KABUL: Women will be included for the first time in the Taliban delegation to talks this month in Qatar on the future of Afghanistan, the movement’s main spokesman said on Monday.
For a group notorious for its strictly conservative attitude to women’s rights, the move represents a step toward addressing demands that women be included in the talks, aimed at bringing an end to more than 17 years of war in Afghanistan.
“There will be women among Taliban delegation members in the Doha, Qatar meeting,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s main spokesman, said by telephone.
He did not name the women, but added, “These women have no family relationship with the senior members of the Taliban, they are normal Afghans, from inside and outside the country, who have been supporters and part of the struggle of the Islamic Emirate.”
The April 19-21 meeting in Doha will be between the Taliban and a delegation comprising prominent Afghans, including opposition politicians and civil society figures.
The Taliban have maintained their rejection of formal talks with the Afghan government, which they dismiss as a “puppet” regime controlled by the United States.
While Afghanistan remains a deeply conservative country, especially in rural areas, there have been major advances in women’s rights since the US-led campaign of 2001 that toppled the Taliban government. Many women fear that if the group regains some power, many of these gains could be erased.
The movement gained worldwide notoriety when it came to power in the 1990s by forcing women to wear full facial covering and imposing severe restrictions including banning girls from school and forbidding women from working outside the home.
However, Taliban spokesmen say the group has changed and it encourages girls’ education and other women’s rights within an Islamic Sharia system.
Civil society groups, the Western-backed government and Afghanistan’s international partners have pressed for women to take part in the talks and news of the Taliban delegation was welcomed. Fawzia Koofi, a former member of parliament who took part in a previous round of meetings in Moscow, said the presence of women in the Taliban team was a “good step.”
“Only women can feel the pain and miseries that Afghan women have suffered. The presence of women among the Taliban negotiators shows that the Taliban’s ideology has changed.”
Taliban team at Afghan peace talks in Qatar to include women: spokesman
Taliban team at Afghan peace talks in Qatar to include women: spokesman
- Taliban is notorious for its strictly conservative attitude to women’s rights
- The move represents a step toward addressing demands that women be included in the talks
An Afghan refugee has been convicted of murder in a case that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community
An Afghan refugee has been convicted of murder in a case that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community
- Syed, who speaks Pashto and required the help of translators throughout the trial, settled in the US with his family several years before the killings
- Defense attorneys said the conviction would be appealed once the other two trials are complete
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: An Afghan refugee was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder in one of three fatal shootings that shook Albuquerque’s Muslim community during the summer of 2022.
Muhammad Syed faces life in prison for killing 41-year-old Aftab Hussein on July 26, 2022. He also will stand trial in the coming months in the other two slayings.
During the trial, prosecutors presented cellphone data that showed his phone was in the area when the shooting occurred, and a ballistics expert testified that casings and projectiles recovered from the scene had been fired from a rifle that was found hidden under Syed’s bed.
Defense attorneys argued that prosecutors had no evidence that Syed was the one who pulled the trigger. They said others who lived in his home could also access his phone, the vehicle and the rifle.
The defense called no witnesses; Syed tearfully declined to testify in his own defense.
Prosecutors on Monday said they were pleased that jurors agreed it was a deliberate killing. However, they acknowledged that no testimony during the weeklong trial nor any court filings addressed a possible motive or detailed any interactions that Syed might have had with Hussein before the killing.
“We were not able to uncover anything that we would indicate would be a motive that would explain this,” Deputy District Attorney David Waymire said outside the courthouse. “As best we can tell, this could be a case of a serial killer where there’s a motive known only to them and not something that we can really understand.”
Defense attorneys said the conviction would be appealed once the other two trials are complete. They too said a motive has yet to be uncovered.
The three ambush-style killings happened over the course of several days, leaving authorities scrambling to determine if race or religion might have been behind the crimes. It was not long before the investigation shifted away from possible hate crimes to what prosecutors described to jurors as the “willful and very deliberate” actions of another member of the Muslim community.
