In retreating from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.. ECOWAS: Dialogue with the leaders of the Nigerien coup is the "basic" of efforts to resolve the crisis

In retreating from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.. ECOWAS: Dialogue with the leaders of the Nigerien coup is the "basic" of efforts to resolve the crisis

    Thursday, August 10, 2023   No comments

The leaders of West African countries stressed Thursday that they will make negotiations with the military leaders who seized power in Niger the "base" of their efforts to defuse the crisis, in retreat from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.

"We prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the basis of our approach," said Nigerian President Paula Tinubu, who is chairing the emergency summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.

The military council in Niger forms a new transitional government that includes 21 ministers

Today, Thursday, the head of the military council in Niger, Abd al-Rahman Tiani, signed a decree forming a new transitional government, local media reported.

Actoniger reported that Tiani signed the decree forming the transitional government yesterday, Wednesday, which is composed of 21 ministers and includes a small number of military personnel.

On July 27, soldiers in the Nigerien army announced, on state television, the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoum, his detention in his residence, the closure of borders and the imposition of a curfew, explaining that they had decided to put an end to the current regime, after the deterioration of the security situation and economic mismanagement in the country.

In response to the military council's move, the Economic Community of West African States "ECOWAS" announced the imposition of sanctions on Niger, including closing its airspace and suspending trade exchanges with it.

For his part, Tianyi rejected these punishments, describing them as illegal, unfair and inhumane.

In early August, the participants in an emergency meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Economic Community of West African States, held in Abuja, adopted a plan in the event of a military intervention in Niger.

After mobilizing a force of 25,000 ECOWAS soldiers for possible intervention in Niger, the military council refused to receive the delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the United Nations.

Coinciding with the announcement of the African crowd of a possible military intervention, the leaders of the military council announced the appointment of Ali Mahman Lamine Zain, an economist and former minister of finance, as prime minister in the country after Bazoum was dismissed due to his allowing foreign interventions in the country.

The military council announced the cancellation of a number of military cooperation agreements with France, in addition to ending the missions of the country's ambassadors to France, the United States, Nigeria and Togo.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the military council's decision to cancel the agreements concluded with it, stressing that it "only recognizes the previous authorities of Muhammad Bazoum" and rejects the decision.

It is noteworthy that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a statement that his country's government had decided to freeze some "foreign assistance programs" from which the government of Niger benefits.

Likewise, the United States and ECOWAS confirmed that they hoped to reach a diplomatic solution in Niger that would put things back in order.

It is noteworthy that both Mali and Burkina Faso supported the Transitional Military Council in Niger, and declared clearly that "any intervention by the Economic Community of West African States to return Bazoum to power would be tantamount to declaring war on them."

In the same context, Russia believed that foreign intervention would not allow a solution to the crisis in Niger, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "it is unlikely that the intervention of forces from outside the region will allow the situation to improve."

It is noteworthy that the countries of the European Union began yesterday, Wednesday, to prepare to impose the first sanctions on members of the military council in Niger.

The situation in Niger raises concerns about the future of the country and the region, at a time when it faces increasing security challenges due to the threat of armed groups growing in the Sahel region. It also raises concern in the West, especially France and the United States of America, because the ousted president is considered Paris's first man in the African Sahel countries.

Kazakhstan, and soon Russia, increase export of agricultural goods through Iran via the INSTC

Kazakhstan, and soon Russia, increase export of agricultural goods through Iran via the INSTC

    Tuesday, August 08, 2023   No comments

In another sign of activating alternative paths for global trade with the uncertainty in the Black Sea due to the conflict in in Ukraine, Kazakhstan decided to export its agricultural goods across the Persian Gulf through the Islamic Republic of Iran to open a new direct route to free waters, which starts from the port of Korik in Kazakhstan, then the Iranian port of Amirabad overlooking the Caspian Sea, and then to the port of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf.

The Iran route reduces the duration of the transfer of goods through presence in the ports of the Emirates, India, Pakistan, the Far East and the coasts of East Africa, in addition to that this route can export Kazakh goods to the European Union.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Srik Jumangarin, held talks with the head of an Emirati shipping and transport company, to employ joint investments for this goal.

This is a major development, which practically, could allow Russia to export its goods and services through this route directly or through Kazakhstan, bypassing the risk associated with the Black Sea trade route. However, this North-South route has been in the making for over two decades, and only now it is showing its potential in a new geopolitical climate.

