JAKARTA: Indonesia presses on with plans to hold a trilateral ulema conference scheduled to be held in Jakarta later this month, despite a call from the Taliban to boycott the meeting aimed to support the peace process in Afghanistan.
In a statement posted on their official website on Saturday, the Taliban described the peace process as “deceptive” efforts and that their enemies were going to trick respected Islamic scholars into gathering in Jakarta.
In a message they sent to Afghan, Pakistani, Indonesian and other Islamic countries scholars, the Taliban called on them to avoid participating in such conference.
“Do not afford an opportunity to the invading infidels in Afghanistan to misuse your name and participation in this conference as means of attaining their malicious objective,” the statement said.
Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), which is tasked by the Indonesian government to host the meeting, said the trilateral conference is not aimed to lecture or patronize ulemas from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“Maybe the Taliban is not well- informed and received the wrong information about the conference,” MUI’s head of international relations department, Muhyiddin Junaidi told Arab News.
“We just want to listen to them and share our experience in resolving conflicts. We also want to synchronize our procedures on issuing a fatwa,” Junaidi added.
He said the three countries will send 15 scholars each to attend the meeting, which was originally scheduled for March 15-16 but has been postponed to sometime later this month.
“We think that the ulemas proposed to attend the conference is not representative enough and does not include much of the Taliban,” he said.
MUI Secretary-General Anwar Abbas said they expect representatives from the Taliban to attend the meeting since this is part of the peace process efforts.
The Foreign Ministry’s director for the South and Central Asia region, Ferdy Piay, told Arab News that the ministry is aware of Taliban’s statement but declined to comment further, saying that the ministry will need to review the statement first.
“In principle, Indonesia continues to make preparations for the meeting,” Piay said.
In November, a delegation from the Afghan High Peace Council led by its chairman Karim Khalili came to Indonesia and held meetings with President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla during which the council asked Indonesia to support the peace process in Afghanistan through the role of the Ulema.
Last week, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that after the vice president’s meeting with several parties in Afghanistan in late February, they got a sense that all parties would be willing to accept Indonesia’s role in the peace process. Kalla was in Kabul to attend the Kabul Process conference where he was the guest of honor.
Kalla is credited to have played a crucial role in brokering the peace that ended decades-long secessionist conflict in Aceh and communal conflicts in other parts of the country.
“Indonesia is perceived as neutral and we don’t have direct political or economic interests. Moreover, Indonesia has a good track record in peace diplomacy and these are what makes Afghanistan ask Indonesia to contribute in peacebuilding and the peace process,” Marsudi told journalists after a meeting at MUI office on Wednesday with Kalla.
“We hope the meeting will result in agreement on how to make peace in Afghanistan,” Kalla said.
“None of the ulemas want to the war between Muslims to continue,” he added.
Taliban not ‘well-informed’ on peace conference, says Ulema Council in Indonesia
Taliban not ‘well-informed’ on peace conference, says Ulema Council in Indonesia
India opens giant Hindu festival for 400 million pilgrims
- Festival is held at site where the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers meet
- Millennia-old Kumbh Mela is a show of religious piety and features ritual bathing
Prayagraj, India: Vast crowds of Hindu pilgrims in India began bathing in sacred waters on Monday as the Kumbh Mela festival opened, with organizers expecting 400 million people — the largest gathering of humanity.
The millennia-old Kumbh Mela, a show of religious piety and ritual bathing — and a logistical challenge of staggering proportions — is held at the site where the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers meet.
In the cool pre-dawn gloom, pilgrims surged forward to begin bathing in the waters.
“I feel great joy,” said Surmila Devi, 45. “For me, it’s like bathing in nectar.”
Businesswoman Reena Rai’s voice quivered with excitement as she spoke about the “religious reasons” that brought her to join the sprawling tents, packed along the river banks in the north Indian city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state.
“As a Hindu, this is an unmissable occasion,” said the 38-year-old, who traveled around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Madhya Pradesh state to take part in the festival, which runs from Monday until February 26.
Saffron-robed monks and naked ash-smeared ascetics roamed the crowds offering blessings to devotees, many of whom had walked for weeks to reach the site.
The massive congregation is also an occasion for India’s Hindu nationalist government to burnish its credentials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “divine occasion,” that brings together “countless people in a sacred confluence of faith, devotion and culture.”
Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu monk and Utter Pradesh’s chief minister, welcomed devotees to “experience unity in diversity” at the “world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering.”
Organizers say the scale of the Kumbh Mela is that of a temporary country — with numbers expected to total around the combined populations of the United States and Canada.
