amounts provided in prior fiscal years or in fiscal
year 2024 or for amounts provided in fiscal year 2025, until March 25, 2025.”
The clause is separated from the rest of the
appropriations package and is stipulated as a calendar-year ban, which leaves
open the potential for allocating any leftover funds to UNRWA after March 2025.
Had it been a fiscal-year ban, there would not be any opportunity to fund UNRWA
before October 2025. Moreover, it would’ve set a precedent much harder for
Congress to overcome in subsequent spending packages.
“The UNRWA ban punted the decision to whoever is in
power in March 2025 to either fund or not fund the agency,” said Joel Braunold,
managing director of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.
“The legislative ban is an irregular one because it
extends beyond the annual appropriations cycle into only half of the next year.
Practically, this means that an administration could decide to fund UNRWA if
Congress can’t agree on a budget next year,” he added.
In Congress, though, resuming UNRWA funding in
subsequent spending bills will likely be much more difficult, given that a growing
number of moderate Democrats have joined Republicans in souring on the agency
since the latest allegations against its staffers came out.
Instead of funding UNRWA, the appropriations bills set
to be passed Friday earmarks $175 million in funds for other humanitarian
projects in the West Bank and Gaza, which will go through the US Agency for
International Development.
The figure is a $50 million slash from last year, as
part of a package that saw cuts across the board.
Some Democrats sought to block the UNRWA ban, arguing
that it is currently the primary agency providing aid to Palestinians in
war-torn Gaza. But the progressives were vastly outnumbered in negotiations and
will be outnumbered in Friday’s vote as well.
“This will undermine the effort to assist starving
Gazans and potentially further weaken regional stability,” UNRWA said in a
statement earlier this week.
The US froze its funding immediately after the Israeli
allegations emerged against UNRWA staffers, all of whom were quickly fired by
the agency.
The US has historically been the leading donor to
UNRWA, giving between $300 and $400 million a year — save for a three-year
period during the Trump administration when all funding was cut.
Gaza is starving. The UN is trying to feed them.
Yet many in Congress seem happy to be part of the
starvation caucus – more focused on attacking the UN than getting
desperately-needed aid to suffering Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/yXw9Jyso1r
From the start of the latest fiscal year in October
until the January freeze, the Biden administration gave $121 million to UNRWA.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in
January that roughly $300,000 earmarked for UNRWA had been withheld as a result
of the freeze, adding that Washington was looking to divert the funds to other
agencies such as the World Food Program and UNICEF, the relief agency for
children.
Neither is believed to be equipped to distribute funds
at the scale UNRWA can, given the massive discrepancies in local Gaza staff.
UNRWA was established in 1949 by a UN General Assembly
resolution after Israel’s War of Independence, when 700,000 Palestinians fled
or were driven from their homes.
Today, it directly employs 30,000 Palestinians,
serving the civic and humanitarian needs of 5.9 million descendants of those
refugees, in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and in vast camps in neighboring Arab
countries.
In Gaza, UNRWA runs the enclave’s schools, primary
healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributes humanitarian aid.
US support is believed to account for one-third of
UNRWA’s budget, raising questions as to whether the agency will be able to
overcome the cut in the long term.
The US led 14 countries that announced the January
freeze on funding to UNRWA, which employs roughly 13,000 people in Gaza and is
the main supplier of food, water and shelter there.
A handful of those countries, including Canada,
Finland and Australia, have since announced resumptions to their funding amid
growing fears of imminent famine in Gaza.
The US said it would wait until a UN independent
review panel concluded its probe into UNRWA before resuming its
already-allocated donations.
On Tuesday, that panel issued an interim report
determining that UNRWA has mechanisms in place to ensure its neutrality, but
also has deficiencies that must be addressed.
Next, the review board will develop its final report
with recommendations for how UNRWA should address neutrality concerns going
forward and present it to the public on April 20.
Israel has long pushed for UNRWA’s closure, arguing
that it helps perpetuate the conflict with the Palestinians since it confers
refugee status upon descendants of those originally displaced around the time
of Israel’s War of Independence, unlike other refugee groups around the world.
The agency has also been found to employ antisemitic
staffers and use textbooks Israel deemed antisemitic and inciteful.
UNRWA fired 12 of its employees in January after it
received evidence from Israel that they participated in Hamas’s October 7
terror onslaught. But Israel has since offered what it says is intelligence to
stakeholders showing that some 1,200 of UNRWA’s 13,000 staffers have ties to
Gaza terrorists.
