23-10-2025

Month: August 2024

The Muslim Council of Scotland says it has “full trust” that police protection in Scotland is strong enough, following disorder in some parts of the UK.

The Muslim Council of Scotland says it has “full trust” that police protection in Scotland is strong enough, following disorder in some parts of the UK.

First Minister John Swinney met community leaders at Edinburgh Central Mosque to reassure them of the support of the Scottish government and police.

Police Scotland said there was no intelligence to suggest unrest would break out in Scotland after rioting in Belfast and several English towns.

It comes after three girls were killed in Southport last week – which was followed by false claims on social media that an asylum seeker was to blame.

Dr Muhammad Adrees, chairman of the Muslim Council of Scotland, said officers had offered reassurances that there was “no current threat”.

He said: “Police Scotland has already increased patrolling within the community, so just show the presence of the police to those who maybe try to jeopardise the safety of the community.

“People have a right to demonstrate and a right to free speech but they don’t have a right to damage people’s property or harm other people .

“We have full trust in Police Scotland and they are strong enough and equipped well to look after their peaceful citizens.”

Dr Adrees’ comments come after far-right activist Tommy Robinson posted about a “pro-UK” rally to be held in Glasgow’s George Square next month.

The English Defence League (EDL) founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had earlier promoted the false claims about the Southport attacker.

He also promoted false rumours about the stabbing of a 21-year-old woman in Stirling on Saturday.

Police Scotland said the man arrested was white and from the local area.

Callum Fisher, 29, was charged with attempted murder and entered no plea at Stirling Sheriff Court.

At Edinburgh Central Mosque, John Swinney praised Police Scotland for acting swiftly to correct disinformation about the incident.

He said: “It’s absolutely vital that we all rely on quality information and where there is disinformation that is confronted.

“I wanted to reassure the Muslim community in Scotland of the importance we attach to cohesion within our communities – for people to feel safe within their communities and to have the support of the government and the police.”

Police Scotland said additional patrols would be visible around mosques and said the force would continue to “closely monitor events in England”.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “We have focused our efforts on increasing policing visibility and engagement across the country.

“Police Scotland is dedicated to upholding human rights and will not tolerate violence or discrimination against any group.

“While we believe there is no cause for alarm, we encourage anyone with concerns or information to report them to us.”

A meeting of the UK government’s Cobra emergency committee was held after disorder in Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool and Belfast, among other locations over the weekend.

Missiles were thrown, shops were looted and police were attacked in some locations.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar condemned the riots and called for more scrutiny on the role of social media companies in the spread of misinformation.

Mr Sarwar told BBC Scotland: “I’m all for freedom of speech but there is a responsibility that comes with these platforms too.

“Allowing known mistruths to be spread is not freedom of speech, encouraging people to get on the streets and commit acts of violence is not protecting freedom of speech or the rule of law.

“Our police officers have to be given the space and powers they need to respond effectively.”

Mr Sarwar also said “we can’t be complacent” about potential disorder Scotland.

He added: “We have to work together across all communities, across party political lines with our security services and the police to make sure we’re ready to respond appropriately.”

US taking ‘whole-of-govt approach’ to its Afghanistan counterterrorism efforts

US State Department said Friday it is working to ensure that Afghanistan never serves as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against the US or its allies in the wake of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report’s revelation about the use of Afghan soil for terrorism.

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, while addressing a presser on Thursday, commented on the matter after being questioned about the US’s views on the UN report.

Patel said: “So we’ve spoken a little bit about this before. [Daesh]-K is a transnational terrorist network that has the ambition and capacity to launch international terrorist attacks.”

He added that the US is taking a “whole-of-government approach to our Afghanistan counterterrorism efforts”.

“We are cooperating with partners and allies, including in the immediate region; and we’re working vigilantly to prevent the re-emergence of external threats from Afghanistan, including by working with partners to counteract terrorist recruitment efforts as well,” said the spokesperson.

In its report, the UNSC has endorsed Pakistan’s view regarding terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) taking refuge within hideouts and sanctuaries in Afghanistan. It also revealed that TTP operatives and its new recruits are being trained in Afghanistan.

The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which produced the UNSC report, said Pakistan suffered more than eight hundred attacks in the past several months.

It added that the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan is causing heightened concern in many UN member states.

The report underscored that there is increased support and collaboration between TTP and the Taliban, sharing manpower and training camps in Afghanistan and conducting more lethal attacks under the banner of Tehreek-e Jihad Pakistan.

“According to the report, Al-Qaeda seeks to strengthen cooperation with regional terrorist organizations of non-Afghan origin, such as ETIM/TIP, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Jamaat Ansarullah for expansion to Central Asia,” a Radio Pakistan news report stated.

When asked if any conversation was taking place between US and India about the successive assassination plans targeting Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the State Department spokesperson told the reporter to refer to the “Canadian Government to comment on issues that are happening within their law enforcement system”.

Patel, in response to the question, said that the US expects accountability from the Indian government with regards to the matter.

