New financing deal inked to build world's tallest tower in Jeddah

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 21:30 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Jeddah, (IINA) - Saudi Arabia's government stated on Sunday that Jeddah Economic Company and Saudi Arabia's Alinma Investment have signed a financing deal for $2.2 billion to renovate Jeddah City and build a sky-piercing tower, which will become the world's tallest building, CNN reported. The tower, which is expected to be completed by 2020, is currently built up to the 26th floor. It is estimated to be 1 kilometer tall, 173 meters higher than the current tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa or Khalifa Tower in Dubai. "With this deal, we will reach new, as yet unheard of highs in real estate development, and will fulfill the company's objective of creating a world-class urban center that offers an advanced lifestyle, so that Jeddah may have a new iconic landmark that attracts people from all walks of society with comprehensive services and a multitude of uses", said Mounib Hammoud, Chief Executive Officer of Jeddah Economic Company. The building will boast 200 floors and overlook the Red Sea. Its construction will require about 5.7 million square feet of concrete and 80,000 tons of steel, according to Saudi Gazette. Experts say that building a structure that tall on the coast where saltwater could potentially damage it is no easy feat. The foundations, which will be 200 feet (60 meters) deep, need to be able to withstand the saltwater of the nearby ocean. As a result, Advanced Construction Technology Services will test the strength of different concretes. Wind load is another issue for buildings of this magnitude. To counter this challenge, the tower will change shape regularly. "Because it changes shape every few floors, the wind loads go round the building and won't be as extreme as on a really solid block", Gordon Gill explained to Construction Weekly. Gill is a partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the design architects for the project. Director of the Council on Tall Buildings noted that building the Kingdom Tower should be feasible. "At this point of time we can build a tower that is one kilometer, maybe two kilometers. Any higher than that and we will have to do a lot of homework", he told Construction Weekly. AG/IINA

Kuwait International Bank wins Elite JP Morgan Chase Quality Award 2015

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 21:25 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 KIB representatives with JPMorgan officials during the award ceremony. Image from Arab Times Kuwait City, (IINA) – The Kuwait International Bank (KIB) win recently the Elite JPMorgan Chase Quality Award for the year 2015 affirming its leading position in the Islamic banking industry. The award comes in recognition of the bank for its outstanding performance in “Straight Through Processing” (STP) payments and efficiency in processing international transfers in US dollars, Arab Times daily reported. Acting CEO & GM Financial Control & Planning Department at KIB Mohammed Said El Saka, said: “We are very proud to receive this outstanding award that translates the sound success achieved by implementing our new promising transformation strategy at the beginning of this year, which aims at sustaining our leading position locally and abroad by providing quality services that comply with the Islamic Shariah principles”. He added that this award was earned by the bank in recognition of its outstanding performance in STP payments and efficiency in processing international transfers that meet our clients’ growing needs. This award is granted to select banks worldwide that meet the strict criteria for processing US dollar payments through JPMorgan Chase Bank where KIB exceeded the stringent STP performance standards by achieving an STP rate of 99.09 percent for the MT103 category of payments SM/IINA

British Police hunting suspect in arson attack attempt on Finsbury Park Mosque

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 14:10 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437

British Police are looking for this man who tried to burn down the Finsbury Park Mosque. Image from Middle East Eye

London, (IINA) - British Police forces are searching for a white hooded man seen throwing a can of petrol at Finsbury Park Mosque in London, Middle East Eye (MEE) news reported.
An attempt to burn down Finsbury Park Mosque in London was a “terrorist attack,” its Chairman Mohammed Kozbar said in an interview on Sunday.
CCTV footage released today showed a white male wearing a hooded top throwing a canister of petrol at the entrance of the Mosque at 8:25 local time on Friday evening.
The Metropolitan Police are treating the incident as an Islamophobic hate crime and have called on the public to come forward with any information on the identity of the man seen in the CCTV footage.
“This was a clear and deliberate attempt to cause arson,” Sergeant Stuart Smillie said in a statement. “Although the petrol did not fully ignite, the threat and intent was obvious and the resulting fire could quite easily have endangered anyone inside as well as those living nearby.”  
"I would urge anyone who recognizes the man in this footage to get in touch." The mosque was closed at the time of the attack and no one was injured.
The mosque, which has capacity to hold 2,000 people, was filled with people praying and attending various events on Sunday. There was also a meeting of community leaders discussing how they should respond to an increase in Islamophobic attacks over recent weeks.
The mosque has received a slew of abuse and threats through the post, via email and phone calls since ISIS group claimed deadly attacks in Paris on 13 November that killed 130 people. In that time there has been a 300 percent rise in attacks against Muslims in the UK.
One week before the attempted arson the mosque received a letter on 20 November threatening to burn it down - no link has yet been established between the letter and Friday's attack.
On the other side, Kozbar called on anyone in the Finsbury Park area who is concerned about Islam or Muslims to visit the mosque.
“Please come and listen to us before you judge us. Come to us, listen to us, if you any concerns we are happy to address it. After that judge. Our mosque and our centre is open for everybody, we welcome everybody here. Yes we are Muslims, we don’t have to be the same, we are all humans. We all want to live in peace and harmony,” he said.
Kozbar said blame for Friday’s attack, as well as for the wider rise in Islamophobia, was in part down to the actions of some British newspapers.
Kozbar praised the police for their support, as well as local constituency MP and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has been a long-time supporter of the mosque.
On 20 November, Corbyn visited and spoke to mosque-goers prior to Friday prayers.
“Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism has no part in modern in Britain, no part in our society,” he said. “There is to be no attacks on anyone for their faith, their believe, or their religion. Instead we have to reach out that hand of support and friendship.”
“I will continue speaking out to respect the Muslim community, respect for the faith of Islam, understanding what Islam brings to the world. A message of peace, of charity, of justice and hope – that’s the message I’ll continue to convey.”
SM/IINA

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Israel issues illegal administrative detention orders to 23 Palestinians

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 14:06 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Ramallah, (IINA) - The Israeli authority has issued administrative detention orders on Sunday to 23 Palestinians, WAFA reported citing the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club (PPC).  Eight of the prisoners received administrative detention for the duration of six months, 13 of them received for four months and one of them received it for three months. Administrative detention is the imprisonment of Palestinians without charge or trial, and it is usually based on secret evidence that Israel does not reveal. It lasts for up to six months and it could be indefinitely renewable by Israeli military courts. B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, said the international law stipulates that administrative detention may be exercised only in very exceptional cases. Nevertheless, Israeli authorities routinely employ administrative detention on thousands of Palestinians. Israel uses administrative detention regularly as a form of collective punishment and mass detention of Palestinians, and frequently uses administrative detention when it fails to obtain confessions in interrogations of Palestinian detainees. The Palestinian human rights group Addameer stated: “Administrative detention in the occupied Palestinian territories is ordered by a military commander and grounded on 'security reasons'. Detainees are held without trial and without being told the evidence against them". It added: "In most cases, they are simply informed that there is ‘secret evidence’ against them and that they are being held for security reasons”. Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes as a way to protest their illegal administrative detention and to demand an end to this policy, which violates international law. AG/IINA