A senior European diplomat said on condition of
anonymity that Jerusalem is “cynically” making such allegations in order to
force UNRWA’s dissolution, after never taking issue with the employee lists it
received from the agency in previous years.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed this
account, telling The Times of Israel that the lists it received from UNRWA were
partial, did not contain ID numbers necessary for vetting the employees and
were sometimes sent a full year after staffers began working for the agency.
Nonetheless, Israel identified Hamas activists on
UNRWA’s payroll on several occasions. In 2012, Israel alerted UNRWA that one of
its principals, Sohail al-Hindi, was a Hamas activist, but it took until after
Hindi’s election to Hamas’s politburo in 2017 for UNRWA to fire him, according
to the Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Source:
timesofisrael.com
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----
Netanyahu brushes aside Blinken's plea on planned
Rafah invasion
March 23, 2024
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has once again
left the Middle East empty-handed as Israel's hawkish prime minister rejected
American appeals to call off a planned ground invasion of the southern Gaza
city of Rafah, which is overflowing with displaced civilians.
The tough message from Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu on Friday sets the stage for potentially difficult talks next week in
Washington between top US officials and a high-level Israeli delegation.
Netanyahu said Israel is ready to "do it
alone" in Rafah if necessary.
Despite their differences, the Biden administration
has continued to provide weapons and diplomatic support, even as Israel has
killed more than 32,000 people in Gaza, 70 percent of them women and minors,
and led to a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Netanyahu said he told Blinken that Israel is working
on ways to expel civilians from combat zones and to address the humanitarian
needs of Gaza, where international aid officials say the entire population is suffering
from food insecurity and starvation is imminent in the hard-hit north.
"I also said that we have no way to defeat Hamas
without entering Rafah," Netanyahu said.
"I told him that I hoped we would do this with US
support, but if necessary, we would do it alone."
Blinken, wrapping up his sixth visit to the Middle
East since the war broke out, told reporters that the US shares Israel's goal
of defeating Hamas.
"But a major ground operation in Rafah is not, in
our judgment, the way to achieve it, and we were very clear about that,"
he said, adding that Israel faces growing isolation if it presses ahead.
The looming Rafah invasion has cast a shadow over
ongoing efforts to forge a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
US-Israel soured relations
The US initially sided strongly with Israel after the
October 7. But relations have increasingly soured as the war drags on into its
fifth month with Palestinian death toll soaring and US President Joe Biden
risking voter backlash during election time.
The US position on a Rafah invasion shifted in recent
days. Officials had called for a plan to get civilians out of harm's way.
Now, they say there is no credible way to do that.
"It risks killing more civilians. It risks
wreaking greater havoc with the provision of humanitarian assistance. It risks
further isolating Israel around the world and jeopardising its long-term
security and standing," Blinken said.
US officials say other options, including specifically
targeted attacks against known Hamas fighters and commanders, are the only way
to avoid a civilian catastrophe.
Roughly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million people
have fled into Rafah, the farthest south they can go before the Egyptian
border. Sprawling tent camps now dot the city.
Israel has killed at least 32,070 people and wounded
74,298 others so far in the blockaded enclave.
The US will share its ideas for alternatives at next
week's meetings when a delegation led by Netanyahu's national security adviser
and a member of Israel's War Cabinet heads to Washington.
Israel's defence minister, another member of the War
Cabinet, will also visit.
Blinken said talks would focus on post-war plans,
another area of disagreement.
The US wants the internationally recognised
Palestinian Authority to take power in Gaza, along with a clear path toward an
independent Palestinian state beside Israel.
Netanyahu rejects Palestinian independence or a role
for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West
Bank, and says Israel must reoccupy Gaza.
Hamas hails vetoed US resolution
At the United Nations, Russia and China vetoed a
US-sponsored UN resolution supporting "an immediate and sustained
ceasefire" in besieged Gaza.
The two countries called the measure ambiguous and
said it was not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world
seeks.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11
members in favour and three against — including Algeria, the Arab
representative on the council. Guyana abstained.
A key issue was the unusual language that said the
Security Council "determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained
ceasefire."
The phrasing was not a straightforward
"demand" or "call" to halt Israel's genocide.
"We appreciate the stance of Russia, China, and
Algeria, who rejected the US draft resolution that is biased to the [Israeli]
aggression on our [Palestinian people," Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas said the US resolution used "misleading
wording" and was complicit with Israeli goals to continue its aggression
on Gaza, and tried to give Israel "cover and legitimacy to the genocidal
war against our Palestinian people in Gaza."
Source:
trtworld.com
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https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/netanyahu-brushes-aside-blinkens-plea-on-planned-rafah-invasion-17476534
----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/madrasa-schools-allahabad-hc-up-law/d/131987