Worshippers not killed even in India: Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif on mosque blast
New
Age Islam News Bureau
1
February 2023
Peshawar
Mosque Blast: Khawaja Asif is seen. (Reuters)
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•
Explainer: What's fuelling Pakistan's Taliban fire
•
New family law for non-Muslim residents comes into effect today
•
Is Denmark an example of anti-Islam hate in action?
•
European parliament official says Holy Qur'an burning is not freedom of speech
•
Bangladesh PM urges Muslim nations to stand firm by Palestinians
•
Maintenance payment to divorced wife not automatic, rules judge
•
Iran Warns of Firm, Regrettable Response to Aggressors
•
To target worshippers is unconscionable: US condemns deadly mosque attack in
Pakistan
India
•
Pak Sikh man accuses Muslims of threatening to kill him, daughters
•
NIA files chargesheet against man who raised funds for Islamic State
•
Be secular, says Supreme Court as plea targets parties with faith-linked names
•
Muslim enrolment dips in higher education in Haryana: All India Survey on
Higher Education
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Pakistan
•
Pakistan mosque blast that killed 100 was 'revenge against police'
•
TTP attacks Mianwali police station, a day after hitting Peshawar mosque
•
OIC condemns Holy Qur’an’s desecration; calls for joint action to stop
recurrence
•
Pakistan, IMF resume talks to revive stalled bailout
•
Peshawar, Pakistan's 'city of flowers', long marred by militant violence
•
TTP attack on Mianwali police station ‘repulsed’
•
National Assembly rues plan to resettle militants
•
ISI officers’ killer ‘gunned down’ near Afghan border
•
Military to pursue terrorists via ‘intelligence-based operations’
•
NCHR calls into question religious affairs ministry’s ‘gender-based bias’
against female PAS officer
•
China denounces Peshawar terrorist attack, expresses firm support to Pakistan’s
fight against terrorism
•
Peshawar Mosque attack: COAS Gen Asim directs all commanders to continue focus
on anti-terror operations
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Arab
World
•
Michigan Man Convicted Of Joining ISIS, Training In Terrorist Tactics
•
Eight rockets target Turkish military base in Iraq: Kurdish anti-terror group
•
Iran blames foreign security service, Iraqi Kurdish groups for weekend drone
strike
•
Regional power plan for Lebanon held up over Syria sanctions: French official
•
Turkey’s push into Iraq risks deeper conflict
•
Shooting spree in Egypt leaves one dead, suspect arrested
•
Have the fees of the Pakistani passport increased in the UAE? Officials respond
•
Saudi Cabinet calls for revival of Israel-Palestinian peace talks
•
FIFA president tours ‘Saudi House’ hosting AFC meeting in Bahrain
•
Saudi leaders offer condolences to Pakistan on victims of mosque attack
•
Islamophobia has reached ‘alarming’ levels: OIC
•
MWL, OIC, GCC condemn Peshawar mosque attack
•
Saudi Cabinet reiterates Kingdom’s condemnation of Qur’an desecration
•
US inflicted huge losses on Syrian economy through war, sanctions: Syrian
officials
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Europe
•
Azerbaijan urges citizens against travel to Iran after deadly embassy attack
•
Macron's remarks prove France still pursues colonial approach toward Africa:
Turkish scholar
•
Tehran’s nuclear activities ‘threatens international peace and security,’: UK
•
Turkish foreign minister to visit Estonia for talks
•
Sweden sacrifices its NATO membership path to extremists
•
Swedes criticize recent provocations against Türkiye, Islam
•
Muslims in Berlin decry lack of burial places, demand urgent solution
•
In Budapest, top Turkish diplomat holds 'fruitful meeting' with Hungarian
premier
•
UK High Court to consider legality of resuming arms sales to Saudi Arabia
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South
Asia
•
Islamic Emirate Condemns Attack on Mosque in Peshawar
•
Islamic Emirate to Begin Construction on Banks of Amu River
•
Bangladesh orders 191 ‘anti-state’ news sites blocked
•
Pakistan Releases More Than 100 Afghan Detainees
•
Pakistan’s Special Envoy Meets European Union’s Special Representative for
Afghanistan
•
Taliban showing signs of understanding China’s real interests :Report
•
US envoy, Pakistan officials discuss Afghan Taliban ban on women
--------
Southeast
Asia
•
Quranic Arts Festival Wraps Up in Malaysia
•
Defending his daughter’s adviser role, Malaysia PM Anwar says Nurul Izzah will
ensure government transparency
•
Indonesia sees Saudi Arabia as ‘priority partner’ to boost Mideast trade
--------
Africa
•
2023: Peter Obi working to divide Muslims, Christians – Adamu Garba
•
Sudan frees Abdel-Raouf Abu Zaid, man convicted of killing US diplomat John
Granville
•
Algeria’s Tebboune to visit Russia in May: Presidency
•
Biden, King Abdullah to meet at White House on Thursday
•
Jordan workshop to target employment for Syrian refugees
•
Tunisia extends state of emergency to end of 2023
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North
America
•
US secretary of state Blinken in Mideast renews appeal for Israel-Palestinian
calm
•
US, Pakistan officials fear looming food crisis is ‘real concern’
•
Blinken meets Abbas, presses for two-state solution
•
US senator blasts Turkey’s Erdogan, calls for sanctions and no F-16s
•
Canadian court convicts pair of assault of Muslim father
•
US imposes sanctions on Iranian drone manufacturers
•
Ilhan Omar: US treats Africa as a threat that needed to be contained
--------
Mideast
•
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu says considering military aid to Ukraine,
mediation
•
Iran arrests 4 Sunni clerics, bans filmmaker from travel
•
Turkish Muslim community in Berlin seeks urgent solution to cemetery woes
•
Informed Source Says Iran Likely to Change Strategy on Ukraine War After Kiev's
Comments on Drone Strike
•
Iran's Intelligence Minister: Israeli Regime's Moves Sign of Desperation
•
Iran Calls for Australia's Accountability over Refugees' Deaths
•
Iran Censures Europe's Instrumental Use of Human Rights to Meddle in Other
Countries' Affairs
•
Tehran Raps US Politicians for Inverting Facts About Iran
•
Iranian Speaker Cautions Azerbaijan against Emotional Decisions
•
Young couple in Iran sentenced to 21 years for dancing in public video: Report
•
Blinken takes support for two-state solution to disillusioned Palestinians
•
Three alleged al-Qaeda militants killed in suspected US drone strike in Yemen
•
EU envoys return to Aden in support of Yemeni government’s military unity and
peace efforts
•
Abbas succession battle could ‘collapse’ Palestinian Authority: think tank
•
Israeli minister threatens Palestinians with death penalty by ‘electric chair’
amid surging tensions
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Worshippers
not killed even in India: Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif on mosque
blast
Feb
01, 2023
By
Mallika Soni
Peshawar
Mosque Blast: Khawaja Asif is seen. (Reuters)
-------
Pakistan
defence minister Khawaja Asif said worshippers were not killed during prayers
even in India, in remarks made following the deadly suicide bombing inside a
mosque in Peshawar. The suicide attack left 100 people dead and many injured.
“Worshippers
weren't killed during prayers even in India or Israel but it happened in
Pakistan,” Khawaja Asif said in Pakistan's national assembly.
"This
war started from Swat during the PPP's tenure and it was concluded during the
PML-N's previous tenure, and peace was established in the country from Karachi
to Swat. But if you remember, a year-and-a-half or two years ago [...] we were
given a briefing two, three times in this same hall in which it was clearly
stated that talks could be carried out against these people and they can be
brought toward peace," he said.
"But
this is a tragedy where we require the same resolve and unity which was
expressed in 2011-2012. I will not talk for long but I will say briefly that at
the start, we sowed the seeds for terrorism," he asserted.
Referring
to Russia's invasion on Afghanistan, the minister said that Pakistan offered
its services to the United States 'on rent'.
"General
Zia was the ruler at the time [...] the agreement made with the US went on for
eight to nine years after which the US went back to Washington celebrating the
fact that Russia was defeated," he added.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Explainer:
What's fuelling Pakistan's Taliban fire
Feb
1, 2023
The
death toll in Monday's suicide bombing in Pakistan's Peshawar has crossed 100.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistan Taliban are suspected to be behind
this terror attack on a mosque inside a police headquarters.
A
TTP commander claimed responsibility for the attack in a Twitter post. But
hours later, TTP officially distanced itself from the claim, saying attacking a
mosque is against its policies. But this clarification followed condemnation of
the attack by the Afghan Taliban.
But
why Taliban fight Pakistan
TTP
is an outfit, which is linked to Afghan Taliban yet maintains a separate
identity.
Protesting
Pakistan's cooperation with the US in its war on terrorism, some outlawed
Pakistani groups formed TTP in 2007, supporting Taliban's fight against US and
NATO forces.
What
TTP wants
TTP
seeks stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the release of its members in government
custody, and a reduction in Pakistani military presence in parts of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, the province bordering Afghanistan that it has long used as a
base.
What's
it doing?
TTP
has stepped up attacks on Pakistani soldiers and police since November, when it
unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the government. Its talks with Pakistan,
hosted by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers in Kabul, had failed.
Post
Taliban takeover
TTP
maintains it's distinct from the Afghan Taliban but shares the same ideology.
After
the Afghan Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, they began supporting TTP
openly, releasing their leaders and fighters arrested by the previous Afghan
administration.
Pakistan
pays the price
Pakistan
has seen an uptick in TTP attacks since November. TTP regularly carries out
shootings or bombings, especially targeting the security forces. Videos showing
Pakistan Taliban beheading a captured soldier often do rounds on social media
in Pakistan.
Rise
in violence has triggered more fears among residents of the affected Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa districts that a military operation may be carried out, leading to
more bloodbath in the region.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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New
family law for non-Muslim residents comes into effect today
Shireena
Al Nowais
Feb
01, 2023
Legal
procedures based on Abu Dhabi’s civil family court system, which allows
non-Muslim couples to divorce and marry in a non-Sharia process, will be
introduced across the UAE from today.
The
federal law for non-Muslim residents, announced in December, covers family
matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody.
Previously,
a couple seeking a divorce in a local court would follow a Sharia-based
process. This may differ significantly from what they are be used to in their
home country.
Many
choose to marry, divorce or arrange a will abroad instead.
The
new law is likely to lead to far more residents from overseas using simple
civil procedures in the Emirates to marry and divorce.
Officials
who overhauled the legal process told The National they want to ensure the law
provides for all residents, regardless of faith or background.
Here,
we look at the law's main provisions.
Marriage
Non-Muslim
couples can now marry “based on the will of both the husband and wife”, meaning
consent from the wife’s father or guardian is no longer a requirement.
The
need to have several male Muslims as witnesses has also been removed.
In
Abu Dhabi's family court, proceedings are closer to what you would find in a
registry office wedding in the UK or Europe.
A
single court official guides the couple through a secular legal process, the
couple sign the legal documents making them husband and wife, the rings are
presented and photos are taken.
At
Abu Dhabi's Civil Family Court, 2,200 marriages were registered between January
and August, about 25 each day. There is expected to be similar demand in the
other emirates as the law comes into effect.
Divorce
Under
the new law, spouses have the right to divorce without a requirement to prove
harm was done in the marriage. This is known as a “no fault divorce”.
Either
spouse may now ask the court to end the marriage without the need to prove one
party was at fault.
Divorce
can be granted at the first hearing without the need to go through a process of
family guidance counselling and mandatory mediation sessions.
Support
payments, or alimony, and other subsequent requests will be submitted using a
“post-divorce request form”.
In
the case of a dispute regarding financial requests, several factors will be
taken into account, including the length of the marriage, the age of the wife
and the financial status of each spouse.
Joint
custody
Joint
and equal custody of children will be automatically granted to parents after
divorce, with procedures in place to settle disputes.
In
the event of a custody dispute, the court can be asked to intervene and make a
decision on the matter. The primary consideration will always be the best
interests of the child.
Previously,
a mother was only given custody of her son until he reached the age of 11, and
her daughter until the age of 13. The father could claim custody once the child
reached those ages.
Inheritance
The
new law ensures the right of a foreign resident to draw up a will giving their
property to whoever they wish.
In
the absence of a will, half of a person’s estate will now go to the surviving
spouse. The other half will be distributed equally between the deceased’s
children.
In
the Sharia-based domestic court system, a son would obtain a larger share of
the inheritance.
If
the deceased has no children, the inheritance goes to their parents, or it may
be split equally between one surviving parent and the deceased’s siblings.
Wills
for non-Muslims should be registered during the signing of their marriage
certificate.
Proof
of paternity
The
new law states that proof of paternity for non-Muslims will be based on
marriage or the recognition of paternity.
DNA
tests will be carried out if the parents are unknown.
Earlier
this year, new rules allowed unmarried mothers to apply to get birth
certificates for their babies. Before that, the presence or proof of a husband
was required to legally register the child.
Source:
TheNationalNews
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Is
Denmark an example of anti-Islam hate in action?
The
Muslim world protested and condemned, asking pointedly why the
"Islam-hating charlatan" was permitted to burn copies of the Quran.
(Reuters)
------
A
wave of deep sorrow, regret and anger swept across the Muslim world after
extremist Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan last week burned copies of
the Quran outside mosques and the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.
Under
police protection, the far-right provocateur, infamous for his anti-Islam
views, torched the Muslim holy book and announced that he will keep repeating
this act until Sweden is admitted into the NATO alliance, something it has
sought amid Russia's military action against Ukraine.
"This
mosque has no place in Denmark," said Paludan in a live stream on his
Facebook page, while being protected by riot police personnel.
The
Muslim world protested, and Türkiye condemned the action, asking pointedly why
the "Islam-hating charlatan" Paludan was permitted to burn the copies
of the holy book.
"Showing
tolerance towards such heinous acts that offend the sensitivities of millions
of people living in Europe threatens the practice of peaceful coexistence and
provokes racist, xenophobic and anti-Muslim attacks," said a Turkish
Foreign Ministry statement.
Denmark,
meanwhile, maintained their hands are tied over the hate crime due to the
revocation of the country's blasphemy laws in 2017. The Nordic country's
now-defunct blasphemy law called for up to four months in prison upon
conviction, although most people were fined instead. It appears that Paludan's
action remains short of conviction, as there is no law in the country to challenge
him.
This
entire situation prompts questions over a country where Muslim immigration
remains a contentious political issue, where mainstream political parties
entertain the idea of shifting asylum facility to Rwanda in order to stop
accommodating refugees in Denmark, and where no law enforcement action is taken
on a far-right politician who continues to wound the sentiments of millions of
people: does Denmark present the case of anti-Islam hate in action?
'Our
society should decide on limits of freedom of speech'
Dr
Urfan Zahoor Ahmed, a Muslim community leader associated with the Danish Muslim
Union – founded in 2008, now the largest umbrella organisation for Muslim
associations and mosques in Denmark – said there cannot be a denial on the
existence of anti-Islam hate within the Danish borders through structural power
institutions and individual choices based on predispositions.
Commenting
on the alternate view rooted in freedom of expression to justify anti-Islamic
comments and actions, he said: "It actually hurts even more when the
people are saying that it is just freedom of speech. And you should just live
with it because it should never be a case that as a minority you have to live
with the defamation of your holy prophet and holy scriptures."
The
Muslim activist, who is also a physician and teaches at Copenhagen University,
added: "If we as a society declare that Holocaust denial, child
pornography, blasphemy laws, and opposition to the queen is not accepted, so
then that is the choice of the society. (Danish) politicians have chosen that
Paludan has the right to burn the Quran. We, as a society, should decide where
the limit is to this freedom of speech. Because it is not limitless."
LeneKuhle
of Aarhus University's School of Culture and Society, who focuses on the Muslim
community in Denmark, believes that the phenomena of anti-Islam hate is indeed
a reality within the country but Paludan's actions prevent a difficult
situation as despite no major support from Danish society for his action, his
actions are within the law.
"We
did not use to discuss Islamophobia a lot in Denmark but it has become more of
a topic of discussion and that is a good development because people are now
critically reviewing how people talk about Islam, Muslim and immigrants,"
she said.
'Liberty
at the cost of community'
While
acknowledging the presence of anti-Islam hate, she said it is not true that the
entire Danish system is completely embedded in "Islamophobia."
"It
is necessary to be investigated to what extent Islamophobia influences Danish
society. It is important to contextualise why it is happening. The media has
quite a large role to try and explain this as the work of one man who is trying
to get attention, he is a lawyer who knows the limitations of the legal system.
As long as he stays within the limits of the law, it is very difficult to do
something about it."
The
Muslim community of Denmark continues to protest the desecration of the holy
book, while community leaders request people not take the laws in their hand
and respond to hate with love and respect. Yet questions are being raised over
the police protection and permissions being given by the authorities for the
anti-Islam act.
"The
West needs to acknowledge the fact that permitting Islamophobic words and actions
that has the potential to incite violence against Muslims is a liberty at the
cost of a community," said a protestor at the same site in Copenhagen a
day after Paludan burned the Quran – but this time with no authorities around.
Source:TRTWorld
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.trtworld.com/europe/is-denmark-an-example-of-anti-islam-hate-in-action-65069
--------
European
parliament official says Holy Qur'an burning is not freedom of speech
FEBRUARY
01, 2023
Reinhold
Lopatka
---------
Reinhold
Lopatka, Chair of the Co-ordination Mechanism between parliamentary
organisations and unions and Vice-President of the Organisation for Security
and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), has affirmed his
rejection of the burning and tearing of copies of the Holy Qur'an in Sweden,
the Netherlands and Denmark by extremists, noting that these violations have
nothing to do with freedom of speech.
In
a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Lopatka said that such events are
unacceptable, and he cannot condone such actions, and considered them
exaggerated to a great extent, which have nothing to do with freedom of speech,
given that they hurt the feelings of many people, when in fact the limit to
freedom of speech is respecting the feelings of others.
Lopatka
stated that religions should work to establish peace, and everyone must respect
religions, adding that Europe faces issues such as Islamophobia. He said it is
imperative to ensure that there is mutual respect for all religions around the
world, be it Christianity, Judaism or Islam, expressing his personal respect
for all religions.
The
Chair of the Co-ordination Mechanism also praised Qatar's efforts in countering
terrorism worldwide, and stressed that Qatar is one of the countries that
greatly supports the fight against terrorism.
Source:GulfTimes
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Bangladesh
PM urges Muslim nations to stand firm by Palestinians
Jan
31,2023
Prime
minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged the Muslim nations to collectively
stand over Palestinians cause saying since its 1971 emergence Bangladesh’s
stance on the issue remained very firm, as envoys of seven OIC member states
here jointly made a courtesy call on her.
‘Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman supported Palestine and I also
have been standing beside the Palestinians,’ prime minister’s speech writer Md
Nazrul Islam quoted her as saying in a media briefing after the meeting at the
PMO.
She
added: ‘Muslim Ummah should collectively stand by the Palestinians’.
The
seven emissaries are Algerian Ambassador Rabah Larbi, Malaysian High
Commissioner Haznah Md Hashim, Maldivian High Commissioner Shiruzimath Sameer,
Oman’s Ambassador Abdul Ghaffar Bin Abdul Karim Al-Bulushi, Palestinian
Ambassador Yousef SY Ramadan, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Essa Yousef Essa
Alduhailan and UAE Ambassador Abdullah Ali Abdullah KhaseifAlhmoudi.
The
PMO spokesman said that the envoys of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
member countries highly appreciated Sheikh Hasina’s leadership for the last
14-year yielding Bangladesh’s development and stability, particularly tackling
the Covid-19 pandemic successfully.
According
to the Nazrul Islam, the emissaries expected that Bangladesh would stay well
and remain happy under her leadership and conveyed her that the Muslim Ummah
was also happy and proud of her.
They
also expressed hope that the progress of Bangladesh would continue under the
leadership of Sheikh Hasina and wished her success in the next general
election.
Around
seven million Bangladeshis are currently working in the Middle Eastern
countries, also OIC members, while the envoys said they were contributing a lot
to those economies.
The
prime minister said that a neutral election commission was constituted through
enactment of a new law and added that the election scheduled for January 2024
would be fair.
Sheikh
Hasina said that if the people voted for her, she would come in power again and
‘otherwise not as I believe in the power of the people’.
She
has been working not for herself rather for the country and its people, the
prime minister said, adding that her goal is to make the socio-economic
development of the countrymen.
The
PM said that the government was working to ensure houses for all homeless and
landless people. ‘Now in the final phase, some 40,000 houses are being
constructed. Nobody will remain homeless and landless after distribution of
these abodes,’ she added.
Prime
minister’s international relation affairs adviser Professor Dr Gowher Rizvi,
ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin and PM’s principal secretary M Tofazzel
Hossain Miah were also present.
Source:NewAgeBd
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Maintenance
payment to divorced wife not automatic, rules judge
V
Anbalagan
February
1, 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: A High Court judge has held in a non-Muslim matrimonial proceeding that
a former wife is not automatically entitled to maintenance from her former
husband due to changing times and circumstances.
Justice
Evrol Mariette Peters said it must be remembered that the provisions of the Law
Reform (Marriage & Divorce) Act 1976 were enacted when clear demarcations
existed to separate the roles of husbands and wives.
“Most
women were stay-home mothers and were financially dependent on their husbands,
who were the breadwinners for the family,” she said.
However,
a whole generation has passed since the Act came into force, and those roles
have evolved over time.
“Women
are no longer relegated to merely handling household matters.
“Gone
are the days where a woman’s only place was in the kitchen. As such, there is
no automatic right for a woman to claim maintenance from her husband,” she
said.
