Emirate's prince offers help for sextuplet family

Thursday, 30 December 2010

An Egyptian mother gave birth to three boys (Mohammad, Ahmad, Khalifa) and three girls (Israa, Sara, Donia)
DUBAI (AlArabiya.net)

The crown prince of the UAE emirate of Ajman has offered accommodation, financial and medical support for the impoverished parents of new born sextuplets, who are three boys and three girls.

The pledge by Sheik Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi from the Ajman emirate is part of an outpouring of support for the Egyptian couple living in Abu Dhabi after they said they cannot afford to care for the infants.

Dubai's Gulf News reports Thursday that the Ajman crown prince has offered housing and medical help for the three boys (Mohammad, Ahmad, Khalifa) and three girls (Israa, Sara, Donia) born prematurely in October. Ajman is one of the seven emirates in the UAE.

Egyptian couple Sayed Mohammad and Soraya Foully also received 15,000 diapers from a diaper manufacturing company, Gulf news reported. In addition, UAE's national health insurance company (Daman) said it contacted the family to offer health insurance coverage.

A UAE bank that wished not to be named has reportedly also offered financial support for the family.

The family's plight was featured in local media this week after the father said his monthly income of about $550 as a taxi driver was not enough to care for the children.

Israel rabbis wives warn against intermarriage with Arabs

27 Israeli rabbis' wives call on Jewish women to avoid working alongside Arab men.

Middle East Online

Extreme right-wing racism against Arabs JERUSALEM - At least 27 Israeli rabbis' wives have signed a letter calling on Jewish women to avoid intermarriage with Arabs and even avoid working alongside Arab men, Israeli media reported on Wednesday. The letter also warns Jewish women they risk falling under the sway of Arab men if they serve alongside them in Israel's national service. "For your sake, for the sake of future generations, and so you don't undergo horrible suffering, we turn to you with a request, a plea, a prayer," said the text of the letter as quoted in media reports. "Don't date non-Jews, don't work at places that non-Jews frequent, and don't do national service with non-Jews." The letter accuses Arab men of using Jewish names to deceive unsuspecting women, and warns a life of "curses, beatings and humiliations" awaits them if they date or marry an Arab. "There are quite a few Arab workers who use Hebrew names. Yusuf becomes Yossi, Samir becomes Sami and Abed becomes Ami," the letter was quoted as saying. "They ask to be close to you, try to find favour with you, and give you all the attention in the world... but their behaviour is only temporary. The moment you are in their hands, in their village, under their control, everything changes. "Your life will never go back to the way it was, and the attention you so desired will turn into curses, beatings, and humiliations," the letter warns. Among the signatories to the letter are the wives and daughters of senior rabbis, including the daughter of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the spiritual head of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas, which is part of Israel's coalition government. The letter is reportedly being distributed by a group called Lehava (Flames), an organisation that seeks to prevent Jewish assimilation and says it draws inspiration from the legacy of anti-Arab rabbi Meir Kahana. Kahana, who was assassinated in New York in 1990, led the Kach movement, which promoted an extreme right-wing racism against Arabs that led to it being banned in Israel in 1994. The letter comes as rights groups warn of a rising tide of anti-Arab sentiment in Israeli society. In recent weeks, about 300 rabbis have signed a letter calling on Jews to avoid renting or selling property to non-Jews, and right-wing groups have staged demonstrations warning Jews against fraternising with Arabs. The rabbis' letter drew widespread condemnation, including from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but a poll published on Tuesday showed Israelis are evenly divided on the issue. The survey, which had a margin of error of 4.5 percent, found 44 percent of Israeli Jews supported the rabbis' calls, while 48 percent were opposed.

Somali pirates threaten Yemen fishermen's lives, livelihoods

Fish catches in Hadhramaut have fallen sharply from 88,000 tons in 2004 to 26,000 in 2009 mainly due to piracy as Yemeni fishermen cry for protection.

