#india rejects oic statement

[jsbmarketresearch01]

India Gives a Stern Reply to Pakistan’s Statement at the UN on Violation of Human Rights

On Wednesday, MEA undersecretary Jagpreet Kaur responded to a statement by Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council session. India objected to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan’s foreign minister reference to Jammu and Kashmir as occupied. An open debate took place at the UN Security Council on Security, Peace, and Women. Ruchira Kamboj, the UN Ambassador on Tuesday said that it is unworthy to even reply to such false and malicious propaganda.

Ministry of External Affairs Undersecretary, Jagpreet Kaur advised Pakistan to set things right in their own place and take care of their abysmal record of protecting and promoting human rights for its population. She rejected the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) statement. In the human rights session on Wednesday, India said that Pakistan’s legislations, policies, and institutions have denied human rights to people in the territories and population over seven decades.

They have also denied control of these truths and taken away the hope for freedom, tolerance, true democracy, social justice, and tolerance. Kaur added that Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Hazaras Shias, and Ahmadiyyas are subjected to blasphemy laws, which have age-old penalties still applicable. She asserted that they reject the unwarranted and factually incorrect references in the OIC statement about India.

The entire territory of Ladakh and the Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir is undeniable and integral parts of India. Kaur denied the baseless allegations stating that Mr. President of India is responding to the statement by Pakistan by exercising his right to reply. They did hear out Pakistan’s representative about their comments on human rights violations in the country.

But Kaur said that Pakistan’s entire focus is based on telling the world about truths and untruths, rights and wrongs, and despair and hope while having countless issues at home. It is not surprising how Pakistan’s policies to abet and aid terrorism is a nation a victim to its own rules and policies that actually nurtures terror organizations. The violation of human rights is something more primary to Pakistan itself.

Jagpreet said that while Pakistan seems to be the champion of human rights, in the past, its top leadership itself has openly agreed of training and create terrorist groups for rights in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Afghanistan.

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[munispeaks]

India hits out at Pakistan over remarks at UNHRC, slams 'unwarranted references' in OIC statement | India News

India hits out at Pakistan over remarks at UNHRC, slams ‘unwarranted references’ in OIC statement | India News

GENEVA: Slamming Pakistan “for once again abusing” the United Nations Human Rights Council platform for peddling its “malicious propaganda”, India has urged the Council to ask Islamabad to take credible steps to end its state-sponsored terrorism and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the territories under its control. Rejecting Pakistan’s statements, Pawan Kumar Badhe, First Secretary,…

[squarwell-breakingnews]

India hits out at Pakistan over remarks at UNHRC, slams 'unwarranted references' in OIC statement | India News - Times of India

India hits out at Pakistan over remarks at UNHRC, slams ‘unwarranted references’ in OIC statement | India News – Times of India

GENEVA: Slamming Pakistan “for once again abusing” the United Nations Human Rights Council platform for peddling its “malicious propaganda”, India has urged the Council to ask Islamabad to take credible steps to end its state-sponsored terrorism and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the territories under its control. Rejecting Pakistan’s statements, Pawan Kumar Badhe, First Secretary,…

[addnoral]

FO rejects criticism on OIC by Indian foreign ministry

FO rejects criticism on OIC by Indian foreign ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday issued a statement rejecting claims made by the Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) who criticised the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for its statement regarding India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019. The ministry deemed the spokesperson’s comments and claims to be “ludicrous” and “fallacious”. “It…

[rudrjobdesk]

India at UN says it rejects selective outrage from outside, especially when motivated and pursuing divisive agenda

India at UN says it rejects selective outrage from outside, especially when motivated and pursuing divisive agenda

India on Monday said it promotes a culture of tolerance and respect for all religions and deals with aberrations within its legal framework, as it rejected motivated “selective outrage” from outside that pursues a divisive agenda, after Pakistan delivered a statement on behalf of the OIC that referred to the controversial remarks made by two now-suspended BJP functionaries against the…

[gujjukathiyawadi]

