What it's really like to get caught up in the flight disruptions in the Middle East right now
The British captain of our flight explained that they had been issued a directive from the security team at Emirates HQ in Dubai that it was not safe for us to depart right now, and they would be monitoring the situation and update us shortly.
'The decision to continue the flight towards Dubai will been taken with serious consideration for your safety, which is of our utmost importance,' he stressed.
What he didn't mention, for obvious reasons, was what had transpired in the minutes before. Having had personal ties to Dubai now for 17 years, I knew something serious had happened. I activated my roaming service and informed my sister of the delay, who has two young girls and has been based in Dubai for 17 years. The UAE had closed its airspace, she said.
Iran had bombed the US base in Qatar.
This was unprecedented. I had lived in Dubai from 2008 to 2014, during some of the more recent unrest of the Middle East, such as the Arab Spring, and I had never seen this before. The UAE had always been considered a bubble.
The Dubai friends Whatsapp group I'm part of was blowing up; people were scared. One friend had ordered a supply of water to her house, another was directing everyone to stay indoors.
Another messaged that she naively thought the UAE would be kept out of this. It's sentiment all of us shared.
Other passengers on the plane appeared calm and most seemed unaware of the situation.
The kind nun from Madagascar sitting next to me had fallen asleep and asked me why the flight was so late.
When I told her, she was worried she would not make the connection in Dubai to her homeland in time for her brother's funeral. I felt uneasy knowing that my family and friends were in Dubai, and the situation was still developing.
With my parents travelling in business class, I asked the crew if I could go upstairs to talk to them. They very kindly consulted their superiors, and then ushered me upstairs. Credit to the entire Emirates crew who handled it professionally and turned a blind eye when my folks and I sat down at the A380 bar to drink champagne and wait it out. The A380 business class bar was a different vibe to economy, with people cracking jokes, lots of laughter, cake served and a party vibe quickly evolving.
At around 8.15pm we noticed more of a momentum on the aircraft, crew seemed to be getting ready for something. At about 8.20pm, the captain announced that things were looking positive and we might soon be cleared to fly.
Then at 8.45pm, we got more news. 'The UAE has decided to reopen their airspace … there are aircraft landing and departing around the terminal as normal,' he said. We'd be pushing back at 9.15pm, he said to an eruption of cheers in the A380 bar.
Back in economy, things were calm but less festive. Cabin crew immediately began going through each of the cabin bags in the holds and asking passengers to identify their bags.
One bag was not identified in my section and it was paraded up and down the aisle before an announcement was made saying that it would be offloaded.
Eventually someone who wasn't paying attention claimed it. The nun was not happy.
However, then there were more delays. Some people wanted to get off of the plane.
'I've been informed that there are some passengers who wish to offload,' said the captain.
He stressed Emirates safety protocols and that the current unrest was isolated to very specific spots.
Several freaked-out passengers did decide to disembark the flight and the captain kept us informed that there would be a bit more of a wait until their bags were collected from the hold.
We eventually took off at around 9.36pm and touched down in Dubai nearly 2.5 hours later than scheduled, so there was plenty of panic, with most passengers connecting to onwards flights.
It was as if the entire economy jumped up into the aisle to get their bags before the plane had even stopped moving.
I wished my seat neighbour all the best in making her brother's funeral and assured her the ground staff would assist her.
There were masses of staff holding signs to connecting flights when we touched down, but other than that, things appeared as normal.
Kudos to Emirates and all the crew on flight EK764 for handling this tricky situation with such grace and professionalism.
Let's hope my next flight to Europe is less eventful.
