Protests against Qur’an burning held across the Middle East

Protests against Qur’an burning held across the Middle East
Protesters shout slogans and raise the Qur’an after Friday prayers outside Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque to denounce the recent desecration of Islam’s holy book by a far-right activists in European countries in Beirut on Jan. 27, 2023. (AP)
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Updated 27 January 2023

Protests against Qur’an burning held across the Middle East

Protests against Qur’an burning held across the Middle East
  • The protests in countries including Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon ended with people dispersing peacefully
  • Swedish officials have stressed that freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Swedish Constitution

BEIRUT: Protests were held Friday in several predominantly Muslim countries to denounce the recent desecration of Islam’s holy book by far-right activists in Sweden and the Netherlands.
The protests in countries including Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon ended with people dispersing peacefully. In Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, police officers stopped some demonstrators trying to march toward the Swedish Embassy.
About 12,000 Islamists from the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan party rallied in Lahore, the capital of the eastern Punjab province to denounce the desecration of the Qur’an in the two European countries. In his speech to the demonstrators, Saad Rizvi, the head of the TLP, asked the government to lodge a strong protest with Sweden and the Netherlands so that such incidents don’t happen again.
Similar rallies were also held in the southern city of Karachi and in the northwest.
Friday’s rallies dispersed peacefully. However, Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan in recent years has held violent rallies over the publication of caricatures of Islam’s prophet in France and elsewhere in the world.
In the Iranian capital of Tehran, hundreds of people marched after Friday prayers during which they burned a Swedish flag.
In Beirut, about 200 angry protesters burned the flags of Sweden and the Netherlands outside the blue-domed Mohammed Al-Amin mosque at Beirut’s central Martyrs Square.
Earlier this month, Rasmus Paludan, a far-right activist from Denmark, received permission from police to stage a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm where he burned the Qur’an.
Days later, Edwin Wagensveld, Dutch leader of the far-right Pegida movement in the Netherlands, tore pages out of a copy of the Qur’an near the Dutch Parliament and stomped on them.
The moves angered millions of Muslims around the world and triggered protests.
On Friday, Paludan, who holds both Danish and Swedish citizenship, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that he would replicate the protest in front of the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen every Friday until Sweden is admitted into NATO.
Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the Danish ambassador was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry where Turkish officials “strongly condemned the permission given to this provocative act which clearly constitutes a hate crime.”
Swedish officials have stressed that freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Swedish Constitution and gives people extensive rights to express their views publicly, though incitement to violence or hate speech isn’t allowed. Demonstrators must apply to police for a permit for a public gathering. Police can deny such permits only on exceptional grounds, such as risks to public safety.
Iraq’s powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr asked in comments released Friday whether freedom of speech means offending other people’s beliefs. He asked why “doesn’t the burning of the gays’ rainbow flag represent freedom of expression.”
The cleric added that burning the Qur’an “will bring divine anger.”
Hundreds of his supporters gathered outside a mosque in Baghdad waving copies of the Qur’an.


2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos
Updated 14 sec ago

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos

2,000 mummified ram heads uncovered in Egypt’s Abydos
  • New light shed on King Ramesses II and Ptolemaic era from 332 B.C. to 30 B.C.
  • These and other animals found may have been sacrificed to the gods

CAIRO: The American archaeological mission affiliated with New York University, working in the area of ​​the temple of King Ramesses II in Abydos, southern Egypt, has uncovered more than 2,000 mummified ram heads dating back to the Ptolemaic era (332 B.C. to 30 B.C.), in addition to a huge building from the Sixth Dynasty.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, an institution entrusted with the protection of Egyptian heritage, said the find was important because it reveals more details about the history of the Temple of King Ramesses II in Abydos Sohag governorate and the surrounding area.

He said the mission also uncovered a number of mummified animals next to the heads of the rams, including ewes, dogs, wild goats, cows, deer and mongooses. They were found in one of the newly discovered storage rooms inside the northern area of the temple.

Sameh Iskandar, the head of the mission, said the mummified rams are thought to have been used as votive offerings in Abydos during the Ptolemaic period.

Meanwhile, the huge uncovered building, which dates back to the era of the Sixth Dynasty, is characterized by a unique architectural design. It is distinguished by huge, thick walls, which are about five meters wide.

Iskandar said the study of this building would contribute to the research being undertaken about the activities and architecture of the Old Kingdom in Abydos.

Mohamed Abdel Badei, head of the central department of Upper Egypt Antiquities at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the mission also succeeded in uncovering parts of the northern wall of the edifice surrounding the temple and its appurtenances.

The team also uncovered fragments of statues, papyri, remains of ancient trees, clothing and leather shoes.

Abydos is one of the oldest ancient cities in Upper Egypt, and contains many important structures, including the Temple of Seti I and the Temple of Ramses II.


What’s on the iftar menu this Ramadan?

Muslims breaking their fast at a free public iftar in Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. (AP)
Muslims breaking their fast at a free public iftar in Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. (AP)
Updated 24 min 14 sec ago

What’s on the iftar menu this Ramadan?

Muslims breaking their fast at a free public iftar in Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. (AP)
  • The government has been working to help those struggling with the cost of living, with Ahlan Ramadan discounted outlets playing a big part in securing families’ needs ahead of the holy month

CAIRO: Egyptians are heading into the holy month this year with economic concerns that will prevent them from going all out with their celebrations of Ramadan, and result in overflowing dining tables not creaking quite so much as usual.

The first day of Ramadan usually means a busy kitchen as everyone lends a hand to prepare the feast. It requires bringing out the fancy china for special guests, so that when the Maghrib prayer starts everyone is gathered around an impressive dining table full of soups, juices, duck, meat, and an assortment of carbs.