Russian region to launch anti-IS campaign among Muslims, civil servants

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 14:02 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 RT photo Moscow (IINA) – Authorities in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, in the Urals Federal District, will launch a massive campaign among officials and Muslim clergy, highlighting the differences between extremist movements such as Islamic State (IS) and real Islam with its centuries-long traditions, Russia Today (RT) reported. During the campaign, a 70-page book will be distributed. The book was written by the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of the region in collaboration with the Theology Department of the Urals State Mining University. The book will be distributed among imams of mosques and civil servants, whose work requires cooperation with believers, and also among professors and students in higher education institutions. The decision to release the book was made after an 18-year-old female Russian student left home to join IS terrorists in Syria,one of the professors who took part in this initiative told Izvestia daily. The book contains a brief history of the religion of Islam with an emphasis on stories and extracts from the Holy Qur'an that prove the inadmissibility of sowing war and strife in foreign lands. It also quotes the decisions of several Russian Muslim bodies, such as the Spiritual Directorate of Russia’s Muslims, denouncing IS as a terrorist group and calling for Russian Muslims to actively oppose its policies. Authors of the book noted that recent research revealed that the spread of extremism among young people is largely due to a distorted understanding of religion and lack of contact with renowned scholars. In March, two major Russian Muslim unions issued fatwas against IS, branding all of its members enemies of Islam and calling for their punishment as criminals. The imams also ruled that the term “Islamic State” should be used in quotation marks, or omitted entirely to avoid insult to true Muslims who had no relation to terrorists and extremists. AB/IINA

Young US Muslim woman challenges Trump's anti-Islam remarks with rousing Facebook post

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:53 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 US Muslim citizen Marwa Balkar. Image from 9news Los Angeles, (IINA) - A young US Muslim woman from Los Angeles has challenged Islamophobia with a passionate Facebook post, in which she describes herself as a devotee of peace and unity, 9news reported. In a post to Facebook on November 21, Marwa Balkar addressed controversial U.S. Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump, taking him to task for his criticisms of Islam. The post has since received more than 599,500 likes, 161,000 shares and 1300 comments, including most notably a like from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. “Dear @realdonaldtrump, my name is Marwa, and I am a Muslim,” Balkar writes. The 22-year-old goes on to attack Trump’s recent declaration that Muslim Americans should register with a government database or carry special identification cards spelling out their religion. “I heard you wanted us to start wearing ID badges, so I decided to choose one for myself,” Balkar posted. “I am not easily identifiable as a ‪#‎Muslim just by looking at me, so my new badge will let me display proudly who I am. “I chose the peace sign because it represents my ‪#‎Islam. The one that taught me to oppose ‪#‎injustice and yearn for ‪#‎unity. “The one that taught me that killing one innocent life is equivalent to killing humanity. “I heard you want to track us as well. Great! You can come with me on my Cancer Awareness walks at the local middle school, or you can follow me to work where it's my job to create happiness. “You can also see how my local mosque makes PB&J [peanut butter and jelly] sandwiches for the homeless and hosts interfaith dinners where everyone is welcome. “Maybe then you'll see that me being Muslim doesn't make me any less American than you are. “Maybe if you walk in my footsteps, you can see that I am not any less human than you are. Salaamu alaikum ‪#‎NOTINMYNAME ‪#‎FightWithPeace.” Facebook users have offered their unanimous support for Balkar. “You are the future and a beautiful one too,” said user Faranak Aldashi. “Don't change anything and just march on. Humanity is defined by people like you.” SM/IINA

Adolescent deaths from AIDS tripled since 2000: UNICEF

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:42 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Johannesburg, South Africa (IINA) - The number of adolescents dying from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years, most of them having acquired the disease when they were infants, according to recently released figures by UNICEF, AFP reported. AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents aged 10 to 19 in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally, the United Nations children's agency said in its latest statistical update. "Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the mortality figures are not decreasing", the report pointed out. "Most adolescents who die of AIDS-related illnesses acquired HIV when they were infants 10 to 15 years ago, when fewer pregnant women and mothers living with HIV received antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child". Many of them survived into their teenage years without knowing their HIV status. However, among teenagers aged 15-19, 26 new infections occur every hour, and about half of the two million living with HIV in this group are in just six countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Mozambique and Tanzania. "In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls are vastly more affected, accounting for seven in 10 new infections among 15-19-year-olds", the statement said. "It is critical that young people who are HIV-positive have access to treatment, care and support", said the head of UNICEF'S global HIV/AIDS programs Craig McClure during a conference in Johannesburg where the report was initially released. He noted that only one in three of the 2.6 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV were on treatment. Since 2000, nearly 1.3 million new infections among children have been averted, largely due to advances in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. By 2014, three in five pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies. "This has translated into a 60 percent reduction in AIDS-related deaths among children under four years of age since 2000", UNICEF said in a statement. "These efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission will help to change the course of the epidemic for the next generation of adolescents". AG/IINA

Polish Muslim community rally against racism, terrorism

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:39 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 AFP Photo Poznan, Poland (IINA) - Hundreds of people protested in the Polish city of Poznan on Sunday against terrorism and racism, in one of the first such demonstrations called by Muslim leaders in the overwhelmingly Catholic country, according to media reports. Around 300 demonstrators gathered in the centre of the western city carrying banners reading "Muslims against terrorism" and "Stop racism". "We condemn all forms of terrorism and we express our solidarity with the French people and all victims of terrorist attacks around the world," said Youssef Chadid, the imam of Poznan who organized the rally. Poland, where 90 percent of the 38 million population is Catholic, is estimated to have around 15,000 to 25,000 Muslims. He said some Polish people were "very racist" and thought all Muslims were terrorists. "So we are protesting today against terrorism and racism," he said. Poland's new conservative government has taken a tough stance on Europe's migrant crisis, refusing to take in refugees under the EU's redistribution programme. SM/IINA

Namibia affirms unwavering support for Palestine

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:37 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Namibian President Hage Geingob (Google image) Windhoek (IINA) – Namibian President Dr Hage Geingob reaffirmed his country's unwavering support for the Palestinian people and restoring peace and stability in the Middlie East region on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, observed on Sunday, news agencies reported. A statement issued by the Office of the President here on Sunday reiterated Namibia's call for the unconditional removal of the blockade imposed by Israel to control borders and to limit who goes in and out of the Gaza Strip, and to express Namibia's desire to see the eventual establishment of a Palestinian State and its unconditional admission as a member of the United Nations. On behalf of Government and the Republic of Namibia, President Geingob expressed his hope for peace in the Middle East to pave the way for the coexistence of a Palestinian State with Israel. Whether this peace is realized or not, will depend on the strong political will of the international community to ensure that all measures are taken for stability within the region. He said there is a need for the international community to work in unison to rally against the continued aggression by Israel and its blockade of the Gaza Strip as well as its recent war on the enclave that resulted in the death and displacement of many Palestinians. In 1977, the UN General Assembly called for the annual observance of November 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples. AB/IINA

