https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:49:55 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uae-bear-sedated-after-escaping-cargo-crate-from-iraqi-airways-plane/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:39:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658318 An Iraqi Airways plane travelling from Baghdad to Dubai was delayed on Friday, after a bear escaped from its crate in the cargo hold on Friday at Dubai International Airport. In a statement, Iraqi Airways said: "The company apologises to the passengers of the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company, regarding a shipment in the cargo hold." "Upon arrival to Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment," the airline said, adding that the animal was being transported in line with international animal welfare guidelines: "The plane crew co-ordinated with UAE's authority who sent a specialised team to sedate the animal and take it off the plane." […]]]> 658318 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-will-saudi-arabia-make-friday-a-working-day/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:45:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658192 In a thought-provoking op-ed published on Friday by Saudi Arabian daily newspaper Okaz, entitled "Friday is a working day," writer Mona Al-Otaibi questions whether the Kingdom's traditional Friday-Saturday weekend needs an overhaul, igniting a debate on social media. The piece highlighted the potential financial losses incurred due to Friday being an important workday in the financial world, and it has sparked discussions about whether Saudi Arabia should consider shifting its weekend to Saturday-Sunday, following in the footsteps of neighbouring UAE which made the controversial change last year, after plans were announced in 2021. At the time, the Emirati the government said it would "ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries that follow a Saturday-Sunday weekend, facilitating stronger international […]]]> 658192 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-iraq-seeks-interpol-alerts-for-former-officials-over-2-5bln-graft/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 14:46:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658183 Iraq plans to ask Interpol to issue international alerts seeking the arrest of former senior officials including an ex-finance minister and an ex-intelligence chief over the alleged theft of more than $2.5 billion from the country's Tax Commission, Reuters reports. The scandal centres on suspected illegitimate cash withdrawals from the Commission between 2021 and 2022 totalling around $2.5 billion, according to Iraqi officials – a staggering amount even in a country that regularly ranks among the world's most corrupt. Iraq's top anti-corruption official, Integrity Commission chief Judge Haider Hanoun, announced the move to seek so-called Interpol Red Notices on Sunday. Hanoun said the judiciary would also ask for notices to be issued for the private secretary and a political adviser […]]]> 658183 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-iraq-blocks-telegram-app-cites-personal-data-violations/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 13:56:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658176 Iraq's telecoms ministry said it has blocked the Telegram messaging app over national security concerns and in order to preserve the integrity of users' personal data, which it said the app had mishandled, Reuters reports. The app is widely used in Iraq for messaging but also as a source of news and for sharing content. Some channels contain large amounts of personal data including the names, addresses and family ties of Iraqis. The ministry said in a statement it had asked the app to close down "platforms that leak the data of the official state institutions and the personal data of citizens… but the company did not respond and did not interact with any of these requests." "The Ministry of […]]]> 658176 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-denmark-studying-legal-measures-to-prevent-quran-burning-egyptian-foreign-ministry/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:29:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658102 Denmark is studying several measures and legislation to prevent the recurrence of Quran burning incidents, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen affirmed this in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement. Rasmussen told Shoukry that the recent incidents involving the burning and desecration of the Quran in Denmark were "regrettable and contradicted Denmark's societal values," the statement added. Reiterating Egypt's strong condemnation of Quran burning, Shoukry said that such incidents provoke Muslims worldwide. READ: Iran-born Swedish woman burns Quran in Stockholm He also affirmed that these incidents violate human rights, threaten peaceful coexistence and fuel extremism. On Tuesday, despite wide-ranging condemnation, members […]]]> 658102 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-daesh-confirms-death-of-its-leader/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:29:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658052 The Daesh terrorist group announced, on Thursday, the death of its little-known leader, Abu Hussein Al-Qurashi, who, it said, was killed in clashes in north-western Syria, and named a successor, Al Jazeera reports. According to the report, Al-Qurashi had been heading the terrorist organisation since November. Al-Qurashi "was martyred after direct clashes" with members of Syria's Al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham when they tried to detain him in the province of Idlib, Daesh spokesperson, Abu Huthaifa Al-Ansari, said in an audio message on the Telegram messaging app. "He fought them until he succumbed to his wounds," Al-Ansari said of Al-Qurashi. Erdogan, in April, said Al-Qurashi had been killed in Syria in an operation carried out by Turkiye's MIT intelligence agency. "The […]]]> 658052 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-polls-in-northern-iraq-kurdish-regional-government-set-for-february-2024/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:09:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657954 Parliamentary elections in the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq are set for February next year, the presidential office announced on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. The parliamentary elections will be held on 25 February, 2024, it said in a statement. Parliamentary elections in the KRG, which are supposed to take place every four years, were last held in September 2018. Originally scheduled for 1 October of last year, the KRG parliamentary elections were postponed by almost a year to 18 November, 2023. However, due to ongoing disagreements between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over minority quotas, election laws and the activation of the High Electoral Commission, the election date has been pushed […]]]> 657954 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-from-kofte-to-sarma-iraqi-chef-offers-turkiye-cuisine-to-locals/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 13:14:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657881 A young chef in Iraq's Kirkuk region offers Turkish cuisine to locals at a counter she has set up at a market, Anadolu Agency reports. Sara Sabah told Anadolu she tried Anatolian cuisine during her travels to Turkiye in the summer, and then decided to introduce the food culture to the Arab country. She makes dishes such as meat balls or kofte, Yaprak sarma, which are stuffed vine leaves, Turkish ravioli, or manti, as well as Lokum, also known as Turkish delight. Sabah said Iraqis have taken a great interest in the Turkish cuisine in the last few years due to increase in their travel to Turkiye. She soon plans to open a restaurant in Kirkuk, the city home to […]]]> 657881 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-sistani-sends-letter-to-pope-calls-for-inter-faith-respect/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:56:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657876 Iraq's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has sent a letter to Pope Francis calling for peaceful co-existence and respect among followers of all faiths, and calling for concerted efforts to reject violence. Sistani's letter was in response to a letter from the Pope coinciding with the second anniversary of the pontiff's historic visit to Iraq, where he met with the Shia cleric at his residence in the holy city of Najaf. Pope Francis addressed Sistani as his "dear brother" and recalled their encounter as "a milestone on the path of interreligious dialogue and understanding between peoples." Speaking of their "important meeting" in March 2021, Ayatollah Sistani said it "became an incentive for many followers of the Islamic and Christian religions, and even others […]]]> 657876 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-cooling-off-in-iraqs-scorching-heat/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:37:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657789 READ: Daily wagers in Iraq endure 50 degrees of heat to make ends meet]]> 657789 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-daily-wagers-in-iraq-endure-50-degrees-of-heat-to-make-ends-meet/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:52:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657393 Iraqi daily wagers, who have no social security, try to support their families by carrying heavy loads on their backs for about 10 hours a day in the scorching summer heat, Anadolu Agency reports. Temperatures can sometimes exceed 50C (122F) in summer in Iraq. High temperatures have a negative impact on the health of labourers working in the open air. The workers – who often work on construction sites or as porters, under the scorching sun – demand social security and their working conditions to be regulated. READ: Bomb attack, fire cause electricity disruptions in Baghdad, southern Iraq]]> 657393 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-uk-acknowledges-genocide-was-committed-against-yazidis-by-daesh/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:12:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657126 Britain, on Tuesday, formally acknowledged that acts of genocide were committed against minority Yazidis by Daesh militants in Iraq in 2014, ahead of the nine-year anniversary of the crimes, Reuters reports. The acknowledgement comes after a German court in 2021 jailed a former Daesh militant for life for involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity against Yazidis in Iraq and Syria. German lawmakers have also recognised that genocide crimes were committed by Daesh militants in Iraq. READ: 81 mass graves of Yazidis found in Iraq's Sinjar since 2014: Official "The Yazidi population suffered immensely at the hands of Daesh, nine years ago, and the repercussions are still felt to this day," Britain's Minister of State for the Middle East, Tariq Ahmad, said in […]]]> 657126 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-bomb-attack-fire-cause-electricity-disruptions-in-baghdad-southern-iraq/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 08:55:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656450 The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity said Sunday that there has been a power outage for more than 24 hours in Baghdad and southern cities, reports Anadolu Agency. It said the electricity supply was disrupted because of a bomb attack on a power line. Meanwhile, a fire that occurred at a significant power plant caused an electricity outage in southern provinces. Residents in the region are relying on neighborhood generators for electricity, but in many areas, the power service has been unavailable for more than 24 hours. READ: Iraq banks hit with dollar ban say they are ready to challenge measures]]> 656450 