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SBS Australia
2 days ago
- SBS Australia
These young Gazans had other lives. Now they're filming in a warzone
This article contains content some readers may find distressing. Khaled Al-Kafarneh used to photograph elated brides and grooms being wed. Now he captures lives being torn apart. The 21-year-old Palestinian journalist was previously an events photographer, and says his work came easily at a time when "life was beautiful". The lens of his camera can no longer find similar moments of joy in Gaza. "We're just focused on surviving and documenting," he told The Feed. Over 20 months of devastation, Khaled's work has never stopped. Khaled's brother Hussein (left) was killed by an Israeli airstrike in January 2025. Source: Supplied During sunlight hours, he uses a small solar panel to charge his equipment. All electricity to the grid was cut months ago. "We rely completely on solar power now ... But some days, there's no sun, or it's not enough. So I have to choose: charge my phone, or charge my camera," he said. 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"Many Palestinians documenting atrocities on the ground have lost faith after relentlessly telling stories from Gaza, with no effective action to stop atrocities or offer protection." 'I wonder how I'm continuing' Like Khaled, Nadra El-Tibi never thought she'd be a war correspondent before October 7. But the 25-year-old school teacher and psychological first aid specialist says her fluency in English — a skill she learned by watching videos online — compelled her to "convey the truth from inside Gaza". Nadra was displaced for more than 500 days in southern Gaza. While sheltering at a refugee camp, she told the stories of the women and children there. Source: Supplied "One of my friends outside the Gaza Strip called me ... [and asked me] to tell the world the facts in Gaza by my English," she told The Feed. Already documenting the war with a daily diary entry, she decided: 'Yes, you must Nadra, as you have English and Arabic language. You must be a journalist to convey the truth to all the world, to the silent world.'" Nadra works without eating for days at a time — as starvation in Gaza reaches "catastrophic levels", according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — and finds little rest amid the sound of bombs and night terrors. "I see with my eyes, I see with my own eyes people who are cut up, their heads detached from their bodies," she said. "Sometimes I wonder how I'm continuing." One of the hardest moments, Nadra says, was at the site of the al-Baqa Cafeteria bombing — a bustling seaside internet cafe in Gaza City, popular with journalists and students. Initial reports said at least 24 people were killed, but that number has since increased to 30. 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More than 185 of their colleagues have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to a database by the CPJ. It alleges Israel is directly targeting journalists, which Israel denies. Another analysis estimates that number could be as high as 232. The report, by the Cost of War project at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US, published in April, also declared it the "worst ever conflict" for journalists and media reporters. It found more journalists have been killed in Gaza than in any other war, including the US Civil War, World Wars One and Two, the Korean War, the Vietnam War (including the conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan. In a statement to The Feed, the IDF said it has never deliberately targeted journalists. "Given the ongoing exchanges of fire, remaining in an active combat zone has inherent risk," it said. "The IDF will continue to counter threats while persisting to mitigate harm to civilians." Running on low batteries Amid a landscape of mostly rubble, the telecommunication infrastructure needed to support the delivery of journalism in Gaza barely exists. Over 70 per cent of the enclave's networks have been partially or completely destroyed since October 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Economy. The remaining networks are subject to partial or full outages ordered by Israel, of which 10 have occurred so far — each threatening to suspend aid efforts and emergency assistance. Between 10 and 21 June, the Gaza Strip experienced a total internet blackout and widespread mobile phone interruptions, described by the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority as "systematic targeting". The IDF did not respond to a request for comment before publication. "When the military cut the internet, we used SIM cards and tried to get close to the border, which was dangerous. Those SIM cards only worked in those border areas, where Israeli troops were stationed," Khaled said. Some journalists were killed while uploading footage, or just while changing SIMs. What's more, the flow of electricity to the last facility in Gaza receiving power from the Israel Electric Corporation was cut in March. There's been none since. Khaled says his small solar panel setup is "just enough to charge my phone or camera if there's sunlight". On cloudy days, he's learned to work under-resourced. "Since electricity is scarce, people have set up small businesses just for charging phones, and they make money from this," Khaled says. Credit: Mohammed Talatene / picture alliance via Getty Images "I use power banks too, but they run out quickly. It's a daily struggle." 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Rafah has been closed since May 2024. More journalists were killed in the first 10 weeks of the war than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year, the CPJ found. "Journalists have been a target in Gaza since day one," Daoud says. "[They've] repeatedly told the Committee to Protect Journalists ... they think the press vest itself has become a target. Likewise, with their use of a tripod while capturing footage of a besieged Gaza. "We've seen the blatant disregard of international law, and the lack of accountability and silence from world leaders that has ensued." An IDF spokesperson told The Feed it "takes all operationally feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians including journalists". "The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target journalists as such." 'And yet I keep going' Despite living through many previous cycles of violence in Gaza, Khaled says the loss he's experienced in the past 20 months is immeasurable. "I lost my brother, lost my home, saw friends die. And yet I keep going," he said. "Even when I'm scared, I force myself to keep going. There's no choice. We don't even think about mental health anymore. That's a luxury for people in peaceful places. For Nadra, her dream of motherhood was stolen. "The hospital that I was visiting to take some of the health care to be pregnant … was destroyed," she says, referring to an IVF clinic. "My childhood [dream] was killed because of this war, after seven years of waiting to be pregnant." Still, they both say their duty to journalism — and to Gaza — is steadfast. "This is my job. Even if it puts my life at risk, it's my duty to carry it out to the fullest," Khaled said. Likewise, Nadra says: "It's my duty. I love Gaza. I love my English. I love my work." "But if I were killed, I will not forgive anyone. Anyone who saw us and remained [silent]." SBS Arabic provided interpretation assistance.
