1. Home
  2. Arab world condemns Canada’s ‘diplomatic failure’

Arab world condemns Canada’s ‘diplomatic failure’

Agencies
August 7, 2018

Dubai, Aug 7: Arab countries have lined up in support of Saudi Arabia after it took trade and diplomatic measures against Canada on Monday in response to the latter’s interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom.

The move came in response to statements demanding the immediate release of what Canada called “civil society and women’s rights activists” that were made on the foreign policy Twitter feed of Global Affairs Canada, retweeted by the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh, and a similar tweet but its Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland.

Saudi Arabia said it was expelling the Canadian ambassador and recalling its envoy while freezing all new trade.

In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, the Muslim World League condemned the Canadian government’s blatant interference.

The statement said the sovereignty of states needs to be respected and that international conventions, principles and norms have to be observed, adding that no country should interfere in another country’s matters.

The Muslim World League added that the Kingdom is governed by its constitution, regulations and legal processes which are widely known, much like the legal systems of other countries.

It stressed that Saudi Arabia has the right to take a firm stand towards the “outrageous and unprecedented diplomatic failure” of Canada.

Saudi Arabia, the statement added, is characterized by the enforcement of Islamic law, and it is wrong for people to compromise this.

Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also expressed his support for Saudi Arabia’s actions. He condemned the Canadian statements, which he described as false and an unacceptable interference in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs.

"These statements are a clear violation of the principles of the UN Charter and also detrimental to the relations between Saudi Arabia and Canada," Dr. Al-Zayani added.

The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami, expressed the parliament's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its decision. In a statement, he said: ”The very negative and irresponsible phrase contained in the Canadian statement that Canada urges authorities in the Kingdom to release the detainees immediately constitutes an overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a condemned demand contrary to the principle of the independence of the judiciary and applying the criminal justice.”

Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, took to Twitter on Monday, saying: “We can only stand with Saudi Arabia in defending its sovereignty and taking the necessary measures to protect its laws.”

He added: “We cannot accept our laws and sovereignty becoming subject to pressure. Some countries believe that their diplomatic model and experience allows them to interfere in other’s affairs.”

Also on Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed that the Palestinian people and leadership support Saudi Arabia.

In his statement published by Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, Abbas expressed his total condemnation of Canada’s blatant interference in Saudi Arabia’s internal affairs, saying that he considers it a serious impingement on the sovereignty of the Kingdom.

He called on Arab states to support the Kingdom by rejecting and condemning Canada’s interference.

Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying it remained in solidarity with Saudi Arabia against any external interference in its internal affairs or any side’s attempt to undermine Saudi sovereignty.

“Bahrain also confirms its absolute support for the measures taken by the Kingdom in response to the statements made by the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh, on what they called civil society activists,” the statement read.

“Bahrain regrets Canada’s position, based on totally erroneous information that has nothing to do with reality on the ground. It absolutely rejects its unacceptable intervention in Saudi internal affairs.

“Bahrain affirms that it stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all the measures it has taken to maintain its security and stability, stressing the need to respect the Saudi regulations and judiciary and abide by the norms and conventions governing international relations.”
The Organization of Islamic
 Cooperation (OIC) said it totally understands the Kingdom’s position requiring no interference in its internal affairs, a principal guaranteed by all international conventions and norms that reject the interference in other states’ affairs and that call for the respect of states’ sovereignty.

Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, the OIC’s secretary-general, said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign state widely respected in the regional and on the world stage. The Saudi judiciary is fully independent and has international laws that guarantee, regulate and respect the society’s activities.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 29,2020

Karachi, Jun 29: Four heavily-armed militants attacked the busy Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday morning, killing four security guards and a police sub-inspector before being shot dead in an exchange of fire, media reports said.

The unidentified militants opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed hand grenades at the main gate of the building as they tried to storm it, Geo News reported.

Police said that all the terrorists have been killed while five persons injured in the attack.

Four security guards and a police sub-inspector were also killed in the attack.

"An unfortunate incident took place at the Pakistan Stock Exchange. They made their way from our parking area and opened fire on everyone," said Abid Ali Habib, Director of Pakistan Stock Exchange.

The firing by militants caused panic among the people in the building.

Sindh province Governor Imran Ismail condemned the incident.

"Strongly condemn the attack on PSX aimed at tarnishing our relentless war on terror. Have instructed the IG & security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are caught alive & their handlers are accorded exemplary punishments. We shall protect Sindh at all costs," he said on Twitter.

Police and rangers have arrived on the spot and surrounded the area.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
August 7,2020

Washington, Aug 7: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) signed executive orders halting all transactions with Chinese applications TikTok and WeChat within 45 days, citing national security concerns, further escalating the tensions between Beijing and Washington.

"WeChat, a messaging, social media, and electronic payment application owned by the Chinese company Tencent Holdings Ltd., reportedly has over one billion users worldwide, including users in the United States. Like TikTok, WeChat automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users. 

This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) access to Americans' personal and proprietary information," Trump said in a statement.

Citing reasons for the ban on WeChat, the US President said that the application captures the personal and proprietary information of Chinese nationals visiting the US, thereby providing the CCP a mechanism to keep tabs on the Chinese citizens who may be "enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives".

"In March 2019, a researcher reportedly discovered a Chinese database containing billions of WeChat messages sent from users in not only China but also the United States, Taiwan, South Korea and Australia. WeChat, like TikTok, also reportedly censors content that the CCP deems politically sensitive and may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the CCP. 

These risks have led other countries, including Australia and India, to begin restricting or banning the use of WeChat. The US must take aggressive action against the owner of WeChat to protect our national security," he added.

Earlier, Trump had issued an order banning TikTok as it "reportedly censors content that the CCP deems politically sensitive, such as content concerning protests in Hong Kong and China's treatment of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. 

TikTok may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the CCP."
US politicians have repeatedly criticised TikTok, owned by Beijing-based startup ByteDance, of being a threat to national security because of its ties to China.

The development comes as China and the US are at loggerheads on a variety of issues including Hong Kong national security law, the South China Sea, the novel coronavirus and trade.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
January 12,2020

Washington, Jan 12: The US State Department has described the recent visit of envoys of 15 countries to Jammu and Kashmir as an "important step" but expressed concern over the continued detention of political leaders and restrictions on internet in the region.

Alice Wells, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, tweeted on Saturday that she was "closely following" the visit of the envoys to Kashmir, describing it an "important step".

Wells, who will be visiting India this week, added: "We remain concerned by detention of political leaders and residents and Internet restrictions. We look forward to a return to normalcy."

The group of diplomats made a two-day visit to the Union Territory on Thursday and Friday to see the conditions thereafter Jammu and Kashmir's special constitutional status was removed last August.

While some US politicians and media have criticised the action by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, the US has officially appeared to support the abrogation of the Constitution's Article 370 on the special status.

Last October, Wells told the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific that the State Department supported the objectives behind it, while not directly mentioning the abrogation.

"The Indian government has argued that its decision on Article 370 was driven by a desire to increase economic development, reduce corruption, and uniformly apply all national laws in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in regard to women and minorities.

"While we support these objectives, the Department remains concerned about the situation in the Kashmir Valley, where daily life for the nearly eight million residents has been severely impacted since August 5," she had said.

Washington has banked on India's democratic institutions - the judiciary and public debates - being able to steer the country.

Bearing this out, the Supreme Court last week ordered the government to review its decision to shut down the internet in Kashmir, which it declared was a fundamental right, thus taking a step to address Wells's concern.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.