Tag Archives: Middle East & North Africa

Gender, Other

Palestine News | Women

Gender equality advocates campaign to remove marital status from Palestinian ID cards in the West Bank
  • Women testify to facing harassment and discrimination when presenting their cards, including intrusive questioning from landlords while searching for housing rentals.
  • Members of women’s rights groups launched a campaign in April petitioning for the removal of the status, with Sharia judges and other officials indicating openness to the change.
  • The Ministry of the Interior has expressed support for the idea, but deflected responsibility for change to the Palestinian Legislative Council, which would have to create legislation for the removal to take effect.

“I experienced difficulty in finding a home to rent as a divorced woman. Landlords kept telling me, ‘You’re a woman, where are we supposed to find you to collect the rent?’”

Read the full story at Al-Monitor.
(Image Credit: Ammar Awad/Reuters, via Al-Monitor)
Ideology + Affiliation, Sexual + Gender Minorities

Iran News | LGBT & Allies

Iranian actor apologies after summoning by authorities following LGBT-supportive tweet
  • Bahram Radan tweeted in support of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of nationwide same-sex marriage, leading to his summoning by Iran’s ministry of culture and Islamic guidance.
  • The reaction to the U.S. ruling highlights the division in Iranian society and the diaspora over LGBT rights, seeing online debate stirred after many added Facebook’s rainbow filter to their profile pictures in solidarity with the decision and many others condemned the action.
  • Iran’s hardline conservative authorities have relaxed some punishments against homosexual acts, but they are still criminalized and treated as manifestations of mental illness.

“They’re afraid that people in Iran are beginning to talk about homosexuality as a sexual minority, not an illness, and they don’t want that to be normalised.”

Read the full story at the Guardian.

(Image Credit: Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua Press/Corbis, via The Guardian)

Nationality + Migration

Israel News | Immigrants

Immigration to Israel from Russia and former Soviet countries up sharply this year
  • As of June 1, approximately 5,904 have arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union, an increase of 56.94% from 3,698 during the same period in 2014.
  • 2,990 have immigrated from Ukraine, an 85.25% increase from 2014 and more than the total number of 1,982 from 2013, the year before the Ukrainian conflict began.
  • Ongoing violence in Ukraine as well as the Russian economic downturn have been credited as contributing to the jump in immigrants.

Read the full story at The Times of Israel.

(Image Credit: Gideon Markowicz/FLASH90, via The Times of Israel)

Religion + Belief

Kuwait News | Shiite Muslims

Kuwait mourns 27 killed in IS attack on Shiite mosque
  • Injuring an additional 200, Friday’s attack on the Imam Sadeq mosque in Kuwait City was claimed by the Islamic State’s Wilayat of Najd division, which was also responsible for similar recent attacks in Saudi Arabia.
  • Kuwait has largely been shielded from the sectarian strife that has permeated the region, but the Shia community has felt it would only be a matter of time before violence arrived in Kuwait.
  • Saudi and Bahraini Shiites joined thousands of Kuwaitis who attended the funeral ceremonies.

“We had sectarianism before Syria. There were examples, even in parliament, of language that was very strong. We had tensions, but there was no violence. No attacks. No bombing.”

Read the full story at Reuters.

(Image Credit: Jassim Mohammed/Reuters)

Nationality + Migration

Tunisia News | International Visitors

Gunman murders 39, wounds 38 at popular tourist hotel in largest terror attack in Tunisian history
  • Armed with an assault rifle, 23-year-old Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire on the beach, in the corridors, and in the offices of the Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse.
  • His stated aim was to attack the tourists, with 15 Britons identified so far among the dead and 1 Irish.
  • The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, although Tunisia’s PM described the incident as a “lone wolf” attack.

“These were innocent holidaymakers, relaxing and enjoying time with their friends and families. … Like the victims in France and Kuwait yesterday, they did not pose a threat to anybody. These terrorists murdered them because the terrorists oppose people and countries who stand for peace, tolerance and democracy wherever they are in the world. But these terrorists will not succeed.”

Read the full story at the New York Times and BuzzFeed.

