Sheikh Hasina wins elections boycotted by the opposition in Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina wins elections boycotted by the opposition in Bangladesh

    Sunday, January 07, 2024   No comments

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (76 years old) won a fifth term in power, after legislative elections that were boycotted by the main opposition party and described as “sham elections.”

A spokesman for the National Election Commission said on Sunday that the ruling Awami League party led by Sheikh Hasina “won more than 50% of the seats,” while the counting process is still ongoing.

Bangladesh, which occupies eighth place on the list of the world's most populous countries (about 170 million people), has witnessed strong economic growth under the leadership of the Awami League party led by Hasina, according to Agence France-Presse, which adds that the government has faced accusations of violating human rights several times and suppressing the opposition with violent methods. .

The Awami League party faces almost no opponents in the electoral districts in which it competes, but it has refrained from nominating candidates in a number of them, in an attempt to avoid parliament becoming a tool controlled by one party.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, whose ranks witnessed a widespread wave of arrests, called for a general strike at the end of the week, and urged residents not to participate in what it described as “sham” elections.

Sam Altman of OpenAI: “I am Jewish… I see a lot of people in our industry sticking up for me... while that support for Muslims is comparatively lower"

Sam Altman of OpenAI: “I am Jewish… I see a lot of people in our industry sticking up for me... while that support for Muslims is comparatively lower"

    Saturday, January 06, 2024   No comments

 OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Thursday that he felt members of the Muslim and Arab communities in the technology industry were uncomfortable talking about their recent experiences, in an apparent reference to the impact of the ongoing war in Gaza, according to a Reuters report.

“Muslim and Arab colleagues (particularly Palestinians) in the tech community I spoke with feel uneasy about their recent experiences, and often do not speak out out of fear of retaliation and harming their career prospects,” Altman wrote on the social media network X.

The prominent president of the company that developed ChatGPT, which is supported by Microsoft, urged: Urge technology makers to treat members of those communities with empathy.

One X user asked Altman how he felt about the experiences of the Jewish community and he responded: “I'm Jewish, and I think anti-Semitism is a big and growing problem in the world, and I see a lot of people in our industry supporting me, which I greatly appreciate, and I see much less of that for Muslims.”

Contrary to Ankara’s political rhetoric in support of Palestinians, Turkish exports to Israel increased

Contrary to Ankara’s political rhetoric in support of Palestinians, Turkish exports to Israel increased

    Saturday, January 06, 2024   No comments

Economics is the overriding engine in global relations

Contrary to Ankara’s political rhetoric on the war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, Turkish exports to Israel rose by 34.8 percent last month, according to official figures, as the country’s trade relations with Tel Aviv come under scrutiny.

Israel began pounding Gaza after Hamas militants carried out an unprecedented attack in the country on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage. Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks on Gaza have so far claimed the lives of more than 22,000 people, according to the local authorities, in addition to leading to vast destruction in the enclave.

British documents: Britain conducted a secret dialogue with Hezbollah and then sought to exploit Hariri to dismantle his military capabilities

British documents: Britain conducted a secret dialogue with Hezbollah and then sought to exploit Hariri to dismantle his military capabilities

    Wednesday, January 03, 2024   No comments

British documents reveal that British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government sought twenty years ago to use Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to dissolve the military wing of Hezbollah, which was a pressing American-British goal.

According to the documents, which were recently declassified, Britain conducted a “useful” secret dialogue with Hezbollah, and insisted on continuing this dialogue despite its failure to convince the party to limit itself to political work.

In early July 2003, Blair invited Hariri to visit London after a month of talks between the British Prime Minister and French President Jacques Chirac.

Chirac described Hariri as "a visionary" and "an intelligent commentator on the peace process, especially with regard to the thinking of (Palestinian leader Yasser) Arafat," advising Blair to listen to him, as British Prime Minister's documents indicate.

Despite Hariri's invitation to visit 10 Downing Street (the seat of the British government), the British Foreign Office's assessment concluded that "there is no doubt that Hariri has any special insight into Arafat's motives."

However, the State Department's view was that Hariri "is worth listening to because he is deeply involved in regional politics. At the same time, because of his enormous wealth, he is a semi-independent observer of them." She added, "It is worth exploring what he has, especially with regard to Syrian intentions and (Syrian President) Bashar."

The Foreign Ministry also agreed with Blair's advisors on the need to benefit from Hariri "to determine what the United Kingdom wants from Lebanon." The offices of Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw focused on the issue of ways to deal with Hezbollah... 