“Some 350 to 400 million devotees are going to visit the mela, so you can imagine the scale of preparations,” festival spokesman Vivek Chaturvedi said.
Hindu monks carried huge flags of their respective sects, while tractors turned into chariots for life-size idols of Hindu gods rolled by behind them accompanied by elephants.
Pilgrims exulted in the beat of drums and honking horns.
The festival is rooted in Hindu mythology, a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.
Organizing authorities are calling it the great or “Maha” Kumbh Mela.
The riverside in Prayagraj has turned into a vast sea of tents — some luxury, others simple tarpaulins.
Jaishree Ben Shahtilal took three days to reach the holy site, journeying with her neighbors from Gujarat state in a convoy of 11 buses over three days.
“I have great faith in god,” she said. “I have waited for so long to bathe in the holy river.”
Around 150,000 toilets have been built and a network of community kitchens can each feed up to 50,000 people at the same time.
Another 68,000 LED light poles have been erected for a gathering so large that its bright lights can be seen from space.
The last celebration at the site, the “ardh” or half Kumbh Mela in 2019, attracted 240 million pilgrims, according to the government.
That compares to an estimated 1.8 million Muslims who take part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
Indian police said they were “conducting relentless day-and-night patrols to ensure top-notch security” for the event.
Authorities and the police have also set up a network of “lost and found” centers and an accompanying phone app to help pilgrims lost in the immense crowd “to reunite with their families.”
India is the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4 billion people, and so is used to large crowds.
Temperatures hovered around 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit) overnight, but pilgrims said their faith meant their baths were not chilly.
“Once you are in the water, you don’t even feel cold,” said 56-year-old devotee Chandrakant Nagve Patel. “I felt like I was one with god.”
Hindus believe bathing there during the Kumbh helps cleanse sins and brings salvation.
Government employee Bhawani Baneree, who had come from the western state of Maharashtra, said the “vibrant atmosphere” had made his long journey worthwhile.
“Everything is so beautiful,” he said.
Tens of thousands take holy dip in India as Maha Kumbh festival begins
- Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela attracts more than 400 million visitors, both Indians and tourists
- The event offers a test in crowd management for authorities in the world’s most populous country
PRAYAGRAJ, India: Tens of thousands of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immersed themselves on Monday in freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers, as India began a six-week festival expected to draw the world’s largest gathering of humanity.
Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival, as the religious event in the city of Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is called, attracts more than 400 million visitors, both Indians and tourists.
As many as 40,000 police officers are on guard to provide security and help manage the crowds, while surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence AI capabilities will ensure continuous monitoring.
“It is our festival,” said ascetic Hazari Lala Mishra, who immersed himself before sunrise, which is considered an auspicious time. “(It is) the only festival for hermits and monks, and we wait for it desperately.”
Authorities expect Monday’s first ritual dip to draw more than 2.5 million visitors, followed by a “royal bath” on Tuesday reserved for ascetics, in the belief that it absolves them of sin and confers salvation from the cycle of life and death.
Amid public warnings to walk in lines without halting anywhere, droves of marchers headed for bathing positions to await sunrise at the confluence of the three holy rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati.
Advancing toward the waters’ edge in the winter morning fog, they chanted invocations such as “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Ganga Maiyya” in praise of the Hindu deities Lord Shiva and Mother Ganga, who personifies India’s holiest river.
“I am excited but now scared because I didn’t expect this crowd,” said Priyanka Rajput, a fashion model from Delhi, the capital, who accompanied her mother. “This is my first Kumbh and I came here only because my mother is very spiritual.”
The Kumbh originates in a Hindu tradition that the god Vishnu, known as the Preserver, wrested away from demons a golden pitcher that held the nectar of immortality.
In a 12-day celestial fight for its possession, four drops of the nectar fell to earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, where the festival is held every three years in rotation.
The Kumbh held once in 12 years in this cycle has the prefix ‘maha’ (great) as its timing renders it more auspicious and it attracts the largest crowds.
CROWD MANAGEMENT
A showcase mix of religion, spirituality and tourism like no other in India, the event offers a test in crowd management for authorities in the world’s most populous country who must balance arrangements for millions while retaining its sanctity.
A temporary city sprawling over 4,000 hectares (9,990 acres) has sprung up along the river banks with 150,000 tents to house the visitors, and is equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and 99 parking lots.
Authorities are also installing as many as 450,000 new electricity connections, with the Kumbh expected to consume more power than 100,000 urban apartments require in a month.
Indian Railways has added 98 trains to make 3,300 trips carrying festival visitors, in addition to regular services to Prayagraj.