Pope Francis delivers message of love during meeting with Muslim leaders in Central African Republic

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:33 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Image from internet Bangui, Central African Republic (IINA) - Pope Francis met on Monday with members of the Muslim community in the Central African Republic, which was infamous for sectarian violence and atrocities against Muslim minorities, according to media reports. Pope Francis has told crowds gathered at the main mosque of Central African Republic's capital that Muslims and Christians are brothers, and must live as such. On a rare trip into the volatile neighborhood known as PK5, the pope recalled how Christians and Muslims had long lived together peacefully in Bangui. On Sunday, Pope Francis urged those using weapons to "lay down these instruments of death." Earlier, the pope called for unity and for people not to allow religious differences to divide them. In remarks at the presidential palace in Bangui, Francis said he hopes upcoming elections will allow the country to "embark serenely on a new chapter of its history." The violence has forced most of the capital's 122,000 Muslims to flee for their lives, with only 15,000 now remaining. Francis had insisted on coming to the neighborhood to appeal for peace despite the security concerns. SM//IINA

Yemeni FM: Saudi Arabia shelters 1 million Yemeni refugees

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:16 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Jeddah, (IINA) - Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin said recently that more than 1 million Yemeni nationals have sought refuge in Saudi Arabia since the Houthi coup, Arab News reported. “Yemenis feel that they are comfortable in the Kingdom, and that their dignity can be maintained here. Meanwhile, Europe has made a big buzz around the world for its inability to accommodate 150,000 Syrian refugees”, said the minister. “Yemen, after the victory achieved in the Gold Arrow Operation and the progress toward regaining all of the governorates and provinces, will still have to consider seriously how to closely and strategically reconnect with the Gulf States. There must be some mechanisms put in place to link Yemen with its neighboring states. If Yemen is left to only dream about joining the Gulf Cooperation Council, it will suffer major political (and) economic problems, and could even go bankrupt”, Yassin said. AG/IINA

Palestinian rights groups concerned over Israel’s harsh policies against children

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 13:05 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437

Ramallah, (IINA) - The Palestinian human rights groups -Addameer, and Defense for Children International Palestine Department (DCIP), have issued a joint statement on Saturday in which they expressed grave concern over recent Israeli amendments of laws and proposed laws aimed at harming Palestinian youth, especially children, WAFA reported.
Addameer is a rights group working specifically for the Palestinian prisoners while DCIP is meant for safeguarding rights of children. The two NGOs said that a recent bill that was approved by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation proposes imprisoning children, as young as 12, convicted of “nationalistic-motivated” offenses.
A first reading of the bill in the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, on November 25, resulted in a vote of 64 in favor and 22 opposed. “While these should apply to Israeli Jews and Palestinians alike, in practice they discriminately target Palestinian residents of Jerusalem and Palestinian citizens of Israel”, the statement said.
On the other hand, the groups said, Israeli extremists and settlers rely on their government to ignore their attacks against Palestinians, adding: “Israel’s record of seldom holding perpetrators accountable speaks for itself”.
According to data compiled by DCIP, between January and June 2015, 86% of Palestinian children incarcerated in Israeli jails endured some form of physical violence following arrest, marking a 10% increase from 2014.
It added that Israeli interrogators used position abuse, threats, and solitary confinement to coerce confessions from some children. In the majority of these cases, Israeli authorities deprived children of legal counsel and improperly informed them of their rights.
One of the children detained at Givon prison, Ahmad Nasser, 17, told Addameer that on October 5, while he was on his way home from school in Jerusalem, a dozen Israeli soldiers and police officers savagely beat him and transferred him to a police station in a nearby settlement, they then proceeded to remove his undershirt and wrap it around his head and face before photographing him.
Israeli prosecutors used these photos of his covered face as evidence of Ahmad having participated in clashes and charged him with throwing stones at an Israeli police officer. Addameer has documented several similar cases in recent months.
Addameer and DCIP expressed their outrage over the dangerous trend of excessive use of lethal force against Palestinian children.
Since the start of October, DCIP has confirmed 20 Palestinian child fatalities, all except five while carrying out alleged stabbing attacks. A further 283 Palestinian children have sustained injuries, based on DCIP’s initial data.  
“Security cameras and eyewitness reports in several of these incidents reveal that the alleged child assailants no longer posed a threat when Israeli forces shot them multiple times at close range,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Accountability Program director at DCIP.
He added: “While all states have the right to protect their citizens from violence, it cannot be used to justify extrajudicial killings or the unlawful use of intentional lethal force”.
AG/IINA

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sharjah halal exhibition to highlight tourism vertical

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 12:55 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437

Image from godubai

Dubai, (IINA) - The 4th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Halal Middle East Exhibition in Sharjah is launching a new vertical targeting the halal tourism segment — Halal Tourism Middle East 2015 (HTME), according to a statement on Sunday from the Expo Centre Sharjah.
The exhibition will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates from December 8 to 10.
To be held as part of Halal Middle East, the HTME is an acknowledgement of long-held credentials of Sharjah as a pioneer in culture, religion, education, art, architecture and a family friendly destination.
“Halal Tourism Middle East celebrates Sharjah’s selection as the ‘Capital of Arab Tourism’ for 2015, as well the recognition of Sharjah’s unique tourism offerings that have been growing in stature at local, regional and international levels over the years,” said Saif Mohammed Al-Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah.
The statement added that the HTME 2015 will help ministries of tourism, other government departments, travel agencies, hotels & resorts, airlines and the likes to tap into this growing market, which globally saw Muslims spending $142 billion on travel in 2014.
The statement said that by 2020, the market is expected to reach $233 billion, adding that experts have pointed out the boom was driven by the increasing Muslim population in many countries and supported by a young, educated and assertive demographic.
“Halal Middle East, along with its focus on tourism, will take advantage of new market opportunities, which is strongly led by the food & beverage and finance sectors, and has expanded into the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, personal-care and other segments. The global halal industry is going to converge on Sharjah to take advantage of a range of compelling opportunities in the region,” added Al-Midfa.
Held under the patronage of Dr. Sheikh Sultan Al-Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Halal Middle East will feature more than 100 exhibitors from prominent halal-producing countries.
Besides, aiming to promote member states’ portfolio, the OIC Islamic Center for Development and Trade will lead a pavilion of exhibitors from countries such as Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Palestine, Senegal, Turkey and the UAE.
Halal Middle East also has a special focus area – Halal Cosmetics, apart from international pavilions from China, Iran, Malaysia and Netherlands featuring a comprehensive range of halal food and beverages, apart from a wide variety of other halal products & services.
At the show, visitors can also meet Islamic promotion & development associations, certification & classification bodies, hotels, restaurants & franchises, apart from service providers such as Islamic banks, insurance firms, and tourism agencies etc.
Halal Middle East is also featuring an expanded Kitchen Equipment - Horeca Middle East 2015, providing an A-Z sourcing opportunity for all the needs of the hospitality sector.
SM/IINA

