Tag: Syria

  • Iran’s President Raisi ‘welcomes’ invitation by Saudi king to visit Riyadh

    Iran’s President Raisi ‘welcomes’ invitation by Saudi king to visit Riyadh

    Little over a week after the two nations decided to reestablish diplomatic ties, Iran claims Saudi Arabia has extended an official invitation to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to pay a state visit.

    The Saudis have not officially confirmed the invitation, which is claimed to have arrived in a letter from King Salman.

    The conflict between the two countries has dominated the Middle East’s recent history.

    A senior Iranian official, Mohammad Jamshidi, tweeted regarding the invitation to visit Riyadh, saying Mr Raisi had welcomed it and “stressed Iran’s readiness to expand co-operation.”

    Furthermore, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, informed reporters that the two nations had agreed to conduct a meeting at the level of the foreign ministers and that three potential venues had been suggested.

    He did not specify the locations or the potential dates for the meeting.

    According to Bloomberg, the recent thaw in bilateral relations, which came as a surprise after days of negotiations mediated by China, appears to be gaining significant pace.

    Both have declared they will reopen their embassies and resume their economic and security relations within two months.

    With the failure of earlier attempts at reconciliation, many, including the US and the UN, warily welcomed this progress.

    In January 2016 after protesters surrounded its embassy in Tehran, Saudi Arabia broke ties.

    That came after Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a well-known Shia Muslim cleric who had been found guilty of crimes related to terrorism, was executed by Riyadh.

    Since then, there have frequently been high levels of tension between the Sunni- and Shia-led neighbours, with each seeing the other as a dangerous force vying for supremacy in the region.

    They have taken opposing sides in a number of local conflicts, including as the civil wars in Yemen and Syria.

    Mr. Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran hoped measures would be taken to strengthen ties with Bahrain, a close Saudi ally that cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016 after Riyadh did the same.

    “We hope that some obstacles between Iran and Bahrain will be removed and we will take basic steps to reopen the embassies,” he said.

    Bahrain hasn’t reacted to the remarks, but it did earlier applaud the Saudi Arabia-Iran decision to reestablish diplomatic ties.

    Moreover, Iran has shown a desire to restart or strengthen ties with other adversaries in the Arab world, such as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

  • After Oscar win, Michelle Yeoh urges support for Turkey, Syria earthquake victims

    After Oscar win, Michelle Yeoh urges support for Turkey, Syria earthquake victims

    Michelle Yeoh has scored a major win for Asian Americans in Hollywood by becoming the first Malaysian-origin woman to win awards at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and then finally becoming the second woman of color to win Best Actor at the Oscars.

    In an op-ed titled “The Crisis That Changed My Life 8 Years Ago Keeps Happening” for The New York Times, Yeoh revealed that she wanted to shift all the praise and attention that was being showered on her towards a cause that was deeply close to her heart: the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

    Yeoh opened up about how she saw first-hand the tragedies of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, where she had been visiting with her partner Jean Todt. Witnessing the ruin and destruction around her had pushed the Asian-American actress to become a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program in order to help with the relief efforts.

    When devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria in February, mass destruction and havoc followed, leaving behind a confirmed death toll of 50,000 people.

    Yeoh writes that in such catastrophic events, women and children bear the brunt, especially when they live in poverty:

    “Crises aren’t just moments of catastrophe: They expose deep existing inequalities. Those living in poverty, especially women and girls, bear the brunt. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, lack of sanitation, health facilities and safety disproportionately affect women. In my time as a goodwill ambassador, I have seen up close how women and girls are often the last to go back to school and the last to get basic services like clean water, vaccines, identity cards and counseling. They are typically the last to get jobs and loans.”

    Which is why, Yeoh urged that more women should be brought in to leadership positions, because they are the essential voices we need in order to rebuild neighborhoods, schools and marketplaces:

    “Women must also play leadership roles in the recovery process. But women are woefully underrepresented in the decision making that affects their prospects of survival in times of crisis. This gap has a dangerous effect: Studies have shown that women are hit hardest in disasters. Women and girls are often at a disadvantage when it comes to rescue efforts, and women are more likely than men to suffer from hunger.

