https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:16:33 +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/20230808-football-star-mohamed-salah-isnt-heading-for-saudi/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:50:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658622 Liverpool football player Mohamed Salah will not be transferred to the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, according to the Egyptian player's agent Rami Abbas. "If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn't have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC," Abbas wrote on Twitter yesterday after recent reports in the Saudi press that Al-Ittihad had offered the Egyptian international €180 million ($198 million) for two seasons, in addition to the £60 million ($77 million) that his club, Liverpool, would receive. The Egyptian football star has a contract with Liverpool that is valid until 2025; and is currently preparing for the start of the English Premier League season. Liverpool will not participate in the Champions League this season because it […]]]> 658622 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-1st-batch-of-migrants-in-uk-moved-to-bibby-stockholm-barge-more-expected/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:01:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658363 The first batch of UK asylum seekers has arrived on the Bibby Stockholm barge as more migrants are expected to move later Monday, reports Anadolu Agency. Video footage showed a bus with the migrants entering the port, although the exact number of arrivals is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, a number of people also gathered near the entrance of the port to protest the government's asylum policies, especially the barge plan. Carrying placards, the protesters chanted slogans: "'Refugees are welcome here,' 'No prison barge,' and 'Stop the far-right'." The British government's plan to start moving the first batch of 50 migrants to the barge, moored at Portland Port in Dorset in the country's southwest for three weeks, was delayed last […]]]> 658363 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uk-increases-fines-for-bosses-landlords-supporting-illegal-migrants/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:35:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658361 Fines in the UK will be more than tripled for employers and landlords who allow "illegal migrants" to work for them or rent their properties, the government announced on Monday, terming it the "biggest shake up" of civil penalties since 2014, reports Anadolu Agency. It is the latest attempt by the government to prevent asylum seekers crossing the English Channel on small boats. "The civil penalty for employers, which was last increased in 2014, will be raised to up to £45,000 ($57,400) per illegal worker for a first breach from £15,000 ($19,130), and up to £60,000 (some $76,500) for repeat breaches from £20,000 ($25,500)," the Home Office said in a statement. Meanwhile, fines will increase for landlords from £80 per […]]]> 658361 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-the-director-of-the-palestinian-museum-reflects-on-her-years-in-charge/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:00:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658336 Duty and care are the words that would best describe the approach of Dr Adila Laidi-Hanieh towards the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit. She is stepping down as director of the museum at the end of this month, and we took the opportunity for her to reflect on her years in charge, changing the institution from the inside out. The museum is in a beautifully designed building which nestles in green terraces and overlooks the Mediterranean. It aims to represent the history and aspirations of the Palestinian people; explore their past and present; and reflect on their future. The flagship project of private foundation Taawon Welfare Association, the museum opened in 2016 and held its first on-site exhibition in 2017. However, […]]]> 658336 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-petition-to-bear-grylls-draws-900-in-support-of-scout-leader-expelled-on-anti-semitism-claims/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:39:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658333 A petition from expelled scout leader Pete Gregson to Chief Scout Bear Grylls has raised 900 signatures, just a month after it was launched on Change.Org. Gregson, treasurer of the 150th Craigalmond Scout Group, was expelled for being affiliated to the Campaign Against Bogus Antisemitism (CABA). He believes the Scouts appear to be working to the IHRA Definition of anti-Semitism which equates criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism, while Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta says: "Pete is in no way anti-Jewish." Gregson was expelled after a complaint was lodged because his number was used on a CABA Facebook page five years after the same number was published in a 2017 advert on behalf of the Scout Group seeking volunteers for the committee. […]]]> 658333 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-uk-government-divided-over-labelling-irans-revolutionary-guards-terrorist-group/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:09:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658326 The UK government is divided over designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, the Financial Times has reported. Disagreement between Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on labelling Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group is said to be causing tension within the government. Braverman is increasingly alarmed by alleged plans of Iranian agents to target British citizens. However, Cleverly and officials at the Foreign Office are hesitant to classify the Revolutionary Guards as terrorists, fearing that such a move could be counterproductive. READ: UK security minister labels Iran-funded mosque a 'vile threat' to the country Labelling the armed force of another nation as terrorists is quite unusual for the UK, officials in