What is the International North–South Transport Corridor—INSTC?

It was first conceived in the early 2000’s. The idea was to build a transport corridor linking Russia’s Baltic Sea coast to India’s western ports in the Arabian Sea via Iran. Russia, India and Iran signed preliminary agreements to develop the 7,200-km-long International North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) in 2002. NSTC consists of sea, road, and rail transportation systems with investments for building the railroads and truck highways coming mostly from India, Russia, and Iran. 

The INSTC's western route passes through Russia, South Caucasus, and Iran. The middle axis reaches India through Saint Petersburg – Astrakhan – Caspian Sea – North and South ports of Iran (Amirabad, Anzali, Chabahar, and Astara ports). The eastern axis passes through Russia-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan-Iran.

Three years later, Azerbaijan signed up for the project. This agreement was eventually ratified by 13 countries — India, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine.

Now the NSTC is allowing states close to its main path to benefit from this increased North-South activities created by the sanctions imposed on Russia and the new sanctions imposed on Iran after the collapse of the Nuclear Deal. Iran stands to benefit most from this initiative, which, together with China’s BRI project will create new networks I the region and east Africa.

A racist group hostile to Islam in Denmark burns the Holy Qur’an in front of the embassies of Islamic countries in Copenhagen and raises slogans against Muslims

A racist group hostile to Islam in Denmark burns the Holy Qur’an in front of the embassies of Islamic countries in Copenhagen and raises slogans against Muslims

    Tuesday, August 08, 2023   No comments

On Tuesday, the Danish capital, Copenhagen, witnessed new attacks against the Noble Qur’an.

The Anadolu Agency correspondent said that members of a group called “Danish Patriots” burned copies of the Qur’an in front of the embassies of Turkey, Algeria, Pakistan, Indonesia and Iran in Copenhagen.

He pointed out that the provocative actions took place under the protection of the Danish police, and that members of the racist and anti-Islam group chanted slogans against Muslims.

The members of the group also published the moments of the assault on the Noble Qur’an through live scenes from their pages on social networking sites.

Facebook had imposed restrictions on some of the group's videos.

Recently, in Sweden and Denmark, incidents of insulting the Qur’an by extreme rightists in front of the embassies of Islamic countries have been repeated, which sparked angry Arab and Islamic reactions, officially and popularly, in addition to official summons for the diplomats of the two countries in more than one Arab country.

On July 26, the United Nations adopted a consensus resolution, drafted by Morocco, condemning all acts of violence against the holy books as a violation of international law.

  

Algeria's Lieutenant General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of People's National Army, on an official visit to the Russian Federation

Algeria's Lieutenant General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of People's National Army, on an official visit to the Russian Federation

    Monday, July 31, 2023   No comments

And the statement of the Ministry of National Defense stated that, "At the invitation of Lieutenant General Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Said Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, pays an official visit to the Russian Federation, starting today."

"The visit, which falls within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the People's National Army and the Russian Armed Forces, will enable the two parties to discuss issues of common concern," the statement added.

The visit happens as Algeria’s media outlets reported on increased tension with Morocco, which appears to be using its connections to some Western governments to normalize its occupation of Western Sahara.

The Algerian newspaper, Al-Khabar, accused the UAE of supplying Morocco with a new spying system developed by the Israeli company Quadream, intended to penetrate the phones of officials and journalists in ten countries, as it was installed near the Algerian border, in a detailed report published last Thursday titled “Abu Dhabi.” The capital of confusion,” which is an Algerian slang word meaning “sedition.’

Algerian lawmakers comment on regional security matters: Tensions with Morocco are unprecedented, the return of relations is excluded, and Israel's participation in the US-led African Assad maneuver is provocative

Two Algerian parliamentarians said that restoring relations with Morocco is unlikely, and that they are going through a period of intense tension.

According to their talk, the current tensions are unprecedented in the relations between the two countries in recent years, and they are in contrast to the message of reassurance sent by King Mohammed VI in his last Throne Day speech.

Earlier, King Mohammed VI of Morocco called on Algeria to open the borders between the two brotherly neighboring countries and peoples.

This came during a speech by the King of Morocco to his people, on the occasion of Throne Day, which coincides with the twenty-fourth anniversary of his accession to the throne.