    We know women sustain their communities. Their voices, leadership and full participation are key to an inclusive, successful and sustainable recovery. This means considering women’s needs, priorities and safety when rebuilding neighborhoods and constructing schools and marketplaces. It means ensuring women have equal access to information, job opportunities and skills training, as well as loans and insurance mechanisms, which are all crucial to regain financial stability.”
    Knowing that she is a person with a lot of privilege, Yeoh said that the best that she can do is redirect the spotlight currently on her towards those who often go unacknowledged:
    “I’m 60 years old, and I just won my first Oscar. I know something about perseverance, and I am all too aware of what society expects of women. I’m also well aware that my experience can’t compare at all with that of the women heroes I met who are on the front lines of crises. But if I can do one thing with this moment of my professional joy, it would be to point the spotlight on those who all too often go unacknowledged, the women who are rebuilding their communities, taking care of children and older people and putting food on the table. Let’s make sure they are not missing from the room when decisions are being made that affect them the most.”

    Read her complete piece here.

  • PM Shehbaz says Pakistan will never leave Turkey, Syria alone in these circumstances

    PM Shehbaz says Pakistan will never leave Turkey, Syria alone in these circumstances

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that the federal government has allocated Rs10 billion to help Turkey’s earthquake relief efforts.

    The premier said that Pakistan will never leave alone Turkey in these circumstances, urging the nation to pray for the victims of the earthquake in Friday prayers today.

    “I believe that the people of Turkey and Syria will come out of this difficulty,” he said, adding that Pakistan assured Turkey of assistance on the very day the tragedy took place.

    “A committee has been formed to send funds to Turkey. 1,486 tonnes of relief goods are being sent to Turkey and Syria,” he added.

    The premier said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will purchase relief items — such as tents, clothes, blankets and dry food — from the fund and dispatch them to Turkiye.

    “Destruction of such magnitude is seldom seen, where parents have lost their children and infants have become orphans […] there are dreadful visuals everywhere,” he noted.

    However, the prime minister asserted that under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the people of Turkiye would emerge out of the crisis. “And so will our brothers in Syria,” he said.

    More than 21,000 people have died in Turkiye after an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck the region in the early hours of Monday morning. The hope of pulling out survivors from underneath the rubble diminishes as the days pass and freezing temperatures continue unabated.

  • Two Syrian brothers hug while competing on opposing sides at Tokyo Olympics

    Two Syrian brothers hug while competing on opposing sides at Tokyo Olympics

    Two Syrian refugee brothers have met on the sidelines of the Tokyo Olympics, with one representing the refugee team and the other representing the official Syrian team.

    According to details, Alaa Maso, from the Refugee Olympic Team, was photographed hugging his brother Mohamed Maso as they both prepared to compete in the international tournament that opened on Friday.

    Both brothers are originally from the city of Aleppo and now live in Germany. Their father was a swimming coach, a sport which Alaa took up, while Mohamed took up the triathlon.

    According to his profile on the International Olympic Committee website, Alaa left Syria in 2015 after his training facilities were damaged during the fighting that first engulfed the country in 2011. He resettled in Germany and took up swimming again.

    During the competition, he is swimming alongside another Syrian refugee swimmer, Yusra Mardini, who he has known since childhood.

    Mohamed also left for Europe in 2015 after the war began to threaten his safety, writing on his website that “even after days of walking and being tired arriving at a refugee center, he would put on his running shoes and run”.

    Netizens are praising the two brothers hugging at the ceremony on social media.

  • Pakistan helping Syria out in its fight against COVID-19

    Pakistan helping Syria out in its fight against COVID-19

    A Pakistani plane loaded with medical assistance, aimed at supporting the efforts of the Syrian government to confront the coronavirus pandemic, reached the Damascus International Airport on Sunday.

    Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) organised the aid, including medical equipment, masks, protective gears and other health items, on the request of the Syrian government. Syrian Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Faisal Mikdad expressed gratitude to Pakistani government for supporting Syria, and stated that the shipment sent by Pakistan, was the largest shipment ever received by the country during the health crisis.

    Currently, Syria is considered vulnerable to the pandemic due to dire humanitarian situation and the civil war that has been ongoing for nearly a decade. The total number of COVID-19 infections registered in Syria has reached at 5789, out of which 2021 ones have recovered while 292 others have died.

    Under this situation, Syrian Deputy Health Minister Ahmad Khleifawi stressed the importance of this aid in supporting the country’s health sector, as reported by a Syrian state-run news agency (SANA).

    Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, some countries have reduced their diplomatic activities in Damascus, but Pakistan has maintained its unbiased political stance towards the war-torn country.

    After receiving the aid, Pakistani Ambassador to Damascus Saeed Muhammad Khan ensured that the aid would be effectively distributed to hospitals and authorities in Syria.