पैगंबर मोहम्मद विवाद: मुस्लिम देशों के संगठन OIC की छोटी सोच से भड़का भारत, खरी-खरी सुना दी

पैगंबर मोहम्मद विवाद: मुस्लिम देशों के संगठन OIC की छोटी सोच से भड़का भारत, खरी-खरी सुना दी

हाइलाइट्स पैगंबर मोहम्मद विवाद पर ओआईसी देशों के बयान से भड़का भारत विदेश मंत्रालय के प्रवक्ता ने OIC के बयान को विभाजनकारी एजेंडा बताया है गौरतलब है कि बीजेपी नेता नुपूर शर्मा ने पैगंबर मोहम्मद पर कथित टिप्पणी की थी नई दिल्ली: भारत ने पैगंबर मोहम्मद विवाद पर पाकिस्तान को दो-टूक सुनाने के बाद सोमवार को इस्लामिक सहयोग संगठन (OIC) को भी खरी-खरी सुना दी। गौरतलब है कि भारतीय जनता पार्टी (बीजेपी) के…

[beardedmrbean]

NEW DELHI —  India is scrambling to contain a diplomatic storm that has erupted in Islamic countries following controversial comments made about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad by two officials of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Pakistan have registered protests made by BJP’s national spokesperson during a recent televised debate.

Several of these countries summoned Indian ambassadors to denounce the derogatory statements. Calling the comments “Islamophobic,” Qatar has demanded a public apology from India. The controversy turned particularly embarrassing for India as it erupted while its vice president, Venkaiah Naidu, and business leaders were on a visit to the country.

Denouncing the statement, Saudi Arabia said it “reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion.”

Besides official outrage, anger against the remarks poured out on social media in several Arab nations with some people calling for a boycott of Indian goods.

The influential Organization of Islamic Cooperation said they came in a "context of intensifying hatred and abuse towards Islam in India and the systematic harassment of Muslims." It also cited a decision by some states in India to ban the Muslim headscarf, the hijab, as well as incidents of violence against Muslims.

Rejecting the OIC’s comments as “misleading and mischievous,” the Indian foreign ministry said that the government accords the highest respect to all religions. In a statement, it said that the “offensive” comments and tweets “do not in any manner reflect the view of the government of India” and were made by individuals against whom action has been taken.

The foreign ministry criticized Pakistan, which had also condemned the remarks, calling it a “serial violator of minority rights” and saying that it should not engage in “alarmist propaganda.”

BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who made the remarks, was suspended by the party while Naveen Jindal, the media head of the Delhi party unit, who had tweeted on the issue, was expelled on Sunday.

“The BJP strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities of any religion. The BJP is also against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy," the party said in a statement.

Sharma said on Twitter that there was never any intention to hurt anyone’s feelings and that she spoke in response to comments made about a Hindu god.

Sporadic protests have also erupted in some Indian states as the remarks caused anger among Muslims, who are India’s largest minority, making up 14 percent of the country’s 1.4 billion people.

The remarks are being seen in the context of what critics say is a rise in hate speech targeting Muslims since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.

In an editorial, The Indian Express newspaper said, “The truth is that it was no sudden eruption of bigotry. The BJP’s electoral victories since 2014, and especially after 2019, have emboldened party activists and others of the saffron brigade to an extent that they indulge in casual everyday anti-minority actions.” By saffron brigade, the paper was referring to Hindu nationalists.

Political commentators said such controversies could set back India’s effort to enhance ties with Persian Gulf countries, which has been a key focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Tens of thousands of Indians work in the UAE and in Gulf countries like Kuwait, and New Delhi is also trying to strengthen trade ties with these nations.

The U.S. State Department, in its latest annual report to the Congress on international religious freedom, named India as among countries that were violators of religious freedom. It alleged that attacks on members of minority communities, including killings, assaults and intimidation took place in India throughout 2021. __________________________

Had to dig around to find out what she said, can't find a quote but it's something about Aisha and her age when Muhammad married her and consummated that marriage.

Not sure which side she took.