The King of Morocco said, “Our work to serve our people is not limited only to internal issues, but we are also keen to establish strong relations with brotherly and friendly countries, especially neighboring countries, according to a statement that Sputnik obtained a copy of.

"In recent months, many people have been asking about the relations between Morocco and Algeria, which are stable, and we look forward to them being better," he added.

Commenting on what was stated in King Mohammed VI's speech on Algeria, the Algerian parliamentarian, Moussa Kharfi, says that restoring relations with Morocco at the present time is not possible.

Kharfi explained, in his interview with “Sputnik”, that the matter is mainly related to relations between Morocco and Israel, as well as the issue of the Sahara.

Pointing out that the failure to settle the Sahara issue excludes the restoration of relations with him.

The Algerian parliamentarian, Riz

kani Suleiman, says that the relations between the two countries are currently farther than ever from the dialogue table.

Adding: “The statements of King Mohammed VI contradict the reality of relations between the two countries, as tension prevails in relations, which the Algerian president described four months ago as having reached the point of no return.”

And he continued, in his interview with “Sputnik”, that the prevailing tension in relations comes against the backdrop of what he describes as “provocations regarding the Sahara issue, as well as with regard to normalization with Israel.”

He believes that Israel's participation in the African Assad maneuver, led by the United States, came within the framework of provocations on the part of Morocco.

And he went on to say, “Algeria severed its relations with Morocco two years ago and prevented Moroccan airlines from passing through Algerian airspace as a response to the amount of evil that it received from Morocco.”

And he added, "Certainly no one benefits from the situation, and we all hope for a better reality for relations, especially for the common denominators that bring the two peoples together."

Earlier, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that severing relations with Morocco was an alternative to war.

On August 24, 2021, Algeria severed its relations with Morocco, after closing the borders between the two countries since 1994 after the “Atlas Asni” hotel bombings in Marrakech, when the late King Hassan II imposed a visa on Algerians to enter the country, which prompted Algeria at the time to close the land borders. Between the two countries, this tension was also perpetuated by the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Africa's new and perennial challenges

The African continent is a state of flux as it seeks to adjust to the new multipolar world order. 

Many African leaders attended the Russia-Africa Summit hosted by Putin in Russia this week. This week also saw another military takeover of the government, the removal of the president of Niger.

Algeria will support Niger in case of external military aggression, according to the Algerian publication Intel Kirby.

They reported on the potential invasion of Niger under the leadership of ECOWAS, stating that Algeria will not remain idle while its neighboring country faces an invasion.

There were already unconfirmed reports that the Algerian army has started increasing security measures and raising its level of readiness on the border with Niger.

The Russia-Africa Summit adopts a joint action plan for 3 years

The Russia-Africa Summit adopts a joint action plan for 3 years

    Friday, July 28, 2023   No comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today, Friday, that the participants in the Russia-Africa summit agreed to declare the second summit and adopted a joint action plan until 2026.

President Putin affirmed that "African leaders have expressed their political desire to cooperate with Russia," stressing that Russia and Africa are united on the formation of a just and multipolar world order based on the principles of international law.

Putin said that Russia had agreed with African countries to work in the United Nations Security Council on easing sanctions against African countries.

Russia and Africa agreed to increase trade in quality and quantity, as well as the use of national currencies in commercial transactions, according to the Russian president.

Putin pointed out that Russian companies are open to transferring technology in public administration and the banking sector to African countries.

He also stressed that Russia will continue to supply African countries with grain, whether on a commercial or free basis.

Today, Putin announced that Russia will allocate an additional $90 million to African countries for debt relief, revealing that about $23 billion of African debt owed by Russia has been written off so far.

Moscow held the second Russia-Africa Summit, in addition to the Russian-African Economic Forum, from July 27-28, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

The Russia-Africa summit is the main and largest event in Russian-African relations. It aims to achieve "a qualitatively new level of mutually beneficial partnership that meets the challenges of the twenty-first century."

This event calls for "strengthening comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African countries in all its political, security, economic, scientific, technical, cultural and humanitarian dimensions," according to its organizers.

The economic forum held within the framework of the second Russian-African summit is a unique event in Russia's relations with the countries of the African continent, and aims to diversify the forms and areas of Russian-African cooperation, as well as determine the development of these relations in the long term.

It is worth noting that the first Russian-African summit was held in October 2019 in the Russian city of Sochi.