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Israel suspends EU involvement in peace process with Palestinians

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 12:45 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Reutes photo Tel Aviv (IINA) – Israel announced on Sunday it was suspending contacts with EU bodies involved in peace efforts with the Palestinians after the bloc started requiring the labeling of exports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Reurters reported. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the foreign ministry to carry out "a reassessment of the involvement of EU bodies in everything that is connected to the diplomatic process with the Palestinians", a ministry statement said. "Until completion of the reassessment, the Prime Minister has ordered a suspension of diplomatic contacts with the EU and its representatives in this matter." The EU published new guidelines on November 11 for labeling products made in Israeli settlements, a move Brussels said was technical but which Israel branded "discriminatory" and damaging to peace efforts with the Palestinians. Drawn up over three years by the European Commission, the guidelines mean Israeli producers must explicitly label farm goods and other products that come from settlements built on land occupied by Israel if they are to be sold in the European Union. The EU's position is that the lands Israel has occupied since 1967 Middle East war, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, are not part of the internationally recognized borders of Israel. As such, goods from there cannot be labeled "Made in Israel" and should be labeled as coming from settlements, which the EU considers illegal under international law. AB/IINA

Sydney Muslims experience racism at 3 times higher than that of other Australians: Study

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 12:35 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437

Image from The Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney, (IINA) – Muslim community in Sydney experiences discrimination and verbal slurs at three times higher than the rate of all other Australians, it was revealed in a study, which was the first of its kind in the country, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Nearly two thirds of Muslims surveyed had been subjected to racism, with one in 10 reporting such encounters as happening "often or very often".
Despite much higher rates of experiencing racism than the Australian average, nearly 86 percent felt that relations between Muslims and non-Muslims were friendly.
The survey, covering nearly 600 Muslims in Sydney, was commissioned by Western Sydney University, the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy Australia and Charles Sturt University, and it is to be presented at the Australasian conference on Islam on Monday.
The study is an Australian first and is unique in its scale, with random sample and specific focus on Sydney's Muslim population.
Professor Kevin Dunn, the lead researcher from Western Sydney University, said that despite the high levels of racism experienced, the survey ultimately revealed the "ordinariness of Muslims".
There was little evidence of widespread alienation among Australian Muslims, Professor Dunn said, and higher levels of religiosity were positively associated with national belonging and a sense of Muslim integration.
"The surprising elements are the non-sensational mundane aspects of the data. It reveals the ordinariness of the Muslim experience and aspiration in Australia," Professor Dunn said.
"Counter to what people might mistakenly believe from media coverage and a lot of debate and commentary, the vast majority of Muslims are very ordinary Australians."
The majority of Muslims surveyed ranked education and employment as issue most important to them, identified themselves as Australians and felt a sense of belonging to Australia, frequently mixed with non-Muslims and felt Islam was consistent with Australian norms and society.
Ninety-seven percent agreed that it was a good thing for a society to be made up of people from different cultures, compared to the national average of 87 percent.
Thirty-four-year-old Asma Fahmi, an international aid worker and Muslim who lives in Horsley Park, said she was not surprised by the survey's finding of racism and she had been physically assaulted by strangers twice.
Islamic Friendship Association of Australia (IFAA) founder Keysar Trad said: “While nearly all Muslims he knew had experienced racism, relations between Muslims and non-Muslims were largely unproblematic.
"If you look at Reclaim Australia and their rhetoric and some of the other nasty groups they would give a different impression, but generally relations between Muslims and non-Muslims are fairly good, they are not perfect and could be better overall, but they are good relations," Trad said.
Trad blamed politicians and sections of the media for creating the impression that Muslims were not ordinary and that relations between Muslims and non-Muslims were strained.
Professor Dunn said he would use the findings to support his conference presentation that there was no empirical link between Islamophobia and radicalization. If there was a link, he said, there would be high rates of radicalization and dis-satisfaction among Muslims, which the survey results do not reflect.
SM/IINA

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Russia bombs Turkish aid agency's bakery in Syria

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 11:10 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Hatay, Turkey (IINA) - Russian jets bombed on Sunday a bakery that was built by a Turkish humanitarian agency in the Syrian city of Idlib, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported. The bakery, which was established 16 months ago by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), produced about 65,000 loafs of bread per day for about 40,000 people, the foundation’s officials said. Burak Karacaoglu from the IHH’s Hatay office in Turkey told AA that Russian jets had bombed the bakery in Idlib’s Sarakib area. Karacaoglu noted that no workers were killed. IHH President  Bulent Yildirim said: “If bakeries and camps are attacked, that means the aim is to eliminate all Syrian people”. AG/IINA

UN chief upbeat over outcome of UN climate change conference

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 11:08 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 UN chief Ban ki-moon (UN photo) Paris (IINA) – On the eve of the opening in Paris of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, widely known as COP21, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries and all segments of society to act now to reach a new universal climate agreement. “I'm reasonably optimistic and convinced that world leaders will adopt a very ambitious universal climate change agreement at this COP21,” Ban told the UN News Centre in an interview on Sunday at the Parisian headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “We've been working very hard, very long – the time for action is now. I have seen growing political momentum among member states. They know that they have to take action,” he said. Ahead of COP21, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – the UN entity organizing the conference – has already received some 180 voluntary climate action plans from countries. Formally called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), these will form the basis of the agreement expected to be reached. As more and more INDCs were submitted, the UN chief has said this shows nations are prepared to take meaningful action to address climate change. Asked how a new climate deal and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which is composed of 17 goals (SDGs) are linked, Ban said a strong climate agreement backed by action on the ground will help the world achieve the global goals “to make the world better and safer.” “Goal number 13 [focuses on] climate change but if we do not implement the climate change agreement, then all the remaining 16 goals will be affected. Not a single goal can be implemented in isolation,” he explained. The UN climate conference will officially open Monday. Negotiations towards a final agreement are expected to conclude on December 11. AB/IINA

48th Annual Meeting of Arab Air Carriers Organization kicks off in Jeddah

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 11:05 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Jeddah (IINA) – Activities of the 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) began here on Sunday under the aegis of Prince Khaled Al Faisal, governor of Makkah and advisor of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Press Agency reported. The two-day meeting, which coincides with the Golden Jubilee of AACO, has seen the participation of Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) and Chairman of the 48th AGM Eng. Saleh Al Jasser and Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Tony Tyler as well as more than 300 Arab and global aviation industry experts. In the opening speech, Suleiman bin Abdullah Al-Hamdan, president of Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation, expressed thanks and gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince for hosting this important conference in the Kingdom. He stated that the meeting came within the framework of the keenness of the wise Saudi leadership to support and strengthen joint Arab action. He also extended his thanks to Prince Khaled al-Faisal for patronizing this important event. Al-Hamdan explained that Saudi Arabia is one of the first founding Arab countries of the Arab Air Carriers Organization out of its vision and conviction that the air transport industry serves as the backbone of economic, social and cultural development in the Arab world. He stressed the Kingdom's keenness to keep pace with the latest advances in the air transport industry. Al-Hamdan said there are great efforts being made to modernize the infrastructure of the air transport system in the Kingdom, pointing to a comprehensive program for the development of international, regional and domestic airports in the Kingdom. This program includes the completion of the new Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah, with the aim of running direct international flights to Madinah and serving 8 million passengers in the first phase, with an expected increase to 18 million passengers in the second phase. In the context of these ongoing efforts, Al-Hamdan also pointed out that the first phase of modernizing King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah will soon be completed to serve up to 40 million passengers a year. AB/IINA