Syed, who speaks Pashto and required the help of translators throughout the trial, settled in the US with his family several years before the killings. Prosecutors described him during previous court hearings as having a violent history. His public defenders argued that previous allegations of domestic violence never resulted in convictions.
Syed also is accused of killing Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, a 27-year-old urban planner who was gunned down Aug. 1, 2022, while taking his evening walk, and Naeem Hussain, who was shot four days later as he sat in his vehicle outside a refugee resettlement agency on the city’s south side.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain’s older brother, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain, was there Monday to hear the verdict. He has been following the cases closely and like others in the community is troubled that there’s still no answer as to why his brother and the others were targeted.
A student leader at the University of New Mexico who was active in politics and later worked for the city of Española, Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had a bright future, his brother said. They had come to the United States from Pakistan for educational and economic opportunities.
He said the life they had planned was just starting to come to fruition when his brother was killed.
“It was a big loss,” he said.
Police also identified Syed as the suspect in the killing of another Muslim man in 2021, but no charges have been filed in that case.
Authorities issued a public plea for help following the third killing in the summer of 2022. They shared photographs of a vehicle believed to be involved in the crimes, resulting in tips that led to Syed.
Syed denied involvement in the killings after being stopped more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Albuquerque. He told authorities he was on his way to Texas to find a new home for his family, saying he was concerned about the killings in Albuquerque.
The judge prohibited prosecutors from directly introducing as evidence statements Syed made to a detective while being questioned. Defense attorneys argued that Syed’s rights were violated because the detective, through an interpreter, did not adequately inform Syed of his right to a court-appointed attorney.
During the trial, prosecutors gave jurors a rundown of what happened the night of the first killing: Hussein parked at his apartment complex at around 10 p.m. and had just stepped out of his vehicle with his keys still in his hand when gunfire erupted.
“He stood no chance,” prosecutor Jordan Machin said during closing arguments. Machin said Syed had been lying in wait and that he continued to shoot even as Hussein lay on the ground.
Officers found Hussein with multiple wounds that stretched from his neck down to his feet. Investigators testified that some of the high-caliber rounds went through his body and pierced the car.
Prosecutors showed photos of Hussein’s bullet-riddled car and said the victim was killed nearly instantly.
UN Security Council calls for immediate halt to Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels
- Council members reiterated the need for full compliance with all UN resolutions designed to end the violence in Yemen and preserve the peace process
- The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting international shipping since November and say their assaults will continue until Israel ends its war on Gaza
NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council on Monday condemned “in the strongest terms” Houthi strikes against international maritime traffic in the Red Sea and demanded that all such attacks “cease immediately.”
The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November and say their assaults will continue until Israel ends its war on Gaza.
The attacks highlighted by the council included one on March 6 on the Barbados-flagged merchant carrier True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden, which left two Filipino nationals and a Vietnamese citizen dead and several crew members injured. It was the first fatal strike against shipping by the Houthis.
Another was an anti-ballistic missile attack on Feb. 18 that targeted the Belize-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship Rubymar and caused it to sink. The vessel was carrying 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer, raising fears of environmental damage to the Red Sea, including its coral reefs and marine life.
Council members reiterated the importance of the “full implementation of Resolution 2216” and subsequent resolutions that call for an end to the violence in Yemen and to all unilateral actions that threaten the political process in the country.
They emphasized the need for “practical cooperation, including with the government of Yemen, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring the arms and related materiel necessary to carry out further attacks,” and reiterated that all member states must adhere to “their obligations in regards to the targeted arms embargo.”
The council also demanded the immediate release of the Japanese-operated cargo ship Galaxy Leader and the 25 members of its crew, who have been unlawfully detained by the Houthis for more than 100 days.
Members emphasized the importance of Red Sea maritime routes to humanitarian operations in Yemen and beyond, and to the local fishing industry and the Yemeni people whose livelihoods it supports. They reaffirmed that “the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels of all states transiting the Red Sea and Baab Al-Mandab, in accordance with international law, must be respected.”
