Tag: Saudi Arabia

  • Imame Kaaba wants Muslims to make peace with Jews; hints at normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties

    Imame Kaaba wants Muslims to make peace with Jews; hints at normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties

    A debate is continuing on social media ever since Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Makkah, hinted at possible normalisation of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel during the Friday sermon.

    Imam Sudais is a senior religious leader in Saudi Arabia and is also the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

    In his Friday sermon, Imam Sudais spoke of peace and kindness with non-Muslims, making specific reference to Jews. He highlighted the importance of Muslims respecting other faiths and underlined several stories about interactions between Jewish people and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

    He mentioned how the Prophet (PBUH) dealt with a Jewish neighbour who eventually converted to Islam and also advised people to remain loyal and obedient towards the leaders and authorities and to stay away from the “misguided factions and groups”.

    The Imam’s remarks about peaceful coexistence are not controversial in any way but the timing of the sermon amid geopolitical changes in the region has sparked an online debate as they came less than a month after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — a close ally of the Kingdom in the Gulf — recognised Israel, leaving questions on Saudi Arabia’s next move in this regard.

    The statements have caused unrest among Muslims on social media who blame the cleric for exploiting the platform of Islam’s holiest mosque to make ground for the Saudi government.

    Here’s what Twitterati have to say about it:

    While one user said that the sermon was against Imam Sudais’ traditional stance on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, another one shared the videos of two contrasting sermons of the Imam — one, in which he calls to save Al-Aqsa Mosque from the abomination of aggressors, and the second, which prepares the ground for acceptance of Israel.

    https://twitter.com/be4after/status/1302223008199774209

    Muhammad al-Mukhtar al-Shinqiti, a Mauritanian author, saw the sermon as a misuse of the Grand Mosque to promote normalisation and call for the obedience of the “murderous rulers”.

    Have anything to add to this story? Let The Current know in the comments below.

  • Ex-ISI DG sees no Saudi role in Pakistan-Afghan end-game

    Ex-ISI DG sees no Saudi role in Pakistan-Afghan end-game

    Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general (DG) Lt General (r) Asad Durrani has said that Pakistan had planned ten years back to oust the United States forces from Afghanistan but it does not have a major role to play in Afghan end-game and the Afghans have to decide their rulers in future.

    In an interview with a web-television, Lt Gen (r) Durrani said that Pakistan had understood 10 years ago that the US troops would have to be ousted from Afghanistan in Afghan end-game.

    “Now they [US troops] are going out, Pakistan as a country has little role and Taliban, already have a dominant role in war-ravaged Afghanistan, have a major role to play. Besides Afghan Taliban, other players like Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Dr Mohaqiq and other local [ethnic] leaders have a future role too. But Dr Ashraf Ghani has no role in Afghanistan in the future as he has been imposed [as a foreign puppet]. There would be tough negotiations between local players and then future dispensation would be decided,” he said.

    He also said that Pakistan had formed a regional cooperation bloc which would play a key role in the Afghan end-game; and along with Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran and Turkey would have a role to play as well.

    “This bloc will also help resolve issues in the Middle East and India too. In Afghanistan, our main objective has already been met and we have facilitated peace process in Afghanistan between the US and Afghan Taliban. We have to ensure that intra-Afghan talks also succeed and future dispensation is decided by Afghans themselves,” he added.

    “We are not worried for Afghanistan future. Taliban have a dominant position and they have won a war against the US forces. Pakistan does not have a major role to play and this is in our interest not to get involved in Afghanistan future role,” he further said.

    Lt Gen (r) Durrani said that the US had wasted billions of dollars each year on “useless” Afghan Army. He accused the US of bribing Taliban by secretly paying them $500 million annually. He said that after defeating the world (NATO), Taliban are now unstoppable.

    He also said that Afghan tribes had defeated the Russians and other invaders. Taliban have a role to play in Afghanistan. “President Obama wanted to pull out US troops ten years back but could not do as US military industrial complex who wanted to sell their weapons to Afghans,” he added.

    The former ISI DG said that the role of Saudi Arabia in Afghanistan has also come to an end. He said that Saudi Arabia’s role in Pakistan is also coming to an end and after Pakistan’s refusal to enter Yemen war.

    “Our plan to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit also pushed Pakistan-Saudi relations into a new phase. After refusal of the kingdom to support Pakistan on Kashmir issue has ultimately changed the paradigm of bilateral relations. There is a clear division between Pakistan’s interests and the Saudi interests,” he added.