Source: BBC

Media Review: The National Interest calls on Biden to return soldiers from Syria and Iraq: stop making them targets

Media Review: The National Interest calls on Biden to return soldiers from Syria and Iraq: stop making them targets

    Wednesday, January 03, 2024   No comments

The American magazine "National Interest" criticized the foreign policy of US President Joe Biden, and his involvement of the United States in endless conflicts at the expense of the interests of the nation and the well-being of the army.

In an article entitled “Joe Biden Should Stop Treating American Soldiers as Targets” published, Tuesday, the magazine stated that attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria with mortar shells, drones, and missiles have become routine (more than 100 since October 17). It caused dozens of injuries.

The magazine considered that the claim of National Security Council spokeswoman Adrian Watson that “the president does not place a higher priority than protecting American soldiers” is clear nonsense, because they are still being injured in Iraq and Syria without clear strategic goals, and that 2,500 Americans are stationed in Iraq, And 900 others are in Syria, with no clear purpose other than to be targets for enemies.

The magazine feared a larger strike that might hit a crowded building, with many American deaths expected, forcing the United States to fight another war in the Middle East, questioning the legal justification for occupying Syrian territory, mocking the slogan of “self-defense” on this front.

It considered that Washington's policy, supported by successive administrations and Congress, aimed at starving the Syrian people in a futile attempt to pressure Damascus, is morally abhorrent and practically foolish.

The magazine concluded by emphasizing the need for American military personnel in Iraq to also return to their homeland, instead of remaining a suitable target, considering that “the security of the United States is not served by illegal intervention and endless war, and that America is best served by avoiding involvement in conflicts that are of little importance to us.” "For the United States."

Asymmetrical urban warfare: How the war in Gaza has been fought

Asymmetrical urban warfare: How the war in Gaza has been fought

    Sunday, December 31, 2023   No comments

Guerilla warfare is not new. Asymmetrical warfare is common especially when indigenous communities resist invading state armed forces’ formations. The Algerian example often comes to mind when French occupation forces were resisted for decades by Algerian liberation groups (Mojahidin) and eventually forcing France out by the end of the first half of the 20th century.

A similar but also uniquely different struggle involved the Mujahideen groups of Afghanistan who resisted the Soviet Union forces in the 1970’s and 1980’s. That Afghanistan war was also asymmetrical war in that formal military formations of the Society Union faced off with non-state factions. However, that conflict was also a proxy-war between the two superpowers of the time, the United States and the Soviet Union.

In many ways, the US-USSR Afghanistan paradigm was reproduced in Syria during the second decade of this century with US-Russia facing off indirectly. These two proxy-wars, however, are different from the Algerian model and the current Gaza war in that the latter two did not have a superpower for a sponsor or supporter. The Algerian and Gazan resisters were mostly on their own. Because of the geopolitical circumstances and the fact that Gaza is essentially an urban area, the fighting factions in Gaza have developed and adopted unique strategies to counter the 18th most powerful military in the world.

Review of many of the videos produced and released by the armed factions in Gaza show a unique style of warfare never seen in past armed conflicts. The videos depict Man versus Tank kind-of-confrontation, where the local armed groups attack the superior war machines in zero-distance combat.

This video (streamed on Aljazeera TV), and posted on social media, shows how the war is fought in Gaza:

Tank drives on or near the tunnel without seeing it. Tank parks just meters away from the tunnel entrance. Qassam fighter opened the tunnel hatch, took the explosive device, walked over to the tank, placed device, activated it, walked back to the tunnel, then the blast.

 

Islamic Societies Review MONTHLY--December 2023

Islamic Societies Review MONTHLY--December 2023

    Sunday, December 31, 2023   No comments

 

Media Review: Washington Post, Arabs Are Beginning To Wonder About Their Place In The World

     Saturday, December 30, 2023   No comments

Writer Abdul Rahman Elgendy said, in a report in the American newspaper The Washington Post, that the recent events in Gaza made Arabs talk about...

Religion And War: Modern Islamic Religious Institutions And Gaza War

     Thursday, December 28, 2023   No comments

There are about four centers of traditional religiouscenters of power in the modern Islamic world: Alazhar representing the so-called mainstream Sunni Islam, Saudi Arabia representing...

Le Monde: Western Donors Punish Human Rights Organizations Because Of Their Support For Gaza

     Wednesday, December 27, 2023   No comments

The French newspaper Le Monde said that civil society organizations in many Middle Eastern countries are extremely angry because of their loss of European funding,...

Mexican Actress Melissa Barrera Continues To Support Gaza Despite Her Exclusion From “Scream 7”

     Tuesday, December 26, 2023   No comments

 Despite being excluded from starring in the movie “Scream 7” due to her posts in support of Palestine, Mexican actress Melissa Barrera continues to express...