[citizenrecord]

India rejects Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks on Kashmir

New Delhi has rebuked China over its comments on the disputed region of Kashmir, saying Beijing has no right to comment on the “internal matters” of India.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said it “rejected” the remarks on Kashmir by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the opening of a meeting of Organisation of Islamic Co-operation foreign ministers in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.

Mr Wang, who was a special guest at the two-day meeting that began on Tuesday, said Beijing “shares the same aspirations” as other Islamic nations over the Kashmir issue, prompting a sharp reaction from New Delhi.

“We reject the uncalled reference to India by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India,” foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement released late on Wednesday.

“Other countries including China have no locus standi to comment,” the statement said. It added that “they should note that India refrains from the public judgment of their internal issues”.

The sharp rebuke comes days before a possible visit to New Delhi by Mr Wang, the first such high-level trip by a Chinese leader to New Delhi since deadly border clashes in 2020.

At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a brawl with Chinese troops on the border in Ladakh, a part of the Kashmir region.

India and Pakistan each control parts of Kashmir but claim the region in its entirety. The two countries have fought have fought several wars over Kashmir.

A portion of the region is under the control of China, an ally of Pakistan.

Islamabad has for decades sought international pressure on New Delhi to resolve the dispute but India maintains that Kashmir is an "internal matter".

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan raised the Kashmir issue at the opening ceremony of the OIC meeting and criticised the global community for its failure to implement a UN-mandated plebiscite in Kashmir.

Mr Khan also lashed out at India over its “illegal” decision to annul Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in 2019. He claimed the move was used to change the demography of the Muslim-majority region, where more than three decades of armed rebellion against New Delhi has left tens of thousands dead.

New Delhi scrapped the constitutional provision that gave semi-autonomous powers to Kashmir and brought the territory under the direct control of the federal government.

[xtruss]

OPINION

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: A Partnership Too Important To Fail

Strategic partnerships between two countries take years of patient hard work to build. They are unlikely to founder with the rhetoric that became the basis of the alleged Saudi-Pak rift, writes former senior Saudi diplomat Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri

The strategic relationship assumed added significance when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a state visit to Pakistan in 2019. (AFP)

In recent days, disturbing reports have appeared in Pakistani media and then picked up by foreign media that aim to sabotage the historic partnership between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Their apparent motivation is to create a rift in the Muslim Ummah, by questioning the principled position of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) on Kashmir and linking it with Saudi Arabia’s economic support to Pakistan.

Even more worrisome is the fact that these damaging reports draw upon the remarks made by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister, in an interview to a local new channel on August 5.

In that interview, he warned that if the OIC failed to meet Pakistan’s expectation for calling a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, he would be “compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris.”

FM Qureshi’s remarks have been followed up by speculative media accounts about Saudi Arabia suspending its emergency economic support to Pakistan. So much so that the OIC and, by implication, founder Saudi Arabia were blamed for not doing enough for the Kashmir cause.

Sadly, no one has yet bothered to seek the Saudi perspective on the two issues, which are neither remotely connected nor are they factually correct. So, a clarification is very much in order to set the record straight.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have always enjoyed an incomparable level of understanding and friendship based on common religious, cultural and social values.

Their unique relations are rooted in the mutual love of the people and, hence, have historically been immune from any changes in government or leadership in the two great nations.

That is why, with each passing decade, the Saudi-Pak cooperation in political, security and economic spheres has grown by leaps and bounds.

In February 2019, the strategic relationship assumed added significance when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a state visit to Pakistan, where he was graciously driven by Prime Minister Imran Khan from the Islamabad airport to the Prime Minister House.

Their personal chemistry, developed through frequent interactions in the year before, paid its dividends, as the Crown Prince signed on the emergency economic relief package worth $6.2 billion for Pakistan, including $3 billion in loan and $3.2 oil credit facility on annual basis for the next three years, to shore up its foreign exchange reserves and avert a balance-of-payments crisis.

This emergency relief package conformed to a familiar pattern persisting in the past over two decades, whereby Saudi Arabia would provide oil on deferred payments to Pakistan whenever it ran into economic difficulty. However, the economic crisis was much worse this time, as Pakistan faced the risk of defaulting on its foreign debt obligations.