In February, the Wall Street Journal reported that, “With Russia cut off from the European market, North African countries have moved on to become voracious buyers of Russian diesel and other refined oil products.”

The ambassador of special missions in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and head of the secretariat of the Russian-African Partnership Forum, Oleg Azorov, had previously stated that his country has many opportunities in the field of oil and gas to develop relations with Africa.

The ambassador for special missions in the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed Moscow's gratitude to African countries for their balanced policy towards Russia.

Azorov had stated that his country is negotiating with many African countries regarding the conversion of trade into national currencies, describing it as a "complex process", which requires decision-making by both the Russian and African regulatory authorities.

It should be noted that the second Russian-African summit will be held today and tomorrow in Petersburg.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's advisor on diplomatic affairs, Yuri Ushakov, said that the Russian president will deliver an "important speech" during the summit in which he presents his vision of Russian-African relations and "the formation of a new world order."

Supremacism in Europe: Third scandal hits Finland’s government in space of a month

Supremacism in Europe: Third scandal hits Finland’s government in space of a month

    Friday, July 28, 2023   No comments

The Garden of Prosperity has a problem: Is it racism or migration?

Last Thursday, July 27, the Finnish newspaper "Helsingen Sanomat" revealed the messages sent by Minister Wille Rydman (of the far-right "Finns Party") about 7 years ago (in 2016) when he was a member of parliament.

The newspaper said that it had obtained the messages in which he used "racist language against minorities" from his ex-girlfriend, "Amanda Blake", noting that she decided to reveal them due to the important ministerial position he holds.

At the time the letters were sent, Rydman was a member of the Constitutional Law Committee and the Administrative Committee, during which he helped pass anti-immigrant laws, according to the newspaper.

In one of his letters to his girlfriend, Redman likened the growth of a plant to the Somalis in the country, saying, "But as soon as you bring a lily-of-the-valley to this spot, you will find it everywhere, and it spreads and multiplies like the Somalis."

In another message, Rydman shared with his girlfriend a song written by his fellow parliamentarian, "Juho Irola", which inappropriately talks about a Muslim leaving his homeland. "Irola" had written it after many asylum seekers flocked to Finland in 2015, according to the deputy's statement to the newspaper.

Rydman suggested to his girlfriend that the song be used in student parties, and the minister commented in another message on previous news about the Belgian government allowing employers to ban the wearing of the veil, saying, "I prefer to prevent those who wear the veil over banning the veil alone."

The messages revealed Rydmans use of offensive terms such as "monkeys" or "desert monkeys", referring to Arabs or people of the Middle East.

In other messages, his girlfriend expressed her desire to give her child Jewish names, and he said in response to her, "We - the Nazis - do not like these Jewish names," and he also expressed his regret that Germany had left "its Nazi traces fading."

Media outlets quoted Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orbo as confirming that he did not support the language that Rydman used in his messages, but at the same time he confirmed his confidence in him and did not mention the existence of any measures against him.

It is noteworthy that Minister Rydman was appointed as a replacement for former Economy Minister Wilhelm Gonella, who resigned last June after only 10 days of taking office, due to his old pro-Nazi statements.

For his part, Minister Rydman stated in his response to the leaks that he was considering suing the newspaper "Helsingen Sanomat", and wrote on Twitter, "The writer of the story in the newspaper is already suspected of defamation against me, as well as his source mentioned in the story, and the police reported that the matter is under legal follow-up." .

"The real scandal is that the newspaper is a platform for those who lied to me, and the other scandal is that the letters exchanged years ago - whether true or not - were considered the subject of a story for a big newspaper," he added.

"The most difficult since World War II"... Sweden confirms the deterioration of security after insulting the Qur'an

The Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Christerson, announced that Sweden is facing "the most difficult security situation since World War II," after the activities of burning a copy of the Noble Qur'an.

Christerson said, after meeting with his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, that his government discussed with the Danish government the situation over the insult to the Qur'an, adding, "We are currently facing the most difficult security situation since World War II."

The Swedish Prime Minister indicated that some countries "could take advantage of the deteriorating security situation in Sweden," stressing that the authorities of the two countries consider such a situation "dangerous" and will take the necessary measures.

On the first day of Eid al-Adha, a video clip spread showing the extremist Sloan Momica tearing up a copy of the Holy Qur’an at the Stockholm Central Mosque, after the Swedish police granted him permission to organize the protest following an official decision, and this was met with widespread condemnation from various countries and organizations.

