Ramallah, (IINA) - Israeli forces have detained around 1,000 Palestinian minors since the beginning of 2016, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said Saturday.PLO’s committee on detainees said some of the minors were held under Israel’s administrative detention, a policy under which prisoners can be kept for up to one year without charge or trial. “Some of these minors were held under administrative detention, while others were sentenced to jail or paid a hefty fine in order to be released,” the committee said in a report.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, committee Head Issa Qaraqe said targeting Palestinian minors in Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has significantly increased since October 2015.“Palestinian children were subjected to torture and abuse inside the Israeli jails,” he said. He also appealed to international organizations to intervene and “protect Palestinian children from detention.” “This requires a wide and fast action from the international community,” he added.The Israeli army frequently carries out sweeping arrest campaigns in the occupied territories that ostensibly target Palestinians who are "wanted" by the Israeli occupation authorities.Over 7,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in prisons located throughout Israel, according to the Palestinian government.
Paris, (IINA) - Up to 1,000 unaccompanied minors will be left to fend for themselves when the so-called jungle camp for refugees in Calais is bulldozed next month.The French authorities have made no plans to rehouse the children because it is hoping to force Britain to honor a promise to help child refugees, the Observer reported. According to the Guardian, the French interior ministry has informed charities and aid organizations that it intends to destroy the camp in less than four weeks.Almost 400 unaccompanied youngsters in the camp, some of whom have relatives in the UK, have already been identified as having a legal right to come to Britain. In May, David Cameron announced that Britain would accept as many as 3,000 unaccompanied minors. James Brokenshire, immigration minister at the time, said Britain had “a moral duty to help.” However, Home Office figures reveal that by mid-September, only 30 children had arrived under the scheme. The Home Office did not respond to queries over whether it intended to help lone child refugees once the Calais camp was destroyed.On Monday, President François Hollande is expected to visit Calais and confirm that the refugee camp will be demolished. Details emerged last week when refugee organizations were told that alternative accommodation elsewhere in France would be supplied for 9,000 adults and families. However, because of a supposed lack of emergency capacity for unaccompanied minors, at least 850 children will be made homeless.Josie Naughton of the charity Help Refugees said: “We are particularly concerned for the safety of the unaccompanied children and ask the authorities to ensure they are protected and accounted for. We also urge the UK government to make good on its pledge, as there is little time to act.”Jess Egan of the Refugee Youth Service, which runs a safe area in the camp for many unaccompanied minors, expressed outrage at the development. “It’s really worrying – horrendous – that nothing has been put in place to help these children,” she said.Emily Carrigan, who has been working at the unofficial women and children’s center in the camp for nine months, said: “We’ve been told that there is accommodation provided, but not for unaccompanied minors, because they [the French] hope the UK will help.“Who knows what will happen to them? They will scatter everyone, and we won’t be able to track them. They’ll disappear.”The dismantling of parts of the camp earlier this year caused so much panic among unaccompanied children that many of them disappeared. One charity, Care4Calais, said that after an area of the site was cleared, 129 unaccompanied minors had vanished.Charlie Whitbread of Care4Calais said he was looking to set up a system to track down lone child refugees after the camp was demolished.“The plan is to remain active and help the small camps that will spring up across northern France afterwards,” he said.Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, said: “The plight of hundreds of children, a significant number of whom have a legal right to live in the UK, is being ignored. Some have died waiting for our government to act. This is disgraceful.”
New York, (IINA) - The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed its solidarity with the government and people of Indonesia in handling destructive floods and landslides, which ravaged Java Island, killing scores of people, leaving some missing, and destroying homes and property.The OIC Chief Iyad Madani expressed his condolences to the families of the victims noting at the same time the hope that member states and civil society organizations would provide urgent support to the people of the Island in confronting these floods and reducing the plight of the affected regions.
London, (IINA) - The United Kingdom is stepping up humanitarian efforts in northern Iraq to put in place food, shelter and water ahead of a major Iraqi-led operation to retake Mosul city from Daesh forces, International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced recently.According to a statement released by the Department for International Development, Patel urged the international community to follow Britain’s lead in preparing for the humanitarian situation that is likely to follow military operations, so that the people of Mosul are helped swiftly, effectively and safely.“As an outward looking, globally-engaged nation, the UK is committed to supporting the people of Mosul and military efforts to destroy Daesh. A safer and more stable Iraq is in everyone’s interest.The people of Iraq have suffered greatly at the hands of Daesh and in efforts to liberate them from this brutality we should not let them go through further undue misery,” Patel said.“New UK support will put in place critical stocks and supplies for basic life support such as food, shelter, sanitation facilities, and protection assistance ahead of Mosul military operations. I urge other countries to follow Britain’s lead,” he added.Through funding partners, UK aid in Iraq has so far helped provide food for more than 70,000 people, ensure more than 80,000 people received essential household items, provide water and sanitation assistance for more than 200,000 people, deliver cash assistance to almost 16,000 people.The UN estimates that up to 1.5 million people could be affected by Mosul operations and will be in need of basic life support such as food, shelter, sanitation and safety.