Peters
said Section 77(1) of the Act, which came into force on March 1, 1982, states
that the court may order a man to pay maintenance to his wife or former wife.
This
indicates that the court has a discretion and must take all relevant factors
into account.
“There
is no hard and fast rule that a man must maintain his wife or former wife,” she
said, when refusing to order maintenance payment sought by a woman, identified
only as GOW, against her former husband (GOS).
She
said the court was governed by the “means and needs” test pursuant to Section
78 of the Act when exercising its discretion.
“The
defendant (wife) had failed to fulfil the ‘needs’ test and as such, there was
no necessity for the plaintiff to provide spousal maintenance,” she said in a
21-page judgment released on Monday.
GOW,
a Chinese national, had married GOS in August 2007. They have two children,
aged 15 and 12.
Her
former husband is a financial analyst and works part-time as a real estate agent,
besides running a small business dealing with car replacement tools.
In
September 2016, she obtained an interim protection order after claiming to have
left the matrimonial home after suffering years of abuse at the hands of her
former husband.
Peters,
however, gave sole guardianship and custody of the children to the mother and
ordered her former husband to pay monthly maintenance of RM4,000 towards the
children.
She
also gave the former husband access to the children subject to several
conditions, including that he refrain from threatening or assaulting her or the
children.
Source:Free
Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Warns of Firm, Regrettable Response to Aggressors
2023-January-31
In
an interview with Al-Arabiya news agency, Blinken claimed that Iran has
rejected the opportunity it had last summer to return to the 2015 nuclear deal,
known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Unfortunately,
they rejected what was on the table and had been agreed to by everybody. Their
either wouldn’t move forward with it,” Blinken added, saying that the US’ focus
has now shifted to “the many things that have happened since".
Elsewhere
in his interview, he stated military maneuvers with Israel and other countries
in the Persian Gulf meant to deter Iran’s activities in the region.
Reacting
to Blinken's remarks, Kana'ani stated the US administration must be aware of
"the legal and international responsibilities resulting from threatening
remarks against Iran" and "think twice about the political
consequences of such provocative statements".
He
added that Iran has frequently emphasized the peaceful nature of its nuclear
activities, as corroborated by numerous reports of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), which prove that building nuclear weapons is not part of
Iran’s national security doctrine.
The
spokesperson emphasized that Iran has never stopped its scientific, technical
and technological progress in the nuclear field and would continue to abide by
the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, commonly known as the NPT, to an extent
required for the country's development and based on its inalienable rights as a
member of the treaty.
"The
US government is well aware that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not tolerate
any aggression or encroachment on its territory and interests and will respond
decisively ... to the aggressors," the top diplomat pointed out, warning
that Iran's response will make enemies regret their act.
Kana'ani
has also slammed the latest allegations leveled by the US and the Israeli
regime against Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program, stressing it is ridiculous
that criminals and outlaws now claim to be the flagbearers of global security.
"US
secretary of state whose country used 1st Atomic bomb in the world and prime
minister of fake Zionist regime, with horrible nuclear arsenal, stand together
warning of Iran nuclearization (an NPT member and committed to it)," the
spokesperson wrote on Twitter.
"Ridiculous
but true; Criminals and outlaws flagbearers of int'l security!" he added.
Blinken
and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reiterated accusations
against Iran and the country's peaceful nuclear program during a recent meeting
in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Iran
has repeatedly warned that any mistake by the US and Israel will be met with
Tehran's crushing response. Iranian officials say Washington and Tel Aviv are
well aware of Tehran’s capabilities and capacities, and caution that Tehran
does not compromise or joke with its national security.
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.
Officials
say although some progress has been made, there are still outstanding issues
that need to be resolved before a final deal could be attained. They warn that
Tehran has its own "Plan B" and it will go into effect if Washington
fails to make a political decision to revive the 2015 agreement.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011111000259/Iran-Warns-f-Firm-Regreable-Respnse-Aggressrs
--------
To
target worshippers is unconscionable: US condemns deadly mosque attack in
Pakistan
01.02.23
The
US has strongly condemned the deadly suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan's
Peshawar city on Monday, saying "terrorism is indefensible," and to
"target worshippers is unconscionable." The death toll from the
suicide attack rose to 100 on Tuesday after rescue workers retrieved more
bodies from the debris of the devastated mosque inside a major police facility
in Peshawar, capital of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According
to Pakistani security officials, the suicide bomber who was present in the
front row during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers on Monday blew himself up,
causing the roof to collapse on the worshippers -- one of Pakistan's deadliest
attacks in recent years.
“The
United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a mosque in Peshawar,
Pakistan with reports today that the death toll has now risen to 100 people,”
Andrienne Watson, spokesperson of the National Security Council, White House
said on Tuesday.
“This
is tragic and heartbreaking news, and we extend our deep condolences to the
loved ones of those who have lost their lives. Terrorism is indefensible, and
to target worshippers is unconscionable,” Watson said.
Washington
stands ready to provide support to Pakistan in its efforts to recover, he
added.
"Devastating
news in Pakistan, where over 100 were killed by a suicide bomb at a mosque and another
40 people died in a bus crash," tweeted Senator Bob Casey.
“My
condolences are with the Pakistani people as they mourn the loss of life,” he
added.
The
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed
responsibility for the suicide attack, saying it was part of a revenge attack
for slain TTP commander Umar Khalid Khurasani who was killed in Afghanistan in
August last year.
The
TTP, set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007, called
off a ceasefire with the federal government and ordered its militants to stage
terrorist attacks across the country.
The
group, which is believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several
deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009,
assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in
Islamabad.
In
2014, the Pakistani Taliban stormed the Army Public School (APS) in the
northwestern city of Peshawar, killing at least 150 people, including 131
students.
The
attack has sent shockwaves across the world and was widely condemned.
Source:
TelegraphIndia
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--------
India
Pak
Sikh man accuses Muslims of threatening to kill him, daughters
Jan
31, 2023
A
Sikh who went to pick up his daughter from school on Monday in Jacobabad in
Sindh was threatened by local Muslims, who abused them and said that they will
kill them.
Narain
Das Bheel, founder and chief organiser of the Hindu Organisation of Sindh
tweeted a video where the Sikh could be heard narrating the incidents of
atrocities they are facing in Pakistan.
Harish
Singh said that when he was picking up his daughters from school, he was
threatened to be killed by the local Muslims.
He
said that the attackers also threatened to kill his daughters. Singh added that
his daughters were afraid and refused to go to school. Singh further urged
locals to save him from the atrocities.
“I
am pleading with the locals of Jacobabad with folded hands that on January 26,
when I was coming back after picking up my daughters, some bike-borne Muslims
abused and threatened to kill me and my daughters. They hit my scooter. I
suffered an injury in my leg. My daughters are worried. They are refusing to go
to school,” he added.
Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday urged the ministry
of external affairs to look into the matter and called to raise the voice for
the safety and justice of minorities in Pakistan.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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NIA
files chargesheet against man who raised funds for Islamic State
January
31, 2023
DEVESH
K. PANDEY
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against an alleged
Islamic State operative who raised funds for the terror outfit and sent them to
his handlers in Syria in the form of cryptocurrency.
The
agency had suo moto registered the case on June 25 last year to probe the
conspiracy by the Islamic State and its members to propagate the outfit’s
ideology and collect funds from its sympathisers in India.
According
to the NIA, Mohammad Mohsin Ahmad was involved in raising funds and sending the
money to his Syria-based handlers through cryptocurrency channels. Originally
from Patna in Bihar, he had been living at Batla House in Delhi. The agency
alleged that Ahmad had also been working for the outfit’s objective to
radicalise the Indian youth and recruit them.
On
August 6, 2022, the NIA had conducted searches on the premises linked to Ahmad
in Delhi and Bihar. He was arrested during the operation.
Crypto
challenge
Terror
funding using cryptocurrency has emerged a major challenge for security
agencies across the world over the past few years. The Financial Action Task
Force (FATF) has been flagging the issue from time to time, asking the member
countries to adopt necessary preventive measures.
In
November 2022, FATF president T. Raja Kumar had delivered a speech at the third
‘No Money for Terror’ Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing in
Delhi, stating that the FATF had released its first report on the financing of
Islamic State in 2015.
The
scope was broadened in 2018 to include al-Qaeda and its affiliates. “Since
then, we have been regularly tracking the risks associated with ISIL, AQ
[al-Qaeda] and its affiliates through regular reports that are made available
to all FATF Global Network members,” he said.
The
FATF has been analysing the terror outfits’ new methods of generating and
moving funds, such as online crowdfunding, and studying the risks of terrorist
financing associated with “ethnically or racially motivated” terrorism.
“...we
have recently been observing changes in the mode of financing of ISIL and AQ
with the use of crypto assets. These groups have been increasingly exploiting
crypto assets to raise and move funds both within the terrorist organisation
itself, and more widely at regional levels - between the core group and its
affiliates,” he said.
The
terrorists have been specifically seeking payments in the form of crypto
assets. “These individuals and groups have also engaged in overt commercial
activities to raise funds. These include organising concerts, selling
merchandise, whether online or through front companies, and purchasing real
estate... as terrorist groups are increasingly denied access to traditional
financial services..., they are shifting to more covert means of transferring
and managing funds,” said the FATF chief.
“This
includes using crypto assets for fundraising and money transfers - even creating
their own stablecoins - and turning to alternative tailored crowdfunding
platforms when they are banned from mainstream ones for violating their terms
of service,” he said.
Source:TheHindu
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Be
secular, says Supreme Court as plea targets parties with faith-linked names
Feb
1, 2023
NEW
DELHI: As a petitioner seeking cancellation of names and symbols of political
parties which have religious connotations named only few parties related to the
Muslim community, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked him to be secular and not
to go against any particular religion.
A
bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna was hearing a PIL filed by former
Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Wasim Ahmed Rizvi. The petitioner, who
has recently embraced Hinduism, sought the court's direction to restrain
political parties from using names and symbols associated with religion.
As
the petition named only fSCew political parties like Indian Union Muslim League
(IUML) and All India Majlis-Elttehandul Muslimeen (AIMM), senior advocate
Dushayant Dave and lawyer HarisBeeran,, appearing for IUML, raised strong
objections to only Muslim parties being impleaded in the case. Dave said he had
raised objection in the last hearing also and the court should first examine
his objection before proceeding in the case. In a submission in the last
hearing, Dave asked why other parties like Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal
had not been made parties in the case and submitted that the petitioner cannot
be selective in targeting only a few.
“What
is being told is that the petitioner must be secular.... You must be fair to
everybody," Justice Nagarathna observed.
The
court thereafter asked the petitioner to implead other political parties also
in the case so that they could argue and defend in the court hearing..
Opposing
a plea seeking cancellation of names and symbols of existing political parties
which resonate with religion, the Election Commission earlier told the Supreme
Court that there is no express provision which bars associations with religious
connotations to register themselves as political parties. Filing an affidavit
in response to a PIL, the poll panel told the court that cancelling the symbol
allotted to political parties with religious connotation will be legally
untenable.
It
brought to the notice of the court that Representation of People Amendment Bill
was introduced in 1994 and it was proposed that a proviso be added under
subsection (7) of Section 29A of the Act stating that no association bearing
religious name would be registered as a political party, but the Bill was not
passed and consequently lapsed with the dissolution of the then Lok Sabha.
Source:
Times Of India
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Muslim
enrolment dips in higher education in Haryana: All India Survey on Higher
Education
Jan
31, 2023
The
enrolment of Muslims in higher education in Haryana has dipped by 18.9 per
cent, reveals the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021.
There
were 12,877 Muslims enrolled in higher education in 2019-20, which fell to
10,445 in 2020-21. Among all social groups, only Muslims have registered a
fall.
The
figure of enrolment of Muslims for 2020-21 at 10,445 is just 1 per cent of the
total enrolments of 10.29 lakh in higher education courses in the state. The
community has a share of 7.03 per cent in the state as per the Census 2011. The
fresh census has so far not been conducted.
This
is the second time in the period of five years, from 2016-17 to 2020-21, when
Muslim enrolment in higher education has fallen in the state. The last time, it
was in 2017-18 when just 7,607 Muslims were reported to have been enrolled
against 8,447 in 2016-17.
Among
teachers in higher education institutions too, the representation of Muslims is
negligible. Out of the 39,256 teachers, there are just 2,644 SCs (6.7 per cent),
46 STs (0.1 per cent), 4,634 OBCs (11.8 per cent) and 709 Muslims (1.8 per
cent).
There
are 56 varsities and 1,083 colleges in the state. If Gross Enrolment Ratio
(GER) in higher education for 2020-21 is 31.1 in Haryana, it is 22 in the case
of the SCs. The GER in higher education is calculated as total enrolment in
higher education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage to the eligible
official population in 18-23 years.
For
the third consecutive year, there are more women in higher education in Haryana
when it comes to pursuing courses in regular mode.
There
are 4.47 lakh women in higher education courses in regular mode against 4.11
lakh males. In the UG courses, there are 3.50 lakh females against 3.06 males,
while in the PG courses, there are 89,560 women, but only 57,938 males.
Source:TribuneIndia
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https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/muslim-enrolment-dips-in-higher-edu-475134
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Pakistan
Pakistan
mosque blast that killed 100 was 'revenge against police'
Jan
31, 2023
PESHAWAR:
A suicide blast at a mosque inside a Pakistan police headquarters was a
targeted revenge attack, a police chief said Tuesday, as rescue efforts ended
with the death toll standing at 100.
Between
300 and 400 policemen had gathered for afternoon prayers at the compound's
mosque on Monday in the provincial capital Peshawar when an entire wall and
most of the roof were blown out, showering rubble on officers.
"We
are on the frontline taking action against militants and that is why we were
targeted," city police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan told AFP.
"The
purpose was to demoralise us as a force."
On
Tuesday evening rescuers finally ended a marathon operation which saw them pry
survivors and corpses out of the wreck of the mosque, rushing those who could
be saved to hospitals.
Low-level
militancy, often targeting security checkpoints, has been steadily rising in
the areas near Peshawar that border Afghanistan since the Taliban seized
control of Kabul in August 2021.
The
assaults are claimed mostly by the Pakistani Taliban, as well as the local
chapter of the Islamic State, but mass casualty attacks remain rare.
The
head of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province police force, Moazzam Jah Ansari, told
reporters that a suicide bomber had entered the mosque as a guest, carrying
10-12 kilogrammes (about 22-26 pounds) of "explosive material in bits and
pieces".
He
added that a militant group that was on-and-off affiliated with the Pakistani
Taliban could be behind the attack.
Authorities
are investigating how a major security breach could happen in one of the most
tightly controlled areas of the city, housing intelligence and
counter-terrorism bureaus, and next door to the regional secretariat.
The
nation is already being hobbled by a massive economic downturn and political
chaos, ahead of elections due by October.
Interior
minister Rana Sanaullah told Pakistan's national assembly the dead included 97
police officers and three civilians, with 27 patients still in critical
condition.
"I
remained trapped under the rubble with a dead body over me for seven hours. I
had lost all hope of survival," Wajahat Ali, a 23-year-old police
constable whose feet were broken, told AFP from hospital on Tuesday.
Survivor
Shahid Ali said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started
prayers.
"I
saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life," the
47-year-old police officer told AFP.
Dozens
of slain police officers have already been buried in several mass prayer
ceremonies, with coffins lined up in rows and draped in the Pakistani flag
while a guard of honour was performed.
"Terrorists
want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending
Pakistan," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement.
In
a statement, the Pakistani Taliban -- separate from the Afghan Taliban but with
a similar Islamist ideology -- denied it was responsible for the latest blast.
Known
as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, it carried out a years-long wave of horrific
violence after emerging in 2007 but recently has attempted to rebrand itself as
a less brutal outfit, claiming not to target places of worship.
But
a security official in Peshawar, who asked not to be named, said Tuesday that
authorities were considering all possibilities including the involvement of a
TTP splinter faction, the Islamic State or a coordinated attack by several
groups.
"Often
in the past militant groups, including the TTP, that carry out attacks in
mosques do not claim them" because a mosque is considered a sacred place,
the official told AFP.
Pakistan
was once plagued by almost daily bombings, but a major military clearance
operation which started in 2014 largely restored order.
Analysts
say militants in the former tribal areas adjacent to Peshawar and bordering
Afghanistan have become emboldened since the return of the Afghan Taliban, with
Islamabad accusing the new rulers of failing to secure their mountainous
frontier.
"Terrorism
has become a national security crisis for Pakistan again -- as it was a decade
ago -- and it will worsen unless concerted action is taken to address it,"
Brookings Institution analyst Madiha Afzal told AFP.
Mass
casualty attacks remain relatively rare, with Islamic State claiming the most
recent blast on a Shiite mosque in Peshawar last March that killed 64.
Provinces
around the country announced they were on high alert after the blast, with
checkpoints ramped up and extra security forces deployed, while in the capital
Islamabad snipers were posted on buildings and at city entrance points.
The
drastic security breach came on the day United Arab Emirates President Mohamed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan had been due to visit Islamabad, although the trip was
cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather.
Pakistan
is also hosting an International Monetary Fund delegation from Tuesday as it
works towards unlocking a vital bailout loan to prevent a looming default.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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TTP
attacks Mianwali police station, a day after hitting Peshawar mosque
FEBRUARY
1, 2023
The
outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan attacked a police station in Mianwali, a
city in Punjab near KP, a day after killing about 100 people in a horrifying
Peshawar attack.
A
group of roughly two dozen heavily armed militants attempted to storm Makerwal
police using high-tech weapons, but Punjab police claimed to have stopped the
attack at a police station in the Isakkhel district of Mianwali.
After
a sustained exchange of gunfire in which a few terrorists were also hurt,
reports in the local media citing police officials claimed that TTP attackers
were able to flee.
Punjab
police, in a social media post, claimed to repulse the attack. Punjab’s new IGP
told a local publication that police parties including Counter Terrorism
Department and Elite Force reached Mianwali for a ‘grand operation’
Luckily,
no police personnel suffered injuries during the latest attack, the Punjab IGP
confirmed.
Meanwhile,
law enforcers launched a grand operation in Mianwali and adjoining areas to
trace the terrorists’ hideouts.
The
recent attack on police officials comes on the heels of the deadly Peshawar
bombing that killed at least 100 people while scores were wounded.
Source:
DailyTimes
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OIC
condemns Holy Qur’an’s desecration; calls for joint action to stop recurrence
February
01, 2023
ISLAMABAD -
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation convened an open-ended
Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee on Tuesday to express the
organization’s common stance against the recent desecration of the Holy Qur’an
in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Held at the OIC headquarters in
Jeddah, the meeting also discussed the possible actions that the OIC could take
against the perpetrators of the despicable Islamophobic attacks.
During
the meeting, the OIC Secretary-General HisseinBrahim Taha reiterated his dismay
at the provocative acts done by far-right activists, emphasizing that such
actions were criminal acts perpetrated with the main intention to target
Muslims, to insult their sacred religion, values, and symbols. He said that the
relevant governments must take severe counter-measures, especially because such
provocations have been committed repeatedly by far-right extremists in their
countries.
Source:Nation
Pakistan
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Pakistan,
IMF resume talks to revive stalled bailout
Feb
1, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan resumed crucial talks with IMF in Islamabad Tuesday on the
cash-starved country’s economic and fiscal policies as well as much-needed
reforms that the global moneylender has been seeking to disburse the next
tranche of its bailout package.
Pakistan
is requesting a crucial instalment of $1.2 billion from IMF—part of its $7
billion bailout—to avoid default. Talks with IMF on reviving the package had
stalled in the past months.
Finance
minister Ishaq Dar briefed the fund’s delegation, led by its chief Nathan
Porter, about the government’s fiscal and economic reforms in several sectors,
including energy, and measures to bridge the fiscal gap and stabilise the
exchange rate.
The
finance minister, an official handout stated, assured IMF officials that
Pakistan would complete the ongoing programme. “Ishaq Dar extended all his
support to the mission and committed to working together to reach an agreement
to complete the ninth review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF),” the
statement read.
Pakistan
had entered a $6bn IMF programme in 2019, which was later expanded to $7bn, and
the ninth review is pending. Talks were originally scheduled to be held in
October, but kept facing delays due to Islamabad’s reluctance to implement the
lender’s conditions.
The
country’s foreign exchange reserves currently stand at $3.7bn, which is barely
enough to cover less than three weeks of imports. In such a situation, Pakistan
needs to urgently complete the ninth review, which would not only disburse
$1.2bn but also pave the way for cash inflows from other multilateral lenders
and friendly countries, like China, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Last
week, the government removed an unofficial cap on the US$-Pakistani rupee
exchange rate and raised petrol prices—both conditions set by IMF for talks.
Source:
Times Of India
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Peshawar,
Pakistan's 'city of flowers', long marred by militant violence
Jan
31, 2023
Pakistan's
northwestern city of Peshawar, where a suicide bomber attacked a crowded mosque
during Monday prayers, has been marred by militant violence for decades.
Here
are some facts about the city, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan's
smallest province by land area and the third most populous province after
Punjab and Sindh.
Peshawar,
home to about two million people, is located in northwest Pakistan, just 55 km
(miles) east of the Pakistan-Afghan border crossing of Torkham along the Khyber
Pass. Throughout its history, the city has played a major role in linking
central Asia, India and beyond.
Peshawar
has a rich history dating back to Mughal times, and was once renowned as a
liberal, cultural centre that was home to a large Sikh community. The city is
famous for its bazaars and churches and is known as the "city of
flowers" because of the many gardens built during the Mughal era.
