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Saudi Arabia Detains Imam of Mekkah Grand Mosque

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Saudi Arabia Detains Imam of Mekkah Grand Mosque

Continuing the spree of tough action against anti-regime elements, Saudi Arabian government under crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has detained Sheikh Saleh al-Talib, a prominent Imam and preacher at Grand Mosque in Mekkah, where Muslims from different parts of the world are converged for Hajj rituals.

According to social media advocacy group Prisoners of Conscience, the detention was reported after the Imam delivered a sermon criticising mixed public gatherings, recently promoted by MBS under its moderation project.

The advocacy group which monitors and documents arrests of Saudi preachers and religious scholars, said on Sunday that Sheikh Saleh al-Talib was arrested after he delivered a sermon on the duty in Islam to speak out against evil in public.

Saudi Arabia Detains Imam of Mekkah Grand MosqueRead More: European Union Asks Saudi Arabia to Clarify On Jailed Activists

There were rumours spread through social media about the detention for last several days. However, Aljazeera, based in Qatar, reported the story on Wednesday.

Khaleej Online, an Arabic language website reported that in his sermon, Sheikh Saleh al-Talib, who also serves as a judge in Mecca, derided the mixing of unrelated men and women at concerts and other mixed entertainment events.

There was no direct criticism of the Saudi royal family in his speech. Saudi Arabia has in recent months relaxed laws on female attendance at public events. Saudi women were recently allowed for driving while they are now being employed by companies in larger number. Authorities have also allowed cinemas to function after a gap of 10 years.

Read More: Saudi Arabia and UAE were about to attack Qatar

Saudi Arabian authorities have not given any statement about the fate of the detained Imam of the location of his prison or detention centre.

There are reports that Imam Talib’s English and Arabic twitter accounts were deactivated within hours after his reported arrest.

Yahya Assiri, a London based Saudi activist told to Al Jazeera, Yahya Assiri that  the kingdom’s “authorities are looking at everyone that’s influential and has a presence on the scene”.

He further said, “Even those that have kept quiet or pledged allegiance to the state, even those that have been drumming up the authorities and their initiatives, even these are not safe.”

Since MBS became the Saudi crown prince in June 2017, dozens of imams, women’s rights activists and members of the ruling royal family have been detained.

According to Prisoners of Conscience tweet of 18 January this year, since 9 September 2017 dozens of scholars and clerics were arrested but we only knew 82 names. However, they say that about 50 media figures, 45 university professors, 40 PhD holders, 30 writers having published books, and ten judges and lawyers were among the prisoners of conscience.

The social media advocacy group has, on Thursday, also confirmed the detention of two brothers of Omar bin Abdulaziz and a number of his friends. Omar was active on social media till April this year. His last tweet was indirectly critical of the present government saying “Lies will keep you from ever seeing your true self”.

According to Aljazeera, prominent Islamic preachers Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni, Farhan al-Malki, Mostafa Hassan and Safar al-Hawali are among the arrested persons.

Al-Awdah and al-Qarni, who have millions of followers on social media, were arrested last September and accused of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group Saudi Arabia blacklisted as a “terror organisation”. Muslim Brotherhood has been presumably receive support from Qatar and has become outcast in Egypt under El-Sisi regime.

Meanwhile, al-Hawali, 68, was detained after he published a 3,000-page book attacking bin Salman and the ruling family over their ties to Israel, calling it a “betrayal”.

There are several videos available on You Tube about the detention of religious scholars in the public glare while they were delivering Friday sermons. One Imam was seen being laid down on the ground by the security personnel while worshippers were shell-shocked.

A Shia religious scholar Sheikh Baqar al-Nimr was executed by Saudi authorities in January 2016 for his anti-regime opinions.  Observers believe that the government in Riyadh has been taking tough actions against anybody, irrespective of their sect, challenging the Kingdom’s changing policy.

Observers believe that Saudi government has been supporting similar actions against religious personalities in other friendly countries in the Middle East and Africa. Nigerian government detained a most powerful Shia cleric and leader of Islamic Movement Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky in December 2015 in a military action against a religious congregation during Muharram. His four sons were killed while he and his wife were injured in the operation.

Bahrain, another Saudi ally, where majority Shia community have been protesting against the suppression of their political and social rights since 2011, has stripped prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Issa Qassim of his Bahraini citizenship in June 2016 for allegedly serving “foreign interests” and promote “sectarianism and violence”.

MBS has in the recent past softened the Saudi Arabia’s stance on Israel, telling that Israelis “have the right to their own land” and “there are a lot of interests we [Saudi Arabia] share with Israel.”

In March this year Saudi Arabia granted permission to Air India to use its airspace to operate a direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, saving lot of travel time and energy.

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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