Radicalisation of Muslim Youth: Important To Take Moderate Muslim Leaders and Clerics into Confidence to Counter Radical Organisations
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 January 2023
Photo: (ANI) /Times of India
----
• Ulema and Religious Scholars Condemn Use of Force
against State in Name of ‘Nifaz-e-Shariah
• Turkey's Erdogan to Sweden: No Support for NATO
Membership after Qur'an Desecration
• 'Muslims Love Jesus' Billboards Pop Up Around Texas,
Other US Cities
• 6 Members of Muslim League, Sentenced To Death for
War Crimes in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War
India
• Muslim Clerics Defend 'Ramcharitmanas', Demand
Apology from SP Leader for 'Insult' Remark
• BJP’s Outreach to Muslims Aimed at Countering Community’s
Push against Party
• In Gyanvapi Mosque Case, Hearing into Key Request
Postponed To March 21
• How Bollywood has been a bridge between Egypt, India
• Pakistan to skip SCO film fest in Mumbai, I&B
says only country to not send entry
--------
Pakistan
• Armed Struggle against State Of Pakistan Is
Tantamount To ‘Rebellion’: Mufti Taqi Usmani Issued A Fatwa
• Govt wary of IMF-mandated ‘tough decisions’ in an
election year
• Widespread outages persist despite govt’s claim of
‘fully restoring’ power
--------
Europe
• Swedish Authorities Should Take Steps Regarding
Quran Burning: EU Commission
• Muslim states and Islamic bodies slam 'disgraceful'
Sweden Quran burning
• UK’s Muslim Community Becoming Genuinely British
• UN body condemns burning of Quran in Sweden:
'...hatred towards Muslims'
• Muslims, Christians worldwide decry Swedish Quran
burning
• EU ministers agree on new package of sanctions
against Iran
• France repatriates 15 women, 32 children from Syrian
extremist camps: Ministry
--------
North America
• 'Repugnant' Quran burning could be sabotage against
NATO unity: US
• US to increase pressure on China to stop importing
Iranian oil, Iran envoy says
• US-Iranian citizen imprisoned in Iran ends hunger
strike
• US support for Daesh in Afghanistan
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South Asia
• Taliban Discuss Restoration of Historical Sites with
UNESCO
• Chinese Nationals Arrested Over Smuggling Precious
Stones: Taliban
• Sri Lanka seeks investment, employment opportunities
from Saudi Arabia
• Reviewing engagement with Taliban, says US on rights
violations in Afghan
• Surging crime, bleak future push Rohingya in
Bangladesh to risk lives at sea
• Afghan Deaf Community Wants Islamic Emirate to
Address their Problems
• Afghanistan Criticizes Uzbekistan for Cutting Power
Supply
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Southeast Asia
• PAS President: Islamophobia Used To Stop 'The True
Islam' From Taking Back Power to Govern Country
• Indonesian Ulema Council Condemns Quran Burning in
Sweden
• Malaysian lion dancers bring new spirit to ancient
tradition
• JB school's SPM workshop for Muslim students causes
stir on social media
• Islamic college’s convocation reflects its diverse
student body
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Arab World
• Muslim Council of Elders, Under the Chairmanship Of
al-Azhar Grand Imam Condemns Burning Of Holy Quran by Extremists In Sweden
• Shura Council Denounces Swedish Authorities over
Burning Of Holy Qur'an Copy
• Hezbollah will stand up to any bid meant to
undermine Lebanon’s security: Top official
• Saudi National Orchestra and Choir to Appear At
Finale of 2nd Qemam Folk Festival
• Iraqis injured in anti-Sweden protest after Quran
burning
• Kuwait PM submits resignation of cabinet in tussle
with parliament
• Saudi singer Talal Alshehail optimistic about KSA’s
growing music industry
--------
Mideast
• Israel Angered By Visit of Western Envoys to Al-Aqsa
Mosque
• Iran Rules Out Face-to-Face Negotiations with US
• VP: Several Billion Dollars of Iran's Frozen Assets
Released
• Situation on edge of large-scale confrontation with
Israel, Islamic Jihad warns
• Iran condemns sanctions imposed by EU, Britain,
threatens retaliation
• Iran second worst country for internet censorship in
2022 following protests: Report
• Israeli army admits Palestinian man killed ‘for no
reason’
• Palestinians vow to foil Israeli plan to demolish
strategic Al-Khan Al-Ahmar village
• Yemenis rally to condemn desecration of Holy Qur’an
in Sweden
--------
Africa
• Nigerian Muslim Leaders Advocate Religion Balancing
In Appointment into Public Offices
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns Sweden's decision
to allow burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an
• Somalia strongly condemns Quran burning in Sweden
• Jordanian advocate awarded Franco-German Prize for
Human Rights
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/radicalisation-muslim-youth-moderate-clerics/d/128956
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Radicalisation of Muslim Youth: Important To Take
Moderate Muslim Leaders and Clerics into Confidence to Counter Radical
Organisations
Photo: (ANI) /Times of
India
----
Jan 23, 2023
NEW DELHI: Radicalisation, particularly of the Muslim
youth, is one of the key challenges for national security and it is important
to take moderate Muslim leaders and clerics into confidence to counter radical
organisations, according to papers submitted at a security meet attended by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The papers, written by some Indian Police Service
officers and submitted at the just-concluded conference of DGPs and IGPs, noted
that the rise in religious fundamentalism in India is primarily due to high
level of indoctrination, easy availability of modern means of communication,
including encrypted form, cross-border terrorism and Pakistan concentrating on
encouraging these radical groups.
Apart from the prime minister, the three-day annual
conference was attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, national security
Adviser Ajit Doval and about 350 top police officers of the country.
"Radicalisation, particularly of the Muslim
youth, is one of the important challenges for national security of our country.
Several radical Muslim organisations are active in India, which indulge in
organised radicalisation of the Muslim youth. They have inherent tendency to
corrupt minds of Muslim community, push them on the violent path and work
against composite culture," the papers noted.
In view of this, tackling radical organisations become
imperative and priority in the interests of social harmony and national
security.
These organisations are engaged in radical
interpretation of Islamic scriptures and concepts.
They also create a sense of victimhood in Muslim
psyche. In pursuit of puritanical Islam, their preaching go against modern
values such as democracy and secularism.
In India, the papers revealed, the recently banned
Popular Front of India (PFI), another banned group SIMI, Wahdat-e-Islami,
Islamic Youth Federation, Hizb-ut Tahreer and Al-Ummah are some Muslim
organisations, which fit in this category.
"Among these Muslim organisations, the PFI was
the most potent radical organisation. It evolved as a national-level
organisation since formation in 2006 by merging of three South India-based
outfits," the papers noted.
Rise in religious fundamentalism is due to history and
attending continuous religious programmes such as Dars-eQuran, Ahle-Hadith
etc., high level of indoctrination, modern means of communication viz.
internet, mail in coded and encrypted form, the papers said.
The cross-border terrorism and its post effects,
Pakistan concentrating on encouraging these radical organisations, Muslim boys
going to the Gulf countries and coming back with money and radical ideologies
are some other reasons for the rise of radicalisation, according to the papers
said.
The writers noted that terrorist radicalisation is a
dynamic process whereby an individual comes to accept terrorist violence as a
possible, perhaps even legitimate, course of action and each case of terrorist
radicalisation results from the unique intersection of an enabling environment
and the personal trajectory and psychology of a given individual.
Suggesting remedies, the papers noted that to tackle
radical Organisations, multi-pronged approach is required, including monitoring
of covert activities, creation of detailed databases on leaders and other
entities of interests.
"Security agencies and state police need to be
sensitised about threat to national security from radical organisations and in
order to counter radical organisations, it is equally important to take
moderate Muslim leaders and clerics into confidence.
"Emphasis should be given to identify and
monitoring the hotspots of radicalisation and prior analysis must be done about
the potentiality of a radical organisation in spreading extremism and
involvement of its cadres in violent action and accordingly the plan of action
should be initiated," the papers noted.
Source: Times Of India
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original story:
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Ulema and Religious Scholars Condemn Use of Force
against State in Name of ‘Nifaz-e-Shariah
Nifaz-e-Shariah
-----
January 24, 2023
Federal Minister for Planning, Development &
Special Initiative Ahsan Iqbal has called for establishing a social media cell
to spread Islam’s message of tolerance and brotherhood at a wider level and in
different languages.
While addressing the closing session of the
Paigham-e-Pakistan national conference titled “Countering Violent Extremism,
Radicalism and Hate Speech” as chief guest here on Monday, Ahsan Iqbal said
intellectuals, Ulema and religious scholars could play an important role in
spreading this massage at the grass-root level by using the digital platform.
The national conference was jointly presided over by
Prof Dr Nabi Bux Jumani, Acting President of the International Islamic
University, Islamabad (IIUI) and Dr Muhammad Ziaul Haq, DG Islamic Research
Institute, IIUI.
Ahsan Iqbal said we are living in an age of digital
media and ulema and scholars should make maximum use of this important forum
and have their own FM Radio channel to raise their voice most effectively
against militancy and extremism.
Earlier the ulema and mashaikh who were attending the
forum and had come from all over the country to participate in the conference,
unanimously condemned the use of force against the state in the name of
‘Nifaz-e-Shariah.’ Taking up arms against the state in the name of Islam or
Shariah is against the basic spirit of Islam and the teachings of Islam, they
said.
Such elements are in fact playing in the hands of the
enemies of Islam and Pakistan.
“This forum of religious scholars reiterates that all
such elements that are waging a war against the state by indulging in
linguistic, territorial, religious or ethnic confrontations are in fact
violating the principles of Islam and Shariah and the state should deal with
such elements with an iron hand,” said a communiqué issued at the end of the
closing session.
The joint statement held that Paigham-e-Pakistan that
was issued on January 16, 2018 from the Aiwan-e-Sadr truly reflected the
collective wisdom of the nation with regard to Quran, Sunnah and should be implemented
in the country as policy and both the house of the Parliament should also pass
this.
The Ulema urged the security institutions of the
country to continue operations against the enemies of the state and Islam and
take all steps necessary to eradicate terrorism from Pakistan.
About the recent incident of desecration of Quran in
Sweden, the participants condemned the incident in strong words and said it had
hurt over 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world. The participants also
expressed concerns over the illegitimate use of social media and called for an
end to its use to preach hatred in the name of nationalism, religion or any
other excuse.
The communiqué issued at the end of the
Paigham-e-Pakistan National Conference was signed by eminent scholars of Islam
including Chairman Islamic Ideological Council (IIC) Dr Qibla Ayaz, President
Wafaq-ul-Madaris Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council
Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabeer
Azad, President Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Prof Sajid Mir, Qari
Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri, Maulana Azizul Hassan, Maulana Hamid Haqqani, Allama
Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Fazlur Rehman Khalil and others.
Source: Pak Observer
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original story:
https://pakobserver.net/ulema-condemn-use-of-force-against-state-in-name-of-nifaz-e-shariah/
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Turkey's Erdogan to Sweden: No Support for NATO Membership
after Qur'an Desecration
Protesters demonstrate
outside the Consulate General of Sweden after Rasmus Paludan, leader of the
Danish far-right political party Hard Line, who has Swedish citizenship, burned
a copy of the Koran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, in Istanbul, Turkey,
Jan. 22, 2023. (Reuters)
-----
24 January 2023
Turkey has threatened Sweden with refusing to back its
membership bid in the US-led military alliance of NATO in reaction to
Stockholm's recent condoning of desecration of the Holy Qur'an in front of the
Turkish embassy on the Swedish soil.
"Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our
embassy can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership,"
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech after a cabinet meeting
on Monday.
The remarks came after Rasmus Paludan, a notorious
extremist Danish politician, who also holds Sweden's citizenship, received
permission from his country's government to burn the Muslim holy book in front
of the Turkish diplomatic mission in Stockholm on Saturday.
Paludan was being protected by the Swedish police
while committing the sacrilege, which has opened the floodgates of protest on
the part of the world's Muslim countries.
Adding to his remarks, Erdogan blasted Sweden for
"loving enemies of Islam," and "members of terrorist
organizations," a reference to the anti-Ankara groups, who have been
provided with asylum by Sweden.
"If you love members of terrorist organizations
and enemies of Islam so much and protect them, then we advise you to seek their
support for your country's security," the Turkish head of state said.
Sweden reacted with extreme caution to Erdogan's
remarks.
"I cannot comment on the statement tonight.
First, I want to understand exactly what was said," Foreign Minister
Tobias Billstrom told Sweden's TT news agency.
Erdogan has conditioned Turkey's support for Sweden's
accession to NATO on the latter's extradition of those elements, whom Ankara
accuses of involvement in either acts of terror against Turkey or a failed coup
that targeted the Turkish state in 2016.
In order to appease Turkey, Sweden has been sending
its officials on a flurry of visits to Ankara.
The trips have, however, failed to soften Turkey's
anger at the act of desecration near its diplomatic mission, with Ankara
summoning the Swedish ambassador over the blasphemy and even cancelling a
planned visit by the Swedish defense minister to the Turkish capital.
Swedish leaders have condemned Paludan's actions, but
defended their country's broad definition of free speech.
"I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims
who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm today," Prime Minister
Ulf Kristersson tweeted on Saturday.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary-general has, himself,
defended the blasphemy as "freedom of expression."
Sweden applied to join the military alliance last year
alongside its neighbor Finland. In order for the accession to be finalized,
however, all of the alliance's 30 members have to lend their blessing.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/01/24/696874/Turkey-warning-Sweden-NATO-Erdogan
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'Muslims Love Jesus' Billboards Pop Up Around Texas,
Other US Cities
Videograb of Twitter video
-----
24.01.23
Billboards depicting the messages about the
similarities between Islam and Christianity have popped up in the US state of
Texas and across America.
One such billboard was seen prominently placed on a
busy highway in Houston as well, attracting the attention of thousands of
drivers with the message "Muslims love Jesus" accompanied by
"his message of one God and his prophethood".
Illinois-based Islamic education centre GainPeace has
been placing similar signs across the US, in Chicago, Dallas and central New
Jersey to highlight the religions' shared roots and to work through the
misconceptions.
One billboard also depicts Mary wearing a hijab with
the slogan, "Blessed Mary wore the hijab". Will you respect it?"
Another shows a picture of the Kaaba, a building in Saudi Arabia that Muslims
consider the holiest site in Islam, with the message, "Built by Abraham,
dedicated to worship one God, annual pilgrimage by millions of Muslims.
GainPeace is a non-profit organisation, whose main
goal is to educate the general public about Islam and to clarify any doubts or
misconceptions they may hold. It chose to put billboards in cities where the
organisation has a strong presence and a significant Muslim population.
A GainPeace volunteer in Houston said they have been
getting scores of calls from inquisitive people, asking about the similarities
between the two religions.
"When we explain that in order to be a Muslim, we
have to believe in Jesus and the Virgin Mary, they're just blown away," he
said.
The Houston billboard is scheduled to be up till late
January and may be extended if need be.
“Islam is often a misunderstood religion, leading some
to hold bias view of Islam with discrimination and suspicion of Muslims,"
said Dr Sabeel Ahmed, Director of GainPeace.
"This ad campaign provides an opportunity for the
general public to take a fresh and positive look at Islam through simple messages
displayed on these billboards.”
According to Pew Research, the Muslim population in
the US has grown in the two decades since September 11, 2001, but it is still
the case that many Americans know little about Islam or Muslims, and views
toward Muslims have become increasingly polarised along political lines.
Source: telegraphindia
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original story:
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6 Members of Muslim League, Sentenced To Death for War
Crimes in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War
SM Najmus Sakib
23.01.2023
DHAKA, Bangladesh
A local court in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced six
men to death for war crimes committed during the country's liberation war in
1971.
A three-member bench of the country's International
Crimes Tribunal in the capital Dhaka announced the verdict in absentia against
the convicted people.
Before the verdict was announced, security was beefed
up around the courthouse. Only those with official authorization were permitted
to enter the premises.
The tribunal found the six people, aged 56 to 70,
guilty of murders, looting, kidnapping, and arson committed during the
independence war in Trishal town, north-central Mymensingh district.
The convicted were members of the Bangladesh Muslim
League, the state lawyer and prosecutor of the tribunal Tapas Kanti Baul said,
referring to the political party founded in the subcontinent in 1906 as the
All-India Muslim League.