(Image Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images, via BuzzFeed)

Race + Color + Ethnicity

Israel News: Arab Israelis

Outrage erupts in Israeli Knesset after the deputy interior minister tells parliament member she should return her citizenship card for participating in a flotilla to Gaza
  • Coming during a debate on the proposed cancellation of law giving Israeli citizenship to Palestinians who marry Israeli Arabs, Yaron Mazuz’s provocation also included a comment about Arab MK Hanin Zoabi being “done a favor” by being allowed to be in the Israeli parliament.
  • In response, PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Arab MKs for speaking out against the Israeli army and accused them of “hypocrisy.”
  • Other MKs, from the Joint List Arab coalition as well as other parties, swiftly condemned the comments, calling for an apology.

“Ms. Zoabi, you are the first of those who should hand back their identity card. … We are doing you a favor that you are even sitting here. Terrorists don’t sit here. You are in a democratic state — respect the state. Anyone who acts against the state through terror has no right to be here. It is unacceptable for members of this institution to take part in terror flotillas against the State of Israel.”

Read the full story at The Times of Israel.

(Image Credit: Screen capture from Channel 2, via The Times of Israel)

Religion + Belief

Egypt News | Jewish Egyptian

The Jewish Quarter brings an uncharacteristically sympathetic portrayal of Jews to Egypt’s blockbuster Ramadan TV season
  • Directed by Mohamed el-Adl, the 30-episode series features an Egyptian Jewish protagonist who falls in love with a Muslim soldier in pre-Nasser midcentury Cairo.
  • The series has stirred controversy online, with some viewing the series as a capitulation to Israeli interests and others praising the respectful–if somewhat inaccurate–historical depiction of everyday life for Egyptian Jews.
  • Cairo’s Jewish population has dwindled drastically from the time in which the series is set to fewer than a dozen today.

Read the full story at the New York Times.

(Image Credit: El-Adl Group, via the New York Times)

Gender, Nationality + Migration

U.A.E. News | Visitors

UAE hoteliers advise hotel guests to align themselves with local sartorial standards during Ramadan
  • At their hotels’ iftars, the fast-breaking dinners held at sunset, hotel managers have said that they will turn away inappropriately dressed patrons, including those in beachwear and tight-fitting clothing.
  • Managers and security organizations encourage guests to dress modestly, covering shoulders and legs as they move through communal spaces.

“Ramadan is a time of devoutness, modesty and moderation. … Refrain from wearing revealing clothing out of respect to those observing Ramadan. This is particularly important when visiting malls, hotels and restaurants or iftar tents in the evening. As a general rule, clothing that is sheer, too short, low-cut or tightfitting should be avoided, particularly shorts, miniskirts and sleeveless tops.”

Read the full story at The National.

(Image Credit: Delores Johnson/The National)

Nationality + Migration, Race + Color + Ethnicity, Religion + Belief

Israel News | Ethiopian Israelis & Immigrants

Ethiopian Israelis in Tel Aviv protest Israel Attorney General’s closure of criminal case against police officer who assaulted Ethiopian IDF soldier
  • Hundreds took to the streets in demonstration, with road blockages and clashes with the police leading to at least 19 arrests.
  • Joining the protests were keses, spiritual leaders in the Ethiopian Jewish community who say they lack official rights and recognition in their roles.
  • Ethiopian Israeli soldiers organized an online protest despite law forbidding soldiers from engaging in protest still on the books.

“We are not enthusiasts of protests, but we are unwilling to remain silent. The attorney general closed the case against the policeman, and we will continue protesting until that case is opened.”

Read the full story at Haaretz.

(Image Credit: Reuters, via Haaretz)

Race + Color + Ethnicity, Religion + Belief
Palestinian man kills one Israeli man and wounds another in attack near Jewish settlement in the West Bank
  • Waving the Israelis down, the gunman asked for directions to the nearby spring before pulling out a pistol and shooting them.
  • The deceased was 25-year-old Danny Gonen, a student from Lod.
  • Hamas praised the act, but authorities have yet to determine whether the gunman acted as a part of a larger organization.