Later, the Swedish police again agreed to organize a demonstration in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, in which the demonstrators, including the extremist Mumika, burned the Iraqi flag and a copy of the Noble Qur’an, which also sparked widespread condemnation.

In response, Baghdad severed its relations with Stockholm, and expelled the Swedish ambassador. A few days ago, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, Faiq Zaidan, confirmed the follow-up to Silwan Momica's recovery file.

The "Ansar Allah" movement also issued a decision to boycott Swedish goods by banning their import, and canceling the registered agencies for goods and products of Swedish origin.

In Denmark, a Danish far-right anti-Islam group burned a copy of the Holy Quran and the Iraqi flag, a few days ago, in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen.

The Danish government affirmed that "burning sacred texts and other religious symbols is a shameful act that does not respect the religion of others," stressing at the same time the need to respect what it called "freedom of expression and assembly," and supporting "the right to peaceful protest," as it said.

On the tenth anniversary of Muharram, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, affirmed that the governments of Sweden and Denmark and the whole world must understand that "we are a nation that does not tolerate aggression and abuse of its symbols and sanctities," calling on Muslims to punish those who abuse the Qur'an.

Likewise, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyid Abd al-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, affirmed that "what the Jewish lobby in Western countries is doing, in terms of burning and tearing copies of the Qur'an, is the height of blasphemy and an assault on Islam and Muslims."

Mr. Al-Houthi called for severing diplomatic relations with countries that allow the burning of copies of the Noble Qur’an, in addition to boycotting them economically, stressing that “if the nation’s position does not live up to this possible ease, then it is a great failure towards the most important sanctity of Muslims.”

Iran's new missile: "Abu Mahdi", the first Iranian long-range cruise missile that uses artificial intelligence

Iran's new missile: "Abu Mahdi", the first Iranian long-range cruise missile that uses artificial intelligence

    Friday, July 28, 2023   No comments

The missile was named after Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, who was assassinated by the United States in early 2020, accompanied by Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, on the road to Baghdad airport.

It is a generation of Iranian ground-based cruise missiles such as the "Sumar" and "Hoveizeh", which have a range of 1,350 km. It is also an advanced version of cruise missiles owned by the Iranian Navy, with a range of 15 to 350 kilometers, including "Kawthar", "Zafar", "Qadir", "Raad" and "Naseer".

Production history

In June 2020, the former commander of the Iranian Army Navy, Amir Khanzadi, revealed that his country had produced a long-range naval missile, which he called "Talaiya". But Iran changed its name on August 20 of the same year to "Abu Mahdi," and it was revealed that day during a military parade on the occasion of Iran's Defense Industry Day, in which the Ministry of Defense displayed a model of the missile with the word "paint" engraved on it.

The Ministry of Defense put the missile into service on July 25, 2023, and delivered dozens of winged models of it to the Army and Revolutionary Guard navy in the Gulf waters, in the presence of Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani.

Ashtiani described the "Abu Mahdi" missile as "pointed, strategic and unique in its characteristics, and has no equal in overcoming the enemy's defense systems and completely destroying enemy ships, frigates and destroyers."

Technical Specifications

• Range: more than a thousand kilometers.
• Flight: at a low altitude with the help of radar altimeters, which complicates the interception process.
• Fuel: The fuel of the first engine is solid and the fuel of the second engine (jet) is liquid.
• Diameter: 55 centimeters.
• Number of wings: 9 rectangular wings with a circular head, four of which are clipped and fixed in the sacrum, and another 3 are at the end of the missile body, and two are in the middle of the main structure.

Tactical features

The most prominent tactical features mentioned by Iranian military leaders about the "Abi Mahdi" cruise missile were:

1. The use of artificial intelligence in the flight path design, command and control program.
2. Using the dual radar seeker technology to counter electronic warfare and stealth when approaching the target.
3. The use of explosives with high destructive power in the warhead.
4. The use of integrated and advanced navigation systems makes finding the launchers a difficult task for the enemy before launching the missile.
5. The ability to choose different ways to fly towards the target and attack it from different directions after turning around.
6. It is equipped with a "Tulu" jet engine, which has proven its usefulness in Karrar drones and cruise missiles of the "Nour", "Qader" and "Qadir" generation.
7. Equipped with a radar active homing head.
8. Overcoming enemy radars and passing through other natural and artificial obstacles.
9. Launching from all fixed and mobile platforms from the coast, and by submarines and naval battleships.
10. Preparation and launch in a very short time, maximum operating speed and quick reaction.
11. Several missiles can be launched from different directions towards a target and hit it simultaneously.
12. Capable of updating target final position in flight and managing target selection in the field.
13. The ability to change course and flight altitude according to the complexities of geography and enemy air systems.
14. High controllability.
15. The possibility of increasing the missile's range to distances of more than 1,000 km.