Following Bangladesh's independence in 1971, the party
was banned, along with other Islamic parties.
They were also activists and members of the Peace
Committee and Razakar (volunteers) during the liberation war, he added.
They are all fugitives, Baul said, without saying
where the convicted are now.
The tribunal, set up in 2009, has been criticized by
global rights groups for not following fair trial standards.
According to the government prosecutor, there were
nine accused in this case, and three of them died during court proceedings,
including two in jail who were arrested.
And the remaining six are on the run, he added.
Complaints were filed against them in July 2018, and
the trial process began in December of that year. In total, 19 people testified
in court against the convicted people.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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original story:
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India
Muslim clerics defend 'Ramcharitmanas', demand apology from SP leader for 'insult' remark
Jan 23, 2023
A section of Muslim clerics on Monday condemned
Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya's remarks on Ramcharitramanas and
demanded an apology from him.
SP leader Maurya had on Sunday alleged that certain
portions of the Ramcharitmanas "insult" a large section of society on
the basis of caste and these should be "banned."
The party distanced itself from Maurya's remark,
saying it was his personal comments.
All the same, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar
Pradesh demanded that he apologises and takes back his statement.
Maurya, who is considered a prominent OBC leader in
the state, said, "Religion is meant for the welfare of humanity and for
the strengthening of it."
However, not many were impressed with his take on the
Hindu epic.
"Being Muslim and true followers of Islam and the
last Prophet, we have regard and respect for Hindu dharma and its scriptures. I
on behalf of Muslim community strongly oppose the comments made by Swami Prasad
Maurya and demand an immediate apology," Maulana Wasif Hasan, Mutawalli of
famous Tiley Waali Masjid in Lucknow tol PTI.
Another local cleric said the epic was rich in moral
teachings on how to form an ideal society.
"Ramcharitmanas was written in Awadhi language in
the 16th century by Saint Tulsi Das. It is largely believed that this epic was
written in Ayodhya during Mughal reign, the verses of Ramcharitmanas even today
gives message of a moral society, an ideal family system," said Maulana
Seraj Ahmad Khan, Imam of Bakshi Shaheed Mosque in Ayodhya said.
"In our childhood, we too read the Ramcharitmanas
and used to learn the verses. The Muslim community cannot accept any disrespect
towards this book, I demand that Maurya must take his words back," he
said.
Maulana Liyaqat Ali, another cleric from Ayodhya,
said: "Ramcharitmanas clearly reflects a secular and socialist society of
that time where there is no difference of caste and, we respect this book and
oppose any disrespectful comments against it."
"I demand that Akhilesh Yadav, the President of
Samajwadi Party, issues a clarification," Liyaqat Ali added.
Athar Husain, President of Centre for Objective
Research and Development, said "It is our humble request that those who
are in public life in any form must restrain themselves from commenting on any
religious book or personality."
"Muslims at large have deep respect for the
Ramcharitmanas as sacred literature, and we strongly condemn any such comment
that disregard this religious book," he said.
Maurya had on Sunday said, "If there is any
insult to a section of society due to certain lines in the Ramcharitmanas on
the basis of 'jaati', 'varna' and 'varg', then it is certainly not 'dharma', it
is 'adharma'."
He said, "there are certain lines in which names
of castes such as 'teli' and 'kumhaar' are mentioned" which hurt the
feelings of lakhs of people who belong to these castes.
Source: India Today
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BJP’s outreach to Muslims aimed at countering
community’s push against party
Jan 24, 2023
By Smriti Kak Ramachandran
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) outreach to
minorities, particularly Muslims, has been designed to reinforce the Union
government’s commitment to ensure equal representation in all social welfare
programmes, which in turn can help counter the consolidation of the minority
community as an anti-BJP force, people aware of the details said.
The central leadership of the BJP has instructed its
cadre to highlight the share of Muslims in social welfare schemes to indicate
how there has been no disparity on the grounds of religion, and dispel the perception
about the party’s alleged intolerance for the faith.
“The fact that Muslims have been beneficiaries of
social welfare schemes punches holes in the oppositions’ claims of the BJP
being an anti-Muslim party. For long, the opposition has fed fear about the BJP
and its ideology, which has resulted in the minority community voting as a bloc
against the BJP,” a party functionary said.
The BJP now wants to ensure that even if the community
does not express support for them through the ballot, they should not be used
as a vote bank against it. “They can vote for the party they choose, but the
preference should not be dictated by aversion or hatred for the BJP,” the
functionary said.
To change the narrative about the party’s alleged
anti-minority stance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed party leaders
to reach out to the economically and socially backward Muslims, also known as
‘Pasmanda’, at the party’s national executive committee meeting in Hyderabad
last year.
This year, he followed it up by pointing out that the
outreach should not be carried out with an eye on electoral politics, but to
forge ties with those in the community who are opposed to the radicalism and
orthodoxy.
The PM was reported to have cited the example of Bohra
Muslims who have not been opposed to the BJP, even if they are not counted as
voters.
Starting February 10, the BJP’s ‘minority morcha’ will
begin an outreach programme that will include identifying 5,000 people from 60
Lok Sabha constituencies who the party leaders will engage with.
“We have selected 60 constituencies where the
population of Muslims is 30% and above. We will reach out to them with facts
and figures about the how Muslims have been beneficiaries of central schemes,
from Awas Yojana to Har Ghar Nal to scholarships and Ayushman Bharat. We will
highlight how the PM has changed politics and shifted the narrative from the
politics of appeasement and vote bank,” said Jamal Siddiqui, president of the
minority morcha.
The outreach will also attempt to break barriers of
electoral preferences by encouraging the community to shed their reluctance to
vote for the BJP. For this, the party plans to carry out confidence-building
engagements in states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in the first phase; it
will subsequently be expanded to other areas.
However, Ali Anwar Ansari, the founder president of
the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz and a former Rajya Sabha MP, dubbed the
BJP’s outreach as nothing but optics.
“I wrote to the PM (after the Hyderabad NEC) that on
one hand he talks about reaching out to Pasmanda Muslims, while on the other
there are instances of mob lynching, accusations of ‘love jihad’ and talks of
‘ghar wapsi’. This shatters our hope. There is a need to walk the talk on
inclusion. The government that speaks about Pasmanda, should have remembered
that Bilkis Bano (whose rapists were set free by a court in Gujarat) is also
Pasmanda,” Ansari claimed.
Source: Hindustan Times
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In Gyanvapi Mosque Case, Hearing Into Key Request
Postponed To March 21
January 23, 2023
Varanasi: A Varanasi court on Monday fixed March 21
for the next hearing on a petition seeking to open and survey two basements in
the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex, a government lawyer said.
District government counsel Mahendra Pandey said
Varanasi District Judge A K Vishvesh posted the matter after almost two months
as the Allahabad High Court last week postponed hearing in a related matter by
eight weeks.
The High Court case relates to the demand of carbon
dating of an object, said to be a 'shivling', found during a court-mandated
survey of the complex. The plea for carbon dating was earlier filed by the
Hindu side in the district court which had rejected the demand. The petitioners
then filed a revision plea in the Allahabad High Court.
The High Court on January 19 granted eight more weeks
to the Archaeological Survey of India for filing its response to clarify
whether the carbon dating of the claimed 'shivling' could damage it or if safe
evaluation of its age was possible.
Justice J J Munir fixed March 20 as the next date of
hearing after the counsel for ASI sought more time to file its response.
Mr Pandey said that in view of this, the district
judge on Monday fixed March 21 as the next date of hearing in the basements
case.
Source: ND TV
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How Bollywood has been a bridge between Egypt, India
AVIJIT GHOSH
Jan 24, 2023
Over the next few days, India-Egypt bonhomie will be
further burnished by a series of bilateral agreements and the diplomatic
affability will also reflect in President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s presence as
the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
But the cultural ties run deeper. Over a swathe of
decades in the land of Mo Salah, many Egyptians have built a personal bond with
Hindi films. They have thronged to watch Dilip Kumar’s Aan, gorged on Big B’s
Mard on grainy VHS tapes and queued up for Shah Rukh Khan’s My Name is Khan in
Cairo.
It isn’t just the people, even presidents have loved
Hindi cinema. Not many know that Egypt’s (then) President Gamal Abdel Nasser
attended the 7th Filmfare Awards in Bombay in 1960.
The attraction is mutual. Bollywood too has been
fascinated by Egypt’s landscape and monuments, especially the pyramids. From
Bachchan in The Great Gambler (1976) to Akshay Kumar in Singh is Kinng (2008) –
Hindi cinema’s biggest and brawniest have bashed up baddies and shimmied to
songs there.
Ancient as the two civilizations are, shared
anti-colonial objectives have crafted modern associations between Egypt and
India. The Union ministry of external affairs said in 2014 that Mahatma Gandhi
and Egyptian statesman Saad Zaghloul had common goals on independence of their
countries. The ties were elevated by the close friendship between Nasser and
Jawaharlal Nehru, leading to a Friendship Treaty between the two nations in 1955.
Nasser and Nehru, along with Yugoslavia’s Josif Broz Tito, were regarded as the
three pillars of the global Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
But beyond the world of politics and diplomacy, an
invisible people-to-people connection was forged beginning in the 1930s through
the world of moving pictures in darkened theatres. In an insightful paper
titled, The Ubiquitous Nonpresence of India, Oxford professor Walter Armbrust
referred to the fan magazine Al Kawakib (The Star) to show how Hindi cinema had
come to be discussed in Egypt, though not always positively, in the 1930s.
But the cultural kinship side of the cinematic
association wasn’t ignored either as a 1957 article in the same magazine
showed. “The secret to the success of Indian films in Egypt is that they
portray a common life of both the Indian and the Egyptian, with only trivial
differences attributable to environmental factors. The music in these films
moves us and lifts our spirits because it springs from the same source: the
magic of the East and its spirituality. ” Egypt boasts a film industry of its
own and the 1940s to 1960s period is regarded as “the Golden Age of Egyptian
cinema”.
Trade Guide, a Hindi film business magazine,
acknowledged in 1963 that Egypt produces technically high-standard films while
also importing movies from the US and UK. “The audience is sophisticated and
only first-class films with powerful story and colour element will be a
commercial success,” said an article headlined, World Market for Indian Films.
The 1980s marked the arrival of video cassettes, which
turned cinema-viewing into home entertainment for the first time. Pirated VHS
tapes further expanded the global reach of Bollywood films and stars. From
the1980s onwards, Bachchan became a megastar in Egypt.
“Bachchan skyrocketed into Egypt’s cinema star
constellation with films like Geraftaar and Mard (1985) that viewers saw in
theatres or watched on video cassette. . . Back in India, Bachchan’s films from
the late 1980s did not attract audiences like they had at the peak of his
stardom, when he was known as the ‘Angry Young Man’. But the later films still
had enthusiastic fans in Egypt,” wrote Texas-based academic Claire Cooley in
film journal Jump Cut.
Armbrust recalled two fascinating anecdotes that
illustrate the extent of Big B’s popularity in Egypt. He wrote, “One urban
legend circulating in the early 1990s was that a plane carrying Amitabh
Bachchan touched down briefly in the Cairo airport for refuelling. Word got out
about the Hindi star’s presence, and tens of thousands of people came to the
airport hoping to catch a glimpse of him. I saw a more concrete example of
Bachchan’s presence in the displays of vendors in a popular market near
downtown. Some of these vendors sold tee shirts emblazoned with the face of Bachchan.”
It’s a point that Ahmad Mohd Ahmad Abdel Rahman, head,
department of Urdu, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, reaffirmed in 2011. “If any
Indian is spotted on the streets, the first welcoming words people utter are
‘Hello, Amitabh Bachchan,” he had told TOI then. It’s a matter of academic
exploration how an individual becomes synonymous with a nation.
Egypt’s love affair with Hindi cinema has continued in
recent years. In 2015, journalist Ati Metwaly wrote on Ahram Online how the
Egyptians flocked to a Bollywood dance workshop at the Indiaby the Nile
festival. “Young Egyptians hum Indian songs even if they don’t understand the
lyrics,” Metwaly said.
Shah Rukh Khan is wildly popular in Egypt. King Khan’s
immense draw is exemplified by a 2021 incident that Ashwini Deshpande, who
teaches at Ashoka University, divulged on social media. She tweeted, “Needed to
transfer money to a travel agent in Egypt. Was having problems with the
transfer. He said: you are from the country of @iamsrk. I trust you. I will
make the booking, you pay me later. For anywhere else, I wouldn’t do this. But
anything for @iamsrk…” Later Shah Rukh heartwarmingly sent his autographed
photos and a handwritten note to the travel agent.
Source: Times Of India
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Pakistan to skip SCO film fest in Mumbai, I&B says
only country to not send entry
Jan 24, 2023
NEW DELHI: Pakistan will not participate in the
upcoming five-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Film Festival in
Mumbai from January 27-31, I&B ministry said on Monday.
India formally contacted all SCO member countries -
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan -
through their missions and sought their cinematic nominations across various
sections of the film festival, the ministry said. However, all countries other
than Pakistan sent their nominations.
"There is only one SCO member country - Pakistan
- from which entries have not been received and there has been no response from
them. No delegation from the country is participating either," Neerja
Shekhar, additional secretary, I&B ministry, told TOI in response to a
question on whether Pakistan cited any reason for staying away.
India took over the presidency of the SCO following
the nine-member bloc's summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan in September last year
and will host the SCO Summit before the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September
2023.
Source: Times Of India
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Pakistan
Armed Struggle against State Of Pakistan Is Tantamount
To ‘Rebellion’: Mufti Taqi Usmani Issued A Fatwa
January 24, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Renowned scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani
on Monday issued a Fatwa (decree) that any armed activity against the state of
Pakistan was a “rebellion”, which was “haram” and proscribed according to the
Islamic law.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who were
fighting against the Pakistan Army and were involved in anti-state activities,
were “rebels”, he said while virtually addressing the Paigham-e-Pakistan
National Conference on ‘Countering Violent Extremism, Radicalism and Hate
Speech, organized by the International Islamic University, Islamabad here at
its Faisal Masjid Campus.
The decree was also unanimously adopted by the Ulema
and Mashaykh of all schools of thought present in the conference.
Mufti Taqi Usmani said during his meetings in Kabul
while heading a delegation, the Afghan Taliban also expressed their resentment
against the TTP elements who were carrying out terrorist activities in
Pakistan.
“Fighting against national security agencies and
carrying out anti-state activities come under mutiny and it has nothing to do
with Jihad,” he added.
Council of Islamic Ideology Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz
said the sad incident of Army Public School had united the entire nation on one
platform to cope with the menace of terrorism.
With the help of Ulema, Mashaykh and religious
scholars, he said, the government evolved a unified policy in the shape of
“Paigham-e-Pakistan” to bridge the communication gap and remove the religious
differences for peace and tranquility in the country.
He proposed that the ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ should be
given a constitutional cover by the parliament so that it should be implemented
at the grassroots level.
Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith
Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said political
instability was one of the main factors causing economic meltdown in the
country.
He urged the media to play a responsible role and
avoid publishing or broadcasting fake news because it severely affected the
business activities.
He said there were certain elements who wanted to
create chaos but the Ulema and Mashaykh had renewed their pledge to foil the
nefarious designs of enemy against the peace and security.
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Syed
Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad said the “Paigham-e-Pakistan” had united the nation
and it was playing a constructive role in the country’s development and
prosperity. The Ulema and Mashaykh stood with the Pakistan Army and other
security agencies, and they were countering the enemy’s agenda, he added.
Former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi
said they had to make collective efforts to net the “masterminds”, who were
polluting the minds of youth.
Allama Iftikhar Naqvi said the “Paigham-e-Pakistan”
was yielding positive results and there was need for concerted efforts to make
the people at every nook and cranny of the country aware of it.
Criticizing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief, he
said Imran Khan was promoting polarization in society in a bid to grab power.
Ziaullah Shah Bukhari said there were certain elements
fueling sectarianism on the social media and they could be countered through
dialogue or otherwise taking legal action.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil said,”We should make
concerted efforts to bridge the gap between the Ulema of Pakistan and
Afghanistan.”
Allama Hussain Akbar said the “Paigham-e-Pakistan”
should be part of national curriculum to educate the young generation.