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-swedish-migration-agency-re-examines-residency-permit-of-quran-burner/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 15:35:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656431 The Swedish migration agency said late on Friday it is re-examining the residency permit of an Iraqi refugee who is behind several Qur'an desecrations in Stockholm in recent weeks, which have upset Muslims across the world, Reuters reports. The man burnt a copy of the Qur'an last month outside of Stockholm's central mosque and also held a demonstration in front of the Iraqi embassy in July where he said he would burn the holy book, but did not do so. The migration agency said it is re-examining his immigration status, after it received information from the Swedish authorities that have given reason to examine whether the man's status in Sweden should be revoked. "It is a statutory measure that is taken when the Swedish migration agency receives such […]]]> 656431 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-iraq-banks-hit-with-dollar-ban-say-they-are-ready-to-challenge-measures/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 17:27:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656130 Fourteen Iraqi private banks hit with curbs by the United States over allegedly helping siphon US dollars to Iran said on Wednesday they were ready to challenge the measures and face audits and called on Iraqi authorities to provide assistance, Reuters reports. US financial authorities last week barred 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions as part of a wider crackdown on dollar smuggling to Iran via the Iraqi banking system, Iraqi Central Bank officials have said. US State Department deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, said the measures were not sanctions, as they have been referred to by Iraq's Central Bank Governor. Patel said the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, earlier this month, removed the banks' access […]]]> 656130 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-iraqis-mark-martyrdom-of-imam-al-hussein-with-fireballs/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:55:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656078 READ: Day workers try to earn living in northern Iraq in temps higher than 113F]]> 656078 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-muslims-decry-repeated-quran-burnings-desecration-in-western-countries/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:43:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656066 Muslims, worldwide, have condemned the desecration and burning of the Quran in Denmark and Sweden, asserting that these attacks cannot be justified by freedom of expression, Anadolu Agency reports. In response to the rising incidents of Quran desecration in Western countries, Anadolu spoke with locals from Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon and Palestine who took to the streets condemning the act. Yusuf Abu Sunayne, a preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem, said: "The Book of Allah has been preserved in the hearts of Muslims; no matter what they do, no matter how much they hate, no matter how many opportunities they look to attack, the Book of Allah will guide Muslims in the East and West." He went on […]]]> 656066 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-day-workers-try-to-earn-living-in-northern-iraq-in-temps-higher-than-113f/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:49:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655968 Construction and transportation day workers in northern Erbil province in Iraq are trying to earn a living in temperatures of more than 45C (113F), Anadolu Agency reports. Residents do not usually go out because of the extreme heat, but day workers line up on roads and try to earn wages for the day. They get 20 – 50 dinars ($15 – $37), depending on the work, while they generally handle construction or transportation. Shivan Mohammed told Anadolu he has been taking care of his family this way for the last 15 years. "We are waiting to get a job here, lining up from 7 am to 4 pm every day," he said. "The hot weather seriously threatens my health." "The number […]]]> 655968 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-us-led-coalition-chopper-crashes-in-northern-iraq/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:45:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655703 A helicopter of the US-led coalition military forces crashed on Thursday in northern Iraq, the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) said in a statement, Anadolu Agency reports. "At approximately 12.15 pm, Coalition service members conducting a routine training mission experienced an in-flight mishap near Erbil," the press release said, adding that there were no casualties, but the aircraft was damaged. The site was cordoned off and an investigation into the incident launched. READ: Iraq doctor wins BBC sewing competition]]> 655703 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-iraq-doctor-wins-bbc-sewing-competition/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:37:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655628 An Iraqi doctor who lives in Wales has won the BBC's Great British Sewing Bee 2023. Asmaa was crowned the winner yesterday after beating 12 contestants. The 46-year-old said she learnt to sew from her grandmother in Iraq and would use scraps of materials to create a wardrobe for her dolls. "Amongst everything I have done in the last 45 years of my life – this has to top it all – not the medical degree, not anything else, this is it!" she said. She added: 'My grandmother was a seamstress who taught my mother, who then taught me. I think this confirms it is in the blood." 