Algiers, (IINA) - Algeria plans to allow its state banks to list on the local stock exchange to help develop its financial markets and diversify sources of funding after the oil price slide, Reuters cited a senior financial official as saying.The plan will open the door for foreign investors to acquire controlling stakes in banks, reversing a rule requiring Algerian firms to keep a majority shareholding in any partnership with foreigners, the official said. Algeria's six government-run banks account for most of the sector's assets. French companies such as Societe Generale and BNP Paribas have the strongest presence among foreign-owned banks already working in the country.OPEC member Algeria's economy has been largely based on a state-run and centralized system since its independence from France in 1962 and it remains reliant on an energy sector that still provides 60 percent of its budget.However, the oil price drop since 2014 has put Algeria under financial pressure, forcing the government to trim spending and search for alternative financing sources. "The era of $100 a barrel is over. We have no choice but to change our policy," the official said, asking not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media. "Reforms will move slowly, but there will be no step backwards," he added.
Geneva, (IINA) - The UAE has expressed concern over Israel’s continuous confiscation of Palestinian territories and encouragement of illegal settlements, both systematically and deliberately, which aborts and undermines any peaceful initiatives in the future, WAM reported.This came in the UAE's speech before the 33rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, delivered by Obaid Salem Al-Za'abi, UAE Permanent Representative to United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, within the framework of a general dialogue regarding the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.Al-Za'abi added that the settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories are still continuing, as a recent report by the Middle East Quartet noted in June 2016, with the Israel announcing its plans to build more than 1,000 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and 735 housing units in the occupied West Bank. It also unveiled several schemes to build and expand settlements in East Jerusalem, although this represents a war crime under international law.According to the report, Israeli bulldozers still continue its operations, in which 79 houses have been demolished along with 22 facilities in the occupied West Bank during June and August of this year, making 2016 the year that witnessed the largest demolition of homes since 2006, with a total of 188 homes being destroyed.In this regard, Al-Za'abi added that the report has failed to note that Israeli settlements were built on the ruins of demolished Palestinian homes for the benefit of entire families brought from other countries and continents to rebuild the usurped land.He also renewed the UAE's stance, which deems Israeli settlements on the occupied Arab territories as illegal and constitute a major obstacle in the way of achieving a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. He also called on all countries to claim the need to end the current settlement of Palestinian territories.Al-Za'abi reaffirmed that a comprehensive, lasting, and just peace cannot be achieved without ending the occupation of Palestinian territories and the full withdrawal of Israel from all Arab territories occupied in 1967.
Jakarta, (IINA) - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is campaigning for Indonesia’s bid for non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2019-2020 term, Antara News reported."Indonesia has the required qualifications for UNSC non-permanent membership for the 2019-2020 term, and we are ready for it," the minister said in a press statement. The launch coincided with a diplomatic reception held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to mark the 71st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence.In her address, she spoke of Indonesia’s standing that made it a candidate adequately suited to become a UNSC non-permanent member. Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation, the third largest democratic country and the largest Muslim country in the world, she added.Indonesia has also been able to prove that Islam, democracy, modernity, and women’s empowerment can run in harmony, she underlined. "With more than 17 thousand islands which are home to more than 1,300 ethnic groups, Indonesia is a genuine model for tolerance and pluralism, the values that it has always projected in its relations with other countries," she stressed.Indonesia was first elected a UNSC non-permanent member for the period 1974-1975, then for the second time in 1995-1996 and a third time in 2007-2008, when the country had received 158 votes out of the 192 member states that vote in the UN General Assembly.
Leicestershire, England (IINA) - Leicestershire Police's Chief Constable Simon Cole said he was open to allowing the traditional Islamic dress (burka) to become part of the female officers' uniform.On Thursday, Cole said: 'We have been made aware of discussions in other police forces regarding incorporating burkas into police uniform. 'It is not something that Leicestershire police has been asked to consider by an officer or a potential recruit, Mail Online news. 'If such a request was made, it would be considered in line with the requirements of policing, and the need to ensure officers have uniform that is fit for purpose.' He was supported by Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach who said he would be 'sympathetic' to the idea of the garment, which covers the face and body. It came after West Midlands Police said it was considering employing staff who wear a burka as the force looks to increase the number of black and ethnic minority officers.However, Colin comments attracted criticism from public figures in Leicestershire, with some saying speaking to an officer 'behind a mask' would not be the same as face-to-face contact. President of the Leicester Secular Society Gush Bhumbra, said: “If I've been the victim of a crime or an accident and an officer behind a mask would not do that for me as much as normal face-to-face contact”On the other side, Spokesman for the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organizations Suleman Nagdi said common sense was needed when considering the proposal. He added: “I'm not convinced whether it would work well with the kind of job we're talking about. Identification is crucial and this would cause difficulties for members of the public.” “Of course, I welcome the fact it is being considered. But I'm also trying to be practical,” he noted.A spokeswoman for Leicestershire police said there had been no requests by staff to add the veil to their uniform. The acting Chairman of the force's Association of Muslim Officers, the official body that represents Leicestershire's Muslim police, said he was not in a position to comment.West Midlands Police Chief Constable David Thompson was blasted earlier this month after he refused to rule out allowing female recruits to wear the burkas.He said his force would have to consider any requests to wear the burka, which covers both the face and body, and the full-face niqab, which leaves the eye area clear.The decision was met with outrage from MPs and public figures and was even slammed as a bad idea by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).West Midlands Police has already approved hijab-wearing officers and currently allows Sikhs to replace their helmet with a turban.The hijab, which cover the head and neck but leaving the face clear was approved after being requested by a number of Muslim women.The Metropolitan police introduced it a decade ago and the hijab is now successfully integrated into several forces across the UK most recently in Scotland. Currently no serving officers wear the burka.