He said a copy of the “Paigham-e-Pakistan” should be
provided to the local government institutions across the country to further
implement it at the lower level.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Govt wary of IMF-mandated ‘tough decisions’ in an
election year
Anwar Iqbal
January 24, 2023
WASHINGTON: The government’s fear of losing popularity
before the elections seems to be keeping Pakistan from finalising a deal with
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that could stabilise the economy.
Official and diplomatic sources told Dawn on Monday
that both sides were still discussing the seven demands that the IMF wants
Pakistan to accept before it resumes economic assistance to the country.
The demands include withdrawing electric subsidies,
linking gas prices to the international market, free-floating dollars, and not
blocking LCs.
The government “fears that implementing some of these
demands will hike the price of essential items across the board,” a source
said.
“It will make the government even more unpopular than
it already is, so close to the elections.”
Pakistan’s power regulator has already allowed Sui
Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to hike
rates up to 75 percent, subject to cabinet approval.
Islamabad is waiting for the 9th review of a
loan-arrangement that the previous government signed with the IMF. The review
would lead to the release of the next tranche of funds to Pakistan that has
been pending since September.
In August 2022, the IMF approved the seventh and
eighth reviews of Pakistan’s bailout program, agreed in 2019, allowing the
release of more than $1.1 billion.
IMF officials have indicated that they are willing to
continue working with Pakistan, but the country should first meet some basic
requirements.
“They are asking for basics, so that they can send
their team to Islamabad, but the finance minister is reluctant to do so,” said
an official aware of the talks.
The official said that the IMF was asking for “some
movement on energy prices and the demonstration of Islamabad’s intent to reform
but Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is not giving an inch.”
Officials in Islamabad urged Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif to intervene before it’s too late. “This could have been finalised four
months ago,” another official said.
The official said that he “does not personally expect
much before a caretaker setup takes over the center.” Asked why, the official
said: “Dar Saheb will not allow the exchange rate to go to market levels.”
And if “we do not have an IMF program, the situation
will not normalize,” he added.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1733337/govt-wary-of-imf-mandated-tough-decisions-in-an-election-year
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Widespread outages persist despite govt’s claim of
‘fully restoring’ power
Ghalib Nihad | Qazi Hassan
January 24, 2023
A day after a massive breakdown hit Pakistan, Minister
for Energy Khurram Dastgir said on Tuesday that electricity has been fully restored
at grid stations across the country. However, major cities, including Karachi,
Quetta and Lahore, remained deprived of power.
“Power at all 1,112 stations of the national grid has
been restored,” Dastgir tweeted.
In a televised address at 10am, the minister explained
said that there was a “delay in synchronisation” between Tarbela and Mangla
power plants.
“But with the support of the Power Division, Wapda and
other departments, we fixed the technical problem after which power at systems
across the country was restored.
“Today, at 5:15am, the system was completely restored
across the country,” Dastgir said.
However, the minister pointed out that there will be a
shortage of electricity for the next two days.
He elaborated that approximately 6,600 megawatts of
coal and 3,500MW of nuclear plants would take an estimated 48 to 72 hours to
restart. “Until these plants start running, there will be limited load
management, excluding industrial users.”
Dastgir further said that there was no fuel shortage
in the country. “We are considerate of the electricity bills people have to pay
and try not to unnecessarily use power plants that require a lot of energy.”
Talking about the investigation into the breakdown,
the minister said that the government suspected “foreign intervention such as
hacking of systems”.
“But its chances are very less. There have been
incidents previously and we have to rule out this thing,” he added.
Dastgir also blamed the PTI government for the
electricity breakdown, saying that it had not worked on upgrading the systems.
However, contrary to the government’s claims, a number
of areas across the country were still deprived of power as of Tuesday morning.
Karachi
In Karachi, outages were reported in Defence,
Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Karachi, Federal B Areas, Gulshan, Jacob Lines,
Qurangi, Landhi and Qayyumabad.
Meanwhile, K-Electric spokesperson Imran Rana tweeted
earlier today that the restoration of connectivity between the national grid
and Karachi has helped improve the electricity supply to the metropolis.
“Electricity has been restored at important
installations including airports, hospitals and water pumping stations,” he
said, adding that all grids of K-Electric were fully functional.
“However, to keep the system stable, limited temporary
load management can be done in the city,” Rana said.
Electricity to be fully restored in Balochistan by
tonight: Qesco
On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Quetta
Electric Supply Company told Dawn.com that electricity was partially restored
across Balochistan from the 220kV Uch-Sibbi transmission line.
In Quetta, he said, power was being supplied from the
132kV Sibbi- Quetta circuit transmission line.
“We have also restored electricity at grid stations in
Dera Murad Jamali, Rojhan Jamali and Gandakha, Bhag, Jhal Magsi, Usta Muhammad,
Sohbatpur, Sui, Sibbi, Dhadar and Machh.”
Further improvement in the power situation will come
after the Dera Ghazi Khan-Loralai transmission line is repaired, the Qesco
spokesperson added. “God willing, electricity will be fully restored in Quetta
and other areas by tonight.”
Another frequency issue in Lahore
Separately, the Lahore Electric Supply Company said
that another “frequency issue” was reported in Lahore.
“After yesterday’s major power breakdown, power was
restored in all areas of Lesco late at night. However, load management is being
done in some areas due to a frequency issue,” it tweeted.
“Electricity will be restored without interruption as
soon as the situation improves,” it added.
Meanwhile, during a US State Department briefing,
spokesperson Ned Price was asked about the outage and whether the United States
was sending anyone to Pakistan to look into it for a long-term solution to the
collapsing grids.
“Of course I’ve seen what has transpired in Pakistan.
Our thoughts are with all those who’ve been affected by the outages,” Price
said in his weekly briefing. “The United States of course, as you mentioned,
has assisted our Pakistani partners across any number of challenges. We are
prepared to do so in this case if there is something that we’re able to
provide. But I’m not aware of any particular requests.”
US sympathises with Pakistanis affected by power
outages
Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price,
at a weekly press briefing on Monday, was asked to comment on whether the US
had any plans to assist Pakistan to overcome energy shortage in the wake of
massive power breakdown in the country.
“Of course, I’ve seen what has transpired in Pakistan.
Our thoughts are with all those who’ve been affected by the outages,” Price
responded.
Source: Dawn
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Europe
Swedish authorities should take steps regarding Quran
burning: EU Commission
Omer Tugrul Cam
23.01.2023
BRUSSELS
Swedish authorities should take steps regarding the
burning of a copy of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, in Sweden, a spokesperson
for the EU Commission said Monday.
Johannes Bahrke said in a press conference that such
actions are not in line with the values on which the EU is founded.
Bahrke said racism, xenophobia, racial and religious
hatred "have no place in the EU."
Condemnations continued to pour in from across the
Arab and Islamic worlds over the burning of a copy of the Quran, by a
Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Muslim states and Islamic bodies slam 'disgraceful'
Sweden Quran burning
23 January, 2023
Muslim-majority states and international Islamic
organisations resoundingly condemned the burning of a Quran by a Swedish-Danish
far-right extremist in Sweden's capital on Saturday.
Swedish authorities had granted Hard Line Party leader
Rasmus Paludan permission to torch the holy book, which was done outside
Turkey's embassy in Stockholm under police escort after riots erupted following
an earlier attempt in 2021.
The move was condemned by many Muslim and non-Muslim
citizens in the Nordic country.
'Disgraceful'
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry responded by issuing a
statement underlining its commitment to "spreading the values of dialogue,
tolerance and coexistence, and rejecting hatred and extremism".
Egypt's foreign ministry issued a harsher statement,
slamming the burning as a "disgraceful act [that] provokes the feelings of
hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world".
In a similar statement, Qatar's foreign ministry said:
"This heinous incident is an act of incitement and a serious provocation
to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims in the world."
Statements were also issued by the UAE, Kuwait, Oman,
Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, and
Afghanistan against the act.
Egypt's Al-Azhar, which is considered Sunni Islam's
highest seat of learning, described the burning as "shameful" and
called for the establishment of international laws to ensure Muslims are free
to practice their religion.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urged
Sweden to prosecute the perpetrator, while the Qatar-based International Union
for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) encouraged Muslim states to demand apologies from
Sweden's ambassadors.
Sweden-Turkey tensions
Responding to the outrage on Saturday, Swedish Prime
Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted that freedom of expression was crucial to
democracy, but added that "what is legal is not necessarily
appropriate".
"Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply
disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are
offended by what has happened in Stockholm today," Kristersson said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not comment
on the issue in speeches over the weekend.
Ankara said it had warned Sweden against allowing the
Quran burning to take place, cancelling an upcoming visit by Swedish Defence
Minister Pal Jonson in response to the act.
The Quran burning has inflamed tensions between
Stockholm and Ankara, who have already been at loggerheads over Sweden's bid to
join NATO. Turkey has not yet ratified Sweden and Finland's memberships in the
military alliance, saying Stockholm needs to address Ankara's security concerns
first.
Earlier in January, Erdogan demanded that the Nordic
states deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkey before
its parliament approved their NATO bids, following Russia's invasion of
Ukraine.
Source: The New Arab
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https://www.newarab.com/news/muslim-states-slam-disgraceful-sweden-quran-burning
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UK’s Muslim Community Becoming Genuinely British
January 24, 2023
Ever since the 9/11 attacks, Muslims in the UK and
other Western countries have been under the microscope. Their positions have
been analyzed for any signs of disloyalty or extremism. For more than two
decades, most British Muslims have focused on saying what they are not, while
having others tell them who they are. Is this changing?
The signs are that the British Muslim community is
growing in confidence. Head back to 2005 and the London bombings, the
atmosphere was one of heads in the sand. Much of the British Muslim community
did not digest the implications of four of their number committing these
atrocities. All too often, they denied there was an extremism issue in their
ranks. Even if such extremists were small in number, they were dangerous.
Since then, British Muslim organizations have made
substantial strides forward and are far more on the front foot, with the
reactions to the Manchester bombing of 2017 committed by a Libyan a key
example. British Muslim organizations immediately reacted, with many helping
those affected.
British Muslims are now the second-largest religious
grouping in the UK. The 2021 census shows that the Muslim population is now
about 4 million in England and Wales, some 6.5 percent of the entire population
and an increase of 1.2 million since the 2011 census. This is a huge change to
the makeup of Britain. Back in 1961, the British Muslim population hovered only
around 50,000. It is also a very young population today. We do not know the
breakdown as yet from the 2021 census, but the 2011 census indicated that about
half the Muslim population was under the age of 25.
According to the first report of its kind published last
week on British Muslim civil society, British Muslim organizations have
mushroomed across the country. These groups help Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
They are far more knitted into the broader community. These civil society
groups cover everything from mosques to Islamic centers, student groups, media
bodies and education outfits. There are now more than 2,000 mosques and Islamic
centers in the country.
All of this civil society effort was on display
throughout the pandemic and the ensuing cost-of-living crisis. Whereas once
British Muslim humanitarian organizations tended to focus their efforts
overseas, their contribution to addressing deprivation domestically has
escalated.
British Muslims have become far more confident
political actors. At the last general election in 2019, a record 18 British
Muslim MPs were elected. It is almost certain that, at the next election, this
number will increase even more, inching closer to the 6.5 percent of MPs that
would indicate fair representation for their share of the population. An
impressive 10 of these 18 MPs are women. Sadiq Khan is the first British Muslim
mayor of London, having been elected for a second term in 2021, and is perhaps
the leading Muslim politician in Europe. Role models and examples of success
are key ingredients to greater confidence in these often marginalized
communities.
There are also signs that British Muslim women are
becoming more prominent. Zara Mohammed now leads arguably the UK’s largest
Muslim umbrella body, the Muslim Council of Britain. She is the first woman,
the first Scot and the first person under 30 to be elected to this role. This
matters as, more often than not, British Muslim women suffer from a triple
penalty: Their race, their gender and their faith.
An overlapping issue is the role of British Arab
communities, which are predominantly Muslim. Their number is far smaller than
the overall Muslim population, the majority of which emanates from South Asia.
Typically, British Arabs lack the confidence to engage in public life. This
will no doubt happen, not least with younger generations getting involved, but
they lag behind non-Arab British Muslims at present in terms of participation.
Hopefully they will take heart from the increasing success of the broader
Muslim community.
Challenges remain. British Muslim communities were hit
disproportionately hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. They still suffer from
relatively high levels of deprivation. According to the recent census, 30
percent of British Muslims live in the poorest 10 percent of local authority
districts. This is why it matters that British Muslim civil society has focused
more and more on its own communities, not just internationally, as important as
the latter undeniably is.
Islamophobia remains a massive challenge, not least on
the right of British politics. The image of Muslims remains dreadful, with few
positives. For example, it is safe to say that most of the British non-Muslim
population have little clue as to the extent of British Muslim charitable
giving and communal participation. British Muslims are all too often portrayed
as one large block, ignoring the huge diversity among them. The diet of news
about Muslims is largely a tidal wave of the negative, with Muslims seen as a
threat and a danger. It still appears hard, sometimes impossible, to separate
the guilt of a few extremists from a broader population of 4 million. The gross
calumny that Islam is a warlike religion is widely held. Other Western states
suffer from a similar malaise.
The more influential and confident British Muslim
groups get, the more some others will feel threatened. This is what is
happening. Nearly a third of those who voted for Brexit believe in the
conspiracy theory of a massive plot to encourage Muslim immigration to take
over the UK. But investing in effective organizational architecture will help
to address hatred and bigotry.
Last week’s report highlights areas for improvement,
not least the media. More progress needs to be made regarding the inclusion of
women and youth, but it is happening. Further research remains vital, not least
for the more marginalized, such as British Arabs, as there remains huge gaps in
our knowledge.
Source: Eurasia Review
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https://www.eurasiareview.com/24012023-uks-muslim-community-becoming-genuinely-british-oped/
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UN body condemns burning of Quran in Sweden:
'...hatred towards Muslims'
Jan 23, 2023
By Shobhit Gupta
Rasmus Paludan, leader of the far-right political
party Hard Line, set ablaze the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm
on January 21 with the protection of the Swedish police.
“While the High Representative stresses the importance
of upholding the freedom of expression as a fundamental human right, he also
emphasizes that the act of Quran-burning, amounts to an expression of hatred
towards Muslims," high representative for the UNAOC Miguel Angel Moratinos'
spokesperson said in a statement.
“It is disrespectful and insulting to the adherents of
Islam and should not be conflated with freedom of expression”, the statement
added.
The UNAOC representative also expressed his serious
concern over the increasing cases of discrimination and intolerance against any
religious or other communities around the globe.
Moratinos stressed mutual respect among the nations
and promoting "inclusive and peaceful societies rooted in human rights and
dignity for all".
Islamic nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
Pakistan and Somalia, have also condemned the atrocious act and targeted Sweden
for “state-supported Islamophobia”.
Turkey cancelled a planned tour by Swedish defence
minister Pal Jonson to Ankara amid diplomatic tensions.
Denouncing the act, Swedish Prime minister Ulf
Kristersson said, “Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy.
But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. Burning books that are holy
to many is a deeply disrespectful act.”
“I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are
offended by what has happened in Stockholm," he added.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Muslims, Christians worldwide decry Swedish Quran
burning
JAN 23, 2023
Condemnations kept coming in from Muslims, Christians
and Jews in Türkiye and across the globe in a religious show of solidarity over
the weekend over the burning of a copy of the Quran by a Swedish-Danish far-right
politician in Stockholm.
The leader of the Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party Rasmus
Paludan, under police protection, was permitted to set fire to a copy of
Islam’s holy book in front of the Turkish Embassy in the Swedish capital while
delivering an anti-Islam speech on Saturday.
Paludan’s act aroused a harsh backlash worldwide, with
Türkiye, the target of the hate crime, pulling the lead in denouncing the
incident and Swedish authorities for enabling him.
Some 250 people were gathered outside the Swedish
Consulate in Istanbul late Sunday to decry what has been broadly dubbed as an
“Islamophobic hate crime."
The protestors set on fire a photo of Paludan and
carried green flags featuring an Islamic proclamation of faith and a banner
that said, “We condemn Sweden’s state-supported Islamophobia.”
