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Twitter, Saudi Arabia sued in US over jailed user
The sister of a Saudi national imprisoned after tweets criticizing the government on Tuesday sued both Twitter and the kingdom, alleging they worked together to support "repression." The lawsuit filed in a US federal court in San Francisco, which named powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a conspirator, seeks a jury trial to determine damages. Abdulrahman al-Sadhan was working for the Red Crescent in Riyadh when he was taken away from the office in 2018 and later handed a 20-year jail sentence. Al-Sadhan, who had studied in the United States, had set up an anonymous Twitter account through which he critiqued the ultra-conservative monarchy and retweeted dissident voices. US prosecutors later charged two former Twitter employees for spying on behalf of Saudi Arabia. One was convicted in December with another believed to have left for the kingdom. The lawsuit said the agents transmitted confidential Twitter data 30,892 times. Al-Sadhan's sister Areej al-Sadhan, a US citizen, said in the lawsuit that she learned that secret police "broke Plaintiff Abdulrahmam's hand and smashed his fingers, taunting him that 'this is the hand you write and tweet with.' "The secret police also tortured Plaintiff Abdulrahman with electric shocks, flogged and hung him from his feet, suspended him in contorted positions, deprived him of sleep, threatened to behead him, insulted him, and kept him in solitary confinement for years," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit sued Twitter and Saudi Arabia on allegations of racketeering, a US crime initially used to target the mafia that involves coordinating illegal activity for profit. The lawsuit noted that a Saudi investment firm as of late last year was the second biggest shareholder in Twitter after CEO Elon Musk and that some of the Saudi stake had been sold to the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. The lawsuit said that Twitter, including by allowing anonymous accounts, had been a champion for activists in the Arab Spring democratic uprisings. "Unfortunately, Defendant Twitter became a participant tool of transnational repression to silence voices of dissent beyond Saudi Arabia's borders in the United States and abroad, all in an effort to monetize its commercial relationship with Defendant KSA," it said, referring to the kingdom. Areej al-Sadhan said in the lawsuit that she has had to be "constantly vigilant" since her brother's arrest and fears being kidnapped. "Plaintiff Areej suffers daily as a target of the Saudi Criminal Enterprise, in what she can only describe as a 'living nightmare,'" it said. The post Twitter, Saudi Arabia sued in US over jailed user appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Putin, flanked by Russian fighters, jets into Middle East to meet Saudi’s MbS
President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comes after oil prices fell despite a pledge by OPEC+.....»»
DMW to follow up on unpaid salaries of Saudi OFWs
Department of Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said on Wednesday that they will continue following up on the settlement of the unpaid salaries of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia. In an interview, Cacdac said that the Ministry of Finance is on board to work on the financial concerns of the OFWs in Saudi Arabia. “From our talks with our own counterparts there…we were also informed that the Ministry of Finance is on board to take care of the financial matters because this would involve disbursement of funds,” Cacdac said. “It’s just hard to pin down a timeline at this point because the Saudi processes still continue. In principle, we respect the Saudi processes, and at the same time we’ll continue to persist in terms of coordination and follow-ups with the Saudi government,” he added. In November 2022, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to allocate about 2 billion riyals for the unpaid wages of 10,000 overseas Filipino workers employed by construction companies that filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and 2016. The DMW pledged in March to provide each worker with P10,000 in assistance while waiting for the Saudi Government to fulfill its promise. The DMW and the Department of Social Welfare and Development each contributed financial assistance for the OFWs. The post DMW to follow up on unpaid salaries of Saudi OFWs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN chief urges ceasefire to end Gaza’s ‘godawful nightmare’
UN chief Antonio Guterres pleaded Saturday for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the war between Israel and Hamas militants that has devastated much of Gaza, demanding "action to end this godawful nightmare". Addressing a Cairo summit that ultimately proved fruitless, according to Arab diplomats, Guterres said the Palestinian enclave of 2.4 million people was living through "a humanitarian catastrophe" with thousands dead and more than a million displaced. The latest bloodshed began on October 7 when Hamas militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day of the raid, and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign, killing more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, and cut off supplies of water, electricity, fuel and food. According to Arab diplomats who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, the meeting in Cairo failed to reach an agreement, with Western representatives seeking "a clear condemnation placing responsibility for the escalation on Hamas", which Arab leaders refused. The Western officials also wanted to call for the release of those held by Hamas. Egypt's presidency instead released a statement -- drafted with the approval of Arab attendees, the diplomats said -- saying the war had laid bare "a defect in the values of the international community". World leaders have long "sought to manage the conflict, and not end it permanently, by proposing temporary solutions and palliatives that do not live up to even the lowest aspirations of a suffering people", the statement read. In response, Israel bemoaned the lack of a condemnation of what it called "Islamic terror" that endangered the region and entire world. "It is unfortunate that even when faced with those horrific atrocities, there were some who had difficulty condemning terrorism or acknowledging the danger," a foreign ministry statement said. "Israel will do what it has to do and expects the international community to recognise the righteous battle." 