Peshawar
sits on the edge of the Pashtun tribal lands, a region mired in violence since
the launch of the U.S.-led war on al Qaeda after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on
the United States.
One
of the worst attacks in the city was twin suicide bombings in 2013 at the All
Saints Church that killed scores of worshippers, the deadliest on Pakistan's
Christian minority.
The
most active militant group in the area is the Pakistani Taliban, also called
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group for Sunni and sectarian Islamist
factions opposed to the government in Islamabad.
Source:
Times Of India
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TTP
attack on Mianwali police station ‘repulsed’
Asif
Chaudhry
February
1, 2023
LAHORE:
A day after a deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar claimed over 100 lives, a
police station in Mianwali came under a gun attack by a group of heavily armed
militants belonging to banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Tuesday
night.
However,
police claimed late at night the attack had been repulsed. The attack is
significant in that terrorists — who had so far targeted police stations and
check posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas bordering Afghanistan — have set
their sights on a police station in Punjab for the first time since the
resurgence of terrorism in the country.
Punjab
Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar confirmed to Dawn in the early
hours of Wednesday that armed attackers belonging to the banned militant
organisation, TTP, claimed the attack on the police station.
He
said police teams from three regions — Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sargodha —
besides Lahore police and Punjab CTD had reached Mianwali for a ‘grand
operation’ against the TTP.
According
to social media reports, the attack started at around 9pm as militants
unleashed heavy fire at Makkarwal police station using automatic weapons. This
resulted in a heavy exchange of fire as police retaliated leading to a gun
battle that lasted two hours.
‘Attack
repulsed’
However,
there were no reports of any injuries to police personnel during the attack,
the Punjab IG confirmed, as a senior Mianwali police official said personnel
posted at the police station reacted swiftly, averting the attack.
Makarwal
in the Isakhel tehsil, is a mostly hilly area known for coal mines, the
official added.
The
senior official said smugglers bringing contraband, arms and narcotics on foot
from Darra Adam Khel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa frequently use the area and the
terrain also allows militants and terrorists to operate freely.
The
Punjab IG said that highly-trained personnel of the police’s Counter Terrorism
Department and Elite Force also joined the operation. He said a high alert has
been issued in the entire Mianwali region in the wake of the attack.
He
said a search operation has been launched after police teams chased the
attackers who apparently disappeared taking advantage of the complex and
inaccessible terrain.
“We
are also discussing the options to launch a massive search [operation] in
Mianwali district to trace the terrorists’ hideouts,” Dr Anwar said.
He
said a committee of senior police officers, including Additional IG (training)
Zulfiqar Hameed, Additional IG Special Branch Punjab Sultan Chaudhry,
Operations DIG Waqas Nazeer and Information Technology DIG Ahsan Younis.
Dr
Anwar said the team would remain in contact with Mianwali RPO Shariq Kamal to
prepare a new strategy to launch the search operation in hilly areas of the
district. The IG said that a grand search operation and crackdown would be
launched soon.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1734674/ttp-attack-on-mianwali-police-station-repulsed
--------
National
Assembly rues plan to resettle militants
Iftikhar
A. Khan | Amir Wasim
February
1, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
A day after 100 people perished in Peshawar, lawmakers at the federal
legislature regretted the decision to enter into dialogue with militants and
resettle them in the country during the previous PTI regime, calling it a
“faulty” move which was “never endorsed” by parliament.
In
their policy statements, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Interior Minister
Rana Sanaullah referred to in-camera briefings given to parliamentarians by the
military leadership during the tenure of the PTI government, following the fall
of Kabul.
The
defence minister said: “A message was given that talks could be held with them
[the militants].” He claimed that the briefings had remained “inconclusive”
and they were only informed about the decisions that were already taken and
parliament never endorsed them.
“How
could one expect that those who had never seen peace in their life would live
peacefully,” said Mr Asif as the house formally began a debate on the suicide
attack.
“Decisions
made some two years ago had not been endorsed by this house. We were only told
in the briefings that this decision had [already] been made. Now, who will be
held accountable for the bloodshed?” he asked.
“We
are all members of parliament. Are we sovereign? We are a mortgaged nation. The
decisions are not in the hands of the nation,” he said, stressing: “We must put
our house in order. There is a need for introspection. Why these people were
brought here [to Pakistan]?” he asked.
The
minister also criticised the decision to become part of the Afghan Jihad in the
1980s, and later, the US-led ‘War on Terror’ post 9/11.
He
said: “We ourselves sowed the seeds of terrorism when the Russian troops
entered Afghanistan and we provided our services to the US on rent.”
“We
were very fond of launching a jihad,” quipped Mr Asif.
He
regretted that Pakistan had always acted as a “stooge” for the world powers,
but today the country was standing alone in the fight against terrorism.
‘8,000
militants’
MrSanaullah
said the previous regime told them that there were some 8,000 militants and
that they should be given an opportunity to surrender before the law as some
25,000 family members, including the children, were also associated with them.
The
decision might have been made in good faith but this policy proved wrong, he
said while referring to the recent surge in terror attacks. The minister
claimed the PTI government released thousands of the militants from jails,
including those who had been sentenced to death.
“There
is a need that for the prime minister and the military leadership should take
this house into confidence. There should be a debate in parliament,” he said,
while asking the lawmakers to suggest a way forward.
He
said the military leadership should place facts and figures before the house
and added that the prime minister and the army chief would “certainly” come to
the house and brief this house which would provide them a “way forward”.
The
National Assembly, which met after a two-week recess, also witnessed an emotional
speech by MNA from Peshawar, Noor Alam Khan, who protested the absence of the
premier and the non-serious attitude of some of Punjab’s MNAs.
“Unless
there is bloodshed in Lahore or Punjab, these people will not get serious,”
said Mr Khan, pointing towards some backbenchers who were busy chit-chatting.
“I
feel that I am a second-rate citizen of Pakistan,” said Mr Khan while referring
to an incident where the security personnel did not allow him to enter the Red
Zone area in Peshawar without proving his identity.
“Afghans
are roaming everywhere and Pakistanis are facing difficulties and are asked to
show their identity cards,” he claimed.
The
interior minister, however, responded to Mr Khan’s speech and said terrorism
was a collective issue, which could be rooted out through forging unity and
joint efforts. He claimed that in 99 per cent of incidents, the terrorists
didn’t belong to Punjab.
‘Revisit
counter-terrorism policy’
Meanwhile,
the bombing resonated in Senate as well where lawmakers urged the need to
revisit the counter-terrorism and Afghan policies. PPP leader Raza Rabbani
demanded a new consensus as he called out the former government for its plan to
rehabilitate the banned TTP.
The
senator regretted that “good Taliban” had been allowed to cross into Pakistan
along with arms.
He
said parliament and the nation were not taken into confidence over dialogue
with the Tehreek-i-Taliban and the subsequent ceasefire. He agreed with his
colleagues in NA that parliament had never endorsed talks with the TTP and also
raised questions over “outsourcing” the dialogue to a jirga.
About
the reports of a joint session of parliament on Feb 8, he demanded that the
session be devoted to the counterterrorism policy and added a meeting of the
Senate’s Committee of the Whole should be held for threadbare discussion on the
security situation.
Senator
Mushahid Hussain Syed and Senator Tahir Bizenjo also sought revision of
policies pertaining to terrorism and Afghanistan.
PTI
Senator Saifullah Abro chided the ruling coalition for accusing former premier
Imran Khan of re-launching TTP and said there should be no point-scoring on the
issue of terrorism. In the same breath, however, he sought an inquiry into the
prior knowledge of the KP governor about the law and order situation in the
province.
In
response to MrAbro, PML-N’s Irfan Siddiqui recalled that the TTP had named PTI
chief Imran Khan as a member of its negotiating team when a decision to pursue
peace talks with the militant group had been taken in February 2014. Senator
Rana Maqbool called for a diplomatic offensive with reference to Afghanistan.
In
a tweet, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the militants wanted to “reverse” gains
against terrorism. He urged political unity amid the terror wave.
A
source in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the federal cabinet was
meeting today (Wednesday) in which the issue of rising militancy will be
discussed in detail.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1734676/national-assembly-rues-plan-to-resettle-militants
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ISI
officers’ killer ‘gunned down’ near Afghan border
Imran
Gabol
February
1, 2023
LAHORE:
The ‘militant’ allegedly involved in the assassination of two intelligence
officers in Khanewal three weeks ago was gunned down near the Afghan border,
security officials have claimed.
Punjab
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Tuesday received the body of suspected
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) member Umar Khan for conducting a
post-mortem, which was later handed over to his family after completing legal
formalities.
A
senior official on condition of anonymity told Dawn that the suspect was killed
in crossfire with the security agencies when he was trying to escape to
Afghanistan near Kurram Agency on Monday night.
The
suspect had gunned down Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Multan region
director Naveed Sadiq and inspector Nasir Abbas at a roadside hotel on the
National Highway near Pirowal in Khanewal district on Jan 3, and fled from the
scene.
Two
groups, including the banned TTP and the so-called Lashkar-i-Khorasan, had
claimed responsibility for the attack.
The
CTD Multan police station had registered a case under murder and terrorism
charges on the complaint of the officers’ driver and started an investigation.
The
senior official said security agencies had been chasing the suspect after the
killing and he was traced while trying to escape to Afghanistan.
On
being asked to stop in the Kurram Agency area, he opened fire on the security
team that was retaliated.
The
suspect suffered injuries and was taken into custody and shifted to a nearby
hospital where he died of the wounds.
ISI
director Sadiq was heading the CTD wing and was awarded the Sitara-i-Shujaat on
March 23, 2021 in recognition of his services. He had joined the police force
as a sub-inspector in 2002. After appearing for a high-level exam in 2009, he
was appointed to the ISI as assistant director.
During
his tenure, the official is said to have exposed key networks of banned
outfits. After months of efforts, he reportedly gained access to the high
command of the militant Islamic State group and had also neutralised militants
after raiding their hideouts in Faisalabad.
Similarly,
Mr Sadiq also fought suicide bombers in Gujranwala, and tracked down the
network involved in the abduction of Ali Haider Gilani, a son of former prime
minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1734722/isi-officers-killer-gunned-down-near-afghan-border
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Military
to pursue terrorists via ‘intelligence-based operations’
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
February
1, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The army’s strategy for combating resurgent terrorism in the country would
increasingly rely on intelligence-based operations (IBOs), it emerged from the
proceedings of Corps Commanders’ Conference on Tuesday.
Chief
of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, who presided over the meeting of top commanders
at the General Headquarters, vowed “zero tolerance” for all terrorist groups,
echoing the resolve of the National Security Committee (NSC) that had met on
the same issue earlier this month.
The
meeting’s agenda was dominated by deliberations on dealing with the growing
terrorist threat as manifested by recent terrorism incidents, especially the
suicide bombing at a mosque in Peshawar, which claimed the lives of around 100
people, many of whom were policemen.
Fighting
terrorism has been the army’s top priority since the new army chief assumed
command at the end of November last year when the number of terrorism incidents
was growing. Much of the violence was perpetrated by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
and the Baloch insurgent groups.
Gen
Munir, while speaking at the conference, “directed all commanders to continue
focus on anti-terrorism operations in coordination with intelligence and law
enforcement agencies with renewed resolve till the time we achieve sustainable peace”,
according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The
participants of the meeting, ISPR said, were briefed about the ongoing
intelligence-based operations to break the nexus between terrorists and their
support mechanism in the country. While discussing the Peshawar mosque bombing,
the officers promised exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the attack.
The
COAS, meanwhile, was quoted as having said “immoral and cowardly acts” of the
terrorists would strengthen the nation’s determination to succeed in the war
against terrorism. He emphasised “zero tolerance” for any terrorist entity.
The
NSC and Army itself had earlier also decided to undertake a number of measures
to deal with the terrorist threat.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1734724/military-to-pursue-terrorists-via-intelligence-based-operations
--------
NCHR
calls into question religious affairs ministry’s ‘gender-based bias’ against
female PAS officer
February
1, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) on Tuesday expressed “serious
concerns” about the rejection of a female candidate for the Haj director
general’s (DG) position, allegedly on the basis of her gender.
In
December, Saima Sabah, a BS-20 officer of Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service,
contended in a petition to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that she had secured
first position in a written test for the position by obtaining 71 marks out of
100 but was dropped due to gender discrimination.
She
had requested the court to direct the religious affairs ministry to declare her
the successful candidate and issue her notification for the appointment of the
DG Haj accordingly.
The
petition alleged that “the minister in charge of MORA and IH (Ministry of
Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony) passed strange remarks against the
gender of the petitioner” during the interview proceedings.
Along
with her petition, she had also submitted a transcript of the alleged
interview.
However,
a single member IHC bench had dismissed her petition, after which Sabah had
filed an intra-court appeal. The high court reserved its decision in the case
on Thursday.
Addressing
the matter, the NCHR said the eligibility criteria for the position of Haj
director general did not exclude women while noting that Sabah was the
highest-scoring candidate for the job with 71 marks.
It
said that there existed a precedent of a woman serving as Saudia Arabia’s DG
Haj for 19 months so “why should Pakistan impose restrictions on the best
qualified candidate Saima Sabah just because she is a woman?”
In
a follow-up tweet, the commission said that while Saudia Arabia was encouraging
women to manage Haj pilgrims, Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry was
“rejecting qualified candidates on basis of gender”.
An
audio clip of the interview, purportedly featuring Minister for Religious
Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor and Sabah, has been doing
the rounds on social media.
In
the leaked audio, a man believed to be Shakoor, in a conversation with a woman
believed to be Sabah, can be heard saying: “Haj is a religious mission and
people from across the world attend it.”
“Our
Haj is completely dependent on the DG Haj and people look up to him,” he says.
“So if the appearance and personality of that person are not according to the
Sunnah, what message will go about Pakistan’s mission.”
At
this, the woman can be heard confirming that she was indeed a Muslim and that
her father was also a man of faith.
“No,
I am talking about you … covering your head with a scarf is compulsory in our
religion,” the male says.
To
this, the woman said that she agreed with him but would take a dupatta when she
finds it necessary.
Subsequently,
the man asks the woman about the significance of hijab and her choice of not
wearing one. “What impression would it give to countries around the world?” he
asks.
Later,
in a statement through his Twitter account, Shakoor doubted the veracity of the
audio and said that he could not even “imagine [committing] gender
discrimination” while occupying a constitutional office.
“Casual
chitchat after the interview was spliced, edited and presented in the alleged
audio,” he said, adding that he respected the female officer despite her
“baseless allegations”.
Shakoor
said that he would accept whatever the court decides, and requested the IHC to
rule on the matter soon.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
China
denounces Peshawar terrorist attack, expresses firm support to Pakistan’s fight
against terrorism
January
31, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns a deadly attack at a mosque in
Pakistan’s northwest Peshawar city, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said
Tuesday.
“We
express our deep condolences for the loss of life in the attack and extend
sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families,” Mao told a press briefing
in Chinese capital Beijing.
She
said China firmly opposes terrorism in any form and firmly supports Pakistan’s
efforts in fighting terrorism, defending national stability, and protecting
people’s lives.
Meanwhile,
the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan separately issued a statement to denounce the
terrorist attack.
“Embassy
of China strongly condemns the terrorist attack at the mosque in Peshawar. We
feel deeply grieved and pay our deepest condolences to the families of victims
and injured of the tragedy,” the statement added.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Peshawar
Mosque attack: COAS Gen Asim directs all commanders to continue focus on
anti-terror operations
January
31, 2023
RAWALPINDI:
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir Tuesday directed all army
commanders to continue focus on anti-terrorism operations in coordination with
intelligence and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) with renewed resolve till the
time we achieve sustainable peace.
Addressing
the participants of the 255th Corps Commanders’ Conference held here at the
GHQ, General Syed Asim Munir said that immoral and cowardly acts like Peshawar
Mosque attack cannot shake resolve of the nation rather reinvigorate its
determination to succeed in ongoing war against terror with Zero tolerance for
any terrorist entity.
Top
military brass was briefed in detail about prevailing and emerging threats,
situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and
ongoing intelligence-based operations being undertaken by Army and LEAs for
breaking the nexus between terrorists and their support mechanism across the
country.
The
forum paid rich tributes to the Martyrs of Peshawar police line blast and vowed
that perpetrators will be brought to exemplary justice.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Michigan
Man Convicted Of Joining ISIS, Training In Terrorist Tactics
A
federal court convicted a Dearborn, Michigan, man of joining the Islamic State
(ISIS) and training in terrorist tactics from 2015 to 2018, the Department of
Justice said in a press release.
IbraheemMusaibli
traveled to Syria in 2015 and enrolled in an “ISIS-run religious training camp”
before moving on to a military training facility, where he learned how to
operate a machine gun, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement. He
then swore allegiance to ISIS and served as a member of the terrorist organization
for the next two and a half years, a rare instance of a U.S.-born individual
leaving America to support the notorious terrorist organization, according to
The Detroit News.
“IbraheemMusaibli
traveled halfway around the world and joined a vicious, brutal, and violent
terrorist organization known — and proud of — its barbaric acts of terror,”
U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan said in the
statement. “Today’s verdicts highlights the dedication of this office, along
with our law enforcement partners, in pursuing anyone who poses a danger to the
United States—no matter where they are located.”
In
2018, members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main group fighting
alongside U.S. troops to counter ISIS in Syria, captured Musaibli and handed
him over to the FBI, according to the statement. (RELATED: US Captures Two ISIS
Militants In Syria)
Evidence
brought forward by the prosecutor includes videos of Musaibli discussing his
jihadist activities and text and WhatsApp messages to relatives back home, The
Detroit News reported.
Defense
lawyers argued that curiosity about a country that adhered to strict Muslim law
drew Musaibli overseas, first to Yemen and then to Syria, according to The
Detroit News. He was identified as a spy and thrown into an ISIS jail, the
defense argued.
“The
vast majority of people arrested for ISIS-related crimes never got outside of
the U.S. and joined ISIS,” Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on
Extremism at George Washington University, told The Detroit News.
Source:DailyCaller
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailycaller.com/2023/01/31/man-convicted-joining-islamic-state-terrorist/
--------
Eight
rockets target Turkish military base in Iraq: Kurdish anti-terror group
01
February ,2023
Eight
rockets targeted a Turkish military base in northern Iraq on Wednesday, two of
which landed inside the base, said the Counter-Terrorism Group, a security body
in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
blames foreign security service, Iraqi Kurdish groups for weekend drone strike
01
February ,2023
Iran
blamed a foreign security service and Kurdish groups in Iraq for a drone attack
on an ammunition depot near the central city of Isfahan over the weekend, state-run
Nour News reported.
The
equipment and explosives were brought into the country with the help of
“Kurdish anti-revolutionary groups in Iraqi Kurdistan under orders by the
foreign security service,” according to the report. It didn’t identity the
country which the security service belonged to.
Three
unmanned “suicide drones targeted the Defense Ministry complex on Saturday,
with one hitting the ceiling,” Iran said at the time.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Regional
power plan for Lebanon held up over Syria sanctions: French official
31
January ,2023
Egypt
is still seeking assurances that US sanctions will be waived in order to start
exporting gas to Lebanon through Syria under a plan first announced in 2021 to
help ease Lebanon’s power crisis, a senior French official said on Tuesday.
The
plan also has yet to go to the World Bank board, which will assess reforms of
Lebanon’s electricity sector that are preconditions for it to release a $300
million loan to finance the gas exports over 18 months, said Pierre Duquesne,
France’s envoy on international support to Lebanon.
Duquesne
was visiting Cairo before travelling to Jordan and Lebanon this week and to the
United States later in February “to try to help as much as we can to go beyond
the various statements of principle,” he told reporters in Cairo.
France
has been spearheading international efforts to rescue Lebanon from its deepest
crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war.
Alongside
Egyptian gas for power generation, the plan includes the export of electricity
from Jordan to Lebanon via Syria and could add up to 700 megawatts to Lebanon’s
grid.
Public
provision of electricity in Lebanon is crippled, but since the plan was signed
last June there has been little sign of progress.
Lebanese
state power stations have gone almost entirely offline, while fuel subsidy cuts
have caused the costs for private generators to skyrocket.
Duquesne
said technical pipeline obstacles to exporting the Egyptian gas had been
resolved and there were no hold-ups over the pricing or quantity of gas, but
concerns over exposure to US sanctions against Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad’s government had not been settled.
“My
Egyptian counterparts today told me, ‘we want something precise’,” he said.
“There is a problem of exemption ... and that concern should be dealt with not
only on a political basis but on a legal basis.”
Reforms
to Lebanon’s electricity sector demanded under the plan include accounting for
losses caused by power grid leaks or theft and restructuring the national
regulator.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkey’s
push into Iraq risks deeper conflict
31
January ,2023
Looming
over the deserted village of Sararo in northern Iraq, three Turkish military
outposts break the skyline, part of an incursion that forced the residents to
flee last year after days of shelling.
The
outposts are just some of the dozens of new military bases Turkey has
established on Iraqi soil in the past two years as it steps up its decades-long
offensive against Kurdish militants sheltered in the remote and rugged region.
“When
Turkey first came to the area, they set up small portable tents, but in the
spring, they set up outposts with bricks and cement,” Sararo’s mayor
Abdulrahman Hussein Rashid said in December during a visit to the village,
where shell casings and shrapnel still litter the ground.
“They
have drones and cameras operating 24/7. They know everything that’s going on,”
he told Reuters, as drones buzzed overhead in the mountainous terrain 5 km from
the frontier.
