Tag Archives: Middle East

Iran Asks China to Help in Middle East Crisis

Iran is asking China to come in and help resolve the unrest in the Middle East along with offering more opportunities for Chinese businesses once the sanctions against the nation are lifted under the agreement with the United States and six other world powers.

China has been pushing the United States to complete the deal with Iran and lift the sanctions that have been economically hampering Iran.

“China and Iran find mutual benefits in many areas,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.  “I agreed with [Chinese Foreign] Minister Wang Yi that we share similar views on regional issues, which should be solved in a political way. We would like to cooperate with China on issues in Yemen, Syria and the Middle East, seeking a political solution.”

China has long been opposed to the sanctions placed on Iran by the United States and European nations.  Wang told reporters he looks forward to the deal’s implementation because of the benefit to Chinese businesses and added he believes the two nations can work together for peace in their regions.

“We both agree that the unrest in West Asia and North Africa regions is not sustainable, it should be solved in a political way and we should seek a solution that can address the concerns of different parties,” Wang said.

Governments Claim National Security to Silence Journalists

Governments in the Middle East are using accusations of national security to try and silence western journalists from reporting on government corruption and other abuses of power.

Three journalists for Vice News were detained in Turkey on charges of terrorism for their reports that allegedly promoted Kurdish militants.  A Dutch journalist was also detained on the same charges after being caught covering a Kurdish protest group.

“I’m in custody in Yuksekova,” Frederike Geerdink tweeted.

The Turkish government denied she was arrested for her reporting but for being in an area where fighting was taking place.

“Frederike has not been arrested for journalism. She was in a security zone where there was fighting. Because of that, we could not guarantee her safety, so she has been detained and investigations are continuing,” a government representative told Reuters.

Journalism watchdog groups dismissed the explanation, noting that Geerdink was arrested in January on similar charges of “illegal propaganda” for which she was acquitted in April.

“The Netherlands has been concerned about freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Turkey for some time,” Dutch embassy spokesman Roel van der Meij said. “This remains an important point in our relations with Turkey.”

In Egypt, three Al-Jazeera reporters are being tried on charges they filed false news reports to “promote terrorism.”

“What we see in terms of worrying trends that’s been picking up for a while is the use of overbroad anti-terror laws to prevent coverage and detain journalists,” said Robert Mahoney, deputy director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, to the New York Times.

Mahoney cited many examples of abuse of journalists taking place around the world that largely go unreported in American media.

In Azerbaijan, an investigative journalist who contributed to the US funded Radio Free Europe was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for reporting on alleged corruption by the nation’s president.

“I don’t think anything will ever really improve unless there is real pressure from the West,” Gulnara Akhundova, who works for International Media Support told the Times. “What we need is real sanctions.”

Massive Sandstorm Strikes Middle East

An out-of-season sandstorm has struck the Middle East causing thousands to have medical issues and reducing visibility in region.

The Times of Israel called the storm “a brownish-yellow fog throughout the country.”  The storm has been working across Israel and into Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.  Meteorologists say the storm will be followed by an intense heat wave that will last through the weekend.

Health officials through the region are telling residents to stay inside to avoid breathing problems.  Schools were either closed to keep children inside to avoid the fine particulates in the air.

The head of a major hospital in Damascus told reporters that over 1,200 people had been treated for breathing problems.  At least 100 of the victims were children.

“It is unbelievable. This must be some test,” said Mansour, a Damascus resident, who gave only his first name told the Associated Press. “It’s hot. Temperatures are high and above that we have this dusty weather! It is something beyond reasonable. Enough please!”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that some villages such as al-Mayadeen were so short of medical supplies that they ran out of oxygen canisters and had to turn away victims of the storm.

Hungary Sending Troops to Stop Migrants at Border

Hungarian officials are rushing military troops to their border to try and stop a massive wave of migrants attempting to escape the violence of the Middle East and Asia.