the Foreign Office have argued. There are […]]]> 658326 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-quran-burnings-proof-of-broader-bias-against-migrants-in-europe-ex-un-rapporteur/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:22:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658295 A recent wave of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark is "an assertion of a broader anti-immigrant, anti-non-European right-wing bias that has grown to be quite politically strong," a former UN special rapporteur has said. "There's no legitimate purpose by allowing groups to burn the holy scriptures of another religious faith," Richard Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, said. "It seems to me to serve … no possible constructive purpose. And I think there is a strong case for [such acts to be] prohibited." In recent months, far-right groups have desecrated and burnt several copies of the Quran in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden, drawing fierce condemnation from Muslims around the world and calls for measures to stop […]]]> 658295 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-helping-palestinians-in-need-is-not-terrorism-they-are-the-victims-of-israeli-terrorism/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 09:37:14 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658149 I know none of the details of the arrest of Palestinian Amin Abu Rashid and his daughter Israa in Holland recently. I do know, however, that the track record of European governments in levelling allegations of "funding terrorism" against Palestinian-European organisations over the past twenty years or so has been abysmal. In almost every case, when taken to court the authorities have lost the legal argument. Will this happen again with Abu Rashid and Israa? Time will tell, but what is interesting is that it introduces to the world another no doubt well-funded "Israeli activist group", Ad Kan. It is well known, of course, that all allegations of "terrorism" and "funding Hamas" arise from "intelligence" shared by Israel and its […]]]> 658149 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-uk-takes-lead-in-turkiye-earthquake-aid-donating-over-150-million/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 08:18:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658142 The United Kingdom has taken the lead in supporting the appeal for victims of the deadly earthquakes in Turkiye six months ago, with donations from the country's population reaching over £150 million. According to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a UK-based umbrella group for charities, announced this week that donations to aid the victims of the February 6th earthquakes have reached £151.8 million, an amount which includes the £5 million matched by the British government through the Aid Match scheme. The earthquakes and their aftershocks during the first week of February this year killed around 60,000 people across southern Turkiye and north-west Syria, destroying thousands of homes and causing severe infrastructural damage. While donations flooded in and continue to do […]]]> 658142 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-saudi-arabia-urges-its-citizens-to-quickly-leave-lebanon/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:20:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658098 Saudi Arabia called on its citizens to quickly leave Lebanese territory and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes, the Saudi embassy in Lebanon said in a statement posted late on Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Reuters reports. The kingdom did not specify which areas in Lebanon that it was advising its citizens to avoid. The embassy stressed "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon," the statement added. READ: Hamas, Lebanon discuss stabilising Ain Al-Hilweh ceasefire  Kuwait also issued an advisory early on Saturday calling on Kuwaitis in Lebanon to stay vigilant and avoid "areas of security disturbances" but stopped short of asking them to leave the country, according to a statement […]]]> 658098 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-attacks-on-quran-extremist-acts-say-british-academics/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:01:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658060 Academics known for their work on religion, faith and society in the UK have said that attacks on the Muslim holy book, Quran, in Scandinavian countries are "extremist acts that must be prevented", Anadolu Agency reports. Alison Scott-Baumann, a Professor of Society and Faith at the Centre for Islamic Studies at SOAS University, and David Thomas, a Professor of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham, spoke to Anadolu about the increasing Islamophobic attacks in Scandinavian countries, especially Sweden and Denmark. Scott-Baumann stated that the acts of burning the Quran in Scandinavian countries are a result of the effect caused by the discourses of politicians and emphasized that these discourses are fed by the idea of "creating enemies in […]]]> 658060 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-noc-eni-bp-and-sonatrach-lift-force-majeure-and-resume-exploration-in-libya-oilfields/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:31:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658055 Three of the biggest foreign energy companies operating in Libya have lifted force majeure and resumed exploration in the country's oilfields, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced today, local Libyan news outlet reports. According to the report, NOC said it received "official notifications from the Italian company, Eni, and the British company, British Petroleum, regarding the lifting of force majeure and the resumption of exploration and contractual obligations in the blocks awarded to them in the Ghadames Basin (A-B) and offshore Block C." "The NOC also confirmed receiving an official notification from the Algerian company, Sonatrach, regarding the lifting of force majeure and the resumption of exploration and fulfilment of contractual obligations in blocks 