The broader Muslim world, countries like Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, and many others “strongly condemned and rejected”
the extremist act, as well, with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister calling on the
international community “to shoulder responsibility by stopping such
unacceptable acts and denouncing all forms of hatred and extremism and bringing
the perpetrators to accountability.”
Russian Muslims and Christians, Türkiye's Armenian
Patriarchate, and the Jewish community were among those slamming the incident,
too.
The Armenian Patriarchate said the "heinous
act" not only offended the religious feelings of those who belong to the
religion of Islam but that there were also movements “aimed at inciting
feelings of enmity among people of different faiths.”
"It is certain that this act, incompatible with
democracy, freedom and human rights, will not be accepted by those who share
these feelings," it added.
The statement underlined that the Armenian Turkish
patriarch, Sahak Mashalian, especially "regretfully condemned this
outdated act," along with the Spiritual Assembly of the Church, the
clergy, foundation boards and the Armenian Turkish community.
Stressing the "need for love and peace" as
the world struggles with a multitude of problems, the patriarchate said,
"We remind that it would be better for people to refrain from acts that
would add problems to the (existing) problems of our world, regardless of
religion, language and race, and to serve with all their might to provide the
desired environment of peace."
The Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Russia
described the burning session as “barbarity” and expressed that all Russian
Muslims “strongly condemn” it.
“The perpetrators of this act are trying to politically
incite a group of certain people by stoking the fire of hatred between
religions,” the administration warned and called on European authorities to
“show the courage to accept that faith in the hearts of most people is a
guiding force.”
Vladimir Legoyda, chairperson of the Synodal
Department for the Russian Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media, took
to Twitter to denounce the incident as “an unacceptable act of vandalism.”
“Humanitarian limits cannot be crossed, and religious
sanctity cannot be hurt in political struggles,” Legoyda said.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also
condemned the Quran burning as a provocative action that "targets Muslims,
insults their sacred values, and serves as a further example of the alarming
level reached by Islamophobia" and asked Sweden to punish those behind the
"hate crime."
Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) were also in the chorus of condemnations.
"We call on the Swedish government to bring the
perpetrators of this hate crime to justice as soon as possible," the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. At the same time, TRNC President Ersin Tatar
stated, "Such outdated approaches are a threat to all humanity and they
threaten world peace."
Turkish minority organizations in Western Thrace also
slammed the attack on the Quran. "It is unacceptable for the Swedish
authorities to consider the attack on the Quran as freedom of thought,"
the mufti (Muslim cleric) of the Turkish minority in the city of Xanthi
(Iskeçe) said in a statement.
Paludan’s Quran burning is not the only incident
straining bilateral ties between Türkiye and Sweden.
The leeway Swedish authorities grant anti-Türkiye
provocateurs, like the supporters of terrorist organizations including the PKK,
its Syrian offshoot YPG, and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), has been a major
source of conflict, too, especially over the past year amid the Nordic
country’s bid to join NATO, which is likely to hit a dead-end following this
turbulent weekend.
Stockholm has been courting Ankara to secure a green
light for its application since last year when it, alongside Finland, threw
away its military nonalignment in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war. Ankara,
however, has been firm in its demands that its security concerns about the terrorists
Sweden is harboring and tolerating be addressed.
As per a tripartite memorandum the sides inked in June
last year, Stockholm has vowed to meet the said demands, including extraditing
and increasing its crackdown on terrorist groups. For the previous month,
however, public support in Sweden for the terrorist groups from their
sympathizers has been raising the tensions between the two countries, which
Ankara has repeatedly warned would jeopardize Stockholm’s NATO membership
process.
Source: Daily Sabah
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EU ministers agree on new package of sanctions against
Iran
23 January ,2023
EU ministers on Monday agreed on a new package of
sanctions against Iran, the Swedish EU presidency said.
“Ministers adopted a new package of sanctions against
Iran, targeting those driving the repression. The EU strongly condemns the
brutal and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian authorities against
peaceful protesters,” the presidency said in a tweet, without giving further
detail.
Source: Al Arabiya
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France repatriates 15 women, 32 children from Syrian
extremist camps: Ministry
24 January ,2023
France repatriated 15 women and 32 children held in
extremist prison camps in northeastern Syria, the French foreign ministry said
Tuesday.
“The minors were handed over to the services in charge
of child assistance and will be subject to medical and social monitoring,” the
ministry announced in a statement, adding that “the adults have been handed
over to the competent judicial authorities.”
Over the past decade, thousands of extremists in
Europe traveled to Syria to become fighters with ISIS, often taking their
families to live in the self-declared “caliphate” it set up in territory seized
in Iraq and Syria.
Since the “caliphate” fell in 2019, the return of
family members of fighters who were captured or killed has been a thorny issue
for European countries.
The return announced Tuesday – which was committed due
to pressure from humanitarian organizations – is France’s third large-scale
repatriation.
The previous one was in October last year, when Paris
repatriated 15 women and 40 children, and in July, when 16 mothers and 35
minors were returned.
The women and children repatriated Tuesday were in the
Roj camp in northeast Syria under Kurdish administration, located about 15
kilometers (9 miles) from the Iraqi and Turkish borders.
The French authorities thanked “the local
administration in northeastern Syria for its cooperation, which made this
operation possible.”
Source: Al Arabiya
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North America
'Repugnant' Quran burning could be sabotage against
NATO unity: US
JAN 23, 2023
The U.S. State Department spokesperson claimed that
the "repugnant" Qur'an burning by Swedish-Danish activist in front of
the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm could have been done to undermine NATO unity, as
Türkiye was outraged against Sweden for permitting such provocation.
Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan on Saturday
torched the Islamic holy book in front of Ankara's embassy in Stockholm just as
Türkiye holds up Sweden's application to be part of the transatlantic alliance
for failing to keep up to its promises made in a trilateral memorandum signed
with Finland.
"Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply
disrespectful act," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
"It's repugnant," he said, also calling the incident
"disgusting" and "vile."
Price said the burning was the work of "a
provocateur" who "may have deliberately sought to put distance
between two close partners of ours – Turkey and Sweden." He "may have
deliberately sought to have an impact on the ongoing discussion regarding the
accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO," Price added.
Price defended the stance of Sweden, saying that it
upholds "freedom of association" and that an act "can be lawful
and awful at the same time." He explained, "I think in this case,
what we've seen in the context of Sweden falls into that category."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded to the
provocation by saying that Sweden should not expect Türkiye's support for its
NATO bid after allowing such an act filled with hatred, as well as anti-Türkiye
protests by terrorist PKK/YPG supporters.
Since officially applying for membership in May 2022,
spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland have been striving
and struggling to secure Türkiye’s approval for joining the bloc. The Turkish
government is objecting to their accession on grounds of security concerns,
namely “harboring and tolerating” terrorist groups such as the PKK, and FETÖ.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) the sides inked at
a NATO summit in Madrid stipulates that the two countries take concrete steps
to address the said concerns, increase their crackdown on terrorist
organizations and deport people suspected of terrorism-related crimes.
For the last month, however, public support in Sweden
for terrorist groups by sympathizers has been raising tensions between the two
countries, actions which Ankara has repeatedly warned would jeopardize
Stockholm’s NATO membership process.
A scandalous mid-January protest in Stockholm wherein
an effigy of President Erdoğan was hanged by its feet in front of the city hall
has particularly impaired negotiations, with Saturday’s Qur'an burning session
as the boiling point.
Türkiye summoned the Swedish ambassador and canceled a
visit by Swedish Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen, as well as Defense Minister
Pal Jonson to Ankara. Amid an outpouring of international denouncements, dozens
of Turkish officials, including defense and foreign ministers as well as
opposition party leaders, slammed Sweden for enabling Paludan.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted late on
Saturday that freedom of expression was crucial to democracy but added that
“what is legal is not necessarily appropriate."
"Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply
disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are
offended by what has happened in Stockholm today,” said Kristersson.
Source: Daily Sabah
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US to increase pressure on China to stop importing
Iranian oil, Iran envoy says
24 January ,2023
The Biden administration’s top Iran envoy said it will
increase pressure on China to cease imports of Iranian oil as the US tries to
enforce nuclear sanctions.
“China is the main destination of illicit exports by
Iran,” and talks to dissuade Beijing from the purchases are “going to be
intensified,” US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said in a Bloomberg
Television interview Monday.
The US reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic and
its petroleum exports in 2018 after pulling out of an agreement aimed at
containing its nuclear program. In response, Tehran has ramped up uranium
enrichment activities and restricted international monitoring.
Meanwhile, Iranian crude shipments have surged in
recent months in defiance of Washington’s censure. Much of that flood of oil
appears to be heading to China, the world’s biggest importer.
The US will “take steps that we need to take in order
to stop the export of Iranian oil and deter countries from buying it,” Malley
said.
Source: Al Arabiya
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US-Iranian citizen imprisoned in Iran ends hunger
strike
23 January ,2023
A US-Iranian dual national imprisoned in Tehran ended
a seven-day hunger strike on Monday, saying he had lost 10 pounds but felt
strengthened in his resolve to fight for the release of US prisoners.
Siamak Namazi, who has been detained since October
2015, said his strike marked the seventh anniversary of Washington’s decision
to exclude him from a prisoner release that saw five other Americans freed
after the inking of a historic denuclearization deal with Iran.
Namazi had called on US President Joe Biden to
consider the plight of American prisoners in Iran for a minute each day – one
“for each of the seven years of freedom he... lost” since the prisoner swap,
according to a statement released by his lawyer on Monday.
“I went on hunger strike because I’ve learned the hard
way that US presidents tend to rely more on their political thermometer than
their moral compass when deciding whether or not to enter a prisoner deal with
Iran,” he said.
“I denied myself food for an entire week so that maybe
President Biden will recognize just how desperate the situation of the US
hostages here has become.”
According to his lawyer, Namazi lost about 10 pounds
(4.5 kilograms) and his blood pressure spiked above normal levels during the
hunger strike. He also struggled to stay warm, the statement said.
Namazi was blocked from leaving the country after a
2015 visit and sentenced to 10 years for collaborating with a foreign
government, charges that he denies and that US officials have called groundless.
After Donald Trump nixed the nuclear deal with Iran,
the Biden administration had sought to restore it, while also insisting the
pact could not go forward without the release of imprisoned Americans.
But, after painstaking negotiations, Biden has acknowledged
that the deal is effectively dead.
Source: Al Arabiya
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US support for Daesh in Afghanistan
23 January 2023
The US has been reaching out to groups opposing the
Taliban, such as Daesh, and secretly giving money to them.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Presidential Envoy to
Afghanistan, expounds the reasoning for this covert support thus:
Because they really want to avenge their shameful
military political defeat in Afghanistan, and in retaliation, they do
everything so that peace isn't established in this troubled land.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Presidential Envoy to
Afghanistan
Kabulov also asserted that this also affects Russian
security.
With the armed opposition in Afghanistan, the Anglo
Saxons are covertly sponsoring Daesh, who are aimed at undermining not only the
stability of our Central Asian partners, but also the security of Russia.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian Presidential Envoy to
Afghanistan
Allegations of the US supporting Daesh, in particular,
have been around for a decade at this point. Sometimes they even come from US
officials.
President Obama; he's the founder of ISIS … I would
say the cofounder is Hillary Clinton.
Former US President, Donald Trump
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is among the
top officials that accused the United States of backing Daesh. Erdogan made the
accusations in response to US accusations against his government for supporting
terrorist groups.
Now they give support to terrorist groups including
Daesh, YPG, PYD, it is very clear, we have confirmed evidence with pictures,
photos and videos.
Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
In a three year field study of the Daesh supply chain,
it was found that the military hardware and external funding that anti Assad
rebel groups received from the US found their way into the hands of Daesh.
With all the accusations of direct US involvement in
the founding of Daesh, the indirect involvement, which most of the world agrees
resulted in the creation of the terror group, is the "power vacuum"
that the US left in the region by fighting the many wars it fought, especially
the invasion of Iraq and the support of Syrian rebel groups.
The US effectively fought a war in Afghanistan for
twenty years, with a budget of over 2.1 trillion dollars, just to replace the
Taliban with the Taliban.
The Taliban have been accused of many things since
their swift power grab in August 2021 but what they have managed to do is to
stabilize the country ridding it of power struggles, which means groups like
Daesh, who still have a presence in the region, were unable to establish bases
in Afghanistan.
Despite carrying out terrorist attacks, even after the
Taliban took over, the number of such attacks has dropped significantly over the
past year.
Now with approximately 97% of the Afghan population
living below the poverty line, with over half of the country's assets frozen by
the US, the last thing the country can afford is US shenanigans trying to prop
up Takfiri terrorist groups there.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently added
insult to injury by justifying the way the US left Afghanistan, claiming that
if the “coalition forces” had remained there "it would have, I think, made
much more complicated the support that we've been able to give, and others have
been able to give, Ukraine."
As if Afghanistan were a pawn in the grand scheme of
US political agendas, an attitude that isn't too uncommon in US politics,
applicable to friend and foe, without exception.
Source: Press TV
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South Asia
Taliban Discuss Restoration of Historical Sites with
UNESCO
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
January 24, 2023
Mawlavi Atiqullah Azizi, Deputy Minister of Culture
and Information of Afghanistan met with Brendan Cassar, UNESCO Culture Program
Officer on Monday to discuss the restoration of historical sites.
During the meeting, Mr. Azizi shared his concerns with
Brendan about restoring historical sites and ancient reservoirs in some
provinces of the country, which are on the verge of collapse.
The deputy minister said that Ghor Jam Minar, Mirwais
Nika, and Ahmad Shah Baba shrines in Kandahar, the walls of Bost Fort in
Helmand, and some historical buildings and academic centers in Ghazni and
Bamyan provinces are being protected. He added that UNESCO’s urgent assistance
in constructing and restoring certain historical places is required now more
than ever before as the country is faced with a massive economic crisis amidst
other significant challenges.
For his part, Brendan deemed it necessary to carry out
these works and said that UNESCO is ready to assist in restoring the historical
sites in Afghanistan.
This comes as the Taliban blew up the giant statue of
Bamyan, also known as the “Buddhas of Bamyan” during their previous spell in
2001. The act drew widespread condemnation from the international community,
describing it as a complete cultural tragedy and disrespectful against global
Buddhism.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in August
2021, they are accused of disrespecting cultural values in the war-torn
country. The de facto authorities have renamed universities and educational
institutions, venues, airports, hospitals, and cities throughout the country–
arousing the anger of the general public.
Meanwhile, the caretaker regime is also accused of
implementing an anti-Farsi/Dari policy in the country as they have already
erased Farsi from the billboards of certain government institutions.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-discuss-restoration-of-historical-sites-with-unesco/
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Chinese Nationals Arrested Over Smuggling Precious
Stones: Taliban
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
January 24, 2023
Taliban authorities have arrested five men including
two Chinese nationals over the alleged smuggling of lithium-bearing stones out
of the country, according to local sources.
In collaboration with their Afghan allies, two Chinese
nationals were trying to smuggle precious stones from Afghanistan to China
through Pakistan.
According to sources, the rocks contained 30 percent
lithium, extracted from Nuristan and Kunar, the two provinces sharing a border
with Pakistan. The smugglers were arrested in Jalalabad, an eastern border city
in Afghanistan.
Taliban intelligence personnel said Chinese nationals
in collaboration with their Afghan partners wanted to transport the precious
stones to China via Pakistan while arrested.
China is one of the few countries in the region that
has maintained close ties with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities. With the
U.S. and its Western allies gone, China found the best opportunity to achieve
its economic and strategic objectives in the war-torn country by commencing its
Road and Belt initiative.
However, security remains a major concern for foreign
nationals currently working in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to
power, terror attacks took place at the Russian Embassy, Pakistan Diplomatic
Mission and a Chinese-Run hotel in the heart of Kabul, resulting in the death
and injury of scores of people including foreign nationals.
Following the terror attack targeting a Chinese-run
hotel in Kabul, Beijing advised the Chinese to leave Afghanistan immediately.
Despite the security threats, China has an intense interest in investing in
Afghanistan, as the Taliban authorities have already contracted the extraction
of the Amu oil field with the Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) last
month.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/chinese-nationals-arrested-over-smuggling-precious-stones-taliban/
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Sri Lanka seeks investment, employment opportunities
from Saudi Arabia
MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
January 23, 2023
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is seeking to boost relations with
Saudi Arabia through connectivity, investment, and employment opportunities,
its foreign minister said on Monday as he began a visit to the Kingdom.