Turkey’s
advances across the increasingly depopulated border of Iraqi Kurdistan attract
little global attention compared to its incursions into Syria or the battle
against ISIS, but the escalation risks further destabilizing a region where
foreign powers have intervened with impunity, analysts say.
Turkey
could become further embroiled if its new Iraqi bases come under sustained
attack, while its growing presence may also embolden Iran to expand military
action in Iraq against groups it accuses of fomenting unrest at home, Kurdish
officials say.
Former
secretary general for Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces, Jabar Manda, said Turkey
had 29 outposts in Iraq until 2019 but the number has mushroomed as Ankara
tries to stop the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) launching attacks on its own
territory.
“Year
after year the outposts have been increasing after the escalation of battles
between Turkish forces and the PKK,” he said, estimating the current number at
87, mostly in a strip of border territory about 150 km long (95 miles) and 30
km deep.
“In
those outposts there are tanks and armored vehicles,” said Manda, who is now a
security analyst in Sulaimaniya. “Helicopters supply the outposts daily.”
Empty
villages
A
Kurdish official, who declined to be named, also said Turkey now had about 80
outposts in Iraq. Another Kurdish official said at least 50 had been built in
the last two years and that Turkey’s presence was becoming more permanent.
Asked
to comment on its bases in Iraq, Turkey’s defense ministry said its operations
there were in line with article 51 of the UN Charter, which gives member states
the right to self-defense in the event of attacks.
“Our
fight against terrorism in northern Iraq is carried out in coordination and
close cooperation with the Iraqi authorities,” the ministry said in a
statement, which did not address questions about the figures cited by Kurdish
officials.
Turkey’s
presence in northern Iraq, which has long been outside the direct control of
the Baghdad government, dates back to the 1990s when former Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein let Turkish forces advance 5 km into the country to fight the PKK.
Since
then, Turkey has built a significant presence, including one base at Bashiqa 80
km inside Iraq, where it says Turkish troops were part of an international
mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fight ISIS.
Turkey
said it worked to avoid civilian casualties through its coordination with Iraqi
authorities.
A
report published in August by a coalition of NGOs, End Cross-Border Bombing,
said at least 98 civilians were killed between 2015 and 2021. The International
Crisis Group, which gave a similar civilian death toll, said 1,180 PKK
militants were killed between 2015 and 2023.
According
to an official with Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the conflict
has also emptied at least 800 villages since 2015, when a ceasefire between
Turkey and the PKK broke down, driving thousands of people from their homes.
New
targets
Beyond
the humanitarian impact, Turkey’s incursion risks widening the conflict by
giving carte blanche to regional rival Iran to step up intelligence operations
inside Iraq and take its own military action, Kurdish officials say.
Tehran
has already fired missiles at bases of Kurdish groups it accuses of involvement
in protests against its restrictions on women, displacing hundreds of Iranian
Kurds and killing some.
Iran
did not respond to requests for comment.
Pro-Iranian
militias in Iraq also have a pretext to respond to Turkey’s presence, analysts
say, raising the prospect of escalation between Turkish troops and groups
besides the PKK.
Hamdi
Malik, a specialist on Iraqi Shia militias at the Washington Institute, said
pro-Iranian groups such as Liwa Ahrar al-Iraq (Free People of Iraq Brigade) and
Ahrar Sinjar (Free People of Sinjar) rebranded themselves last year as the
resistance against the Turkish presence.
According
to a Washington Institute report, attacks on Turkish military facilities in
Iraq increased from an average of 1.5 strikes per month at the start of 2022 to
seven in April.
If
the groups, which are deeply hostile to Washington, step up operations that
would also undermine the influence of the United States and its 2,000 troops in
Iraq, said Mustafa Gurbuz, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Center Washington.
“Turkey
is underestimating the strength of opposition and the fact that these
facilities will become targets in the future and more so as hostilities
increase,” said Sajad Jiyad, Baghdad-based analyst for The Century Foundation,
a US think-tank.
‘They
have both wronged us’
Northern
Iraq’s fragmented politics mean that neither the federal government in Baghdad
nor the KRG regional authority are strong enough to challenge Turkey’s presence
- or to meet Ankara’s goal of containing the PKK themselves.
The
Baghdad government has complained about Ankara’s incursions but has little
authority in the mainly Kurdish north, while the region’s ruling Kurdistan
Democratic Party (KDP) does not have the firepower to challenge the PKK,
despite seeing it as a potent and populist rival.
The
KDP has historically cooperated with Turkey but has limited influence over a
neighbor which wields far greater military and economic clout.
“We
ask all foreign military groups - including the PKK - to not drag the Kurdistan
Region into any kind of conflicts or tensions,” KRG spokesman Jotiar Adil said.
“The
PKK are the main reason that pushed Turkey to enter our territories in the
Kurdistan Region. Therefore, we think the PKK should leave,” he said. “We are
not a side in this long-standing conflict and we have no plans to be on any
side.”
Iraqi
Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani told Reuters the conflict between Turkey
and the PKK was a matter of concern, but less pressing than the threat from
ISIS.
Hariam
Mahmoud, a leading figure in the Kurdistan Liberation Movement, a civilian
opposition group in Iraq influenced by the ideas of jailed PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan, said no matter how much Turkey squeezes them they will continue to
resist.
“In
our opinion, this is an occupation and fighting resistance is a legitimate
right,” said Mahmoud, who lives in Garmiyan district south of Sulaimaniya.
Civilians,
meanwhile, continue to pay the price.
Ramzan
Ali, 72, was irrigating his field in Hirure a few km from Sararo in 2021, when
he heard a huge blast. The next thing he remembers is being on the ground
covered in blood.
He
said a Turkish shell had crashed into his property - a regular occurrence when
Turkish troops respond to PKK attacks with artillery.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Shooting
spree in Egypt leaves one dead, suspect arrested
31
January ,2023
Egyptian
security forces have arrested a man who went on a random shooting spree,
killing one person in the al-Qalyubia Governorate, north of Cairo, the interior
ministry said.
The
shooting, which took place in the al-Zarayeb region, left two others wounded,
the ministry said in a statement on Facebook on Sunday, adding that the
incident was a result of a financial dispute.
“The
situation was brought under control and residents were prevented from assaulting
him,” the ministry said, noting that the man was suspected of using drugs.
Legal
measures have been taken against him, it added.
Al-Masry
al-Youm reported on Monday that calm was prevailing in the area and that
security forces remain on the scene until the Public Prosecution ends its
investigations.
It
reported that some witnesses said the suspect had financial disputes with some
people in the area and wanted to settle things with them and hence prompting
him to fire randomly.
Others
told Al-Masry al-Youm that the suspect was fleeing an ambush and had entered
the area, pushing citizens to try to catch him before he started shooting.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Have
the fees of the Pakistani passport increased in the UAE? Officials respond
31
January ,2023
Reports
recently spread across social media platforms claiming that Pakistani passport
issuance and renewal fees have been increased for Pakistani citizens in the
UAE.
However,
Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP), denied such
reports.
It
said: “Some fake news about the increase in Machine Readable Passport Fees is
circulating on social media. It is clarified that there is no increased in the
existing passport fee structure.”
The
DGIP added: “The department has recently fixed and announced the fee for the
newly introduced e-Passport. It will be applicable only for the ordinary
e-passport when its issuance will be launched throughout the country, while the
fee for the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) will remain the same as
previously.”
On
Sunday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior launched e-passports and issued a
breakdown of its fees which varies depending on its category and period, as
well as whether the application is normal or urgent.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Cabinet calls for revival of Israel-Palestinian peace talks
February
01, 2023
RIYADH:
The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday reiterated the need to revive the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and called on the international community to
live up to its responsibilities in relation to this and to help end the
occupation, stop Israeli attacks, and ensure civilians are protected.
It
came during the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers at Irqah Palace in
Riyadh, presided over by King Salman, during which members discussed the latest
regional and international developments, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
At
the start of the session, the Cabinet was briefed on a message sent to the king
by the Algerian president, AbdelmadjidTebboune, and a telephone call Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman received from the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
Ministers
then discussed the preparations for the Kingdom’s participation at this year’s
G20 meetings, in light of its desire to develop initiatives and solutions that
can help address the challenges facing the global economy.
These
include a joint framework initiative for debt treatment, and Saudi Arabia’s
role in the implementation of the Financial Intermediary Fund for Health
Security, including financial support of $50 million, to help prevent
pandemics.
They
also include the Kingdom’s work in cooperation with the Indonesian presidency
of the G20 last year to develop a response to the global food-security crisis,
and the implementation of those initiatives in partnership with India, which
holds the presidency of the G20 this year.
Acting
Minister of Media Majid Al-Qasabi said the Cabinet also reiterated the
Kingdom’s condemnation of the burning of copies of the Qur’an in a number of
European capitals.
Ministers
welcomed the signing of agreements and memorandums of understanding during the
Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit last week, he added, as well as
discussions during the event that focused on developments in the sector,
investment opportunities, and ways to consolidate and enhance the Kingdom’s
leading position in this field, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to
diversify the national economy through research and the development of
scientific knowledge.
The
Cabinet also noted the outcomes of the Municipal Investment Forum in Riyadh
last week, during which investment portals were launched for Saudi cities, and
125 contracts and agreements worth more than SR12 billion ($3.1 billion) were
signed, offering more than 5,000 investment opportunities for the private
sector. During the event, about 200 projects for entrepreneurs were reviewed,
and the largest investment opportunity of its kind in the outdoor advertising
sector was launched.
Ministers
approved a cooperation agreement between the Saudi and Uzbekistan ministries of
energy, and another one between the Saudi Ministry of Education and
Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education.
They
authorized the minister of culture to sign a draft memorandum of understanding
for cultural cooperation with the Ministry of Crafts, Culture, Hotel Industry
and Tourism in Mali, and approved a memorandum of understanding between the
Saudi and Senegalese governments for cooperation to encourage direct
investment.
The
Cabinet also approved a MoU on desalination cooperation between the Saudi
Saline Water Conversion Corporation and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific
Research, and authorized the minister of health to sign a draft MoU for
cooperation with the Tunisian Ministry of Health.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242606/saudi-arabia
--------
FIFA
president tours ‘Saudi House’ hosting AFC meeting in Bahrain
February
01, 2023
RIYADH:
FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday visited the “Saudi House” in the
Bahraini capital, Manama, which is hosting the 33rd Asian Football
Confederation Congress that began on Monday and will continue until Wednesday
evening, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Infantino
toured the “Saudi House” and was briefed on the most pillars of the Kingdom’s
hosting of the 19th Asian Cup, under the slogan “Forward for Asia.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242536/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
leaders offer condolences to Pakistan on victims of mosque attack
February
01, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sent a cable of condolences to Pakistani President
ArifAlvi over victims of the terrorist attack at a mosque in Peshawar that
killed 100 people, the Saudi Press Agency reported early Wednesday.
“We
strongly condemn this criminal act and we send to your excellency, the families
of the deceased and the Pakistani people, our deepest and sincere condolences,”
the king said, wishing the injured a speedy recovery and affirming the
Kingdom’s stand with Pakistan.
Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a similar cable to President Alvi.
A
suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded mosque in a highly fortified
security compound in Peshawar on Monday, the latest in a string of attacks
targeting police.
Police
said the attacker appeared to have passed through several barricades manned by
security forces to get into the Red Zone compound that houses police and
counter-terrorism offices in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242571/saudi-arabia
--------
Islamophobia
has reached ‘alarming’ levels: OIC
NADA
HAMEED
January
31, 2023
JEDDAH:
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation convened an open-ended extraordinary
meeting of its executive committee at its headquarters in Jeddah on Tuesday.
The
meeting was held to express the organization’s common stance against the recent
desecration of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark as well
as to discuss possible actions that the OIC might take against the perpetrators
of the Islamophobic attacks.
The
incidents occurred earlier this month, when Rasmus Paludan, a far-right
activist who holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship, received permission
from the police to stage a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm,
where on Jan. 21 he burned the Qur’an. Days later, Edwin Wagensveld, Dutch
leader of the far-right Pegida movement in the Netherlands, tore pages out of a
copy of the Qur’an near the Dutch Parliament and stomped on them.
In
response, several regional and international organizations, including the OIC,
issued statements strongly denouncing the incident.
During
the meeting, Saleh Hamad Al-Suhaibani, Saudi representative to the OIC, said
that the Kingdom strongly condemns the desecration of the Qur’an, which urges
love, goodness, justice and equality.
The
Kingdom rejects all extremism and hatred, he added, and instead calls for the
dissemination of Islamic values based on dialogue and coexistence.
“These
despicable acts blatantly contradict the human, moral and religious principles
and values of all nations who respect peace and coexistence. The repetition of
the action raises many questions about the complacency of some governments in
curbing the phenomenon of Islamophobia and their failure to take the necessary
measures to stop provocations and punish the perpetrators under the pretext of
freedom of expression,” he said.
Islamophobia
is defined as the fear or hatred of Islam, which often translates into
intolerant gestures, deliberate discrimination and outright attacks against
Muslims.
OIC
Secretary-General HisseinBrahim Taha said that these actions are not simply
irresponsible but rather criminal acts targeting Muslims. “The governments
concerned must take strict punitive measures, especially given the frequency of
such provocative acts by the same people,” he said.
“The
outrageous actions…are further evidence of the alarming levels reached by the
phenomenon of Islamophobia, hate crimes, intolerance and xenophobia.
“This
makes us believe that we must take urgent measures to prevent the recurrence of
such provocative incidents in the future.”
Taha
said that a strong message must be sent to all governments, institutions and
individuals to clarify that these actions are not justifiable under freedom of
expression. He highlighted that many international laws, including the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, clearly stipulate that
freedom of expression is not an unlimited right, as it involves special duties
and responsibilities.
Mehmet
MetinEker, the permanent representative of Turkey to OIC, said that Turkey
strongly condemns the recent aggressions against the Holy Qur’an.
“Unfortunately,
the failure of the Swedish authorities to take the necessary precautions
against the attack on the Holy Qur’an on Jan. 21 has encouraged several attacks
in the Netherlands and Denmark afterward. We also expect the Swedish, Dutch and
Danish authorities to take the necessary measures against the perpetrators of
these hate crimes,” he said.
Hatred
against Islam has reached an alarming level in many parts of the world,
particularly in Europe, he said, citing statistics related to violent,
Islamophobic acts by European activists since 2019.
“We
observe with great concern, how far-right politicians use anti-Islam and
xenophobic rhetoric...Resorting to such populism paves the way for racist
attacks against Muslims,” Eker said, referencing the massacre in New Zealand in
2019, in which 51 Muslims were killed in a terrorist attack on two
mosques.
Eker
added: “In this context, an important measure to be taken within the OIC, we
think, is to strengthen the Islamophobia observatory in order to more
efficiently engage with international partners, as well as better follow-up
efforts in Western countries to confront rising Islamophobia.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242436/saudi-arabia
--------
MWL,
OIC, GCC condemn Peshawar mosque attack
January
31, 2023
RIYADH:
The Muslim World League has expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation
of the terror attack on a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, which resulted in more
than 100 deaths.
MWL
Secretary General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Isa stressed the
organization’s firm rejection of terrorism and the targeting of places of
worship.
The
MWL offered its condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and to
the government and people of Pakistan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
At
least 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured on Monday when a Taliban
suicide bomb blast ripped through a mosque inside a fortified security compound
in Pakistan.
Authorities
used heavy machinery to cut into the debris of the mosque’s collapsed building
as part of a rescue operation.
The
Pakistani Taliban admitted to carrying out the attack.
Bombings
have been on the rise since last November when the group called off a ceasefire
signed with the government in May.
Monday’s
attack was the worst in Peshawar since March 2022 when a Daesh suicide bombing
killed at least 58 people in a mosque during Friday prayers.
Secretary-General
of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation HisseinBrahim Taha expressed his
condemnation of the “heinous act” and offered his deepest condolences to the
families of the victims.
Taha
renewed the position of the OIC against all forms and manifestations of
terrorism, stressing his organization’s support for the government of Pakistan
in tackling extremism.
Secretary-General
of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf affirmed the council’s solidarity
with the government of Pakistan in confronting terrorism and extremism.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242451/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
Cabinet reiterates Kingdom’s condemnation of Qur’an desecration
January
31, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet condemned and rejected on Tuesday the repeated burning
of copies of the Qur’an in a number of European countries recently.
The
Cabinet said it was important that the governments of those countries addressed
practices that hurt the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world.
The
recent desecration of Islam’s holy book by far-right activists in Sweden and
the Netherlands has sparked protests among Muslims around the world.
Earlier
this month, Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan received permission from
police to stage a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, where on
Jan. 21 he burned the Qur’an.
Days
later, Edwin Wagensveld, Dutch leader of the far-right Pegida movement in the
Netherlands, tore pages out of a copy of the Qur’an near the Dutch Parliament
and stomped on them.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242406/saudi-arabia
--------
US
inflicted huge losses on Syrian economy through war, sanctions: Syrian
officials
01
February 2023
The
United States’ illegal military presence in Syria, accompanied by systematic
looting of the nation’s natural resources and economic sanctions, have
inflicted huge losses on the Arab country, Syrian officials say.
Walid
Darwich, member of the Syrian People’s Assembly, told al-Ahed news on Tuesday
that the current tough economic situation in Syria reflects the impact of harsh
US sanctions on the Syrian people.
What
the US does in Syria, Darwich said, “is not just depriving the Syrian people of
gas and oil [through sanctions], but also stealing the riches of their country.
The US has been stealing the country’s oil, gas, wheat and artifacts with the
help of terrorist groups inside Syria.”
He
said the US has also inflicted tremendous losses on Syria due to the
destruction of its infrastructure and the funding and support of terrorist
groups across the war-torn country.
“The
international community and organizations must speak up and do something about
the crimes the US is perpetrating against the Syrian people,” Darwich said.
At
the end of 2022, the Syrian foreign ministry issued a statement saying the US
has been carrying on with its aggressive practices and gross violations of
human rights and the provisions of the UN charter through its illegal military
presence in parts of Syria and stealing Syria’s national wealth, particularly
in the northeast and in the Al-Tanf region.
The
ministry also said that the direct losses from attacks carried out by US forces
and affiliated terrorist groups amounted to 25.9 billion dollars, including
theft of oil, gas, mineral resources, theft of facilities, and damage resulting
from airstrikes on oil and gas facilities by the illegal military coalition led
by the US.
Akhil
Eid, director of the press office in the Syrian Ministry of Oil, also said on
Tuesday that the real figure pertaining to the losses inflicted on Syria by the
US theft exceeded 110 billion dollars.
The
figure includes direct and indirect losses, meaning losses of benefits and
losses from destruction of oil facilities, he said.
“The
crisis began when the terrorist groups cut off the heavy oil line,” the Syrian
official said. “Back then, Syria was producing 385,000 barrels of oil per day,
half of which was sufficient for local production and the other half was
exported and secured hard currency for the country.”
He
explained that “in 2013, the heavy oil line was cut off, the country became
dependent on imports, there were unilateral US sanctions and a naval blockade,
and oil installations were targeted.”
The
United States invaded Syria in 2014 at the head of scores of its allies under
the pretext of battling the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. The US-led coalition
has maintained its presence, despite the fact that it was Syria and its allies,
including Iran and Russia, who defeated the terrorist outfit in late 2017.
Pentagon
claims that the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area
from falling into the hands of terrorists.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Azerbaijan
urges citizens against travel to Iran after deadly embassy attack
31
January ,2023
Azerbaijan
on Tuesday urged its citizens against unnecessary travel to Iran, days after an
armed attack on Baku’s embassy in Tehran that left a security guard dead and
wounded two others.
“Due
to the unstable situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the terrorist
attack against the diplomatic mission of our country, the citizens of the
Republic of Azerbaijan are advised not to visit the Islamic Republic of Iran
unless necessary,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement
published on its website.
“Those
who visit are advised to exercise increased caution,” the ministry added.
On
Friday, a gunman attacked Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran, killing an
Azerbaijani security official and wounding two others.
Iranian
authorities said the attacker, an Iranian man, was arrested and cited “personal
and family problems” as the motivation for the attack.
But
Azerbaijan blamed Iran for the attack which it labelled as an act of terrorism.
Baku evacuated embassy staff and their family members from Iran on Sunday.
Azerbaijani
foreign ministry spokesman AyxanHacizada said the attack was “encouraged” by a
recent anti-Azerbaijani campaign in Iranian media.
Iran
and Azerbaijan share a border of around 700 kilometers (430 miles).
The
two countries have a complex relationship. Iran is wary of Azerbaijan’s
relations with Israel, a major supplier of arms to Baku. Tehran is also wary
over nationalists in Azerbaijan and its close ally Turkey fanning separatist
tendencies among its sizeable ethnic Azeri population.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Macron's
remarks prove France still pursues colonial approach toward Africa: Turkish
scholar
Enes
Taha Ersen
01.02.2023
French
President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks proved his country still pursues a
colonial approach toward Africa, according to a Turkish scholar.
"I
do not have to ask for forgiveness, that is not the matter, the word would
break all ties," Macron said Jan. 11 in an interview with the French
weekly, Le Point.
MuserrefYardim
told Anadolu that France colonized Algeria for 132 years and “colonialism”
refers to a bloody and traumatic period of Algerian history that remained in
the minds of the nation.
She
noted that Algerians frequently demand an apology and remorse from France for
massacres in Algeria committed during the colonial era.
"The
issue of France's official apology for what it did in Algeria has been at the
center of the relations between the two countries for many years," said
the scholar from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Necmettin
Erbakan University.
She
said Macron described French colonialism in Algeria as a “crime against
humanity” while preparing for the 2017 presidential election.