Kozhikode (IINA) – An entire village and members of a family in the southern Indian state of Kerala are euphoric over the assumption of duty by Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command of the Indian Army. Banners congratulating the ‘great son of the village’ were raised in the village of Kuttikadavu, Cheruppa, 16 km from the city of Kozhikode, after news about Hariz assuming command of the largest geographical formation of the Indian Army recently. Lt. Gen. Hariz took over the post from Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat, who has proceeded to Delhi to assume duties of Vice Chief of Army Staff, Saudi Gazette newspaper reported.Speaking to the newspaper, many family members and neighbors of Lt. Gen. Hariz said that his new position gave them big joy and excitement, and they are proud of his dedicated service at such a senior level in one of the largest armies in the world. Lt. Gen. Hariz is the eldest son of Pattiarimmal Mohamed Ali, who died in 2009 after retiring from service as Communications Officer of Trichy airport in the state of Tamil Nadu. His mother Amina, daughter of late Mammumaster of Poolakkadavu, Kozhikode, was a teacher who expired early in 1962. His father Mohammed Ali later married Fathima, who hails from Mathilakam of Trichur District. Late Fathima Mohammed Ali had served as Superintendent of Women Vigilance Homes in Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Department.Zarina Hariz, daughter of Late Col. E.P.M. Rahman from Wandoor in the Malappuram district, is his wife. Zarina is closely associated with activities of Army Welfare Association and is actively involved in empowerment of women with special emphasis on education and healthcare. The couple have one son and daughter — Zoheb and Shaistha. Zoheb is a commissioned officer in a Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army, while Shaistha is a special educator in the British Council School, New Delhi. She will be going to UK for her Master’s degree in special education at University College of London. Hariz has two siblings; his sister Adv. Shameem has been practicing for more than 30 years and is currently a senior lawyer at Bandra Family Court in Mumbai. Younger brother Arif had served in the Indian Navy as a Commander and after taking voluntary retirement now works with Crimson Energy Experts Pvt. Ltd as Senior Engineering Consultant while his wife Sahana Arif from Kodungallur is the principal of Vidyashilp Public School Pune.Speaking to Saudi Gazette over phone from Mumbai, Shameem said that the entire family was extremely excited and jubilant over the new appointment of her elder brother. She said, “He is a role model for our family. His best quality is his down-to-earth character and maintaining close association with family members. His qualities of professionalism, hard work, dedication, honesty, perseverance, and high spirit of patriotism have enabled him to scale the ladder of success. In spite of his success he is humble and empathetic to one and all, and has maintained very good rapport with his kith and kin.” She added that her entire family feels honored having presented a great son to serve the army of this great nation.Shameem lives in Mumbai along with her husband Dr. Syed Ismail, who is an engineer and is now engaged in business. The couple have a daughter Jennifer who is doing her MBA at the University of San Diego. “My brother has a residential apartment in Kozhikode where he stays whenever he comes on leave. During all his visits, he and his wife Zarina always visit their family members and relatives. Last year, during his visit in Ramadan, he organized an iftar party for family members with whom he always maintains close contacts,” she added.Nelluli Subair, additional sub inspector of Police at Kozhikode Medical College station, and cousin of Hariz, says that the new appointment is a matter of immense pride and delight to the entire family and to his native village of Kuttikadavu, Cheruppa. “Almost on a daily basis, he keeps in touch and sends messages with inspiring and motivational quotes. He used to call daily to know the condition of my mother Fatima, who is his paternal aunt, since her condition had worsened over the last few days. Fatima passed away on Sunday.” Subair said he got inspired from his cousin and hence he also had a passion to join the Indian Army. “Even though I was selected to the Madras Regiment, being the only son, my mother was against me joining the Army. However, I later joined the Kerala police service.”Other family members of Lt. Gen. Hariz also expressed their happiness over the remarkable achievements made by him. “Coming from a humble background, his grandfather Pattiarimmal Abdurahman was a farmer and participated in the freedom struggle. His father, Mohamed Ali was a self-educated man, who initially worked as a teacher and later joined the Royal Indian Airforce. After partition, he along with many others were demobilized and laterally inducted into the Civil Aviation Ministry, where he worked in the Communication Department, and retired as an Assistant Communications Officer,” said M.M. Mohammed Abdul Razaq, who married Asia, sister of Mohamed Ali. “Mohamed Ali worked hard to educate his three children,” said Abdul Razaq who retired from the Kerala police force after serving for about 35 years.Aminakutty and Mariyakkutty teacher, other sisters of Mohammed Ali, also expressed their happiness over the great successes made by their nephew. Mariyakkutty, who retired from service as headmistress of an elementary school in the nearby village of Kuttikkattur, said that Hariz maintains close contact with his relatives. “He is fond of maintaining intimate contacts with us and finds time to meet his relatives frequently. It is a matter of great pride and honor to our family and village that one of our family members has attained such an important appointment and responsibility,” she said while praising and applauding the efforts of Hariz. Mariyakutty’s son Ashraf is an engineer in Kerala State Electricity board and Aminakutty’s son Abdulsalam is the senior inspector of RPF, who were also highly elated about their cousin’s elevationThe family members of Zarina Hariz, including her mother Khadeeja, brother Asif Elat, and sister Farida were extremely ecstatic over the elevation of Lt. Gen. Hariz while M.M. Hajjarah, a cousin of Hariz, spoke of his affectionate and innocent nature, and pleasing character even while holding key army posts. “He showed keen interest to visit us at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands even in the midst of a hectic schedule,” said Hajjarah, who has been working as a teacher of biology at the Government Model Senior Secondary School in Port Blair for nearly 30 years. Ashraf Kakkodi, a footballer turned industrialist, said that Hariz has become a big source of inspiration for their family members. Hariz’s son, Zoheb is married to Farah, daughter of Ashraf Kakkodi, a former player of Kerala state football team.After assuming command on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Hariz laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Pune and paid homage to the martyrs. Thereafter, he was given a Guard of Honor. Prior to the current appointment, he was general officer commanding in chief at Army Training Command in Shimla. Hariz did his schooling from Sainik School, Amravati Nagar in Tamil Nadu. He is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy, Khadakwasla. On completion of basic military training from Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun in 1978, he was commissioned into 12 Mechanized Infantry Battalion, and later commanded 19 Mechanized Infantry Battalion (Recce and Support). Later, he attended all the mandatory army courses, including the prestigious Staff Course at Camberly (UK), Higher Command Course at Mhow and National Defense College at Delhi.Lt. Gen. Hariz has a vast experience of serving on prestigious staff and command appointments. He also has the unique distinction of holding various United Nations appointments, including a combined tenure as Military Observer, Chief Personnel Officer, and Regional Commander in Angola. He served as instructor at Infantry School in Mhow and also at the prestigious Defense Services Staff College in Wellington. He has commanded a Battalion, Brigade, Division and Corps in the Western Sector. He also commanded an operational sub-area and has been on staff appointments at various levels at the Integrated Headquarters (Army) in New Delhi. The officer was decorated with Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.