“If Foreign Minister Qureshi’s veiled reference is towards another Kuala Lumpur-style gathering, then it is a dangerous proposition that could be least expected from a brotherly country” — Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri

Hence, Saudi Arabia was the first to come to its rescue in November 2018 by offering the $6.2 billion relief package. The UAE also joined hands later. This was several months before the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved its $6 billion bailout for Pakistan in July 2019.

However, a far more important development during the Crown Prince’s visit was the conclusion of the largest-ever Saudi investment deals worth $20 billion in Pakistan, including an oil refinery in Gwadar worth $10 billion and the remaining investments in petrochemical complex, mining and renewable energy sectors.

It signified that Saudi Arabia was now interested in Pakistan’s long-term economic development, as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that ends at the strategic Gwadar port.

It is worth mentioning here that China is the largest importer of Saudi oil, and Saudi Arabia is also diversifying its global economic links through participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and by expanding trade ties with the rest of Asia’s emerging economies.

Thus, while the recent expansion in Saudi-Pak economic cooperation is mutually inclusive and not at cross purposes with the BRI or CPEC, it is also important to state that the two brotherly Muslim nations have always stood shoulder to shoulder with each other in difficult times.

For instance, in 1990, Pakistan sent its ground forces to defend Saudi Arabia against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Three decades later, Pakistan’s former army chief General Raheel Sharif leads the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, which is comprised of 41 Muslim nations.

From defending the sanctity of Haramain Sharifain to defeating the scourge of terrorism, Pakistan has always been a key Saudi partner and a major Muslim player.

Having served as the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan during the tumultuous period from 2001 to 2009, I vividly remember the gravity of terrorism that both nations faced post-9/11 and how we confronted this menace together in the heyday of the War on Terror.

I maintained close interaction with the civilian and military leadership to ensure Pakistan remains secure and stable. I also remember the fateful days when a devastating earthquake hit the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Saudi Arabia instantly established an air corridor to provide emergency relief to its victims.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have also closely cooperated to achieve the common goals of regional peace and stability in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Thus, out of my personal conviction, on August 5, when Pakistan officially observed Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir to express solidarity with the suffering Kashmiris, I penned a piece in these columns to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri Muslims and the urgency of resolving the longstanding Kashmir dispute.

However, the very next morning, I was saddened to come across FM Qureshi’s comments on the OIC’s role in Kashmir, which are far from reality. The fact is that the OIC’s Contact Group on Kashmir, led by Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Yousef M. Aldobeay, had visited the AJK, including the Line of Control, for almost a week in March this year.

The Contact Group subsequently held a virtual meeting in June, inaugurated by OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, who reiterated the “OIC's commitment to finding a peaceful settlement for the Jammu and Kashmir issue as per the relevant resolutions of the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers, and the international legitimacy.”

Also, deferring to Pakistani sensitivities on Kashmir post-August 5, the statement issued after the Contact Group’s meeting rejected the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Order 2020’ and the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate Rules 2020’ aimed at changing the demographic structure of the disputed territory.

It “reaffirmed the OIC’s continued support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called on the UN Secretary General to use his good offices to make India abide by the UN Security Council resolutions.”

Such a resolute response to the evolving Kashmir tragedy by the OIC Secretary General and the Contact Group on Kashmir, preceded by its fact-finding mission to the AJK, left little scope for yet another declaration by the Council of Foreign Ministers on Kashmir.

Moreover, the global pandemic had limited the scope of holding major diplomatic gatherings. Yet, FM Qureshi has chosen to tarnish the OIC’s credibility by insisting on the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.

“Let us not allow baseless rhetoric to jeopardize a time-tested relationship or create a rift within the Ummah.”

A year ago, Pakistan had, indeed, achieved a major success by managing to convene an emergency consultative session of the UN Security Council immediately after India’s annexation of Jammu and Kashmir and imposition of lockdown in the disputed territory.