Media Review: Western Warning Against Use Of The Term “Gaza Genocide” Despite The Continued Killing And Displacement Of People

     Tuesday, December 26, 2023   No comments

The New York Times: There is no food or water... Two million displaced people are living in a difficult crisis in southern GazaThe American newspaper...

Iran Summons Russian Envoy Over Statement On Disputed Gulf Islands

     Sunday, December 24, 2023   No comments

Those familair with Iranian culture would say that Iran's leaders do not do "ta`aruf" when it comes to their sovereignty. That is, “no kidding allowed”...

Spain Refuses To Participate In The “Guardian Of Prosperity” Coalition In The Red Sea

     Sunday, December 24, 2023   No comments

Spain announced that it will not participate in the international coalition to protect shipping traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi group...

Netanyahu: We Will Not Stop The War Nor Will We Withdraw Our Forces From Gaza, Oslo Accords Were A Grave Mistake That Must Not Be Repeated

     Sunday, December 17, 2023   No comments

Netanyahu restates Israel's rejection of the two state solution and sets course for a long war.We will not stop the war, nor will we withdraw...

If I Must Die

     Thursday, December 14, 2023   No comments

إذا كان لا بد أن أموت رفعت العرعير  إذا كان لا بد أن أموت فلا بد أن تعيش أنت لتروي حكايتي لتبيع أشيائي وتشتري قطعة...

By A Margin Of 80% (For) To 5% (Against), The United Nations General Assembly Adopts A Resolution Calling For An Immediate Ceasefire In The Gaza Strip

     Wednesday, December 13, 2023   No comments

The United Nations General Assembly adopted an immediate ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to Israeli aggression for more than 65...

Washington Post: Biden Shows Deep Sympathy For Israel And Lacks It With The Civilians Killed Or Injured In Gaza

     Tuesday, December 12, 2023   No comments

The Washington Post published a report on the deep sympathy that US President Joe Biden has for Israel and his lack of this sympathy for...

Media Review: Libération, Accounts Of The Beheading Of Children, Rape And Burning By Hamas Fighters Are False And Aimed At Garnering Support For Revenge Against Gaza

     Tuesday, December 12, 2023   No comments

The French newspaper “Libération” published a lengthy investigation into the stories circulated by the Israeli authorities about cutting off the heads of children, raping women,...

A Fatwa Spurred The Boycott Of Israel's Supporters In Indonesia

     Tuesday, December 12, 2023   No comments

Solidarity marches in Indonesia, like other countries of the world, carry many messages that are reflected in the behavior of the solidarity activists, the most...

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Media Review: Washington Post, Arabs are beginning to wonder about their place in the world

Media Review: Washington Post, Arabs are beginning to wonder about their place in the world

    Saturday, December 30, 2023   No comments

Writer Abdul Rahman Elgendy said, in a report in the American newspaper The Washington Post, that the recent events in Gaza made Arabs talk about how “this world was never built to accommodate them.”

Elgendy added that even in the most progressive circles, Arabs represent a disturbed state that cannot be tolerated.

He continued that between the situation of the Arabs between the countries that crushed them and the countries of exile, it seems that there will be no life before death, and if this is what the average person feels, then what is the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza?

Elgendy said that he knew that the facade of Western moral superiority had collapsed, and called on the Arabs to get rid of the feeling of “internal inferiority” and work to “make our way back to language and history: our language and history, and gather around our collective grief and groaning.”

The writer stated that the Arabs are now asking fundamental questions about their place in the world, as they have begun to realize that their “controllability” does not represent a failure of the global system, but rather is one of its basic functions.

The writer considered that when he left Egypt in 2020 after his release from prison, he sought a new birth and to be recognized as a suffering body, highlighting that he did not have any romantic ideas about the American dream.

He continued that he often faced a condescending idea that his immigration represented a pursuit of higher values, and not an escape from the chaos caused by the wars imposed by the United States, or the kings and military dictatorships that Washington installed and continues to support, or the environmental devastation caused by Washington.

Elgendy spoke about his recent attendance at a pro-Palestinian rally in Pittsburgh, USA, where demonstrators carried their signs in solidarity, chanting “End the occupation” and “Stop shooting now.”

Then the demonstrators quickly chanted, "We Arabs are respectful, civilized, and peaceful. We are not anti-Semitic and we are not savages as they claim."

Suddenly, the writer heard his wife screaming, as a large, bald, white American man threw her and several other demonstrators to the ground, and began cursing the protesters and calling them disgusting descriptions, before a group of demonstrators surrounded him and pushed him towards the police present at the site.