Terrorism is nothing to do with Islam: US Iowa City imam

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 10:55 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437

Image from Iowa City Press-Citizen

Iowa city, USA (IINA) - Around 100 people gathered in the Iowa City Public Library in USA, on Sunday afternoon to listen to Imam Molhim Bilal who explained to them that Islam is a religion of peace, Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.
"The definition of terrorism does not include Islam, nor does it include Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism," said Bilal, the imam of the Iowa City Mosque.
The event, which ran in the library from about 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, consisted of a presentation from Bilal followed by a question and answer session. The intent was to educate the audience about how the extremist ideology of terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaida differs from Islam as a religion.
Bilal explained that Muslims condemn terrorism, including events like the 9/11 attacks or attacks in Paris earlier this month, and that anyone who commits such atrocities is misrepresenting Islam.
"It doesn't matter what religion you follow, it doesn't matter under what banner you are. Killing innocents ... this is something that Allah hates," he said.
Groups that carry out attacks in the name of Islam are twisting passages of the Qur’an and taking them out of context, Bilal said. And, he pointed out, Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan are fighting back against terrorism, both on their own and in collaboration with other countries like the United States.
In the presentation, Bilal gave examples of the inclusiveness of Islam, telling a story about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) standing in respect as the funeral procession of a Jewish man passed him, simply because he was a fellow human being.
Often, people who go to join ISIS are ignorant of the reality of the group and are taken in by propaganda that is spread through social media and other channels, Bilal noted.
In response to a question about what stereotyping and Islamophobia does to the Muslim community in the United States, Bilal compared it to the struggle of the African-American and LGBT communities and said people need to speak out.
"The best way to fight stereotyping against Muslims is to talk about it and spread what Islam is," he said.
Muslims have a long history in the US and just want the same things like a home, a job and a good life for their kids, that everyone else does, he said. In fact, he said many mosques in the US have collaborated with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to try to stop potential terrorists.
Bilal said that since the United States is not a majority Muslim country, not everyone automatically knows that Islam stands for peace, instead hearing something negative in the media.
SM/IINA

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Islam is religion of peace, says President of Al-Aqsa Mosque during visit to England

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Monday 30 Nov 2015 - 10:45 Makkah mean time-18-2-1437 Image from Gloucester Citizen Gloucester, England (IINA) - Sheikh Omar Kiswani, president of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, said that the people who are committing atrocities in the name of Islam "cannot be true followers" of the faith, Gloucester Citizen reported. He also condemned those who claimed to commit atrocities in the name of Islam. Sheikh Kiswani made the remarks at a talk held at the Friendship Cafe in Barton during his visit to Gloucester city in the South West region of England. He travelled from Jerusalem to Gloucester, in his first stop of the current UK tour, with the objective of encouraging people to visit Al-Aqsa, Islam's third holy mosque. During the talk, he said: "The message of Islam is one of peace and one of respecting the different faiths and cultures. Those who carry out atrocities in the name of Islam are not followers of Islam." The Sheikh recalled the history of Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is regarded by Muslims as next only to Makkah and Madinah in its religious significance. He also spoke about the mosque's role in the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine, and how the region was peaceful many years ago. "At the time when the Caliphs ruled, the region had peace and harmony. When a community is oppressed or going through times when their lands may have been taken or occupied, tensions will remain." "Only when these issues are resolved, then those days can come back again."  Around 26 people from Gloucester visited Al-Aqsa Mosque in 2007.  Imran Atcha, coordinator of the Friendship Cafe, hoped the Sheikh's visit would encourage another group to visit the mosque.  He said: "It's an honour that someone in such a high position in a blessed place came to visit Gloucester. "It was important to hear a positive message of peace and to welcome the people of Gloucester to make an effort to visit the holy land." From his side, Dave Bennett, who also attended, added that the talk was "very informative." He said: "A strong message of peace came through. The visit is tremendous for people who work at the cafe." SM/IINA

​Houthi militia chief’s brother killed in Yemen

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 22:24 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Sana’a (IINA) - An airstrike has killed Ibrahim Badr Al-Houthi - the brother of Houthi militia leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, near a Yemeni border area, Al Arabiya News channel reported on Sunday. The airstrike targeted the Houthi leader in Al-Saifi area in the northwestern city of Saada. Eight other leadership figures in the Iran-backed militia group were also killed in the airstrike. The news come as Yemeni loyalists supported by the Saudi-led coalition battled Sunday to oust the Houthis from a southern province where they have made gains in recent weeks, with at least 16 reported dead. Government forces backed by the coalition launched an all-out offensive last week to push the rebels out of the southwestern province of Taez and break the siege of loyalists in its provincial capital. HA/IINA

​Saudi women begin campaigning in municipal polls for first time

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 22:22 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Riyadh (IINA) - Saudi female candidates running for municipal councils have begun campaigning in elections, marking the first time women are allowed to vote and contest polls in the Kingdom. Around 865 women are among 6,140 Saudis standing in the local elections due to be held on December 12, according to official figures. Two thirds of seats at the Kingdom's 284 councils are up for grabs. The other third of members will be appointed by the government. Women's participation in the polls, the third of their kind in the Kingdom, was decreed in 2011 by the-then King Abdullah. Women standing for municipal councils are prohibited from holding rallies attended by men, an electoral official said on Sunday. "The female candidate can only communicate with the electorate via a TV circuit," spokesman for the official election commission Jadeeh al-Qahtani said in a tweet. "A spokesman for her can communicate with men on her behalf." Contenders from both sexes are also barred from displaying their pictures in public during the 12-day campaigning, AlJazeera reported. The restrictions are expected to prompt contestants, mainly women, to rely on social media to reach potential voters. Aljazi al-Hossaini, a candidate in the capital, said she had hoped to set up a campaign tent in Riyadh's Diriyah area. "When I asked the man to give permission for his land ... he refused," she told the AFP news agency. Like other contenders, Hossaini plans to focus online, and has her own website. In the Red Sea city of Jeddah, Sameera Abdullah al-Shamat was also relying on Twitter, Instagram and other internet forums widely used in the kingdom. "My daughter and two sons are running my campaign," said Shamat, a charity worker. The country's first municipal elections were held in 2005, followed by another vote in 2011. In both cases, only men were allowed to participate. HA/IINA