ABC News
15-07-2025
- ABC News
Rethinking religious education within the lived realities of pluralism in the Middle East: A reply to Paul Heck - ABC Religion & Ethics
Paul Heck's recent article on religious pluralism and education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) provides a valuable diagnosis of regional gaps in religious education. He identifies the disinterest and polemicism that characterise much current discourse among faculty and students. Yet the academic landscape is far from monolithic: universities across the MENA region employ diverse, context-sensitive approaches to pluralism and inter-religious relations, each reflecting its institutional mission, language of instruction and local realities. Recognising this plurality of pedagogies is essential to advancing Heck's call for religious synergy — affirming one's own faith while acknowledging that others are also guided by God. As a historian and historian of religions who has taught students for nearly six years in Qatar, and online at Dar al-Kalima University in Palestine, and with international cohorts from Muslim, Western, African and Asian backgrounds, my perspective on religious pluralism and inter-religious engagement is shaped by sustained, first-hand engagement with diverse student bodies and local contexts. This experience informs my approach, which emphasises historical nuance, interdisciplinarity and the lived realities of pluralism in the Middle East. In my experience, interdisciplinary teaching of pluralism and interfaith relations — incorporating historical, social, political and theological perspectives — was welcomed by both students and faculty. When we engaged with multiple viewpoints and learned to analyse and critique them with intellectual rigour and empathy, students not only excelled academically but also demonstrated a remarkable capacity for critical thinking and mutual understanding across lines of difference. Pluralism — beyond theology and identity Heck warns that ignorance breeds hostility: 'If you want others to study your religion as you understand it … you have to study the religions of others as they understand them.' Building on Heck's understanding of religious pluralism as both a 'theological and social reality', we might further emphasise that pluralism encompasses complex social, philosophical and intellectual dimensions that extend beyond interfaith dialogue within a theological framework. Hussam al-Obaidi, for example, situates religious pluralism within philosophy of religion, distinguishing doctrinal debates from the lived reality of diversity. Mohammad Hashim Kamali's Qurʾānic hermeneutics differentiates plurality (diversity as fact) from pluralism (ethical engagement and legal recognition of difference), exemplified by the Constitution of Medina's inclusive ummah — which included the allied Jewish tribes as equal partners in a multi-religious civic community, each group retaining religious and legal autonomy yet bound by mutual obligations. Eric Geoffroy, moreover, demonstrates that Islam's scripture and history affirm pluralism, highlighting Qurʾānic verses such as 49:13 and 5:48, which emphasise diversity and mutual recognition as part of the divine plan. Crucially, the discourse on pluralism in Islamic education is enriched by Muslim voices from beyond the Arab Middle East. Kamali (Afghan) and Geoffroy (French Muslim) exemplify how global perspectives — rooted in diverse cultural, intellectual and historical contexts — expand and deepen understandings of pluralism within the Islamic tradition. The classroom as laboratory for critical inquiry While Heck is right to identifies disinterest and polemicism in current discourse among faculty and students, the classroom functions as a laboratory for critical inquiry where diverse pedagogical approaches can facilitate the co-creation of learning spaces in which objections rooted in both tradition and practice are subjected to rigorous scholarly analysis. This analysis is grounded in phenomenological methodologies that bracket ultimate truth claims while examining how religious traditions understand themselves. Contemporary MENA universities illustrate tailored pluralism curricula rather than a single template. Consider the following examples. Georgetown University in Qatar THEO-3920 'Religious Pluralism in the Middle East and the Islamic World' introduces students to the study and practice of religious diversity in the Middle East and the broader Islamic world, while also exploring pluralism in a range of global contexts. The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach — drawing on history, theology, sociology, politics and anthropology — to examine how religious pluralism has been constructed, experienced and contested across different societies and time periods. Students analyse pluralism from classical Islamic and Middle Eastern contexts to the present, consider foundational texts, formative historical developments and modern challenges, and engage with global case studies from regions such as south-east Asia, Africa and Europe. Comparative analysis, critical engagement with different