'Global silence' In the opening session, Guterres had said "the grievances of the Palestinian people are legitimate and long" after "56 years of occupation with no end in sight" but stressed that "nothing can justify the reprehensible assault by Hamas that terrorised Israeli civilians". He then stressed that "those abhorrent attacks can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people". In the meeting which also included the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Spain and Italy, Jordan's King Abdullah II called for "an immediate end to the war on Gaza" and condemned what he labelled "global silence" on Palestinian death and suffering. "The message the Arab world is hearing is loud and clear: Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones. Our lives matter less than other lives," he charged. "The application of international law is optional. And human rights have boundaries -- they stop at borders, they stop at races, and they stop at religions." The summit came on the day a first convoy of aid trucks rumbled into southern Gaza, which Guterres said needed to be rapidly scaled up, with "much more" help sent through. The UN has said that about 100 trucks per day are needed to meet worsening needs in Gaza. The Palestinians need "a continuous delivery of aid to Gaza at the scale that is needed", the UN chief told the Cairo "Summit for Peace". 'We will not leave' Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi argued that the "only solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is "justice" and said that "Palestinians must realise their legitimate rights to self-determination" and have "an independent state on their land". Abbas stressed his demand for a two-state solution and an "end to Israel's occupation" and rejected what he has warned could be a "second Nakba" -- a reference to the more than 760,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their lands during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. "We will not leave," he repeated three times at the end of his speech. Cairo and Amman have repeatedly rejected calls for large numbers of refugees to enter Egypt from Gaza, warning that the "forced displacement" would lead to the "eradication of the Palestinian cause". Egypt and Jordan were the first Arab states to normalise relations with Israel, in 1979 and 1994 respectively, and have since been key mediators between Israeli and Palestinian officials. Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan urged for the current conflict to become, "rather than a regional conflagration, a breeding ground for a just and lasting peace". He also condemned "unconditional military aid to Israel which only serves to maintain the occupation", while Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan condemned the failure of the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire after a US veto. The post UN chief urges ceasefire to end Gaza’s ‘godawful nightmare’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 American hostages freed
Gaza’s Hamas rulers freed two Americans among the 200 hostages they kidnapped in the deadly 7 October attacks in Israel. More hostages may be released, the group hinted. According to the Israeli government, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter, Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were returned to Israel late Friday. There was no word on their condition, but US President Joe Biden was “overjoyed” by the news. Biden called the two women after they were released. Hamas also announced it was working with Qatar and Egypt to free its “civilian” hostages, implying that more could be released. An Israeli emissary met the couple at the Gaza border and took them to a military base in central Israel “where their families are waiting to meet them.” The Ranaan family, like many of the captives, had begun a worldwide campaign to pressure Hamas to release them. Hamas said the “al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens for humanitarian reasons” after being approached by Qatar and Egypt. The Islamist rulers of Gaza said they were “working with all mediators to implement the movement’s decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions permit.” It provided no specifics about its demands. Israel claims that Hamas militants took 203 people during the bloodiest attacks in Israel’s 75-year history, including Israelis, dual nationals and foreigners. According to the authorities, at least 1,400 individuals were killed, mostly civilians. Relentless bombing Israel has retaliated with a continuous bombing campaign against Gaza, killing at least 4,137 people, mostly civilians. The hostages have become a massive problem in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stating that the government will use “any means available to locate all those missing and bring all those kidnapped home.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said it helped transport the freed Americans to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for more releases “immediately and unconditionally.” “Every single one of them should be released,” said Blinken, adding that a team from the US Embassy would visit the two freed women. Qatar is a major aid donor to Gaza, and two Hamas leaders are based in the Gulf state. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said the country had mediated between Hamas and the United States and that the release followed “many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved.” The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive even though some dead bodies have been found on incursions into Gaza. The military said more than 20 hostages were minors, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60. Saudi factor Biden said Friday he believed Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel two weeks ago aimed to disrupt the warming ties between the country and Saudi Arabia. “One of the reasons they acted like they did... why Hamas moved on Israel... (was) because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden told guests at a campaign fundraiser. “The Saudis want to recognize Israel... unite the Middle East,” he said. The momentum toward a landmark US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia — the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites — was shattered by the 7 October attack by Hamas militants on Israel. A bombing campaign launched in response by Israel has leveled entire city blocks in Gaza, so far killing 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Saudi officials announced on 14 October during a visit to Riyadh by US Secretary Blinken that the country had suspended talks with Israel on the normalization of relations. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had spoken of progress with Israel but also insisted on movement on the Palestinian cause. The Gulf kingdom has never recognized Israel and did not join the 2020 Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States, which led neighboring Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Morocco, to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. With AFP The post 2 American hostages freed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi executes US national convicted of killing Egyptian father
The death sentence for Bishoy Sharif Naji Naseef was carried out in the Riyadh region, the official Saudi Press Agency said. The Gulf Kingdom is frequently criticized for its prolific use of capital punishment, which human rights groups say undermines its bid to soften its image through a sweeping "Vision 2030" social and economic reform agenda. A court found that Naseef, whose age was not given, beat and strangled his Egyptian father to death and mutilated him after he died, and that he also used drugs and attempted to kill another person, SPA said. The mode of execution was not specified, but Saudi Arabia has in the past often used beheading when implementing the death penalty. Riyadh's ally the United States did not immediately comment on the execution. "We are aware of those reports and are monitoring the situation but don't have any specifics," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. He said a US consular official last visited Naseef in July. Saudi Arabia was the world's third most prolific executioner last year, Amnesty International has said. More than 1,000 death sentences have been carried out since King Salman assumed power in 2015, according to a report published earlier this year by the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights and the Britain-based group Reprieve. A total of 91 people -- 19 of them foreigners -- have been executed so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on state media reports. As well as the US national, those put to death came from countries including Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Jordan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Yemen. Last year's announced figure of 147 executions was more than double the 2021 figure of 69. Executions for drug crimes resumed in 2022, ending a moratorium that lasted for almost three years. The 2022 total included 81 people put to death on a single day for offenses related to "terrorism", an episode that sparked an international outcry. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman's son, and the de facto ruler, has said on multiple occasions that the kingdom was reducing executions. In a transcript of an interview with The Atlantic magazine published by state media in March 2022, Prince Mohammed said the kingdom had "got rid of" the death penalty except for cases of murder or when someone "threatens the lives of many people". The post Saudi executes US national convicted of killing Egyptian father appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Insurance from a Muslim perspective (2)
The prevalent concept about insurance among Muslims is that it is “haram” or prohibited by the religion. Muslim jurists or “ulamas” classify it as a form of “riba” or usury and dependent upon the happening of uncertain events. Usury and gambling are specifically mentioned in the Holy Koran as mortal sins which Muslims should shy away from. It is a fraudulent undertaking, they say. People are lured by marketing agents’ promises of big benefits. Moreover, it is viewed as a scheme that eats up people’s money excessively and unjustly enriches insurance companies, which is taboo in Islam. The flip side of the coin is that insurance is a scheme that alleviates the pain of loss or personal tragedy. The school of thought that is fast gaining currency among Muslims is that insurance under certain circumstances is allowed if done along the tenets and jurisprudence of Islamic Shari’ah. In Malaysia, Egypt, and other Muslim countries, they justify insurance through the concept of Takaful or Islamic insurance, which is based on “shared responsibility within a community” and is not profit-driven. A group of people contributes money to a common pool, not for anyone’s benefit or advantage but to provide a resource they can draw from when a member most needs it, like during a sickness, an accident, etc. “Alims” or Muslim scholars point to the custom of yore in an Islamic society where the tribes shared in the payment of blood money to amicably settle a social infraction committed by a tribe member. It sought to mitigate the tragedy or loss by pooling resources in a community fund from which they could immediately draw funding support. This is basically halal or permissible. One contributes to a common fund so that when one meets an accident resulting in fractured limbs he is gifted with the contribution of the community members. They concede that while there is an element of uncertainty in takaful insurance, it is far outweighed by the economic benefits that it will bring to the