'The only thing that has really kept me going and kept me […]]]> 655628 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-sanctioned-iraq-banks-say-they-are-ready-to-face-audit-warn-of-dinar-slide/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 19:53:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655287 Fourteen Iraqi private banks sanctioned by the United States over allegedly helping siphon US dollars to Iran said on Wednesday they were ready to challenge the measures and face audits and called on Iraqi authorities to provide assistance, Reuters reports. US financial authorities last week barred 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions as part of a wider crackdown on dollar smuggling to Iran via the Iraqi banking system, Iraqi Central Bank officials have said. The US Treasury Department and the New York Fed have not responded to requests for comment. Iraqi Central Bank (CBI) Governor, Ali Al-Allaq, said on Wednesday the institution was following up on the issue and he had no indication the US would sanction more Iraqi banks. He […]]]> 655287 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-iraq-dozens-injured-in-najaf-hotel-fire/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 10:56:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655145 Dozens of people have been injured in a fire that broke out in a six-storey hotel in the city of Najaf in central Iraq, the Civil Defence Directorate announced on Tuesday. Most of those injured were Iranian pilgrims among the thousands of Shia Muslims who visit the holy city. According to Iraqi media outlets, 72 people suffered from smoke inhalation, and three others suffered burns. The Civil Defence authority said that its teams rescued guests of various nationalities from the hotel where the fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon. It added that the governorate's specialised firefighting crews and support teams were mobilised to rescue people and extinguish the flames. Medical crews gave first aid to those who were injured. An […]]]> 655145 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-uk-elbit-factory-protest-enters-87th-day/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:45:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655104 The Palestine Action protest outside the Elbit-owned UAV Tactical Systems factory in Leicestershire's Meridian Business Park has now entered its 87th day. A small but determined group of protesters is on site 24 hours a day to ensure that the local council doesn't remove the flags and banners from the protest camp across the road from the factory entrance. Cries of "murderers" and "child killers" greet workers as they arrive and leave the factory, many of them wearing masks to hide their identity. They are mocked by the activists who ask if they tell their children that they make drones which are used by the Israel Defence Forces to kill Palestinian children. The drone factory is owned and operated by […]]]> 655104 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-sweden-opposition-demands-urgent-meeting-on-quran-burnings/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:00:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655099 Sweden's left-wing opposition party demanded an emergency parliamentary meeting Tuesday about the ongoing Quran burnings, Anadolu Agency reports. "We are calling for the foreign policy committee to be called to an extra meeting as soon as possible as a result of what is now happening," Social Democrats' Foreign Policy spokesperson, Morgan Johansson, said in a statement. Johansson urged the government to take measures "to protect Swedish lives and the Swedish interests." He said Sweden has found itself in "an extremely serious situation which has been getting steadily worse." The Social Democrats demanded the right-wing government inform the Riksdag about the diplomatic crisis that Sweden is facing and inform other parties about how it intends to manage the turmoil caused by […]]]> 655099 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-egyptians-suffer-as-heat-wave-continues-across-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:18:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655052 Egypt has warned the population not to use lifts for 20 minutes, each hour, whilst it implements power cuts so that it can conserve energy as a gruelling heat wave continues to engulf North Africa and the Middle East. The Electricity Ministry has released a diagram to show the start and end times of the power outages every hour, and when to stay away from the lifts so that people do not get trapped inside them. وفقا لبيان وزارة الكهرباء ، دا رسم بيوضح مواعيد بدء انقطاع التيار الكهربائى كل ساعة، وهى التلت ساعة اللى باللون الأحمر، ويفضل البعد عن الاسانسير خلالها. ربنا يسترها على الجميع. pic.twitter.com/4Fidj9uMYA — Khaled Ali (@Khaledali251) July 23, 2023 The government has said that the […]]]> 655052 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-qurans-burnt-in-front-of-egypt-turkiye-embassies-in-denmark/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:26:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655020 A small group of anti-Islam activists set fire to Qurans in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen on Tuesday, after similar protests in Denmark and Sweden over recent weeks that have enraged Muslims, Reuters reports. Denmark and Sweden have said they deplore the burning of Islam's Holy Book but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech. Last week, protesters in Iraq set the Swedish embassy in Baghdad ablaze. Tuesday's demonstration in Copenhagen by a group called "Danish Patriots" followed Quran burnings the group staged on Monday and last week in front of the Iraqi embassy. Two such incidents have taken place in Sweden over the past month. Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Monday called on authorities of EU […]]]> 655020 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-hatred-against-muslims-in-europe-threatens-co-existence/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:37:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654992 Hate speech and racism against Muslims in Europe have increased significantly, threatening co-existence in societies, the head of Hamad bin Khalifa Civilisation Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark said, Anadolu Agency reports. "The phenomenon of hatred against European Muslims has become a topic of discussion in most European media and has been acknowledged by some government departments," Abdul Hamid Al-Hamdi told Anadolu. He went on to say: "This was evident when the German Ministry of Interior published a report concluding that the Muslim minority in Germany is the most vulnerable to racial discrimination and hate speech." In late June, the Ministry released a report prepared by the Independent Expert Group on Hostility to Muslims, which stated that a third of Muslims in […]]]> 654992 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-danish-diplomatic-mission-leaves-iraq-after-quran-desecration/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:25:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654989 The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that the Danish diplomatic mission in Baghdad left the country on Saturday, following the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by a group of Danish right-wing extremists in Copenhagen. The announcement was made by ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf without giving further details. A Danish far-right anti-Islam group calling itself "Danske Patrioter" (Danish Patriots) burned a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in the Danish capital on Friday. The incident prompted demonstrations in Baghdad; hundreds of Iraqis tried to enter the fortified Green Zone in the capital to protest at the Danish Embassy. Earlier on Monday, the same group burned another copy of the Quran in […]]]> 654989 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-uk-judge-rules-that-home-secretary-acted-unlawfully-over-asylum-seekers/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:51:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654945 A judge in the UK has ruled that the home secretary acted unlawfully in not providing basic support to asylum seekers including young children and pregnant women. Mr Justice Swift found that Suella Braverman broke the law by withholding £3 ($3.8) a week for healthy food for children up to three years old and pregnant women after lawyers representing five asylum seekers challenged the home secretary in the high court. Hotel food for the asylum seekers was pasta, rice, chips, mashed potato and dry sandwiches which meant they had no access to healthy food when relying only on the hotel food, reports the Guardian. One of the asylum seekers begged in shops for leftover food for their child. Asylum seekers are […]]]> 654945 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-book-review-a-stranger-in-baghdad/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:06:20 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654915 An unexpected visit from former British diplomat and family acquaintance Duncan Claybourne to Iraqi-British psychiatrist Mona Haddad in 2003 sets the scene for Elizabeth Loudon's novel, A Stranger in Baghdad (Hoopoe Fiction, 2023). The reader is plunged immediately into intrigue with the possibility of revelation, only to discover the many intricacies which bind all of the characters together, each a protagonist in their own right, and all against a backdrop of British colonialism and its aftermath in Iraq. The book shifts back to 1937, when Mona's mother, Diane, moves to Baghdad after marrying an Iraqi doctor, Ibrahim Haddad. British Diane is a misfit in both worlds: she challenges her own family's stereotypical views through her marriage, while in Iraq she […]]]> 654915 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-the-clergy-and-the-modern-middle-east-shii-political-activism-in-iran-iraq-and-lebanon/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:30:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654896 It is often stated that within the world of Shia Muslim seminaries, the cities of Najaf in Iraq and Qom in Iran represent two contrasting camps in Shia scholarly stances on politics: one of quietism and the other of activism, respectively. This simplistic narrative has not only been perpetuated by Western media and academia, but also embraced by some within the Shia community. However, Mohammad Kalantari, in his book, The Clergy and the Modern Middle East: Shi'i Activism in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, sheds light on the complexity of the situation. He argues that this oversimplification obscures the reality, which requires a deeper contextualisation of the political realities faced by the influential Shia clerical elites in the Middle East, particularly […]]]> 654896 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-attacks-on-quran-continue-in-denmark/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:19:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654885 Attacks against the Holy Quran persist in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, as members of the marginalised group, Danish Patriots, known for their anti-Islamic and ultra-nationalist stance, burned two copies of the Quran on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports. The incidents took place in front of the Iranian Embassy and, later, in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen. The group's members chanted slogans insulting Islam and showed disrespect by stepping on the Iranian flag and the Quran, which they threw on the ground before setting them on fire. They live-streamed the offensive moments on their social media accounts. The Danish Patriots claimed that their actions were a response to Iran's announcement of arresting and prosecuting members of their group and supporters. The […]]]> 654885 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-uk-must-repatriate-more-british-nationals-from-syria-terror-legislation-reviewer-says/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 15:16:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654858 The British government's independent reviewer of counter-terrorism legislation