Colonial media practices: The blatant double standards will mark the fall of the "free world" discourse on previously-universalized values

Colonial media practices: The blatant double standards will mark the fall of the "free world" discourse on previously-universalized values

    Wednesday, July 26, 2023   No comments

Western governments have used the pillars of their modern civilization to shame and intimidate other communities to submit their systems of dominance. Human rights, free press, free speech, individual rights were all used as universal values that legitimized western interventionism. It worked because many thinkers and leaders in the Global south communities actually bought into this discourse. However, with new technologies that enabled impoverished communities to build their own institutions, and enjoy a degree of autonomy, the Western discourse revealed its superficial commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Sanctions and bans became a favorite instrument in the hands of Western states to punish speech they did not like. Suddenly freedom of speech became limited; they just needed to find the context for banning it. That is now creating a problem for the so-called free world.

Putin reveals Russia's goals with African countries: We will develop cooperation and work together to solve poverty and food security problems

Putin reveals Russia's goals with African countries: We will develop cooperation and work together to solve poverty and food security problems

    Wednesday, July 26, 2023   No comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country seeks to enhance cooperation with Africa, which he described as one of the poles in a crystallized multipolar world, ahead of the start of the Russian-African summit in St. Petersburg tomorrow, Thursday.

In a welcoming speech to the participants in the "Russia-Africa" Economic and Humanitarian Forum, to be held Thursday and Friday, Putin said that cooperation with African countries has reached a new level in recent years.

He added that Russia intends to develop this cooperation to stimulate trade and investment, and work to solve urgent problems in Africa, such as combating poverty, ensuring food security and confronting climate change.

"We will continue to assist African partners in every possible way in strengthening the national and cultural sovereignty of their countries, and developing their participation in resolving regional and international issues," he said.

Putin said that Africa "has become today one of the poles of the crystallized multipolar world," stressing that his country supports the aspirations of African countries towards social and economic stability and progress.

This is the second Russian-African summit after the first held in Sochi in 2019.

In light of the isolation that Western countries have sought to impose on the Russian president since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, lines of communication remained open between Moscow and several parties such as Beijing and Tehran, and Russia has strengthened its presence in Africa over the past years through grain exports, armament deals and energy cooperation.

In a sign of Moscow's growing interest in Africa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has visited the continent twice since the beginning of the year, seeking to bring the two sides closer in the face of Western "imperialism".

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the US, France, and other Western countries of coercing African nations to not attend the Russia–Africa Summit scheduled to take place on July 27-28 in St. Petersburg.

Fātima Al-Fihri the founder of the oldest university in the world that is still operating without interruption

Fātima Al-Fihri the founder of the oldest university in the world that is still operating without interruption

    Tuesday, July 25, 2023   No comments

The Guinness World Records classifies Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez, Morocco, as the oldest university in the world that is still operating without interruption, despite the scientific controversy that makes it compete with al-Zaytouna Mosque and University of Tunisia (which began its lessons since 737 AD / 120 AH) for the title of the oldest university in the world.

The merit of the establishment of the "Al-Qarawiyyin" is attributed to Fātima Al-Fihri, who founded the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in the mid-ninth century AD / mid-third century AH, but the accounts of historians who witnessed the era of Al-Qarawiyyin University after the era of Fatima, such as Ibn Khaldun and Abi Al-Hassan Ali bin Abi Zar' Al-Fassi, do not suggest that it was established as a university, but rather as a mosque built by Fatima with her money from stone and mud after she bought the land that was allocated to the mosque and the university later from her great inheritance.

The mosque and the university

The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque was considered the oldest university because it did not go through the stumbling stages experienced by the institutes of Al-Zaytouna, Al-Azhar and Al-Mustansiriya Scientific School, and the "Qarawiyyin" remained far from the events of the capitals of the East and their great transformations, which preserved for it the continuity of its system and traditions, and dispensed with its endowments and spacious lands from the support of the authorities and the countries that passed through it.