44 killed in Russian airstrike on Syrian market

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 22:13 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Idlib (IINA) - At least 44 people were killed and scores wounded on Sunday in a suspected Russian air strike on a crowded marketplace in Syria’s Idlib province, Al Jazeera reported quoting activists. The strikes hit the town of Ariha, which is controlled by the Army of Conquest, a rebel alliance which includes the Nusra Front, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. In addition to the market, several other areas of the town were hit, the group said. Local news channel Ariha al-Youm reported cluster bombs were used in the raid by a Russian fighter jet. The pro-opposition Orient TV reported an initial death toll of 40. However, Rami Abdulrahman, director of the observatory, put the death toll much higher, saying at least 60 people were killed and wounded in the attack. Officials at the Russian defense ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. The Army of Conquest alliance seized Ariha in May after heavy fighting with forces loyal to the Syrian army, in an offensive that resulted in the entire province falling into rebel hands. The Russian air force has conducted air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad since September 30. Moscow says it targets the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other "terrorists," but critics accuse it of targeting other rebel groups more than ISIL. Russian air strikes have previously hit several Army of Conquest positions in Idlib province. The province is not a stronghold of ISIL, which controls wide areas of eastern Syria. HA/IINA

UNRWA to launch charity campaign to protect Palestinian refugees from winter

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 16:29 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Gaza (IINA) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has said it will launch its #shareyourwarmth campaign on December 1, with the goal of raising $2 million to provide the most vulnerable Palestininian refugees with the support they need to keep warm this winter. "Your donations during the campaign, lasting from 1 December to the end of February 2016, will support the Agency’s winterization efforts, including shelter repairs and the provision of food and cash assistance to Palestine refugee families," UNRWA said. AB/IINA

New British treatment could ease the agony of arthritis

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 16:26 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 London, (IINA) - A bubble-based treatment that could ease the pain of arthritis and cut the need for hip replacements is being developed by British scientists, Mail Online reported. It uses tiny particles that are naturally made by the body to protect and repair damaged joints. This should mean that arthritis is better-treated reducing pain and improving movement of millions. It may also cut the need for painful, complicated and expensive hip and knee replacement operations. The hope centres on microvessicles tiny, fluid-filled bubbles made by the body’s cells. Research at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has shown that the thick fluid that bathes the joints in arthritis sufferers is rich microvessicles that are battling against the disease. These microvessicles are packed with a protein called Annexin A1 that protects the cartilage that lines and cushions the joints from the ravages of arthritis. In experiments on arthritic mice, an injection of the microvessicles into the joints reduced cartilage damage. Plus, arthritis was worse in mice that made lower than usual levels of these microvessicles. Excitingly, the protein may even repair damage. This is important because while existing treatments for arthritis can stop further damage to the cartilage, they cannot repair damage that has already been done. It is thought that the microvessicles are made by white blood cells that travel to arthritic joints in a bid to limit damage. Normally, they aren’t present in high enough numbers to stop the disease from taking its course. But if they could be extracted from the blood and injected back into the body in a concentrated form, they could be a powerful new treatment. It might even be possible to arm them with drugs to make them even more effective. Patients could go into hospital as day cases, have blood taken and their microvessicles filtered out, before being injected back into their joints, the journal Science Translational Medicine reported. Mauro Perretti, the study’s lead author, said that, subject to funding, a treatment could be available in just five years’ time. Professor Perretti’s experiments focused on rheumatoid arthritis but he believes people with osteoarthritis could also benefit. Stephen Simpson, medical director of charity Arthritis Research UK, said: ‘Using the body’s own transport system to get therapeutic agents directly into the cartilage holds the promise that we will be able to reduce joint damage more effectively than ever. ‘Healthy and intact joints result in less pain and disability, improving the quality of life for millions of people living with arthritis in the UK.’ SM/IINA

Turkey to hand over body of Russian pilot to Moscow

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 15:28 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu (Image from Internet) Ankara (IINA) – Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday the body of a Russian pilot killed when his plane was shot down by Turkey last week will be handed over to a Russian representative after being retrieved from Syria, AFP reported. "The pilot who lost his life during the air violation was received by us on the (Syrian) border last night," Davutoglu told reporters in Istanbul before leaving for a meeting with EU leaders in Brussels. Davutoglu added that a Russian official would travel "soon" to the southern Hatay region with a Turkish military official to take possession of the body. The Russian embassy in Turkey told the RIA Novosti news agency that Oleg Peskov's body would be flown on Sunday from Hatay in the presence of Russia's military attaché to an aerodrome in Ankara where it would be met by the ambassador. The date and time when the body would be returned to Russia was still to be confirmed, embassy spokesman Igor Mityakov was quoted as saying. AB/IINA

Burkina Faso voters head to polls to elect first new president in decades

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 15:26 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Pic: Reuters Ouagadougou (IINA) – Voters in Burkina Faso headed for the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and parliament to replace a transitional government that was put in place after longtime President Blaise Compaore was ousted in a popular uprising in October 2014, triggered by his bid to scrap constitutional term limits and stay in office, news agencies reported. Compaore resigned and fled the country, ending his 27-year rule. However, the Burkina Faso faced more political uncertainty in September this year when Compaore's elite presidential guard tried to topple the transitional government shortly before a presidential election scheduled for November 11. Fourteen candidates are taking part in the race for the presidency. Members of Compaore's Congress for Democracy and Progress party (CDP) and those who backed his unconstitutional bid for a third term have been banned from standing. With no incumbent on the ballot and the presidential guard now dissolved, candidates and analysts say the vote will be the most open and democratic in the country's history. Burkina Faso's election committee has said it will publish preliminary results as early as Monday. If no presidential candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held 15 days after results from the first round are finalized. The poll is taking place amid high security, with between 20,000 and 25,000 troops deployed to ward off the threat of an extremist attack. More than 17,000 local and international monitors are in the country to watch over the legitimacy of the election. AB/IINA

Research reveals how specific diet works to help epilepsy patients

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 15:23 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Image from UCL London, (IINA) - A team from University College London (UCL) and Royal Holloway University of London (RHUL) revealed in preliminary tests how decanoic acid, a fatty acid found in foods assigned to ketogenic diets, acts to block seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, UCL news reported.  Ketogenic diets are characterized by their high fat, low carbohydrate and controlled protein content. They have been acknowledged as a useful means of controlling the symptoms of epilepsy for many years, although the mechanism by which the diet has antiepileptic effects is unknown. Now researchers have pinpointed decanoic acid as the fatty acid that blocks a key neurotransmitter receptor involved in brain activity. This study, published today in Brain, looked specifically at the medium-chain triglyceride diet, a form of ketogenic diet that includes a supplement called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) oil, which offers high fatty acid content. BRC-supported Professor Matthew Walker from the UCL Institute of Neurology, one of the researchers, said: “This discovery will enable us to develop improved formulations that are now likely to significantly improve the treatment of epilepsy. It will offer a whole new approach to the management of epilepsies in children and adults”. Another of the researchers, Professor Robin Williams from the centre for biomedical sciences at the school of biological sciences at Royal Holloway, said: “By examining the fats provided in the diet, we have identified a specific fatty acid that outperforms drugs currently used for controlling seizures, and that may have fewer side effects. Finding that the therapeutic mechanism of the diet is likely to be through the fat, rather than widely accepted by generation of ketones, may enable us to develop improved diets”. A clinical trial will begin in 2016 at UCLH and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide and approximately a third of people diagnosed with epilepsy do not have seizures adequately controlled by current treatments. SM/IINA

