In the continuation of the oppression of Muslims, India closes the largest historical mosque in Kashmir

The Indian authorities closed the "Srinagar Grand Mosque" in Jammu and Kashmir under its administration, amid widespread human rights condemnation.

In continuation of the continuous campaign of repression against Muslims, the Indian government decided to close the "Srinagar Grand Mosque", in the Jammu and Kashmir under its administration.

The historic mosque was built more than 600 years ago, and Muslims have continued to flock to it for centuries as one of the beacons of science and religion in the region.

The Indian authorities were widely condemned because of this measure, amid questioning the human rights policies and the protection of religious freedoms that the government of Narendra Modi is trying to assert internationally.

For its part, the Modi government claimed that the mosque was "the center of unrest, protests and clashes challenging the Indian administration of the disputed territory of Kashmir", so it "must be closed".

The crackdown launched by the Indian authorities against the Muslims of Kashmir is not limited to closing houses of worship and restricting their normal activities, as it extends to preventing communications.

Last January, the government decided to cut off phone lines and block internet access to the area, which was condemned by several human rights organizations, led by Human Rights Watch.

Rights Watch clarified that "this measure can only be understood by the Indian government for fear of revealing its human rights violations against the citizens of Kashmir."

The part of Kashmir under New Delhi's control is called Jammu and Kashmir, and it includes groups that have been fighting since 1989 against what it considers an "Indian occupation" of its regions.

The region's residents have been demanding independence from India and accession to Pakistan, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947, and Islamabad and New Delhi divided the Muslim-majority region.

On August 5, 2019, the Indian government repealed Article 370 of the constitution, which guarantees self-government in Jammu and Kashmir, which has the only Muslim majority in the country, and then divided it into two regions administered by the federal government.

Afghanistan : The Security Council adopts a resolution facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and a Qatari-Turkish delegation heads to Kabul to discuss the operation of its airport

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution today, Wednesday, proposed by the United States, that would facilitate humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan over a year, in light of the great economic difficulties experienced by this country, while a Qatari-Turkish delegation is expected to visit the capital, Kabul, to discuss the operation and management of its airport.

The resolution provides for "allowing the payment of funds and financial assets" such as "providing necessary goods and services" to meet "basic humanitarian needs in Afghanistan", without this being a "violation" of the sanctions imposed on entities linked to the Taliban.

40 tons of French-Qatari aid delivered to Afghanistan

The United States welcomed this decision, and its representative clarified in the session that the assistance exempted from the sanctions includes providing shelters for Afghans and basic needs such as food security, health care and education.

For his part, the Chinese delegate said that humanitarian aid should not be politicized under any circumstances, calling for the release of Afghan assets held abroad as soon as possible.

The Russian delegate expressed her support for the decision, noting that consensus on the decision was not easy.

The Taliban welcomed what it considered a "good step" forward after the Security Council adopted the resolution facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, hoping that this would allow sanctions to be lifted.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Agence France-Presse, "It is a good step that we appreciate because this may help the economic situation of Afghanistan," expressing hope that this will contribute to "accelerating" the pace of lifting economic sanctions on entities linked to the movement.

As for the French delegate to the Security Council, she urged the Taliban to fulfill their obligations and ensure free access to humanitarian aid.

The Reuters news agency quoted a source it described as familiar as saying that the United Nations had proposed paying about $6 million to cover the expenses of guarding its headquarters in Afghanistan.

The agency added that the proposed funds will be paid to the Afghan Interior Ministry to cover the salaries of Taliban fighters who guard the headquarters of the International Organization in the country. The amount also includes monthly food stipends for the guards pursuant to a previous agreement between the US government and the former Afghan government.

On the other hand, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that he directed his team to review his country's policies towards Afghanistan, and how they were implemented starting from the year 2020 through the withdrawal.

He added that retired diplomat Dan Smith will lead that effort, and that he looks forward to studying the lessons learned that this review will produce, as he put it.

Qatari-Turkish delegation visits Kabul

In the same context, a Qatari-Turkish delegation is scheduled to arrive in Kabul tomorrow to discuss the operation and management of the Afghan capital's airport.

The acting Afghan Foreign Minister revealed to Al Jazeera that the Afghan government is conducting negotiations with Turkey and Qatar to manage and operate the airport, noting that his government will receive "delegations from (the two countries) during this week to complete consultations on this issue and we hope that we will soon witness a positive development in this regard."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that a joint delegation from Turkey and Qatar will head to the Afghan capital, Kabul, to consult with the interim government on the management of Afghan airports.