Ali Sabry, who will be visiting until Jan. 27, was
scheduled to meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan during
the official trip, as well as senior officials from the Islamic Development
Bank, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation
Council.
Sabry told Arab News in an exclusive interview that
Sri Lanka was looking for ways to further relations with Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in Madinah, he said: “Generally, the visit is
to further strengthen ongoing discussions to have more connectivity and
employment opportunities and investment.
“Traditionally, we have had a good relationship with
Saudi Arabia … so we are very hopeful that we can strengthen it.”
Improving bilateral relations was important for Sri
Lanka, the minister added, as the Kingdom was “a very influential member of the
international community,” especially in the Islamic world and due to its
membership in the Group of 20 biggest economies.
The Sri Lankan delegation includes the Minister of
Rural Economy Kader Masthan, Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Riyadh, Pakeer Mohideen
Amza, and the consul-general in Jeddah, Faiah Moulana.
Sabry’s visit follows a series of high-level
engagements by Sri Lankan officials with the Kingdom in the past year. These
have included Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed’s visit in August as a special
envoy of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, where his meetings had focused on
improving energy cooperation.
In November, Labor and Foreign Employment Minister
Manusha Nanayakkara met Saudi officials to discuss ways to boost labor
relations and find employment opportunities for skilled Sri Lankan workers on
infrastructure projects being implemented under Saudi Vision 2030.
With all the “huge developments taking place in Saudi
Arabia,” Sri Lanka was eager to “also get their due share in terms of
employment and other benefits in different areas,” Sabry said, adding that a
discussion to improve trade was also on the agenda.
“When we strengthen the relationship between both
countries, it can be a catalyst to a wider, better relationship with the
Islamic world,” he said. “So, we are very keen on developing this.”
The island nation of 22 million people has been
struggling in the past year with challenges ranging from a shortage of dollars
to runaway inflation and a steep recession as it faces its worst financial
crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2237656/world
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Reviewing engagement with Taliban, says US on rights
violations in Afghan
January 24, 2023
The US on Monday said that it is reviewing its
approach and engagement with the Taliban in the context of many human rights
violations that are taking place in Afghanistan under the atrocious regime and
it is actively evaluating with the allies and partners to take the next
appropriate steps towards it.
US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, in a press
briefing, underlined that the US continues to be the world's leading
humanitarian provider to the people of Afghanistan, and is not providing the
Taliban with any support.
"It is certainly not the case that we are
providing the Taliban with any support. In fact, the US continues to be the
world's leading humanitarian provider to the people of Afghanistan. We have provided
about USD 1.1 billion worth of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people,
not to any Taliban people or any entity purporting to represent or serve the
government," he said.
Price said that the US is reviewing its approach in
terms of the grave humanitarian violations that are taking place in the country
as well as the actions the world has seen from the Taliban in recent weeks and
recent months.
Responding to the media query on the Taliban's
atrocities on the Afghan people, the US State Department spokesperson said,
"We are actively evaluating with allies, partners are the appropriate next
steps. We have been clear that there will be a cost for the Taliban for these
actions as absolutely everything remains on the table."
Recently, a United Nations (UN) delegation has warned
the Taliban that Afghanistan would be further isolated if it isolates its
women.
According to Khaama Press, a high-level UN delegation
travelled to Afghanistan this week and met with high-ranking Taliban officials
to ensure the protection of women and girls' rights amid the growing concern
over their alienation.
The Taliban was told by UN legal experts to prioritize
protecting the rights of women and girls under any circumstance. The
international community was also urged to support Afghan women during these
critical times.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, the
Executive Director of UN Women Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General
for UN political, peacebuilding, and peace operations Khaled Khiari, were part
of the UN delegation visiting Kabul.
The aim of the four-day visit was to observe the
situation, engage with de facto authorities and highlight the UN solidarity
with the Afghan people, the delegation said in a statement last week.
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing violation of the rights of
Afghan women under the Taliban regime, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid
recently said in a statement that overturning restrictions against women is not
a priority for the group, reported Khaama Press.
The Taliban said that it would not permit any acts
that violate Islamic law, and the concerns regarding restrictions on women's
rights will be dealt with according to the established rule of the group in the
country.
Source: Business Standard
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Surging crime, bleak future push Rohingya in
Bangladesh to risk lives at sea
24 January, 2023
By Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly and Krishna N. Das
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) – Mohammed Ismail
says four of his relatives were killed by gunmen at the Rohingya refugee camps
in Bangladesh between April and October last year. He recalls the September
night when, he says, he almost met the same fate: masked men kidnapped him, cut
off parts of his left arm and leg and dumped him in a canal.
“They repeatedly asked me why I gave their personal
details to the police,” Ismail, seated on a plastic mat with his left limbs
covered in white bandage and cloth, told Reuters at the Kutupalong refugee
camp. “I kept telling them I didn’t know anything about them and had not
provided any information.”
About 730,000 Rohingya, a mostly Muslim minority
present in Myanmar for centuries but denied citizenship in the Buddhist-majority
nation since 1982, fled to Bangladesh in 2017 to escape a military crackdown.
Including others who migrated in prior waves, nearly 1 million live near the
border in tens of thousands of huts made of bamboo and thin plastic sheets.
An increasing number of Rohingya are now leaving
Bangladesh for countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia via perilous boat
journeys, as rising crime in the camps adds to longstanding troubles like a
lack of educational and work opportunities and bleak prospects of returning to
military-ruled Myanmar.
Crimes recorded in the camps – including murder,
kidnapping, rape, robbery, human trafficking and narcotics trade – have soared
in recent years, according to data that Bangladesh police shared exclusively
with Reuters. Murders rose to 31 in 2022, the highest in at least five years.
“A series of murders of Rohingya men, including some
leaders, at the camps have sparked fear and concern about militant groups
gaining power, and local authorities failing to curb increasing violence,” said
Dil Mohammed, a Rohingya community leader in the camps.
“That’s one of the main reasons behind the surge in
Rohingya undertaking dangerous sea voyages.”
Police declined to comment on questions about Ismail
or the issues at the camps beyond the data they shared.
Data from UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, show that
about 348 Rohingya are thought to have died at sea in 2022, including in the
possible sinking late last year of a boat carrying 180 people, making it one of
the deadliest years since 2014. Some 3,545 Rohingya made or attempted the
crossing of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to Southeast Asian countries
last year, up from about 700 in 2021, the UNHCR said.
‘BETTER TO DIE AT SEA’
Ismail, 23, said he believes insurgents targeted him
and his relatives, who were aged between 26 and 40, after his cousins rejected
repeated approaches over the preceding three or four years to join a militant
outfit, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). The group has fought against
Myanmar’s security forces and some Rohingya say it has been recruiting
fighters, often through coercion, in the Bangladesh camps.
In letters to the UNHCR in November and this month
seen by Reuters, Ismail said he witnessed the killings of two of his cousins on
Oct. 27.
Reuters could not independently verify the deaths of
Ismail’s relatives, but his account was corroborated by his brother, Mohammed
Arif Ullah, 18. The UNHCR declined to comment on Ismail’s case, citing safety
and privacy risks.
About a dozen Rohingya men in the camps, who spoke to
Reuters on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said that ARSA
militants, whose stated goal is to fight for and restore the rights and freedom
of the Rohingya in their ancestral homeland, were involved in criminal
activities in the camps, including human and drug trafficking.
An ARSA spokesperson did not respond to questions
Reuters sent by email and Twitter about the fates of Ismail and his family, and
its alleged involvement in trafficking and attempts to recruit fighters in the
camps. The group said on Twitter in December that its activities were confined
to Myanmar.
“Any crimes and incidents happening in the camps… in
all such happenings, most of the time innocent Rohingya refugees from the camps
are labelled as ARSA members and extra-judicially arrested by the authorities,”
it said.
The UNHCR acknowledged concerns about crime in the
camps, saying it had increased its presence so that refugees could access
protection and support.
“Among the serious protection incidents reported to
UNHCR are abductions, disappearances, threats or physical attacks by armed
groups and criminal gangs involved in illegal activities,” said Regina de la
Portilla, the agency’s communications officer in Bangladesh.
Reuters could not independently obtain evidence of
drug trafficking by ARSA, though previous Reuters reporting described how
refugees had been drawn into the trade out of desperation.
Accounts of violent crime in the overcrowded refugee
settlements are adding to pressure on densely populated Bangladesh, which has
struggled to support the Rohingya and has called for Myanmar to take them back.
Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief
and Repatriation Commissioner based in Cox’s Bazar, said the government was
trying to control crime, including through a separate police battalion posted
to the camps, but that “criminals just flee across borders when we run an
operation”.
“For me, ARSA are thugs, hoodlums, hopeless people who
now depend on drug peddling and extortion,” he said. “They don’t have a
country, society, and nobody recognises them. That is why they are involved in
crimes and life is meaningless to them.”
Human Rights Watch said this month, in a report based
on interviews with more than 40 refugees, that Bangladesh police’s Armed Police
Battalion, which took over security in the camps in 2020, was committing
extortion, arbitrary arrests, and harassment of Rohingya refugees. The
battalion did not respond to emails seeking comment.
Rahman said returning the Rohingya to Myanmar was the
“only solution” to their problems. But Myanmar’s military junta, which took
power in a coup two years ago, has shown little inclination to take them back.
A Myanmar government spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Ismail, who lives with his parents, wife and brother,
says he fears for his life and understands why some Rohingya are fleeing
Bangladesh.
“It’s better to die at sea than being killed by
terrorists or dying every day living in fear,” he said.
NO HOPE OF REPATRIATION
The police data show that crimes in the camps and the
number of Rohingya arrested in Bangladesh last year were 16 times the levels of
2017 – a significant jump even after accounting for the influx of refugees.
Police arrested 2,531 Rohingya and registered 1,220 cases last year, up from
1,628 arrests and 666 cases in 2021.
About 90% of cases last year, and a similar proportion
of arrests, involved murder, illegal use of weapons, trade in narcotics,
robbery, rape, kidnapping, attacks on police and human trafficking. Reuters
could not determine how many of these resulted in convictions.
The murders of 31 Rohingya marked an increase from a
previous high of 27 in 2021. Related arrests reached 290, from 97 a year
earlier. Drug-related cases and arrests also soared.
Khair Ullah, a senior Burmese language instructor at
the Development Research and Action Group, an NGO, said that besides concern
about crime, the refugees were frustrated because about 90% of them had no
education or employment.
“They are worried about their future. They can’t
support their old parents,” said Ullah, 25, who is Rohingya and lives in the
camps. “What will happen when they have kids? The other big issue is that
there’s no hope of repatriation from here, so they’re trying to leave the camps
illegally.”
A FRAUGHT CHOICE
Reuters spoke with several refugees who returned to
the Bangladesh camps after abandoning journeys to Malaysia, via Myanmar, out of
trepidation.
Enayet Ullah, 20, who is not related to Khair Ullah,
arrived in Bangladesh in 2017 with his family. In December, he said, he saw the
bodies of two Rohingya men who had been killed in the area of the camps where
he lives.
“When I saw their bodies, I was traumatised,” he said.
“I thought I could have died this way. Then I decided to leave the camp for
Malaysia.”
Taking a boat from Teknaf in Bangladesh with nine
others on the night of Dec. 13, Ullah said he reached the Myanmar town of
Sittwe the next day. He had arranged for traffickers to take him to Malaysia
for 450,000 taka (about $4,300).
“More Rohingya were supposed to join us and then a
bigger boat would sail for Malaysia,” Ullah said. “They were waiting for a
green signal to start the voyage. But my gut feeling was that the journey
wouldn’t be safe.”
He got cold feet and asked the traffickers to send him
back to Bangladesh for 100,000 taka.
Ullah laments that after more than five years in the
camps, his homeland seems as far away as ever.
“No education, no jobs. The situation will only
deteriorate as time passes by,” he said.
Those who reach Malaysia – where there are about
100,000 Rohingya – often find their situation similarly dire. Deemed illegal
immigrants, many are jobless and complain of harassment by police. And the
deteriorating political situation in Myanmar since the coup has dashed any
hopes of repatriation in the near term.
Mohammed Aziz, 21, said he pulled out of a sea trip to
Southeast Asia after he saw pictures of boats that traffickers were using, and
felt they were too small. He said he had to pay 80,000 taka for the trip to the
Myanmar coast from Bangladesh and back.
Source: The Print
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Afghan Deaf Community Wants Islamic Emirate to Address
their Problems
2023-01-23
KABUL (BNA) The country’s deaf community, in a meeting
with Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi, called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
to address their problems.
They are complaining, even though they are deserved
it, the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled has not registered them for receiving
help.
Batur, who spoke in sign language, in this meeting,
talked on behalf of others regarding the problems and challenges of the
country’s deaf community to Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Deputy Prime
Minister.
He mentioned that unemployment and poverty are the
main problems of the deaf, and said that the deaf is still not registered in
the framework of the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled.
He asked the officials of the Islamic Emirate to pay
special attention to the problems of the deaf community.
For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Hanafi said: “The
deaf community, like other citizens, has their rights, and the Islamic Emirate
pays attention to addressing the problems of the Afghan people, especially
those who are in unusual circumstances, as one of its priorities.”
Source: Bakhtar News
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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/afghan-deaf-community-wants-islamic-emirate-to-address-their-problems/
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Afghanistan Criticizes Uzbekistan for Cutting Power
Supply
By Fidel Rahmati
January 23, 2023
Afghanistan urges Uzbekistan to restore the power
supply following the previous agreement between Kabul and Tashkent.
Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan
Muttaqi on Sunday called on Uzbekistan to provide the amount of electricity
mentioned in an agreement signed between Kabul and Tashkent, Tolo News
Reported.
Muttaqi slammed Uzbekistan for turning off Afghanistan’s
electricity supply amid the bitter winter in the country.
“Uzbekistan cut off electricity supplies; now people
are facing problems. Neighbours and friends should help each other in difficult
moments,” he added.
Afghanistan’s interim foreign minister stated that the
Uzbek government must keep its word and supply power to Afghanistan by the
agreement between Kabul and Tashkent.
Last week, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat announced
the suspension of the power supply from Uzbekistan due to a technical issue.
The technical problem still has not been fixed, and the people of Afghanistan
are facing problems amid the freezing winter.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-criticizes-uzbekistan-for-cutting-power-supply/
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Southeast Asia
PAS President: Islamophobia Used To Stop 'The True
Islam' From Taking Back Power to Govern Country
By Keertan Ayamany
24 Jan 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — PAS president Tan Sri Abdul
Hadi Awang has said that Islamophobia is a “new weapon” that is currently being
asserted by “orientalists” who study Islam to find faults and weaknesses in the
religion.
Taking to Facebook last night, Hadi also said that
Islamophobia is being used as a mental weapon against Islam by a “government
made by colonisers”, political parties, secular groups, and the enemies of
Islam especially on internet media.
“Islamophobia is being argued with hate speech and
animosity towards Islam, especially by orientalists that study Islam not based
on the true Islamic knowledge from the al-Quran, hadith and eminent Islamic
scholars,” he said.
He also said that Islamophobia is being used to stop
“the true Islam” from taking back power and governing the country.
He added that Islam does not use coercion and is meant
to protect the oppressed.
“Therefore, there is not even a little reason for
phobia against Islam if its teachings are studied in an honest manner from
original sources, not copies or lies,” he said.
This comes after Hadi had made a Facebook posting on
Sunday saying that Chinese are not strangers to him, as his grandfather had
adopted many Chinese children during the Second World War and he had a Chinese
in-law.
Source: Malay Mail
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Indonesian Ulema Council Condemns Quran Burning in
Sweden
BY :SURYA LESMANA & JAYANTY NADA SHOFA
JANUARY 23, 2023
Jakarta. The Indonesian Ulema Council, or MUI,
denounces the burning of a copy of the Quran by a Danish-Swedish far-right
politician during a recent protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm,
Sweden.
Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right
political party Stram Kurs, set fire to a copy of the Quran when protesting
outside the Turkish Embassy over the weekend. The Islamophobic act has sparked
worldwide outrage. Condemnation also poured in from Indonesia, the country with
the world’s largest Muslim population, particularly among its Islamic scholars.
