What the Middle East holds for 2014
STORY SUMMARY By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star A New Year’s reflection on the past and coming 12 months is a useful exercise if it avoids predominantly egotistical ventures such as single-handedly anointing the best books, articles, tweets, documentaries or photos of the past year. The armed forces will […]
5,800 buildings to make way for Grand Mosque expansion
JEDDAH: NADIM AL-HAMID Published — Friday 3 January 2014 The government has appropriated 5,800 properties at a cost of SR75 billion for the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, according to the mayor’s office. The latest appropriations include the Dar Al-Tawhid InterContinental Hotel and the building next to it […]
Islam preaches brotherhood
ARAB NEWS Published — Friday 3 January 2014 God said: What prevented you (O Satan) that you did not prostrate when I commanded you? Iblees (the Satan) replied: I am better than him (Adam). You created me from fire, and him You created from clay. (Qur’an 7:12) Satan thought himself […]
MKs: Without Jordan Valley, Israel Can’t Defend Itself
The Jordan Valley must remain part of Israel in the event of any negotiated settlement, declare MKs, Ministers on a tour of the area. By David Lev First Publish: 1/2/2014, 11:58 AM The Jordan Valley must remain a part of Israel in the event of any negotiated settlement, Interior Minister […]
Madani aims to realize OIC leaders’ vision
JEDDAH: P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR Published — Thursday 2 January 2014 ARABNEWS Iyad Madani, former Saudi Haj and information minister, took charge as the new secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic […]
Ibn Alnafis, Discovering the Pulmonary Circulation
By Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal Monday, 16 December 2013 00:00 Source: OnIslam.net Ala-al-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali Ibn Abi al-Hazm al-Qarshi al-Dimashqi (known as Ibn Al-Nafis) was born in 1213 A.D. in Damascus. He was educated at the Medical College Hospital (Bimaristan Al-Noori) founded by Noor al-Din Al-Zanki. Apart from medicine, Ibn […]
Dubai 2014 firework display breaks world record: Guinness
DUBAI: Dubai shattered the world record for the largest ever pyrotechnic display on New Year’s Eve with a show involving more than half a million fireworks, Guinness World Records said Wednesday. “Ten months in planning, over 500,000 fireworks were used during the display which lasted around six minutes, with Guinness […]
Outgoing top Muslim envoy seeks accord with Christians
December 31, 2013 – 18:34 By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor PARIS (Reuters) – The outgoing head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Tuesday some Muslim states should broaden rights for religious minorities. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who stepped down on Monday after nine years as secretary general of the […]
Another year of sham talks, hollow claims
RAMZY BAROUD ARABNEWS.COM Published — Tuesday 31 December 2013 During 2013 the so-called peace process charade was allowed to continue, leading Palestinians on yet another futile journey of broken promises. Meanwhile, the Israeli colonial project in the West Bank and East Jerusalem carried on unabated. But it was not entirely […]
Israeli gov’t endorses law to annex part of West Bank
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — A panel of Israeli Cabinet ministers endorsed proposed legislation on Sunday to annex an area of the occupied West Bank likely to be the eastern border of a future Palestinian state. The move, pushed by far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, could weigh on […]
Makkah ready for Umrah pilgrims
MAKKAH: AHMAD WAHAJ AL-SIDDIQUI Published — Monday 30 December 2013 The Makkah Municipality has deployed all its resources to welcome Umrah visitors to the Grand Mosque and offer them the […]
Israel tries to enlist more Arab Christians into military service
NAZARETH, ISRAEL — Dozens of Israeli soldiers respectfully rose from their seats as the Israeli national anthem began playing. The tinny recording of “Hatikva,” an ode to the Jewish yearning for the Land of Israel, wrapped up a ceremony, held in Hebrew, during which speakers thanked the troops and handed […]
Saudi Arabia: Way cleared for prince’s execution
Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, has cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen. This follows the refusal by the victim’s father to pardon the killer. “Shariah shall be applied to all without exception,” said Prince Salman in […]
UN: Almost one million in need of food aid in Gaza
PNN The United Nations says nearly one million people are expected to need food aid in the besieged Gaza Strip next year. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) currently provides food for around 813,000 Palestinian refugees, Robert Turner, the UNRWA Gaza director of operations, said on Wednesday. The […]
Israeli Official: Netanyahu is Driving Israel Towards Boycott
Palestine News Network PNN An Israeli senior official slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and said that he is driving Israel into international boycott and isolation and that he is not really willing to move forward with the peace talks. Yediot Ahranot quoted the official’s statements as saying, “He [Netanyahu] […]
America mustn’t allow a Mideast without Christians
STORY SUMMARY December 28, 2013 12:16 AM By Michael Gerson The Daily Star In some parts of the world, Herod’s massacre of the innocents is a living tradition. Majority rule will bring the harsh imposition of the majority faith. Democracy promotion – as embraced by the National Democratic Institute or […]
Life of Ibn Arabi, Sufi and Savant
Shaikh al-Akbar Ibn ‘Arabi Sufi and Savant (1165-1240) ——————————————————————————————————- By Zakaria Virk, Toronto Canada Mohyi al-Din Ibn Arabi was a renowned mystic, poet, sage, and philosopher of Islamic Spain. During his lifetime he was acknowledged as one of the most important spiritual teachers within Sufism. He was renowned for his […]
Dead Sea: Environmentalists Question Pipeline Rescue Plan
By Julia Amalia Heyer and Samiha Shafy SPIEGEL.DE An “historic” agreement between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians is supposed to save the shrinking Dead Sea. But some environmentalists believe the […]
Orthodox Initiative celebrates Christmas by distributing aid to Syrians
AMMAN — The Orthodox Initiative, a nonprofit organisation based in Amman, is distributing winter aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan to celebrate Christmas this year, according to a statement issued by the organisation on Thursday. The initiative, which supports local churches hosting Syrian refugees, is distributing 800 winter jackets and […]