FRANCE’S KARABAKH RESOLUTION IS ‘DISASTER’: ERDOGAN
The Turkish president on December 5 termed a French parliament resolution on Upper Karabakh a “complete disaster.” “The decision taken the previous day in the parliament of France, the co-chair of the [OSCE] Minsk Group, is a complete disaster beyond the scandal,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of a newly built motorway in eastern Turkey via video link. A so-called French resolution to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state was adopted on December 4. Erdogan noted that Azerbaijan did not attack anyone or anyone’s lands, and it just liberated its own lands that had been occupied by Armenia for nearly 30 years despite UN and OSCE resolutions.
UN CHIEF WARNS OF ‘GRIM REALITIES’ IN PALESTINE
Occupied Palestine is facing “grim realities” as it confronts the decreasing possibility of a negotiated settlement to end the conflict with Israel, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned. “I address you today with a deep sense of worry about the grim realities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the diminishing prospects of resolving the conflict, which has been with the United Nations since its very creation,” the UN chief said during a virtual meeting commemorating International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Guterres said the Israel forestalled plans to formally annex the West Bank have continued apace with the expansion of its Jewish-only settlement in the occupied territory. “Such actions are contrary to international law and undermine the prospects for the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state,” he added.
US BLOCKS COTTON IMPORTS OVER UYGHUR ‘SLAVE LABOUR’
The US Customs and Border Protection agency said that its ‘Withhold Release Order’ would ban all cotton products from China’s Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, one of China’s largest producers. The ban on cotton imports comes as China continues to draw worldwide condemnation over its policies in the Xinjiang region, where nearly a million Uyghur Muslims are being held in labour camps according to Amnesty International. US Homeland Security maintains that the centres in Xinjiang are run like ‘concentration camps’. “The cheap cotton goods you may be buying for family and friends during this season of giving – if coming from China – may have been made by slave labour in some of the most egregious human rights violations existing today in the modern world,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kenneth Cuccinelli said.
OPEC EXEMPTS LIBYA FROM OIL PRODUCTION CUT
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has announced that the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has exempted it from production cuts because of difficult conditions facing the country. A statement issued by the NOC confirmed that the decision to exempt Libya from the production cuts was taken during a meeting held on December 3 via video conferencing. The statement added that the meeting attendees welcomed Libya’s resumption of production and confirmed that it would continue to be excluded from cuts at this stage, in view of its urgent need to increase production rates and overcome economic problems. The statement indicated that the meeting was aimed at assessing the state of the international oil market in terms of supply, demand and stock levels.
ISRAEL GETS AWAY WITH MURDER BEHIND ANTISEMITISM
Israeli secret service Mossad keeps assassinating civilians, all over the world, whom it considers a threat to the Jewish state. However, any criticism of Israel and its illegal internal and global activities specially with respect to the human rights of Palestinian people in recent years, has been gagged by invoking antisemitism. The definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and the way this definition has been applied, interpreted and deployed in several countries of Europe and North America with laws being enacted accordingly has led to gagging of any criticism of Israel. In a letter, published in the Guardian on November 30, 122 Palestinian and Arab academics, journalists and intellectuals have expressed their concerns about the IHRA definition of antisemitism to be highly problematic.
ISRAELIS VISIT SUDAN’S DEFENCE INDUSTRY FACILITIES
A delegation from Israel visited Sudan’s capital Khartoum and held talks on military matters, the spokesperson for the transitional government said November 29. Speaking to a local newspaper, Mohammed al-Faki Suleiman said the delegation did not discuss political issues. He said the delegation toured defence industry facilities of the Sudanese armed forces and met with soldiers and did not discuss any normalising of ties between Khartoum and Tel Aviv. Sudan became the fifth Arab country to agree to establish official relations with Israel after Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994 and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020.
UK NON-COMMITTAL ON ASSASSINATION OF IRANIAN SCIENTIST
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was non-committal whether Israel was behind the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh but insisted that Britain was against the targeting of civilians. “I don’t have any idea or facts to be able to answer at this point,” Raab said after being questioned on Sky’s Sophy Ridge asking if he did not think Israel has to answer on the assassination as Iran suggests. “We are still waiting to see full facts to ascertain what is happening in Iran. We stick to the rule of international humanitarian law which is very clear against targeting civilians,” the British Foreign Secretary also said.
CANADA MOSQUE KILLER’S PAROLE ELIGIBILITY TIME REDUCED
The parole eligibility for the killer of six people in the 2017 Quebec City Mosque shooting was reduced to 25 years from 40 years. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that the right given to judges in 2011 to hand out consecutive life sentences was unconstitutional, constituting cruel and unusual punishment under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That effectively reduced the life in prison term for 40 years before Andre Bissonnette can apply for parole to 25 years. The change was greeted with dismay by the Muslim-led Canadian human rights organisation, Justice for All Canada. Bissonnette opened fire in the mosque in January 2017, killing six worshippers and wounding 19. In March of 2018 he pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder.
MUSLIM ATHLETE IN HIJAB SETS RECORD IN POWER LIFTING
Nadra Jalaluddin, a Muslim hijabi athlete, from Sydney, Australia, set a national record for powerlifting at Adonis Gym, Campbelltown when she squatted 155kg and deadlifted 200kg with a total of 425kg. Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts. Her journey began by going to gym to get fit and healthy. She continued to do weights and started to focus more on strength and maintenance. Her determination grew and she started competing since July 2019. When asked on what positive impact this sport has had on her faith, she replied, “It has given me more confidence. I am very noticeable because of my hijab. Not many people in this sport come across people like me.” Her next goal is to compete in the state championships and also to go on to represent Australia.
MUSLIM AWARDS NIGHT CELEBRATED NATIONALLY IN AUSTRALIA
The 14th Australian Muslim Achievement Awards (AMAA) was held this year simultaneously in four states of Australia. The venue for the Sydney part of the event was the Culinary School while the event in Melbourne was held at the Islamic Museum of Australia. The annual event was founded and hosted by Mission of Hope. The Australian Muslim Achievement Awards raises the profile of Australian Muslims who are serving both the mainstream and Australian Muslim communities excelling in many areas of influence. AMAA 2020 was sponsored by Tender Loving Care Disability Services (Platinum), The Culinary School (Gold), Acacia Design (Bronze), while the interstate event hosts were Islamic Museum of Australia, Muslim Youth of Western Australia and Islamic Care, Queensland.