065 and 96/95 in the Ghadames […]]]> 658055 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-uk-foreign-office-urged-to-provide-apology-to-national-over-failure-to-recognise-uae-torture/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:34:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657948 A parliamentary watchdog has called on the United Kingdom's Foreign Office to formally apologise to a British national who was detained and tortured by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), stating that the government department failed to act immediately and to notice signs of torture. Matthew Hedges, an academic from the UK, was detained in the UAE between May and November 2018, after Emirati authorities accused him of conducting espionage and working for the British intelligence agency, MI6, while he travelled to the country to carry out research for his PhD. Hedges was then sentenced to life imprisonment before being given a presidential pardon only days later, securing his release and return to the UK. He later revealed to the press […]]]> 657948 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-turkiye-withdraws-as-host-of-cop16-blaming-februarys-earthquakes/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:46:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657942 Turkiye has withdrawn from hosting the United Nations' Cop16 biodiversity summit in 2024, citing three large earthquakes in February that devastated parts of the country, Reuters reports. According to the report, the UN convention on biological diversity announced that Turkiye had withdrawn due to "a force majeure situation", inviting other countries to offer to host the conference. It is hoped the scheduled dates – 21 October to 1 November – will not change. France, the UK, Switzerland and Spain are all possible replacement destinations for the conference, where governments will discuss how they are meeting targets to protect 30 per cent of land and sea, reform $500bn of environmentally damaging subsidies and restore 30 per cent of the planet's degraded terrestrial, inland water, […]]]> 657942 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-bank-account-closures-have-affected-british-muslims-for-decades-with-little-political-reaction/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:11:52 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657935 The closure of Nigel Farage's bank account at Coutts, a prestigious private bank in London, sparked a political and media frenzy, exposing the glaring hypocrisy and double standards within the British Establishment. For decades, prominent UK charities, pro-Palestine civil society groups and respected British Muslims have faced the abrupt closure of their bank accounts without any explanation. Despite the devastating consequences for these groups and individuals, the same media and political classes which today decry Farage's situation largely turned a collective blind eye to their plight. Farage, a prominent British political figure, has been linked widely to far-right ideologies due to his leadership of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and his passionate support for Brexit. Nevertheless, he has enjoyed a […]]]> 657935 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-brazil-president-supports-accession-of-saudi-arabia-uae-to-brics/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:41:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657845 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for more countries joining the BRICS group. Lula said in the capital, Brasilia, yesterday that he supports countries such as Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining the group. BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg from 22-24 August. He also described the seven leading industrialised countries as a "club" that should not exist, considering that its form in terms of geopolitical affairs is outdated. The UK, US, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany make up the group of Western industrialised countries, known as the G7. Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while […]]]> 657845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-barge-housing-for-asylum-seekers-not-a-death-trap-asserts-uk-official/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 19:30:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657558 A British barge set to house hundreds of asylum-seekers will not be "a death trap", a UK Cabinet Minister asserted on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports. "This actual ship was previously used by Germany to house migrants, there's no reason why it wouldn't be absolutely safe," Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and net zero, said of the controversial plans to house asylum seekers on the "Bibby Stockholm" barge. His remarks to reporters after the government's plan to start moving asylum seekers to the barge were delayed amid security concerns on Monday. The Home Office had been planning to send the first 50 migrants to the barge moored at Portland Port in Dorset in the country's south-west on Tuesday. The […]]]> 657558 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-liverpool-manager-jurgen-klopp-urges-fifa-to-intervene-against-saudi-pro-league/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:04:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657359 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is the latest high-profile name to express his exasperation over the Saudi Pro League. The German manager raised his concerns over the discrepancy in transfer window closing dates between Europe and Saudi Arabia. He has called on football world governing body, FIFA, to act as the Saudi transfer window is set to close three weeks later than that of the top five European leagues, which shut on 1 September. Clubs in Saudi Arabia have until 20 September to finalise their business, and this extended window has resulted in significant investments in player acquisitions throughout the summer. The mismatch in deadlines could have potential ramifications for European squads, particularly if the Saudi Pro League