Hungarian officials said that a record 2,533 migrants were arrested attempting to enter the country on Tuesday.  Most of them were from Syria, Pakistan or Afghanistan.

Officials are calling the situation the worst migrant crisis since the second World War and Hungary is attempting to quickly build a 110 mile border fence with razor wire to stop the illegal immigration.

“Hungary’s government and national security cabinet … has discussed the question of how the army could be used to help protect Hungary’s border and the EU’s border,” government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told reporters.

The move by Hungary is coming under criticism from Germany and France.  The German and French governments are working to put together a comprehensive plan for all nations across Europe to accept migrants, but Hungary’s actions are countering the proposed actions.

Other nations are also overwhelmed.  Greece, which is in the midst of financial crisis unlike any other in the nation’s history, has been burdened with 50,000 migrants in just the month of July.

Heat Wave Sets Records in Germany; More Deaths in Egypt

The death toll in the Middle East heat wave continues to climb.

Egyptian officials say that 76 people are now confirmed dead because of the extreme heat which reached 116 degrees in some parts of the country.  State media said that 21 people died from heatstroke on Tuesday.

Over 1,200 people are hospitalized with heat related illnesses.

The heat outside is also causing the heat to rise in the arena of socio-political problems within the Middle Eastern nation.

“It is highlighting the huge gap that exists between classes in the region in general and specifically in countries that are not as rich as the Gulf countries. So in Egypt, for example, it is dividing the classes further,” Ziad Akl, a senior researcher at the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told VOA.  He said that the rich remain inside with air conditioners while the poor have no choice but to use locations like public fountains.

In Iraq, the heat is causing people to short out electrical systems in attempts to keep cool.

“Last week most Iraqi areas were left without electricity for almost three days,” Suadad al-Salhy, a freelance journalist who covers Iraq for Middle East Eye said to VOA.

The heat wave is moving north from the Middle East into Europe causing electrical grid disruptions.

Poland’s national electric supplier cut power to factories for several hours Monday to try and keep the grid from total failure.  The heat combined with extended dry weather has reduced water levels to rivers that cool the nation’s power plants.

Wroclaw, Poland saw an all-time record high of 102 degrees.  The average high for that area is 72 degrees.

Germany tied its all time record high with a mark of 104.5 in Kitzingen.  It was the second time in a month the city had hit the 104.5 mark.

At least 19 cities in the Czech Republic have also tied or topped all-time heat records.

Middle East Heatwave Kills 42 in Egypt

A heatwave scorching Egypt has left 42 people dead.

Egyptian officials said 21 people died on Sunday and 19 more died on Monday.  They added most of the dead were elderly people although they confirmed one German national, patients at a psychiatric hospital and some prisoners also died from the heat.

Temperatures in parts of the northern half of the country reached 120 and in the lower part of the nation topped 115.   The capital city of Cairo hit 105.

The heatwave has also caused power outages.  The Cairo subway was shut down due to power loss and many neighborhoods are getting one hour of power a day.

The heat wave is also causing problems in other nations.

In Beirut, Lebanon, which is on the Mediterranean coast, temperatures are in the 90’s but with 50% or greater humidity the conditions are almost unbearable.

“We had electricity from 3am to 6am last night, and the power comes on one hour during the day,” said Hasan, who lives in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where power cuts have been especially dire during the heatwave. “Officials sit in their offices with electricity.”

On Friday, the heat and humidity in Bandar Mahshahr, Iran, combined to give a feeling of a temperature of 165.

“That was one of the most incredible temperature observations I have ever seen and it is one of the most extreme readings ever in the world,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Anthony Sagliani in a statement.

FBI Issues Alert: Middle Eastern Men Harassing Military Families

The FBI has issued an alert to officials in Colorado and Wyoming over a group of Middle Eastern men who have been harassing military families in the region.