He continued, "The look in his eyes was unforgettable, a look not filled with hatred or violence, but with confidence that he would never be described as a terrorist or a barbarian," because they are descriptions that seem to be specific to Arabs only.

Religion and war: Modern Islamic religious institutions and Gaza War

Religion and war: Modern Islamic religious institutions and Gaza War

    Thursday, December 28, 2023   No comments

There are about four centers of traditional religiouscenters of power in the modern Islamic world: Alazhar representing the so-called mainstream Sunni Islam, Saudi Arabia representing the Salafi Islam, the official sect of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey under the Islamist JDP drawing authority from the fact that Turkey represented the last pan-Islamic government, and Shia centers of religious power represented by Qom (Iran), and Najaf (Iraq). The most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, has not played a role in shaping the religious discourse, rather was a battleground for influence exerted by other centers of Religious power. 

What role and what position have these religious centers of power and authority and other national and regional religious institutions taken?

Salafism and the Gaza war

Since the start of Western colonialism, Islam has played some public role, even through silence. Saudi edition of Islam played a prominent role in the West’s war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. It created the interpretative foundation that allowed Salafists to fund and recruit fighters in support of what they called, “Islamic Jihad”. That religious propaganda resulted in the production of groups like al-Qaeda, which launched its direct attack on the US in 2001 and justified it by US support for Israel. 23 years later, with Israel carrying its most destructive and deadly attack on Palestinians, and the Saudi religious institutions, especially the office of the Mufti, went totally silent. Perhaps worried about revisiting the connection between Salafism and terrorism, the Muftis now limiting his role to addressing the Islamic rulings about personal hygiene and family relations, and leaving all other matters to the crown prince, who just visited him to check on his health.

 

Al-Azhar balancing act: support political leadership and make public statements

 

The Council of Senior Scholars at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif confirmed today, Thursday, that the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip are “a disgrace to all those who support it with money or weapons.”

 

The Commission, headed by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, said that these massacres will be a disgrace to all those who are silent about the crimes of the occupation, pointing out that the position of the Council of Senior Scholars is clear regarding this aggression against the Palestinian people.

 

The Commission announced its rejection of displacing Palestinians “from their homeland to any other place,” noting that the occupation has gone too far in its aggression, killing children and women, and striking mosques, churches, hospitals, schools, and homes, in and around Gaza.

 

The Commission also condemned the "shameful positions of the countries and governments that support the occupation" in its aggression against the Palestinian people, calling on them to listen to the voice of their people defending this issue.

 

Lebanon’s Sunni Shia divide
 

Dar Al-Fatwa suppresses sheikhs: Criticism of Geagea is forbidden!

With Shia Hezbollah direct support to Hamas in Gaza, the rest of the Sunni community is more interested in appeasing regional powers and preserving the political balance in the country than taking position on the war.

The Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, came to the thoughts of Maarab and Al-Saifi, who were disturbed by the tweets of the Assistant Inspector General of Dar Al-Fatwa, Sheikh Hassan Merheb, so he decided to muzzle the mouths of the sheikhs and prevent them from expressing their opinions and political positions.

 The message delivered by the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, to Dar al-Fatwa, in protest against the positions of the Assistant Inspector General of Dar al-Fatwa, Sheikh Hassan Merheb, on his party and the Phalange Party, against the backdrop of their positions on the war on Gaza and the resistance against the Israeli enemy in Palestine and Lebanon, did not go unnoticed. The message woke up the Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian, from his stupor. Although “His Eminence” did not move in the face of the poor living conditions of the imams of the mosques and Sharia judges, and in the face of the repercussions of the crisis on the institutions affiliated with Dar al-Fatwa and its endowments, and he was not moved by the deteriorating living and political conditions of the Sunni community, he rose up to silence the sheikhs and “hold their breath” for the sake of Samir Geagea. And Sami Al-Jamil. As a reminder, the first was convicted of killing a Sunni prime minister, and the second declared a week ago that Israel does not attack Lebanon except in self-defense! Geagea’s “outrage” did not insult the Mufti, so he issued a decision to suppress the sheikhs and confiscate their opinions, in a statement distributed by the media office last Friday, in which he said: “Based on the directives of the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, it is strictly forbidden to make political statements, positions or opinions for all employees of the religious apparatus and institutions affiliated with Dar al-Fatwa without first obtaining written permission from the General Directorate of Islamic Endowments and the relevant relevant departments,” he pointed out. “Dar Al-Fatwa does not adopt any political opinion that does not come directly from it and rejects any position that leads to strife or disagreement among the Lebanese.”