models of diversity, and applied learning through historical documents, media and interview-based case studies are central features. THEO-3920 is taught variously by instructors whose backgrounds — ranging from historical and case-study methods to phenomenological, mystical and interdisciplinary analyses — shape the course's emphasis and pedagogical style. Saint Joseph University in Beirut The Institute of Muslim-Christian Studies, which was established in 1977, offers an interdisciplinary postgraduate degree in Christian-Muslim Relations (with both Arabic and French tracks), combining comparative methodology, conflict-transformation practicum and community-based research, exemplifying Lebanon's confessional mosaic of pluralism education. Both models attest to the fact that pluralism education in the MENA is non-monolithic: each institution crafts its curriculum to align with its identity, language policy and community needs. Curricular reform and public engagement in Iraq The evolving landscape of Iraqi higher education offers a compelling, if complex, case for how universities can serve as catalysts for pluralism in societies marked by histories of sectarian violence and mono-religious curricula. While Iraq's public education system has long privileged a singular religious narrative, recent years have witnessed a discernible, if uneven, shift in both curricular content and institutional ethos. Initiatives such as the Institute for the Study of Religious Diversity in Baghdad — which has developed new courses on minority faiths in collaboration with community scholars — signal a move toward curricular inclusivity that was previously unthinkable. At the University of Kufa, the UNESCO Chair for Interreligious Dialogue has not only produced research and organised symposia on Sunni-Shiite relations and the rights of non-Muslims, but it has also foregrounded the Qurʾānic and historical resources within Islam that support pluralism and coexistence. Likewise, the University of Karbala's College of Education for Human Sciences has foregrounded the ethical and scriptural dimensions of religious pluralism, situating these debates within both classical and contemporary Islamic thought. Notably, these reforms are not simply top-down mandates but are emerging from sustained engagement between faculty, minority communities and civil society — often in response to student demand for more relevant, inclusive approaches to the study of religion. Such developments, while still nascent and at times uneven, illustrate the potential for universities to move beyond mere rhetorical commitment to pluralism, instead embedding it in the lived academic and civic experience. In this sense, Iraq's universities are not only responding to Paul Heck's call for a more robust engagement with religious difference, but they are also advancing the regional conversation by demonstrating how curricular reform and public scholarship can begin to reshape societal attitudes toward diversity and coexistence. A significant example of team-taught or collaboratively designed interfaith courses in Iraq is the Institute for the Study of Religious Diversity's curriculum, which was developed with input from both Muslim and minority community scholars and is now piloted in Islamic sciences faculties and seminaries. This initiative not only incorporates multiple faith perspectives in course content but also models collaborative pedagogy by drawing on the expertise of diverse instructors and community representatives. Classrooms as microcosms of pluralism Classrooms reflect not only ethnic and cultural diversity but also religious diversity, particularly at Georgetown University in Qatar, where students from over seventy nationalities practice diverse faiths — including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism — creating naturally occurring interfaith learning environments through daily academic dialogue. At St Joseph University in Beirut, while the number of nationalities is lower, the student body remains notably international and multilingual, contributing to a vibrant, pluralistic campus culture. Notably, Palestinian universities such as Bethlehem University and Dar al-Kalima University have emerged as regional leaders in collaborative and team-taught interfaith education. Bethlehem University's Department of Religious Studies emphasises ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, often bringing together Christian and Muslim students under the guidance of faculty from diverse backgrounds, and employing dialogical, cross-disciplinary teaching methods. Dar al-Kalima University has developed a regional inter-religious dialogue curriculum designed for collaborative, co-taught delivery, with explicit recommendations and practice of faculty from different religious backgrounds leading courses together. These pedagogies, now increasingly common in the Middle East, demonstrate that team-taught interfaith courses are not merely theoretical ideals but are being realised across the region in both Palestinian and Iraqi institutions. From generalisations to nuanced particularities Heck's call to move