recipient and the community. There is now a sweeping reshaping of established cultural and religious norms in the Muslim world. Social transformation which was unthinkable before is now finding its way to acceptance. Muslims are drawing inspiration from the recent transformation of once closed-culture and ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia (thanks to Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman) into an open society with the easing of cultural and religious restrictions without sacrificing fundamental tenets of Islam. The dividends of this wave of reforms are now palpable with the Kingdom turning into a major political and economic power player not only in the Middle East region but globally. Perhaps what is needed is a clear explanation about insurance as “halal” or permitted by Shari’ah. Maybe there is a need for the government or insurance companies to wage a campaign for information and clarification about the concept of insurance in Muslim areas. And for this purpose, they should bring the issue to Muslim jurists or organizations like the Ulama Council of the Philippines for support with the possible issuance of a “fatwa” or decree making insurance permissible, albeit there are already existing “fatwas” for its permissibility. This field is a possible motherlode for the insurance industry. If explored properly and successfully, a sector of Philippine society that has lingering doubts about its religiosity can now accept the industry. This is perhaps a job cut out for the new Insurance Commissioner, who has the vision to reboot the industry as part of the engine of growth of the Philippine economy. He can devise a strategy to embark on a campaign to engage Muslims for a better understanding of the concept. He can dialogue with Islamic bodies to draw assurances of the acceptance of “takaful” insurance as a scheme that can provide relief to Muslims in case of emergencies. Proper packaging and marketing of the concept might persuade Muslims to abandon their mindset that has become passé in light of its acceptance in other Muslim countries. *** amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Insurance from a Muslim perspective (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tulfo lauds PBBM for tackling pressing issues in SONA-2
Senator Raffy Tulfo lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for tackling the country's pressing issues, including the plights of overseas Filipino workers and seafarers, as well as mentioning the country’s energy situation. Tulfo, who chairs both the Senate Committee on Energy and Committee on Migrant Workers, expressed satisfaction over the President’s recent speech during his second State of the Nation Address on Monday. The senator was delighted after Marcos discussed the ongoing performance review by the Upper Chamber of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. “He said this will help find out the lapses in the performance of NGCP to eventually cancel its franchise and transfer its management and operations to the National Transmission Corporation,” Tulfo said. Tulfo said he is elated to know that the administration is deliberating the Philippine Energy Plan, particularly the continuing promotion of renewable energy—which is expected to reach 50 percent nationwide usage by the year 2040. The senator also recognized Marcos’ report on the deployment of 70,000 OFWs in Saudi Arabia. “In addition to this is the President's mention of the promise of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the unpaid claims of OFWs there will be paid,” he stressed. Hence, Tulfo vowed that he will fully support the initiatives, projects, and advocacies of the Marcos administration, particularly those “that are geared towards improving the lives of Filipinos, especially the poor.” The post Tulfo lauds PBBM for tackling pressing issues in SONA-2 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi women jailed for Twitter use should be freed
Two Saudi women sentenced to decades in prison over social media use have been held arbitrarily and should be released, according to UN expert findings seen Saturday by AFP. The lengthy jail terms handed down last year to Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani, primarily over Twitter posts criticizing the government, have heightened global scrutiny of repression under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is trying to rebrand the Gulf kingdom as open for business and tourism. In a report dated 19 June and shared with AFP, the UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent expert panel, determined the women had been held arbitrarily and that "the appropriate remedy would be to release" them. They should be given "an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law", it said. The UN experts also said there was credible evidence Shehab had faced "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" while in custody. The alleged abuses against her include "threats, insults, harassment and improper methods used during her interrogation", such as taking "advantage of (Shehab's) depression by interrogating her in the middle of the night, shortly after she had taken her antidepressant and sleeping pills". Sources for the report included five groups representing the two women, among them the rights organization ALQST, Democracy for the Arab World Now, and MENA Rights Group. In its response to the expert panel, Saudi Arabia rejected the findings as "unfounded" and said they lacked "supporting evidence". The kingdom said the judicial process had been fair and denied Shehab had been mistreated. Saudi officials did not respond to a request for comment from AFP on Saturday. Shehab, a member of the Shiite minority in the majority Sunni kingdom, had been studying for a doctorate in Britain when she was arrested in January 2021 while on holiday. She has said she was held for 285 days in solitary confinement before being convicted in March 2022 by a court that tries terrorism cases. The evidence against her included posts championing women's rights and retweets of a prominent Saudi women's rights activist. In August, she was sentenced to 34 years in prison and banned from traveling abroad for a further 34 years. Qahtani received a 45-year sentence last year for using Twitter to "challenge" Prince Mohammed and his father King Salman. A court document seen last year by AFP described an anonymous account in which Qahtani criticized the government and retweeted posts warning of attempts to arrest those behind public protests, which are not tolerated in Saudi Arabia. The post Saudi women jailed for Twitter use should be freed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi Arabia’s Guest of the King program (2)