has urged the United Kingdom to repatriate British nationals and even former nationals who are detained in Syria, insisting that the situation is different now than it was six years ago. Speaking at an all-party parliamentary group on trafficked British people in Syria, Jonathan Hall – the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation and advisor to ministers on the issue – said that "I think it's inevitable that many of these people [detained current and former British citizens] will come back. And … if it's going to happen, you must make it happen sooner or later." Throughout the last decade, during the peak of the Syrian conflict and emergence of the Daesh terror […]]]> 654858 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-iraq-independent-candidates-likely-to-have-weak-chances-of-winning-local-polls/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:43:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654850 Iraqi independent candidates and new parties are less likely to win the local elections scheduled for the end of year, according to political experts, Anadolu Agency reports. The Iraqi High Election Commission announced that 270 political parties and blocs will participate in the local elections slated for December. Provincial councils to be formed through local elections will have the authority to elect city governors, while district councils will have the power to elect district governors. Local councils will also have the right to utilise the budget allocated to cities for projects of public services. Al Nasr Coalition, led by Haydar Al-Abadi and National Wisdom Movement, headed by Shia cleric, Ammar Al-Hakim, run the election as an alliance. Both groups are […]]]> 654850 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230722-baghdad-sweden-embassy-staff-return-to-stockholm/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 09:57:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654450 The staff of the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad returned on Friday to Stockholm for security reasons after the embassy was stormed by protesters angry about permission being granted to burn the Holy Quran in Stockholm. This came after a number of protesters stormed the embassy and set fire to it, Iraqi media revealed. However, there have been no details about the severity of the damage. On Thursday, Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador in protest of a planned burning of the Holy Quran that prompted hundreds of protesters to gather near the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad. A spokesperson for the Sweden Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that staff and operations would temporarily move to Stockholm for security reasons but declined to […]]]> 654450 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230722-quran-burnings-free-speech-or-hate-speech/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 07:30:56 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654396   A series of Quran burnings authorised by Swedish authorities sparked worldwide condemnation and mass protests in several Muslim-majority countries. These incidents also reignited the ongoing debate regarding the delicate balance between freedom of speech and protecting religious groups from acts that incite hatred or harm. In Sweden, freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration are constitutionally protected rights. This means that any individual in Sweden has the right to express their opinions, even if they are offensive or disrespectful to certain religious beliefs. Historically, Sweden had laws prohibiting blasphemy which were rooted in its close association with the church, but throughout the 20th century, Sweden gradually moved towards secularisation and blasphemy was decriminalised. Reintroducing a ban on the burning of […]]]> 654396 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-iraq-renews-deal-to-supply-lebanon-up-to-2m-tons-of-crude-for-a-year/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:17:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654435 Iraq renewed its agreement to provide Lebanon with up to 2 million tons of crude oil for a year, Lebanese Energy Ministry said in a statement on Friday, Reuters reports. The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Iraq providing Lebanon with fuel oil and crude oil, the Iraqi state news agency, INA, also reported on Friday, without elaborating. In May, Lebanon signed deals to secure more fuel supplies from Iraq, as Beirut battles to produce more power to help it emerge from years of economic crisis. Baghdad also agreed to increase the volume of heavy fuel oil supplied under an existing deal by 50 per cent to 1.5 million metric tonnes this year. Under the heavy fuel oil deal, […]]]> 654435 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-uk-quran-burning-desecration-deeply-insulting-to-muslims/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:31:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654391 Britain has condemned the desecration and burning of the Quran, Islam's holy book, in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm, Anadolu Agency reports. In a written statement issued by a spokesperson of UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the British government said such actions are "deeply insulting to Muslims around the world and completely inappropriate". Saying the UK denounces hatred on the basis of religion or belief, the Foreign Office said: "We will defend freedom of religion or belief for all, and promote mutual respect. We recognise the deep suffering experienced by Muslims around the world caused by the burning of the Quran." READ: UN Human Rights Council condemns attacks on Quran despite Western states' rejection Arab and Islamic states […]]]> 654391 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-drought-imperils-iraq-water-buffalo-and-a-childs-way-of-life/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:45:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654181 