Altwaijri lauds Moroccan King's generous care, support to ISESCO

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 13:47 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 King Mohammed VI of Morocco Baku (IINA) – Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Dr Abdulaziz Altwaijri commended the lavish care accorded by Moroccan King Mohammed VI to the Organization in its noble mission, and the unfailing support received from the Kingdom of Morocco. Speaking at the closing session of the 12th General Conference of ISESCO, held in the Azeri capital Baku on November 26-27, the Director General pointed out that the royal care and Morocco’s great support for ISESCO are two major agents of success in the task of furthering development, both at the levels of the member states and the Muslim communities beyond the Islamic world. Dr Altwaijri expressed his gratitude and appreciation, on behalf of all ISESCO staff and the member states, to King Mohammed VI for his generous care and the overwhelming support from his country. AB/IINA

ISESCO, International Turkic Academy sign MoU

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 13:43 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Image from ISESCO Baku, Azerbaijan (IINA) - A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed recently here between the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the International Turkic Academy (ITA), alongside the plenary session of ISESCO's 12th General Conference. The MoU was co-signed for ISESCO by its Director General Dr Abdulaziz Altwaijri, and for the International Turkic University by its President Dr Darkhan Kydyrali. It provides for cooperation to drive progress in the areas of education, science, culture and communication, promote mutual understanding between peoples, contribute to peace and security, stimulate research in areas of common interest, and ramp up support for national and regional efforts toward sustainable development goals. SM/IINA

Moroccan authorities dismantle around 140 terrorist cells since 2002

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 13:38 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Image from Morocco World News Rabat, (IINA) - Moroccan authorities have dismantled nearly 140 terrorist cells since 2002, according to Moroccan Communication Minister and Government Spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi. El Khalfi told reporters that Moroccan services have dismantled over 15 terrorist cells during the first nine months of 2015, Morocco World News reported. “The Moroccan services dismantled nearly 140 cells since 2002 and arrested nearly 2,200 suspected terrorist. I used the term nearly because these figures don’t include the terrorist cells dismantled over the past two weeks,” El Khalfi noted. He said Morocco adopted an effective security apparatus that foils attacks before they happen, “long before’ the terrorist attacks that hit Beirut, Paris, Tunis and Egypt.” The Minister went on to say that among security measures Morocco put in place to prevent terrorist attacks was the creation of the new security mechanism “Hadar,” and the deployment of security forces in tourist and strategic locations across Morocco. “This security mechanism has proven its effectiveness,” El Khalfi added. El Khalfi pointed out that Morocco made the fight against terrorism “a collective responsibility between government and citizens,” by briefing Moroccans about all news concerning terrorism in the kingdom. “Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane always discloses the most recent data on terrorism in Morocco during the oral session in the parliament, because security and security is a national issue,” he added. In addition to these measures, the minister said that Morocco has also launched an effective religious policy, which promotes Morocco’s practice of Islam. “This policy made Morocco a model in the fight against the roots of terrorism and the radical views on Islam spread on internet,” Mustapha El Khalfi concluded. SM/IINA

UN Mission welcomes calls for swift endorsement of Libyan political agreement

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 13:23 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 UN envoy for Libya Martin Kobler (Google image) Tripoli (IINA) – Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), has welcomed the recent declaration by 92 members of the Libyan House of Representatives endorsing in principle the Libyan Political Agreement and the proposed Presidency Council of the government of National Accord. Kobler also welcomed the calls by the majority of the members of the General National Congress to reach a positive conclusion to the dialogue process and expedite efforts to bring an end to the suffering and hardship of the Libyan people. "I call on those who have not yet done so in the House of Representatives and the General National Congress to act in the higher interest of the Libyan people and endorse the political agreement," said Kobler. Saving Libya from the scourge of civil strife, terrorism and economic collapse requires Libya’s leaders to demonstrate collective will and determination. Libya’s leaders should demonstrate statesmanship placing the higher national interests of Libya and its people above all partisan or narrow agendas, thereby upholding the invaluable sacrifices that the Libyan people have made in their quest for a better life. The UN envoy noted that the steps taken by members of both the House of Representatives and General National Congress are a welcome response to the desperate appeals over the past few days and weeks from a wide spectrum of Libyan civil society. Political parties, municipal councils and armed brigades have underscored the need for a rapid conclusion of the dialogue process in order to bring an end to the suffering and hardship of the Libyan people, he added. AB/IINA

Islamic Cross Currency Swap Standard introduced for Islamic hedging transactions

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 13:17 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Riyadh, (IINA) - The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) and the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) on Sunday announced publication of a new Islamic hedging product standard, the ISDA/IIFM Himaayah Min Taqallub As‘aar Assarf (Islamic Cross Currency Swap) for use in Islamic hedging transactions, CPI Financial reported. The announcement was made at the 33rd Board of Directors meeting of IIFM and workshop hosted by The National Commercial Bank (NCB) at its Riyadh regional office. The published confirmation template is part of an ISDA and IIFM plan to provide the Islamic finance industry with documentation and product templates to manage risk in transactions arising mainly from currency and profit rate mismatches. The Islamic Cross Currency Swap (ICRCS) template falls under the ISDA/IIFM Tahawwut (Hedging) Master Agreement, a framework document that contains general terms and conditions, and early termination and close-out netting provisions between transacting parties. One of the objectives of entering into ICRCS would be to enable a party to raise funds through a Shari’ah-compliant contract in one currency for a certain period of time against a Shari’ah-compliant contract in another currency. Profit rate, tenor and amount are all agreed between the two parties at the start of the transaction. It is used to manage and mitigate currency and rate risks associated with investments, and is not intended for speculation. “With the expansion of Islamic finance into new territories and an increase in cross-border activities, certain transactions are being exposed to fluctuations in currencies and rate-of-return mismatches. IIFM has been playing a pioneering role in the Islamic hedging segment and, at an early stage, undertook the challenge of developing global standards in collaboration with ISDA. I am confident our ongoing efforts will play a critical role in shaping the industry, particularly in view of new regulations being introduced in G-20 economies,” said Khalid Hamad, Chairman of IIFM. “We are delighted to continue our collaboration with IIFM by jointly launching the Islamic cross-currency swap standard product template. This is the latest in a series of product documentation releases aimed at standardizing the Islamic hedging market and helping participants to effectively manage their risk,” said Scott O’Malia, ISDA’s Chief Executive. “The ICRCS standard has given the industry another standardized template for risk mitigation providing robust legal documentation, Shari’ah harmonization and sound operational practices. We are now seeing an increase in the utilization of the ISDA/IIFM standard both among institutions and in particular jurisdictions,” said Ijlal Ahmed Alvi, chief executive officer at IIFM. SM/IINA

