Anwar receives Aidiladha greetings from Iranian President, reaffirms support for Palestine
KUALA LUMPUR: In the spirit of Aidiladha, which upholds the values of sacrifice and justice, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed appreciation for the steadfastness of Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian in defending the plight of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza.
In a phone call with Masoud earlier, Anwar said Malaysia stands firmly with Iran in strongly rejecting all forms of occupation and the ongoing expulsion of Gaza's people, who continue to be oppressed by the Zionist Israeli regime.
'I also conveyed that Malaysia's foreign policy is not dictated by external powers but is built on national interests and firm convictions.
'Malaysia condemns the hypocrisy of certain countries that claim to uphold human rights yet silently allow mass killings without any dignified action. Silence in the face of oppression is a betrayal of universal human values,' he said in a statement on Facebook.
Anwar said Masoud also extended Aidiladha greetings for the celebration on Saturday.
Anwar prayed that hajj pilgrims from both nations currently in the holy city of Makkah would be granted a blessed hajj and contribute to the development of the 'Ummah' upon returning to their respective countries.
The prime minister also expressed gratitude to Masoud for his noble efforts in facilitating the repatriation of two Malaysian citizens previously detained in Iran.
He said during the conversation, he conveyed appreciation to Masoud following the recent visits by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to Tehran, as part of joint efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
He noted that the cooperation spans education, technology, food security, trade, investment and the oil and gas sector.
'In the same discussion, Malaysia welcomes the decision to resume Mahan Air flights from Tehran to Kuala Lumpur, which will undoubtedly open more opportunities and avenues for economic ties and people-to-people connections,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
2 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Thousands join Maghreb Resilience Convoy to Gaza, demanding end to Israeli's genocide
SHAH ALAM - Thousands of North African volunteers launched the Maghreb Resilience Convoy from Tunisia this week, embarking on a land journey to Gaza in an effort to break Israel's prolonged siege. The convoy also aimed to deliver humanitarian aid and demand an end to what organisers describe as a 'genocide committed by the Israeli enemy.' Organised by the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine in Tunisia, the convoy set off simultaneously from the cities of Tunis, Sousse, Sfax and Gabes. The route would take them south to Ben Guerdane, across the Tunisian-Libyan border at Ras Jedir, through Libya and into Egypt, with the final goal of reaching Rafah and delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza. "The convoy will express solidarity with the Palestinian people under siege and deliver humanitarian aid to them. 'Participants in the convoy will head to the Ras Jedir crossing on the Tunisian-Libyan border and travel along the Libyan coastal road to Cairo, then to the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian-Palestinian border, to deliver messages of solidarity and aid to the Palestinians in Gaza,' the coordination group said in a statement. Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunisian capital Tunis ahead of the departure of a land convoy aiming to break Israel's siege on Gaza, on 9 June. Photo by Fathi Belaid/AFP The convoy comprised more than 1,000 activists and 7,000 total registrants from across the Maghreb region, including Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. Among the participants were trade unionists, political figures, human rights defenders, lawyers, doctors, journalists and youth activists. Wael Nouar, spokesperson for the convoy, confirmed the scale of the mobilisation. "The convoy has registered the participation of more than 7,000 people of various Maghreb nationalities as of May 30. The convoy will include delegations from Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and thousands from Tunisia and Libya. We will proceed directly to Cairo, then to Arish in Egypt and Rafah,' he said. As the convoy left Tunisia's capital at 8.30am local time on June 10, hundreds of citizens lined the streets, waving Palestinian and Tunisian flags in a powerful visual of public support. Many had gathered as early as 4am on Avenue Mohammed V in Tunis to register and assist with logistical arrangements. Jawaher Channa, a member of the organising committee, said preparations were complete. 'Together with our Algerian brothers and sisters, over 1,000 participants have been distributed across 12 buses and 100 vehicles. More will join along the way before it reaches Gaza,' she said. Medical coordinator Mohamed Amine Bennour emphasised that the convoy was part of a larger, global movement. 'This convoy is part of a global initiative involving more than 30 countries from Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. We are moving in coordination with various organizations aiming to reach Gaza by land, sea and air. 'After crossing Tunisia, we plan to reach the Gaza Strip via Libya and Egypt. We are coordinating with initiatives such as the March on Gaza, the Global March on Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla, which consists of many ships,' he said. Tunisian civil society has shown overwhelming support for the land convoy. Organisations backing the initiative include the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Journalists' Syndicate, the National Bar Association, the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, the Tunisian Medical Association and the Organisation of Young Doctors. The convoy is expected to arrive in Cairo by today and in Rafah by Sunday. Meanwhile, a separate initiative is also underway; over 1,000 activists from 32 countries are planning a demonstration at the Rafah border crossing on June 15. The activists will first gather in Cairo on June 12, then travel to the border town of Arish before marching 50 kilometers to Rafah over three days. The urgency of these movements is underlined by Gaza's worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Since Oct 7, 2023, Israeli air and ground operations, backed by the United States (US) and Europe, have devastated Gaza, killing 54,927 people, most of whom are children and women and injuring 126,615 others, according to figures released by the convoy's organisers. Thousands more remain trapped beneath rubble or unreachable due to the siege. Aid agencies have warned that Gaza's 2.4 million residents face imminent famine due to Israel's continued closure of border crossings since early March. The International Criminal Court last November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. As convoys, flotillas and marches grow in number, the Maghreb Resilience Convoy stands as a resounding symbol of cross-border unity, civil resistance and an urgent plea to stop the suffering in Gaza.