Unfortunately, since then, the Foreign Ministry under Mr. Qureshi has been unable to build upon this initial success in international diplomacy on Kashmir. So, one plausible explanation for his frustrating bid to blame the OIC is to cover up his own failure in Kashmir.

However, from the Saudi standpoint, FM Qureshi’s threat to organize “a meeting of the Islamic countries” on Kashmir without the OIC mandate is more worrying. Saudi Arabia is the citadel of Islam, for being the location of Islam’s holiest places of worship at Makkah and Madinah. Therefore, it has always struggled against any effort or instance aimed at dividing the Muslim Ummah.

Last December, Pakistan had acted wisely by boycotting one such gathering in Kuala Lumpur, which was an attempt orchestrated primarily by Turkey and Iran to challenge the leadership of the OIC.

If FM Qureshi’s veiled reference is towards any such gathering, then it is a dangerous proposition that could be least expected from a brotherly country whose people, like those of Turkey and Iran, have always craved the unity of Ummah.

Such a step would benefit the current Turkish and Iranian regimes and leaders, who thrive on dividing the Ummah. From Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and Libya, their hands are soaked in the blood of suffering Muslim populations. They support terrorist proxies, and have created mess and mayhem in Muslim lands.

For 40 years, Iran has intruded into Arab affairs for heinous ends. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has confirmed in his June report to the Security Council, it is arming the rebellious Houthis in Yemen, and sponsoring their missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Last month, FM Qureshi was himself talking on phone with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud to share Pakistan’s deep concern on the armed attacks against Saudi Arabia. Then, how come he now contemplates an option sponsored by Tehran?

It is quite unfortunate for Turkey that it is led by a megalomaniac neo-Ottoman whose insatiable quest for domestic control and regional hegemony knows no bounds. For almost two decades, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invoked old wounds to upset domestic peace and regional geopolitics. His personal spree for dividing the Islamic world has gained momentum more recently.

Why should Pakistan fall into this trap?

Strategic partnerships between two nation states take years of patient hard work to build. Hence, they are unlikely to founder with the baseless rhetoric of a misguided individual that became the basis of the alleged rift in Saudi-Pak ties. An exemplary spirit of reciprocity characterizes these ties, whereby both Riyadh and Islamabad understand each other’s national sensitivities and limitations.

For this reason, Saudi Arabia did not raise an eyebrow when the Pakistani parliament in 2015 decided not to support its military effort to restore an internationally recognized government in Yemen. The irony in Kashmir’s case is that neither Saudi Arabia nor its Gulf allies intend any ill-will that goes against Pakistani interests or Kashmiri aspirations. Then, how can anyone even think of blaming them for not doing enough on Kashmir?

“Even if any differences have emerged over any issue due to some misunder-standing, the standard practice is to resolve them mutually through political and diplomatic channels available to both nations.”

Of course, it is a reality that Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in India as part of its growing economic engagement with Asia. India also has as many workers in Saudi Arabia, if not more, as Pakistan does, numbering close to 3 million and contributing billions of dollars in remittances back home.

Does such a deepening economic engagement or interlocking dependence not provide Saudi Arabia with a realistic clout to influence India’s policy for Kashmir peace? Also, has Pakistan itself ever unilaterally given up the bilateral process for Kashmir settlement with India while simultaneously pressing for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir?

As for the reported issues in Saudi emergency economic relief package for Pakistan, first of all, the media has not verified them from official Saudi sources. Like those of its Gulf allies, Saudi Arabia’s economy has come under severe strain due to the coronavirus pandemic and consequent slide in global oil prices. Both the people and foreign workers are bearing its brunt.

Then, Pakistan, despite the pandemic, does not face the sort of economic crisis it did prior to its economic deal with the IMF. However, even if any differences have emerged over this issue due to some misunderstanding, the standard practice is to resolve them mutually through a multitude or political and diplomatic channels available to both nations.

By bringing such differences into the public domain, as FM Qureshi did through his emotional outburst over OIC’s position on Kashmir or the unverified media reports did on the Saudi economic support to Pakistan, we allow the forces inimical to the interests of both nations to sabotage their historic partnership.