continues to attract […]]]> 657359 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-liverpool-midfielder-fabinho-moves-to-saudis-al-ittihad/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:09:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656952 Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Fabinho yesterday joined Saudi champions Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal. Al-Ittihad said on X, formerly Twitter, that the 29-year-old signed a contract until 2026 with the Jeddah club to join French stars Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante and Portuguese winger Jota. "Today I leave my home. It's been five years wearing this jersey and always with the greatest honor and happiness possible. Since day one at Liverpool, I've been embraced by everyone." "…I love this club. Thank you, Reds, for everything we've experienced together. You will never walk alone," Fabinho said in a farewell message. Today I leave my home. It's been five years wearing this jersey and always with the greatest honor and happiness possible. Since […]]]> 656952 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-conquering-north-channel-young-turkish-swimmer-takes-on-one-of-the-worlds-toughest-crossings/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:47:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656711 Already the youngest Turkish swimmer to cross the English Channel between Britain and France, Aysu Turkoglu is now embarking on a new journey to traverse the waterway between Scotland and Northern Ireland, Anadolu Agency reports. For what is widely seen as an even greater feat than crossing the English Channel, the 22-year-old will plunge into frigid waters that can get as cold as 12 degrees Celsius (about 54 degrees Fahrenheit) off Northern Ireland on a day between 9 August and 14 August, hoping to power through the choppy waves to reach the Scottish coast. If she succeeds, she will be the first Turkish woman to conquer the North Channel. "At first, I was just thinking of crossing the English Channel […]]]> 656711 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-london-woman-disappears-in-syria-during-visit-to-assad-regime-territory-raising-fears-of-abduction/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 07:39:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656435 A Syrian woman from London has disappeared upon her visit to western Syria which is under the control of Bashar al-Assad's regime, sparking fears that she may have been abducted or detained. According to local Syrian and opposition news outlets, Aline Ali – whose age has not been specified – traveled to Syria's western Lattakia province this week and was on her way to an area named Wadi Qandil for "tourism" purposes and to reportedly visit family. She has since suddenly disappeared, however, and contact with her was cut off without any prior notice. Ali is reportedly originally from the city of Homs but has been living in the British capital London for much of her life, making this trip […]]]> 656435 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-uk-provides-yemen-with-205m-humanitarian-support/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 09:45:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656395 The UK announced on Friday a $205 million grant to support Yemen's health, nutrition and water sector. This came in a statement published by the British Foreign Office on its Twitter account, reported Anadolu Agency. The Foreign Ministry shared that the UK unveiled a new humanitarian programme to deliver vital healthcare support to vulnerable Yemeni women and children. It added: "The £160 million (about $205 million) four-year programme will deliver primary healthcare, including nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation and sexual and reproductive health services to some of the most vulnerable in Yemen." READ: UK plans to house asylum seekers in tents According to the Foreign Office, the programme: "Will look to reduce deaths and disease among women and children by providing […]]]> 656395 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-italy-and-turkiye-join-forces-in-effort-to-host-euro-2032/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:25:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656101 UEFA confirms that it has received a request from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to merge their individual bids into one joint bid to host UEFA EURO 2032, Reuters reports. According to the report, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that their bid to host Euro 2032 will now be a joint bid along with Turkiye. In 2021, UEFA initiated a bidding process for the hosting of two consecutive editions of its European Championship, in 2028 and 2032. TFF entered the process for both editions, while FIGC decided to bid only for the 2032 edition. A joint bid to host the 2028 edition has also been placed by five associations: England, Northern Ireland, […]]]> 656101 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-uk-plans-to-house-asylum-seekers-in-tents/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:39:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656020 In a bid to handle the escalating number of small boat crossings the Channel, the UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, has reportedly planned to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers in tents on disused military sites, avoiding the use of hotels. The move is expected to be implemented by the end of August. According to Whitehall sources cited in the Telegraph, the home secretary has recently procured the marquees, anticipating an imminent surge of boats. However, the proposal has come under scrutiny as government sources reveal that a similar plan was rejected last year due to fears of legal challenges based on alleged inhumane treatment of asylum seekers. Moreover, concerns have been raised about the safety and conditions at the […]]]> 656020 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-uk-big-ride-for-palestine-heads-for-south-wales/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:23:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656014 