“What Rasmus Paludan and his group did has sparked a
conflict in Sweden. This act is not only shameful but also uncivilized,” Sudarnoto
Abdul Hakim, the head of foreign affairs at the MUI, said on Monday.
The MUI accuses Paludan and his group of spreading
xenophobia, racism, and Islamophobia. The MUI urged the Swedish government to
take immediate action against the perpetrators.
“If the Swedish government fails to take action,
extremism and Islamophobia will only continue to spread and threaten humanity.
This is baffling, because they [the perpetrators] have committed the act
several times, but we have not seen a firm action taken against Paludan,”
Sudarnoto said.
“This is the same as the [Swedish] government letting
Islamophobia spread even though it goes against the United Nations’ resolution
on combating Islamophobia,” he said. The MUI demanded an explanation from the
Swedish Ambassador in Indonesia.
According to Sudarnoto, the Swedish ambassador should
promise to take action to stop all sorts of extremism. He also called for the
Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry to make a diplomatic appeal to the Swedish
envoy in Jakarta.
“Don’t let the Sweden-Indonesia ties be disrupted
because we let this case go unchecked,” Sudarnoto said.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry on Sunday announced on
Twitter that Indonesia strongly condemned the Quran burning.
“This act of blasphemy has hurt and tarnished
religious tolerance. Freedom of expression must be exercised in a responsible
manner,” the ministry tweeted.
Source: Jakarta Globe
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https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesian-ulema-council-condemns-Quran-burning-in-sweden
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Malaysian lion dancers bring new spirit to ancient
tradition
By Florence Looi
24 Jan 2023
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – When her maternity leave
ended, Mariam Abdul Nazar returned to work and her passion, lion dancing.
A Malaysian Muslim, she started learning lion dancing
when she was 13, after accompanying her then 14-year-old brother to his
training sessions.
“I was drawn to the energy from the music, especially
the drums. And I thought the lions were cute, with their big, big eyes,”
Mariam, a 27-year-old content reviewer, told Al Jazeera.
In multiracial Malaysia, lion dancing has become so
popular that it is not just the country’s ethnic Chinese taking up the art.
The Muhibah Lion Dance Troupe, established in 1984, is
the first multiracial lion dance group in the country. Its name, Muhibah, is
from the Malay word “muhibbah”, which means a feeling of friendship or
camaraderie.
At the Khuan Loke Dragon and Lion Dance Association,
where Mariam trains, her teammates are made up of Malays, the ethnic majority
in Malaysia, Indians, an ethnic minority, and a handful of foreigners.
Now a working adult and a new mum, Mariam finds it
difficult to commit to the three-times-a-week training schedule, but she
returns to help out during the Lunar New Year, one of the busiest times for
lion dance troupes in Malaysia.
Festive mood
The lion is a traditional symbol of good luck in
Chinese culture and lion dancing is believed to usher in good luck and
prosperity while driving away evil and bad luck.
Chinese families and Chinese-owned businesses hire
lion dancers to perform in their homes and offices, believing it will bring
good fortune for the rest of the year.
Shopping malls also hire lion dance troupes to put on
shows throughout the 15-day celebration as well as in the weeks leading up to
the Lunar New Year.
There are Facebook pages dedicated to tracking where
and when performances are held.
Sarah Thiang and her family try to catch at least one
show every year.
“It’s part of Chinese culture. It’s fun and really
puts me in a festive mood,” she said, watching an acrobatic performance in a
shopping mall.
“It’s a bit nerve-racking watching them [the lion
dancers] on high poles, but I wasn’t worried for them. I have confidence in
their ability,” she added.
The acrobatic lion dance is performed on high poles
ranging from one to three metres in height.
Performers have to be agile and strong, and every move
has to be perfectly coordinated.
A misstep or a mistimed move could result in serious
injury.
The lion dance tradition may have originated in China
some 1,000 years ago, but it is Malaysia that is setting the pace and Kuala
Lumpur that is considered the lion dance capital of the world.
Performing on high poles is a relatively new
development, invented in the 1990s by Malaysian Siow Ho Phiew, who later
created a high pole sequence that became the new standard in acrobatic lion
dance worldwide.
Siow, or Master Siow as he is often called in a nod to
his expertise, is also a master craftsman of lion heads and a world-renowned
coach.
One of his students is Harlen Lee, owner and head
instructor at Gee Yung International Martial Arts, Dragon and Lion Dance Sports
Association in Hawaii in the United States.
Lee remembers a time when lion dancing was mostly
performed by and for people in the Chinese community.
“Now, almost every country has a lion dance team.
That’s pretty awesome, that our culture, our background has touched other
cultures. I’m proud of that,” said Lee, who is based in Honolulu.
He makes it a point to return to Malaysia every year
to train with a local team, and if he is unable to do so, he sends one of his
students instead.
“Just being in that atmosphere, going into the heart
of learning lion dance mastery, helps us improve,” Lee said.
Music is the ‘heartbeat’
“One of the reasons Malaysian lion dance teams keep
winning competitions is because our lions are life-like, they have spirit,”
said Eric Fong, secretary general and coach of Khuan Loke.
Fong, who also judges lion dance competitions, says
the art of lion dancing is not only about performing stunts but also about the
ability to convey emotions.
A flap of the ears, a flutter of the eyelids — these
gestures can be used to express playfulness, excitement or ferocity.
At Khuan Loke, all lion dance performers start by
learning to play the instruments — the drums, the cymbals and the gong.
“The music is the heartbeat of a lion dance,” Fong
explained. “There is no shortcut.”
The training and the performance schedule are
gruelling.
It often means Fong and his team have to skip almost
all Lunar New Year celebrations, save the traditional family reunion dinner
held on the eve of the festival.
Fong says his family have gotten used to seeing little
of him during a time when family gatherings are cherished.
Source: Al Jazeera
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JB school's SPM workshop for Muslim students causes
stir on social media
By VENESA DEVI
24 Jan 2023
JOHOR BARU: A Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) workshop
for a convent school here was allegedly held only for Muslim students and has
gathered strong reactions from parents and the public.
It is learnt that the two-day, one-night workshop that
was held in a hotel here, covered critical subjects including Additional
Mathematics and Chemistry.
"The school held a two-day, one-night SPM
workshop for only Muslim students, saying that it would only involve
religious-related subjects.
"However, it turned out to be a comprehensive
workshop covering subjects such as Chemistry, Additional Mathematics and
others.
"Apparently, it was paid for by a donor.
Non-Muslim students were left out and not even informed about the
workshop," said a parent in a thread on Twitter.
Her tweets have since made the rounds on social media,
gathering over 400 retweets and more than 700 likes in less than 24 hours.
She added that when disgruntled parents sought an
explanation from the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chat group, the
school principal shut down the conversation.
"The PTA has since forwarded the pertinent
queries regarding the workshop to the school principal and is waiting for her
response," she added.
Source: The Star
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Islamic college’s convocation reflects its diverse
student body
24 Jan 2023
ONE thousand graduates of International Islamic
College (IIC) received their degrees, diplomas and certificates at its 14th
convocation ceremony.
It was officiated by IIUC’s royal patron, Tunku Besar
Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri and held at the IIUM
Cultural Activity Centre in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur.
A total of 24 outstanding graduates also received
excellence awards at the ceremony.
It also saw the graduation of the pioneer batch of 32
from the Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (TVET) programme.
Among the notable graduates was Muhammad Haziq Samrat,
28, who is disabled.
Also known as Haziq Skateboard, he graduated with a
Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship), offered in collaboration with
Federation University of Australia.
Although he was born without limbs from the waist
down, that did not deter Haziq from engaging in extreme sports such as wall climbing,
skateboarding and swimming.
He was also a recipient of the Inspiration Award at
the 11th convocation ceremony.
Mohd Sharizal Zainal Abidin, 40, who received a
Diploma in Creative Animation, also proved that age is no barrier.
“Challenging myself to pursue studies while working
was not easy but I persevered.”
He noted that the diploma was a second chance for him
as he could not continue his studies after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
Following several years working as a clerk at IIC,
Mohd Sharizal decided to pursue his studies through the Open and Distance
Learning (ODL) mode.
The father of three collaborated with many production
companies during his time as student and is now head of department at a
broadcasting and media production firm.
Several non-Muslim graduates also received their
scrolls, including Haris Anbarasan, 21, who graduated with a Diploma in Law.
“I value the experiences gained during my studies at
IIC,” he said.
Vickneshkumar Suberamaniam, 27, an Information
Technology graduate, said there were several times when he felt dispirited.
“But I never gave up as I wanted to finish what I
started,” said Vickneshkumar, who chose IIC for its cultural diversity, Islamic
ambience and because its programmes are recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications
Agency (MQA).
Source: The Star
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Arab World
Muslim Council of Elders, Under the Chairmanship Of
al-Azhar Grand Imam Condemns Burning Of Holy Quran By Extremists In Sweden
23-01-2023
ABU DHABI, 23rd January, 2023 (WAM) -- The Muslim
Council of Elders, under the Chairmanship of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr.
Ahmed Al-Tayeb, has expressed its utmost condemnation of the burning of the
Holy Quran by an extremist in Sweden.
The Council strongly denounced such vile actions that
provoke and insult nearly two billion Muslims around the world, calling for an
end to hate speech, the instigation of discord and to respect the beliefs of
others by not desecrating religious sanctities.
Source: WAM
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https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395303121505
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Shura Council Denounces Swedish Authorities over Burning
Of Holy Qur'an Copy
JANUARY 23, 2023
The Shura Council has denounced, in the strongest
terms, the Swedish authorities for allowing one of the far-right members to
burn a copy of the Holy Qur'an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm,
asserting that allowing such a blatant act provokes emotions of 2bn Muslims,
and ignites hate speech and violence.
This came during the ordinary weekly session of the
Shura Council that was held Tuesday at Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the headquarters
of the Council, under the presidency of HE the Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah
al-Ghanim.
The Council confirmed that such an outrageous step
contravenes the laws and charters of respect for the religious sanctities of
nations, including human rights principles that underscore freedom of religion,
and protect sanctities and rituals. The Council expressed its deepest
astonishment over the silence of some Western and European countries towards
the persistent offence against the Islamic religion, under the pretext of
freedom of expression, pointing out that such a double-dealing with the concept
of freedom of expression, has allowed the recurrence of infringements upon
Islam, causing the growth of Islamophobia phenomenon. It also deepened the gap
between the east and the west.
The Council warned against the menace of the growing
far-right racial speech, anti-Muslim hate, involving religious sanctities in
such acts, and offending them to achieve political gains, confirming that such
acts would lead to more hatred, discrimination and violence, in addition to
feeding terrorism and extremism. The Shura Council called on the people of
Qatar, the Union of Councils of Member States of the Organisation of Islamic
Co-operation (OIC), all parliaments of Islamic world and the parliamentary,
Islamic and Arab federations to take essential and serious steps to further
adopt a unified Islamic stance to ensure non-infringement of sanctities and
never compromise them, and prevent the recurrence of such infringements.
During the session, the Council discussed the request
of holding general discussion that was submitted by a number of members on the
infractions made by some individuals and companies, and their impact on the
terrestrial environment. In this regard, the members of the Council pointed to
the great importance Qatar places on environment, as enshrined in the country's
Constitution to conserve the environment, specially the terrestrial
environment, which is demonstrated in Qatar's national vision 2030, as an
environmental development pillar.
They asserted that tampering with some wilderness
areas by some individuals and companies significantly causes erosion of areas,
in addition to degradation of their capacities to continue and sustain,
specially that Qatari environment is characterised by dry desert environment
with little rain and vegetation. They noted the danger of encroachment on
environment, meadows and wildlife through dumping construction waste,
overgrazing and other detrimental practices that damage the environment, albeit
the existence of laws and legislations that overtly criminalise such acts.
The Council members stressed the importance of
enforcing the laws and intensifying surveillance and accountability to reduce
the phenomenon of encroachment on environment, and never hesitate to impose
fines and penalties on violators, emphasising the importance of sensing the
spirit of responsibility towards environment and its conservation. After
discussing the request and securing everyone's confirmation on the criticality
of conserving the environment, and taking all necessary actions to prevent any
infraction or encroachment, the council decided to submit the request to the
Public Services and Utilities Committee for further perusal, and file a report
to the council accordingly.
Source: Gulf Times
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Hezbollah will stand up to any bid meant to undermine
Lebanon’s security: Top official
23 January 2023
A high-ranking official from the Lebanese Hezbollah
resistance movement says his group will decisively counter any bid meant to
undermine the Arab country’s internal security, and supports efforts aimed at
easing tensions among political factions.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
stated on Monday that the movement will stand up to any attempt to threaten
peace and stability and undermine national unity.
Sheikh Qassem underscored that Hezbollah wants a
president who will not surrender to internal or foreign pressures, and who will
not aggravate the situation in Lebanon and escalate tensions.
He went on to note that Hezbollah's position regarding
the political structure of Lebanon is crystal clear, as it strictly abides by
the 1989 Taif Agreement, which put an end to the civil war in Lebanon.
The senior Hezbollah official pointed to the political
tug-of-war over electing a successor to former president Michel Aoun, whose
term of office ended on October 31 last year, emphasizing that Hezbollah calls
for dialog and negotiations to bring differing viewpoints closer together.
Sheikh Qassem warned that those seeking to sow the
seeds of discord and division in Lebanon are actually sinking the country
further into crisis amid acute economic woes.
On Thursday, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah called for the election of “a brave [Lebanese] president who is
willing to sacrifice.”
“We want the election of a president, the formation of
a government and the salvation of the country,” the Hezbollah leader said.
“We want a brave president who is willing to sacrifice
and does not care about the threats of the Americans. There are such examples
and we must look for a government of this type and ministers of this type,” the
Hezbollah chief underlined.
Source: Press TV
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Saudi national orchestra and choir to appear at finale
of 2nd Qemam folk festival
January 23, 2023
RIYADH: The Saudi National Orchestra and National
Choir will appear at the closing ceremony of the Qemam International Festival
for Mountain Performing Arts on Friday, Jan. 27.
The Music Commission announced on Monday that 70
musicians and singers will perform a variety of popular folk songs during a
show at King Khalid University Theater in Abha, reflecting the Kingdom’s
musical culture and heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The week-long Qemam Festival, which is in its second
year, is a showcase for the traditional arts that have been preserved in the
mountainous region in the southwest of the country, which is home to the
Kingdom’s highest peaks. Sixteen Saudi folk groups and 14 international
ensembles are taking part this year.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2237526/saudi-arabia
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Iraqis injured in anti-Sweden protest after Quran
burning
23 January ,2023
An Iraqi policeman and seven protesters were injured
Monday during a rally outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad against the
burning of a Quran in Stockholm, a security source said.
Swedish-Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan on
Saturday set fire to a copy of the Muslim holy book in front of Turkey’s
embassy in the Swedish capital.
Iraqi police on Monday confronted more than 400
protesters outside the embassy when they came too close to the building, an
Iraqi interior ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he
was not authorized to speak to reporters.
During the rally, which was organized by pro-Iran
groups, protesters chanted, “No to Sweden, yes to the Quran”. As police pushed
the demonstrators back, violence erupted.
“Protesters threw stones and the police used their
truncheons,” the interior ministry official said, adding that seven protesters
and a policeman were injured.
The protesters then scattered, an AFP photographer
said.
Many Muslim countries have said they were outraged by
the burning of the Quran, which Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
condemned as “deeply disrespectful”.
Paludan’s actions in Stockholm have raised tensions
with Turkey as Sweden courts Ankara over its bid to join NATO.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Kuwait PM submits resignation of cabinet in tussle
with parliament
23 January ,2023
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah on
Monday submitted the resignation of his cabinet to the country’s crown prince,
state news agency KUNA reported, in the latest standoff between government and
the elected parliament.
Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has
taken over most of the emir’s duties, last year named Sheikh Ahmad as premier
and called early legislative polls after dissolving the previous parliament to
end feuding that impeded fiscal reforms.
Tensions recently resurfaced between parliament and
the government, sworn in last October, as lawmakers pressed for a debt relief
bill, under which the state would buy Kuwaiti citizen’s personal loans, and
sought to question two ministers.