Middle East Online

Threatened in their own waters MUKALLA - Salem Khames Balghay, 53, says his son and brother, who are fishermen like him, have been held by Somali pirates since October. "In mid-October, we lost contact with them," he said. The family is from the coastal town of Kusair, about 80km east of the southern city of Mukalla. Three other fishermen went missing at the same time. Two weeks ago, Salem got a phone call from his brother. "He called us from Somalia and told us they were in the custody of pirates in Gar'ad District [Mudug Region], Somalia." The detained fisherman said on the phone that the pirates had refused to set them free until they had kidnapped a ship. Their captors only had small boats and had thus commandeered the fishermen's boats, saying they needed them as they were more seaworthy. "We don't know when we will see them back. Let's keep our fingers crossed for their immediate release," said Salem. Salem said local fishermen were scared of Somali pirates and kept close to the Hadhramaut Governorate's coastline, though catches there were very poor. Mohammed Saeed al-Bakri, 35, also from Kusair, told IRIN about a recent encounter with pirates. "We were doing some maintenance work on our boat engine when six Somali pirates approached, boarded our boat, and told us to surrender. They put a gun to the head of our captain and told him to head for Gar'ad. Seven of us were kidnapped about 7km off Abd al Kuri Island. "When we arrived in Gar'ad, I saw Salem Khames's relatives there. I told them their families had been waiting impatiently for news of them." In Gar'ad, the pirates got some provisions and headed back to sea, looking for ships to attack and loot. The pirates told them they would not release them until they found a ship. "For about 25 days, we worked like slaves for the pirates. We cooked for them. The pirates continued scouting for cargo ships and finally got an Indian fishing boat," al-Bakri said. "I don't want to go through the same experience. I'd prefer to stay at home," he said. Crying out for protection Abdullah Sa'aden, head of the Kusair Fisheries Association, which represents local fishermen, told IRIN fishermen were desperate. "They [the pirates] have become a real threat to our main source of livelihood. Fishermen are afraid to go to sea." Sa'aden said he had tried everything. "I have knocked on doors and told all concerned about our problems. We have sent letters to the Yemeni Coast Guard, the Ministry of Fishing and representatives of countries policing international shipping lanes in the region. The minister of fisheries has promised to discuss the issue with his counterpart in Gar'ad." Omer Gambet, head of the Fisheries Cooperative Union (FCU) in Mukalla, told IRIN he had been lobbying to get the problem of piracy dealt with, but to no avail. According to Gambet, there are about 15,000 FCU registered fishermen, and thousands more unregistered but operating along the coast of Hadhramaut. The fishing industry used to feed more than 80,000 people. "Just imagine this huge group of fishermen being jobless," he said. Fish catches in Hadhramaut have fallen sharply from 88,000 tons in 2004 to 26,000 in 2009. "One of the main reasons for the decline is piracy. Fishermen cast their nets near the shore where there are few fish. We are calling for a considerable military presence near Abul Kuri Island where most piracy incidents take place," Gambet said. Saleh Baymain, head of the Fishing Vessels Association along the Hadhramaut coast, which represents 400 fishing boats which used to sail as far as the Somali coast, said the pirates had been attacking local Yemeni fishermen since 2004. "Piracy incidents have claimed the lives of 10 fishermen and led to 105 others being injured. Losses are estimated at YR372 million [$1.5 million] since 2008," Baymain said.

South Sudan recording stars sing 'independence'

Several south Sudan singers literally use their voices to urge people to break up from north in referendum.

Middle East Online

By Guillaume Lavallee – JUBA, Sudan

'People are listening to them more than to the politicians' "Let us go, we can make it," Mary Boyoi sings softly in a flute-like voice as she sways to the rhythm, sharing a dream that south Sudan will choose independence in next month's referendum. Boyoi, a rising pop artist, is one of several singers who are literally using their voices to get out the independence vote in the oil-rich but poverty-ridden region in a poll that looks set to divide Africa's largest country. As rapper and producer Lam Tungwar puts it, "artists are an advantage because a lot of people are listening to them more than to the politicians." More than three million people are registered to vote in the January 9 referendum, a key element in the 2005 peace accord that ended two decades of civil war between the largely Christian south and Muslim north. That war left more than two million people dead and millions more displaced, and made a lasting impression on Boyoi, who lost her father to the conflict in 1988. "I have a message that my father told me when I was a little kid... When we grew up, we saw that unity was not attractive and that is why we say 'let us go.' "I am maybe very ashamed to say that I really like my brothers and sisters in north Sudan; I have so many friends (there), but really I see for us it is better to separate." Another song, by Peter Garang, is entitled "No to Unity, Yes to Separation" and is on the playlists of local radio stations around the region. But independence is only one thing these artists dream of in a charged political atmosphere where some fear a vote for separation could lead to renewed conflict with the north. They want peace as well. And that message is particularly poignant from hip-hop star Emmanuel Jal: at the age of seven, after his mother died, he was recruited as a child soldier by the rebel Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army. After surviving action at the front, he managed to escape with 300 other "lost boys", enduring a three-month trek to safety without supplies. One of only a handful to survive the journey, he was rescued by a British aid worker who smuggled him to freedom in Kenya and enrolled him in school for the first time. "I have a song called ‘We Want Peace,' because peace is the main important thing, whether we go successfully to separation or we go united," he tells AFP. "So we've got to respect the choice that the people take, and in all those choices peace is all we want in the end." Jal has produced a video available on YouTube that also features Alicia Keys, George Clooney and Peter Gabriel. "Oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm lookin' for some people who are lookin' for peace," it begins. "Maybe together we can make war cease. Now we can send mankind to the moon, and we can reach to the the bottom of the sea. That's why it really kinda baffles me that we cannot end wars and bring peace." If the independence cause is to succeed, at least 60 percent of those registered must turn out in a region where there is almost no infrastructure and travelling just a few miles can feel like an odyssey. And of those who do cast their ballots, a majority must vote in favour of independence. Getting out the message is particularly difficult. South Sudan is made up of more than 200 ethnic groups. English and Arabic are spoken widely among the educated classes, but there are a number of native languages such as Nuer, Dinka, Shilluk, Acholi, Mabaan and Bari. On top of that, only about one in four people can read and write. Hence the high value of musical messages. As Tungwar says, "we have to give them information in their own dialect where they will be able to understand what we talk about. "It is why we encourage everyone, including the traditional groups, to do whatever they can in their own languages, in their dance, whatever, for a peaceful referendum." "Now it is time for the referendum where people will actually go to vote and to decide the destiny of south Sudan. That is why most of the artists focus on that kind of agenda. They sing, and sing in as many languages as possible, so that a lot of people are able to listen to them." Boyoi is already looking beyond the vote and anticipated independence: he is working on freedom songs now, he says. "I think south Sudan is already independent. So it is time to make celebration songs for the big day. "I have a song saying if south Sudan chooses independence north Sudan don't be upset; we will still need each other."