    Terming the state narrative on fifth generation war, he said that states always use gimmicks to peddle their narrative against critics. He said that the state was trying to peddle its narrative through gimmicks like hybrid war and fifth generation war. He added that at times gags would be introduced and also people may be put behind bars too.

    “This is how states navigate through issues but this is being done much these days in Pakistan. But this is always damaging as states have to carry along people willingly to build narratives. Arm twisting would only lead towards a disaster,” he further said.

    Lt Gen (r) Durrani said that political engineering never benefitted Pakistan and it always backfired. He said that it leads to create confusions as no one is ready to take responsibility. He added that the past experiences have proved a fact that whenever anyone does political engineering, those kept out of the government always came back with a vengeance.

    Durrani, however, defended his own political engineering of Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) back in late 1980s, and said that he never regretted his engineering despite some mistakes committed.
    “Decisions are taken in a specific environment and in some background. I may have made some mistakes but I don’t regret those,” he added.

    Asked about his court martial trial with the military headquarters, Lt Gen (r) Durrani hesitated to comment, saying that any comment would be inappropriate till a decision is taken.

    “I would only say that those who read my book, say that there is nothing controversial in my book. Then there are few who ask why a media campaign was launched against me,” he asserted. He said that there was no restriction under the law against him to speak to media and many, including General (r) Pervez Musharraf, had also written books.

    “So, it is proved that allegation against me is not due to publishing of a book. There may be other reasons,” he concluded.

  • Foreign Minister Qureshi likely to be replaced by Shireen Mazari as govt, army mend Riyadh ties: report

    Foreign Minister Qureshi likely to be replaced by Shireen Mazari as govt, army mend Riyadh ties: report

    Rumours regarding the removal of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, ever since his statement regarding ditching Saudi Arabia for Kashmir’s sake, have gone rife in the federal capital as reports claim he is likely to be replaced by Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari amid Islamabad’s attempts to mend ties with Riyadh.

    Qureshi had earlier this month accused the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) of dilly-dallying on the Kashmir issue in remarks that were seen by Riyadh as an attack on its leadership of the organisation.

    “I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll 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,” Qureshi had said during an interview.

    Days after his statement, as diplomatic strains occur between Islamabad and Riyadh over the Kashmir issue, it was announced by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will be visiting Saudi Arabia to discuss regional security issues and Kashmir dispute with the Saudi leadership.

    “Yes, he [Gen Bajwa] is travelling,” the Pakistan Army spokesperson told the foreign media outlet, adding that the visit was pre-planned and “primarily military affairs oriented”.

    However, reports had said that while the two countries are traditionally close and Saudi Arabia in 2018 gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and $3.2 billion oil credit facility to help its balance of payments crisis, Riyadh is irked by criticism from Islamabad that Saudi Arabia has been lukewarm on the Kashmir territorial dispute, motivating COAS Bajwa’s fence-building visit Sunday.

    Meanwhile, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari publicly criticised Qureshi, saying his statements had let down both the Kashmiris and PM Imran.

    While her statement was seen as the first step to replace Qureshi in a bid to pacify the Saudis, it suggests that the Imran Khan government is publicly distancing itself from the actions and statements of the incumbent foreign minister.

    If there is any truth to the claims, it won’t be the first time cash-strapped Pakistan will be prioritising relations with Saudi Arabia, as most recently, Islamabad had also pulled out of a Muslim nations’ forum in Malaysia at the last minute on insistence by Riyadh, which saw the gathering as an attempt to challenge its leadership of the OIC.

    Saudia Arabia had already made Pakistan pay back $1 billion two weeks ago, forcing it to borrow from another close ally, China, and Riyadh is yet to respond to Pakistan’s request to extend the oil credit facility.

  • Army chief to visit Saudi Arabia days after govt’s oops-a-daisy moment

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss regional security issues and Kashmir dispute with the Saudi leadership, as diplomatic strains occur between Islamabad and Riyadh over the Kashmir issue.

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar confirmed the visit while talking to a foreign news agency on Thursday.

    “Yes, he [Gen Bajwa] is travelling,” the Pakistan Army spokesperson told the foreign media outlet. He added that the visit is pre-planned and “primarily military affairs oriented”.

    During the visit, General Bajwa will have meetings with top Saudi leadership.

    The two countries are traditionally close and Saudi Arabia in 2018 gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and $3.2 billion oil credit facility to help its balance of payments crisis. But Riyadh is irked by criticism from Islamabad that Saudi Arabia has been lukewarm on the Kashmir territorial dispute, motivating COAS Bajwa’s fence-building visit on Sunday.