Petting a water buffalo before tying a fodder bag around its neck, Mustafa Ahmed tends his father's herd in Iraq's southern province of Najaf, where his family have raised animals for generations but lack of water now threatens their livelihood, Reuters reports. Iraq forms part of the "Fertile Crescent", land sweeping from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf which has been farmed for thousands of years. But the landscape has been devastated by upstream damming of Iraq's two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, lower rainfall trends and decades of conflict. Ahmed's father, Ahmed Abdul Hussein, said the dire water shortage in their home, Al-Mishkhab district, is forcing him to sell their animals one by one – heartbreaking for […]]]> 654181 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-iraq-declares-sweden-ambassador-to-baghdad-persona-non-grata/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:04:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654177 Iraqi authorities, on Thursday, declared Sweden's ambassador to Baghdad 'persona non grata' following Swedish police permission for Quran burning in front of the Iraqi Embassy, ​​according to the Iraqi Premier's office, Anadolu Agency reports. Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, directed his country's Foreign Ministry to recall its charge d'Affaires in Stockholm. The Iraqi Premier's office said on Twitter that Al Sudani also directed a request to the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad to leave the country. The move came "in response to the repeated permission of the Swedish government to burn copy of the holy Quran, insult Islamic sanctities and burn the Iraqi flag." Earlier on Thursday, Iraq threatened to sever its diplomatic relationship with Sweden if the desecration […]]]> 654177 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-quran-iraq-flag-desecrated-in-front-of-iraq-embassy-in-sweden/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:20:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654155 Sweden, on Thursday, saw yet another act of deliberate desecration of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Despite protests of the official permission for previous acts of desecration, this provocation also took place under heavy police protection, Anadolu Agency reports. Standing in front of the Iraqi Embassy in the capital Stockholm, Salwan Momika, an Iraqi-born man who now lives in Sweden, threw both the Quran and the Iraqi flag on the ground and stepped on them, and then wiped his feet on them. He took the action after Iraqi protesters, on Thursday, stormed Sweden's Embassy in Baghdad in protest of the burning of a copy of the Quran last month – a burning also committed by Momika himself. The burning took […]]]> 654155 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-iraq-hundreds-storm-swedish-embassy-and-set-it-on-fire/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 08:41:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654066 Hundreds of Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in the capital, Baghdad, at dawn today, and set it on fire. Supporters of Muqtada Al-Sadr had called for a protest in front of the embassy to coincide with Salwan Momika's plan to burn the Quran in Sweden once again. Momika threatened to burn the Qur'an, along with the Iraqi flag, in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Sweden. However on Wednesday he announced that the Swedish authorities had withdrawn his police protection and asked him to stop criticising Muslims, noting that they threatened to review his asylum file in Sweden. READ: Egypt urges int'l community to take action to prevent Quran burning  The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the staff […]]]> 654066 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230719-gaza-call-for-release-of-palestinian-prisoners-in-exchange-for-israeli-held-in-iraq/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:41:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653805 A Gaza-based Palestinian prisoners' association has called on Iraq to facilitate an exchange deal involving 5,000 Palestinians for the release of Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov. Her abduction in Iraq, thought to be at the hands of the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah in March, was confirmed by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month. According to Palestinian daily Al-Quds, the Prisoners' Committee of the National and Islamic Forces in Gaza staged a demonstration outside the Red Cross headquarters in the Gaza Strip, along with former prisoners and representatives of Palestinian political factions and religious leaders. Committee coordinator Zaki Dababish called Tsurkov, who served in the Israeli army during the 2006 war with Lebanon's Hezbollah, a "Zionist terrorist". He noted […]]]> 653805 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230719-us-issues-new-120-day-waiver-letting-iraq-pay-iran-for-electricity/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:28:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653800 US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Tuesday signed a new national security waiver letting Iraq pay Iran for electricity that, for the first time, allows such payments to go to accounts at non-Iraqi banks, a US official told Reuters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US hoped the 120-day national security waiver would help stop Iran pressuring Iraq for access to the money, which previously could only be deposited into restricted accounts in Iraq. Tehran has pushed Baghdad to secure US permission to release the funds by cutting Iranian natural gas exports to Iraq, limiting Iraq's ability to generate power and forcing unpopular electricity cuts during Iraq's sweltering summer. READ: Iraq officials decry demolition of 300-year-old […]]]> 653800 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230718-iraq-officials-decry-demolition-of-300-year-old-minaret-for-road-expansion/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 