“We will not accept a situation in which a young hiker has his life taken from him in the land of Israel because he is Jewish. … The murderous attack that occurred today is another step in the quiet and serious escalation in acts of terrorism we have witnessed in recent months.”

Read the full story at the New York Times.

Age, Nationality + Migration, Religion + Belief
Refugee camp in Erbil, Iraq, tries to bring hope to displaced youth through education
  • Led by Father Douglas al-Bazi in the neighborhood of Ankawa, the Mar Elia camp provides youth with a library, music lessons, games, organized trips, and English courses in addition to the standard education curriculum, funded by private donations.
  • The camp opened in Iraqi Kurdistan last year, initially taking in 500 displaced Christians.
  • With larger populations and few to no private resources, neighboring camps struggle to provide basic services like basic education and medical services, making a spot in Mar Elia a prized commodity in the region.

“When the kids arrived here, they were completely lost for the first two weeks, angry and selfish. I remember the first time we offered them toys; within five minutes they destroyed them all. … Our kids, if they don’t have education, if they don’t have someone to look after them, do you think they are going to work for NASA? I don’t think so. It’s easy for IS to thrive among abandoned people.”

Read the full story at Al-Monitor.

(Image Credit: Sebastien Chatelier, via Al-Monitor)

Gender, Ideology + Affiliation
Egyptian women convene in “stand” against political detentions and bans on assembly
  • At the same location in Cairo where 23 opposition activists were arrested for protesting last year, dozens of women gathered in demonstration against the detentions.
  • The “stand,” a form of nonviolent protest, took place for an hour outside of the presidential palace despite prohibitions on unsanctioned assembly.
  • While police confronted journalists and attempted to block the protest from view, the women held up images of the detained, with messages calling for their release.

Read the full story at the New York Times.

(Image Credit: Omar Kamel/Twitter photo, via the New York Times)

Nationality + Migration
Thousands of refugees return to Syria from Turkey after Syrian Kurds oust the Islamic State from border town
  • Tight border security at Turkey’s border with Syria has limited crossings, but the victory in Tel Abyad allowed for a gate reopening permitting more than 2,000 refugees to return.
  • More than 23,000 Syrians had entered Turkey earlier in the month, according to Turkish officials.
  • The Kurdish YPG militia has encouraged the returns, guaranteeing safety in the towns they have recaptured.

Read the full story at Reuters.

Sexual + Gender Minorities
Twenty arrested in Morocco, accused of homosexuality, and two more sentenced to four months in prison
  • According to the Aswat Collective, an LGBT rights group, the twenty–mostly gay men and transwomen–were arrested in the resort town of Agadir and will be charged with “incitement to corruption.”
  • Despite its relatively progressive stance on homosexuality compared to its other Middle East and North African neighbors, Morocco has been cracking down on the LGBT community in recent months.
  • The arrests occur as two men have been sentenced to four months in prison for having engaged in public displays of affection in Rabat, the Moroccan capital. (via Le Figaro)

“The Moroccan authorities reaffirm their position through this campaign of oppression and arrests targeting homosexuals, while the country is having an intense debate relative to the decriminalization of homosexuality.”

More on this story at NewNowNext.

(Image Credit: via NewNowNext)

Gender, Nationality + Migration
Qatar Airways under fire for gender-discriminatory policies, including pregnancy discrimination and freedom to marry
  • The UN’s International Labor Organization has ruled that the state-funded airliner discriminated against women through contracts statements indicating it could terminate their contract should they become pregnant.
  • Employees also had to seek permission from the company for a change in marital status and could only be accompanied to the airport by a male if he were her father, brother, or husband.
  • Comprising 80% of the airline’s cabin crew (of which 90% are foreign workers), women remain vulnerable to discriminatory employment practices carried out under threat of deportation.

“This decision is a game-changer. …A year ago we put Qatar and Qatar Airways in the dock and today it has been proved that we were right to do so. The changes made to the rules for staff failed to fool the ILO. Now the airline must make them for real. It’s time to make Qatar Airways free from fear.”

More on this story at The Guardian.

(Image Credit: Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty Images, via The Guardian)