The prime minister submitted the government’s
resignation to the crown prince “as a result of what has become of the
relationship between the executive and legislative authorities”, KUNA cited a
cabinet statement as saying.
Parliament had been scheduled to convene on Tuesday.
MP Shuaib Al Muwaizri, head of parliament’s financial
and economic affairs committee, had said in a Twitter post on Sunday that
personal debt relief would remain on the table until the government “officially
presents just alternatives” to increase wages, pensions and social assistance
for Kuwaitis.
The wealthy Gulf oil-producing nation has been trying
to strengthen its state finances as part of structural reforms, including a
debt law that would allow the state to tap international markets but which has
faced legislative gridlock.
Political bickering has for years hampered investment
and reforms in Kuwait, which is heavily dependent on oil revenues, has an
expansive welfare system and a public sector that employs roughly 80 percent of
its citizens. Kuwaitis account for less than a third of the population of 4.6
million people.
Opposition figures made big gains in September
parliamentary polls in the country, which bans political parties but has given
its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi singer Talal Alshehail optimistic about KSA’s
growing music industry
RASHID HASSAN
January 23, 2023
RIYADH: Talal Alshehail becomes quite emotional when
he speaks about his debut show that opened up in Riyadh last week because it
has been such a challenge to get his work out for the past 13 years.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, the creative
director of the Riyadh-based company, Capital Entertainment, said that the
Kingdom is now providing opportunities, which was once a distant dream for
artists. He admitted, though, that it is a nascent industry and more needs to
be done for creatives to develop business and technical skills.
He said he experienced a rush of emotions, including a
great deal of gratitude, when his band Trip Loon performed in Jax District last
week. “This was 13 years in the making. I started this project 13 years ago.
The band changed its name four times with different lineups. It was so hard to
get it up and running and to do a show,” he said.
“Now that we know Saudi Arabia has changed we don’t
have these problems of music, now it’s allowed. Ever since we started working
on getting a band together, we have worked hard. Now there are resources in the
country. There is infrastructure for that. So I thought, it’s time to get the
debut up and running,” Alshehail said.
Alshehail graduated from three programs at the New
York Film Academy — two Master of Fine Arts qualifications in filmmaking and
producing respectively, and a diploma in cinematography.
His career highlights include directing a critically
acclaimed music video in the US that was featured in both Yahoo Music and
Rolling Stone’s Top 20 List of Most Awesome Music Videos in 2014 and the Saudi
Arabian Pioneers Marketing Award for Best Video Commercial in 2018.
Alshehail said that his music journey started when he
was in college in the UAE with his best friend Mohammed Alshaibi, who is
currently a member of Trip Loon. Alshaibi had quit their initial band because
he thought a music career was not possible, and decided to get married.
Alshehail, in contrast, persisted and wanted to live
and work in the US but could not get an artist visa. “I couldn’t get a run over
there. Then I came back and everything was allowed, but there was no
infrastructure. Now everything is allowed and there is the infrastructure. So
now everything seems possible,” he said.
Debut is roaring success
“We came up with a team that performed at the debut
show, they were all Saudis. If the band members stay committed to me for at
least one album cycle of development, production, promotion and touring, and
they seem like they are committed, then we are going to change the band name,
from my name to a band name,” said Alshehail, who was joined during the
interview by Capital Entertainment’s founder Turki Alshagroud and co-founder
AlWaleed AlShehail.
The debut show was a roaring success. “The reason for
such a good response from the people is because so many of the biggest names in
Rock ’n Roll in Saudi Arabia participated in this project, and also from
(other) music genres … they all encouraged us. “Few musicians in America and
Amro Hawari, a legend in the rock scene in Saudi Arabia participated in this
and supported us,” said the artist.
He said the plan is to tour the Kingdom with Trip
Loon, which includes producing more music and performing at wrestling shows.
“Our next plan is (also) to have a single out. We just want to have one single,
and then we are gonna focus on finishing the first album.
“We have nine of the 10 songs written for the first
album, and then we will finish it. It’s a matter of just getting the budget for
tracking it, and then we can have it released,” he said.
Alshehail believes that there is a lot to look forward
to. “This should not be an opportunity that we should take lightly, we should
focus on making really good material with a lot of merit, and not just
prematurely develop things just because there are opportunities just to have a
release out.
“I think all the artists have to really take this
opportunity seriously and make songs that are really thought out and that have
a really powerful effect on its listeners,” he said.
Capital Entertainment’s slogan is “Merit before Hype,”
which encapsulates the aim to “train and to co-create content with upcoming
Saudi artists in order to attract popular and critical acclaim, both locally
and globally.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2237646/saudi-arabia
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Mideast
Israel angered by visit of Western envoys to Al-Aqsa
Mosque
January 23, 2023
Israeli is angry that EU and other Western envoys
visited Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem last Wednesday without prior
coordination with the occupation authorities, Israel Hayom reported on Sunday.
According to the newspaper, the delegation included around 30 diplomats from EU
countries, Canada, Australia and Argentina.
Instead, it was reported, they coordinated with the
Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem, which is the religious administrative body covering
the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa.
"We joined like-minded diplomats at Al-Aqsa
Mosque to demonstrate support for Jordanian custodianship of Christian and
Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem," tweeted the British Consulate in the holy
city. "We continue to promote historic status quo arrangements which
permit all three Abrahamic faiths to worship in the Old City."
Source: Middle East Monitor
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Iran Rules Out Face-to-Face Negotiations with US
2023-January-23
Reacting to reports of talks between Iran's Ambassador
and Permanent Representative to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani and Joe Biden
administration's Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley, Kana'ani noted
that Tehran is holding no direct bilateral talks with Washington.
The Iranian diplomat told reporters, however, that
messages on the talks for removal of the anti-Iran sanctions are being
exchanged with the US through different channels.
Tehran has announced that no direct negotiations have
been held between Iran and the United States over various issues, including the
nuclear negotiations as well as prisoner swap.
"The nuclear issue is a topic in which Iran as
well as the US government and European members of the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA,
have interests, therefore all sides are determined in the negotiations,"
the spokespersoan added, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"They [Americans] have repeatedly stated that the
nuclear negotiations is not their priority, noting that their priority is
iran's internal developments. What they say is inconsistent with what they
do," he stated.
"US support for instability and insecurity in
Iran is a blatant illegal interference in Iran's domestic affairs and is seen
as betting on the wrong horse," the senior official continued.
"Pursuing political agenda with the aim of
gaining concessions in the negotiations will certainly not work, and Iran will
not cross its red lines," Kana'ani emphasized.
Regarding the issue of exchange of prisoners between
Iran and the US, Kana'ani said the two sides reached agreements in this regard,
but Washington has tied the issue to the revival talks of the JCPOA.
“Iran is seriously keen that necessary measures be
taken so Iranian prisoners held in US jails who have been arrested on baseless
accusations and pretexts, including bypassing the US’ unjust sanctions imposed
on the Iranian nation, can be freed as soon as possible,” he added.
Iran stresses it has not quit the negotiating table
with the world powers, but will not put all its eggs in the negotiation basket
and will not wait for the United States to return to its commitments under the
2015 agreement. Iranian officials stress Tehran has maintained its constructive
attitude towards a good, strong and lasting agreement on the revival of the
accord and arriving at a deal requires the US pragmatic attitude.
Tehran says it will not be able to trust Washington as
long as President Joe Biden continues the wrong policy of maximum pressure and
sanctions practiced by Donald Trump against Iran. Iranian officials say the
Biden administration has yet done nothing but hollow promises to lift sanctions
against Tehran. They blast the US addiction to sanctions, and slammed the POTUS
for continuing his predecessor's policy on Iran.
Tehran and the five remaining parties to the nuclear
deal have held several rounds of negotiations since April 2021 to restore the
agreement, which was unilaterally abandoned by Trump in May 2018.
The talks remain stalled since August 2022, as
Washington continues to insist on its hard-nosed position of not removing all
sanctions that were slapped on Tehran by the previous US administration.
In quitting the agreement, Trump restored sanctions on
Iran as part of what he called the “maximum pressure” campaign against the country.
Those sanctions are being enforced to this day by the Biden administration,
even though it has repeatedly acknowledged that the policy has been a mistake
and a failure.
Iranian officials say the ball is in the US' court,
and the Biden administration should assure Tehran that it will not repeat
Trump's past mistakes.
Diplomats have also criticized Washington for raising
excessive demands from Tehran during the nuclear talks, and blocking efforts to
reach an agreement on the JCPOA. They emphasized that the US should lift
unilateral sanctions, and assure Iran that it will not repeat its past
mistakes.
Source: Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011103000517/Iran-Rles-O-Face-Face-Negiains-wih-US
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VP: Several Billion Dollars of Iran's Frozen Assets
Released
2023-January-23
"Several billion dollars of Iran's frozen
exchange assets have been released in recent days," Mokhber said while
stating that the country is full of economic capacities and opportunities.
Referring to Iran's vast capacities in the field of
mines, Iran's first vice president said, "With the production of one
million copper cathodes, we will have 10 billion dollars of profit and income
for the country. But so far, only seven percent of the copper mines in the
country have been discovered, and Iran ranks sixth in terms of reserves and
eighteenth in terms of production."
Mokhber reiterated that in the petrochemical sector 21
projects with a value of $13 billion, in the oil field sector 16 projects with
a value of $56 billion, in the industrial sector 6 projects with a value of $7
billion and in the agricultural sector, (different) plans with a value of $5
billion have been developed, some of which have entered the stage of
implementation and operation," he added.
In a relevant development earlier this month, Deputy
Head of Investment at the National Development Fund of Iran (NDFI) Mohammad
Javad Danesh said that Iran is planning to carry out 20 oil and gas projects
worth around $80 billion in a 10-year period.
He pointed out that like all national wealth funds in
the world, NDFI intends to invest in economic projects as an investor.
“We will adjust the financing models to reach $80
billion with existing resources and with the forecast of future resources,” he
added.
One of the 20 mega-projects on the agenda is the
development of 12 gas fields in the South Zagros region, for which NDFI has
signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Iranian Oil Company
(NIOC) and exploration and development companies as a financier.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Situation on edge of large-scale confrontation with
Israel, Islamic Jihad warns
24 January 2023
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement has
censured the recurrent desecration of the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque compound and
other holy places across the Israeli-occupied territories, warning of a serious
face-off with the occupying regime.
Islamic Jihad spokesman Tariq Salmi denounced Monday
morning’s incursion of hundreds of extremist Jewish settlers into the al-Aqsa
Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds, calling it a “brazen attack on
Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims.”
“The assault on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and
performance of provocative rituals in the courtyard of the sacred site reveals
the stubborn determination of the far-right administration of the occupying
Israeli regime to implement its evil plans. Such moves are viewed as a
declaration of war on al-Quds and the entire Palestinian nation,” Salmi said.
“We are teetering on the edge of a full-fledged
confrontation and the situation would go off at any time in case all relevant
parties do not fulfill their responsibilities to stop the crimes of the Israeli
regime. We would then recognize no reservations to defend al-Quds and al-Aqsa
Mosque,” he added.
Salmi asserted that Palestinians are fairly capable of
defending their land and sanctities, as they proved during the 11-day Operation
Sword of al-Quds in May 2021.
Gaza-based resistance forces launched Operation Sword
of al-Quds in defense of Palestinians in al-Quds against Israel’s atrocities
and desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque.
During that operation, Palestinian resistance groups
overwhelmed the Israeli regime by firing over 4,000 rockets and missiles into
the occupied territories. Israel, shocked by the unprecedented barrage of
rockets from Gaza, announced a unilateral ceasefire on May 21 that year, which
Palestinian resistance movements accepted with Egyptian mediation.
Meanwhile, according to local sources, at least 323
Israeli settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque in groups through its Bab al-Maghariba
gate and toured its courtyard under tight police guard.
Footage circulating on the internet showed two
settlers waving Israeli flags while police officers escorted them.
Other settlers performed full prostration with their
bodies pressed flat on the ground after entering the mosque compound, amid
restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers to the holy site.
Hardline Israeli officials and settlers regularly
storm the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied city, a provocative move that
infuriates Palestinians. Such mass settler break-ins almost always take place
at the behest of Tel Aviv-backed temple groups and under the auspices of the
Israeli police in al-Quds.
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the
Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Jewish visitation of al-Aqsa is permitted, but as
part of a decades-old agreement between Jordan – the custodian of Islamic and
Christian sites in al-Quds – and Israel in the wake of Israel’s occupation of
East al-Quds in 1967, non-Muslim worship at the compound is prohibited.
Back in May last year, an Israeli court upheld a ban
on Jewish prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, after an earlier lower
court’s decision stirred outrage among various Palestinians and across the
Muslim world.
Source: Press TV
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Iran condemns sanctions imposed by EU, Britain,
threatens retaliation
24 January ,2023
Iran on Tuesday strongly condemned new sanctions
imposed by the European Union and Britain and said it would retaliate, after
the West stepped up pressure on Iran over its crackdown on protests.
“The Islamic Republic will soon announce the list of
new sanctions against the human rights violators of EU and England,” Iran’s
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.
The European Union imposed sanctions on more than 30
Iranian officials and organizations, including units of the powerful
Revolutionary Guards, blaming them for a “brutal” crackdown on unrest and other
human rights abuses.
The United States and Britain also issued new
sanctions against Iran, reflecting a deterioration in the West’s already dire
relations with Tehran.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran second worst country for internet censorship in
2022 following protests: Report
24 January ,2023
Iran was the second place in the world for internet
censorship in 2022 after repeatedly shutting off the internet in parts of
country and blocking access to social media platforms to curb protests sparking
from of Mahsa Amini’s death, a new poll has showed.
As anti-regime demonstrations spilled onto the
internet and social media, with videos of women burning their hijabs going
viral, Iran responded by repeated internet blackouts and the shutdown of mobile
networks across the capital of Tehran and other parts of the county.
This led to Iran being placed second on the list of
the world’s worst countries for internet censorship last year, according to
research by internet watchdog Surfshark published on Monday.
Its internet censorship yearly recap shows around half
the world’s population – about 4.2 billion - suffered a politically motivated
internet blackout in 2022.
Nineteen countries imposed fresh restrictions on
citizens’ use of the web last year, bringing the total of nations engaged in
such repressive measures to 32.
As far as regions go, Asia led the poll comprising of
the most countries that introduced repressive internet measures last year.
The Jammu & Kashmir region in India, imposed the
largest number of interest restrictions the poll said.
In Iran, its censorship actions arose after the death
in police custody of Amini, who was arrested for being ‘inappropriately
dressed’ under the nation’s repressive Islamic law, which sparked public
outrage.
Surfshark said authoritarian governments have turned
to internet and social media disruptions to maintain their rule and curb civil
unrest, opposing political parties, free speech, and looming socio-economic
concerns.
“More than half of the world’s population was affected
by internet censorship last year,’ says Surfshark spokeswoman Gabriele
Racaityte-Krasauske. “Many of these cases involved full internet disruptions on
a local or national level.”
“These can be devastating and extremely dangerous,
especially during wartime, protests, or violent government repressions.
Internet restrictions can make it difficult or even impossible to mobilize
people for the defense of democracy, contact loved ones, access news sites, and
spread information to the outside world on what’s happening,”
In total, 11 Asian countries imposed new internet
disruptions in 2022, bringing a total of 58 cases. The Jammu and Kashmir region
had the highest disruption count in the world (24), followed by Iran (11) and
the rest of India (10).
Africa follows Asia as the second most
disruption-intensive region, with 5 countries imposing 13 restrictions. Sudan
takes the lead in Africa by disruption count (4), followed by Burkina Faso (3)
and Zimbabwe (3).
Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks, said: "Through
the past year we’ve seen how governments have used internet shutdowns and
telecommunications blackouts as a tool of repression and control, silencing
journalists, civil society, and the general public. Internet connectivity today
underpins all human rights, which is why it’s more critical than ever to
document mass-censorship incidents and find ways to get people
reconnected."
The report found that Burkina Faso, Russia, and
Azerbaijan had the longest internet disruptions last year
Burkina Faso restricted Facebook access for residents
in January. The restriction continued into 2023.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
disruptions following the invasion of Ukraine are still ongoing. The country
has also blocked access to major international news sites.
Azerbaijan restricted TikTok in September. The
platform remains restricted to this day.