Aleppo (IINA) – Warplanes mounted a new wave of heavy air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo on Saturday pressing on with a major offensive by the Russian-backed Syrian military to take back the entire city.The attacks came as a UN official said nearly two million people in Aleppo are without running water as security conditions deteriorate. Residents of rebel-held eastern Aleppo say it has been subjected to the most ferocious bombardment of the war since the government declared a new offensive that has killed dozens of people in the last three days. "Unfortunately it continues. There are planes in the sky now," Ammar al-Selmo, head of Civil Defense in the opposition-held east, told Reuters news agency.Rebels said air strikes on Saturday morning hit at least four areas of the opposition-held east, home to more than 250,000 people. The attack has drawn on ordinance more destructive than anything previously used against the area, and many buildings have been entirely destroyed, residents say. "They are using weapons that appear to be specifically for [bringing down] buildings," said a senior official in an Aleppo-based rebel faction, the Levant Front. "Most of the victims are under the rubble because more than half the civil defense has been forced out of service." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based organization that reports on the war, said at least 50 people had been killed on Saturday. "The raids are intense and continuous," said Syrian Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman. The Syrian army said it is targeting rebel positions in the city and denied hitting civilians.Hanaa Singer, UNICEF representative in Syria, said intense attacks damaged the Bab al-Nairab station that supplies some 250,000 people in rebel-held eastern parts of the contested city with water. Singer said in retaliation, the Suleiman al-Halabi pumping station, also located in the rebel-held east, was switched off - cutting water to 1.5 million people in government-held western parts of the city. "Depriving children of water puts them at risk of catastrophic outbreaks of water-borne diseases," Singer warned in her statement released late Friday.Residents say more than 150 air strikes have been launched, crushing emergency service structures, as well as underground shelters used by civilians to hide from bombings. At least 30 neighbourhoods were targeted. Three centres for a volunteer rescue group known as the White Helmets were also hit, Al Jazeera reported. The Syrian military, which is backed by the Russian air force, said it was starting a new operation against the rebel-held east. The Syrian defense ministry has called on residents to move to government-held areas, adding there would be "no detention, or inquiry to any citizen" who reached the checkpoints that divide the city.A high-ranking military source confirmed the intense bombardment was in preparation for a ground assault. "We have begun reconnaissance, aerial and artillery bombardment," he told the AFP news agency, adding the strikes could "go on for days" before the ground operation starts. Aleppo was once Syria's commercial and industrial hub but has been ravaged by fighting and roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012. The announcement of the new Syrian army offensive on Thursday came as international powers failed to revive a collapsed ceasefire during diplomatic talks in New York. The Syrian war has seen more than 400,000 people killed and almost 11 million Syrians - half the country's prewar population – displaced.
Cairo (IINA) – The death toll from a refugee boat sinking off Egypt’s coast has risen to 162, as rescuers recovered more bodies from the Mediterranean Sea. Survivors have said up to 450 people were on board the overcrowded fishing vessel that was heading to Italy from Egypt when it capsized off the port city of Rosetta on Wednesday.The bodies of 162 people had been pulled from the waters off the Egyptian coast, Mohammed Sultan, the governor of Beheira province, where Rosetta is located, told the Associated Press on Friday. An earlier official toll on Friday had put the number of dead at 148. The military said that it had rescued 163 survivors, and recovery attempts were continuing. There are fears the death toll could rise further, with rescuers focusing their efforts on the boat's hold where witnesses said around 100 people had been when the vessel flipped over.In a new report on Friday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that "as many as 240 [people are still] unaccounted for or presumed missing" from the shipwreck. "Normally in such situations, 'missing' migrants are presumed drowned, their remains never recovered," it said. The IOM said most of those rescued were Egyptians, but also included Sudanese, Eritreans, a Syrian and an Ethiopian. Authorities arrested four suspected on Thursday over the incident, the latest in what the UN refugee agency expects to be the deadliest year on record for the Mediterranean.The accident comes months after the EU border agency Frontex warned that growing numbers of Europe-bound refugees were using Egypt as a departure point for the dangerous journey. People-traffickers often use barely seaworthy vessels and overload them to extract the maximum money in fares from desperate refugees. The IOM reported on Friday that 300,450 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 21 September, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy. Some 166,050 people have arrived in Greece and 130,567 in Italy during 2016.Total arrivals for the entire month of September last year were 518,181 - nearly 50 percent higher than 2016's totals, with slightly over a week remaining before the start of October. Deaths, however, are considerably higher than last year's total of 2,887 on this date. According to the IOM's Missing Migrants Project, this year's deaths stand at 3,501, including the people who died in the latest tragedy off Egypt.