"In
2018, Macron also said that his country used systematic torture during the
Algerian liberation war," she said, adding that France has taken steps to
confront its colonial past in recent years but the moves were symbolic.
"Macron
commissioned historian Benjamin Stora in 2020 to investigate France's colonial
legacy in Algeria," she said. "A series of symbolic steps were taken,
excluding 'apology' or 'regret', to improve ties between the two countries. In
his report, Stora said that there is no problem to issue an apology for the
massacres committed in Algeria. Macron, on the other hand, said that he would
not apologize for his country’s colonial rule."
French
colonialism in the Algerian national anthem
Citing
Macron's latest remarks, Yardim said France's official approach to Algeria for
its colonial past has not changed.
She
noted the French president's remarks to Le Monde: 'If it weren't for France,
you wouldn't exist now, you owe your existence to France."
Macron
tried to honor his country’s colonial past in the remarks, according to Yardim.
She
said an apology would be the first step in restoring relations with other
African countries, especially Algeria.
"Some
groups, who demand an apology from France over its massacres committed in Algeria,
are demanding that Algeria-France relations should be reconsidered," she
said. "The traces of the French colonial past are even reflected in the
Algerian national anthem. The anger and reckoning against France are seen in
the anthem. The demand of both Algeria and other African colonies is that
France should confront its colonial past and do what was necessary by accepting
the crimes against humanity it has committed."
"However,
the officials don’t have the intention of taking positive steps."
-
'Policies are for the benefit of colonized nations'
France
still claims sovereignty in Africa, even though the colonial period is over,
According to Yardim,
She
noted the speech given by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 in
the Senegalese capital of Dakar.
"Even
if there are mistakes and crimes in history, no one should expect today's
generations to pay for the crimes committed by past generations," said
Sarkozy.
Yardim
noted that the colonialist mentality still exists in Europe.
She
said France passed the law on colonialism on Feb. 25, 2005, to impose teachers
to teach the positive effects of the French presence in North Africa to
students. But the bill was withdrawn due to the public reaction.
"Although
the law was strongly condemned by Algeria and other colonial countries, France
still believes that colonial policies continue to say that policies are for the
benefit of the colonized nations," she said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tehran’s
nuclear activities ‘threatens international peace and security,’: UK
Burak
Bir
01.02.2023
LONDON
Iran
continues the escalation of its nuclear activities and “threatens international
peace and security,” the British foreign secretary warned Tuesday.
"Iran's
nuclear program has sadly never been more advanced than it is today,"
James Cleverly said while answering questions raised by lawmakers in the House
of Commons/
He
reiterated that the UK continues to work with allies to prevent Iran from
acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Regarding
Iran's moves in the region through militia proxies and the supply of military
weapons to Russia, Cleverly stressed that those actions are "completely
unacceptable."
"We
have implemented more than 50 new sanctions designations in recent months in
response to Iranian human rights abuses and their military support to
Russia," he said, adding that further actions will continue.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
foreign minister to visit Estonia for talks
Diyar
Guldogan
31.01.2023
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday will pay a visit to Estonia to
meet his counterpart UrmasReinsalu, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on
Tuesday.
"At
the meetings, all aspects of our bilateral relations will be elaborated and
Türkiye-EU relations as well as current regional and international developments
will be discussed," the ministry said in a statement.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkish-foreign-minister-to-visit-estonia-for-talks/2802636
--------
Sweden
sacrifices its NATO membership path to extremists
Murat
Temizer
31.01.2023
Although
Finland and Sweden want to walk the path to NATO membership together due to the
rising danger of war and security concerns on their borders, Sweden sacrifices
its membership hopes to extremists by spectating anti-Türkiye provocations and
hate crimes.
Here
is how official applications of Stockholm and Finland to NATO began on May 18
last year and how they proceed.
Finland
and Sweden -- willing to be part of the NATO security umbrella to avoid
possible conflicts amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war that began on Feb. 24,
2022 -- decided to take steps together and made their application in Brussels.
However,
Türkiye opposed NATO membership of both countries due to the support given to
terrorist organizations PKK/YPG/PYD and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization
(FETO). Ankara said it would like to see concrete and permanent steps taken on
issues such as preventing the activities of terrorist organizations that
threaten Turkish citizens and Türkiye's security, extradition of people wanted
or convicted for terrorism, and lifting restrictions on the export of defense
industry products.
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said these two countries, especially Sweden, directly
support the PKK -- which Türkiye has been fighting for years -- grant political
asylum to its members, and provide financial aid. Erdogan emphasized that these
attitudes must change for Ankara's approval.
On
the commitment of the two countries to respond positively to Türkiye's
expectations, Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden signed a triple memorandum at the
NATO Madrid Summit on June 28, 2022. Also, a permanent joint mechanism was
established in this context.
However,
during the process, anti-Türkiye provocations organized by terrorist
organizations in Sweden and the overlooking of the burning of the Quran made it
questionable how well this country fulfilled its commitments.
After
the recent provocations in the country, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
said "provocateurs tried to prevent Sweden's membership," but the
incident, tolerated in the name of freedom of expression, damaged the NATO
membership process of the country.
"We
may respond differently to Finland if necessary. Sweden would be shocked when
we respond differently to Finland. But Finland should not make the same
mistake," Erdogan said on Sunday.
Those
remarks also brought up the question of whether these two countries would
separate their joint path leading to NATO.
1st
fracture: FETO fugitive Kenes
After
the triple memorandum was signed in Madrid, the membership process of the two
Scandinavian countries was expected to progress rapidly, but the Swedish
judicial authorities' refusal to allow the extradition of FETO fugitive Bulent Kenes
on Dec. 19 slowed the momentum in the negotiations.
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Dec. 22 said Sweden's refusal to allow the
extradition of Kenes was a "very negative development."
Insulting
Türkiye, Erdogan
The
provocation that interrupted Sweden's NATO membership process and came to the
fore in the last period is that terror supporters in early July gathered in
front of the historical City Hall in the capital Stockholm, hung a figure of
Erdogan in effigy by the feet on a pole in front of the building, and shared
video footage of the moment on social media.
Footage
posted later on a social media account affiliated with the terror group showed
that threats targeting Türkiye and Erdogan were made with Turkish subtitles.
In
the face of this provocation, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye
Mustafa Sentop canceled the official visit of Swedish Parliament Speaker
Andreas Norlen, which was planned to be made to Türkiye on Jan 17.
Burning
of Quran
The
latest incident in Sweden, which maintains its optimistic approach to the
membership process, but does not say "stop" to terrorist supporters
and provocative acts within the country, was the burning of the Quran, Muslim
holy book.
Rasmus
Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right party StramKurs (Hard Line), has
drawn global condemnation after torching copies of Islam’s holy book, the
Quran, outside a mosque in Copenhagen and the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm this
month.
Erdogan
said on Jan. 23: "Those who caused such a disgrace in front of our embassy
should not expect any benevolence from us regarding their NATO membership
applications."
While
the Swedish authorities argued that they did not approve of the action, but
that there is freedom of expression in the country, Türkiye continued to
emphasize that such an insult to a sanctuary is not just against Muslims, but
is a hate crime.
The
result of the provocations was the postponement of the tripartite mechanism
meeting on NATO membership.
Responding
to questions on the subject, the Finnish police announced that the burning of
holy books such as the Quran in public places will not be allowed, and that
this will be considered a "punishable crime."
Swedish-free
membership option
Contrary
to what happened in Sweden, a calmer atmosphere prevailed in Finland. It was
noted that Finland took positive steps towards Türkiye and was not affected by
this negative atmosphere.
Finnish
Foreign Minister PekkaHaavisto told public broadcaster Yle on Jan. 24 that
Finland should consider joining NATO without Sweden.
Asked
whether Finland should progress at the same pace as Sweden in the NATO
accession process, Haavisto said: "We have to be ready to re-evaluate the
situation. Has something happened that would in the long run prevent Sweden's
application from progressing?"
However,
after Erdogan's "Türkiye may respond 'differently' to Finland's NATO
bid" message on Sunday, Haavisto said this time that Helsinki wants to
join NATO with Sweden.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sweden-sacrifices-its-nato-membership-path-to-extremists/2802625
--------
Swedes
criticize recent provocations against Türkiye, Islam
AtilaAltuntas
31.01.2023
STOCKHOLM
Swedish
citizens are voicing discomfort with recent provocations against Türkiye and
Islam in their country, describing the burning of the Quran, the Muslim holy
book, as a “shameful” hate crime.
Ingrid
Kolobaric, a Croatian who lives in Sweden, told Anadolu that Sweden
"should learn to respect" the Turkish president before trying to be
"cute" with Ankara about its bid to join the NATO military alliance.
"Sweden
needs to respect all people regardless of their religious belief, race,
appearance, and color. Now is the time. It's time for Sweden to learn to
respect all people," Kolobaric said.
In
addition to allowing Quran burnings, earlier this month Swedish authorities did
nothing to stop the hanging in effigy of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.
On
the Quran burning in Sweden by Rasmus Paludan, a far-right extremist, Kolobaric
underlined that the burning of holy books should be stopped.
Insulting
other faiths, views 'unacceptable'
Saying
he thinks there would be pluses and minuses to Sweden joining NATO – a goal it
set after the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine last February – Liam Tiks said:
"I don't think Paludan's burning of the Quran is right.
"It
should be considered a hate crime," Tiks added.
Another
Swede, Izabella Schultzberg, called the burning of the Quran "very
shameful and bad."
"This
should be banned," Schultzberg said. "Insulting another religion and
view is unacceptable."
Citing
how Türkiye has said if it wants to join NATO, Sweden must prove its firm
opposition to terrorism – including to the terrorist YPG/PKK, which has
threatened tens of thousands of people in Türkiye and along its borders – Björn
Gillsbro said Paludan's burning of the Quran had stiffened Turkish resistance.
He
added: "Sweden definitely doesn’t need to be a member of NATO. We already
have military cooperation with European Union countries and NATO
countries."
"Paludan
also needs to stop provoking the public," he added.
Ebba
Liedstrom, for her part, said that Paludan's provocation of burning the Quran
was "shameful and a childish act to agitate the people."
Paludan,
a Danish-Swedish politician, drew global condemnation after torching copies of
the Quran outside a mosque in Copenhagen and the Turkish Embassy in the capital
Stockholm this month.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/swedes-criticize-recent-provocations-against-turkiye-islam/2802462
--------
Muslims
in Berlin decry lack of burial places, demand urgent solution
Erbil
Basay
31.01.2023
BERLIN
The
lack of graves for Muslims in Berlin has been an issue for decades, as more
space is needed to accommodate more graves.
The
umbrella associations established by Muslims operating in Germany's capital
demanded that the Berlin state government must find an urgent solution to the
problem about cemeteries where Muslims are buried with Islamic methods.
While
the number of Muslims who want to be buried in Germany is increasing, the first
generation Muslims who came to the country as workers prefer to be buried in
the countries they came from, especially Türkiye.
However,
a majority of the second and third generation Muslims in Germany want to be
buried in the country they live in, as the relatives who will visit their
graves and pray for them after they die live in that country.
Recently,
the capacity of Gatow Cemetery, which is located in the westernmost borough of
Berlin, has started to fill up.
Murat
Gul, the president of the Islamic Federation of Berlin, told Anadolu that he
received a letter from authorities saying that there will be no empty places in
the cemetery and no burial will be allowed as of the end of March.
He
also pointed out that a similar situation was experienced in 2018, and in 2021,
bodies of 20 Muslims were kept waiting in Berlin during the New Year's holiday
as there was no vacancy in the Gatow Cemetery.
The
problem was solved temporarily then, he added.
According
to Gul, more than 300,000 Muslims live in Berlin, and their numbers will be
rising in the coming years.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
Budapest, top Turkish diplomat holds 'fruitful meeting' with Hungarian premier
Faruk
Zorlu
31.01.2023
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday met with Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orban in Budapest as part of his official visit to Hungary to discuss
bilateral relations and regional issues.
"I
thank him for the fruitful meeting. Also conveyed greetings & invitation of
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Orban," Cavusoglu said on
Twitter.
Cavusoglu
is paying the visit at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart Peter
Szijjarto.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UK
High Court to consider legality of resuming arms sales to Saudi Arabia
31
January 2023
The
UK High Court of Justice is set to consider the legality of the British
government's decision to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could be used
in the war against Yemen, as Riyadh’s aggression against the impoverished Arab
country continues unabated.
The
court is due to start considering the evidence at a hearing in London on
Tuesday, after the non-governmental organization, Campaign Against Arms Trade
(CAAT) filed a lawsuit against the British government over the resumption of
arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
CAAT
accused London of contributing to the violation of international law and
causing the world's largest humanitarian disaster, which has claimed tens of
thousands of lives.
The
judicial review is expected to last until the end of the week.
The
legal action was brought forward after Britain announced that it would resume
arms sales to Saudi Arabia in July 2020, despite continued Saudi airstrikes
across Yemen.
Ahead
of the hearing, CAAT's media coordinator Emily Apple accused London of caring
"more about profit than war crimes and the deaths of civilians".
The
UK-based NGO won a similar case against the government in 2019, when an appeal
court ruled that Britain's license to sell arms to Saudi Arabia was illegal.
It
said the government had failed to assess whether the arms sales violated its
commitments to human rights and ordered it to "reconsider the
matter".
The
United States and Britain are the main suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia,
selling tens of billions of dollars of arms to the leaders in Riyadh.
The
oil-rich Middle Eastern country has historically played an outsized role in
importing military armaments from the US and the UK.
Riyadh
purchased a huge chunk of all the weapons sold by the two countries between
2017 and 2021, according to peace groups monitoring international arms deals.
Saudi
Arabia, in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics
support from the US and other Western states, launched the devastating war on
Yemen in March 2015.
The
objective was to crush the Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been
running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen, and
reinstall the Riyadh-friendly unpopular regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South
Asia
Islamic
Emirate Condemns Attack on Mosque in Peshawar
By
Zabiullah Sarier
The
Islamic Emirate Foreign Ministry condemned Monday's attack on worshipers in a
mosque in Peshawar, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying it is in
"contradiction to the teaching of Islam."
A
suicide bombing that struck inside a mosque at a police and government compound
in northwest Pakistan reflects “security lapses,” current and former officials
said as the death toll from the devastating blast climbed to 100 on Tuesday.
The
blast, which ripped through a Sunni mosque inside a major police facility in
the city of Peshawar, was one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistani security
forces in recent years. It left as many as 225 wounded, some still in serious
condition in hospital, according to Kashif Aftab Abbasi, a senior officer in
Peshawar.
The
rise in terrorist attacks worries the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
“I
fear this is just the beginning of another wave of terrorism. We have seen many
attacks in Peshawar, they mostly target law enforcement and police,” said a
resident of Peshawar.
“This
is not the first time this kind of bombing has happened. From 2006 to now, we
have had enough of terrorism and thousands of people have lost their lives. We
ask the world for help, we yearn for tranquility, we are all human and we are
longing for peace here,” said another resident of Peshawar.
More
than 300 worshippers were praying in the mosque, with more approaching, when
the bomber set off his explosives vest on Monday morning, officials told
Associated Press.
Stéphane
Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, condemned this attack and
says that such attacks violate the freedom of religion and worship.
“It
is particularly abhorrent that such an attack occurred at a place of worship.
Freedom of religion, freedom of belief, and the ability to worship in peace is
a fundamental human right,” Dujarric told a press conference.
Source:
ToloNews
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-181842
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Islamic
Emirate to Begin Construction on Banks of Amu River
By
Imran Danish
The
Islamic Emirate is considering construction on the banks of the Amu River.
A
delegation comprised of officials of several ministries traveled to the north
of the country to assess the situation alongside the Amu river.
Mujeeb
Rahman Omar, acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock said that
due to lack of walls on the banks of the river, thousands of houses, which are
located near the river, have been destroyed in five northern provinces.
“We
call on the charity and aid organizations--this is the time and place for
attention. The plans and goals that you consider can be implemented here,” he
said.
The
deputy Minister of Energy and Water, Ataullah Omari, said that implementation
of the project will cost two billion Afs in the short term.
“Our
technical and professional teams have conducted an estimation. We have
short-term and long-term plans. In the long term, we estimated a cost of six
billion Afs and in the short term it costs two billion,” said the acting
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.
The
findings of the delegations show that a gold mine is endangered by the river
bank's erosion.
“There
is a gold mine alongside the river, which approximately has 30 tons of gold.
This mine is in danger of the river,” said Zia Rahman Aryoubi, deputy Minister
of Mines and Petroleum.
Source:
ToloNews
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-181847
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Bangladesh
orders 191 ‘anti-state’ news sites blocked
February
1, 2023
DHAKA:
The Bangladesh government has ordered the closure of 191 websites it accuses of
publishing “anti-state news”, stoking concerns about media freedom in the South
Asian country.
Information
Minister Hasan Mahmud told parliament on Monday that the government has
instructed the telecoms regulator to close the domains following “reports from
intelligence agencies”.0 He said the sites, which were not named, were
“conducting activities that spread confusion among the public”.
Campaigners
and foreign governments including the United States have long expressed worries
about efforts by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to silence criticism.
Bangladesh’s
draconian Digital Security Act, under which hundreds of people have been
arrested since 2018, has caused particular alarm.
“The
government shouldn’t try to control the flow of the internet,” Faruq Faisel,
regional director of media rights watchdog ARTICLE 19 South Asia, said.
“The
move to block news sites will hamper freedom of expression in the country. It
will pave the way of spreading misinformation and disinformation,” he said.
Asked
about the website blocking order, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the United
Nations secretary general, said freedom of expression “needs to be protected”.
Journalists “have a right to be able to operate their news sites freely and
openly, and we want to see positive movement in that direction”, he told a
regular briefing in New York.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1734736/bangladesh-orders-191-anti-state-news-sites-blocked
--------
Pakistan
Releases More Than 100 Afghan Detainees
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
February
1, 2023
The
Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Islamabad has announced that
more than 120 Afghan nationals have been released from prisons in Sindh
province Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s
Diplomatic Mission in Islamabad said on Twitter that Afghan detainees were
released on Tuesday. As per this announcement, some 130 more Afghan citizens
will be released in the coming days.
Prior
to this, the Afghan Embassy had announced that 1300 Afghan refugees had been
released from Pakistani prisons.
According
to Pakistani officials, during a special operation, police detained more than
1200 Afghan nationals including women and children across Pakistan due to not
having legal residential permits (visas), and put them behind bars in the
recent past.
The
Afghan Embassy in Pakistan have confirmed that nearly 1500 undocumented Afghan
refugees are still in prisons in Pakistan, and efforts are underway for their
release.
According
to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports, some 1.3
million legal Afghan refugees are currently residing in Pakistan, however, it
is estimated that thousands of illegal Afghan migrants are living in different
parts of Pakistan.
Since
the beginning of political turmoil and civil war in Afghanistan, Pakistan has
been one of the neighboring countries hosting millions of Afghans for more than
three decades. For some Afghans, Pakistan is their second home, having the
freedom to live, run their business and benefit from the privileges given by
UNHCR and the Pakistani government.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-releases-more-than-100-afghan-detainees/
--------
Pakistan’s
Special Envoy Meets European Union’s Special Representative for Afghanistan
By
Fidel Rahmati
January
31, 2023
Mohammad
Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, informed in a series of
tweeters that he met Tomas Niklasson, the European Union’s Special
Representative for Afghanistan, on 31 January 2023.
He
added, “Amongst several other things, we discussed our respective humanitarian
support to the people of Afghanistan.”
He
also discussed the importance of EU support to the people of Afghanistan and
urged for the continuation of support for the Afghan people.
“EU
is a significant donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Continuation
of EU support will mitigate some of Afghan people’s food and health care
needs.”
The
recent decrees announced by the de facto government on female workers have
created several challenges for the international community and aid
organizations to continue their work in Afghanistan.
On
the other hand, the ban on female NGO employees has interrupted aid
distribution to Afghan families, particularly in the freezing winter, when most
families require humanitarian support.
Mohammad
also discussed Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghan people with his
counterpart and considered Pakistan’s private and public sector role
significant to Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
showing signs of understanding China’s real interests :Report
1
February, 2023
Kabul
[Afghanistan], February 1 (ANI): After the United States left Afghanistan and
Taliban took over the country in 2021, China wanted to fill the power vacuum by
heavily investing in the country, the Afghan Diaspora Network reported, adding
that now the Taliban has realised China’s real intent.
During
the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, China wanted to create a foothold in the
country. But China’s repression and genocidal action on Uyghur Muslims and
Taliban’s hard Islamic values are contrary to each other, according to the
report.
China
was one of the few countries to have kept their Embassy in Kabul fully
functional throughout the period after the regime change.
A
number of Chinese businessmen reportedly stayed back. Subsequently, to project
its prominence on this front, China has engaged with, participated in, and
hosted numerous regional formats on Afghanistan, the report said, adding that
these were mainly to safeguard the security, economic and strategic interests
of China in Afghanistan.
In
addition to this Beijing also sponsored limited bilateral trade and Chinese
state-owned enterprises have started to talk about restarting their projects
with Taliban authorities, the report said, adding that China believed that
Afghanistan provided a safe haven to militants who were able to operate from
camps along the Afghanistan border and move into China through the narrow
passes along their border.
And
this is why China is still having second thoughts on making tangible
investments in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, it said.
Further,
according to the report, the Taliban has started showing signs of understanding
the real interests of China which is siphoning the resources of Afghanistan for
the strategic interests of Beijing.