Fortunately, the Saudi-Pak ties are so exceptionally rooted in the deep religious, political and social aspirations of the people that they tend to survive untoward instances such as the current one.

In fact, the level of Saudi-Pak defense cooperation is so deep and wide that the present conspiracy to jeopardize our time-tested ties seems to be fizzling out as quickly as it surfaced on the scene.

Little surprise that on the eve of the current visit of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Riyadh, Major-General Babar Iftikhar, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, has categorically said: Saudi-Pak “relations are historic, very important, have always been excellent and will remain so. There should be no doubt of this … Nobody should doubt the centrality of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Muslim world. Our hearts beat with the people of Saudi Arabia. So, there is no need to raise any questions on our relations with one another.”

Where does FM Qureshi’s diatribe stand after this? Will PM Imran Khan remind him to be careful in future, as any damage to our brotherly ties goes against our respective national interests and public aspirations?

As Saudi Arabia diversifies its economy away from oil under its Vision 2030, a strategic plan that is the brainchild of our young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we expect millions of more Pakistanis to contribute to Saudi infrastructure and technological development. The Saudi government has already extended scores of scholarships to educate and train Pakistani youth for this great opportunity.

We have long-term political and economic stakes in Pakistan and are gratified to see greater interaction between the businessmen and traders of the two countries in the past couple of years. Is it not wonderful to note that even amid the current pandemic, Pakistani exports to Saudi Arabia were reported to have increased by 34 percent in June?

Let me conclude by saying that the Saudi-Pak historic partnership is too important to fail. It will blossom in future, just as it did in history, defeating any attempt to sabotage it along the way, with the love and devotion of our two peoples.

— Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri is a former senior Saudi diplomat who served as ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan from 2001 to 2009. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Beirut Arab University and has written a book titled “Combating Terrorism: Saudi Arabia’s Role in the War on Terror.”

— Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view

— Arab News | DR. ALI AWADH ASSERI | August 17, 2020

[bigyack-com]

‘Inaccurate, selective and misleading’: India chides OIC for Delhi riots comments - india news

India on Thursday refuted the claim made by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that Muslims and their places of worships were targeted in three-day-long Delhi riots, calling it “factually incorrect, selective and misleading” and advised bodies such as OIC to desist from making “irresponsible” statements.“OIC statement is factually inaccurate, selective & misleading. There is an effort on the ground to restore normalcy & create confidence. We urge these bodies not to issue irresponsible statements,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a media briefing. Kumar was responding to the OIC statement alleging the violence was targeted against Muslims lives, mosques and Muslim-owned properties.“OIC condemns the recent & alarming violence against Muslims in India, resulting in the death & injury of innocent people & the arson and vandalism of mosques and Muslim-owned properties,” said a tweet posted by the OIC on Thursday. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation describes itself as the 2nd largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with 57 member states, mostly Muslim majority countries. It claims to be the collective voice of the Muslim world, safeguarding their interests.India has accused OIC of interfering in Indian matters in the past as well, and it didn’t agree with the organization’s description of the riots as “anti-Muslim” violence. “The OIC calls on Indian authorities to bring the instigators and perpetrators of these acts of anti-Muslim violence to justice and to ensure the safety and security of all its Muslim citizens and the protection of Islamic holy places across the country,” OIC had claimed in another tweet. Ground reports and official accounts do not bear out OIC’s claims that a single community was targeted in the three-day riots that started on Sunday evening in northeast Delhi. Casualties have been reported from both Hindu and Muslim communities along with accounts of violence from both sides. Ravish Kumar said the cause of the violence was being investigated and the law enforcement agencies were active on the ground to bring the situation back to normal.“PM himself has publicly appealed for peace & brotherhood. I would also like to refer to some statements which have come out, by agencies/individuals. We would urge that it is not the right time to make such irresponsible comments, it can create more problems than it would solve,” he said. MEA had earlier today responded to similar criticism from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, (USCIRF), an international body, expressing “grave concern” over violence “targetted against a minority community”.MEA had rejected the comments and said they were not just misleading but aimed at politicizing the incident of violence.“Seen comments made by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), sections of media and a few individuals on recent incidents of violence in Delhi. These are factually inaccurate and misleading, and appear to be aimed at politicising the issue,” Raveesh Kumar had said.At least 34 people have been killed in the riots that started on Sunday with clashes between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act. Over 300 people have been injured. Read the full article