Sydney, (IINA) – An Australian far-right anti-Islam leader has come under fire for attempting to 'school' a Muslim lawyer on the teachings of Islam during a heated debate on Australian patriotism.United Patriots Front (UPF) member Blair Cottrell appeared on ABC2's The Hack on Thursday night and began to quote the teachings of Islam, including telling panelist Lydia Shelly living by Australian standards meant a person was kafir.Shelly fired back and told Cottrell she had not known he was a 'scholar of Islam' and she did not need to be 'schooled' by him on her faith, Mail Online news reported. 'If you're going to live by Australian standards, you're Kafir,' Cottrell told the audience before Shelly cut in.'Am I? You're a scholar of Islam and I didn't even know it,' she responded.The UPF leader then addressed host Tom Tilley, saying the culture of Australia is an 'expression of the people' and is 'not Islam'. Fellow panel member Sara Gadalla and Andrew Fox Lane was also left unimpressed by Cottrell's views.
Melbourne, Australia, (IINA) - Politicians are not doing enough to change the anti-Islam public discourse in Australia, say two of the nation's leading Muslim figures, Turkish Daily Sabah news reported.Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Thursday in response to a poll that showed 49 percent of Australians support a ban on Muslim immigrants, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils' President Keysar Trad and Mariam Veiszadeh, founder and president of the Australian Islamophobia Register, condemned politicians for allowing an environment of anti-Muslim sentiment to thrive.Trad said he was "heartbroken" and "devastated" by the poll finding, underlining that "irresponsible politics" are in part to blame."Australians are being led through fear politics to project a different image to the one we really are. By nature we are a generous and hospitable and welcoming people," he stressed."Politicians have created an invasion anxiety," he said, pointing to the fact that the poll results come shortly after right-wing One Nation leader Pauline Hanson called for a ban on Muslims entering Australia during her maiden speech in Parliament last week.Hanson, who shot to fame for her attacks on Asian immigration as an MP in the 1990s, returned to Parliament in July."We are in danger of being swamped by Muslims, who bear a culture and ideology that is incompatible with our own," she said during her speech mid-way through which Greens lawmakers walked out of the chamber in disgust."I call for stopping further Muslim immigration and banning the burqa, as they have done in many countries around the world," she continued.Veiszadeh, founder of the Islamophobia Register, has been tracking anti-Muslim hatred for two years. "Based on what we're seeing Islamophobia is on the rise to the point it's becoming normalized and that doesn't happen in a vacuum," she says. "It takes place in an environment and political landscape in which xenophobia has been allowed to flourish. Part of that is due to a failure of our senior leadership."Veiszadeh argues that the failure of politicians to adamantly oppose the sorts of views espoused by Hanson, whose speech in the Senate was endorsed by one government MP with a hug, is leading to "irreparable damage to our social cohesion and a political climate that allows groups like One Nation to take firm hold and impact on the public discourse around Australian Muslims"."They say that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept," Veiszadeh added.Trad maintains that an increasing number of politicians are using "the race and xenophobia card when they want to divert attention from another issue". This troubles him greatly because he says "there is an element in the Muslim society in Australia that tells young people they will never be accepted and unfortunately more young people are believing them".Trad told Fairfax that besides Hanson, other politicians such as Cory Bernardi, George Christensen and Jacqui Lambie should also bear responsibility for fanning Islamophobia, which Veiszadeh told Anadolu Agency, is escalating.
Washington (IINA) – Police searched Saturday for a gunman who opened fire in the makeup department of a Macy’s store at a mall north of Seattle, killing four women, authorities said.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Mark Francis said police were seeking a Hispanic man wearing black and armed with a rifle last seen walking toward Interstate 5. “We are still actively looking for the shooter,” Francis said at a news conference. “Stay indoors, stay secure.” Authorities say the motive for Friday night’s shooting which also left a male critically wounded was unknown. The FBI was assisting local authorities as dozens of police officers searched for the suspect. The FBI’s Seattle office said on Twitter that it “has no information to suggest additional attacks planned” in Washington state but did not elaborate.
The deadly shooting happened in the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Seattle. Francis said the “lone shooter” attacked the victims with a “hunting type rifle.”
Authorities initially reported four people were killed, then said three were dead, before revising the number again. Francis said the number fluctuated as authorities searched the shopping center. Tari Caswell told the Skagit Valley Herald she was in the Macy’s women’s dressing room when she heard “what sounded like four balloons popping.” “Then I heard seven or eight more, and I just stayed quiet in the dressing room because it just didn’t feel right. And it got very quiet. And then I heard a lady yelling for help, and a man came and got me and another lady, and we ran out of the store,” Caswell told the newspaper.
Stephanie Bose, an assistant general manager at Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant near the Macy’s store at the mall, said she immediately locked the doors to the restaurant after hearing about the shooting from an employee’s boyfriend.