Of all social media platforms, Facebook is the
most-hated by autocratic governments and remains highly censored in 2022. In
fact, since 2015, a staggering 46 percent of the global population has, in some
way or another, been affected by government-imposed Facebook restrictions.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Israeli army admits Palestinian man killed ‘for no
reason’
MOHAMMED NAJIB
January 24, 2023
RAMALLAH: A Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli
soldiers last week posed no threat or danger and should not have lost his life,
the Israeli army admitted on Monday.
Ahmed Kahla, 46, from Ramon, near Silwad in the
occupied West Bank, was shot in the neck from close range at a military
checkpoint on Jan. 15.
The Israeli army initially claimed that Kahla had been
shot because he got out of his car with a knife in his hand and ran toward
soldiers with the intention of stabbing them.
Kahla’s son Qusai, 20, who was with his father at the
time, said their car was stopped at the checkpoint and a soldier fired a stun
grenade that hit the roof of the vehicle. When Kahla asked why they were being
attacked, an officer used pepper spray on him and pulled him from the vehicle
before the soldier shot him dead.
An army investigation found that Kahla had no
intention of carrying out a stabbing attack and “the incident should not have
ended in death.”
The victim’s brother Zayed, 45, told Arab News: “They
killed him for no reason. We will take all measures to prosecute them.” The
family intends to seek financial compensation from the army in the Israeli
courts, and will also go to the International Criminal Court.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2237731/middle-east
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Palestinians vow to foil Israeli plan to demolish
strategic Al-Khan Al-Ahmar village
MOHAMMED NAJIB
January 23, 2023
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
has called on the US and the EU to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to stop the demolition of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem, and
the forced displacement of its residents.
Al-Khan Al-Ahmar has provoked an international crisis
as the small village is strategically significant, connecting the north of the
West Bank with the south.
It is one of the only remaining Palestinian areas in
the E1 area — a name for a settlement project that aims to link Jerusalem with
several other Israeli settlements.
The ministry’s appeal came as dozens of Palestinians
launched protests on Monday to defend the strategic village.
Israeli National Security Minster Itamar Ben-Gvir presented
a document during a Cabinet meeting on Jan. 22, listing a series of buildings
put up by Arabs in the West Bank in the past months.
The minister called for their demolition in six areas
in the north and the center of the West Bank, as well as the nature reserve
areas east of Bethlehem and Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said during the Cabinet session: “We are
applying the law in a balanced way. Today, we destroyed only three Arab homes
in Bethlehem and Nablus.”
The Israeli Supreme Court issued a final decision in
September 2018 to evacuate and demolish Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, rejecting the
petition of the village’s residents against their eviction and displacement and
the destruction of the community, which is mainly made up of tents and tin
dwellings.
Knesset members from the Likud party, meanwhile,
organized a tour on the outskirts of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar on Monday in a move aimed
at pressuring the Netanyahu government to demolish the community and displace
its residents, especially after Ben-Gvir’s demands for its demolition.
Ben-Gvir presented a document containing photographs
of Palestinian buildings east of Bethlehem, Nablus, Qalqilya and Ramallah and
pledged to work on demolishing these buildings during his tenure.
Netanyahu and other extremist Israeli ministers have
effectively waged war against Palestinian construction in the C areas, which
comprise 60 percent of the West Bank.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned
the campaign of incitement by the ministers, members of Knesset, and extremist
settlers to demolish the village of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, denouncing their calls to
storm it and attack its residents and those in solidarity with them.
The ministry said that Israel aims to implement
massive settlement projects in the area and strongly rejected the attempt of
some political and media parties in Israel to compare the random settlement
outpost in Jurish, south of Nablus, with the village of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar.
It affirmed that Al-Khan Al-Ahmar is part of
Palestine, while settlement in all its forms, including random outposts, is
illegal under international law.
Majed Al-Hillew, a Fatah Revolutionary Council member,
said that a meeting would be held on Tuesday for the council to discuss ways to
activate popular resistance in Palestine in general, and in Al-Khan Al-Ahmar in
particular, to confront the measures of the new Israeli government.
Mustafa Al-Barghouti, secretary-general of the
Palestinian National Initiative Movement, told Arab News that Al-Khan Al-Ahmar,
Masafer Yatta and Sheikh Jarrah are the first lines of defense for the
Palestinian presence in the face of the annexation of the West Bank, which the
Netanyahu government is trying to implement.
Separately, the Israeli army admitted after an
investigation that the 46-year-old Palestinian who was killed on Jan. 15 did
not pose a threat to the soldiers, as was previously claimed.
Ahmed Kahla from Ramon, east of Ramallah, near the
town of Silwad, was shot in the neck from close range.
The army investigation found that “the incident should
not have ended in death.”
The Israeli army had earlier claimed that Kahla had a
knife in his hand when he got out of his car and was headed toward the soldiers
before they shot him.
The army’s investigation concluded that Kahla did not
intend to carry out a stabbing attack.
The victim’s 20-year-old son Qusai, who was with him
on the day he was killed, confirmed that he and his father were on their way to
work in the morning.
Their car was stopped at an Israeli checkpoint and a
soldier fired a stun grenade that hit the roof of the vehicle.
When the father opened the window and asked the
soldier why he fired the stun grenade at his car, an officer ran toward him,
used pepper spray on him, and took him out of the vehicle before the soldier
shot him dead.
The army’s investigation showed that the pepper spray
the officer used on Kahla had been brought from his home and had not been
administered by the Israeli military.
Zayed Kahla, 45, the victim’s younger brother,
commented to Arab News on the Israeli military investigation into the death.
“We were certain that they killed him for no reason.
So we will take all measures to prosecute them and force them to pay financial
compensation,” he said, adding that the family has decided to go to the Israeli
courts to sue the army and will also go to the International Criminal Court.
“We realize that their trial will not bring our
brother Ahmed back to life, but we want them to pay the price for their crime.
“We want to deter them from killing more Palestinians
in cold blood and without reason so that they know that Palestinian blood is
precious and sacred,” he told Arab News.
A videotape from another person stopped at the
checkpoint showed that a verbal altercation occurred between Kahla and the
soldiers before one of them shot Kahla, who posed no danger to them, at short
range.
The incident is not the first of its kind,
Palestinians say.
Israeli army investigations concluded that, over the
last two months, soldiers have killed several Palestinians who posed no threat
to their lives.
An Israeli officer killed Ammar Muflih on the main
Hiwara Street, south of Nablus, on Dec. 2, at point-blank range.
An Israeli soldier also killed Palestinian girl Jana
Zakarneh on Dec. 12 during an army incursion into Jenin.
In a separate incident, over 300 extremists stormed
Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday, chanting racist slogans and performing public
prayers.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2237651/middle-east
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Yemenis rally to condemn desecration of Holy Qur’an in
Sweden
23 January 2023
Tens of thousands of people have poured onto the
streets in Yemen to strongly condemn the burning of a copy of the Holy Qur’an,
Islam’s most revered book, by a Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist in the
Swedish capital city of Stockholm.
Demonstrators took part in a mass rally in the
northwestern Yemeni city of Sa’ada on Monday to express their outrage over the
sacrilegious act and censure the silence and inaction of some Arab and Muslim
countries in the face of the move.
They also chanted slogans such as “Qur’an has its own
supporters,” “Oppressors will be disgraced,” “Burning Qur’an is an act of
aggression,” “God’s enemies burned the Qur’an”, and “O Muslims, unite and do
not be afraid of enemies’ deception.”
Sa’ada Provincial Governor, Mohammed Jaber Awad,
decried the burning of the Qur’an in Sweden as he addressed the protesters. He
said it came amid rising Islamophobia in Europe, amplified by politicians using
anti-Muslim rhetoric.
He held Sweden fully responsible for the consequences
of the sacrilegious and criminal act and urged Muslims and freedom-loving
people of the world to take to the streets in total rejection of the
desecration.
Awad also slammed the move as a brazen attack that
falls within the framework of anti-Islamic actions in the West, demanding a
thorough investigation into the incident.
Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Stram Kurs (Hard
Line) Party, under the protection of police and with permission from the
government, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm
on Saturday.
The Turkish foreign ministry responded immediately in
a statement.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile
attack on our holy book… Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims
and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is
completely unacceptable,” the ministry said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu vented fury
at Swedish authorities’ failure to ban the protest. “It’s a racist action, it’s
not about freedom of expression,” he said.
Source: Press TV
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Africa
Nigerian Muslim Leaders Advocate Religion Balancing In
Appointment into Public Offices
By Popoola Yaqoub
Jan 23, 2023
Muslim leaders in the South-West have advocated the
institutionalization of equity and justice in the appointment of people into
positions.
They equally enjoined government at all levels to
observe due diligence in determining the true identities and religion
persuasions of those being so appointed.
This was part of the resolutions at the just concluded
Ekiti State Muslim Summit organized by the Ekiti State Chapter of the National
Council of Muslim Youth Organizations (NACOMYO).
The Summit with the theme- “Ekiti Muslim Agenda beyond
a Short Term Basis” attracted Muslim scholars within and from across the
country.
The Guest Lecturer, Professor Abdul-Afeez Oladodun
from the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, at the University of Ibadan
who read out the demands urged Muslims to shun complacency.
The Muslim scholar said the demand was part of the
Charter of Demands presented by the Muslims in Yorubaland.
Among the demands was the institutionalization of
equity and justice in the appointment of people into positions by ensuring
balancing in the two major religions in Nigeria.
The summit encouraged Muslims to take an active part
in politics and showcase their God’s given talents and potential rather than
engaging in seasonal lamentations.
Stakeholders at the Summit also charged Muslims to
collect their Permanent Voter Cards
(PVC) and vote wisely in the forthcoming general election.
The Islamic faithful were also tasked to seize the
opportunity of the public holiday declared on the 24th of January 2023 by the
All progressives Congress APC controlled states in the South West to collect the
permanent voter’s card PVC “for diligent observance of their civic
responsibilities”.
It underscored the importance of Education, urging
Muslims to give more priority to both Islamic and secular education so as to be relevant in the scheme of things
Muslims are also urged to take advantage of
interest-free Islamic Banking and collaborate with the government at all levels
in the area of youth empowerment.
The Chairman of the occasion and former non-executive
Director of First Bank PLC, Alhaji Lateef Bakare said Muslims have been facing
persecution from time immemorial.
Bakare disclosed that it took the grace of God for him
not to be forcefully converted to Christianity in his quest for western
education.
He urged Muslims to always be ready to be good ambassadors
of Islam by promoting excellence honesty and integrity.
In his address, NACOMYO Coordinator, Mudasiru Yusuf
said Muslims are not endangered species in the scheme of things in the state.
The Muslim Youth Leader also decried the long years of
marginalisation of the adherents of the Islamic faith, calling on progressive
elements to rise for the cause of Islam in the state.
The State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, represented by
his Special Adviser on investment, trade and industry, Mrs Adeola Omotayo appreciated
Muslims’ support for his administration with the assurance and promise to work
and deliver electioneering campaigns.
The keynote
speaker and erstwhile National Amir of
the Muslims Students Society of Nigeria (MSS), Barrister Nurudeen Asunogie said
“for too long, Muslims have felt and
acted like a foundling at the doorway of an orphanage, desperately foraging for
attention and care.”
” Today, indeed, is a most unique day as the Ekiti
Muslims a condensed metaphor for the Muslims everywhere, art historic juncture.
One that gives an intimation of the consigning of a lugubrious and lachrymose
past into desuetude that speaks so eloquently of a readiness to exit the ocean
of discomforting discombobulation, lamentations to the wharf of studious progressive
engagement with reality There can be no better time than now for this
introspection.
It is my belief that this submission, tagged Ekiti
Muslims Agenda Beyond A Short Term Bass is an eloquent expression of the
determination of the Exits Muslims to change the narrative and bring about a
reversal of the elements that had precipitated but an untoward state of
affairs.
” The narrative has been that we have been mortified,
traduced, visited, pauperized, maligned and decimated over the ages in Ekiti
state, for instance, the Muslims have been treated no better than cyphers Save
for the period of Chief Segun On, when we had a Muslim as his Deputy, the
Muslims have never occupied any position of high visibility in the state. With
the judgement of the Court which voided the process that brought Mr On to
power, the office of the Deputy Governor, which a Muslim occupied, was rendered
invalid.
“It is certainly loony to think that we can lament and
cry our way to social-political relevance. You can never absquatulate from your
responsibilities, yet hope to get what comes from the discharge of the undone
duties.
“When shall we begin to blaze? Is it not time that
every one of us who is not a cripple, is not kidnapped by the edacious spirit.
stands on its feet in defence of our right to dignity and dignified treatment
from all and for all? am swamped with ululations of despondency, helplessness
and powerlessness.
“In your winter of political irrelevance, we must not
get warmth from the blanket of insouciance. We must feel choked by the toxic
air of our complacency and doltish resignation, our spirits should be dynamized
and impregnated with the irresistible determination to torpedo our unedifying
patrimony of the culture of endorsement of subjugation.
“As Muslims, we are challenged to galvanize all
progressive elements for the building of a sane society. We cannot afford to be
supercilious and yet expect to be treated with dignity.
“As Muslims, we must see the cosmic relevance of
participation in governance. We need to be involved in the definition of true
leadership. For we know as of truth that leadership cannot be atomistic. It
must be marked by an aptitude to synthesize, rather than disintegrate.
Source: Independent Nigeria
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns Sweden's decision
to allow burning of a copy of the Holy Qur'an
2023-01-23
Tripoli, 23 January, 2023 (Lana) - The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Government of National
Unity has condemned the government of Sweden for allowing the burning of a copy
of the Holy Qur’an in front of Turkish embassy in the capital, Stockholm.
The ministry considered in a statement that this
matter represents a blatant violation of religious sanctities and a provocation
to the feelings of Muslims all over the world.
The Ministry also denounced these extremist acts and
practices that fuel hatred and violence, threatening peaceful coexistence and
undermine calls to spread the values of tolerance and coexistence.
Source: LANA
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://lana.gov.ly/post.php?id=268304&lang=en
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Somalia strongly condemns Quran burning in Sweden
Mohammed Dhaysane
23.01.2023
MOGADISHU, Somalia
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the
Swedish authorities for allowing an extremist to burn a copy of the Quran, the
Muslim holy book, in front of Türkiye's Embassy in Stockholm.
“Allowing this hateful act that insults Islamic
sanctities and values is completely unacceptable,” the ministry said in a
statement issued early Monday.
Mogadishu said the burning of the Quran represents a
blatant violation of religious sanctities and a provocation to the feelings of
Muslims all over the world.
“It is nothing but a demagogic practice that promotes
hatred and racism and serves the agendas of extremism and terrorism,” read the
statement.
Somalia called on Sweden to take strong measures
against the rising tide of hatred against Muslims and urges all actors in the
international community to shoulder their responsibilities in curbing
Islamophobia.
“Somalia affirms the position of the Federal Republic
of Somalia calling for the importance of spreading the values of dialogue,
tolerance and coexistence and rejecting hate speech and violence, and renews
the importance of respecting religious symbols, and refraining from provoking
hatred and fueling strife through abuse and distortion of religions, sanctities
and Islamic rituals,” the statement said.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somalia-strongly-condemns-quran-burning-in-sweden/2795057
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Jordanian advocate awarded Franco-German Prize for
Human Rights
January 23, 2023
AMMAN: Jordanian advocate Hadeel Abdel Aziz was
awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law on Sunday,
the Jordan News Agency reported.
The prize honors human rights defenders around the
world who work every day, often under dangerous conditions, to protect and
strengthen human rights.
The ministers of foreign affairs of Germany and France
have awarded one of the prizes this year to Abdel Aziz, who, as executive
director of the Justice Center for Legal Aid,
provides access to justice to Jordan’s most vulnerable citizens.
“We were particularly impressed by Ms. Abdel Aziz’
lifelong dedication to the rule of law and in particular her work to promote
and protect the human rights of women and girls. With the work of the JCLA, she
has, from within the Jordanian legal system, not only advocated for an
institutionalized state-funded legal aid system, but has also been instrumental
in growing the JCLA from a small organization to a sustainable national model
of justice organization,” German Ambassador to Jordan Bernhard Kampmann said.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2237606/middle-east
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/radicalisation-muslim-youth-moderate-clerics/d/128956
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