An annual charity cycle ride is coming to South Wales for the very first time this summer. More than 300 cyclists from across the UK and Europe have registered to take part in the four-day Big Ride for Palestine which will start in Swansea on 3 August and finish in Bristol. The ride is set to raise £75,000 for charities helping Palestinians. The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) specialises in working with children who have been traumatised by living under Israel's brutal military occupation and siege. The Amos Trust and Gaza Sunbirds plan to sponsor para-cycling races in Gaza to help the Palestinians realise their dream of forming a team for the Paralympics in 2024. "I've witnessed the daily oppression […]]]> 656014 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-envoy-uk-does-not-intend-to-restore-ties-with-syrias-assad/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:16:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656012 The British Special Representative for Syria, Ann Snow, said the British government does not intend to restore ties with the regime of President Bashar Al- Assad. However, Snow said in press statements that "any contact between Arab countries and the government of Bashar Al-Assad must be accompanied by conditions and fundamental changes." "Dialogue with Assad without any tangible change, or without real accountability for the crimes he committed against the Syrians, will not help the Syrian people, the region, or the world," she said. She pointed out that Britain also does not intend to provide any aid for reconstruction, until "Assad takes serious steps to change his behaviour, or seriously engage in the United Nations political process." Snow considered implementing […]]]> 656012 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-jordan-king-uk-fm-discuss-de-escalation-in-palestine/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:46:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655988 King Abdullah II of Jordan UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly yesterday discussed intensifying efforts to de-escalate the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Abdullah and Cleverly met in the Jordanian capital, Amman, as part of the British foreign secretary's visit to the Middle Eastern country. Discussions between the two sides "covered the latest regional and international developments, in addition to the importance of stepping up efforts towards calm and de-escalation in the Palestinian Territories, and ceasing unilateral measures that would undermine stability and peace prospects," according to a statement issued by the Royal Hashemite Court. "The two sides also discussed stopping any unilateral measures by Israel that would destabilize and undermine the chances of achieving peace, according to the same source." The statement added […]]]> 655988 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-sister-sinead-shuhada-misunderstood-much-maligned-much-loved-and-muslim/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 16:45:30 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655960 Headlines and photographs of the singer Sinéad O'Connor told us that the iconic star had died. What followed have been well-deserved eulogies, despite some glaring omissions. Sinéad was beautiful, brave and talented, and an uncompromising rebel who often railed against the Establishment and has never been forgiven by some for ripping up a photograph of the Pope on live TV more than thirty years ago. The singer, who has died at the age of 56, was also a Muslim convert who chose the name Shuhada, although you'd never know it from the obituaries published in the Islamophobic media. Very little mention was made of her chosen faith. Some elements of the Jewish media flirted with the idea that her inspiration […]]]> 655960 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-seeing-is-believing-in-afghanistan-and-dialogue-is-the-only-way-forward/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:33:00 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655610 The arrogance and ignorance of the Western media were highlighted a few days ago when a former British army officer-turned-politician was accused of making himself a "useful idiot" for the ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Some of his fellow MPs have even tried to oust Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee, for posting a video in which he praised aspects of the Taliban's rule. Disappointingly, Ellwood has since deleted the offending video clip in which he described Afghanistan as a "country transformed" since the Taliban returned to power two years ago. Tellingly, he questioned why such a transformation had not taken place during twenty years of NATO occupation. Like it or not, though, Ellwood […]]]> 655610 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-palestinian-womens-voices-to-be-heard-in-newcastle/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:59:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655652 At a time when Palestinian women are usually forbidden from travelling beyond the occupied territories by the Israeli occupation forces, solidarity activists in Newcastle upon Tyne are hosting a very special delegation this weekend. Palestinian women from Nazareth, Jerusalem and Jenin will be speaking at the DiverCity Hub in the city on Saturday, and again in a ladies-only event in nearby Ponteland on Sunday. Sponsored by the local branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Friends of Al-Aqsa and the Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA), the event is part of the Building Hope and Voices for Palestine Project organised by the association. The tour takes in London, Hastings, Peterborough, Cambridge, Hebden Bridge, Thetford and Diss, as well as Newcastle. […]]]> 655652 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/20230727-uk-foreign-secretary-discusses-palestine-iran-syria-with-qatar/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:11:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655585 