14:31:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653322 Officials and citizens in Iraq have expressed outrage following the demolition of a 300-year-old minaret of a mosque in the southern city of Basra on Friday. Built in 1727 and standing at almost 40 feet, the historic mud-brick Siraji minaret and its mosque were bulldozed at dawn to make way for a road expansion in order to address a traffic bottleneck issue in the city. Despite the site being considered as a heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, the Governor of Basra, Assad Al-Eidani, ordered the demolition on the grounds that it posed a public safety hazard, as the minaret was prone to collapse, and in response to growing complaints of traffic around the mosque. Iraqi #archaeologists are so […]]]> 653322 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230718-iraqs-sadr-warns-of-sedition-within-shia-community/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:40:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653222 The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, warned against enacting a law criminalising "insulting scholars" or criticising them in an unconstructive manner, after anger was sparked by publications by the Islamic Dawa Party led by Nouri Al-Maliki, insulting his late father, Muhammad Al-Sadr. Al-Sadr said in a tweet: "While we are at the gates of the holy month of Muharram, some parties hostile to Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, in particular, and Ahl Al-Bayt in general, hastened to spread Shia-Shia sedition by using violence and weapons against some headquarters." "While we denounce this, we warn the believers not to be dragged into it, as there are parties that will not hesitate to shed blood and spread sedition for the sake of worldly gains. Do not say anything or do anything without referring […]]]> 653222 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230716-iraqi-pm-visits-syria-in-first-trip-since-syrian-war/ Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:32:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652538 Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani began an official visit to Syria on Sunday, the first by an Iraqi premier since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, in a trip aimed at securing their shared border and bolstering economic ties, reports Reuters. Iraq and Syria, which have close economic, military and political ties to regional heavyweight Iran, maintained relations throughout Syria's civil war even as other Arab states withdrew their ambassadors and closed their embassies in Syria. Baghdad and Damascus, along with Shi'ite armed groups backed by Iran, cooperated in the fight against militant group Islamic State, which spread from Iraq into Syria and at one point controlled more than a third of both countries. Farhad Alaaldin, foreign affairs […]]]> 652538 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-iraq-iran-gas-for-oil-barter-would-likely-violate-us-sanctions/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 19:12:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652387 A barter of Iranian natural gas for Iraqi oil as described by the Iraqi Prime Minister this week would likely violate US sanctions on Tehran unless the US issued a waiver permitting it, three former US officials said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, on Tuesday, said Iraq would begin trading crude oil for Iranian gas to end recurring payment delays to Tehran due to required US approval for such transactions. Sudani said Iran had cut gas exports to Iraq by more than half as of 1 July after Baghdad failed to secure US approval to disburse owed funds, but Tehran had now agreed to resume gas exports in exchange for crude oil. There are few details available about the potential barter, which could help defuse […]]]> 652387 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-pollution-in-iraq-river-tigris-threatens-peoples-health-safety/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 12:09:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652326 Pollution in Iraq's River Tigris threatens people's health and safety, Anadolu Agency reports. Chemicals and waste materials from various government institutions and power plants are polluting the River Tigris, causing skin diseases and colon cancer. Sewage waters are also poured into the River Tigris, which passes through the capital, Baghdad, which has a population of approximately 9 million. Liquids containing toxic and chemical substances coming out of Baghdad City hospitals are also released into the River Tigris. In addition, people living in neighbourhoods along the river also throw their garbage into the river. The intense pollution and garbage in the river also emit very bad odours and pollute the air. READ: Iraq water crisis drying up fish farming in Basra]]> 652326 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-reports-ex-iraq-pm-was-aware-of-kidnapped-israelis-frequent-visits-to-baghdad/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 11:46:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652324 Former Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, was "fully aware" of Israeli-Russian Elizabeth Tsurkov's frequent visits to Iraq and had warned both Washington and Moscow that her Israeli citizenship and "work" is "a danger to her", Israeli media reported. According to the Israeli media, Tsurkov visited Iraq on numerous occasions from 2020 until she disappeared in March. Israel's Channel 12 reported that following Al-Kadhimi's caution, Israeli officials personally warned her of the possible threats posed to her, including right before her last visit to Baghdad. READ: Iraq to pay for Iran gas imports with oil – PM Last week, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that Tsurkov was kidnapped in Iraq by the Shia militia Kataib Hezbollah, adding that Israel held Iraq "responsible […]]]> 652324