Uttar Pradesh is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which hopes a successful Kumbh Mela will burnish its efforts to reclaim and glorify India’s religious and cultural symbols.
That has been a plank for the party’s Hindu base promised since Modi swept to power nationwide in 2014.
“The Maha Kumbh embodies India’s timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony,” Modi said in a post on X.
US, Japanese, Philippine leaders discussed China’s behavior in South China Sea, White House says
- The three leaders discussed trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation
- Manila said the three countries agreed to further strengthen their ties
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Sunday met virtually with his counterparts from Japan and the Philippines to advance cooperation among the three countries, the White House said.
The three leaders discussed trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation, and China’s “dangerous and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea,” it said in a statement.
“The three leaders agreed on the importance of continued coordination to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Biden spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. late on Sunday, a week before Biden leaves office and hands power to President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
Manila said the three countries, which met for a trilateral summit in Washington in April, agreed to further strengthen their ties in the face of growing tensions in regional waters.
The South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, has been plagued by rising tensions for years. China claims almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found Beijing’s sweeping claims had no legal basis.
The US has increased its security engagements with the Philippines under Marcos, securing expanded access to Philippine bases.
The White House statement made no mention of any discussion about Nippon Steel’s planned acquisition of US Steel, which Biden blocked on Jan. 3 citing national security concerns.
Japan’s foreign ministry said Ishiba asked Biden to allay concerns in the Japanese and US business communities over the decision, noting that cooperation among allies and like-minded countries was indispensable for establishing resilient supply chains.
The White House had no immediate comment on the reported discussion.
300 North Korean soldiers killed, 2,700 injured in Ukraine: Seoul
SEOUL: Around 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed and 2,700 injured while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said Monday, citing information from Seoul’s spy agency.
“The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia has reportedly expanded to include the Kursk region, with estimates suggesting that casualties... include approximately 300 deaths and 2700 injuries,” lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after a briefing from the spy agency.
LA fire evacuees told no chance of return until at least Thursday
- Frustrated evacuees have formed lines at checkpoints hoping to get into no-go zones
- Many are desperate to get back to homes they had to flee with just a few moments’ notice
LOS ANGELES, United States: Tens of thousands of people forced from their homes by enormous fires raking Los Angeles will not be able to return for at least four days, officials said Sunday.
Frustrated evacuees have formed lines at checkpoints hoping to get into no-go zones barricaded off amid the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.
Many are desperate to get back to homes they had to flee with just a few moments’ notice to pick up medicines or clothes they did not have a chance to grab.
Others simply want to find out if their houses have survived.
But Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Sunday that gusting winds forecast this week mean the fire emergency is far from over.
“They can’t go home, simply because it’s not safe,” he told a press conference.
“It’s our collective priority... to be able to get residents back in their homes just as quickly as possible.
“That conversation is not going to occur until the end of the predicted red flag event that’s on its way,” he said, referring to the strong winds expected to last until Wednesday.
“Please rest assured that first thing Thursday, we will start talking about repopulation.”
Lines several city blocks long have seen people queuing for up to 11 hours for a short escorted visit to their home in an evacuation zone.
One woman, who gave her name as Janelle, told broadcaster KTLA she knew her house was gone, but she needed “closure.”
“I see the photos, I see the videos, and I just want to see it with my own eyes,” she said, her voice breaking.
“I know it’s gone, but... I just want to see it for myself.”
Editor Henry Levinson was trying to get to his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
“I wanted to collect my dad’s ashes, which we had to leave behind, as well as my grandma’s ashes, which we also had to leave behind,” he said on Sunday.
But even those escorted visits were stopped Sunday, as firefighters fretted about strengthening winds and their potential to reignite smoldering embers.
Marrone said a system was being developed to allow evacuated residents to go online to view if their homes were damaged or destroyed.
Los Angeles City Councilor Traci Park said she understood the anguish of those affected, but conditions were simply too dangerous.
“These are hard decisions, and I know that many of my constituents are disappointed and frustrated, but safety must remain our top priority,” she said.
Around 100,000 people remain under compulsory evacuation orders in multiple fire zones, down from a peak of 180,000 last week.
Areas hit by fires have been devastated, with whole streets reduced to cinders, and infrastructure badly mangled.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his deputies would continue to keep people out of the zones.
“A lot of these areas still look like they were hit by a bomb. There are live electrical wires, gas lines and other hazards,” he said.
“I know there’s a lot of folks trying to get back to their houses. We are very empathetic and sensitive to those needs, but your safety comes first.”
The latest official death toll from the deadly blazes stood at 24, but was expected to rise as search teams with dogs go house to house.