Palestinian leader to lay first stone of Brazil embassy

Abbas to attend inauguration ceremony for Brazil's new president following country's recognition of Palestine.

Middle East Online

Abbas with former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva BRASILIA - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is to lay the symbolic first stone of an embassy in Brazil this week, following Brasilia's decision to recognize a Palestinian state, the Palestinian representative here said. Abbas will head the stone-laying ceremony on Friday, and on Saturday he will attend the inauguration ceremony for Brazil's new president, Dilma Rousseff, Palestinian diplomatic representative Ibrahim al-Zeben said. Brazil angered Israel and the United States early this month when it declared it was recognizing a sovereign Palestinian state within the borders before the 1967 Six Day War. Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia have since followed suit. The other Latin American countries that previously recognized an independent Palestine are Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica Venezuela. Israel has called the declarations "regrettable," and said a Palestinian state should only be defined with its assent. Lawmakers in the United States, Israel's close ally, have also criticized the moves. Washington regularly uses its veto power in the UN Security Council to block any motions deemed to run counter to Israeli interests.

Tunisian leader warns against exploiting protests

Ben Ali accuses opposition of exaggerating scale of protests, foreign media of dramatising events without fact-checking.

Middle East Online

Tunisian President urged understanding the root causes of the unrest TUNIS - Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali said Tuesday he was worried by days of social unrest in the north African country triggered by the attempted suicide of an unemployed man. "I have followed with anxiety and concern events in recent days in Sidi Bouzid," he said during an address on national broadcaster TV7, referring to the region at the centre of the protests. Ben Ali said it was necessary to understand the root causes of the unrest, which have been linked to high youth unemployment. Tensions flared on December 17 when a 26-year-old man who was selling fruit and vegetables on the streets set himself on fire after police confiscated his produce. Four municipal officials have been suspended in connection with the incident, Tunisian media reported. One protestor died in clashes between mostly unemployed youths and government security forces last Friday. Ben Ali accused the opposition of exploiting the situation and exaggerating the scale of the protests. He also accused foreign media of dramatising events and not checking the facts.

British doctors present case for inquest into Kelly death

Doctors call for full inquest into death of Iraq weapons inspector which was officially said to be 'suicide'.

Middle East Online

An 'unanswerable' case LONDON - Doctors in Britain campaigning for a full inquest into the 2003 death of Iraq weapons inspector David Kelly said Wednesday they had put forward an "unanswerable" case. They have released the arguments that they presented to the government's chief law officer, Attorney General Dominic Grieve, and their lawyer urged him to make his decision on legal grounds and resist political pressure. The five doctors have set out their case in a 33-page document which Grieve has been considering since September. He is expected to announce early next year whether he will ask the high court to order an inquest. Kelly was found dead in woods near his home in Oxfordshire, southern England, after he was exposed as the source for a BBC story that alleged prime minister Tony Blair's government "sexed up" intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Ahead of the invasion, this intelligence was used by Blair's government in a bid to strengthen its case for war. An inquest was initially opened into Kelly's death, but it was suspended before the start of an inquiry. The 2004 inquiry, carried out by Brian Hutton, concluded that Kelly had committed suicide. The then lord chancellor Charles Falconer declared himself satisfied with the inquiry and the inquest was never completed. But the doctors insist the inquiry was not an adequate substitute for a full inquest and Michael Powers, the lawyer representing the group, said the document presented a strong case for an inquest. It "sets out details of the insufficiency and irregularities of Lord Hutton's informal inquiry which, in our opinion, make the argument for a proper inquest unanswerable," he said. "Although the senior government law officer, it is hoped and expected that Dominic Grieve QC MP will put aside political considerations in reaching his decision on the law." In the document, the doctors declare themselves "astonished" that Hutton determined the cause of Kelly's death despite having no experience as a coroner. They describe the inquiry as "relatively powerless and lacking investigative bite." Kelly's death spawned a host of conspiracy theories and the government sought to lay them to rest in October by releasing autopsy records which showed that he had died by slashing his wrists -- but the doctors say questions remain unanswered. Kelly was the most experienced British expert involved in United Nations inspections in Iraq intended to prevent dictator Saddam Hussein from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.