With that in mind, council members warned of the adverse effects of a “March 4 Houthi decision purporting to require ships obtain a permit from their ‘Maritime Affairs Authority’ before entering Yemeni waters, on the freedom of commercial navigation and humanitarian operations, including into Yemen.”
Last week, UN officials expressed concern that parties involved in the conflict in Yemen might engage in “risky military adventurism” that could push the country into a new cycle of war.
“Although we have tried to shield the peace process from regional developments since the war in Gaza, the reality is (that) what happens regionally impacts Yemen, and what happens in Yemen can impact the region,” Hans Grundberg, the UN’s special envoy for Yemen said during a meeting of the Security Council to discuss the latest developments in the country and the Red Sea. “The current trajectory gives cause for serious concern.”
Council members stressed the importance of efforts to enhance regional and international cooperation to counter threats to peace and security in the region, and called for a deescalation of hostilities in the Red Sea to help preserve the peace process in Yemen.
They commended the internationally recognized government of Yemen on its efforts “to preserve the maritime environment,” and called on all UN member states, organizations and agencies to support that work.
The council also emphasized the need to “prevent further regional spillover of the conflict, and its impact on the security and the stability of the region and beyond,” and reiterated “the necessity to address the root causes contributing to regional tensions and to the disruption of maritime security in order to ensure a prompt, efficient and effective response.”
To have peace, Europe must prepare for war, EU council president says
- Michel urged EU countries to ensure Ukraine received what it needed on the battlefield — including by spending EU money on military equipment, and using windfall profits from Russia’s immobilized assets to purchase arms for Ukraine
BRUSSELS: Europe must strengthen its defense capabilities and shift to a “war economy” mode in response to the threat posed by Russia, European Council President Charles Michel said on Monday.
In an op-ed published in European newspapers and the Euractiv website, Michel — who will chair a meeting of EU leaders on Thursday to discuss support for Ukraine — said Europe needed to take responsibility for its own security and not rely heavily on the support of countries such as the US
“If we do not get the EU’s response right and do not give Ukraine enough support to stop Russia, we are next. We must therefore be defense-ready and shift to a ‘war economy’ mode,” Michel said.
“If we want peace, we must prepare for war,” he said.
Michel said while Europe had made strides since Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine — including by increasing military manufacturing capacity by 50 percent — far more was needed and, for decades, Europe had not invested enough in its security and defense.
Michel urged EU countries to ensure Ukraine received what it needed on the battlefield — including by spending EU money on military equipment, and using windfall profits from Russia’s immobilized assets to purchase arms for Ukraine.
He urged countries to facilitate investments in defense — including by considering changing the mandate of the EU lending arm, the European Investment Bank, to allow it to support Europe’s defense industry.
EU countries approved an agreement on Monday to increase the EU’s support for Ukraine’s armed forces by 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) — amid warnings that Kyiv’s forces need more resources to hold the line against a larger Russian army as a $60 billion US aid package for Ukraine is being held up by Congress.
EU, Philippines resume stalled trade negotiations
- A free trade deal could allow exports of seaweeds, tobacco, wood and ornamental plants
BRUSSELS: The European Union and the Philippines said on Monday they would resume negotiations on a free trade agreement as the EU seeks to tap into Asia’s faster economic growth and gain access to critical raw materials.
Free trade negotiations stalled in 2017 over EU concerns about the human rights record of then Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, who was succeeded in June 2022 by Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said the bloc welcomed the “positive change of direction” taken by the Philippines’ new administration, while encouraging further progress on human and labor rights.
The European Union is the Philippines’ fourth largest trade partner. Trade in goods was worth 18.4 billion euros ($20 billion) in 2022 and 4.7 billion euros ($5.1 billion) in services in 2021. A trade deal could increase trade by 6 billion euros, Dombrovskis said.
The EU has targeted agreements with southeast Asian countries and has accords with Singapore and Vietnam and is in negotiations with Indonesia and Thailand.