Saudi Arabia’s “Guest of the King” program epitomizes the commitment of the Kingdom to serve Islam. It is a continuing program sustained through the years, interrupted only by the Covid-19 pandemic. Target beneficiaries are those making a pilgrimage to Holy Mecca and Madinah. They are treated as “guests” in the truest sense of the word, with the host leaving no stone unturned to make their pilgrimage successful and meaningful with little hassle. Obviously, the raison d’etre of the program is to help Muslims fulfill their Islamic obligation (one of the pillars of Islam); enhance “Ummah Islamiyyah” or the fraternity of global Muslims through person-to-person contact with the millions of believers gathered in the biggest congregation of the faithful; and the promotion and strengthening of relations with other countries. This writer is in the dark about the criteria for selecting grantees for the program. There is a dearth of materials about it. I haven’t come across literature fully describing the program. Perhaps it is partly done at random. We can only venture a guess based on a profile of this year’s Filipino participants. As we have written, no information on it was supplied by the Embassy. We conjectured that the reason for the lack of published information was so their choice process would not be unnecessarily restricted and they could enjoy a wide latitude of discretion and autonomy in making their choices. I can surmise that after the information on the would-be guests is gathered, this is forwarded to Riyadh where the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance makes the final selection. In the case of the Filipinos, the participants represented a cross-section of Filipino Muslim society. Let me give you a glimpse of the profiles of the chosen Filipinos. They represented various tribes and interest groups. There was a batch from the academe and the judiciary — Law Dean Norhabib bin Suod Barodi of Mindanao State University, Professor Luqman bin Usman Imam of the Faculty of Islamic Affairs, University of the Philippines, and Regional Trial Court Judge Jamel Mamutuk. Another was a group of peace-keeping uniformed officers headed by Police Col. Zainalabiden Ismael; and from the media, Al-Aleem Abdul Hannan Tago, a former journalist of Arab News; Noroddin Magindanao of Radio Salam, and this writer. There were Islamic scholars like Said Acmad Bashier and Suwaib Ibrahim; from the government, Executive Director Taher Lidasan Jr. of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, and others who were “balik-Islam” or Muslim converts (I didn’t have the chance to ask the others). There seems to be no hard and fast rule. But from the sampling above, I could only guess that among the criteria for selecting guests are the prominent and eminent Muslim personalities; those who have contributed to the propagation of the Islamic faith; the solicitous so-called “balik Islam” or Muslim converts; those who have rendered government or personal services for the betterment of Muslims; those influencers who have in one way or another contributed or have the potential to contribute to the promotion and strengthening of the political and cultural relationship between the Kingdom and the Philippines, and those who would be unable to perform the hajj pilgrimage without financial assistance from benevolent sponsors. I read somewhere that the Kingdom played host to the family of the martyred and injured Palestinians who suffered at the hands of the murdering and abusive Israeli authorities, as well as the recent victims of the war in Yemen and Syria. The Kingdom is no doubt enjoying economic and financial autarky. This is thanks to its oil resources, the main source of its petro-dollars, although His Majesty Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman has launched an ambitious Vision 2030 program that will reduce its economic reliance on oil. But no doubt, its wealth is being expended to good use and this is exemplified by the Kingdom’s budget for the Guests program. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Saudi Arabia’s Guest of the King program (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Journey of a lifetime
It is more than religious. One embarks on a journey because the Holy Book mandates the performance of a pilgrimage once in a lifetime. It is a basic pillar of one’s religion. It is strictly obligatory with few practical and reasonable exceptions, like being physically weak, financially incapable, or sick with comorbidities. One has to perform it to be true to one’s faith. But other factors at play pull one back to the Holy Shrines and the next thing one knows, desire and eagerness develop into an obsession. And one keeps returning — which many do not understand. Dear readers, I refer to the Islamic injunction for believers to perform the hajj to Holy Mecca. A one-time pilgrimage is obligatory and satisfies the Koranic prescription, but many make it a habitual annual journey to the Holy Shrines at Mecca, Masjed el Haram, and Madinah, Masjed el Nabawe, all situated in the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the reason why the present Monarch has the official title of “Custodian to the two Holy Mosques.” I have gone on a pilgrimage several times and I have lost track of how many. When I was Ambassador to Egypt, concurrently non-resident Ambassador to Sudan, every time I visited Sudan I had to travel by air through Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, because there was no direct flight to Khartoum, Sudan. Travel by land was