[awesome-qb-news-5-us]

Pakistan welcomes OIC statement on new Kashmir domicile rules

Pakistan welcomes OIC statement on new Kashmir domicile rules

[ad_1]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) statement in which it strongly condemned and rejected India’s illegal actions to redefine domicile rules to alter Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s demography.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Ayesha Farooqui said the country terms the move “Settlement Colonialist” against the OIC and UN resolutions, Geneva…

[thenorthlines]

India junks OIC statement on Jammu Kashmir

India junks OIC statement on Jammu Kashmir

New Delhi, May 17

The OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ resolutions taken in a meeting held in Dhaka earlier this month relating to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday were rejected by India in toto. “We observe with utmost regret as well as categorically reject the resolutions adopted by Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir at the 45th CFM session of OIC in Dhaka, Bangladesh…

[syllabuus-blog]

Pakistan raises Kashmir at UN, attacks India

Pakistan raises Kashmir at UN, attacks India

By Arul Louis United Nations, March 15 (IANS) Using a two-pronged tactic in the Human Rights Council, Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue while speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and then for itself.

In its reply during the debate on Wednesday at the UN in Geneva, India rejected the OIC statement saying the group had no standing in India’s internal affairs and…

[shahid121]

Pakistan Raises Kashmir At UN, Attacks India

Pakistan Raises Kashmir At UN, Attacks India

Pakistan Raises Kashmir At UN, Attacks India Using a two-pronged tactic in the Human Rights Council, Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue while speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and then for itself. In its reply during the debate on Wednesday at the UN in Geneva, India rejected the OIC statement saying the group had no standing in India’s internal affairs and…

[mideastsoccer]

Whither the Arab and the Muslim world?

By James M. Dorsey

A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Podbean, Audecibel, Patreon and Castbox.

An agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel and a Saudi-Pakistani spat over Kashmir coupled with feuds among Gulf states and between Turkey, the kingdom, and the Emirates drive nails into the notion that the Arab and Islamic world by definition share common geopolitical interests on the basis of ethnicity or religion and embrace kinship solidarity.

The UAE-Israel agreement weakens the Palestinians’ efforts to create a state of their own but their criticism of the UAE’s move to become the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan to officially recognize the Jewish state is based on a moral rather than a legal claim.

The UAE and Israel see their relations with the United States and the perceived threat from Iran as bigger fish to fry.

Both countries hope that an upgrading of their relations will keep the US engaged in the Middle East, particularly given that it puts pressure to follow suit on other Gulf states that have similar concerns and have engaged with Israel but not to the degree that the UAE has.

The UAE and Israel further worry that a potential victory by presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the US’ November presidential election could bring to office an administration more willing than President Donald J. Trump to seek accommodation with Iran and emphasize human rights and basic freedoms.

The establishment of diplomatic relations strengthens the UAE’s position as one of the United States’ most important partners in the Middle East and allows Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to argue that his hardline policy towards the Palestinians does not impede a broader peace between the Jewish state and Arab nations.

Mr. Netanyahu is however concerned that his argument may resonate less with a Biden administration that potentially could be less empathetic to Israel’s annexationist aspirations on the West Bank as well as with the right-wing in Israel that may not feel that the UAE is worth surrendering what they see as historical Jewish land.

Ironically, the price of suspending annexation in exchange for diplomatic relations with the UAE gets Mr. Netanyahu off the hook in the short term.

Mr. Netanyahu had pledged to annex parts of the West Bank on July 1 but has dragged his feet since because the Trump administration, while endorsing the principle, opposed any tangible move on the ground. Mr. Trump feared that annexation would have pre-empted his ability to claim some success for his controversial Israel-Palestinian peace plan.