“He was trying to go to the mall and people were screaming,” she told The Associated Press. “It was frantic.” She said he could see police at the doors with assault rifles and said they were no longer guarding the doors as of 9:30 p.m. Francis said at about 8:30 p.m. that the mall had been evacuated and emergency medical personnel were cleared to enter. Francis said authorities were still doing a “final clear” of the 434,000-square-foot (40,319-square-meter) mall late Friday night. He said 11 search teams and two K9 units were involved.
The parking lot was closed and emergency management officials told people they would be able to retrieve vehicles Saturday. Gov. Jay Inslee said tragedy had struck the state. “We urge residents to heed all safety and detour warnings. Stay close to your friends and loved ones as we await more information and, hopefully, news of the suspect’s capture,” Inslee said in a statement. The Cascade Mall is an enclosed shopping mall that opened in 1990, according to the mall’s website. It features J.C. Penney, TJ Maxx, and Macy’s stores, among other stores, restaurants and a movie theater.
On Sept. 17 a man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot and killed by an off-duty police officer. Authorities say Dahir Ahmed Adan, 20, stabbed the people at the Crossroads Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Washington (IINA) – American President Barack Obama vetoed late on Friday legislation allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, risking public outrage and the first Congressional override of his presidency.Obama said the 9/11 bill could limit cooperation from foreign allies on counterterrorism and other national security issues. Earlier, the White House confirmed that Obama would veto the legislation. “We believe this is a bad bill,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. “It’s why the president’s going to veto it.” The White House was getting some backing from diplomatic allies who share concerns about the US becoming a venue for citizens to sue governments.The European Union warned the rules would be “in conflict with fundamental principles of international law.” “State immunity is a central pillar of the international legal order,” the “demarche” noted, adding that other countries could take “reciprocal action.”Ex-secretary of defense William Cohen, ex-CIA boss Michael Morell and Stephen Hadley, George W. Bush’s national security adviser were among a group of high profile security figures to warn the legislation would hurt US interests. “Our national security interests, our capacity to fight terrorism and our leadership role in the world would be put in serious jeopardy,” they said.
Helsingborg, Sweden (IINA) - A Muslim teacher has quit her job at a school in Sweden after being told she would have to shake hands with male members of staff.Fardous El-Sakka had been working as a substitute teacher at the Kunskapsskolan School in Helsingborg, when she was asked to shake hands with a male teacher. But the 20-year-old refused as her religion forbids her from touching any member of the opposite sex who is not related to her, Male Online news reported. The man then reported El-Sakka to the school's principal, who told her that if she wanted to work there, she would have to abide by the institution's values of shaking hands.However, she decided to quit rather than go against her religious beliefs and has now referred her case to the Swedish trade union. She told the Local that it was the first time a man had taken offence at her refusal to shake his hand and that she can't see herself working at the school again.El-Sakka added: 'I haven’t received a reply from the union yet, they’re still looking at my case, so I don’t want to say too much until I’ve got some kind of information from them about what will happen with it.'It's a special school for me because I was a student there. But I don’t think I can see a way back there now.'Meanwhile the school put out a statement clarifying they did not sack the teacher and that she chose to leave. They added: 'We would also like to carefully point out that the issue was not her religious beliefs, but rather it is about choosing to treat men and women differently by shaking the hands of women but not men.'The case mirrors several similar cases around Europe, where Muslim boys in schools have also refused to shake hands with women.Earlier this week, it was ruled a 15-year-old Muslim schoolboy will have to shake hands with his female teachers after he refused to do so because of his religious beliefs. Amer Salhani lost his appeal on Monday after his school in Switzerland rejected his argument that the Swiss tradition of handshake greetings went against Islam. The teenager and his older brother sparked a fiery debate earlier this year when they said they could not shake their teacher's hand because their religion forbids physical contact with a member of the opposite sex unless they are family.
New York, (IINA) – The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared his full support for the success of the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), be held in Marrakech, Morocco in November, World News reported quoting Moroccan foreign minister.“Ban Ki-moon will be present. He gives his full support for the success of the COP22,” said Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar on Thursday, who was speaking at a press conference, held on the sidelines of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.He also said that the Marrakech Conference will be a “major turning point,” that will contribute to the development of a structured and detailed agenda of action to address climate change, humanity’s greatest environmental threat.Mezouar, who is also president of the COP22, noted, in this regard, that Morocco is determined more than ever to contribute to this collective awareness to save the planet.
Istanbul, (IINA) - Under the auspices of President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Istanbul will host the 23rd World Energy Congress (WEC) from October 9 to 13.According to a statement obtained by the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), the Congress will be the fourth major global event to be hosted by Turkey since the past year, following the G20 Summit, the 13th Islamic Summit Conference and the UN World Humanitarian Summit.This event will be unique as it brings together senior industry leaders, government ministers, and other highly influential actors. The 23rd WEC will host some 250 speakers including more than 50 ministers of various countries, CEOs and experts. Sessions will be held in Istanbul’s Congress Valley along with an exhibition and side events converging on the theme of this year’s congress, “Embracing New Frontiers”.In addition to the debates at the Congress, executives have a chance to showcase their technologies and explore business opportunities at the parallel exhibition.Since the first event in 1924, the triennial WEC has been a main platform where the world’s top leaders and thinkers in the energy industry have discussed major energy issues.