“As we have said before, we continue to expect accountability from the Government of India in relation to the alleged role of an Indian Government employee and the failed attempt to assassinate a US citizen on US soil that occurred last summer, and we continue to raise our concerns directly with the Indian Government at senior levels,” said the spokesperson.

According to Bloomberg, five men were arrested on firearms charges on November 3, 2023, near Brampton, Ontario, a day before the son of a prominent member of the Sikh independence movement was to be married in the Toronto-area city.

Prominent personalities, including New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, were set to attend the event.

Those arrested included Amandeep Singh, who was later charged in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh leader killed in British Columbia in June 2023.

It should be noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused Narendra Modi-led government in New Delhi of directing the assassination.

Govt’s agenda to slash power bills, says PM as protests continue

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that it is the coalition government’s agenda to reduce electricity bills, stressing that it should not be politicised as protests continue in different parts of the country against high cost of power.

The premier, while chairing a cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Friday, said that politics on electricity issue is tantamount to insulting people.

“We do not believe in politics for the sake of politics,” he added.

The prime minister’s remarks came amid protests led by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against the high cost of electricity which prompted the shutting down of a major road to Islamabad, while protests were held in several other cities as well by traders.

Protesters, who have taken to the streets, are demanding the government to withdraw taxes imposed on power consumption which have triggered a massive hike in bills, exacerbating the suffering of consumers, particularly those from the low- and middle-income class.

While the Shehbaz-led government has held negotiations with the protest leaders, no indication has been given with regard to their demand being accepted.

According to JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, the party is prepared to continue protesting on the streets with the aim of standing firm against the government’s decision on the rising cost of power.

During the last fiscal year that ended on June 30, the federal government approved a 26% increase in the cost of electricity. On July 13, the public, which was already bearing the brunt of rising inflation, suffered another blow after the Shehbaz administration tacked on another 20% hike.

It is also important to note that experts — during a panel discussion in Karachi — did not indicate any reduction in electricity prices owing to the government’s decision to make petroleum products and power “sources of revenue generation”.

In the cabinet meeting today, the premier said the government is aware of the tax on the salaried class.

“We have provided Rs50 billion for July, August and September,” he said, adding that the government has reduced per unit electricity cost by Rs8.5 for industries.

He maintained that his administration protected consumers using up to 200 electricity units, following its concern for the salaried class.

PM Shehbaz added that while some taxes are perfectly legitimate, it is not right to impose more taxes on taxpayers.

Iran, allies plan limited joint retaliation against Israel

Iran and armed groups backed by it are preparing coordinated action meant to deter Israel but avert all-out war, sources and analysts said, after the killings of top Hamas and Hezbollah figures.

On Wednesday, Iranian officials met in Tehran with representatives of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” — a loose alliance of Tehran-backed groups hostile to Israel — to discuss retaliation for the deaths of Hamas’s leader and Hezbollah’s top military commander, said a source close to Lebanese group.

“Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response from Iran and its allies or a staggered response from each party,” the source who had been briefed on the meeting told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened a “harsh punishment” for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which the group blamed on Israel, also vowing revenge.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Thursday his group was bound to respond to Israel’s killing of top military commander Fuad Shukr, saying in a speech broadcast at the funeral that his death and that of Haniyeh “crossed” red lines.

Israel said it “eliminated” Shukr Tuesday in a strike on southern Beirut, describing him as Nasrallah’s “right-hand man”. He led operations in south Lebanon, where the group has exchanged near-daily fire with Israel since the Gaza war erupted.

 “There is a very strong likelihood that the response will be coordinated… among other resistance actors,” said Amal Saad, a Hezbollah researcher and lecturer at Britain’s Cardiff University.

“It’s going to greatly deepen the tactical coordination between Iran” and the groups it supports across the region, she said, naming Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Yemen’s Huthi rebels and Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi force.

A leader of the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a loose alliance of pro-Iran groups, told AFP that “Iran will lead the first response with the participation of Iraqi, Yemeni and Syrian factions, striking military targets, followed by a second response from Hezbollah”.

The Iraqi alliance has claimed attacks on US troops, most recently over the Gaza war, before suspending them in late January.

It has also claimed to have targeted Israel with drones and rockets.

The source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Hezbollah may target civilians to avenge the killing of three women and two children in the strike that killed Shukr in Beirut.

 ‘Survival’  

Iran and its allies are widely expected to respond militarily to the killings blamed on Israel, which has claimed responsibility only for Shukr’s death, though experts say the retaliation would be measured to avoid a wider conflagration.

“Iran and Hezbollah will not want to play into (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s hands and give him the bait or ammunition he needs to drag the US into a war,” Saad said.

“They will more than likely try to avert a war while also strongly deterring Israel from continuing with this new policy, this targeted shock and awe.”

The White House said the two killings hours apart “don’t help” regional tensions, though National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Washington saw “no signs that an escalation is imminent”.

Iranian analyst Ahmad Zeidabadi, who specialises in international relations, said “a stronger response is expected” from Tehran than during its last direct face-off with Israel in April.

Iran on April 13 made its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil, firing a barrage of drones and missiles after a strike blamed on Israel killed Revolutionary Guards at Tehran’s consulate in Damascus.