impractical for safety and security reasons. And during most stopovers in Jeddah, I performed the Umrah pilgrimage (a non-obligatory undertaking but encouraged by Islam). The frequent exposure to the desert lands developed in me a fondness for the terrain, the sand dunes, the barren mountains, and the cuisine and culture. I often found myself searching for the noisy ambiance of throngs performing the back-breaking rituals, emulating what the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham to non-Muslims) and Mohammad, PBUH, practiced during the pilgrimages of their time. Strangely, I missed the mild shoving and pushing by people of different colors and origins performing the rituals. I missed likewise the crowds speaking diverse languages, struggling to understand each other through sign language. Psychologists must have an explanation for this. The self-discipline of people avoiding inflicting harm on another impressed me. The brotherhood under ummah Islamiyah must have taken deep root in their psyches. It gave me a modicum of glee to see people bonded by a common belief fraternizing with each other and offering food and whatever they had to comfort strangers. Can one imagine the chaotic setting putting together millions of devotees in one place and at the same time, as religion dictates? It must be a nightmare for the Royal Kingdom to manage the multitude. This itch to perform the pilgrimage frequently for Islam and experience the unique milieu must have thrived in my genes. My mother, a devout Muslim to a fault, may Allah SWT embrace her in Jannatul Firdaus or heaven, was so obsessed with performing the pilgrimage to Holy Mecca that she would save every peso for years just to give way to her heart’s desire. And this tradition, if not fixation, has infected my female siblings who have not missed every opportunity to perform the pilgrimage. As I write this piece, I am on my third day at Holy Mecca and have just performed the Umrah rituals, which are capped by the cutting of the hair. The missus and I were invited to participate in the annual program of the Kingdom dubbed “Guest of the King.” With the kind indulgence of my readers, I will do a series in my forthcoming columns as a 101 for non-Muslims. Offhand, the Kingdom has dramatically undergone a cultural and religious transformation since the assumption of His Majesty, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman. The modification of the cultural and religious status quo was, as described by ulamas (Muslim scholars) and jurists, undertaken cautiously to avoid any offense to established Islamic Shari’ah and norms. Meaning, they were done along the teachings of the Holy Koran and Hadith al-Shariff (traditions of Holy Prophet Muhammad, PBUH). They were progressive steps towards reform and a brighter future for the Kingdom. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Journey of a lifetime appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jordan crown prince weds Saudi architect in lavish ceremony
Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah married Saudi architect Rajwa Al Seif on Thursday in a ceremony attended by royals from across the globe. The ceremony was held in the mid-century Zahran Palace in the capital Amman -- the site of other key royal weddings including that of King Abdullah II to Queen Rania as well as that of his father, the late King Hussein bin Talal. The king's eldest son and Al Seif, both aged 28, tied the knot at a ceremony attended by their families and 140 guests, including US First Lady Jill Biden and the Prince and Princess of Wales. Other notables included the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, as well as Belgium's King Philippe and Crown Princess Elisabeth and Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. The highly anticipated nuptials were met by celebrations across Jordan, with thousands gathering to witness the procession in Amman in streets decorated with pictures of the couple and banners. A royal red motorcade, reserved for special occasions, crossed the capital to celebrate the bride and groom. King Abdullah II, aged 61 and on the throne since 1999, has long groomed his eldest son to succeed him, bringing him along to important visits and meetings, former information minister Samih Maaytah previously told AFP. Prince Hussein became heir to the throne in 2009 after his father removed the title from his half-brother Hamzah in 2004. Hamzah would later be placed under house arrest after being accused of attempting a royal coup in 2021 that sent shockwaves through the royal establishment. In April 2022, Hamzah renounced his royal title, saying his own values no longer aligned with those of "our institutions". Jordan enjoys relative stability compared to its Middle East neighbors but has seen protests in recent years as it struggles with economic woes. The World Bank says Jordan is heavily in debt and faces around 23 percent unemployment. The Hashemite kingdom relies extensively on foreign aid. The Jordanian king has wide-ranging political powers in the country of 11 million people, a parliamentary monarchy, and also acts as the supreme leader of the armed forces. Hussein followed in his father's footsteps by attending Britain's Sandhurst Military College and then studying history at Washington's Georgetown University. His bride was born and raised in conservative Saudi Arabia but is also Western-educated, having studied architecture at Syracuse University in New York. See more photos here: The post Jordan crown prince weds Saudi architect in lavish ceremony appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi, Canada to restore full diplomatic ties