    Pakistan has long pressed the Saudi-led Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to convene a high-level meeting to highlight alleged Indian violations in the part it controls. But the OIC has only held low-level meetings so far.

    “If you cannot convene it, then I will 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,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told local media last week. Qureshi’s remarks angered Riyadh.

    Last year, Islamabad had pulled out of a Muslim nations’ forum in Malaysia at the last minute on insistence by Riyadh, which saw the gathering as an attempt to challenge its leadership of the OIC.

    Saudia Arabia had already made Pakistan pay back $1 billion two weeks ago, forcing it to borrow from another close ally, China, and Riyadh is yet to respond to Pakistan’s request to extend the oil credit facility.

  • VIDEO: FM Qureshi says Pakistan ready to ‘ditch’ Saudi Arabia for Kashmir’s sake

    In what appears to be a major foreign policy shift for Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has asked Saudi Arabia-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to stop dragging feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on the Kashmir issue.

    “I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the CFM is our expectation. If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister (PM) 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,” he said while speaking to a private media outlet.

    When asked if Pakistan will “move forward” with or without Saudi Arabia, the foreign minister said, “with or without…”. In response to another question, he said Pakistan could not wait any further.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to Dawn, Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers’ meeting of the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries, which is the second-largest intergovernmental body after the United Nations (UN), since India annexed occupied Kashmir in August 2019.

    Qureshi had at an earlier presser explained the importance of CFM for Pakistan. He had then said that it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah on the Kashmir issue.

    Although there has been a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in New York since last August and OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission has made statements on the rights abuses in the occupied valley, but no progress could be made towards the CFM meeting.

    A major reason behind the failure to call the foreign ministers’ meeting has been Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to accept Pakistan’s request for one specifically on Kashmir. Riyadh’s support is crucial for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

    Qureshi said Pakistan skipped Kuala Lumpur Summit last December on Saudi request and now Pakistani Muslims, who are ready to lay down their lives for the Kingdom, are demanding of Riyadh to “show leadership on the issue”.

    “We have our own sensitivities. You have to realise this. Gulf countries should understand this,” the foreign minister said, adding that he could no more indulge in diplomatic niceties.

    “We cannot stay silent anymore on the sufferings of the Kashmiris,” he said.

  • Pakistani carpenter becomes model in Saudi Arabia after pictures go viral

    Pakistani carpenter becomes model in Saudi Arabia after pictures go viral

    Pictures of a 24-year-old Pakistani carpenter living in Saudi Arabia went viral on social media making his dream of becoming a model come true.

    According to media reports, Muhammad Waqas who went to Saudi Arabia four years ago always wanted to become a model. But, he did not expect to succeed.

    “I came to Saudi Arabia four years ago to work as a carpenter. And, I never thought of becoming a model in advertising,” said Waqas.

    However, a social media post by his friend changed his life.

    “One day I saw my friend [Faisal] editing the photos of a photo session. I told him that since childhood I have wanted to work in this field but in Pakistan, I did not get the chance, so my friend suggested and took a picture of me and sent it to the relevant person,” he added.

    A screenshot of Waqas’s friend asking to get the youngster a chance in the modeling industry went viral on social media.

    https://twitter.com/tamimi1_1/status/1278368438747095041?s=20

    A Twitter user took the screenshot and posted it on social media. In the tweet, which has gotten over 33,000 likes so far, user @tamimi1_1 asked agencies looking for models to get in contact with him.

    “Brands who want this handsome man to model for them, contact me,” @tamimi1_1 wrote.

    And soon Waqas was offered modeling opportunities. Waqas also posted his pictures, modelling for a waist-coat making company on Twitter.

    Here are a few pictures of Waqas.

  • Hajj to be held with a limited number of people this year: Saudi Arabia

    Hajj to be held with a limited number of people this year: Saudi Arabia

    Saudi Arabia has announced that it will strictly limit the number of people who can take part in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage because of the coronavirus, putting to rest the fears that Hajj might be cancelled altogether. Saudi Hajj Minister Mohammed Banten had asked Muslims to delay finalising their plans “until the situation is clear” back in March.

    In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the annual Holy pilgrimage would be restricted to a very limited numbers of pilgrims of all nationalities who are already residing in Saudi Arabia. The statement said that as COVID-19 cases continue to grow globally, and because of the risks of coronavirus spreading in crowded spaces and from other countries, the Hajj will “take place this year with a limited number of pilgrims from all nationalities residing in Saudi Arabia only, who are willing to perform Hajj.”