New York, (IINA) - The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Madani met here with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, on the sidelines of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly. During the meeting, both sides reviewed ways to follow up the implementation of the resolutions on solidarity with Sudan, including the resolution adopted by the sessions of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Kuwait in 2015 and the Islamic Summit held in Istanbul in April 2016. The Minister briefed the Secretary General on the developments in Sudan.In addition, they discussed the ongoing preparations for the annual coordination meeting of the foreign ministers in New York on Thursday and the agenda of the Council of foreign ministers session in Tashkent next October.
Melbourne, Australia, (IINA) - Politicians are not doing enough to change the anti-Islam public discourse in Australia, say two of the nation's leading Muslim figures, Turkish Daily Sabah news reported.Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Thursday in response to a poll that showed 49 percent of Australians support a ban on Muslim immigrants, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils' President Keysar Trad and Mariam Veiszadeh, founder and president of the Australian Islamophobia Register, condemned politicians for allowing an environment of anti-Muslim sentiment to thrive.Trad said he was "heartbroken" and "devastated" by the poll finding, underlining that "irresponsible politics" are in part to blame."Australians are being led through fear politics to project a different image to the one we really are. By nature we are a generous and hospitable and welcoming people," he stressed."Politicians have created an invasion anxiety," he said, pointing to the fact that the poll results come shortly after right-wing One Nation leader Pauline Hanson called for a ban on Muslims entering Australia during her maiden speech in Parliament last week.Hanson, who shot to fame for her attacks on Asian immigration as an MP in the 1990s, returned to Parliament in July."We are in danger of being swamped by Muslims, who bear a culture and ideology that is incompatible with our own," she said during her speech mid-way through which Greens lawmakers walked out of the chamber in disgust."I call for stopping further Muslim immigration and banning the burqa, as they have done in many countries around the world," she continued.Veiszadeh, founder of the Islamophobia Register, has been tracking anti-Muslim hatred for two years. "Based on what we're seeing Islamophobia is on the rise to the point it's becoming normalized and that doesn't happen in a vacuum," she says. "It takes place in an environment and political landscape in which xenophobia has been allowed to flourish. Part of that is due to a failure of our senior leadership."Veiszadeh argues that the failure of politicians to adamantly oppose the sorts of views espoused by Hanson, whose speech in the Senate was endorsed by one government MP with a hug, is leading to "irreparable damage to our social cohesion and a political climate that allows groups like One Nation to take firm hold and impact on the public discourse around Australian Muslims"."They say that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept," Veiszadeh added.Trad maintains that an increasing number of politicians are using "the race and xenophobia card when they want to divert attention from another issue". This troubles him greatly because he says "there is an element in the Muslim society in Australia that tells young people they will never be accepted and unfortunately more young people are believing them".Trad told Fairfax that besides Hanson, other politicians such as Cory Bernardi, George Christensen and Jacqui Lambie should also bear responsibility for fanning Islamophobia, which Veiszadeh told Anadolu Agency, is escalating.
New York, (IINA) - The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Madani met here with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sudan Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, on the sidelines of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly. During the meeting, both sides reviewed ways to follow up the implementation of the resolutions on solidarity with Sudan, including the resolution adopted by the sessions of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Kuwait in 2015 and the Islamic Summit held in Istanbul in April 2016. The Minister briefed the Secretary General on the developments in Sudan.In addition, they discussed the ongoing preparations for the annual coordination meeting of the foreign ministers in New York on Thursday and the agenda of the Council of foreign ministers session in Tashkent next October.
Jakarta, (IINA) - Indonesia\s Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Wiranto met with the commander of Pakistan’s armed forces, General Rashad Mahmood, here on Tuesday to discuss defense cooperation, including the exchange of information and defense equipment."We have also offered our defense equipment to them, including the Anoa armored vehicle, assault rifle, and CN-235 aircraft," Wiranto said after the meeting. The cooperation between Indonesia and Pakistan has been ongoing for years, marked by an exchange of staff school students and commanders of the army, navy and air force, as well as staff members of the National Defense Institute."Relations between the armies of the two countries are very close. General Rashad Mahmood has asked for maintaining and developing that relationship," he said.Wiranto, who was a former commander of the armed forces, stressed the Indonesian government’s attention to fighting terrorism as part of efforts to promote peace, friendship, and solidarity in the ASEAN region. "They (Pakistan) wish Indonesia would continue with its efforts in leading the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), because peace in the region will bring a positive impact on other countries, including Pakistan," he said.
Baghdad, (IINA) - The military of the United States said that ISIS militants might have fired a chemical rocket at American troops based in Iraq, BBC reported.A rocket that landed within several hundred yards of US troops at Qayara air base near Mosul may have contained mustard agent, the US military said. No one was hurt in Tuesday's attack on the base, which is home to several hundred US soldiers. If confirmed, it would be the first chemical weapons attack on coalition forces in Iraq. Troops stationed at the base are equipped to deal with chemical attacks."On September 20, mid-afternoon Iraq time, the Iraqi air base at Qayara West came under attack by indirect fire," the Pentagon said in a statement."An initial test of the remnants of the weapon used returned a positive test for a mustard agent. The device, likely a rocket or mortar, was imprecise and crude."Following decontamination, no service personnel showed signs or symptoms of mustard exposure, the Pentagon said. "This attack has not impacted our mission in any way, nor have we changed our security posture in the area around [the base]," the statement added. "We train and equip ourselves and our partners for just this type of eventuality."There was no immediate confirmation of the attack in Baghdad; however, there have been 20 documented cases of chemical weapons being used against Kurdish fighters in Iraq and a quarter of those cases involved mustard gas. ISIS has long been suspected of making and using crude chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria. Mustard agent in sufficient quantities can maim or kill by damaging skin, eyes, and airways.Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, has been under ISIS control for the past two years and the battle to retake it is expected to begin in the coming weeks.US troops are providing assistance to local forces as they prepare for the offensive.