Emirati officials had made clear that a formal annexation of parts of the West Bank, captured from Jordan during the 1967 Middle East war, would preclude the establishment of formal relations with Israel.

The question now is whether the UAE will put paid to that notion by opening their embassy in Jerusalem, whose status under international law has yet to be negotiated, rather than Tel Aviv.

So is what the UAE, alongside Jordan and Egypt, will do if and when Israel legally incorporates West Bank lands sometime in the future.

The UAE’s willingness to formally recognize Israel constituted the latest nail in the coffin of Arab and Muslim solidarity that has been trumped by hardnosed interests of the state and its rulers.

As Messrs. Trump and Netanyahu and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed were putting the final touches on their coordinated statements, traditional allies Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were locked into an escalating spat over Kashmir.

India last year revoked the autonomy of the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir and imposed a brutal crackdown.

Muslim countries with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the lead, much like in the case of China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims, have been reluctant to jeopardize their growing economic and military ties to India, effectively hanging Pakistan out to dry.

The two Gulf states, instead of maintaining their traditional support for Pakistan, feted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as developments in Kashmir unfolded.

In response, Pakistan hit out at Saudi Arabia where it hurts. In rare public criticism of the kingdom, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi suggested that Pakistan would convene an Islamic conference outside the confines of the Saudi-controlled Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after the group rejected Islamabad’s request for a meeting on Kashmir.

Targeting Saudi Arabia’s leadership and quest for Muslim religious soft power, Mr. Qureishi issued his threat eight months after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan under Saudi pressure bowed out of an Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur convened by the kingdom’s critics, including Qatar, Turkey, and Iran.

Saudi Arabia fears that any challenge to its leadership could fuel demands that Saudi Arabia sign over custodianship of Mecca and Medina to a pan-Islamic body.

The custodianship and Saudi Arabia’s image as a leader of the Muslim world is what persuaded Crown Prince Mohammed to reach out to Israel primarily to use that as well as his embrace of dialogue with Jewish and Christian groups to bolster his tarnished image in Washington and other Western capitals.

The UAE’s recognition of Israel puts Saudi Arabia more than any other Gulf state in the hot seat when it comes to establishing relations with Israel and it puts Prince Mohammed bin Zayed in the driver’s seat.

That is all about interests and competition and has little to do with Arab or Muslim solidarity.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany.

[wionews]

India and Pakistan should amicably solve Kashmir issue: Tunisia

India has had an uneasy relationship with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but Tunisian foreign minister Khemaies Jhinaoui’s latest statement might soon change that.

Unlike other OIC members like Turkey, which advocates multilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir, Tunisia says the issue is best resolved bilaterally.

“We would like to see India and Pakistan sit together and amicably solve through negotiation. We don't like to interfere in the domestic affairs of both countries,” Jhinaoui told exclusively to WION.

Tunisia is a member of the 57-nation OIC, so the minister's statement would come as a shot in the arm for India.

In July, the OIC had adopted a resolution during a foreign ministers’ meeting in West African city of Abidjan that the unresolved Kashmir issue was posing a threat to the peace and security of the region.

The Indian government had reacted strongly to that resolution. “India notes with utmost regret... factually incorrect and misleading references to matters internal to India, including the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. India out rightly rejects all such references. The OIC has no locus standi on India’s internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future,” the Ministry of External Affiars said in a rejoinder.

Tunisia's stand is in contrast to Turkey's. In an interview to WION earlier, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had favoured a multilateral dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue.

He had hinted at mediation by Turkey too.

But India has consistently called for a comprehensive bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, insisting that there is no room for a third-party role. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that talks and terror cannot go hand in hand.

Jhinaoui, who met Swaraj on Monday, too echoed similar sentiments. “We discussed possibility of... together fighting terrorism, which is a common threat to humanity... we decided to have more contacts for exchange of information and to have the right tools to fight terror,” Jhinaoui said about the meeting.

He also said Tunisia is proof that Islam is not antithetical to democracy and that should interest Pakistan.

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