There
were serious actions taken against Chinese nationals that had been caught
smuggling, the report stated further, adding that on January, 23, this year,
five men, including two Chinese nationals, were arrested by the Taliban in
Jalalabad for their involvement in the smuggling of an estimated 1,000 metric
tons of lithium-containing rocks out of Afghanistan to China via Pakistan.
Source:
ThePrint
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
envoy, Pakistan officials discuss Afghan Taliban ban on women
February
01, 2023
US
Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West, who visited Pakistan on
January 30-31, discussed terrorism and Afghan Taliban’s ban on girls education
with top officials including army chief General Syed Asim Munir.
In
a tweet from his official handle on Tuesday, the US envoy appreciated
Pakistan’s hospitality over two days of productive meetings related to
Afghanistan.
West
said he held meetings with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Ambassador
Muhammad Sadiq and Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan.
During
the meetings, the envoy said they discussed terrorism and security situations,
“need for international unity and dangerous impact of Taliban edicts on
millions of Afghans’ access to vital aid and education”.
The
US envoy said he also urged support for important work of the UN and
implementers to secure reversal of the de facto rulers ban on women aid workers
and female education.
“Met
courageous Afghan women and heard critical demands and observations:
Women-headed households in Afghanistan are suffering, and int’l community must
prioritise their needs,” he added.
The
US point person for Afghanistan said women and girls confined to home are
experiencing extreme mental and psychological stresses, “without ability to
move freely, get educated”.
“Reviewed
with UNHCR and World Bank robust support for Afghan refugees and millions of
basic human needs of millions of Afghans.”
Source:Tribune
Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2398664/us-envoy-pakistan-officials-discuss-afghan-taliban-ban-on-women
--------
Southeast
Asia
Quranic
Arts Festival Wraps Up in Malaysia
January
31, 2023
It
had been organized in Putrajaya by Restu Foundation and foreign partners
including the Iranian Cultural Center in Malaysia and with the help of the
Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO).
The
event allowed visitors to witness special exhibitions, and interact with the
Quran and Islamic arts and Islamic products entrepreneurs while also trying to
improve the image of Islam as an inclusive and peaceful religion.
Introducing
the preservation and prosperity of the Quran, glorifying the teachings of
Islam, inviting the community to love knowledge and scholars, utilizing modern
technology as an effective preaching medium, and trying to return the Muslim
community to their true identity were also among other objectives of the event.
Artists
from Iran, Iraq, and Turkey put their works in such fields as calligraphy,
painting, calligraphy-painting and engraving rings on display at the festival.
The
closing ceremony was attended by a Malaysian deputy prime minister, Head of the
Restu Foundation Abdu Latif Mirasa, senior Egyptian qari Sheikh Issa
al-Ma’asarawi, and Iranian Cultural Attaché in Malaysia Mohammad Ali Oraei Karimi.
Mirasa
in an address appreciated the artists who took part in the international
Quranic arts event.
He
also explained about the activities of the Restu Foundation and its history.
Source:IQNA
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3482285/quranic-arts-festival-wraps-up-in-malaysia
--------
Defending
his daughter’s adviser role, Malaysia PM Anwar says Nurul Izzah will ensure
government transparency
01
Feb 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: Amid criticisms over the appointment of his daughter as a senior
adviser, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday (Jan 31) said that Ms
Nurul Izzah Anwar’s role will be limited.
Mr
Anwar told local media that his daughter will not have any opportunity to
enrich herself in her role as senior economic and finance adviser to the prime
minister. It was reported previously that Ms Nurul Izzah is not getting paid
for the role, which took effect on Jan 3.
“She
will not have the power to take on or directly manage any project or tenders
herself,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.
Mr
Anwar added that Ms Nurul Izzah’s role as senior adviser will help to ensure
transparency in his administration while ensuring that proper processes are in
place for tenders and procurements.
“I
accept criticisms, but on her appointment, that is all to it. She will also ensure
that proper procedure is followed when it comes to contracts and tenders,” he
was quoted by The Star as telling reporters after the launch of the National
Sports Award 2021.
Mr
Anwar reportedly said that Ms Nurul Izzah did not take on the role “to take
projects” but to “help” him.
“My
daughter was eager to help me in any way she could. If she came to help me
without being given an official position, people will question her intentions
even more severely than they do now,” he said.
Mr
Anwar also denied claims of nepotism in his daughter’s appointment, adding that
some of his critics were in no place to criticise him as they themselves had
given “millions of ringgits worth of contracts” to their children.
“Nepotism
is where (a family member) is given a position to abuse power, enrich
themselves, obtain contracts and get paid a huge sum … This is not the case,”
he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today, though he did not elaborate on
the allegations.
Following
reports that Malaysia’s global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) had dropped
from 48 in 2021 to 47 last year, Mr Anwar on Tuesday pledged that he would not
commit acts of corruption or bribery.
“I
will personally guarantee that there will be no acts of corruption, bribery or
misuse of power during my term as prime minister,” he was quoted as saying by
The Star.
“I
also pledge my administration’s willingness to fully cooperate with any
investigations launched by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.”
Opposition
politicians, including Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and its
secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, have been calling for Ms Nurul Izzah to step
down from the role.
Kedah's
chief minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has also questioned the arrangement of Ms
Nurul Izzah being a senior adviser without pay.
"I
don't think there is such a position. If you render your service but there is
no salary involved, what is that? This is not an NGO (non-governmental
organisation), this is the government,” he was quoted by New Straits Times as
telling reporters after attending the state-level Chinese New Year dinner on
Tuesday.
Mr
Sanusi is a member of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia.
Separately,
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil also defended Ms Nurul Izzah’s
appointment, saying that there were others that were appointed to be Mr Anwar’s
advisers. Among them is Mr Hassan Marican, the former president and chief
executive officer of Petronas.
“The
term adviser is clear because they will not touch on policy matters, have no
source of authority - including to call for meetings - as well as are not paid
any salary,” he was quoted by Bernama as telling the media after his ministry’s
monthly gathering on Tuesday.
Source:ChannelNewsAsia
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Indonesia
sees Saudi Arabia as ‘priority partner’ to boost Mideast trade
SHEANY
YASUKO LAI
January
31, 2023
JAKARTA:
Saudi Arabia is Indonesia’s strategic and priority market, a top trade ministry
official said on Tuesday, as Southeast Asia’s biggest economy seeks to increase
its presence in the Middle East.
Trade
between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia has been on the rise, increasing to $7
billion, or by about 45 percent, between January and November last year,
compared to the same period the previous year.
Trade
Minister Zulkifli Hasan visited Riyadh last week, leading a special delegation
seeking to explore untapped export potential with the Kingdom.
“Trade
potential between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia is very huge and very strategic,”
Didi Sumedi, director general of national export development at the Indonesian
Ministry of Trade, told Arab News, adding that it “has not been maximized.”
Boosting
ties with the Kingdom would also help Indonesia increase its presence in the
Middle East.
“Saudi
Arabia in this case is a priority because it is a strategic partner with the
biggest economy in the Middle East,” Sumedi said.
Improving
relations with Saudi Arabia would also help pave the way for better ties with
GCC countries, as Indonesia is pushing for a trade pact with the bloc.
Indonesia
signed a trade agreement with the UAE in July last year, expecting to boost its
Emirates-bound exports by nearly 8 percent a year.
The
agreement, which erases about 99 percent of existing tariffs, is still pending
ratification by the Indonesian House of Representatives.
In
Saudi Arabia, Indonesia wants to increase exports of processed food and
everyday items, including paper and clothes.
“We
see we can further improve trade between the two countries,” Sumedi said.
The
ministry is also looking into supporting Indonesian retail businesses to open
in Madinah, Makkah and Jeddah, he added.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242481/world
--------
Africa
2023:
Peter Obi working to divide Muslims, Christians – Adamu Garba
February
1, 2023
By
Francis Ugwu
A
chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adamu Garba has accused the
presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, of playing a
dangerous religious game in the Northern part of the country.
He
claimed that the LP candidate is working to divide the Muslims and the Christians.
Garba
also said Obi was pushing a very dangerous agenda capable of affecting the
whole country.
The
accusation was contained in a post via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday.
He
said this had been the game of former president Olusegun Obasanjo for a long
time.
Garba
said the North is a United Muslim and Christian domain, noting that Obi can’t
divide them.
He
wrote, “Peter Obi is playing a dangerous religious game in the North. All his
recent Northern tours are targeted at predominantly Christian areas. He needs
to know that he cannot export his IPOB games to the North.
“The
North is a United Muslims and Christian domain. He can’t divide us.
“He
and his cohorts, in addition to his collaborators, cannot set us against one
another. This has been the game of Obasanjo for a long time.
“He
tried it for 8 years and could not succeed, he attempted to use Jonathan but
failed. Now it is Peter Obi, we know and we’ll not accept this.
If
you want to be a president, go everywhere. But we noticed whatever games Obi is
playing.
“He
went to Kano, visited Sabon Gari, without homage to Emirs, went to Kaduna,
neglected the Emir of Zazzau, went to Yola, didn’t visit Lamido or Mubi Emir.
It has been the trend. Divisions!
Source:
DailyPost Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2023/02/01/2023-peter-obi-working-to-divide-muslims-christians-adamu-garba/
--------
Sudan
frees Abdel-Raouf Abu Zaid, man convicted of killing US diplomat John Granville
31
January ,2023
Sudanese
authorities have released a man convicted of the 2008 killing of a US diplomat
in a drive-by shooting in the capital, Khartoum, his family said Tuesday. The
release followed a 2020 deal between Sudan and the Trump administration that
included compensation settlements for killings of Americans.
Abdel-Raouf
Abu Zaid, designated a terrorist by the United States, was captured weeks after
the shooting. He was convicted and sentenced to death for the killing of John
Granville, an official with the US Agency for International Development, and
Granville’s Sudanese driver.
Abu
Zaid spent most of the past 15 years behind bars in Kubar Prison in Khartoum
and was released on Monday, according to his brother, Abdel-Malek Abu Zaid, who
posted photos on social media showing the scene outside the prison following
Abdel-Raouf’s release.
Abdel-Malek
would not elaborate but one of the daily newspapers in the country, the Sudani,
reported that the Abu Zaid family had paid blood money to the slain driver’s
family. Under Islamic law, which Sudan’s judiciary follows, a convict can be
pardoned if his victim’s family is financially compensated.
A
spokesman for Sudan’s ruling military declined to comment on the case. Other
officials could not be reached for comment.
The
US State Department said it was aware of the reported release of Abdel-Raouf
Abu Zaid, designated a terrorist in 2013 by the US, and was seeking more
information from the authorities in Khartoum.
“We
call for full accountability for the murders,” of Granville and his driver,
Abdel Rahman Abbas Rahama, the State Department said.
Earlier
this month, Abu Zaid’s family apologized for the killing of Granville and his
driver, saying in a video message: “We, as a family, apologize and acknowledged
Abdel-Raouf’s mistake and he already admitted his mistake and expressed his
regret and remorse for what has happened.”
Three
other men were sentenced to death along with Abu Zaid while a fifth man
received a two-year sentence for providing the weapons used in the attack.
The
four awaiting hanging broke out of prison in June 2010, killing a Sudanese
police officer and wounding another in a shootout in Khartoum’s twin city of
Omdurman, according to a Sudanese notice to the international police agency,
Interpol.
Abu
Zaid was recaptured weeks later and returned to Kubar Prison. The three other
men were not recaptured. Local reports have said two of them later died in
Somalia while the third is still living there.
In
2020, Sudan’s former transitional government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
reached a deal with the Trump administration to stop any future compensation
claims being filed against the African country in US courts.
This
came after Sudan paid $335 million to settle compensation lawsuits at US courts
related to the 1998 bombings of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the
deadly 2000 bombing of the USS Cole at Yemen’s southern port of Aden which
killed 17 Marines, as well as Granville’s killing.
Granville,
33, was an official for the USAID. He was working to implement a 2005 peace
agreement between Sudan’s north and south that ended more than two decades of
civil war.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Algeria’s
Tebboune to visit Russia in May: Presidency
January
31, 2023
ALGIERS:
Algerian President AbdelmadjidTebboune plans to visit Russia in May, his office
said Tuesday after he spoke on the phone with his counterpart in Moscow,
Vladimir Putin.
Algeria
has had warm ties with Moscow for decades, but Africa’s biggest gas exporter
has also become crucial for Europe’s energy supplies in the fallout of Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine.
Tebboune
and Putin discussed “bilateral relations between the two countries, especially
energy cooperation,” the Algerian presidency said in a statement.
Tebboune
is also set to pay a state visit to former colonial ruler France in May, but
officials have not specified which country he will visit first.
Algeria,
which pumps gas directly to Spain and Italy via undersea pipelines, has in
recent months hosted a string of top European officials — including French
President Emmanuel Macron in August — seeking to find alternatives to Russian
energy supplies.
Algeria
is a major buyer of Russian arms, and in 2021 bilateral trade was worth three
billion dollars, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
The
North African country is in a decades-long struggle with its regional rival
Morocco, particularly over the disputed Western Sahara territory, and cut off
all ties with its neighbor in 2021 over alleged “hostile acts,” which Rabat has
denied.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242396/middle-east
--------
Biden,
King Abdullah to meet at White House on Thursday
January
31, 2023
WASHINGTON:
US President Joe Biden will receive and hold talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah
at the White House on Thursday, the Jordanian embassy in Washington said on
Tuesday.
The
king is in Washington and met with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin
McCarthy at the Capitol earlier on Tuesday.
“Talks
will cover means to bolster the strategic partnership and ties of friendship
between Jordan and the US through expanding cooperation across various
sectors,” Jordan’s royal court said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242366/middle-east
--------
Jordan
workshop to target employment for Syrian refugees
January
31, 2023
AMMAN:
The Ministry of Local Administration and the International Labor Organization
held a workshop to introduce the sixth phase of Employment through Labor
Intensive Infrastructure in Jordan project targeting Syrian refugees.
The
project is funded by the German Development Bank, reported Jordan’s News Agency
on Tuesday.
It
focuses on improving infrastructure through labor-intensive methods that
benefit communities in the long term, such as road and school maintenance, soil
improvement and water conservation activities in farms and environmental
cleaning services.
The
project’s sixth phase is expected to provide 1,000 short-term jobs in 31
northern and central municipalities for Jordanians and Syrian refugees,
designating 30 percent of employment to women and 5 percent for disabled people
through funding worth €7 million ($7.6m) provided for the municipalities.
Being
implemented in cooperation with the ministries of Local Administration and Agriculture,
the project includes maintenance of municipalities, afforestation and training
sessions on professions that qualify participants for the labor market.
The
project’s infrastructure supervisor engineer, Anas Bakhit, briefed participants
on the goals, phases, proposals and mechanisms of choosing employees.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242311/middle-east
--------
Tunisia
extends state of emergency to end of 2023
Mehmet
Akif Turan
01.02.2023
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia
extended a state of emergency Wednesday until the end of the year.
The
original declaration was made in 2015 after a terror attack.
The
state of emergency, which would have ended Jan. 30, was extended to Dec. 31,
according to a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette.
President
Kais Saied extended the state of emergency for another month on Dec. 30.
Since
the initial state of emergency in 2015, the measure has been extended by
authorities.
Under
the measures, the Interior Ministry is granted emergency powers to stop
meetings and gatherings, impose curfews and clamp down on media organizations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tunisia-extends-state-of-emergency-to-end-of-2023/2802907
--------
North
America
US
secretary of state Blinken in Mideast renews appeal for Israel-Palestinian calm
Jan
31, 2023
JERUSALEM:
United States secretary of state Antony Blinken is wrapping up a two-day visit
to Israel and the occupied West Bank on Tuesday with renewed appeals for
Israeli-Palestinian calm amid an alarming spike of violence.
Blinken
was meeting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah
on Tuesday, a day after seeing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Standing alongside the Israeli leader, Blinken stressed the importance the
Biden administration places on resolving the long-running conflict with a
two-state solution.
However,
beyond urging a de-escalation of tensions, Blinken offered no new US initiative
to do so. There were no signs that Blinken was making progress on even the
modest goal of halting the latest wave of violence, much less of addressing the
broader issues surrounding peace talks.
Netanyahu's
far-right government is dominated by hard-liners who oppose Palestinian
statehood and are unlikely to make even minimal concessions.
Blinken's
visit comes amid one of the deadliest periods of fighting in years in the
occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The violence has further complicated the
administration's already difficult attempts to find common ground with
Netanyahu's government.
In
Ramallah, Blinken was expected to discuss the Palestinian Authority's decision
to halt security coordination with Israel. The security ties, which in the past
are believed to have helped contain violence, are deeply unpopular among
everyday Palestinians, who accuse Abbas of acting as a subcontractor for the
Israeli military.
Before
heading to the West Bank, Blinken met with Israel's opposition leader, former
Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
"The
secretary conveyed his concern over the deteriorating security situation in the
West Bank and the need for urgent action to prevent greater loss of life.
Secretary Blinken reiterated that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to have
equal measures of security, prosperity and freedom," his office said.
Following
a meeting with Blinken on Monday, Netanyahu made only passing reference to the
Palestinians and focused instead on Iran, which he believes is his most urgent
security priority.
Netanyahu's
coalition partners also gave a cool reception to Blinken's comments.
National
Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the ultranationalist Jewish Power
party, vowed to push forward with punitive measures against the Palestinians in
response to a pair of shootings in east Jerusalem over the weekend. Ben-Gvir
has pledged to demolish Palestinian homes and hand out more weapons to Israeli
civilians.
Cabinet
Minister Orit Strock, another ultranationalist, objected to comments by Blinken
that were seen as criticizing the Israeli government's plan to overhaul the
country's judicial system and weaken the Supreme Court.
During
his appearance with Netanyahu, Blinken voiced "support for core democratic
principles and institutions," including "the equal administration of
justice for all, the equal rights of minority groups, the rule of law."
Critics say Netanyahu's plan will weaken the country's judicial system and
destroy its democratic system of checks and balances.
Speaking
to the Kan public broadcaster, Strok accused Blinken of meddling in internal
Israeli affairs.
"We're
not the 51st or 52nd state of the U.S., and he didn't need to interfere in
internal disputes in the state of Israel," she said. "It's not his
job."
Before
leaving Jerusalem for Ramallah, Blinken met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant who repeated the prime minister's concern about Iran.
"Your
visit comes at a critical time," Gallant said. "It sends a clear
message to the region: the United States and Israel are united facing Iran or
anyone threatening peace and stability in the region."
Blinken
agreed about unity when confronting Iran and preventing it from acquiring
nuclear weapons. He said the U.S. commitment to Israel's security remains
'ironclad' but suggested there was more on his agenda. "We have a lot on
our hands in this moment and so I couldn't see you at a better time," he
said.
January
is shaping up to be the deadliest month in the West Bank and east Jerusalem in
years. Some 35 Palestinians have been killed in fighting, including 10 who were
killed in an Israeli military raid in the flashpoint town of Jenin last
Thursday.
On
Friday, a Palestinian gunman killed seven people outside a synagogue in an east
Jerusalem settlement on Friday. The next morning, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy
shot and wounded two Israelis elsewhere in east Jerusalem.
Israel's
options may be limited. Both shooters are believed to have acted individually
and were not part of organized militant groups, and punitive steps against the
broader population such as those promoted by Ben-Gvir could risk triggering
even more violence. Israel has also pledged to "strengthen" West Bank
settlements.
The
U.S., like most of the international community, considers Israeli settlements
on lands claimed by the Palestinians for their state as obstacles to peace.
However, the Biden administration has yet to restore a decades-old legal
opinion that the settlements are "illegitimate" that had been
rescinded under former President Donald Trump.
Nor
has it made any progress on its stated intent to re-open the U.S. consulate in
Jerusalem, which had been the main conduit for engagement with the Palestinians
before Trump closed it. The closure was part of his decision to move the U.S.
Embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem, a step that
infuriated the Palestinians.
The
violence comes after months of Israeli arrest raids in the West Bank, which
were launched after a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the spring
of 2022 that killed 19 people.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US,
Pakistan officials fear looming food crisis is ‘real concern’
Anwar
Iqbal
February
1, 2023
WASHINGTON:
A potential food crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, the ever-rising
inflation, and the devaluation of rupee “is a real concern in Pakistan”, US and
Pakistani officials warned on Tuesday.
Participating
in a discussion through a web-link between Washington and Islamabad, the
officials also underlined the need for an evaluation and monitoring mechanism
to curb corruption and mismanagement in post-flood reconstructions.
“Yes,
it does,” said Pakistan’s ambassador in the US Masood Khan, when the
moderator, Adam Weinstein, described the challenges confronting Pakistan as “a
perfect storm” and asked if it worried Islamabad.
“We
were directly affected by the Ukraine war. And it led to the shortages of wheat
and fertilisers that we used to import from Ukraine,” said the ambassador.
Since then, Pakistan was scrambling to get things right, but then came the
floods and the situation worsened.
USAID
director says it is in their interest to monitor Pakistan situation, try to
find way to help
Mr
Khan said agriculture was important not only for food security, but also
brought about $4.4 billion through exports. “That’s why it has been a setback”
for Pakistan, he said.
The
moderator noted that so far, the US relationship with Pakistan has been focused
mainly on the war on terror, ignoring larger issues, like climate change and
natural disasters.
Changing
focus
Director
for USAID’s Office of Climate and Sustainable Growth at the US embassy in Islamabad
Steve Rynecki, who described himself as a ‘development diplomat’, indicated
that the policy was changing, and Washington was now focusing on other issues
as well.
