TEL AVIV – Two Saudi men who protested against a woman poet’s recital were forcibly removed from the literary event by security officers. A video clip of the incident shows a man standing up in protest of the Saudi poet, Ashjan Al Hindi, as she recite…
Author: Deborah Danan
Egyptian Coptic Christian Representatives Decry ‘Blasphemy Law’ at UN Meeting
TEL AVIV – At a UN forum in Geneva, leaders of Egypt’s Coptic Christian community called for the abolition of an “exploitative” blasphemy law, but praised Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for saving them from the oppression of the Muslim Brothe…
Arab World Conspiracy Theories: US, Europe, Israel Created Islamic State, Planned Paris Massacre
TEL AVIV – From Morocco to Saudi Arabia, the conspiracy that the US, Europe and Israel are behind the creation of the Islamic State and subsequent terror attacks is gaining more and more prevalence, especially in Arab media. Over the past couple of months, The Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, has translated articles from all over the Arab world that blame the West for terror attacks – especially the November 13 attacks on Paris – saying that ISIS was a tool created by Western countries to further their own goals. The articles further state that the US is the biggest perpetrator of global terrorism and that the main victims of that terror are Arabs and Muslims. In the official Saudi daily Al-Watan, writer Muhammad Al-Sa’idi claimed that most of the attacks in the West and the Arab world were planned by international intelligence agencies. These begin with the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and continue right up until the downing of the Russian plane in Sinai and recent attacks on Hezbollah in Beirut. He wrote that Western intelligence agencies “do not shy away from sacrificing some members of their own nation or sect in order to achieve strategic goals.” He also added
Egyptian Doctor Convicted For Female Genital Mutilation Still Practicing
TEL AVIV – The first doctor in Egypt ever to be convicted for female genital mutilation never went to prison and is still a doctor who practices FGM on girls and women, with the protection of Egypt’s police and justice system, VICE News found. With 90% of women and girls being cut, Egypt maintains one of the highest FGM rates in the world. In January 2015, Raslan Fadl became the first doctor in Egypt to be successfully convicted of FGM when a girl he performed the procedure on died. Fadl, whose clinic was ordered to close, was sentenced to two years in jail for manslaughter and another three months for FGM. The historic verdict was lauded by the international community. However, VICE News discovered that not only did Fadl not go to prison, he was still working in a state hospital and using its public facilities to perform FGM. The girl who died, 13-year-old Soheir al Bataa, was sent to Fadl’s clinic in June 2013 so that she could “become a woman” by undergoing the procedure to remove her clitoris and labia. According to VICE News, around 90% percent of Egyptian girls undergo FGM, making it one of the highest rates
Hanukkah Menorah Stolen And Vandalized From Salt Lake City Synagogue
A menorah was stolen and vandalized from a synagogue in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, the night before the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The menorah was pilfered from the local Chabad Lubavitch Jewish synagogue and then resurfaced damaged and broken on a college campus. It is the second time in two years that the menorah was stolen. Police are still searching for the suspect and have put a call out for leads. Every year for Hanukkah, the synagogue erects a menorah outside in honor of the eight-day festival. “Just to share the joy of the holiday and the message of Chanukah, which is the message of the prevalence of good over evil, light over darkness,” said Rabbi Benny Zippel, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah. Local resident Leslie Phillips noticed the vandalized menorah propped up against a tree on the college campus. “So, I texted a picture to my husband, and he walked down later to see if it was missing, and it was, so he called the rabbi and police,” she said. “The arms were pulled off, some arms were missing, period, it was badly damaged,” Zippel said. In 2013, someone also took the menorah and vandalized
NY Mayor: Syrian Refugees Are The Same As Jews Fleeing Nazis
In a Sabbath address to Syrian Jews in Brooklyn, New York’s mayor compared Syrian refugees fleeing their homeland to European Jews fleeing the Nazis. An article in the New York Post says that Mayor Bill de Blasio called upon a “skeptical congregation” of Syrian Jews to welcome Muslim refugees fleeing Syria to New York. “I know this community understands deeply the pain of any family that must leave a homeland they love because they were forced away by violence and discrimination,” said de Blasio. “When it comes to saving children and families from one of the greatest crises of our times, I remind people to look at history.” The comparison between Muslim and Jewish refugees was met by uncomfortable murmurs from his audience, with some congregants voicing their contention. One congregant, whose family fled Syria, disagreed, explaining: “The difference between me coming here in 1991 with my family is that we were kicked out for being Jewish.” While another, Judy Zarug, said, “I don’t think it’s a fair comparison . . . The Jews never had a history of being destructive.” The only statement that roused applause from the congregation was when the mayor vowed to protect New York’s Jewish
Ex-U.S. Official: San Bernardino Massacre Exposes Obama’s Blindness To Radical Islam
TEL AVIV – An expert on terrorism and former White House official says that the San Bernardino attacks were aided and abetted by President Barack Obama’s refusal to address radical Islam. According to the expert, terror attacks are the result of the willful ignorance of Middle East caliphates, Muslim front organizations in America, and weak immigration controls where jihadists can enter western countries under the guise of refugees. In an oped by Pete Hoekstra, a senior fellow at the Investigative Project on Terrorism and the former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, the writer claims that the mass murder of 14 people in San Bernardino by two Muslims is the result of Islamist radicalization and the Obama administration’s failure to admit this fact will only generate more terror attacks on U.S. soil. According to Hoekstra, the San Bernardino murders prove that the U.S. is not immune to the terror that has struck Europe over the past year. Weak immigration laws remain in place despite the enormous problem of crumbling states and the creation of caliphates in the Middle East. Meanwhile at home, Muslim Brotherhood front organizations like the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) are allowed to operate freely and Muslim
Palestinian Women Turn To Israel For Abortions, Recount Shock Stories Of Attempting To Kill Fetuses Themselves
TEL AVIV – An article in Foreign Policy magazine states that 40 percent of women in the West Bank have had abortions even though the Palestinian leadership has outlawed it.
UN Teachers Glorify Knife Attacks Against ‘Jewish Apes And Pigs’
TEL AVIV – Despite repeated promises to stop the incitement, United Nations teachers in the Palestinian territories are glorifying knife attacks against what they term “Jewish apes and pigs,” the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch reported.
Palestinian Minister: Our Women Are Different From Others; They Rejoice When Their Sons Die
TEL AVIV – The Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister of Women’s Affairs, Haifa Al-Agha, praised Palestinian women’s “uniqueness” when compared with other women around the world because they rejoice when they receive news of the death of their sons, Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reported. An article in Palestinian official daily Al Hayat Al Jadida stated that, “[PA] Minister of Women’s Affairs Haifa Al-Agha… noted the Palestinian woman’s uniqueness, which differentiates her from the women of the world, as [only] she receives the news of her son’s Martyrdom with cries of joy.” The PA condones the notion of martyrdom (shahada – death for Allah) as the highest ideal and praises mothers who do not weep for their sons when they die but rather express “cries of joy.” The latest round of Palestinian terror on Israeli citizens has seen many Palestinian terrorists killed as they stabbed or attempted to stab Israelis. The official PA tows a party line that includes “worshipping the blood of a martyr.” The newspaper reported that Minister Al-Agha is working towards forcing Israel to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325, which guarantees protection of women and children during conflict. The minister added that Palestinian women are noteworthy not only