The EU is eying Filipino raw materials such as nickel, copper and chromite that it needs for its green transition and for which it is currently heavily reliant on China.
Philippine Commissioner for Trade Alfredo Pascual said his country wanted to secure capital and know-how from EU companies to engage in more domestic processing. His country already benefits from the EU’s tariff-free GSP+ system for developing countries, but aims to rise to upper middle class income status, when GSP+ would no longer apply.
“We want to be able to lock in the benefits of GSP+, plus more,” Pascual said.
The Philippines currently benefits from tariff-free access to the EU for about two-thirds of products, including coconut oil, vacuum cleaners, tuna and pineapples.
A free trade deal could allow exports of seaweeds, tobacco, wood and ornamental plants, Pascual said.
Muslims in London encouraged to reduce food waste and meat consumption during Ramadan
- Organizers of ethical iftar event serve up healthy meal to raise awareness of environmental and sustainability issues arising from mealtime excesses during holy month
LONDON: British Muslims attending an ethical iftar event in East London on Saturday were encouraged to reduce food waste, their consumption of meat, and use of plastic during Ramadan.
During the holy month, families and friends often gather in the evenings to break the daily fast together, or send gifts of food as they share traditional dishes and delicacies.
The downside of this culture of communal and shared eating include increased use of single-use plastic items to reduce the amount of clean-up, and high amounts of wastage as more food is often cooked than is eaten. In particular, the consumption of meat, a staple of many traditional meals, tends to increase at this time of year.
To help raise awareness of how such excesses contribute to the environmental crisis and are contrary to the Islamic tradition of caring for the Earth, the community-focused arts center Poplar Union hosted an evening of prayer, food and conversation in partnership with several Muslim organizations in London that promote sustainability and environmental issues, including: Green Deen Tribe, which highlights the relationship between Islamic teachings and environmentalism, climate-action platform Two Billion Strong, and environmental activism group Sustainably Muslim.
More than 60 participants enjoyed a nutritious, three-course vegetarian meal of vegetable soup, bread, aromatic rice with a choice of egg or chickpea curry, salads, and traditional desserts from various cultures.
Sofia Ali, a volunteer with Green Deen Tribe who helps manage the organization’s projects, said that meat eaters who attend ethical iftars are often surprised by how satisfying a vegetarian meal can be.
“When people think about healthy food, they don’t necessarily think it’s going to be very filling,” she said. “So a lot of the time, when we speak to the guests at our events, they will be surprised at how full they feel.
“They think that they will come to this iftar and then go and eat meat afterwards to satiate their hunger. But most of them come away feeling very full.”
The aim of the ethical iftars Green Deen Tribe helps organize is to encourage people to think more about sustainability habits they can adopt in their day-to-day lives, Ali added.
“We want to encourage Muslims to know that you don’t have to have an ethical iftar every day, you can just implement different habits and build them over a long period of time,” she said.
“A lot of the work we do is to make sure that people continue the good habits they pick up after Ramadan as well. We want to keep the conversation going and see people going to different events and engaging with ethical and climate-change matters.”
The ethical iftar events therefore encourage Muslims to take small but consistent steps in their daily lives to reduce food waste, the use of single use plastics and meat consumption, Ali added.
Fawzia Anna, a lawyer who attended the iftar, said she liked the fact the event was inclusive, open not only to Muslims but the wider community.
“I just thought it was a nice initiative, something different that I haven’t really seen locally in East London, so I thought, why not attend?” she said. “It’s also an opportunity to meet new people.
“People don’t usually associate iftar with green initiatives and so it’s been a really engaging event. The speakers were very good and I like the fact that people could pray and break their fast together.”
Habib Mairaj, a singer-songwriter who led the sunset prayer at the event and recited a chapter from the Qur’an, said that although he enjoys eating meat, he will try to reduce his consumption.
“I won’t stop eating meat but I definitely feel like we should exercise moderation when it comes to consuming meat products,” he said.
“There are physical and spiritual benefits of eating less meat and this event has made me more aware of that.”