Climate
change, he said, was one of the biggest international challenges of “our time”
and “when you have instability brought on by man-made or natural disasters
(like the floods in Pakistan), the ramifications and ripples can reach the US
as well, whether in the form of refugees or insecurity.”
He
said it was in America’s national security and economic interests to monitor
the situation in Pakistan and “try to find a way to help”.
Ambassador
Khan said that besides post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction, “we also
need to focus on macro-economic stability, because reconstruction and revitalisation
of our economy must move in tandem.”
While
talking about the generous pledges — of almost $10 billion — made at a recent
UN-sponsored conference in Geneva, Ambassador Khan agreed with the moderator
that all the pledges did not always materialize.
“Realistically
speaking, all these pledges that are made at international conferences do not
mature very easily, very quickly. But, at the same time, most of the pledges in
Geneva have been made by multilateral institutions, banks for instance, and
they have repurposed their earlier programmes,” he said.
“So,
at least 90 per cent of this money would go to projects. That’s why, I remain
optimistic that if we show competence, we can utilize all these funds.”
Pakistan,
he said, would also appreciate an evaluation and monitoring mechanism by the
lenders. “These are not grants, these are not grants that would be used by the
government of Pakistan,” he added.
Parallel
work to rebuild Pakistan
The
moderator then reminded MrRynecki that both China and the United States were
doing rehabilitation and reconstruction works in Pakistan and asked if they
could coordinate their efforts.
“At
this stage, it’s very much parallel,” said the US official. “We have plenty of
work in our hands. We have partners that we are working with right now. And
other countries in the region (excluding China) that are here to help, we
definitely support them.”
Replying
to a question about the possible misappropriation of flood aid, Ambassador Khan
said: “It depends on what money we are talking about. If we are talking about
money that is tied with certain projects by the World Bank or the ADB, they are
responsible to monitor how that money is used. And the government would
collaborate.”
But
“if there are pure grants that have been handed over to the government of
Pakistan, we would, even then, welcome any monitoring mechanism,” he added.
The
ambassador pointed out that in situations like this, the charges of corruption
were always there, but “the government of Pakistan and its institutions are
committed to transparency and accountability, because we do not want to give
this impression to the international community that somehow this assistance
coming for flood relief and reconstruction is not being properly used.”
When
the same question was posed to MrRynecki, he said USAID and other US foreign
assistance providers, adhere to very strict guidance and rules provided by
respective inspector general. “So, the inspector general sets the tone for how
we are going to allocate and then monitor and see how things are going. There
are many ways for people to report impropriety. And what we learned in Iraq and
Afghanistan, we bring that to bear here in Pakistan in the current and future
situations,” he added.
A
wakeup call
The
moderator noted that the flood was “a wakeup call” for a relationship that was
“narrowly focused on the war on terror for two decades.”
Ambassador
Khan said that the US and Pakistan have had a strategic partnership for the
past 70 years, adding that Monday’s bombing in Peshawar showed that “supporting
the war against terrorism is important”. But he agreed with the suggestion that
Pakistan and the US have to recalibrate their relationship, devoting more time
to environment, trade, investment and other issues.
Asked
why the United States should care, the ambassador said: “The US should care
because we have been a partner, a steadfast ally” for more than 70 years. The
US absence from the region “will create violability and vulnerability that will
hurt US interests as well,” Mr Khan said.
MrRynecki
said Washington appreciated the importance of Pakistan and regarded it as a
challenging area, and “the climate impact adds to the challenge”. Pakistan, he
said, also offered “amazing opportunities” to an investor and US investors need
to explore those opportunities.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1734666/us-pakistan-officials-fear-looming-food-crisis-is-real-concern
--------
Blinken
meets Abbas, presses for two-state solution
February
1, 2023
RAMALLAH:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shuttled from Israel to the Palestinians’
West Bank on Tuesday, appealing for an end to resurgent violence and
reaffirming Washington’s backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long
conflict.
Blinken
is urging calm on both sides after last week’s killing by a Palestinian gunman
of seven people outside a Jerusalem synagogue and anger among Palestinians over
actions by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank.
“That’s
the only way that we can create conditions in which people’s sense of security
will start to improve,” he told a news conference in Jerusalem.
He
took that message into a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in
Ramallah, warning all parties against any action that could threaten a
two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Urges
calm on both sides, end to resurgent violence
“We’ve
been clear that this includes things like settlement expansion, the
legalisation of outposts, demolitions and evictions, disruptions to the
historic status of the holy sites, and of course incitement and acquiescence to
violence.”
He
said he had heard “deep concern” about the current trajectory in both Israel
and the West Bank but also constructive ideas and he had asked senior officials
to remain behind to continue talking.
A
senior State Department official said the officials staying would be Barbara
Leaf, the top department official for the Middle East, and Hady Amr, US special
representative for Palestinian affairs.
Blinken’s
first visit since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power this
month at the head of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel’s history
comes at a time of extreme tension between the two sides.
He
said Palestinians were facing a “shrinking horizon of hope” that needed to
change.
Amid
rising anger at near-daily raids by Israeli forces in the West Bank, Abbas’
Palestinian Authority (PA) suspended its security cooperation agreement with
Israel last week after the largest incursion in years. The operation saw
Israeli forces penetrate deep into a refugee camp in the northern city of
Jenin, setting off a gunfight in which 10 Palestinians died.
“The
Israeli government is responsible for what is happening today, because of its
practices that undermine the two-state solution and violate the signed agreements,”
Abbas said after his meeting with Blinken.
Bloody
January
In
January alone, 35 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops,
in the bloodiest month since 2015, while officials say attacks on Palestinian
property by Israeli settlers have also increased. The raids have been going on
almost daily for months as Israeli forces have stepped up a crackdown on
militant groups in the West Bank following a spate of deadly attacks by
Palestinians in Israel last year.
Blinken
also highlighted US assistance to the Palestinian economy, which is heavily
dependent on foreign aid. He said the United States would provide an extra $50
million in funding through the United Nations and that agreement had been
reached on providing high speed 4G telecoms services to Palestinians.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1734669/blinken-meets-abbas-presses-for-two-state-solution
--------
US
senator blasts Turkey’s Erdogan, calls for sanctions and no F-16s
31
January ,2023
US
Senator Chris Van Hollen slammed Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Tuesday, calling for new sanctions on Ankara as it continues to block NATO
membership for Finland and Sweden.
The
Democratic senator also criticized Turkey for its negative role in the fight
against ISIS, particularly in Syria.
“I
believe that Erdogan has taken Turkey down a very bad path, and we’re also
witnessing this as we get toward the elections that he called for mid-May,” Van
Hollen said.
Van
Hollen cited “trumped-up charges” against the mayor of Istanbul and Erdogan’s
cracking down on opposition parties. “So, he clearly is not playing by the
rules of free and fair elections.”
Last
week, Erdogan said his country’s parliamentary and presidential elections would
take place in May.
Istanbul’s
mayor EkremImamoglu was banned last year from politics due to criticism of
Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Board after they called for another election
following his landslide victory over Erdogan’s party.
But
what has been drawing the ire of US officials and lawmakers is Turkey’s
continued opposition to the bids of Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance.
Since
the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February, the West has convinced the two
Nordic countries to apply for membership to NATO. But Turkey demanded
concessions from Finland and Sweden, including the handing over of individuals
that Turkey claims are terrorists.
And
Turkey has threatened a land invasion into northern Syria against Kurdish
fighters who have proven to be vital partners for the US in the fight against
ISIS.
The
Turkish threat has been put on hold for the time being following repeated
warnings from the Biden administration and the Pentagon against moving ahead
with such an operation.
Turkey
also bombed a base in Syria last November, which the US said directly threatened
the safety of US forces.
Asked
about the road ahead with Turkey, the US senator, also a member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, said there needed to be coordination with the
European Union to consider “potentially different kinds of sanctions” if
Erdogan continues to block the entry of Finland and Sweden.
“You
know, the Turkish economy is not in great shape,” Van Hollen said at an event
with US-based Al-Monitor.
He
also pointed out Turkey’s request to get US F-16 fighter jets. Turkey was
previously kicked out of the F-35 joint strike fighter program because it
purchased Russian air defense systems, which NATO allies said would threaten
their security.
Since
then, they have lobbied to acquire F-16s needed to update their current fleet
of outdated jets.
The
Biden administration has voiced support for the F-16 sale, reportedly worth
around $20 billion. However, bipartisan opposition in both chambers of Congress
makes this unlikely.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Canadian
court convicts pair of assault of Muslim father
Barry
Ellsworth
01.02.2023
TRENTON,
Canada
A
Canadian court Tuesday found two men guilty of assault of a Muslim father, an
attack that displayed the "darkest side of humanity," the victim's
wife said at a press conference following the verdict.
The
unprovoked attack on Mohammed Abu Marzouk, which left the father of two with
10-15 skull fractures and brain bleeding, happened in July 2018.
Abu
Marzouk, 39, his wife Diana Attar and their two daughters aged four and six,
were about to head home after a picnic in Mississauga, a city adjacent to
Toronto.
Two
men came toward the vehicle and Abu Marzouk got out to speak to them. They had
indicated that they had been hit or nearly so by the vehicle. One of the men
struck Abu Marzouk in the face, and the beating began as his daughters watched
from inside the van.
His
wife begged them to stop and then saw a police car and ran for help. Abu
Marzouk was found lying in a pool of blood coming from his head. He was rushed
to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries. During the attack, the men
were heard insulting and cursing Arabs.
Apparently
taking those words into consideration, Superior Court Justice Fletcher Dawson
characterized the assault as "anti-Arab, not anti-Muslim."
Attar
called the vicious assault "the darkest side of humanity, one that we
would not wish upon anyone."
The
family has faced emotional, physical and financial hardship as a result of the
attack, and Canada should do more to help victims, an official with the
National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said in a statement.
“We
need to change this pattern of neglect and hardship for survivors of such
attacks,” said NCCM Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Nadia Hasan. “These survivors
deserve help, yet as a country we have not done enough."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/canadian-court-convicts-pair-of-assault-of-muslim-father/2802982
--------
US
imposes sanctions on Iranian drone manufacturers
31
January 2023
The
United States has slapped fresh sanctions against Iran, this time targeting
drone manufacturers accusing them of producing drones that Russian forces used
to attack Ukrainian targets.
The
US Department of Commerce put new trade restrictions on seven Iranian companies
and organizations on Tuesday, under the unsubstantiated and disproven pretext
that the Islamic Republic has provided Russia with the UAVs to be used by
Moscow against Ukraine.
These
firms were allegedly engaged in hostile activities that were contrary to US
national security and foreign policy interests, the department said.
The
new additions, which will be officially published on Wednesday, were posted in
a preliminary filing in the US Federal Register, the government's daily
journal.
The
seven Iranian entities targeted in the fresh US sanctions against Iran are the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad
Organization, Owj'eParvaz'e Ma Do Nafar Company, Pars Par-Avar Company, Qods
Aviation Industries, Shahed Aviation Industries, Design and Manufacturing of
Aircraft Engines Company, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace
Force.
The
new directive by the US Commerce Department specifies that any firm aiming to
sell its products to these 7 Iranian firms added to its "entities
list" needed to apply for obtaining licenses to ship the goods and
technology, which would probably be rejected by the officials.
Meanwhile,
in a similar move, the European Union (EU) is reportedly planning to impose
sanctions on dozens of Iranian individuals amid its efforts to blacklist Iran's
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a "terrorist organization,” despite
Tehran expressing strong warnings about the consequences of such a hostile
measure.
In
this regard, an Iranian lawmaker voiced the nation's unwavering support for the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the role it plays in defending, not only
the country but also, the world.
Gholamreza
Shariati said earlier this week that the Daesh terrorist group would have
reached the heart of Europe by now if it was not for the sacrifices made by
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.
Shariati
rebuked the countries that wanted to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
to its "terror list."
His
remarks came after the European Parliament on Wednesday adopted an amendment
calling on the EU and its member states to include the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps on their "terror list." It also passed another resolution
on Thursday, calling for more sanctions against Iranian individuals and
entities and putting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the EU terrorist
list over alleged human rights violations during the recent riots.
Shariati
said if it were not for the Guards, the Daesh terrorist group “would have been
in central Europe today.” The Guards risked their lives to secure the world, he
reminded them.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Ilhan
Omar: US treats Africa as a threat that needed to be contained
31
January 2023
African
American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said that “the United States has treated
Africa as a threat that needed to be contained, a series of fires that needed
to be put out, or a junior partner that needed to be disciplined.”
The
Minnesota Democrat made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday as she announced
to launch of the US-Africa Policy Working Group to benefit from officials and
experts who work with and in Africa.
Omar
said that the group will hold briefings with Biden administration officials,
journalists and people affecting the relations between Africa and the United
States.
She
said that the group will focus mainly on conflicts within Africa and its global
interests, as her House Foreign Affairs Committee assignment remains unclear.
“Our
role must be as partners with the movements and civil society groups acting on
the ground,” Omar said in the statement. “For far too long, the United States
has treated Africa as a threat that needed to be contained, a series of fires
that needed to be put out, or a junior partner that needed to be disciplined.”
She
said that Congress has paid little attention to issues in Africa.
“Congress
has historically paid scant attention to the continent except when extreme
circumstances have prompted reactive responses. The US-Africa Policy Working
Group will be a venue for the promotion of American values and American
interests in our dealings with our African partners,” she said.
“It
is my sincere hope that it will become a central player in creating lasting
partnerships and building up a base of expertise so that Congress can be more
actively involved in US policy in Africa, and help move the conversation
forward for many years to come,” Omar continued.
McCarthy
following playbook ‘used by demagogues throughout history’
New
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has vowed to remove Omar from her committee
posts over her condemnation of Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians.
Omar
hit back at McCarthy and his Republican Party, saying they "use fear,
xenophobia, Islamophobia and racism to target me."
Omar
on Sunday said some Republicans are “OK with Islamophobia” in response to
questions about efforts by McCarthy to block her from continuing to sit on the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
She
also said McCarthy is following a political playbook “used by demagogues
throughout history” by trying to “pit minority groups against each other” in
his bid to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
McCarthy
attacked Omar, the first Somali American and one of the first two Muslim women
elected to Congress, for removal from House Foreign Affairs Committee.
In
a thread on Twitter Sunday night, Omar cited repeated examples of Republicans
making offensive comments about Muslims, and accused McCarthy of demagoguery.
“McCarthy
is following a well worn playbook: pit minority groups against each other in
order to further marginalize them. It has been used by demagogues throughout
history and it won’t work,” Omar said on Twitter.
McCarthy
“did nothing” when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) “said Muslims don’t
belong in our government” and when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) called Omar “a
terrorist,” the lawmaker argued.
“He
did nothing when MTG wanted [Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)] & I kicked out
of Congress unless we swore in on a Christian Bible. Spare me the GOP
hypocrisy,” Omar said.
Along
with US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the two have triggered a widespread debate
in the US about Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians and American aid to
the regime.
Tlaib
and Omar, the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, are outspoken critics
of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians and vocal supporters of the
Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement. The two called “Israel” an
“apartheid state” guilty of war crimes.
The
37-year-old US citizen and lawmaker is originally from Somalia and represents
Minneapolis, Minnesota, a district with a large Somali population.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/01/31/697350/Congresswoman-says-US-considers-Africa-a-threat
--------
Mideast
Israel
PM Benjamin Netanyahu says considering military aid to Ukraine, mediation
Feb
1, 2023
WASHINGTON:
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he was considering
military aid to Ukraine and was willing to serve as a mediator, following US
calls for more active involvement.
Netanyahu
made no firm commitments to Ukraine and Israel has preserved a relationship
with Russia, which controls the skies in neighboring Syria and has turned a
blind eye to Israeli strikes on targets of arch-nemesis Iran.
Netanyahu
was asked in an interview with CNN if Israel could provide assistance to
Ukraine such as Iron Dome, the US-backed technology that defends Israel from
air attack.
"Well,
I'm certainly looking into it," Netanyahu said.
He
confirmed that the United States has shifted a little-known stockpile of
artillery it stations in Israel to Ukraine and he cast the Jewish state's own
operations against Iran as part of a similar effort.
"The
US just took a huge chunk of Israel's munitions and passed it on to Ukraine.
Israel also, frankly, acts in ways that I will not itemize here against Iran's
weapons productions which are used against Ukraine," he said.
Ukrainian
and Western officials say Iran has sold low-cost drones to Russia for its
invasion of Ukraine, although Tehran denies that.
Netanyahu
said he was asked to mediate in an unofficial role after Russia invaded Ukraine
in February but did not pursue it as he was then in opposition.
He
said he was willing to mediate if asked by the parties and the United States.
"I've
been around long enough to know that there has to be a right time and the right
circumstances. If they arise, I'll certainly consider it," he said.
The
remarks come after a visit by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, who called
for calm following a flare-up of violence between Israel and the Palestinians
and also nudged Israel to boost support to Ukraine.
Using
language familiar to Israelis, Blinken said Ukraine needs assistance "as
it bravely defends its people and its very right to exist."
Israeli
foreign minister Eli Cohen told Blinken that he would travel to Ukraine to
reopen his country's embassy, the first such trip since the war.
Netanyahu's
predecessor Naftali Bennett paid a surprise visit to Moscow in March to mediate
with Putin.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
arrests 4 Sunni clerics, bans filmmaker from travel
January
31, 2023
Iran's
intelligence forces have arrested at least four Sunni clerics in Kurdistan and
Sistan-Baluchistan provinces over the past 24 hours, according to multiple
opposition news outlets.
In
the Kurdish city of Sanandaj, two clerics identified as Ebrahim Karimi Nanala
and LoqmanAmini were detained and "taken to an unknown location," the
Paris-based monitor, Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported on Monday.
As
local imams, the two clerics had denounced the deadly clampdown on protests
that have gripped Iran since mid-September, when 22-year-old MahsaAmini died in
custody of Iran's notorious morality police.
At
least one of the clerics has been seen addressing memorials held in honor of
protesters killed in Sanandaj, one of the flashpoint cities witnessing much of
the unrest.
Elsewhere
in another Kurdish city, Javanroud, a young cleric named Yasser Karimi was
arrested on Tuesday, according to the Oslo-based Hengaw Kurdish rights agency.
Last week, the same source reported on the case of SeifollahHoisseini, a
popular Sunni cleric in the same city, who was handed down a 17-year jail term
and 74 lashes by a special court, which found him guilty of security charges,
after he lashed out at the killing of seven protesters in his city.
And
in the south-eastern city of Zahedan, well-known religious figure Abdul-Majid
Moradzehi was taken to custody, as confirmed by the government-run IRNA news
agency, which said he was to face such charges as "disturbing public
opinion through contact with foreign media." The arrest came after the
cleric slammed the government's beefed-up security across the Sunni-populated
area.
Moradzehi
is a close associate and aide to Iran's highest-ranking Sunni cleric, Mowlavi
Abdul-Hamid, known for his fiery speeches during Friday prayers in the
impoverished city. Abdlhmaid's sermons have gone increasingly fierce since
September 30, when Iran's security forces killed around 100 unarmed protesters,
among them the elderly and the disabled.
The
Islamic Republic's ongoing push to end the unrest and silence dissenting voices
has targeted a spectrum much wider than in previous rounds of protests.
Journalists, celebrities, actors, footballers and even chefs have either been
arrested or placed under varying bans for their mildest expressions of sympathy
with the protesters in their social media engagements.
In
the latest, the Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association reported that
internationally-acclaimed director Masoud Kimiai had been banned from a foreign
trip at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Sunday.
Individuals
facing travel bans in Iran are not typically given a prior notice by the
authorities, only to learn about such verdicts at passport gates before being
pushed back upon departure.
Kimiai,
81, was to fly to the Netherlands to join the 2023 edition of the International
Film Festival Rotterdam and screen his latest movie, "Killing a
Traitor."
Source:
AlMonitor
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/01/iran-arrests-4-sunni-clerics-bans-filmmaker-travel
--------
Turkish
Muslim community in Berlin seeks urgent solution to cemetery woes
As
the Muslim population continues to grow in Germany and numbers approximately
5.3 million-5.6 million, the associations established by Muslims in the German
capital Berlin are demanding concrete solutions for a lack of cemeteries where
the devote can be buried as per Islamic methods.
Although
Muslims who came to Germany as workers preferred to be buried in the country of
their origin, a significant part of second and third generations of Muslim
descendants, including the ones who came from Türkiye, want to be buried in the
country they reside in, stating the presence of relatives who wish to visit
their graves as a reason.
Despite
the lack of cemeteries in the past, some regional municipalities allocated
places for Muslims to have cemeteries, including in the capital Berlin, where
there is a dense population of Muslims.
However,
the situation is not the same in all regions, as Murat Gül, president of the
Islamic Federation of Berlin (IF), which hosts 17 societies, explained to Anadolu
Agency (AA). He said that two weeks ago, he received a letter from the Spandau
District Office for Reconstruction, Planning, Environment and Nature
Conservation stating that as of the end of March, there would be no empty space
in the cemetery and no burial permits would be issued.
Explaining
that they experienced a similar situation in 2018 and during the new year
holiday period in 2021 when 20 funerals for the Muslim community were awaiting
in Gatow as there was no place in the cemetery, Gül said that relevant offices
and politicians he reached out to at the time stated the problem was temporary
and would be solved.
However,
Gül stated that, since the issue of Muslim cemeteries is a general problem of
the city that concerns all districts, the Berlin state administration should
directly deal with the issue.