beyond generic critiques aligns with these varied approaches. In Lebanon and Palestine, community-specific curricula reflect historical confessional arrangements rather than a unified program. Jordan's post-Amman Message reforms embed respect for 'People of the Book' in state textbooks and sponsor civil society dialogue initiatives. In the Gulf, Bahrain's legal guarantees of worship co-exist with Qatar's designated Religious Complex and more constrained pluralism elsewhere. Acknowledging this patchwork of pluralisms enables targeted pedagogical strategies — embedding comparative modules in theology, law or the humanities — rather than prescribing a single standalone course. Advancing religious synergy Paul Heck's notion of religious synergy — affirming one's own truth claims while recognising divine guidance in others — finds concrete expression across these diverse institutional models. At Georgetown University in Qatar, THEO-3920 cultivates what Diana Eck describes as pluralism — not mere diversity or tolerance, but the active, engaged encounter of commitments and the seeking of understanding across lines of difference. This approach encourages students to maintain their own convictional integrity while developing 'epistemic humility', a stance that acknowledges the limitations of human understanding and remains open to learning from religious others. Meanwhile, St Joseph University's postgraduate program fosters what can be termed intercultural mediation — the capacity to bridge differences through dialogue rather than elimination of those differences, thereby preparing graduates to serve as mediators in Lebanon's complex confessional landscape. These pedagogical approaches align with Keith Ward's understanding that religious diversity should be seen as 'a challenge to fuller understanding in our many ways of pursuing the search for a supreme objective Good'). Building on this foundation, a team-taught 'Theologies of Belief' course — co-led by Muslim and Christian faculty members — could further advance the rigorous mutual inquiry Heck advocates. Such collaborative teaching models, already realised at institutions like Bethlehem University, Dar al-Kalima University and through the Institute for the Study of Religious Diversity in Iraq, enable students to explore how each tradition understands divine guidance, religious authority and human flourishing while witnessing scholarly dialogue in practice. Together, these varied approaches operationalise the synergy Heck envisions without erasing doctrinal conviction, creating what interfaith educator Michael Atkinson describes as spaces where 'bridging difference does not lie in making religious comparisons but rather in accepting religious ambiguity in pursuit of truth'. Building on these institutional and curricular innovations, it is clear that the future of pluralism in higher education depends not merely on the presence of such courses, but on a genuine prioritisation of their historical and interdisciplinary value. The study of religious pluralism draws its strength from a deep engagement with history — not as an abstract backdrop, but as a living record of encounters, negotiations and sometimes ruptures that have shaped the present landscape of belief and coexistence. Likewise, interdisciplinarity is not simply a methodological add-on; it is essential to understanding pluralism as it operates across theological, social, legal and political domains. It is precisely this historically informed and interdisciplinary commitment that risks being sidelined if universities allow market trends to dictate curricular priorities. The displacement of courses on pluralism, inter-religious relations and religious studies in favour of offerings that merely fill perceived niches would not only marginalise these fields but also erode the university's ability to foster the kind of critical, contextually aware citizenship that our pluralistic societies demand. Religious studies — and more broadly, the rigorous, cross-disciplinary study of pluralism — can no longer be consigned to the academic periphery. They must be recognised as central to the university's mission to equip students to navigate, interpret and help shape the complexities of an increasingly interconnected and diverse world. Religious pluralism in the MENA region is inherently non-monolithic. Effective curricula must leverage existing institutional strengths — Islamic tradition (texts and history), Jesuit social justice, phenomenological methods, confessional heritage, ethical jurisprudence —while collaboratively embedding pluralist insights across faculties. By mapping and learning from these varied approaches, policymakers and educators can transform disinterest and susceptibility into dynamic, humble pluralism that equips students for genuine inter-religious coexistence and civic engagement. Josef Meri is a Senior Fellow and faculty member in the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He is an historian of interfaith relations in the Middle East and of religions, specialising in pluralism, interfaith relations, Arab autobiography, identity and belonging.