The answer to the question of the time of the beginning of teaching in the villagers does not seem easy, but it certainly resembles the study of the many histories of mosques that combined the function of worship and prayer with being a center for education and teaching.

And the historian of the 14th century AD, Ali Al-Jaznai, believes in his book “Reaping the Flower of Myrtle in Building the City of Fez,” that the beginning of the villagers’ transformation into a university came with the scholars who established the villagers’ qiblah, and it was known about the poet Bakr Al-Tahrti and Imam Yahya the Fourth that they held scientific councils in the villagers.

Looking at the founding dates of European universities (Italian Bologna in the mid-12th century, and the Sorbonne at the beginning of the 13th century), Al-Qarawiyyin already appears to be the oldest university in the world, and the story of its founding is similar to the story of the Sorbonne, Bologna and Oxford universities, which also began teaching theology by monks before gradually developing into ancient universities, according to Moroccan historian Abd al-Hadi al-Tazi, author of the book "The Mosque of Al-Qarawiyyin".

Fatima Al-Fihri, the mother of the children

There are only limited sources about the life and story of Fātima Al-Fihri, including what was written by the historian Ibn Abi Zar’, who lived in the 14th century AD, in his book “Rawdat Al-Qirtas”, and described the land that Fātima bought and built the mosque on.

Ibn Abi Zaraa narrates the journey of the Tunisian villagers’ delegation to the Idrisid king, Yahya I, and their settlement around the slope of the villagers, including the “blessed woman Fātima,” the daughter of the Tunisian Arab man, Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Fihri. Fatima was with her sister Mary, and inherited a huge fortune that she spent on charitable work and building the mosque.

And Ibn Khaldun mentions in the 14th century on the authority of Fatima after he transmits what Ibn Abi Zaraa narrated, referring to the transfer of the Friday sermon to the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and the crowding of the surrounding area, and Ibn Khaldun follows, "as if the kings' intentions were alerted afterwards."

The historian Abd al-Hadi al-Tazi saw in his study, which was originally a doctoral thesis on the al-Qarawiyyin mosque, that the construction of the mosque began during the reign of Sultan Daoud bin Idris based on a historical document dating back to the Idrisid period that was found during modern restoration work.

Although he does not know much about Fātima's life from ancient sources, Ibn Abi Zaraa and Ibn Khaldun narrated the story briefly, and the first explained the story of building the mosque from mud, gravel and yellow sand, and narrated the digging of the well in the courtyard of the mosque and Fatima's abundant spending on construction so that it would be a continuous good deed that would be rewarded in the afterlife.

After her departure, the Almoravid, Almohad, and Marinid states took care of the mosque, expanded it, and renovated its construction.

Transfer to university

This care taken by the rulers to win a moral status by supporting science and scholars contributed to the prosperity of the university and the formalization of its ancient educational systems, and in this way the mosque gave birth to a university.

Reference began to be made to the unique scientific status of the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque since the 12th century AD, and its library gradually grew through books, donations, endowments, and the efforts of princes to increase its holdings, and Al-Qarawiyyin preserved its value as a center of religious and scientific knowledge in the Islamic world.

Although it is difficult to find an exact date for the mosque’s transformation into a university, some historians believe that the beginning of the transformation was in the Almoravid era (1056-1147 AD), coinciding with the change in the shape of the villagers during the era of the Almoravid state from its previous form, as they built a new platform for the mosque decorated with verses of the Qur’an, while others believe that the real transformation came during the era of the Marinid state, which sought to reform the mosque and build schools around it and enhance their presence, in preparation for the intervention in appointing preachers for the mosque that the notables supervised. manage it.

Al-Qarawiyyin University knew the system of scientific chairs, and endowments were allocated to spend on it. The scientific chair is considered a high-established degree that can be compared to modern academic positions.

The university attracted many scholars and philosophers, including Ibn Baja (d.: 533 AH / 1138 CE according to one of the sayings), Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi (559 AH / 1166 CE), Ibn Rushd (d.: 595 AH / 1198 CE), Musa bin Maimon (d.: 603 AH / 1205 CE), Ibn Khaldun (d.: 808 AH / 1406 CE), as well as the Pope of the Vatican. The French "Sylvester II (940-1003) who studied science in Arabic and is believed to have transferred Arabic numerals to Europe.