Areas specifically mentioned by the FBI alert include Greeley, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

One incident had two Middle Eastern men approaching a woman outside her home.  The men stated they knew she was the wife of a U.S. interrogator.  The men laughed when she denied the claim and then the men entered a dark-colored sedan that contained two other Middle Eastern men.

Other incidents have the men attempting to gain information.

“On numerous occasions family members of military personnel were confronted by Middle Eastern males in front of their homes,” the FBI alert reads. “The males have attempted to obtain personal information about the military men’s family members through intimidation.”

“The family members have reported feeling scared,” it added.

ISIS has stated that they intend to strike military members in their homes and last March published a list of addresses they claimed belonged to U.S. military members.

The alert also says the FBI cannot confirm if the incidents involve the same men.

Joel Richardson Shares Message of Hope in Evening Service

Those who attended the special service Tuesday evening, June 30th were given a message of hope from bestselling author and internationally recognized teacher on the middle east, muslims and the islamic culture, Joel Richardson.

“ “The day is coming…after the storms…we’ll be raised up…and we will see Him…and embrace Him!  That is reality. We will see Jesus with our own eyes, sitting on the throne in Jerusalem.  It will be as real as we are right NOW. ”  Richardson went on to say  “Let us encourage each other in these days.  If our hope is fixed on saving our country we will miss saving the world.  We have to encourage one another!”

Mr. Richardson spoke of a great revival in Egypt and of how the Lord is working in both Iran and Iraq.  Mosques are emptying and thousands are coming to Christ.   “My heart is encouraged that people are waking up across the earth.  My hope is the encouragement tonight will be at the foundation of everything we do.  As we approach the days to come, we remember to prepare out of faith and not out of fear.  We have confidence in our God and we have confidence of what IS coming!”

ISIS Forces Civilians To Watch Executions In Amphitheater

The Islamic terrorist group ISIS, attempting to solidify their takeover of the ancient city of Palmyra, have forced the residents of the town to fill an ancient amphitheater to watch the execution of 20 men.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the men were accused of serving as members of the army for President Bashir al-Assad.  The method of execution was not reported by the group.

The United Nations World Heritage site was overrun by the terrorists last week.  The U.N. also reported that residents told them the Syrian government forced them to remain until all troops withdrew from the city, placing them at the mercy of the terrorists.

The terrorists have also killed 67 civilians, including 14 children and 12 women, in the city of al-Sikhni.  The terrorists said they were harboring regime forces to hide them from ISIS.

The UN has also reported that the terrorists burned a young woman alive because she would not be used as a sex slave by the group.

“They are institutionalizing sexual violence,” Zainab Bangura, the U.N.’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, said of the Islamic State. “The brutalization of women and girls is central to their ideology.”

Eleven Christians Killed Every Hour, Says Catholic Bishop

The chair of the council for Justice & Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishop’s conference is speaking out about Christian persecution around the world, saying that 11 Christians are killed every hour for their faith in Christ.

Bishop John McAreavey cited a Pew Research survey showing Christianity is the most prosecuted religion around the world with persecution against them reported in 110 countries.

“Many of these countries have significant trade links with Ireland. Persecution is increasing in China. In North Korea a quarter of the country’s Christians live in forced labour camps. Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Maldives all feature in the 10 worst places to be Christian,” McAreavey said.  “According to the International Society for Human Rights, a non-religious organization, 80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed against Christians.”

McAreavey said that the persecution of Christians in the Middle East is “a threat to our common humanity” and that the stability of the entire planet is at risk because of the violence in the region.  He also condemned Western leaders who are not taking steps to help persecuted Christians.

“Perhaps because of a fear of being seen as less than aggressively secular in their own country,” he said, many governments of majority Christian countries in the West seem reluctant to give direct aid to churches and religious minorities.”

McAreavey defined the loss of religious freedom and persecution as something that “can run from subtle cultural exclusion of the religious voice from the public square and refusal to accommodate reasonable differences of conscience to active discrimination, forced displacement, exploitation and loss of life.”