    “This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols to protect human beings from the risks associated with this pandemic and in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives of human beings,” the statement added.

    The Ministry also tweeted that people’s health and safety “is our priority”.

    Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri shared the Urdu version of the press release and said that the KSA’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah contacted him via telephone to let him know about Saudi Arabia’s decision about this year’s Hajj.

    Hajj is one of Islam’s most important religious obligations. Recently, singer Atif Aslam expressed his desire to recite the Azaan at the Holy Kaaba in Makkah.

  • Ultimatum for Saudi Arabia: Trump tells MBS to cut oil supply if Kingdom wants US military support

    Ultimatum for Saudi Arabia: Trump tells MBS to cut oil supply if Kingdom wants US military support

    With the United States (US) continuing to press Saudi Arabia to end its oil price war with Russia, President Donald Trump has given the Kingdom an ultimatum.

    According to Reuters, in an April 2 phone call, Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that unless the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) started cutting oil production, he would be powerless to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw US troops from the Kingdom.

    The threat to upend a 75-year strategic alliance, which has not been previously reported, was central to the US pressure campaign that led to a landmark global deal to slash oil supply as demand collapsed in the coronavirus pandemic — scoring a diplomatic victory for the White House.

    Trump delivered the message to the crown prince 10 days before the announcement of production cuts. The kingdom’s de facto leader was so taken aback by the threat that he ordered his aides out of the room so he could continue the discussion in private, according to a US source who was briefed on the discussion by senior administration officials.

    The effort illustrated Trump’s strong desire to protect the US oil industry from a historic price meltdown as governments shut down economies worldwide to fight the virus. It also reflected a telling reversal of Trump’s longstanding criticism of the oil cartel, which he has blasted for raising energy costs for Americans with supply cuts that usually lead to higher gasoline prices.

    Now, Trump was asking OPEC to slash output.

    A senior US official told Reuters that the administration notified Saudi leaders that, without production cuts, “there would be no way to stop the US Congress from imposing restrictions that could lead to a withdrawal of US forces”. The official summed up the argument, made through various diplomatic channels, as telling Saudi leaders: “We are defending your industry while you’re destroying ours.”

  • Saudi Arabia gifts 150 tonnes of dates to Pakistan

    The Saudi Embassy in Pakistan delivered 150 tonnes of dates as a gift from the Saudi Arabia to Pakistan ahead of Ramzan.

    As per reports, the gift was delivered by the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Saeed Al Malki, during a ceremony that was held at the Saudi Embassy’s headquarters in Islamabad.

    The ceremony was attended by the Director of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Branch in, Pakistan Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Othmani.

  • Covid-19 protocols for Taraweeh in the Two Holy Mosques

    Covid-19 protocols for Taraweeh in the Two Holy Mosques

    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has approved performing a reduced version of Taraweeh prayers at the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina, with the continued suspension of entry of worshipers, the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques’ Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

    President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Abdul Rahman As-Sudais, also said that special night prayers performed during the holy month of Ramzan will be held without public attendance at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.

    The statements came amid reports that the mosques had re-opened their doors to the general public and 20 or reduced-to-10 Taraweeh prayers will be held at the mosques.

    While it has been confirmed that the prayers will be shortened to five Tasleemat (i.e. 10 Rak’ahs), claims regarding the mosques being opened for pilgrims have been rubbished as authorities say only limited employees and workers will be allowed group prayers at the two holiest sites of Islam during Ramzan.

    The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has also prepared a comprehensive plan for the implementation of coronavirus precautionary measures during Ramzan, which other than including the continued suspension of allowing worshipers to enter the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, also includes increasing the sterilization processes and thermal testing of every person entering for funeral rites.

    The Ramzan group iftars which were traditionally held in the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque were assigned to Mecca and Medina’s provincial authorities to distribute iftar meals while maintaining the necessary health precautions.

    According to the precautionary health measures, there will be no Itikaf [or keeping vigil] inside the Two Holy Mosques.

    The attendance of employees at the Two Holy Mosques will continue to be restricted to the absolutely necessary workers, and operations of maintenance will be conducted depending on priority and in accordance with the precautionary measures.

    Last week, the Saudi government had announced that Taraweeh prayers will be performed at homes during Ramzan as suspension of prayers at mosques will not be lifted due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

    Saudi Arabia had also announced to ease curfews imposed in several cities in order to facilitate people to head out for essential needs.