12,000 CASUALTIES OF CHILDREN IN SYRIAN CIVIL WAR: UNICEF
A civil war in Syria that was unleashed 10 years ago has now killed or wounded nearly 12,000 Syrian children, according to a new report by UNICEF. The UN children’s agency warns in a statement that the war “has left the lives and futures of a generation of children hanging by a thread,” with nearly 90% of children in need of humanitarian assistance, and a “precarious” situation for children and families alike. More than 500,000 children under the age of 5 are suffering from stunting, due to chronic malnutrition. Over 2 million children are out of school, 40% of them girls.
TUNISIA NEEDS POLITICAL STABILITY: GHANNOUCHI
The Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament has said that he sees no need to change the current government, suggesting instead that the country needs political stability to initiate urgent economic reforms. “The constitutional apparatus was disrupted in Carthage because of the failure of President Kais Saied to carry out his duty by accepting the oath of the proposed ministers,” In response to a question about why his own Ennahda Movement refused to change the government in order to solve the crisis, Rached Ghannouchi responded: “The question is not why we reject changing the government, but rather why anyone would want to change the government at all. We have changed governments eight times since the revolution and nothing has changed… The lack of stability is a real problem… Even the General Labour Union did not demand a change of government.”
SWISS ‘BURKA BAN’ VOTE ‘REGRETTABLE’: UN RIGHTS OFFICE
The Swiss “burka ban” uses the law to dictate what women should wear and is problematic from a human rights perspective and “deeply regrettable,” the UN Human Rights office said. The national referendum dubbed the “burka ban,” launched in 2016 by a right-leaning initiative committee, was accepted by 51.2% of those who cast ballots with a participation of 51.4% of voters. It passed despite opposition from the government and the national parliament, and will write the ban into the Swiss Constitution. Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Belgium, Latvia, and Bulgaria have bans on facial coverings.
FAITH COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA SOUND ALARM FOR CLIMATE
Over one hundred local faith communities across Australia from diverse traditions held events as part of a major global multifaith Day of Action to ‘sound the alarm’ seeking net zero emissions for wealthy countries by 2030, a leap ahead of net zero by 2050. Shaykh Mohammad Ramzan called the Azan at 11 am at the City Mosque in Melbourne, and others did the same at Mosques elsewhere. Churches rang their Bells, Rabbis sounded the shofar and some groups held silent Vigils to draw attention to a series of calls on Prime Minister Scott Morrison for climate justice. The signatories seek net zero emissions for wealthy countries by 2030, a leap ahead of net zero by 2050.
INDONESIA: SCHOOLS TO RESPECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
The government of President Joko Widodo last month issued a decree ordering public schools to respect religious freedom and prohibiting them from enforcing religious-based dress codes. The decree came after a Christian father confronted an official at his daughter’s school. A Christian resident of the city protested a public school’s requirement that his daughter wear a headscarf.
INDONESIA BACKTRACKS ON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS INVESTMENTS
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo reinstated a ban on new foreign investment in the manufacturing of alcoholic drinks, just a few weeks after agreeing to relax restrictions as part of a broader effort to attract investors. Foreign investment in alcoholic beverages was banned in the 1990s, but the president issued a regulation last month that would have permitted it in provinces where Muslims are not the majority of the local population. However, the regulations were still met with criticism from Islamic groups. “After hearing input from Ulema … I hereby declare that the presidential regulation pertaining to opening new investments in the industry of alcoholic beverages revoked,” Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, said in remarks broadcast on television.
TRANS MUSLIM ENTREPRENEUR IN MALAYSIA FACES DEATH THREATS
Nur Sajat, a trans Muslim entrepreneur in Malaysia, is believed to have gone into hiding after failing to appear in Sharia Court to face charges of offending Islam by dressing as a woman. She is alleged to receive death threats. It comes after Nur Sajat, who owns a cosmetics business, hinted she was considering converting out of Islam during a livestream on her now-deactivated Instagram account. She was charged three years ago with the offence of insulting Islam by dressing as a woman, and was due to appear at the Syariah High Court on February 16. The court later issued a warrant of arrest against Ms Sajat.
ISRAEL DEMOLISHES AL-ARAQIB VILLAGE FOR 184TH TIME
Israeli authorities once again demolished a Palestinian Bedouin village in the southern Negev region. “The Israeli authorities demolished the al-Araqib village for the 184th time,” Aziz al-Touri, a member of the Committee for the Defence of al-Araqib, reportedly said. Al-Touri said the demolition was the ninth since the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The village was demolished last on February 17. Homes in Al-Araqib, which are inhabited by 22 Palestinian families, are built of wood, plastic, and corrugated iron. The village was first destroyed in 2010 and every time after it was rebuilt since then. Israeli authorities claim that the site where it’s located falls under “state land.”
POPE MEETS TOP SHIA MUSLIM SCHOLAR AYATULLAH AL-SISTANI
Pope Francis held a historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shia Muslim scholar Ayatullah Ali Al-Sistani in the southern Najaf city. The meeting came as part of the pontiff’s visit to Iraq. According to statements by both offices of Pope Francis and Ayatullah Sistani, the meeting took months in preparations.
5 STAFFERS DETAINED OVER DEATHS IN HOSPITAL IN AMMAN
Five staffers were taken into custody after eight people died in hospital in Amman, the capital of Jordan, due to lack of oxygen supplies on March 13. Amman Public Prosecutor Hassan Abdallat reportedly said the director, the oxygen supply deputy, the medical affairs deputy, the administrative affairs deputy, and the logistics officer in the Al-Salt New Hospital were detained. The suspects were charged over deaths in the hospital, he added. The investigation into the incident is going on. The deaths caused a state of panic in the hospital in the central Balqa province, state-run Al-Mamlaka TV had reported. Several patients are in critical condition. It remains unclear whether the dead patients were receiving treatment for COVID-19.
TURKEY WINS VIRTUS EUROPEAN INDOOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Turkey won the 2021 Virtus European Indoor Athletics Championships, the Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation announced on March 13. Turkish athletes bagged 13 medals – six gold, five silver, and two bronze – and were crowned champions with 32 points, the federation said in a statement. Turkey’s Esra Bayrak was named the best female athlete at the championships, it added.
ISLAMIC WOMEN’S WELFARE ASSOCIATION GETS VAN TO SERVE
Islamic Women’s Welfare Association (IWWA) in Lakemba, Australia, celebrated the purchase of a van through the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership programme and the installation of a shade sail through funding from Westfield Burwood’s Local Heroes Programme and a donation from Sydney Shade Sails. The van will be used to increase positive social activities and community participation for IWWA’s senior members. The shade sail is sheltering IWWA’s food programme beneficiaries from the elements. Special thanks go to Mr Jihad Dib MP for Lakemba, Westfield Burwood and Sydney Shade Sails.