Pointing
out that the ''Berlin Muslim Cemeteries Initiative'' includes congregations
from various countries and religious sects, Gül said that the Berlin state
administration now had an addressee at the said initiative concerning Muslim
tombs.
"More
than 300,000 Muslims live in Berlin. This number will increase further in the
coming years. The children and grandchildren of the first generation want to be
buried here. It is a human right for the state to ensure that people are buried
according to their religion. We want a permanent solution. This problem must be
solved urgently," Gül urged.
Emphasizing
that they are ready to work with the relevant authorities for a solution, Gül
said that Muslims should not encounter this issue every two years.
YakupAyar,
the president of the Turkish-Islamic Union of Religious Affairs in Berlin, also
stated that Muslims in Berlin increasingly display the wish to be buried in the
city.
Noting
that only 10% of the Muslims buried in the Gatow cemetery, located on the
western border of Berlin, came from the Spandau district, Ayar said that this
cemetery appeals to almost all Muslims in Berlin. He called for adjustments,
noting that cemeteries should be allocated in districts where a lot of Muslims
live.
Source:DailySabah
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Informed
Source Says Iran Likely to Change Strategy on Ukraine War After Kiev's Comments
on Drone Strike
2023-January-31
Speaking
to Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) outlet, Nour News, the
unnamed source said hostile remarks by President Zelensky's aide can lead to
"different reactions" from Tehran.
“Ukraine’s
insistence on threatening Iran’s national security can pave the way for mulling
a change in the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the war in
Ukraine and adopting a new approach proportionate to the behavior of the Kiev
government,” the source added.
“If
the hostile statements of Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian
president, against Iran are not corrected by the country’s authorities, they
can lead to different reactions by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the source
noted.
The
Iranian Defense Ministry on Sunday announced that the country's air defense
units had thwarted a drone strike on a military workshop in Isfahan. Tehran
confirmed that the unsuccessful raid did not cause any loss of life and only
led to minor damage to the roof of a workshop.
Podolyak
has expressed his joy over the attack. The top official stated that “Ukraine
did warn you". Other Ukrainian officials have yet to publicly expand on
his comments.
On
Monday, Tehran summoned the charge d’affaires of Kiev to explain Podolyak’s
remarks on Ukraine’s possible involvement in the strike. Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Nasser Kana'ani has also called on the Ukrainian government to
give an official and clear explanation about his comments. The Iranian diplomat
stressed that Tehran reserves the legitimate and legal right to respond in kind
to any party involved in acts that would violate international law.
Podolyak’s
remarks come as a US official told Reuters that Israel appears to have been
behind the drone attack.
Kiev
and its Western allies have repeatedly claimed that Tehran has provided Russia
with drones to be used in the war in Ukraine.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly rejected claims about Tehran's arms sales to Russia
to be used in the ongoing war against Ukraine, stressing such allegations are
aimed at legitimizing the West's military assistance to Kiev.
They
reiterated that Tehran will not help either side in the Russia-Ukraine crisis,
and cautioned that arming Moscow or Kyiv will prolong the conflict between the
two neighbors.
In
Late February, President Vladimir Putin stated in response to a request by the
heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special
military operation. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of
occupying Ukrainian territories.
The
US, the EU, the UK and a number of other states have imposed sanctions against
Russian legal entities and individuals. They also increased supplies of weapons
to the Ukrainian authorities. Russia has officially become the most sanctioned
country in the world, surpassing Iran, Syria and North Korea, after launching a
military operation against Ukraine.
Back
in September, Iranian PresdientSeyed Ebrahim Rayeesi cautioned that the
expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a serious threat
to the stability and security of nations.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran's
Intelligence Minister: Israeli Regime's Moves Sign of Desperation
2023-January-31
'The
Zionist regime, despite all the claims it is making, is collapsing from inside
and the clear example of that is its internal rows, as well as the resistance
by Palestinians," Khatib said.
The
Iranian intelligence minister said that vigilant measures by the people of the
region will lead to more “victorious steps” against the "Zionists".
He
also advised Iran’s neighboring countries to stay away from a regime that is
collapsing for their own security.
In
relevant remarks last week, Khatib announced that more than 12 terrorist teams
affiliated to the Israeli regime were dismantled in Iran.
"The
terrorist teams, who were detained by intelligence forces in a short period of
time, were planning to take revenge for their recent failures (in creating
insecurity in Iran) by conducting operations," Khatib said.
Saying
that the enemies' conspiracies have made the Iranian nation know them better,
Khatib stressed that the country has successfully passed the recent sedition
with the guidance of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed
Ali Khamenei and the unity of the Iranian people.
On
January 10th, news sources reported that Iran's intelligence forces managed to
identify and detain 13 members of 2 Mossad spying teams across the country.
That was the second major intelligence and operational failure of the Zionist
regime in less than 6 months.
Various
types of operating equipment were also seized from them, the statement added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Calls for Australia's Accountability over Refugees' Deaths
2023-January-31
"Continuation
of the serial deaths of asylum seekers and the death of 500 aborigines in
prisons of Australia might just be the tip of the iceberg of Human Rights
violations there," Kana'ani wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
"Will
the int'l community hold Canberra accountable?" he added.
His
remarks came as an Iraqi refugee has died in an immigration detention centre in
Australia. Authorities have launched an investigation into the death of the
Iraqi detainee at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney's West.
The
Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) announced the detainee had requested to be moved
from a compound at the facility multiple times due to "tensions with other
detainees".
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011111000422/Iran-Calls-fr-Asralia's-Accnabiliy-ver-Refgees'-Deahs
--------
Iran
Censures Europe's Instrumental Use of Human Rights to Meddle in Other
Countries' Affairs
2023-January-31
Kana'ani’s
remarks came in reaction to the French president’s interventionist comments
about the recent unrest in Iran. Emmanuel Macron made those remarks during the
reception of a new batch of so-called human rights defenders in France within
the Marianne Initiative, accusing Tehran of “oppressing women and young
girls".
The
Iranian spokesperson said officials of some European countries "use human
rights as a tool" in their "political games" to interfere in
other countries’ affairs.
"We
condemn this destructive approach," the diplomat noted.
He
added that Iran’s principled policy is respect for and abidance by the
fundamentals of human rights, including the protection of human dignity and
countering oppression.
“However,
the false advocates of human rights are complicit in brazen violations of those
rights through giving refuge to leaders and members of terrorist groups in
their countries and supporting them, and by remaining silent in the face of the
daily massacre of Palestinians by the infanticide Zionist regime and supporting
aggression and occupation,” Kana'ani stated.
“Unfortunately,
under the guise of defending freedom of expression, France considers Muslims' reaction
against insults to the Holy Quran and their religious beliefs as an attack on
laicity,” the official continued.
“However,
they have forgotten that barring criticism of the Zionist regime is an
indubitable violation of the principle of freedom of expression,” Kana'ani
added.
Foreign
ministry spokesman concluded by saying, “It is evident that such behavioral
contradictions and double-standard policies will not be ignored by the world’s
freedom-seeking and independent people.”
Tehran
and Paris have been engaged in a diplomatic row over French meddlesome stance
on recent unrest Iran.
Protests
erupted in several cities across Iran over the death of MahsaAmini who fainted
at a police station in mid-September and days later was pronounced dead at a
hospital. The demonstrations soon turned violent.
An
official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization announced that Amini’s
controversial death was caused by an illness rather than alleged blows to the
head or other vital body organs.
Iranian
officials blame Western countries for orchestrating the riots to destabilize
the country.
The
unrest has claimed the lives of dozens of people and security forces, while
also allowing acts of terror and sabotage across the country. Iran's Interior
Ministry has confirmed the enemy waged a hybrid war against the country to
weaken national solidarity and hinder the country's progress, stressing that
some 200 people lost their lives in the riots sparked by separatist and
terrorist groups.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tehran
Raps US Politicians for Inverting Facts About Iran
2023-January-31
"While
the US intelligence and security services say Iran left behind the unrest and
their support for Iran riots was futile, US congressmen voted for a resolution
supporting riots in Iran!" Kana'ani wrote on Twitter on Monday, lambasting
a US Congress’ resolution supporting the recent Western-instigated riots in
Iran.
"They
never want to accept the realities on Iran, but like the realities to be as
they wish," the diplomat added.
The
US House of Representatives has recently approved a resolution praising rioters
in Iran, calling for more sanctions against Iranian individuals and
organizations over alleged “human right violations” following the recent
foreign-backed unrest in the country.
The
resolution encourages the administration of US President Joe Biden “to
immediately impose, under existing authorities, additional human rights
sanctions on officials and entities responsible for the repression of the
current protests".
Protests
erupted in several cities across Iran over the death of MahsaAmini who fainted
at a police station in mid-September and days later was pronounced dead at a
hospital. The demonstrations soon turned violent.
An
official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization announced that Amini’s
controversial death was caused by an illness rather than alleged blows to the
head or other vital body organs.
Iranian
officials blame Western countries for orchestrating the riots to destabilize
the country.
The
unrest has claimed the lives of dozens of people and security forces, while
also allowing acts of terror and sabotage across the country. Iran's Interior
Ministry has confirmed the enemy waged a hybrid war against the country to
weaken national solidarity and hinder the country's progress, stressing that
some 200 people lost their lives in the riots sparked by separatist and
terrorist groups.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011111000184/Tehran-Raps-US-Pliicians-fr-Invering-Facs-Ab-Iran
--------
Iranian
Speaker Cautions Azerbaijan against Emotional Decisions
2023-January-31
Qalibaf
made the remark on Monday while addressing the 17th Conference of the
Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUIC) in
Algiers, the capital city of Algeria.
"We
deeply regret this incident and are conducting a painstaking and thorough
follow-up [investigation] on it," Iran’s top parliamentarian told the PUIC
Conference, echoing other Iranian officials' earlier remarks.
He
underscored that Azeri officials are abreast of the full details of the
investigation.
“I
deem it necessary to emphasize that [making] emotional decisions on the two countries’
relations is what the common and ill-wishing enemies of the Islamic world,
especially the Zionist regime, want. It is necessary to be vigilant and careful
about any decision that could have long-term consequences [for bilateral
relations],” Qalibaf stated.
The
speaker reaffirmed that so far, there is no sign to demonstrate that it has
been a terrorist attack.
A
guard has been killed and two others wounded in an attack on Azerbaijan’s
Embassy in Iran on Friday. The attacker broke through the guard post, killing
the head of security and injuring two others with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Police
in Tehran announced they have arrested the assailant.
Iranian
officials have noted that the enemies of the two countries should not be
allowed to take advantage of the incident which Tehran announced was not an act
of terrorism.
Qalibaf's
comments came after Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said
that Baku’s embassy in Tehran has suspended its work. According to the
diplomat, Azerbaijan’s consulate general in Tabriz will continue to operate
routinely.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Young
couple in Iran sentenced to 21 years for dancing in public video: Report
31
January ,2023
Iran
has sentenced a young couple to 21 years in prison after they posted a video of
themselves dancing near Tehran’s Azadi Square, a human rights group reported on
Tuesday.
AstiyazhHaghighi
and her fiance Amir-Mohammad Ahmadi, both in their early 20s, were charged with
“spreading corruption and vice,” “assembly and collusion with the intention of
disrupting national security,” and engaging in anti-regime propaganda,
according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
The
couple, who were arrested in their home on November 1 after publishing the
video, have each been sentenced to 10 years and six months of imprisonment, a
two-year ban on using the internet, and a two-years ban on leaving the country,
according to HRANA.
In
the video, Haghighi can be seen dancing without a hijab, which goes against the
dress code for women in the Islamic Republic.
The
verdict was issued by Branch 15 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, headed by
Abolqasem Salavati, a notorious judge infamous for imposing severe punishments
on individuals perceived as a threat to the Islamic Republic.
The
couple were denied legal representation during the proceedings, HRANA said,
citing a source close to Haghighi’s family.
Iranian
authorities have not commented on the case.
The
reported ruling came amid a crackdown by authorities against months of
anti-regime protests that started after the death in police custody of Iranian
Kurdish woman MahsaAmini on September 16.
Amini,
22, died shortly after her arrest by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly not
complying with the regime’s strict hijab rules.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Blinken
takes support for two-state solution to disillusioned Palestinians
31
January ,2023
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken moves to the West Bank on Tuesday, a day
after calling for a halt to escalating violence and reaffirming Washington’s
backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians.
Blinken
appealed for calm on both sides following last week’s killing by a Palestinian
gunman of seven people outside a synagogue in the worst such attack in the
Jerusalem area for years, bringing the total of Israelis killed in attacks by
Palestinians since 2022 to 33 with three Ukrainians also killed.
He
will meet Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders deeply disillusioned after months
of raids by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank that have killed more than
200 Palestinians, including civilians as well as militant fighters, since 2022.
In
January alone, 35 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops,
in the bloodiest month since 2015, while officials say attacks on Palestinian
property by Israeli settlers have also increased.
Last
week, the PA suspended its security cooperation agreement with Israel after the
largest raid in years, when Israeli forces penetrated deep into the refugee
camp in the northern city of Jenin, setting off a gunfight in which 10
Palestinians died.
Aid
dependence
As
well as reiterating his call for calm and US support for a two-state solution,
Blinken is expected to discuss ways to help the Palestinian economy, heavily
dependent on foreign aid.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, back in power at the head of one of the most
right-wing governments in Israel’s history, has reinforced troops in the West
Bank and promised measures to strengthen West Bank settlements but so far held
off from more extreme steps.
On
Tuesday, Blinken met Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, where they
discussed cooperation to stop Iran developing a nuclear weapon as well the
worsening security situation in the occupied West Bank.
“He
also expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the West
Bank, and emphasized the need for all parties to take steps to restore calm and
de-escalate tensions,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
alleged al-Qaeda militants killed in suspected US drone strike in Yemen
31
January ,2023
Three
alleged al-Qaeda militants were killed in a suspected US drone strike in
northeastern Yemen on Monday, local government officials said.
The
attack was carried out on a car in Marib province, the scene of heavy fighting
in 2021 in Yemen’s long-running civil war, the officials said.
“Three
al-Qaeda members were killed in a strike by a drone that is believed to be
American,” a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“The
three were in a car in Wadi Obeida when they were targeted by the suspected US
strike that killed them immediately.”
A
second Marib government official confirmed the strike on al-Qaeda militants and
the death toll. There was no immediate comment from Washington.
The
United States considers Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch - Al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP) - among the most dangerous branches of the global extremist
network.
AQAP,
and other militants loyal to ISIS, have thrived in the chaos of Yemen’s civil
war.
AQAP
has carried out operations against both the Houthis and government forces as
well as sporadic attacks abroad.
Its
leaders have been targeted by a US drone war for more than two decades, although
the number of strikes has dropped off in recent years.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
envoys return to Aden in support of Yemeni government’s military unity and
peace efforts
SAEED
AL-BATATI
January
31, 2023
AL-MUKALLA:
A group of EU envoys to Yemen have returned to the southern port city of Aden,
the country’s temporary capital, in a show of support for the internationally
recognized government and its efforts to unite the nation’s fighting forces,
stabilize the economy, and facilitate a peace agreement to end the war, Yemeni
officials said.
The
delegation, led by Gabriel Munuera Vinals, held talks on Tuesday with Rashad
Al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, during which they
reportedly discussed ways to promote peace, the government’s economic policies
to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, and the council’s efforts to
unify the military and security forces and other armed groups under its
command.
During
a separate meeting with Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Al-Daeri, the
ambassadors praised the government’s commitment to the peace process and its
efforts to unite the nation’s forces. They also discussed with Foreign Minister
Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak efforts to restore the UN-brokered truce.
A
Yemeni government official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Arab News that
the envoys visited Aden to show their support for the government but no new
proposals for ending the conflict were discussed.
“They
(the EU envoys) have nothing fresh to bring about peace, but rather (came) to
reaffirm the international community’s support for the (Presidential
Leadership) Council and the government after returning to Aden,” he said.
The
UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is expected to visit Aden next
week, the official added.
The
latest visit to Aden by EU ambassadors follows one in early December during
which they similarly voiced support for the Yemeni government, while
international mediators traveled between Sanaa, Aden and other cities in an
unsuccessful attempt to persuade the warring factions to revive the UN-brokered
truce that expired in October.
Meanwhile,
three Al-Qaeda operatives were killed on Monday in a suspected US drone strike
on the car in which they were traveling in the central province of Marib,
according to local media reports.
They
were in the remote Al-Samada area of Wadi Abeda region of Marib when a missile
from the drone hit their vehicle, Al-Masdar Online reported. “The strike was
precise and the car’s occupants were killed instantly,” it said.
Other
local media outlets said Abu Hassan Al-Hadrami, an Al-Qaeda bomb maker who
escaped a previous drone attack in the same area near Marib in December, was
among the dead.
Elisabeth
Kendall, a terrorism expert and mistress of Girton College at the University of
Cambridge, told Arab News that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has not
confirmed the death of Al-Hadrami, or any other members recently killed.
“Neither
AQAP’s official channels nor its main fan channels have confirmed the death of
any operative by this name,” she said. “However, the group’s announcement of
martyrs does tend to lag behind real-time events. AQAP has not announced any
new martyrs since Jan. 7.”
Source:ArabNews
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242381/middle-east
--------
Abbas
succession battle could ‘collapse’ Palestinian Authority: think tank
February
01, 2023
RAMALLAH,
Palestinian Territories: The future battle to succeed Palestinian president
Mahmud Abbas could trigger “mass protest, repression” and the outright collapse
of the Palestinian Authority, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said
Wednesday.
The
think tank released its forecast a day after the aging and increasingly
unpopular 87-year-old Abbas met in Ramallah with US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken, who was in the region to urge calm amid a spike in Israeli-Palestinian
violence.
Given
Abbas’s age and persistent rumors about his poor health, speculation on his
successor is common in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority
(PA) is based.
The
Brussels-based ICG predicted in its report that “elections based on legal
procedures” were “the least likely” outcome when Abbas vacates the presidency.
Abbas
heads the PA, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Fatah, the
secular political movement founded by the late Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat.
Abbas
was elected president after Arafat died in 2004. Palestinians have had no
presidential elections since.
The
report says Abbas, who has been unwilling to designate a successor, has also
“hollowed out or disabled the institutions and procedures that would otherwise
decide who will take his place.”
It
is therefore “unclear who will succeed him, and by what process,” ICG said,
warning of a possible “descent into mass protest, repression, violence and even
the PA’s collapse.”
According
to the report, any last-ditch effort to name a successor to ease a transition
process “would go awry.”
Abbas
has repeatedly called off plans to hold presidential polls, as recently as 2021
when he scrapped scheduled elections citing Israel’s refusal to allow voting in
annexed east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as their future capital.
Palestinian
experts widely suspected Abbas backed away from the polls over fears Fatah
would be trounced by Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
While
Abbas has not named a successor, he has elevated PA civil affairs minister
Hussein Al-Sheikh, who he tapped for the number two spot in the PLO.
The
ICG report names Sheikh and PA intelligence chief Majid Faraj as possible
successors.
Though
the two men hold significant power within the PA and are seen as able to work
with the international community, the report notes “neither has been able to
win much support in Palestinian society.”
It
identifies second-tier “would-be successors,” among them Palestinian Football
Association chief Jibril Rajoub, prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Mohammed
Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief exiled to the United Arab Emirates after
falling out with Abbas.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2242591/middle-east
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Israeli
minister threatens Palestinians with death penalty by ‘electric chair’ amid
surging tensions
31
January 2023
Far-right
Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened Palestinians with execution by
the "electric chair" following the latest round of violence by regime
forces across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Speaking
at a meeting of his extremist party, Ben-Gvir vowed to push the Israeli
parliament, known as the Knesset, to pass a bill to use the electric chair
death penalty for Palestinians involved in retaliatory operations and attacks
against Israeli military forces and settlers.
"Anyone
who murders, harms, and slaughters civilians should be sent to the electric
chair," Ben-Gvir said.
The
far-right Israeli minister also said he had called for the imposition of a
curfew on Palestinian neighborhoods that pose a threat to Israel and the
apprehension of those holding weapons.
The
threat was made as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed a
"strong, swift and precise" response to the latest retaliatory
attacks and said his cabinet, comprised of a group of hardline politicians, had
decided to expedite gun permits for Israeli people to defend against
Palestinian street attacks.
Netanyahu
also said more soldiers and police would be deployed in the occupied
territories, and security forces would embark on a series of operations to
gather intelligence, confiscate illegal firearms, and carry out arrests.
Tension
has flared up in the occupied Palestinian territories in recent days. In a
shooting operation carried out on Friday near a synagogue in an illegal Israeli
settlement in the occupied al-Quds seven illegal settlers were killed and 10
others wounded. Two illegal settlers were also injured in another shooting
attack in the same area on Saturday.
On
Thursday, the Israeli regime's forces raided the city of Jenin and its
neighboring refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank, gunning down
nine Palestinians.
Palestinian
resistance groups have hailed the retaliatory operation near the synagogue,
describing it as a "direct response" to the deadliest Israeli
military raid in the occupied West Bank in years.
The
Israeli raid comes in the context of recent escalations that have been on the
rise, especially in light of the new extremist far-right cabinet headed by
Netanyahu and his extremist affiliates.
Over
the past months, Israel has ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and cities
throughout the occupied territories. As a result of these attacks, dozens of
Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested.
Most
of the raids have focused on Nablus and Jenin, where Israeli forces have been
trying to stifle a growing Palestinian resistance in the occupied cities.
More
than 170 Palestinians, including at least 30 children, were killed across the
occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem last year. In January 2023 alone, at
least 38 Palestinians including five children have been killed.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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