British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly discussed issues related to Palestine, Iran and Syria on Wednesday with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani, who is also his country's Prime Minister, news agencies have reported. Cooperation between the two countries was on the agenda, especially the preparations for the upcoming strategic dialogue. The senior officials also discussed the latest developments in the region, especially in Palestine and Syria; the Iranian nuclear agreement; and the situation in Afghanistan. The importance of international support for the people of Afghanistan was stressed. Both ministers expressed their deep concern about the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank and the absence of prospects for peace, especially in light of the internal crisis in […]]]> 655585 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-foreign-meddling-and-competing-interests-hinder-any-solution-in-libya/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:00:06 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655172 If you ask any Libyan citizen about the biggest obstacles hindering political solutions in the country, the most likely answer is: external interferences and the disputes of local de-facto politicians. Since the country fell victim to the so called "Arab Spring" in 2011, it became an open arena for all sorts of external meddling in its internal affairs – usually individual foreign countries' pursuit of their own interests, regardless of what the impact could be on Libya's stability, security and economic prosperity. Worse still, most of such interests are competing with each other at the expense of the country. The internal conflict, since erupting in 2011, has turned into a regional and international conflict in which various countries are competing […]]]> 655172 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-the-uk-announces-872m-for-new-high-speed-electric-railway-in-turkiye/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:20:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655051 The UK government yesterday announced that it is financing the construction of a high-speed electrified railway in southern Turkiye. The announcement came from the UK government's export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), which has underwritten £680 million ($872 million) for the project. The construction will enable Turkish conglomerate Ronesans Holding to complete a 286-kilometre (177-mile) electric railway connecting the southern provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Gaziantep. The deal is projected to create new, multimillion-pound export contract opportunities for the UK's infrastructure, engineering and project management sectors. Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek underlined the importance of Mersin, Adana, and Gaziantep for being highly industrialised and their deep-rooted cultural heritage. This project will cut transportation costs while decreasing […]]]> 655051 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-ihrc-launches-campaign-to-protect-mosques-from-charity-omission-harassment/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 17:28:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655038 The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has launched a campaign to help protect mosques from being bullied by the charities' regulator in England and Wales into adopting policies that limit their ability to speak and preach aspects of Islam to their congregations. The move follows a rise in the number of mosques and Islamic institutions reporting being harassed by the Charity Commission after being reported for so-called extremism. The standard modus operandi is for the Commission to intervene after malicious complaints are levelled by secularists, Zionists or far right activists accusing mosques of extremism for promoting or sanctioning views that challenge the liberal secular orthodoxy. Many mosques operate under charitable status making them vulnerable to any abuse of power. Complaints […]]]> 655038 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-saudi-arabia-plots-5bn-selfridges-takeover/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:50:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654978 Saudi Arabia is plotting the takeover of the iconic Selfridges department store in London's Oxford Street in an effort to increase its international influence and boost the development of its economy, the Telegraph has revealed. Riyadh is said to have emerged as the private financial backer of a $5.1 billion purchase of the luxury store. If the deal is completed, the acquisition will seal the Kingdom's third high profile takeover of famous British brands The takeover is being plotted using Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), valued at $642bn. It is being pursued through a European intermediary, Austrian property company Signa Holding. The Saudi PIF is the primary vehicle of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for his vision to modernise […]]]> 654978 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-first-batch-of-asylum-seekers-in-uk-expected-to-move-to-portland-barge-this-week/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:43:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654975 The first batch of 50 asylum seekers in the UK are expected to arrive on the Isle of Portland this week where they will be placed on a floating ship – their home while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed, Anadolu Agency reports. Keeping asylum seekers on a floating barge is another controversial migrant policy of the UK government, which aims to look after up to 500 single men for at least the next 18 months in the south-west of the country. Portland will go down in history as the first city in the UK to host asylum seekers on the "Bibby Stockholm" barge. Why such a policy? The number of pending UK asylum seeker cases has […]]]> 654975 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-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-filmmakers-including-oscar-winner-withdraw-from-israels-jerusalem-film-festival/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:56:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654852 A group of filmmakers, including Oscar winner Jane Campion and Basque filmmaker Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, have requested their films be withdrawn from Israel's Jerusalem Film Festival. According to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), at least four other international film directors from the Basque region in Spain, UK and US have also boycotted the festival, which is partnered with the Israeli Ministry of Culture. Award-winning screenwriter, producer and director, James Schamus, praised the show of solidarity.  "Last year, Emma Watson spoke for a growing chorus of international cultural workers in support of Palestinian rights when she attested that 'solidarity is a verb.'" READ: Israel army covering up mass wave of unrest in its ranks "This […]]]> 654852 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-jordan-syria-army-intelligence-chiefs-discuss-combating-of-drug-smuggling-over-border/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:14:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654845 Jordanian and Syrian army and intelligence chiefs met yesterday to discuss the ongoing smuggling of drugs over the Syria-Jordan border, in the first of a series of meetings to resolve the issue. In a statement by Jordan's Foreign Ministry, it said that a meeting headed by Jordanian Army chief, Lieutenant-General Yousef Hunaiti and Syrian Defence Minister, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, was held to discuss the trafficking of narcotics over their countries' common border, with the Jordanian and Syrian intelligence heads both present. "The meeting discussed cooperation in confronting the danger of drugs, its sources of production and smuggling and the groups that are organising and supervising the smuggling operations across the border to Jordan", the statement said. It added that "They […]]]> 654845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-when-justice-is-neither-done-nor-seen-to-be-done/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:00:24 +0000 , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654688 On 9 March 2021 we were arrested by the Police before we could reach Elbit's Shenstone factory where some of us intended to occupy the roof and decorate the factory with paint in the blood red colour of the victims of its drones. Elbit is an Israeli arms company. On 15 May 2023, after a seven-week trial, we were found guilty of intent to cause criminal damage without lawful excuse. Judge Michael Chambers refused to admit all lawful excuse defences under s.3 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 or let us explain why it was that we had targeted Elbit. The jury was therefore left with the impression that our only purpose was to commit criminal damage. At no point was the […]]]> 654688 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-how-is-israels-right-to-defend-itself-compatible-with-destroying-the-only-childrens-centre-in-jenin/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:17:06 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654684 On 3 July the Israeli military, with the support of helicopter gunships and drones, launched a devastating attack against Jenin's civilian population and infrastructure, killing 12 Palestinians, including four children. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak repeated the mantra that has become the West's received wisdom, 'Israel's right to self defence'.  The White House went even further: "We support Israel's security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups." It says everything about the imperialist supporters of 'freedom and democracy' that their concern is with the right to self defence of the Occupier rather than protection of civilians living under occupation. In an article 'Why did Israel attack Jenin?' Reuters 'explained' that Jenin refugee camp 'has long been a hotbed of militants… […]]]> 654684 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/20230721-uk-has-special-position-on-normalising-ties-with-syrias-assad-regime/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 14:36:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654362 Britain has a "special position" on the normalisation of ties with the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad, but respects Arab countries' decision to improve relations with him, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said yesterday. He added that Al-Assad should work with the international community to facilitate cross-border humanitarian aid shipments into Syria. The top UK diplomat stressed that Al-Assad's actions must align with his words if he is serious. In a separate context, Cleverly noted that the United Kingdom and Turkiye will start negotiations on a new and modernised free trade agreement, adding that Ankara is a "strong and important friend." "Turkey has an important economy and we would like to do more business with our Turkish friends," he explained. Cleverly expressed his hope that […]]]> 654362 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-arab-art-celebrated-with-largest-london-exhibition/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 18:02:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654210 More than 150 works of art have been brought together for what auction house, Christie's, says is the largest exhibition of Arab art to take place in London, Reuters reports. Titled "Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World", the show is divided into two sections and features items from across the region, spanning 80 years and various mediums. The non-selling "Kawkaba: Highlights from the Barjeel Art Foundation" is a gender-balanced collection, featuring some 100 pieces. "Emirati Art Reimagined: Hassan Sharif and the Contemporary Voices" centres on the pioneering artist and includes items on loan and for sale. Both sections offer paintings, sculptures and installations from celebrated and lesser-known names. "This is special because we try to reflect on the […]]]> 654210