ABC News
11-07-2025
- ABC News
Traditional textile skills provide work opportunity for Afghan refugees
Hakimeh Rahimi has always wanted to be a fashion designer. "My mum was always encouraging me … [and] I learnt to make clothes and dresses and things like that," she said. Ms Rahimi grew up in Afghanistan, but her family was forced to flee to Iran when the Taliban took over in the 1990s. Still a child when she fled as a refugee, she was unable to attend high school, limiting her opportunity to pursue the career she longed for in textiles. Despite this, she continued her craft and brought it with her when she and her husband came as refugees to Australia in 2014. Ms Rahimi now lives in Wagga Wagga, in southern New South Wales, and has made curtains and blinds for a local business, but an injury means she can no longer use scissors. She still aspires to open a sewing shop, and is hopeful treatment will mean she can work with her hands again. Ms Rahimi said the language barrier impacted on the confidence of many Afghan women, while other people with a similar background dismissed their skills as common because sewing was a significant part of their culture. "Some people think because in Afghanistan, everybody knows how to do embroidery, it's not that important. So when I ask, 'Can you do embroidery?' They ask, 'Who's going to buy it?'" A new initiative run by the Wagga Wagga City Council hopes to answer that question, while boosting language skills and fostering work opportunities. The Mending People project seeks to unite refugees with others in the Wagga community based on a common love for stitchery. Participants collaborate to make blanket banners and learn mending and stitching skills from cultures all around the world. Ms Rahimi is hopeful the project will give other refugees the confidence to pursue careers in textiles, because it connects them with the broader community over a shared love. Afghan refugee Rogayeh Uzbak is teaching others stitchery through the project. She also grew up in Iran after her family members fled their homeland. Speaking through an interpreter, she said she grew up in a "misogynistic" family that would not allow her to pursue her interest in stitching, weaving and knitting. She said at the age of 13 she was forcibly married to a 50-year-old man who would not allow her to work, but she was able to hone her skills and sell some of her work. After emigrating to Australia in 2023, Ms Uzbak continued to use her craft and now teaches others through workshops, which makes her "very excited". Migration researcher at the Universities of Melbourne and Wollongong Eliza Crosbie said language was a barrier for refugees looking for work when they arrived in Australia. "Often not being able to communicate is a barrier, which can see people entering into roles where the language isn't as important," she said. "We conducted a survey with 600 former refugees and found that primarily a lot of them were working in meatworks and cleaning." Dr Crosbie said while some refugees came to Australia with skills, they might not be recognised. "They are not often either given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills or given the help to get the certification or transfer their skills," she said. Dr Crosbie said the Paw Po textiles social enterprise at Nhill, in regional Victoria, had been successful in helping refugees transfer their skills. Founded in 2015, Paw Po began teaching English to Karen refugee women from Myanmar, before moving to sewing. "The women started to express that they wanted to learn skills that would give them further opportunities," Paw Po program manager Annette Creek said. The business produces a range of practical products ranging from bags to oven mitts, cushions, backpacks and face masks. Ms Creek said they kept connections with the Karen people by sourcing fabrics from Thai refugee camps. "Often these women have come straight from refugee camps, and this is a really incredibly valuable way to incorporate them into the community," she said.