Saudi Arabia and Canada will restore full diplomatic relations, the kingdom said Wednesday, following a 2018 dispute over human rights that saw Riyadh expel Ottawa's ambassador and freeze new trade. The decision, also announced by Canada's foreign ministry, came after talks last year between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Bangkok. "It has been decided to restore the level of diplomatic relations with Canada to its previous state," Saudi's foreign ministry said in a statement. In 2018, the Saudi government expelled Canada's ambassador and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa, while freezing all new trade over vigorous calls for the release of activists jailed in the kingdom. On Wednesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said the two countries will "appoint new ambassadors" and a Canadian foreign ministry statement named Jean-Phillipe Linteau as Ottawa's new envoy to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia made no mention of its pick for ambassador. The latest announcement follows a frenetic stretch of high-stakes Saudi diplomacy triggered by the kingdom's surprise Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal with Iran announced in March. Since then, Saudi Arabia has restored bilateral ties with Syria and ramped up a push for peace in Yemen, where it leads a military coalition against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels. Saudi Arabia is also hosting representatives of Sudan's two warring generals, and, with the US, brokered a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire that took effect Monday. The post Saudi, Canada to restore full diplomatic ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage is an overt manifestation of one’s religious and spiritual devotion to one’s creed. There are people whose devotion is pure and strong. You see this in all religions. They walk the extra mile to perform arcane rituals enjoined by their religion. Distance is no issue. They literally climb mountains and sail the “seven seas” to observe the injunction. What divine force pushes them? When we were about to take the bar examination some of our Christian batchmates talked in a whisper about seeking help from the St. John the Baptist Parish Church or Quiapo Church, the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. They heard of testimonies about the magical power of the Church which grants prayers for success, providence, and healing which would-be bar takers can do with. Another shrine frequented by pilgrims is the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Manaoag, Pangasinan. Pilgrims coming from afar flock to the Church because of its divine healing power and many other accounts of the grant of miraculous benefits. There are many other shrines in various places in the country that are visited by pilgrims who seek relief from disease, poverty and hardship. Catholics who are financially able, visit the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Holy City of Rome, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. The claim of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Bosnian village Medjugorje testified to by many adherents is drawing thousands of devotees from different parts of the globe. Other religions have their own places of worship or shrines visited regularly by devotees. The Muslims have them. I write this article having in mind the Haj season for World Muslims which kicks off next month. They will flock to the Holy Cities of Mecca and Madinah, where Masjid el Haram, the holiest shrine, and Masjed el Nabawe, the 2nd holiest mosque, are located, respectively. Ironically, the 3rd holiest mosque, Masjed el Aqsa is in Jerusalem. The principal difference between Muslims and other religious devotees performing pilgrimage is that in the former, the Haj pilgrimage is obligatory during their lifetime while the latter do it voluntarily and mostly part of a religious tour for leisure and pleasure. It’s pure unadulterated devotion for Muslim pilgrims performing Haj. Also, Muslims perform it on a specific date and time in the Lunar calendar while non-Muslim pilgrims do it anytime in their own free time. Moreover, there are specific arcane rituals that had to be observed imitating what Prophet Muhammad PBUH and Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham to non-Muslims) did during their lifetime. Performing the Haj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam along with belief in Allah SWT and His Messenger Muhammad PBUH, five times a day prayers, payment of zakat or alms-giving, and fasting during Holy Ramadhan. Islam, however, exempts those physically disabled and senile persons with health issues and those who are not financially capable. This accounts for the fact that millions of Muslims annually troop to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. How the Kingdom could manage millions of devotees performing Haj and Umrah pilgrimages is one for the books. As host, it had to provide security, housing, and easy access to the Shrines along with managing the horrendous human traffic and other imperatives needed by the annual gathering. It is no mean feat to gather a multi-racial and ethnolinguistic throng in one place on a specific day and time without any major mischance happening. While there were few and far accidents before, they were manageable and had not marred the performance of the pilgrimage. It is likewise a wonder how the Kingdom managed to modernize the housing, transport, medical, and security system for the pilgrimage without violating the holiness of the places of worship. Mecca has been transformed from one oasis in a huge desert land into a metropolis with high-rise hotels and structures, including state of an art transport system connecting the twin Holy Cities of Mecca and Madinah specifically constructed to cater to pilgrims. The Kingdom has lived up to its name as the capital of Islam. And the world Muslims cannot but express appreciation for the labor of His Majesty King Salman ibn Abdelaziz and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman for walking the extra mile to make the experience of Muslim pilgrims a lifetime fulfillment. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Pilgrimage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi Arabia transfers more Aramco oil shares to wealth fund