Sinar Daily
2 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Racism behind global silence on Gaza
"Because of racism, that's the simple answer," she said when asked by a member of the press on why she thought so many countries and governments around the world were ignoring what was happening in Gaza. Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg talks to journalists upon her arrival to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, as she left Israel on a flight to Sweden via France, after she was detained along with other activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid boat, on June 10, 2025. Thunberg departed Israel on a flight from Tel Aviv to Sweden (via France). - (Photo by HUGO MATHY / AFP) SHAH ALAM - Swedish Greta Thunberg says racism is the reason behind the global community's silence on the crisis in Gaza. Speaking to the media at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France following her deportation from Israel, Thunberg criticised the world's failure to confront Israel's actions in Gaza. "Because of racism, that's the simple answer," she said when asked by a member of the press on why she thought so many countries and governments around the world were ignoring what was happening in Gaza. Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg talks to journalists upon her arrival to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, as she left Israel on a flight to Sweden via France, after she was detained along with other activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid boat, on June 10, 2025. - (Photo by HUGO MATHY / AFP) She attributed the world's silence to racism and a desperate attempt to defend a destructive and deadly system that systematically puts short-term economic profit and maximising geopolitical power over the well-being of humans and the planet. She added that the efforts to morally justify such a system were "absurd" and there were no words to fully capture the depth of the crisis or the denial surrounding it. It was reported that Thunberg flew out of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, bound for Sweden via France. Upon her arrival in Paris, she told reporters that she and her fellow pro-Palestinian activists had been kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli forces. The activists were on board the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's (FFC) yacht, the Madleen en-route to Gaza. Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg talks to journalists upon her arrival to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, as she left Israel on a flight to Sweden via France, after she was detained along with other activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid boat, on June 10, 2025. - (Photo by HUGO MATHY / AFP) The Madleen departed from Catania in Sicily, southern Italy on June 1 carrying essential humanitarian cargo including food, baby formula, medical supplies and other life-saving aid foor the beseiged population of Gaza. According FFC, the Israeli forces had unlawfully boarded the ship, detained its unarmed crew and confiscated the cargo. Legal rights group Adalah was reported saying that Israel had treated all 12 activists as if they "illegally entered" the country, despite forcibly detaining them in international waters and transferring them into its territory against their will. It was also reported Israel had imposed a 100-year entry ban on each of them.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Britain and allies impose sanctions on Israeli ministers for 'inciting violence'
LONDON: Britain and four other nations imposed sanctions on Tuesday on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway joined Britain in freezing the assets and imposing travel bans on Israel's national security minister Ben-Gvir and finance minister Smotrich, both West Bank settlers. Signalling a rare split with its close British ally, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the US condemned the move. He said it would not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, end the war there and bring home hostages Palestinian Hamas fighters abducted from Israel 20 months ago. British foreign minister David Lammy, in a joint statement with the foreign ministers of the other four nations, said Ben-Gvir and Smotrich had "incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. "This is why we have taken action now to hold those responsible to account," the statement said. Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said the sanctions included targeted financial restrictions and travel bans. Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said the action by the five countries was "outrageous" and the Israeli government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond. Smotrich, speaking at the inauguration of a new West Bank Jewish settlement in the Hebron Hills, spoke of "contempt" for Britain's move. "We are determined, God willing, to continue building," he said. As the five nations announced action against the Israeli ministers, the United States imposed sanctions on a leading Palestinian human rights organisation as well as five charity groups in the Middle East and Europe, accusing them of supporting Palestinian fighters including Hamas. 'EGREGIOUS' Last month, the leaders of Britain, France and Canada put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to end a blockade on aid into Gaza, where international experts have said famine is imminent, promising "concrete action" if a new military offensive did not stop. London also suspended free trade talks with Israel for pursuing "egregious policies" in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers. In response, Netanyahu accused them of wanting to help Hamas and "being on the wrong side of history." Tuesday's joint statement said their action was focused on curbing violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and was aimed solely at individuals who "undermine Israel's own security." But it added the measures could not be seen in isolation of events in Gaza. "We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid," it said. "There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip." The foreign ministers said they still wanted "a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on shared ties, values and commitment to (its) security and future." "We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas, which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution," the statement said. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have previously clashed with Netanyahu, both calling for the permanent conquest of Gaza and re-establishment of the Jewish settlements there that Israel abandoned in 2005, notions that the Israeli leader has rejected. Israel began its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023 in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli tallies, and 251 people were taken to Gaza and held hostage.