The United States was in touch with Iran at the time, sending “a series of direct communications through the Swiss channel,” a senior administration official had told AFP.

Zeidabadi said that “a repeat of the previous operation wouldn’t make much sense, because the missiles and drones did not hit sensitive areas or have a deterrent effect.”

But he ruled out a “generalised, all-out and out-of-control war”.

According to Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan, “regime survival” is a top priority for Tehran, “the same as Hezbollah”.

“They will put a lot of pressure on the Israelis on behalf of the Palestinians, but they are not going to risk an existential threat against them,” he told AFP.

Turkiye blocks Nato-Israel cooperation over Gaza

Israel carries the status of Nato partner and has fostered close relations with the military alliance and some of its members, notably its biggest ally the United States.

Prior to Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Nato member Turkiye had been working to mend its long-strained ties with Israel.

Since then, Ankara has been fiercely critical of Israel’s operation in Gaza, which it says amounts to a genocide, and has halted all bilateral trade. It has also slammed many Western allies for their support of Israel.

The sources said Turkiye had vetoed all Nato engagement with Israel since October, including joint meetings and exercises, viewing Israel’s “massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza as a violation of Nato’s founding principles.

A UN inquiry in June found that both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza conflict. It said Israel’s actions constituted crimes against humanity because of the immense civilian losses.

The sources said Turkiye would maintain this block and not allow Israel to continue or advance its interaction with Nato until there was an end to the conflict, as it believes Israel’s actions in Gaza violate international law and universal human rights.

Police forces to co-operate to tackle violent disorder, says PM

Police forces across the country are to increase their co-operation to tackle violent disorder, Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday.

It comes after a crisis meeting with police chiefs following rioting in the wake of the Southport attack, which saw unrest spread across the country earlier this week.

Starmer described the chaotic scenes that unfolded in the aftermath of the stabbing as the “actions of a tiny, mindless minority” and condemned “far-right hatred”.

Earlier on Thursday, a 17-year-old appeared in court charged with the murder of three children in the attacks on Monday.

The prime minister said the new national violent disorder programme would help clamp down on violent groups by allowing forces to share intelligence.

In a televised speech, Sir Keir added: “These thugs are mobile, they move from community to community, and we must have a police response that can do the same.”

He also condemned “violent disorder, clearly whipped up online”, describing it as crime, “not protest”.

“We will take all necessary action to keep our streets safe”, the PM continued.

Sir Keir said nobody involved in rioting should “pretend they are speaking” for the grieving families, adding that the community of Southport “had to suffer twice” in the wake of the stabbings.

“Mosques being attacked because they’re mosques – the far right are showing who they are. We have to show who we are in response to that.”

Emergency services were dealing with unrest in Hartlepool on Wednesday night

“These thugs are mobile,” he added, “they move from community to community. We must have a policing response that can do the same.”

The new powers would include shared intelligence and the wider deployment of facial recognition technology.

It would also include more Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) to restrict the movement of offenders and stop them travelling, similar to measures taken against football hooligans.

Speaking to the BBC after a meeting with the prime minister, the chair of the National Police Chiefs Council has said further disorder can be avoided.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “It’s our job in policing to be worried about this but it’s not inevitable”. He also warned those thinking of attending further riots would feel the full force of the law.

The police chair also urged communities to pull together – and said everyone had to play a part “in not fanning any flames of disorder”.

Sir Andy Marsh, Chief Constable at the College of Policing, said in a statement that the emergency meeting which brought together police leaders from across England and Wales was “to make sure that we are talking to each other, and that we can be prepared.”

Some of the places targeted in the widespread disorder were mosques, leading the Muslim Council of Britain to urge mosques to strengthen security during Friday prayers.

In a message to British Muslims who expressed concerns, the prime minister said: “Let me be very clear: I will take every step that’s necessary to keep you safe.”

On Tuesday, Southport saw a night of unrest following a vigil in memory of the victims of the knife attack. Protesters gathered near a mosque in the Merseyside town and threw bricks at the building and police officers, leading to the arrest of five men.

Merseyside Police announced on Thursday that a Section 60 Order would be in place, granting officers additional powers to search suspects.

The order, starting at 18:00 BST, is set to be in place until 18:00 on Friday. The force also confirmed there would be an increased police presence.

On Wednesday evening, more than 100 people were arrested in central London as officers clashed with protestors in Whitehall during a demonstration.

Unrest also broke out in Hartlepool, where eight people were arrested, several officers were injured and a police car was set on fire. In Manchester, two people were arrested after objects were thrown at the public and police. In Aldershot, Hampshire, a police officer suffered minor injuries during trouble near a hotel housing migrants.

Dal Babu, former Ch Supt and firearms commander in the Metropolitan Police, blamed the disorder on the “reckless” spread of misinformation about the identity of the suspect charged in the stabbing.

The prime minister was asked what he would do to hold social media companies accountable for the spread of disinformation on their platforms.

He responded by saying discussions need to be had about companies striking the “right balance”, and warned social media “carries great responsibility”.

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