Dubai, (IINA) - Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has issued a directive to rename Al Sufouh Street, one of Dubai’s major arteries, after Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Salman.This was in recognition and appreciation of the King’s role in supporting the causes of the Arab and Muslim world, the Saudi Press Agency reported.This gesture, on the occasion of 86th Saudi National Day, reflects the historically strong relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and recognizes the Kingdom’s vision and role in enhancing solidarity between Arab nations.Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened the renamed street in a ceremony on Wednesday.King Salman Street (previously Al Sufouh Street) is one of Dubai’s most important thoroughfares where many landmark hotels, tourist attractions, and business facilities are located including Palm Jumeirah, Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, Jumeirah Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Arena, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and the JBR. Some of Dubai’s most important economic zones like Dubai Media City, home to over 2,000 international and regional media companies, and Dubai Internet City with 1,700 technology companies, are located on King Salman Street.The street, which has six lanes, has a total capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour in each direction. It has been designed according to the highest international standards and features an eco-friendly public transportation system ‘Dubai Tram.’
Istanbul, (IINA) - Under the auspices of President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Istanbul will host the 23rd World Energy Congress (WEC) from October 9 to 13.According to a statement obtained by the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), the Congress will be the fourth major global event to be hosted by Turkey since the past year, following the G20 Summit, the 13th Islamic Summit Conference and the UN World Humanitarian Summit.This event will be unique as it brings together senior industry leaders, government ministers, and other highly influential actors. The 23rd WEC will host some 250 speakers including more than 50 ministers of various countries, CEOs and experts. Sessions will be held in Istanbul’s Congress Valley along with an exhibition and side events converging on the theme of this year’s congress, “Embracing New Frontiers”.In addition to the debates at the Congress, executives have a chance to showcase their technologies and explore business opportunities at the parallel exhibition.Since the first event in 1924, the triennial WEC has been a main platform where the world’s top leaders and thinkers in the energy industry have discussed major energy issues.
New York, (IINA) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has pledged to promote human rights in the country’s troubled Rakhine state as the Nobel laureate made her UN debut; however, she failed to name Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority in the troubled region, the Guardian reported.The one-time opposition icon who was put under house arrest for years by a military junta took the rostrum of the United Nations on Wednesday to speak for Myanmar. Western supporters who long fought for Suu Kyi’s freedom have voiced dismay as, now a politician, she refuses to recognize the Rohingya – a persecuted Muslim minority in the overwhelmingly Buddhist nation.Suu Kyi did not mention the Rohingya by name in her address. It is a contentious issue among Buddhists in Rakhine, who consider the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and customarily call them “Bengali.” But she pledged to back a commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan that was recently set up to advise on Rakhine state, where thousands of Rohingya have spent four years in dire displacement camps.“There has been persistent opposition from some quarters to the establishment of the commission,” she said, referring to protests that have met the advisers.“However, we are determined to persevere in our endeavor to achieve harmony, peace, and prosperity in the Rakhine state,” she said.“I would like to take the opportunity to ask for the understanding and constructive contribution of the international community,” she said. “By standing firm against the forces of prejudice and intolerance, we are reaffirming our faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person.”Before heading to New York, Suu Kyi met at the White House with Barack Obama, who agreed to scrap remaining sanctions against Myanmar.
New York, (IINA) - Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani met with Aung San Suu Kyi, State Adviser to the Government of Myanmar.During the meeting on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly session, the secretary general was informed of the efforts of the Myanmar government to promote democratic governance and end religious and racial conflicts in the country.Madani welcomed the Myanmar government’s efforts in this regard and pointed out the OIC’s interest in the protection of the basic human rights of the Rohingya Muslim community, including their fundamental right to citizenship. He called for more efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Arakan region.
New York, (IINA) - The OIC Contact Groups on Mali, Somalia, Yemen, and Bosnia-Herzegovina convened at Ministerial level on the sideline of the Annual Coordination Meeting (ACM) of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York on Wednesday.The four separate meetings reviewed the prevailing latest developments on the ground and reaffirmed their full solidarity with the affected countries. On Mali and the Sahel region, the meeting discussed the implementation of the Algiers Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali and commended the progress made so far in this regard. It encouraged the parties to commit themselves to the full and speedy implementation of the peace accord as a means of returning durable stability to the country and the region. The meeting also reiterated the OIC’s principled support for the unity and territorial integrity of Mali.Regarding Somalia, the Ministers discussed the current electoral process under way in the country and stressed the importance of supporting the Federal Government of Somalia to implement in an inclusive and transparent manner the current electoral process, which they hoped would further contribute to the overall stabilization efforts. They also commended the recent transformation of the OIC’s Humanitarian Office in Mogadishu into a Development Agency.In the Contact Group on Yemen, which held its second session, the participants reiterated their full support for the unity, sovereignty and political independence and territorial integrity of the country. It also reiterated its continued support for the constitutional legitimacy and the efforts of the government to achieve security, political and economic stability in Yemen. The meeting called on the OIC to continue the ongoing preparations to convene the humanitarian and development support conference for Yemen.Finally, while reviewing the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the meeting acknowledged the significance of the continued contributions of OIC Member States to the Peace Implementation Council and the Office of the High Council. The meeting also called on all Bosnian political leaders to join forces for the common future of the country and by focusing on the reform process.