Saudi Arabia has put a second four-percent chunk of shares of the Aramco energy giant, worth tens of billions of dollars, under the control of the country's sovereign wealth fund, state media said Sunday. The move underscores Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's campaign to use the Gulf kingdom's vast energy resources to open up the economy under his "Vision 2030" domestic reform agenda. The official Saudi Press Agency said the shares had been transferred to Sanabil Investments, a firm controlled by the kingdom's Public Investment Fund, one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds with more than $620 billion in assets. Last year, four percent of Aramco shares, estimated at the time to be worth $80 billion, were transferred directly to PIF. The latest shares are worth nearly $80 billion, based on the current market capitalization of Aramco, one of the world's most valuable companies. Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler, "indicated that the transfer of part of the state's shares in Saudi Aramco is a continuation of Saudi Arabia's long-term initiatives to boost and diversify the national economy and expand investment opportunities," the report said. "The transfer will also solidify PIF's strong financial position and credit rating," it added, noting Riyadh still owns 90 percent of Aramco's shares. Sanabil's investments "include venture, growth capital, and small buyouts", according to its website. Aramco and its assets were once kept under vice-like government control, off-limits to outside investment. But under Prince Mohammed, the kingdom has shown readiness to cede some of that control. The oil giant sold 1.7 percent of its shares on the Saudi bourse in December 2019, generating $29.4 billion in the world's biggest initial public offering. The firm, which reported record profits totaling $161.1 billion last year, has pledged to achieve "operational net-zero" carbon emissions by 2050. That applies to emissions that are produced directly by Aramco's industrial sites, but not the CO2 produced when clients burn Saudi oil in their cars, power plants, and furnaces. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser and other top Saudi officials have simultaneously called for further investment in fossil fuels to ensure global energy security. The PIF has made high-profile investments in firms including Uber and Disney, and its so-called giga-projects -- centerpieces of Prince Mohammed's reform agenda -- include Neom, a $500 billion futuristic megacity under construction in the Saudi desert. The crown prince has said he wants the fund to have one trillion dollars in assets by the end of 2025. The post Saudi Arabia transfers more Aramco oil shares to wealth fund appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Processing of unpaid OFW wages near completion
The Department of Migrant Workers on Friday announced the near resolution of the years-long waiting game for the unpaid claims of overseas Filipino workers by bankrupted Saudi Arabia construction firms with the scheduled talks between them and their KSA counterparts on 24 May. In a press conference, DMW Secretary Susan Ople said that the KSA Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has requested a list of all OFW claimants that will be subsequently approved by a certain special “claims committee” created by the Saudi government. Ople said that they aim to submit the list of all the claimants from concerned Saudi construction firms on the first week of May, weeks before their scheduled talks, with the goal of fast-tracking the process of granting unpaid claims to OFWs. “They want to discuss the succeeding processes by the time I’ll be going there upon invitation from the Saudi government,” she said. However, she urged all claimants and family members of deceased claimants to submit a letter that confirms and validate their identity as claimants, together with their employment history with the Saudi construction companies concerned, for them to be included in the list. This includes claimants who have already been listed in other accredited list of claimants, including former Saudi Oger Ltd. OFWs who have logged in their records to a database provided by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia last January. Ople instructed the claimants and their families to submit the letter through email at saudiclaims@dmw.gov.ph, or through local migrant workers offices. “This is a shoutout to all claimants, as long as their companies have been bankrupted in 2015 to 2016. If you have not submitted your records to the Saudi Oger platform, please send it through email,” she said. DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said that the list of claimants will be turned over to the ad hoc committee consists of the DMW and the Department of Foreign Affairs on the Philippine side, and theIR counterparts from the Saudi MHRSD. November last year, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman agreed to release around two billion riyals worth of unpaid salaries to more than 10,000 OFWs who were formerly employed by Saudi construction firms such as Saudi Oger Ltd., Mohammad Al-Mojil Group and Saudi Bin Ladin group. The post Processing of unpaid OFW wages near completion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gilas eyes sweep in Jeddah
Gilas Pilipinas shoots for a sweep of its fifth window road assignments in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Saudi Arabia Sunday night (early Monday in Manila) at the Prince Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah......»»
Preparations underway for Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit — DFA
The Philippines is preparing for the upcoming visit of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud this November or before the end of the year......»»
Saudi Arabia welcomes 1st foreign hajj pilgrims since pandemic
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The first batch of Hajj pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.A group of 358 pilgrims from Indonesia arrived at Prince Mohamed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in the holy city of Madinah, the.....»»
Jordan prince sought Saudi help for coup: court charge
Jordan's Prince Hamzah hoped to overthrow King Abdullah II with the backing of Saudi Arabia, according to court indictments against two alleged accomplices released Sunday......»»