This year might be different as Egyptians continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis. February’s inflation rate jumped to 31.9 percent, a five-and-a-half-year high, according to official data.

Food prices led the jump with a 61.8 percent annual increase, with poultry prices leading the way.

This jump in inflationary pressures, paired with the Egyptian pound’s continued depreciation against the US dollar and other currencies, has hit people’s purchasing powers.

This will result in the iftar table being emptier than usual this time around.

Menna Mahmoud, who has three children, said: “This year we will definitely cut back on inviting people over for iftar.

“Our food spending is so high and our salaries are not able to cover our usual level of living. We have had to stop buying name brands and switch to generic products.

“Meats have become so expensive and you can’t really host an iftar without a variety of meat dishes, so we decided to keep our hospitality scarce this Ramadan season. We can’t afford to host as many people as we once did.”

The government has been working to help those struggling with the cost of living, with Ahlan Ramadan discounted outlets playing a big part in securing families’ needs ahead of the holy month.

The outlets sell rice, oils, sugar, flour, poultry, fish, vegetables, and other items, at a 25-30 percent discount. The state has thousands of Ahlan Ramadan outlets to ensure all families are able to get their hands on essentials.

Bank teller Mohamed Abdo, a father of three, said: “Things are significantly more expensive these days but Ramadan isn’t about fancy dinner tables and piles of food.

“It is about bringing family and friends together, so even if we’re breaking our fast with just cheese sandwiches, we will invite people over.”

Ramadan was hit by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, while last year a global wheat shortage resulted from the Ukraine conflict. This time economic concerns are the issue, but people are still keen to celebrate.

 

 


UK charity Penny Appeal takes part in humanitarian aid event in Dubai

UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid, Development Conference
UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid, Development Conference
Updated 27 March 2023

UK charity Penny Appeal takes part in humanitarian aid event in Dubai

UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid, Development Conference
  • The aim of the event was to gather aid experts and organizers to address the needs of communities affected by crises and disasters
  • The charity said it wants to find ways it can offer more aid at a time charities face greater demands to support vulnerable people affected by ever-greater levels of poverty

DUBAI: UK-based international Charity Penny Appeal took part in the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition.

The annual event gathers decision-makers from non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, charities and governmental bodies, along with aid workers, educators, and construction businesses from the private sector, to address the needs of communities affected by crises and disasters.

During the event, which ran from March 21 to 23, Penny Appeal said it highlighted its work around the world while networking with other participants.

Ridwana Wallace-Laher, the charity’s CEO, said the aim of participating was to find ways in which it can offer further aid at a time when charities are facing greater demand to support vulnerable people who are affected by ever-greater levels of poverty.

By forging partnerships with other organizations, she added, Penny Appeal aims to combine resources, exchange best practices, and coordinate efforts so that aid can be delivered more effectively.


The Hotel Show to take place in Dubai in May

The Hotel Show to take place in Dubai in May
Updated 27 March 2023

The Hotel Show to take place in Dubai in May

The Hotel Show to take place in Dubai in May
  • Three-day exhibition will feature 100 experts and include seminars, meetings and conferences

DUBAI: Around 13,000 people from the hospitality industry are set to gather in Dubai on May 23 for The Hotel Show, Emirates News Agency reported.

The three-day exhibition, which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, coincides with a regional expansion in hospitality investment led largely by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia alone needs to accommodate the 100 million tourists it hopes to attract by 2030 with a hotel pipeline valued at $110 billion, while the UAE hospitality market is expected to expand by 25 percent over the same period adding a further 48,000 rooms to its room stock” Elaine O’Connell, vice president of design and hospitality at DMG Events, said. 

“This offers unprecedented opportunity for developers, equipment and product suppliers, designers and operators,” she added.

Through conferences and seminars, the exhibition will provide insight into regional hotel prospects. Meanwhile, over 100 experts will take the stage at the event. 

This year, the event’s profile will include new content and features in three key industry verticals: Hospitality technology, operating equipment & supplies, and food and beverages. 

O’Connell said: “For years, the Middle East has been a change influencer for the sector and its willingness to quickly address game-changing issues signals that it intends to retain that mantle. 

“Coupled with the excitement around ongoing regional developments, the growing regional drive to net zero, increasing data regulation and the need to meet rising consumer demands for greener facilities and services, the region, and The Hotel Show Dubai, are again at the fulcrum of sectoral change.”

The UAE Professional Housekeepers Group Meeting will also be held at the exhibition, with in-depth discussions and tutorials on maintaining excellence in the face of changing market conditions, including changing guest expectations, emerging technologies, techniques, regulations, and products. 

In addition, nine culinary teams from the region’s top hotels will compete over three days to create a stunning five-course meal in the hopes of winning the coveted title of Hotel Culinary Team of the Year.


UN rights investigator says EU aided and abetted abuse of migrants in Libya

UN rights investigator says EU aided and abetted abuse of migrants in Libya
Updated 27 March 2023

UN rights investigator says EU aided and abetted abuse of migrants in Libya

UN rights investigator says EU aided and abetted abuse of migrants in Libya

GENEVA: A member of the UN fact-finding mission to Libya investigating rights abuses said on Monday that European Union support for Libyan authorities that stop and detain migrants had “aided and abetted” the commission of rights violations against migrants.
“We’re not saying that the EU and its member states have committed these crimes. The point is that the support given has aided and abetted the commission of the crimes,” Chaloka Beyani said in a news conference while unveiling the mission’s report.