Palestine’s flag raised at headquarters of UN Economic Commission for Africa

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 11:59 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Addis Ababa (IINA) – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the UN's biggest entity in Africa, on Friday hoisted the flag of the state of Palestine at its headquarters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, to show solidarity with the cause of the Palestinian people in securing their right to statehood. According to media reports, the flag-raising ceremony was attended by resident ambassadors of numerous countries, United Nations and African Union officials as well as representatives of Ethiopian government. "On this International Day of Solidarity, let us reaffirm our commitment to bring about the justice and peace that the people of Israel and Palestine deserve," said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon through his representative to the event. "Today, 136 countries recognize the state of Palestine and its flag flies at the United Nations next to those of member states. However, these advances are not felt by children in Gaza or by residents of Nablus, Hebron and East Jerusalem," he said. The UN chief stated that both Israel and Palestine "should" make necessary compromises to put an end to the conflict which has claimed numerous lives in past decades. "Both sides must reject incitement and inflammatory public statements," he added. Palestinian Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Nasir Abu Jaish called on the international community to shoulder responsibility to end the suffering of the Palestinians caused by forced deportation and incarceration by the Israeli forces. AB/IINA

Hundreds of people in Scotland march to send message “Refugees are welcome”

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 11:53 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Image from The Herald Scotland. Glasgow, (IINA) - More than 1,000 people in Scotland, turned out for an anti-racism rally in order to send a message that refugees are welcome in the country. The annual St Andrew's Day march, organized by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), was attended by more than 1,000 demonstrators who marched from Glasgow Green through the streets of the city centre, despite pouring rain, with banners bearing messages such as ‘Refugees welcome’ and ‘Love Glasgow, Hate Racism,’ The Herald Scotland online news reported. A rally was also held at Glasgow Film Theatre, where refugees who have made their home in Scotland spoke about their experiences. The speakers included Hekmat Adal, a financial analyst from Damascus, who has lived in Glasgow for five years. He came to Scotland to complete a master’s degree but was unable to return to his home country after the war broke out. Among those taking part in the march was Michelle, from Glasgow, who declined to give her last name. She said: “I think it really important to support the march this year in light of the refugee crisis. “It also seems racism in Scotland has been turned up a gear, which really worries me, my partner is Asian and my son is mixed-race. Several members of United Glasgow FC, a football team which brings together asylum seekers, refugees and other marginalized communities, were at the march. Founder and chairman Alan White said: “Scotland is not immune from racism and Islamophobia. It is really important there is a constant attempt to challenge racist attitudes, not just when something bad happens.” Speaking ahead of the event, Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, said: “With a humanitarian tragedy unfolding, it seems appropriate to use the annual anti-racist St Andrew’s Day march and rally to send a clear message that Scotland welcomes refugees and that we are ready to provide space in our country for all those who need it.” SM/IINA

Malaysia's success in deradicalization of extremists caught attention of Commonwealth leaders

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 11:49 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Dr Ahmad Zahid (Image from Internet) Valletta (IINA) – Malaysia's success rate in the deradicalization of extremists and terrorists, which stands at 95 percent, caught the attention of leaders attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2015 in Malta, BERNAMA reported. In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia would be organizing a two-day international conference on deradicalization from January 25 next year to share the country's experience in rehabilitating extremist individuals. He said during a presentation on the country's success in rehabilitating these groups at the CHOGM's retreat, the leaders of the 53 Commonwealth member countries had expressed their interest to learn from Malaysia. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said Malaysia had a long and extensive experience in rehabilitating people who were involved in terrorism, since the days of the Communist threat. He said the government was confident of achieving a 100 percent recovery rate when further and detailed actions are implemented. Commenting on the conference to be held in Malaysia, Ahmad Zahid said the government would invite several agencies involved in the implementation of the deradicalization process, including the Prisons Department, police, the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department and Ulema (Islamic scholars). The CHOGM 2015, which comes under the theme "Adding Global Value", addresses issues such as climate change, migration, extremism, the empowerment of youth, gender equality and human rights. It also seeks to use the Commonwealth's strength in international politics to influence and effect change on important global issues. AB/IINA

Turkey advises citizens to delay trips to Russia

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 11:44 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 Pic: Anadolu Agency Ankara (IINA) – Turkish Foreign Ministry has asked its citizens to delay trips to Russia amid strained relations between the two countries, Anadolu Agency reported. "Within the framework of the recent developments in Turkey-Russia relations, it has been observed that our citizens have been having some difficulties with their trips to the Russian Federation and their residence within the said country as of November 24,” the ministry said in a statement Saturday. "Until this situation is cleared, we advise our citizens to delay non-urgent and non-significant trips to the said country," it added. At least 26 Turkish businessmen were taken into police custody in Russia's Black Sea city of Krasnodar late Wednesday, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. Anadolu Agency reported that five of the group returned to Turkey on Saturday morning. The Turkish embassy in Moscow has issued an advisory to its citizens in Russia, requesting them to carry their passports and ensure their visas and permits are valid. It also reiterated that they should "meticulously obey the rules in Russia and warnings from the Russian authorities." Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets on an aerial patrol intercepted an unidentified warplane on Tuesday within engagement rules when it intruded into Turkish airspace on the Syria border. AB/IINA

Ban urges Commonwealth leaders to join UN in 'final push' to wipe out polio

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 29 Nov 2015 - 11:06 Makkah mean time-17-2-1437 UN chief Ban Ki-mmon (Pic: UN News Center) Valletta (IINA) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday urged leaders, who gathered in Malta for the Commonwealth Summit, to build on the momentum that has been generated in recent years and join the United Nations in making “the final push to wipe out polio forever.” “Polio struck down many of my generation. Now we are on the verge of striking down polio,” he told participants, including senior government officials and polio survivors at an event on the margins of the Commonwealth Summit, which opened here on Friday. Recalling his recent visit to Nigeria, Ban told the gathering that he has been witnessing the progress himself, and that indeed, for the first time in history, Nigeria and the African continent reported a full year without one case of polio. “These and other achievements are testaments to the power of global partnership and concerted leadership. They are a tribute to millions of dedicated health workers on the frontlines,” said the UN chief, while warning: “We must stay vigilant.” He outlined three keys to achieving a polio-free world: the full engagement of all sectors of society, including religious and traditional leaders, youth and women's groups and other partners such as Rotary International; ensuring that in areas of conflict and insecurity, that warring parties must allow safe passage for health workers to access and vaccinate children; and the commitment of the global community to fill the funding gaps and keep this promise to the world's children. “Together, let us make the final push – and wipe out polio forever. With your support, I know we will succeed,” Ban said. AB/IINA